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with Darick Robertson
Interview
with: Aaron
Mehta
 The
name Darick Robertson has been synonymous with the great work
of fiction Transmetropolitan for the past five years.
Now it's
over, and he is free to cause havoc across comicdom. Darick
is an extremely nice guy who is very much in touch with the
fans, so instead of beating me senseless when I sent him an
email, he responded.
THE BIG Q&A
Q1)
What is it like to be tied to a series for as long as you
were to Transmet?
A1) Gratifying.
Q2)
What made you agree to join Ellis for the long haul?
A2) He's an excellent writer and I recognized that
years before he got popular. As miserable as it gets, I'd
work with him again in a hot minute.
Q3)
If you look through most Transmet issues, you can find some
sort of graffiti calling for the people to "free Steve Chung."
Who is Steve Chung and why should we free him?
A3) "Free Steve Chung" came about as a reaction to
things about cities I was absorbing at the time. I would notice
as I was out walking about, that I'd often see posters and
things like that, such as sprayed-on stencils on the sidewalk
"Free such and such" or "Justice for Blankety blank" and I
would know nothing about these cases and feel concerned and
stupid. I felt that element needed to be in the book. There's
a strange desperation in appealing to the masses for justice
by spray-painting a stencil onto a sidewalk.
Why "Steve
Chung"?
Steve
Chung, who is posting about this very message board as I type
this, is free. Back in 1997 Steve was writing a letter to
us faithfully every month (still does) detailing each page
and commenting on it (usually with terrible puns) I then heard
he was doing this for a number of DC titles and was fairly
infamous for it. I figured anyone with this much time on their
hands must be trapped in his basement with nothing but a computer
and comics and that's just sad. He should be set free! Someone
should set him free! FREE STEVE CHUNG!
Q4)
In issue 24 (the final issue from The New Scum TPB) there
is a giant party scene filled with supposed "friends" of Spider's.
I recognized Joe Quesada (wearing a Daredevil shirt, no less...),
but who were all the other guys?
A4)
Various friends and associates. Jimmy Palmiotti is pictured
over Joe's shoulder in that same panel.
Q5)
Did Ellis give you really detailed scripts, or did he give
you a basic outline and let your crazy mind come up with stuff?
A5)
You can see this and portions of scripts on the Transmet
Message board under the topic 'request a script page' [Editor's
Note: ] http://www.transmetropolitan.com/cgi-bin/teemz/teemz.cgi?board=_master&action=opentopic&topic=8&forum=Message_Feed
Q6)
Speaking of your crazy mind, how much of the weird things
in the city were from your own creativity and how much were
placed by Ellis?
A6)
None of them were placed by Ellis. He wrote the book.
Even the things he suggested, which were usually in a sentence
like "Do a full page of crazy city stuff" were placed by me.
Sometimes he'd request specific things, but mostly it was
me having my fun.
Q7)
Where is the City supposed to be? Come on, you can tell us...
A7)
We never really established it other than it's American
and in my mind it's the entire country coast to coast. All
of the US is one giant teeming city.
Q8)
Best and worst times you've had in comics.
A8)
1992 when things were booming and I was getting mad rich,
and the worst was 1994 when it was all over and it looked
like I might be unemployed and paying a massive IRS bill,
wiping out all my savings. Best time after that was the first
2 years of Transmet and now.
Q9)
Are you British? Everyone seems to be British nowadays in
comics. (Feel free to comment on why this is. The water, maybe?)
A9)
No, I'm American. The Brits do comics from a different perspective.
They care more about the story than the continuity and think
outside the box more often. Too many American artists and
writers (myself included) come at comics from a place of reverence
and the fanboy inside them is still popping a boner knowing
that they're doing these majestic, beloved characters from
their childhood's. The English get that way over stuff we
don't even read, like Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper from the
2000 AD comics. American characters are just amusing to most
of the guys I know and work with. Except John McCrea. He loves
American super heroes.
Q10)
If you answered "no" to number 9, then how did you get popular
in comics? It seems like a requirement to be British these
days...
A10)
Tenacity and devotion to doing the best job I can. Phil Winslade
and Garth Ennis have both dubbed me honorary Brit, probably
because I can keep up in the pub.
Q11)
Have you ever encountered censorship at DC? After the whole
Authority thing, everyone seems to be looking at DC as the
big bad censorship monster.
A11)
A bit more than I appreciated, but all in all not too much.
It was always over stupid stuff, like Spider peeing out a
window or a perceived thing rather than a literal thing.
Q12)
Speaking of The Authority, what are your thoughts on how The
Authority played out?
A12)
Sadly I have no idea, other than I know it was canceled
and Paul Levitz hated it.
Q13)
What are your plans now that your giant arse story is done?
Any more Space Beaver?
A13)
Hell no. No one wants to read Space Beaver. If I was filthy
rich and didn't need to live on my work I'd create Space Beaver
again, but it would be a very different book. It would break
the fourth wall and be all about my disillusionment with the
comics industry. Right now I am cozying up to the Marvel teet
and going to suckle for a long while.
Q14)
What you are reading right now?
A14)
This interview. {Somehow I knew he was gonna say that.....}
Q15)
What are you listening to right now?
A15)
My wife running the shower and my fingers tapping the keyboard.
Q16)
Unfortunately, I only got into Transmet through the trades-
The same reason I don't know what's happening in the Authority...
Which means I lack a certain amount of knowledge- for instance,
the correct spelling of knowledge? (just kidding) as to missed
issues or late issues. Did you ever have trouble with deadlines?
A16)
Constantly, but I never missed an issue. Let's just say
my trouble with deadlines stemmed from Warren's trouble with
deadlines.
Q17)
If not, how did you avoid them, and what advice would you
have for certain artists on certain high profile books who
take a long time to get them out?
A17)
I should get advice from them, because I have a family to
support and I can't afford to not put out work and do this
for a living.
Q18)
Any random sputtering noises you would like to add for the
entertainment of the readers?
A18)
The cheese! The cheese is on fire! {God help the cheese.
Amen.}
We at
Sshotgunreviews.com would once more like to thank Seņor Robertson
for answering our questions. Darick can be reached at his
website, darickr.com,
or at the home of Spider Jerusalem, transmetropolitan.com.
He also hangs around the Transmet message boards.
As always,
if you have someone that you'd like to suggest for a Big Question,
let Troy know at psikotyk@aol.com.
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