In mitigation, I should say that I’ve spent nearly all my adult life working exclusively in music and the arts, so it follows that the vast majority of the people I know are musicians and artists. But, yes, I can namedrop with the best and I have some cracking stories … and don’t even get me started on my two sons, you wouIdn’t fucking believe who they get to pal around with:)
But I look at it this way … I posted on a forum that I occasionally visit and got some stick for my trouble. I don’t take any of it too seriously but I’ve posted back, had a laugh, scored some points and amused myself by taking the piss and pushing a few buttons … successfully pushed some buttons, I might add :)
But Johnny’s point about my Breaking Bad comment being tripe is actually dead wrong and goes to the very heart of this “agenda” business.
As I think I’ve established in my relentless blowing of smoke up my own arse (to quote a wise young man on here) I don’t just draw footballers. I do cartoon strips, I do entertainment features, I do storyboards … and I get to draw a lot of people. Take the piss out of Chelsea players in one of the comics I’ve done for Shoot! or MOTD and I get a bit of abuse from Chelsea fans. I think people who take take offense at a cartoon are fuckwits. Make a mistake in the text on the entertainment version of Biographic and I get bombarded with angry fans of that band or actor. insisting on putting the record straight. Again, I just think they are dopey to go to all that trouble to correct a comic strip. Feature a female in Biographic and show too much cleavage? The forums are flooded with angry Christian women bemoaning the culture of whoredom that I am perpetuating. I actually lost the big Sunday paper in Sydney as a client because they received too many letters from readers complaining about the art being too lurid for a page seen by children! Put a black celebrity in Biographic or Trivquiz … especially a rapper … holy shit! You wouldn’t believe what kind of comments people are prepared to make in an open forum or an email. I featured Barack Obama in Biographic one year … fuck me, I’ve now stared into the gates of hell and seen the abyss.
But the common thread is that every niche has a following and practically every interest has a set of obsessive devotees. It just so happens that this is a forum for people obsessed with City. That’s okay … that’s why I occasionally visit here too, because I’m also obsessed with City.
So, when I get shit from a City obsessed fan because I dared to have a picture of Chicharito on my website, it’s just water off a duck’s back. If I ran my business paying heed to every clown who gave me crap … stopped featuring black people because it pisses off rednecks, stopped drawing women because it infuriates religious nutters, stopped taking the piss out of Chelsea because their fans don’t like it … I’d have no business. City have my love and my allegiance … but I don’t have to feature the fuckers in everything I do.
And do you know what every angry group has in common … they all think they are victims of a media conspiracy.
And ps … Popnut Crunch? Bloody hell … that’s impressive research, sir peace frog!
