Here is my interview with the great guys at Blink Twice.

What was the kernel idea that brought Malcolm to our comic pages?

Bob ( B ): Well, we'd had been thinking for a while about making our next foray into the world of comics. Having spent most of late 2002 and early 2003 working on a serious religious-thriller styled-book, entitled 'Dust to Dust', and pitched this concept to a number of publishers including Wildstorm, we'd become a little disillusioned with the project. It wasn't that our art or concept had been poorly received, but rather that we were trying to jump into an arena already dominated by some big hitters. We kept being advised to try something different,. and more importantly go and MAKE something ourselves. The advice stuck, and when Lawrence presented me with a design featuring a rabbit in a blue and black striped jumper holding a popgun, it all just clicked.
 
Lorenzo (L): It was so weird because it wasn't like I'd drawn this guy to show to Bob as a potential idea, I'd just been working on a greetings card commissioned series on 1940's WWII bomber nose-art, you know, ladies in short dresses, blowing kisses - that sort of thing. I was getting a little fed up with it and just thought I'd throw in something random.
 
( B ): Random's the word. It just clicked with me. Don't know why. I said to Lawrence "I'd call him Malcolm Magic" and Lawrence said "cool". And that was that. Everything that followed was gravy!
 
Lawrence, your brand of artwork is unique, how do you explain your style?

(L): I try not to! Haha! My styles a real mixture of influences, from traditional comic masters like Roy Wilson to fifties visionaries like Frank Hampson. In fact, our MOON! series will be the closest I've come to ACTIVELY blending these two forms - the comedy, cartoony feel with a massive, sprawling, beautifully rendered sci-fi universe. The work of Uderzo has definitely effected the way I interpret page layouts. But I try to create something new on the page. People will always say they can see the influences in your work and that's natural, but I spend a lot of time trying to make something that doesn't actually look like anything I've seen before. Which can be hard!
 
Now, I know for a fact you both studied down in Cornwall. Do you think this has had any influence on your work?
 
( B ): Well, sometimes the facts are HALF facts. Lorenzo studied in Cornwall but I was drinking Ale in Yorkshire!
 
(L): Maybe if you'd studied harder we'd be more successful!
 
( B ): Fair point.
 
(L): But it's an interesting question. I did a Fine Art degree at Falmouth Art College, principally working on Sculpture. The influence it had, if anything, was that it allowed me to think about my work. The concept was almost more important than the end product. I've taken the thinking time to heart, but for us the end product is VERY important! Also I guess my time in Falmouth gave me time to think about what I really enjoyed. I moved into Furniture design when I initially left College, but pretty soon Bob and I began working together and I naturally slipped back into the illustrative world I'd enjoyed as a kid.
 
( B ): You do like tropical plants. That's a Cornish influence.
 
(L): Good spot! Yeah, I'm always putting leafy fronds in my backgrounds, and I've grown a fair few banana plants ... which brings us to Monkey Nuts! Wow...it's all connected!
 
The humour in your comics is quintessentially British, how do you think this translates across the cultural boundaries?

( B ): Ah, well, here's the thing. When I started writing Monkey Nuts, I was already pretty familiar with the fact that 'the funnies' don't sell particularly well. That said, I love comics which can combine humour and adventure - an often overlooked synergy. Lawrence has mentioned Uderzo and I'd have to state that Goscinny is a major influence on my writing. Although my Malcolm script is littered with subtle film and tv references I wanted to write a good story first and a comedy second. I also wanted to write something that I believed in, and having sampled a dirge of 'accessible' titles from America I decided to just script something I enjoyed and see what happened next. I'm always amazed when Malcolm is well recieved by other nationalities, not because I think it's a Brit-centric work, but more that it's a little, erm, hectic.
 
(L): Haha! That was a long statement to get to that point, you nit!
 
( B ): Yeah, fair enough. Malcolm is a silly journey, populated with off-the-wall plot twists, an ever-expanding cast, a lot of mayhem and a lot of words. That's a British quality - overkill! I shot for a sugar-rush, Saturday morning Cartoon, kid-logic adventure and I think I achieved my goal. And I love that readers have embraced the bunny!
 
In a superhero royal rumble who do you think would win?

(L): Well, this is hard. I'd like to say Wolverine but I guess the Thing or Hulk would probably take all comers. Unless the Thing was the movie-version, in which case his squeeky plastic suit would probably pop and he'd be killed instantly by someone like Batgirl.
 
( B ): I'm backing Stan Lee. He's considered a superhero, right? Pretty sure I saw him in disguise as Heff in Ironman...has that ALWAYS been his mild mannered (sex mad) alter ego?
 
What future plans do you have?

(L): Right now we're both working like CRAZY for the new children's comic, the DFC, which launches on 30th May (not long).
 
( B ): We'll be rolling out our Monkey Nuts series for a nice long run - broken into larger stories - and I'll be producing some additional stories for other artists.
 
(L): I'll also be creating some unique Lorenzo covers for Titan comics. Keep your eyes peeled for the good stuff!

Thank you very much Bob and Lorenzo from Blick Twice.

Visit them on the web, its well worth it, at:

The Etherington Brothers
- Adventures in Words and Pictures -
www.studioblinktwice.com
www.malcolmmagic.com