FERGUSON’S 7 QUESTIONS WITH… NEIL SHARPSON

It’s been a pretty big gap since my last one of these but here’s someone I’ve been meaning to have on since I read his first League of Volunteers issue (his second issue is out now btw). It’s 7 questions with writer Neil Sharpson.

What was the first comic work you did that was published?

League of Volunteers #4 was the first comic I ever wrote, period (which was a nice way to start).

What is the biggest thing you have learned since that book?

To cut back on the dialogue and let the artist do most of the work (visual medium etc, etc).

What’s your process for writing a comic book?

I usually have a page-per-page, a one page note giving a brief description of what happens on each page of the comic worked out beforehand. Then it’s just a case of sitting down and cracking it out. I try to write them like I read them, start at the start and just continue on to the end.

What is the biggest influence on your work?

Bendis has got to be a big one, also Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon. In terms of movies, it’s kind of weird but the film that probably had the biggest impact on my writing was Snatch (Guy Ritchie’s follow up to Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), certainly in terms of my comedic writing.

What are you working on right now?

Well I’ve been commissioned to write a play for the Abbey with a first draft due in January so it’s full steam ahead on that at the moment. Once that’s under control I’ll be collaborating with Paul Keane on a historical/fantasy/horror comic featuring WB Yeats.

What do you out now or coming out next?

The script for League of Volunteers #6 is done so now I’m just waiting for Rob Curley to get back to with the edits. Hopefully that’ll be out sometime early 2015.

What is your favourite Irish comic?

My heart belongs to the Atomic Diner Universe, obviously, so I’m going to go with Darrin O’Toole and Luca Pizzari’s friggin’ phenomenal Glimmer Man.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Neil Sharpson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neil.sharpson?fref=ts