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Tweeter: @davidbaillie

Tweetee: @firstsite

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WHAAM! at firstsite with David Baillie
Date: Apr 16, 10
Time: 05:00
Category: Art / Design

The tweeterview as recorded:

Q1:	"One minute to go..."

Hi David we are officially tweeterviewing! Thanks for sparing the time for a chat. How are you finding life in residence?

Q2:	"Very exiting! I'm loving my time in residency! Visitors have been fabulous - and very keen to participate!"

Q3:	"Grrr... Sorry exciting not exiting!"

Yes... don't exit! So, tell me about what people can participate in? Do you have to be able to draw to join in with WHAAM!

Q4:	"Well everyone CAN draw - it's the best thing about drawing, in fact. All you need is paper and a pen!"

Q5:	"But so far people have been taking my part by drawing their own short 3-panel comics - either about themselves or Colchest.."

Q6:

"..er."

Q7:	"And visitors have also been voting on what they'd like to see appear in my work. So far 'ghost stories' are winning!"

Sounds great! You are making a comic with Colchester at it's heart. What has inspired you about our town so far?

Q8:	"I love the history! There are some great stories that I'd like to tell using comics. Roman invasions, Kings and Queens..."

Q9:	"I'm also very keen to find non-historical subject matter. I'm actively seeking ideas - if any visitors can think of someth.."

Q10:

"..ing!"

Q11:	"I'm really enjoying the Colchester atmosphere though. I've noticed that the sun always shines here. That's great!"

The history is what we're famous for (& being the driest part of the country!) - but what about the classic perception of ..

..Essex?..Can/should this be challenged in your comic?

Q12:	"I really like that idea! What misconceptions do people have about Essex? No one has come in wearing stilettos... Yet!"

Q13:	"It's interesting coming here as a visitor - I haven't yet got a picture of what the local people think of the town."

Q14:	"This week being the Easter holidays, visitors have been keen to entertain their kids. Which has been fab! I wonder if next.."

Q15:	".. week might be more discursive. I'm expecting the average visitor age to rocket after the weekend!"

We embrace stilettos and fluffy dice at firstsite! I'm interested to hear how people talk to you about the town while you ..

..are here, it would be great to capture the essence of this in the comic. What can next week's (older) participants get ..

..involved in?

Q16:	"The autobiographical comics we've been creating this week are one chapter of the overall work. Today and tomorrow I'm goin.."

Q17:	"..g to be kicking off other strands, based on ideas I have and things suggested by visitors and (the lovely) people at fir.."

Q18:	"..stsite. Anyone can join in - be it with more ideas, stories or actually drawing or painting themselves. I really want to.."

Q19:	".. push the idea that there are no entry requirements for making comics!"

What a brilliant process, so anyone can (and should) drop in and add a bit. Tell me about your work outside of firstsite.

Q20:	"Yup, everyone is welcome! I think some of the adults this week have been surprised at how easy and fun it is to make a com.."

Q21:	"..ic. I know it's not obvious unless you've given a go. It's been great to watch whole families beavering away!"

Q22:	"My work outside firstsite is frantic and varied! This week I've also been writing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and "

Q23:	"a script for a television thing at the BBC. Yesterday was supposed to be a day off, but I had to squeeze in some design wo.."

Q24:	"..rk and then add extra snot to a comic I finished off at the weekend (at the request of the editor, I should add!)"

Wow! The life of a comic artist is pretty cool and slightly retro (TMNT!) At our talk the other night Pat Mills and Eric F..

..ernie discussed the British comic scene - anything to add to the debate?

Q25:	"The talk was great because they were both fabulous speakers and very knowledgeable. It was almost like a primer on the his.."

Q26:	"..tory of British comics. Martin from @ace_comics had some interesting points about how it's difficult for someone working.."

Q27:	".. independently to make a living in comics. The industry's kind of shrunk over the last few decades and people are having.."

Q28:	".. to be creative to stay afloat. But it means that there are a lot of new comics being creative purely for the love of it.."

So...creativity drives the British scene rather than commercialism, sounds tough to work in but enriching for the reader.

Q29:	"Exactly! There are so many great writers and artists and only so many paying gigs, so you end up with a scene bursting wit.."

Q30:	"..h talent and some really interesting, idiosyncratic comics and books as a result. (Some of which are in the shop!)"

Nice plug! We've been chatting for almost an hour now, I should probably let you get on with being in residence, thanks f..

..or your time. If anyone reading this would like to continue this conversation, David is in residence at firstsite until..

.. 1 May www.firstsite.uk.net for more info.

Q31:	"Thanks Alex! (I have been working in between tweeting - honest...) And yes - please do come in and say hello!"