The Sheila Bave Interview!

The Terry and Sheila Bave interviews were published on the old CBO but I've just discovered they were never posted here!

So here goes....

Only an idiot, of course,would interview one member of a comic-strip creating team and forget to interview the other partner.  So, just to prove my not interviewing Sheila for CB#3 was part of an over-all strategy -here’s the interview!  [I wonder if anyone bought that excuse?]

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TH:Sheila,thank you for taking the time out to answer these questions.  As far as I canfind out,even in girls titles,you were one of a very few women working in British comics;were you ever aware of this?

SHEILA:Yes!

TH: Before anyone writes in, I am not forgetting Hilary Robinson who wrote for 2000 AD!

Oh,I suppose I ought to have asked this question first since it is tradional -if I may?  Where and when were you born?

SHEILA: 1930.  Islington,London.

TH: Did you grow-up reading comics yourself?

SHEILA: Yes, usually other peoples copies -CHIPS!, KNOCKOUT [the original], GIRLS CRYSTAL, DANDY, etc..

TH: I presume, if I may, that you never thought about writing comic strip scripts until you met Terry?  When did you first meet him and at what point did he reveal that he wanted to draw comic strips for a living?

SHEILA: At the Dali Continuation School from work -handing out an exercise book covered in cartoon drawings of comic characters.

TH: Did you get involved in helping Terry write the scripts?  I know it takes a great deal of time and effort drawing comic strips, so how did you and Terry manage before his big break in 1967 -did you both have other jobs?

SHEILA: Yes, then immediately on a freelance/part-time basis.

TH: You decided to help scripting; did you find this easy at first or did it take a while to get into the stride of things -in fact, I don’t think I even asked Terry if you wrote scripts or whether you both just put your heads together and “talked scripts” through?

SHEILA: Its a very joint effort and we “talked scripts”.  First script was “Belles Of St. Dominic’s” for POW! Annual.

TH: Are you an artist, yourself?

 SHEILA: NO!

TH: I was wondering whether at some point you ever thought “I’d like to have a go at drawing comic strips”?

SHEILA: NO!

TH: Maybe inking a page of Terry’s pencils?

SHEILA: No,No,No  -I’M NORMAL!!!

TH: Ahh.  The comment of a woman married to a comic artist!  Most women not involved in the comics industry tend to view comics as “childish” and not to be taken seriously,but,having worked with Terry since the 1960s,has your opinion changed?

SHEILA: No!  I have always believed that comics should be additional “fun” reading -for children.

TH: Was there ever a low point when you suggested to Terry that it might be a good time to quit?

SHEILA: No!

TH: I’ve asked Terry this but I wondered–is there specific work in comics that you think is his best?

SHEILA: They have ALL been good in their time!

TH: Which character that you’ve both worked on do you think was the most fun?

 

SHEILA: “The Scarey’s Of St. Mary’s”  and “Ginger’s Tum”!

TH: What point in yours and Terry’s career do you think was the best?

SHEILA: It’s been a very consistent “fun time”!

TH: If you had to give advice to a young woman wanting to start a career in writing/drawing today what might it be?

SHEILA: DON’T!!! There isn’t the market today!

Terry: Any final words for the Readers?

SHEILA: Having experienced a time in remedial reading at [Middle School] “fun reading” was great help in starting youngsters off -into more serious reading!  So,comics have their place! Enjoy!

TH: Again, thank you, Sheila.