INTERVIEW: Chris Weston
Interview conducted by Jonathan Ellis

Having grown up from one end of the British Empire to another, Chris did a lot of moving around but wherever they went they still had comics. Influenced by a mix of British 1960's reprints and fresh editions of 2000AD he knew from an early age that drawing comics was what he wanted to do. Having started by apprenticing under the guidance of legendary artist Don Lawrence, Chris broke into the field on one of the very titles that influenced him to draw comics in the first place, 2000AD.

Chris Weston made his mark with a highly detailed art style when most people were still using speedlines to compensate for poor art. But not only is it his detail that makes Chris stand out but also his ability to perfectly capture the spirit and style of what he draws. No matter when or where a scene may take place, Chris spares no effort in defining that moment absolutely.

With the recent trade paper back release of Chris Weston's co-creation, The Filth, we decided to talk to Chris about the process of creating his 'most personal work' in comics.

Recently released was the trade paper back collection of the Filth, which you did with Grant Morrison. Was this something you were brought on to draw or did you and Grant conceive this together before pitching?

Grant wrote The Filth with me in mind, based on a discussion we had at San Diego where we discovered a mutual ambition to create the weirdest comic ever seen. A year later, out of the blue, Grant presented me with a detailed pitch for The Filth... unbelievably, I then got cold feet, and dithered about whether to draw it or another project that Tom Peyer had offered to me. Eventually Grant used an effective combination of emotional blackmail and bullying to persuade me to sign on, thank god!

Normally Grant has had a past of writing himself into the characters, King Mob being the most notable example but for The Filth you actually shared some similarities with the main character Greg Feely. Could you tell us a little about what comparisons you shared with the character?

Well apart from looking like an older, slap-head version of myself, I also had a cat who was dying of kidney failure. And I was plagued by a gang of delinquent, glue-sniffing youths who spiced up their useless little lives by intimidating the "weirdo comic artist". I am at least happily married with a kid... so pornography doesn't really figure too heavily in my life as much as Mr. Feely's! Generally, though, my experience of modern day England doesn't differ too much from Greg's; I live in the seaside town that probably inspired Morrissey's "Every day is Like Sunday", and I delight in being gloomy soul! Grant was aware of all these details and wove them into The Filth in order to play up to my strengths. I'm flattered and honoured that a writer of Grant's stature would write such a blatant love-letter to my art; I'm a lucky boy! I just wish more writers and editors would "get" what it is that I do, and appreciate what distinguishes me from the rest of the pack.

Did you have a favourite piece from the Filth series? Many people feel partial to the Pornomancer story for instance.

Nah, I love that chapter where Greg has the big fight with Dmitri. There's so much to enjoy in there: the living television, the "walls have ears" gag, the ethereal chimp astronauts, the blood splattered train... I was cooking with gas that month!

How did it feel creating characters that existed on the dark side of culture? To describe the series there's no real core villain, but I believe there is a villain type, that is, the type of person who has no regard for the lives of others. Which exist in all walks of life, whether they're high up the corporate ladder or down in the gutter.

I'm a bit squeamish about depicting scenes of sadism and torture. In fact, Spartacus Hughes was far more extreme in the original script; for example on the very first page of issue one, Spartacus hadn't just doused that poor scientist in gas, he'd also given her a petrol enema! She was supposed to have a funnel still sticking out of her arse! I was extremely uncomfortable about that, and gave a big sigh of relief when Karen Berger asked for the scene to be toned down.

It can be good fun drawing villains, but I don't think Spartacus was as good a character as Greg Feely. Greg was pretty ambiguous himself... and, subsequently, far more intriguing.

Since Grants new contract, have the two of you tried re-pitching any of your past ideas, such as World's Freakiest?

No, the phone's been horribly quiet this year... Grant's had a lot of personal, family issues to cope with and I assume he's also pretty busy cooking up stuff for the mainstream DC Universe. Not that I'm worried; I needed a break. After the triple whammy of The Filth, finishing Ministry of Space and coping with Don Lawrence's untimely death, I was royally burnt out... it's taken me ages to get my 'mojo' back.

The announcement of Don's death really reached the North American news sites as a sort of third party notice which is a shame, but one thing the comics community is great at is reaching out, whether it's helping someone out if they're ill or doing a dedication to those who have passed. Was that something that might have crossed your mind or are there times when you think those sorts of shows of gratitude aren't always wholly appropriate?

I was extremely touched that Don's death was mentioned at all. It was a shame that his work was unknown over in the States; I put it down to the fact that the credit for successful comics - in the American comic field- is usually attributed to writers far more than artists. For example, we've all seen articles about 'Grant Morrison's The Filth' ... like the comic just materialised out of thin air or something! Not that I'm complaining... I was lucky enough to be teamed with a talented and popular writer and I reap the benefits that come from that association. However, Don had a terrible choice in collaborators! Had he been teamed up with an Alan Moore, or a Mark Waid or someone of their stature, I'm sure he'd have been a huge star over in the USA. Not that it bothered him; quite the reverse, in fact!

Because of the high detail inherent in your art, much of your past work has included meticulously designed vehicles, jets and military transports. Even architecture appearing in the background for a period piece has shown amazing detail. Many artists prefer to avoid such specific aspects. Is there anything you feel particularly enticed by when drawing or anything in particular you feel you're known for?

I want to create the impression that it's not only a comic they're holding but also a small, square window into a totally realised, alternative universe. I find it difficult to edit my thoughts, so I tend to pour everything I see in my head onto the page. This is more of a curse than a blessing, as it takes me much longer to do a page of artwork and you run the risk of ruining the clarity of the storytelling. But I like listening to music at full volume and I want people reading my comics to experience a similar effect.

Growing up with a military upbringing did you have a lot of encouragement to become an artist?

Yeah, my dad loved reading comics and fully supported my ambition to draw them for a living. I think he's slightly disappointed it doesn't pay more, but then so am I!

Are artists who pay high attention to detail a dying breed in comics? Over the years even artists known for their detail tended to tone down their art to allow room for colourists to do more.

Yeah, but it is probably a good thing. The comics of the nineties were far more detailed than they were in previous decades when the printing was far cruder. The influence of the original Image artists with their noodley, cross-hatched styles was everywhere, unfortunately. Their copyists tended to mistake quantity for quality and the whole industry suffered for it. A lot of the detail on the pages was extraneous and used to disguise poor storytelling or drawing. Talented artists, the like of Gibbons, Toth, Ditko and Bernet seemed to be in short supply. There has been a recent reaction against this and it's a pleasure to see guys like Sean Phillips, Michael Lark and Charlie Adlard make an impression with their simpler, more economic styles.

I'll personally carry on producing detailed artwork because I enjoy seeing it and I think I understand the difference between what is superfluous detail and what isn't.

It's interesting. There's an odd drive in more detail-oriented artists that'll say 'a little more here', 'more shadow here' and 'this needs something in this space' whereas artists of the Mike Mignola vein could draw three lines on a page and have a picture of batman.

Yeah, talented bastard!

You first started your comics career with 2000AD and recently did some cover work for them. Did this feel like 'coming back home again' for you?

Definitely. I needed to see if I could still cut it with some of the talented younger artists who have recently come out of that magazine, (like Fraser Irving, Jock, Richard Elson, Andy Clarke, Henry Flint etc.).

As an artist, do comics ever feel more like a business then the entertainment you grew up with? As someone who has been able to choose their projects often that puts you ahead of many of your peers who don't always have that luxury.

Yeah I've been lucky to get the sort of projects I've been offered, but it's a two-way street and I've think I've delivered the goods in spades. Who else could have done The Filth and got it right? Sure, there are tons of better artists than me, but no one else could have drawn that book as it was intended to be seen. And Ministry of Space for that matter!

Are there any pet projects you have hopes of one day perhaps writing and drawing yourself?

One day I'll sit down and have a go at writing my own script. Hopefully not too far in the distant future. I've got tons of ideas, but do I have the ability to write them? I'd like to find out...! I need to build up a cushion of money first, to support me while I attempt such a task.

Will you be attending San Diego this year? Do you enjoy going to events such as conventions?

No I won't be off to San Diego this year. We're expecting the birth of our second child roundabout that time, so I'll be needed close to home! And I have to admit: I have fallen out of love with the whole comic convention scene. I don't enjoy them as much as I used to, I can't do that drinking all night thing any more... and I think I've detected a tendency by some people to try and exploit the artists' appearances to further their own financial needs. It used to be far more mutually beneficial, but like everything else, commerce is getting in the way. Ugh, I'm in danger of sounding like John Byrne, so I better shut up!

Is it 2000AD for the foreseeable future or do you have an itch to do some more monthly series or DC work?

No, I'll be heading back to DC as soon as possible. I've had a nice break from the mainstream... but I've practically bankrupted myself in the process. I've had some interesting offers from DC, one of which involves Batman. So despite everything I've said about drawing super-heroes in the past, we'll soon get to see my take on the Dark Knight Detective. And I couldn't be more excited about it! Yeah, I'm just a sad old fanboy at heart, too!

Thanks Chris,
For more on Chris and his artwork be sure to visit his site at Chris Weston.com and for those looking for a piece of Chris Weston art to call their own, be sure to visit his dealer Mark Hay at Splash Page Art.com.

 

Jonathan Ellis is Co-Editor in Chief of PopImage and can be reached at Ellis @ PopImage.com


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