An Interview With Schmurgen Jonerhaffs...

Schmurgen's a new face on the UK small press scene, having recently moved to London from Norway. His uncompromising styles can be found on his blog which he updates with a couple of new comics every week and he's even taken it upon himself to organise his very own Schmurgen Con which takes place this Saturday in Mile End.

I sent the man of the moment some questions...

Hi Schmurgen. Welcome to the UK! Tell us about how you got involved in making comics and the scene back home.

I haf want to make comics ever since I see my brothers Conan! Then later on I read Moebius and Robert Crumb and realise that comics can make anything!

What made you want to move here to the UK?

I was board of Norske life and all my friends only wanted to go skiikng but I haf fobia of skiing since I was little boy so I think I go to London, Home of From Hell, one of my most favourite uncompromising comics!

What kinds of comics to you like to make?

I like to make comics that show real world in all it's uncompromising ugly beauty! I like to make uncompromising comics! I feel that anything else woud be to betray of my talent!

Who or what are your influences?
I am very influence by Henry Rollins. He tought me that artists should always tell truth, even if truth is that you have unusual dream about chickens.

What is your favourite comicbook of all time?

I like the one where Wolverine cut off his own face as April fool prank. Or maybe I dreamed that? I also like Conan because he is uncompromising!

Tell us a bit about "Schmurgen Con" which happens this Saturday.

I am very exciting about this! It is my chance to announce myself to the world as real presence, and also share drinks with my new london comic freinds! It will be uncompromising fun! Also Special thankings to my friend David Bayley for making my idea happen!

Just why are you so uncompromising?

Because I cannott live any other way! If I tried my brains would melt off!

Stadium Love

Jake Harold, Matt Badham, Oli Smith and Me. Photo by Baz Renshaw

At last year's Leeds Thought Bubble Festival, I have vague memories of drunken brawling with

fellow creators. This picture turned up on Matt Badham's new blog to confirm my suspicions.

On that note, this year's Thought Bubble has already been announced and I can't bloody wait!

Some sketches from recent PubDraw sessions. I really need to mess around with my scanner's settings. Everything's coming out all washed out like...

The hot piece of ass that is Sean Azzopardi has set up The Sequential, a new site for people to showcase comicy arty stuff. So far there are posts by Mister Azzopardi himself, alongside the esteemed Douglas Noble, Phil "Ninja Bunny" Spence, Jon Scrivens, Oli Smith and Jake Harold. I've also just put up the first page of Modern Monstrosity's contribution to this year's UK Web n Comix Thing. Check it.
I'm sure also that Sean would welcome anyone else who's interested in taking part. As long as they're good.

Ok, it's been a while since the last update and the whole "I'm gonna post a blog twice a week!" thing didn't quite work out (not to say it won't actually happen... eventually). Although I will get round to doing a "Secret History of Tales From The Flat" post as I'm always up for a trip down memory lane and it's about time the old, original and reeeally crappy TFTF's that no one's really seen were given some public viewage.
Anyways, you may well have heard about London Underground Comics' spangley new event which is being held at the 176 gallery in Camden/Chalk Farm on June 27th. It's being sponsored by those lovely folks at Gosh! Comics (London's bestest comic shop dontcha know?), FREE entry for the public, DJ's, animation screenings, space for between 40 and 80 creators (the tables are huuge) and very reasonable prices for the tables as well. Head on over to the LUC site for the announcement video and more details. The exhibitor list is already looking mighty impressive, spaces are going fast, so if you're a creator then get on it now dammit!

Like most comicbook types, on Friday I went and saw the "unfilmable" Watchmen. On Saturday, I watched it again and then on Sunday I watched it again on Imax.

Bloody hell it was good. I actually had pretty low expectations despite the fairly decent early reviews. Zach Snyder has given us an adaptation far truer to the comic than Paul Greengrass or even Terry Gilliam would have produced. As far as I'm concerned, it's pretty much as good as a Watchmen film can get. I'm just praying to baby Jesus that Warner Brothers don't go and make a sequel or something. Although it wouldn't surprise me if DC made some sort of comic book prequel or sequel in order to cash in at some point soon. The rubbish sketches below were done in the pub after viewing #2. Ran out of blue.

As great as the Watchmen movie is though, it comes no where near the greatness of this.

Oh, and check out The Daily Mail's review for a good giggle.

A quick reminder that this year's UK Web and Mini Comix Thing takes place in London on March 28th. Modern Monstrosity will be there with all new Curtis and Terrorist plus a few other little goodies. Personally, I'm looking forwards to seeing Jake Harold's foray into auto-bio comics. Heaven help us all.

Oh yeah, and I'm on Twitter now. Follow me and stuff.

Oh yeah, and please sign this petition, our government's being twits again.