Garth Ennis interview

CLiNT continues to bring you inside stories from the world of comics in the latest issue. In CLiNT #13 we interview Garth Ennis, whose comic strip 'The Pro' appeared in previous issues. He tells us about his latest projects, his influences and inspirations, and reveals his Garth Ennis Top 10. Here's an extract from the interview...

It's fair to say that many of your characters are not overly fond of the establishment; is there something in you that gravitates towards that kind of character, rather than straight-up superheroes?

I'm not sure my characters are so much anti-establishment as suffering from a lack of options. Kev, the Pro and so on have really just been dealt a shit hand, and are endeavouring to do the best with what they've got. Billy Butcher in The Boys is a different example; he single-mindedly sets out to achieve his goal and - if not actually joining the establishment - certainly gets close enough so he can use the establishment's resources to achieve his own aims.

Put simply, I suppose I'm interested in how people behave when they've got their backs to the wall and are faced with a limited set of choices. A billionaire who can finance a private war on blue-collar crime, or a bloke who's bulletproof and flies through the air - the trials and tribulations of people like that just don't do it for me.

There's a clear interest in military themes in your comics: what draws you to armed conflict, and where did your fascination begin?

What began my interest in military themes were the comics I read as a kid. While your Mark Millars, Grant Morrisons, Mark Waids (et al) were lapping up superhero stuff, I was reading Battle, Commando, the various Picture Libraries and so on. The movies I was watching on TV only helped to reinforce what I was getting there - meaning the big 60s/70s cast-of-thousands epics, like Battle of Britain, Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, and the guys-on-a-mission jobs like Kelly's Heroes and Where Eagles Dare. I eventually lost interest in my teens, only to return to the genre when I found myself writing comics. That coincided with the rekindling of my interest in military history, which had of course also been inspired by the comics I read.

For my own comics, the details are mostly drawn from my own knowledge, fine-tuned by research when it comes time to get writing.

(5 of) The Garth Ennis Top 10 By The Man Himself (In No Particular Order)

Kev

I just like the poor, hapless fucker. Brilliant at what he does, rubbish at everything else in life.

303

Because it comes from that oddball part of my brain I simply can't account for.

Punisher

Specifically the Max series. Came out just as I intended. And got me working with Goran Parlov, for whom no praise is too high.

Fury

The Max book from about ten years ago. Nice dose of hardcore lunacy, great art by Darick Robertson. Another case where I wouldn't change a thing. It came from that fantastic time at Marvel when Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada were running the show, and there was a feeling that you could do anything - absolutely anything. Didn't last long, but it was great fun - real lunatics-running-the-asylum stuff. Returning to the character next year, with the aforementioned Mr. Parlov.

War Stories/Battlefields

Essentially the same beast under different titles; see also the war comics I've done for Avatar Press, coming soon. My favourite genre with some of the best artists in the business. ‘Nuff said.

Find out the other five entries in Garth Ennis' Top 10 and the rest of his interview in CLiNT #13, on sale in the US and Canada on January 4th, and hitting the UK and Ireland the next day.

Subscribe to CLiNT Magazine

Subscribe to CLiNT today and make sure you never miss an issue of the best comics magazine on the planet! You'll also save up to 25% on the cover price and save yourself the trouble of looking for CLiNT in the newsagents. Click here

Keep up to date with everything CLiNT. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or do both!