The Etherington Brothers

Robin and Lorenzo Etherington have been producing original comic material since 2003 - their latest book, Baggage, hits shelves this month. They are currently working with the National Literacy Trust and Renaissance Learning on an exciting comic-writing competition. Here, the Etherington Brothers talk about their love of comics, their frustration that the genre doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, and why they think the children of the UK have got the ComiX Factor…

Were you always interested in comics? What were your favourite comics growing up?

We were both avid comic readers when we were younger, collecting books from all over the world. Our local newsagent had a huge range of great comics. The Asterix books rose to the top of the pile, but that pile was extremely large and filled with The Beano, The Dandy, Tintin, GI Joe, Whizzer and Chips, Buster, Oink, Transformers, Battle, Commando and pretty much anything we could lay our hands on.

And what are your favourite comics now?

We’ve become more selective over the years, largely because we look to certain series/creators for inspiration. So in no particular order: Asterix by Goscinny and Uderzo, Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, Dan Dare by Frank Hampson, Largo Winch by Philippe Franq and Jean Van Hamme, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo and Dungeon by Lewis Trondheim.  There are many more, but these are the books we come back to time and time again.

Within your comics you always construct such vibrant original worlds. What inspires your creations?

World building is something that we consider vital to our work. The joy of the comic page is that you can go anywhere and do anything. It’s the bridge between straight prose and animation, and as such comic artists have to shoulder a real visual responsibility. A lot of comic creators rely on suggestion as a shortcut to design, but there is nothing better than watching your characters actually step into somewhere fantastic, where every nut, bolt and leaf can be seen. We take inspiration for our environments from real life and fiction in equal measure. In Baggage we frequently blend eastern and western architectural details, while adding another layer of pure imagination. That’s the greatest way to create something that feels both familiar to the reader and yet original.

Some people hold the view that comics and graphic novels aren’t “valid” forms of literature. What’s your opinion?

This is a very specific reality of living in the UK. Although the argument is still made elsewhere, the rest of the world has long since realised the merit and potential of the comic book form. The three dominant markets (America, Japan and mainland Europe) provide a wealth of well written, beautifully illustrated adult and youth focused tales that have proved to be both critically and financially successful (irrespective of film/game adaptations).

But while the broadsheets in the UK occasionally give positive column space to a review of an adult graphic work, they have entirely failed to spotlight the emerging trend in quality comic books for younger readers. It is a fault we have every intention of reversing, for while weekly and monthly comics are still largely franchised-based, there is a steadily growing library of stunning titles for all ages being produced in England.

We’ve heard rave reviews about the comic workshops you run in schools and at festivals. What’s the best thing about delivering these workshops?

The applause afterwards. Only joking! Meeting young readers and sharing with them our approach to creative free-thinking is a genuine pleasure. As a two-man team, we have the added benefit of being able to talk about both the art and writing processes, which really helps to draw in the widest audience possible, including the teachers.

It also never hurts that we can both do a pretty good Voldemort impression.

You’re currently working with the National Literacy Trust and Renaissance Learning on The ComiX Factor competition for schools. Why did you decide to get involved in this project?

As you previously mentioned, sequential storytelling suffers from the stigma of not being accepted as proper reading, or indeed writing. But the simple fact is children respond quickly and passionately to graphic novels and comic books. In terms of education, we have a tendency in this country to wrench the pictures from the words far too soon, while many children are still learning to read. We’ve been championing visual literacy as a viable means of engaging/educating young reluctant readers for years, and the ComiX factor is a superb initiative. By empowering children to create their own characters and tales through the comic medium, we hope to share with them a different and exciting insight into books.

You have a great blog where you post updates and sketches. Do you think that blogs, and the internet in general are now so popular that they threaten more traditional forms of reading?

It’s important to remember that radio, cinema and television were all seen as the potential death of traditional reading at one time or another, but the pleasure and the uniqueness of the reading experience continues to survive and thrive. The internet, Kindles, iPads and readers all essentially serve the purpose of promoting literature. If the Kindle is Amazon’s bestselling product, then (self-publishing arguments aside) it is a good news story for books in general. The trick for writers/readers, and the industry in general, is to utilise the strength of these tools.

We spend a lot of time ensuring that our blog is an environment that promotes the joy of creating and reading in equal measure. Oh, and it’s fun. And filled with awesome pictures. 

And finally, what’s your advice for budding comic authors or illustrators?

The most fundamental piece of advice for any artistic endeavour is to do it for yourself.

Creating comic books is an incredibly enjoyable experience but a long one. To have any chance of success, you must first find pleasure in the simple act of making. Finding a story you believe in, and not just responding to what you think is currently popular in the marketplace, is equally important. The passion and energy you’ll put into something personal will be a lot more infectious than any copycat project, and publishers are much more likely to buy into a genuinely original creation.

Find out more about The ComiX Factor on our competition pages.