So the period the teenage (remember I was about 6' 6" in my platforms and the hair colour makes the features look older) cartoons cover was around 72,73,74, so...73ish.
It would be fair to say I didn't like school, not that one anyway. I think at that time the State schools were staffed by vicious idiots with a deep hatred for human beings and little or no interest in education. I'm pretty sure you didn't need too many qualifications to teach in those days, because one of our teachers had a degree and we knew he had one and I'm sure others would have made it known they had similar qualifications.
I started Secondary at the age of 12 and left at the age of 17, and in that time 2 pupils went on to university and one of those was the daughter of a trendy left-wing professor. For some reason, meglomania springs to mind, the top three ranking teachers in our State-run Comprehensive school wore graduation gowns all the time. How funny is that?
I can now put B.A (English Studies), BA (Hons) and Dip H.E after my name, but that is entirely down to my own initiative and my adventures in further education. The State didn't even notice I could draw when I was at school so when I am invited to school reunions I refuse, but not politely.
4 comments:
Another great page Rod. Really enjoying these - are they going to feature in any anthologies or do you have your own book planned?
Tim
I don't know Tim, it's kind of additional stuff that I've made way for without really knowing why.
I think it's wise though, just in case, to have some narritive stuff for a possible future work, or just to keep your hand in.
How are you, anyway? Do you get conjunctiveitus in the left eye. It not only looks like my eye, but you look uncannily like I did at a certain age.
Hi Rod, I know what you mean about keeping your hand in. There are a number of things I've made starts on with no idea when and where I'll use them, but I've enjoyed creating them.
Don't get me started on my eyes, we'll be here all night. I've had nothing but trouble with them from an early age - I've had both corneas replaced, one in 1987 and the other about 5 years later, then laser surgery on the right eye in about 98/99. They said laser surgery for the left eye wasn't advisable due to scarring at the time. Perhaps things are different now, but I'm loathe to have anything else stuck in my eyes really.
The right eye gets tired extremely easily and tends to close up towards the evening or in bright light, but I've perfected the slightly tired/lazyeye look in my self portraits now, so it would be a shame to get it fixed :)
Ah, the reason I ask is because of my own eye trouble, with the left eye - always the migraine side with me. I got a carpet nail in my eye when I was young and my Mother and her family all screamed in horror as my Aunt Valerie prized it out (the nail, not the eye).
I never gave it any thought until I got a very full private medical at university and they noticed the damage. I have very poor depth perception in one eye, makes everything look flatter than normal - which seems ideal for drawing things like comics and cartoons, I think.
I don't know if I ever mentioned it but I think it's easy for us, chasing thes small mainstream British markets and worrying about money, to become 'deskilled', as we strive to fit in. It's up to us alone to keep on top of that.
I think you could do some really good big pages for Nick Mag with the way you draw you know. It's just pitching the right idea.
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