Well, yes. I just stopped posting interviews though. The reason why I stopped I ought to explain.
I never do over the phone interviews (the Marv Wolfman interview was the last one and if you read The Hooper Interviews you'll know why that was a pain!)
I tend to send written questions and interviewees reply to those in writing so no one can say there was a misquote or they had something taken out of context. With artists I tend to like to show a progression in their work from strips or illoes in fanzines (if anyone remembers those) up to their current work. If and interview covers the start of a career from Year One to Present that is how it is done (or used to me).
Back in the early 2000s the "up their own arse" creators appeared. I would send the questions and tell them that their answers could be as long as they liked or as short. I sent them the illoes that I wanted to use to get approval which, I ought to point out, is not the norm as other publishers decide what they are going to use and the interviewee has to suck it up and like it.
I did one interview with a female artist and once completed I did what I always do; I sent a copy of the to be published interview complete with added art and asked for approval and pointing out that any changes or illoe choices they did not like to just say and they would be changed. So in total she had three opportunities to ask for a change. Nothing. Interview was published and a link sent. After a day I heard from someone that the interviewee was unhappy with what was posted.
I assumed that something said by her had been misinterpreted so I visited her blog.... "I have no idea why he used those pieces of art!! and three other moans or complaints were there. So I contacted her and asked her why she had said nothing and again explained the first to latest strip art choices and the reply was basically showing that she was just whining for the sake of it, I offered to remove the interview but that seemed to offend her more.
Then I interviewed a male creator. Same process and this interview was for online and the paper version of Comic Bits. All went fine and it was a long interview. However, then he complained. Apparently (even though he had received a copy of the previous CB magazine) he was unimpressed with the publication and had expected something more extravagant for his interview and he was also not happy that I had not pushed his arguments with certain publishers which were covered but I think he wanted me to attack those involved which is not the job of an interviewer covering someone's career. In other words he had a hissy fit.
Basically, this all became standard with new creators from the ones bragging they intended to be the next DC/Marvel super star (after 20 years I hope they are not holding their breaths) or it was a case of (in four interviews with small press people) telling me that their creations were going to be the next big movie sensation so to make sure I really pushed them in the interviews. Again, I hope none of them was holding their breath and the claims were sheer fantasy on their parts as there was nothing in their work (a good deal of it derivative) that looked as though Hollywood producers would be chasing them.
The final straw was a British creator who kept dodging interviews and when I met him at a comic con he he was handed the questions, looked over them and said "Fine. Give me a week" then...silence and then I read a comment he made online that CBO was not a big enough platform for him to be interviewed on. He had his five minutes and now most people ask "Who?" when he is mentioned though I am still a fan of his work. I write that was the final straw but there was worse.
Remember that I am referring to people publishing small press comics not major stars here. I was asked by two small press creators how much I paid for interviews. Apparently, their interviews would be hits and draw in far more people I was told. As they had to answer questions that took time (for reference both were unemployed at the time) and also if I was going to use any of their art that would require financial compensation. I explained what an interview was but no: no money no deal. So I dumped the idea.
Oddly, a year later one of the fellas contacted me and asked to be interviewed and to promote his new zine. I told him that I charged £100 per interview and £50 for reviewing a book -after all it took up my time. He realised that I was joking and that I was not joking when I told him that I had no interest in interviewing him but I reviewed any book sent in. He never sent his book.
In total it's over 40 years of interviewing creators -writers, artists and publishers- but when it moves from being an interesting job to a nightmare because of the interviewee it's time to stop....unless someone or something really interesting comes along.
No comments:
Post a Comment