Q&A with YOU'LL NEVER BE A PUBLISHED #@$! WRITER!! Editor RASMUS LYKKE

I know how you all look forward
to these 5 Question Q&A's so I
thought I'd add another one to
the list. Everyone needs a
creative sounding board, and
more importantly a fierce
grammar watch dog, I have
been fortunate to find both in
the form of one Rasmus
Lykke....

1) Let's start with the hard
questions first, when did you
first realize that you wanted to
thrash me thoroughly with a
copy of E.B. White's Elements
of Style?

Well, Phil, I suppose it was
around the time I found that I
had apparently misplaced my
copy of The Complete
Works of William
Shakespeare. Naturally I got
quite mad, and grabbed the
first thing I found, which just
so happened to be E.B. White's
"book". I had originally
intended to thrash you with
The Complete Works of
William Shakespeare,
it makes such a wonderful
crunching sound when it hits
bone, but I had to settle for a
gentle whipping with
Elements of Style.

2) You are definitely one of the
most passionate people I've come
across in relation to comics, tell
me a little bit about what it is about
comics that fascinates you so?

I continue to find both new and old books
that are really pushing the limits
of what you should be able to do
with any medium. Especially the
works of Grant Morrison. He
pushes the limits of the medium,
AND challenges the mind of
the reader. While still telling a
wonderful story. He is one of the
few writers that really
understand the medium, and
understands how to push it in
the right directions.

Another writer who continues to
amaze me, though mostly with his
older work, is Alan Moore. His
V For Vendetta series is what
got me into Mature comics, at the
tender age of 14 I think. Since then
I have read most of his older books
and some from the ABC line. Sorry,
I'm rambling, aren't I? You asked
for a short answer, the short version
is what Harvey Pekar once said
about the medium "It's words and
pictures. You can do anything with
words and pictures".

3) You were one of the first people to
to step up to the plate, and become
part of the YOU'LL NEVER NEVER
BE A PUBLISHED #@$! WRITER!!
TM project, and you even offered
your services as editor, what was it
that you saw in this project that drew
you in?

Quite honestly, I am not sure. I saw
it as an opportunaty to test my skills
as an editor, while working with
some great talents. That, and the
groupies.

4) So I take it you have been
impressed by the talent that
has been assembled thus far,
what I'd like to know is if you
could change one thing about
comics today what would it be,
and why?

I would make it so comics would
sell more, so we as writers/artists
would be more secure in this
medium. (Phew, am I glad you
didn't ask how!)

5) Finally, Your fondest comic
related memory?

Reading Transmetropolitan for
the first time. There were times
during that series I almost wept
for joy.

Uh. Rasmus? Man he REALLY
loves TRANSMETROPOLITAN.
For those of you wishing to find
Rasmus in his natural
enviornment you can find him
lurking under his most
unfortunate digital alias BOY at
the following website:
http://www.digitalwebbing.com/