Adrian Raeside is an urbane comic artist, born in New Zealand, now living in Canada. He is probably most known for his cartoon “The Other Coast” and is published regularly in hundreds of magazines all over the world.

For those who do not know you -- who is Adrian Raeside?
- A 53 year-old New Zealand-born Canadian living in Canada’s largest ski resort -- who no longer skis. (Too often by the time I met my daily deadlines, the lifts had closed down.) Starting from a blackboard in my parents kitchen, I had always been drawing. I had no idea I’d ever be able to make a living at my scribbling but in 1978, turned down for a job selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door (I am not kidding) and completely unaware of how difficult it was to make a living as a cartoonist, I tried my hand at selling my work. I guess it was a case of blissful ignorance coupled with persistence. Gradually, I began to build up a decent list of newspapers that ran my editorial cartoons. In 1980, the Victoria Times Colonist hired me as their Editorial Cartoonist, where I’ve been ever since. In 2000, Creators Syndicate picked up The Other Coast, which up to then had been running as a Sunday in a few papers in Canada. The Other Coast now appears in hundreds of newspapers worldwide.

Some cartoonists work during business hours, others stay up late at night and some people like to listen to music while they work. How is your working day?
- My day usually starts around 6am -- not because of any burning desire to start work at that ungodly hour, but due to my ancient border collie sticking his wet nose in my face, demanding he be let outside to paint the snow banks yellow. I used to work late into the night but gave that up a few years ago. Now the most I’ll do in the evening is fiddle with some rough ideas, answer mail, and upload cartoons for the next day.

Is it always easy to find inspiration?
- I wish I knew where inspiration comes from. Sometimes an idea is triggered by something I read, or something someone said, which means the oddest thing can sometimes be turned into an idea for a cartoon. That doesn’t mean to say every idea makes it to print. Probably only 10 percent -- if I’m lucky.

Do you have any idea what kind of jokes or stories that are most popular among your readers?
- I’m always surprised the ideas I think worked the best aren’t always the ones that get the most reaction. Often it’s ideas that I’m not sure were the best that get the most. Which shows I obviously know nothing about what makes a good cartoon…

How much time do you spend on drawing comics in a week?
- I try to take at least one day off a week but it never happens. Between The Other Coast strip and the editorial cartoons, I produce 11 cartoons a week, not counting freelance illustrations. Oh well, keeps me out of the local bars…

You come from New Zealand but have lived in England and you are now living in Canada. Is there any difference between what people make jokes about or think is funny depending on where they live?
- As the Other Coast appears in newspapers around the world, I try to make my humour as universal as possible and it helps to have lived in different countries. Although I’m not sure how well the Other Coast translates into African Click language…

You seem to have a number of adventurous ancestors. Some of them went to the South Pole during the early 1900s. You travelled to Antarctica in 2008 to retrace your grandfather’s footsteps, and then write about it in the book “Return to Antarctica”. Are you as adventurous as your relatives?
- Yes, my grandfather, Sir Charles Wright, was on Robert Scott’s 1910 race ot the South Pole, along with two great uncles, Sir Raymond Priestley and Thomas Griffith Taylor. I did visit Antarctica a few years ago, but I confess I do not have my grandfather’s adventurous streak. Although I did spend a few years living on a sailboat in the Caribbean, dodging hurricanes and running aground. But that was more due to stupidity than an adventurous streak. Besides the book, I recently produced a documentary on the Scott expedition (see video bleow):

What is the best thing about living in Canada?
- I think it has to be the feeling of space, clean water and clean air. Unfortunately, that is slowly changing, with development encroaching on what was once wilderness areas. The number of dead bears at the side of the highway is a sad indication things are changing. But I do have a lovely bear skin rug in front of the fireplace…

Is it okay to joke about anything? Or are there topics you try to avoid?
- Every now and then I’ll stumble into a hornet’s nest that raises the ire of certain groups. With the Other Coast, I try to stay away from religious-themed jokes as they can so often be taken out of context and then I have to spend hours answering the mail it generates.

Many cartoonists use their cartoons for political purposes, or to make jokes of politicians and those in power. So I guess that cartoonists have a certain power to affect people and their opinions. Do cartoonists use that opportunity too often or too rarely?
- Personally, I’m not sure the comic strip is an appropriate forum to promote ones political leanings as It’s a fine line between humour and satire. The exception being Gary Trudeau’s Doonsbury, a strip which brilliantly weaves comedy and politics. However, I’m fortunate in that I also draw an editorial cartoon, which is my forum to air my political views.

I do have an environmental theme in The Other Coast but it’s more humour-driven and I make a point of lampooning both serial polluters and rabid environmentalists.

An awful lot of cartoonists who we interviewed earlier reads a surprisingly small amount of comics. Are you one of them?
- I always read comics strips in the newspapers and grew up with Wizard of Id, Donald Duck, Beano, Mad Magazine, etc…. but I never got into the superhero comics. Perhaps that’s because they weren’t reradily available to me when I was a kid in New Zealand. There is also a sameness about that genre of comic. However, I am impressed by the quality of cartoons being put up on the web. It’s a great medium for new cartoonists starting out but I’m not sure when the web will be a place where one can make a decent living.

If you had not become a cartoonists -- what would you been up to instead?
- I had a number of jobs before I made a living at cartooning. Surveying in the bush, working in a print shop, working in a grain elevator… none of which I was much good at, so I doubt those would have turned into careers.

I probably would have tried to work in film, as I did briefly go to film school after I got out of high school but never had the $$ or time to do anything film-related. I got into animation in 1988, producing dozens of animated editorial cartoons and animated shorts for Children’s Television Workshop and other broadcasters. I left the animation business years ago but still occasionally write scripts for animated TV series. If you think about it, drawing a comic strip is almost like producing a film: you are both creating and directing the characters and putting words in their mouth -- but you don’t have to rent fancy set location trailers for the characters…

If you could choose a cartoon character that resembles you the most, which would you choose and why?
- I suppose it would be Toulose, the short, big-nosed character in The Other Coast would be closest. He’s both an artist and writer, is a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to saving the planet, but is well meaning in a muddled sort of way.

Quick questions:
Coffee or tea?
Green tea. The caffeine in coffee gives me the shakes. Pity, because I like coffee. Given a choice though, single malt whisky.

.Disney or Marvel?
Neither. Disney sucks and Marvel is all superheroes and mutants beating the crap out of each other.

Metallica or U2?
I’d say U2, although my stereo bust months ago and I haven’t bothered fixing it. I never could figure out how to wire up the damn thing up properly anyway.

Photography or painting?
Both. Photography is a form of painting except you’re using light. I used to use watercolours a lot prior to scanners being available, but now I colour everything in Photoshop as it’s so convenient. Pity, as I did like the challenge to using watercolours.

Computer or TV?
Newspapers. Even though I get hundreds of channels on my satellite, most of them are crap, broadcasting endless ‘reality shows.’ Although I get some news online, I’ll still keep buying newspapers. Printer’s ink runs pretty deep in my veins.

Read more about Adrian on his website:
http://www.raesidecartoon.com/

Ted Stridh
ted.stridh@digitalcomics.nu

Norm Feuti is the former retail worker who became a cartoonist. With a great sense of humor he portrays the lives of a group of retail workers at “Grumble’s” department store.

For those who do not know you – who is Norm Feuti?
- According to Wikipedia, I’m an American cartoonist best known for my nationally syndicated comic strip “Retail”. Other than that, I’m just a guy with a wife and two kids living in Massachusetts.

What is the best thing about being a cartoonist?
- The best thing about being a cartoonist is being able to work from home making my own hours.

… and the worst?
- The worst thing is the constant, never-ending deadlines.

Have you always wanted to be a cartoonist, or was it just a coincidence?
- As a kid, I always had a pipe dream of becoming a cartoonist, but I never made an honest effort towards becoming one until I was 30 and had been working in retail for way too long.

You worked in stores for quite some time before your comic strip “Retail” hit it big. Do you miss that job (or some parts of it)?
- I’ve had the opportunity to work with some nice people during my retail career, some of which I ‘m still friends with to this day. Other than that, I don’t miss anything about it.

(Do all stores have a secret slack-off corner in the stockroom?)
No, but all stores have at least one secret slacker-offer … and probably several not-so-secret ones.

I guess Stuart has some shortcomings in his leadership – how do you think a good manager should be?
- I think the problem with most big corporate retail chains is that they don’t allow managers to be managers. The typical retail manager is so neutered by micro-managed policies that they’re never allowed to make any real decisions.

So I guess I’d have to say that a “good” manager is someone who is actually trusted enough with his/her abilities to make real decisions.

If you could be a cartoon character for a day – any one – who would it be?
- Superman.

Why?
- Because he’s Superman. I’d spend the day flying mostly. But I’d definitely set aside enough time to punch some big rocks and melt junk with my heat vision. I’d also pay somebody to shoot me for a while.

Do you read a lot of comics?
- I wouldn’t say a lot, no. I read a few newspaper comics, and a couple of web comics. I enjoy the occasional graphic novel, or comic anthology, but I’m not the kind of guy who is constantly immersed in comics.

How much time do you spend on making a comic strip?
- Nowadays it takes me (on average) between 2 and 3 days to create a week’s worth of Retail comic strips, start to finish.

What’s the secret behind a really good comic strip?
- I think the best comic strips are the ones that convey a point of view and make a genuine connection with a general audience across all age groups. Of course, there is room for all sorts of comics in the world, but the truly great one’s (Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side) all seem to have an almost magical, universal appeal to them.

What do you do when you have a day off?
- Well, I’m always busy, but compared to actually working in retail, every day is a day off for me now. I draw funny pictures for a living. I couldn’t ask for a cushier existence.

Ted Stridh
ted.stridh@digitalcomics.nu

Bud Grace has entertained his readers for almost 30 years now and he is very popular here in Sweden. I had a little chat with him about this. Why he is so popular in Sweden and if our humor is different from the one in the U.S.

Why do you think you, and The Piranha Club, are so popular in Sweden?
- My Grandmother was Swedish. And I was born in what many years ago was the Swedish Colony of Christiana on the Delaware River. My family had been there for generations, and so I am sure that there’s quite a lot of Swedish blood in me. So I believe we think alike, and share the same sense of humor. My best friends are Swedes and Norwegians.

Do you think Americans and Europeans laugh at the same things? Or do we have a different type of humor in Sweden for example?
– We laugh at some of the same things. But more often than not I don’t appreciate much of American humor. I find most of the American comics to be unfunny. Cultures are different in different countries, and humor is a part of a country’s culture. For example, I find British humor to be very funny, but many Americans do not.

You’ve been to Sweden a couple of times, can you speak any Swedish?
I don’t really speak any Swedish. I can barely speak English. I do recognize some words and phrases.

You’ve drawn for quite a while now … Is it possible to estimate how many strips you have done?
– The strip has been out for over 22 years, calculate 365 times 22. Before I drew Ernie I drew single panel gags for magazines, about 10 or 12 per week. I’ve been cartooning for about 30 years.

Do you still think it is fun and inspiring?
- When i can think of good jokes it’s fun. When I get stuck it’s a pain in the butt.

Which character is most fun (or easiest) to work with?
- I think I like Arnold and Arnoldine the most. I also love to draw Beardo and Quacko.

What are the ingredients needed for a successful comic strip?
- It’s hard to say, judging by the comic strips here in the US. I think what you need most is a dumb editor. Over here they seem to publish anything. The idea of having a comics fan edit the features is beyond their comprehension.

If you had to choose between these three alternatives, which would you do?

1. Go to Doctor Pork for a minor surgery
2. Have dinner with Effie
3. Buy a house from Uncle Sid?

- You are out of your mind. I’d rather go hunting with Vice President Cheney.

But If you had to have dinner with Effie, and bring three famous guests, which would you choose?
- Vice President Cheney, President Bush and Osama Bin Laden.

Do you have time to read any comics yourself? Any favourites?
- I love the comics, and of course I like mine the best because it’s my sense of humor. I prefer the old comics from years ago, like Popeye and Moon Mullins. I don’t suppose you are familiar with Moon Mullins. I had an Uncle who was named after him. And I still love comic books. Of course, Carl Barks was the best. I also loved Little Lulu. I don’t know the cartoonist’s name for it because, like Barks he didn’t own the copyright and he was not allowed to sign his work.

Earlier, you said that you can not joke about certain things in the U.S.. How can a joke be more harmful than … let’s say … a violent movie on prime time?
- If I were to mention certain things newspapers would drop me like I was radioactive. I did an Osama Bin Laden story about 3 years ago and the Muslims in Canada had me tossed out of the Toronto paper. I agree with you, and it’s not fair. I insult everybody, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.

What do you do in your spare time? In addition to baking rye-bread and chasing stinkbugs?
- By the way, the stinkbugs have finally left. They were here around Washington D.C. since the middle of last summer. But they seem to be gone now. I kind of miss them. Other than that I like to dig clams and sing. No kidding.

Quick questions

IKEA or Wal-Mart?
I never go to Wal-Mart.

Go fishing or lying in the hammock?
I can’t bear lying around and doing nothing. I grew up in Florida trying to catch fish and I never could. I’d rather go clamming.

PC or Mac?
Mac. I’ve owned ten or so.

Urban life or life in the countryside
Both. I love walking in a forest. I often hunt for mushrooms. But I like the city as well. You can crawl home from the bar.

Donald Duck or The Phantom?
Donald Duck

Ted Stridh
ted.stridh@digitalcomics.nu

By: Dongwoo Animation, Electronic Arts (EA), Film Roman Productions, and more.
Genre: Action/Horror
Language: English
Length: 88 min

Dante returns home after having fought in the Crusades as Templar, only to realize that all were killed by an unknown assailant. After having desperately looking around the grounds, he finds his fiancée Beatrice dying. When her soul leaves the body she promises that they will meet in paradise, but a dark shadow captures Beatrice’s soul, and disappears away. Dante pursues the unknown shadows and see how Beatrice’s soul is dragged through the gate to Hell. Dante follows resolutely after, vowing that he will regain Beatrice’s soul from Lucifer himself.

Dante gets the spirit of the poet Virgila as a companion, who leads him through the nine circles of Hell. But despite everything going on around him, Dante refuses to recognize that it is the sins he committed in life that led to both his family’s death and Beatrice’s capture. Seemingly without fear or hesitation, he instead take on all the monsters and evil souls who stand in his way, which will ultimately lead to Dante faces the fallen angel Lucifer.

Dante’s Inferno, which is the more famous part from the poet Dante Alighieri’s La Divina Commedia works from the 1200s, is originally about how the poet travels through Hell, later Purgatory and finally Paradise as an observer.As Jonathan Knight, along with games developer EA, began developing an action game based on the ancient verses it was decided to base an animated film on the game concept. Although the film contains verses from it´s original source, it is a completely new interpretation of the material. With the voices of Mark Hamill, Victoria Tennant, Vanessa Branch, Graham McTavish, and more.

Comment: As a student, I studied The Divine Comedy, and therefore I have a feel of the story that is retold. Depending on how this version is seen, it may well be regarded as a stunning reinterpretation or an excuse for splashes of blood and graphic violence. What we must remember is that Dante in the original version is just a viewer, which would be likely to be both tough and uninteresting to watch in a film adaptation. To introduce a new scenario, which is Dante as a Templars, seems logical for the time when the story is told and is linked to Dante’s Christian values that are relevant to the sentences he later sees. As a warrior, he therefore has sins, some obvious and some unexpected, as the story moves forward.

What will divide viewers into two camps are grotesque monsters, the sticky ending many faces and the volume of blood that has been drawn. Regardless of where the border lies for the individual, we must not forget what kind of place that is portrayed. Given the graphic descriptions that are made in Dante’s poems, the film version is not wrong in it´s messy interpretation.

The animation style is varied and changed five times during the movie. This is due to various studios that had the work of making the different sections of the film and gives more strength than weakness. Rather than confuse, the different styles rather enhance the expression of Dante’s feelings.
This is not a film that should be seen by young viewers,it is clearly a mature movie. But it is a good movie. Despite its sticky nature, dialogue and conflict are both well written and captures the viewer. In the context of Dante’s journey, we get to know him and his background more, and can understand many of the choices he made and still be horrified over the others. Although it is a philosophical original which has become a bloody game, and a bloody movie, it is an entertaining movie. But not suitable for young viewers.

Danny Ahrling
danny.ahrling@digitalcomics.nu

By: DC/Warner Bros.
Genre: Adventure
Language: English
Length: 77 min

Because everything is calm in Metropolis, Superman and Lois Lane, who for a time have had a secret relationship, decided to spend a weekend together at a secret location. The place is none other than Superman’s own fort on the North Pole, where he tries to cure cancer. He regretted that not even he, who performed such great technological actions in the past, seem abel to prevent the disease from occurring. But he chooses to put his work aside in favor of Lois.

At the same time workers and researchers digs deeper underground, to the benefit of Lex Luthor, tycoon and Superman’s arch-enemy. They encounter a huge canister which they immediately reported finding. Eager to take part of the alien technology in the capsule, Lex instructs his team continued work, but the capsule opens and unleashes a super soldier known as Doomsday. Superman is alerted of Doomday´s rampage and trys to stop the beast. And after a battle which destroys much of the city, Doomsday is defeated and Superman dies of his injuries.

Metropolis mourns it´s defender and Lex is beside himself with rage that it was not him personally that killed Superman. But in the anarchy that erupted shortly after his death, sudden confusion arises when the man of steel returns. But something is not as it should…

Comment: Superman is, without doubt, the greatest superhero. In almost all superheroes created today, there are aspects of this archetype, even if they are mixed with other classic characters from DC or Marvel. Although he is not a personal favorite of mine, there are few who do not know who he is. And this movie lives up to Superman’s reputation. It is well told, well drawn and has a great voice actors.

The content of the script is not revolutionary, but retold in a satisfactory manner. The correct tension is between the characters and their dialogue feels right. What is different and interesting is how Superman, after his resurrection, still has the same moral value grounds, but chooses to act them out in a way that was previously impossible.

While the other half of the movie contains a lot of catchphrases and doubts about Superman’s real strength. There has been a discussion for many years among fans how strong and fast Superman really is. In the first Superman movie he is too slow to catch a few missiles, but in the meantime is also fast enough to rotate the world backwards. He had trouble lifting these missiles there, when he later in the fifth movie, Superman Returns, is strong enough to lift a small and growing continent.
The same inconsistent use of the superhuman strength exists here. But if they are ignored, it is an good movie and a must for Superman fans.

Danny Ahrling
danny.ahrling@digitalcomics.nu

By: Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: Adventure
Language: English
Pages: 220
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic

Emily and Navin’s mother Karen is very ill after the events of the first book and they are looking for a cure. Traveling in their wandering house they arrives at the port city Kanalis, looking for one of the city’s well-known doctors. They are blissfully unaware of the Elfprince, which Emily once defeated, that has returned home to his father the Elven king to received reinforcements. The evil warrior Luger, together with a squadron of soldiers, leave to take care of Emily, once and for all. But the Elfprince is unwilling to cooperate, because he does not trust the evil Luger. To escape the elfsoldiers, Emily and Navin get unexpected help from a bounty hunter, who seems to have more reasons than just helping them. Unfortunately, the doctor in Kanalis can not cure Karen, only the fruit from the Gadoba-tree can save her. Elves attack the hospital, and Emily are separated from Navi. Emily embarks on a dangerous journey to try and find Gadoba-trees and Navin learns more about the prophecy involving him and his sister. That she is predicted to defeat the Elven king.

The Stone Keeper’s Curse is the second book in the adventure series Amulet. The third goes into production soon, and the script for the fourth is, during the time of writing, in production. The story escalates here from the story of a rescue mission to be an epic tale where the entire nations’ future is at stake, depending on the choices the unknowing Emily does. It is not only her own nervousness and uncertainty that affect the outcome, when it discovered that the amulet she carries has its own will that she must try to control.

Comment: The second album in the Amulet Series takes a big step in comparison with the first. What was previously a separate story is now the introduction to a bigger adventure. Since the two children Emily and Navin already matured partly, by earlier events, so their situation is taken further with more spiritual matters, reflections on free will and the differences between destruction and conservation. Despite a lot of clichés and well used ingredients from classical fantasy, there are a lot of new idéas and original interpretations. Elves, who usually belong to the good and benevolent race, is here a conquering and destroying race with little respect for others. And the classic elemens like the magical object, in this case the amulet, that plays a significant role. Like the ring in The Lord of the Rings, it has a desire but do not act as quietly as artifacts of the same type in fantasy. The amulet is talking to Emily and motivates her to act in some distinct ways. Her reaction seems genuine and as a living, hesitant person would react. The album is charming, well drawn and well written. It easily draws the reader into it´s story and is difficult to put aside. The only negative aspect is that, when you finish reading the book, there is a great desire to continue with the not yet available third one.

Danny Ahrling
danny.ahrling@digitalcomics.nu