I was born more than 21 years ago in Wolverhampton, England. When it became apparent I was left-handed, my mother wisely let nature take its course—she also was born a lefty, but her mother trained her to be a righty (apparently, there used to be a stigma about lefties). Whether or not this is connected with creativity is still debated; it seems I liked to doodle from the instant I could hold a pencil. My language skills were also above-average even as a small child (however, I was quite poor at maths). That’s my grandmother on the photo (more on her below), holding me as a baby.

For some reason I became enamoured of monsters and horror movies at quite a young age. Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr thrilled me in the Universal and AIP epics, but it was the original King Kong (1933) that stole my heart. I’d have killed for a DVD of this movie that I could play endlessly when I was six years old—but the technology was some years away. So, I was very much what is known as a Monster Kid. I still am.

I also became interested in comic books. My late grandmother is to blame. My mother would buy me fairly ‘obvious’ comics, but nan would grab whatever was at hand. On one occasion she bought me a paperback of ‘humour’ cartoons that were, frankly, intended for adults. I didn’t have a clue what any of it was about. It disappeared fairly quickly, presumably after mom took a look at it. So, when nan bought me an issue of a Marvel UK weekly featuring the Incredible Hulk, I got hooked. Maybe it was the ‘gentle, misunderstood monster’ angle—somewhat like King Kong. I realised the Marvel stuff was, if nothing else, notably edgier than the pretty and sanitised joys of Disney Comics. And, already a Monster Kid, it clicked for me.

From there, as my tastes developed, I realised Jack Kirby was the greatest comic book artist of all. I loved his designs, his crazy machinery and, most of all, his monsters. I started seeking out the American (‘real’) versions of the comics containing his work (such as The Eternals, pictured right). Around this time I discovered he had retired from comics and felt sad for a while. My nan said to me, ‘I’m sure he’ll do something else.’ Several weeks later, I found out he had. Captain Victory was already on its third issue. It may not be considered his best work, but for a kid who had just found a new hero, the thrill of seeing new work was boundless.

I wrote him an infantile fan letter late in 1982 and was grief-stricken when I didn’t get a reply. My mother, an inveterate autograph hunter, took the initiative and wrote to him without telling me in the spring of 1983. The first I knew was when I received a two-page letter from him, complimenting me on my work (mom also sent him a few of my throwaway drawings), plus a signed copy of Captain Victory #10. It was one of my biggest thrills.

My grandmother—my gateway to the world of comics—passed away in 1989. She was born the same year as Kirby; it was the first hard reminder my youth received of mortality.

In the early ’90s, I started to think about fanzine ideas. My first brush with the idea had come shortly before, when as a nerdy kid in my mid-teens I had discovered Tim Bateman’s short-lived Kirby-APA. I joined a little while before he dropped it. Tim was the first person I ever knew in comics fandom and we’re still friends today. What he did sparked me. I settled on an idea for a fanzine about Jack Kirby and wrote to the man himself about it with a rough cover layout. He didn’t reply. The idea stalled for months, but early in 1993 I took the initiative again and this time I actually called Kirby, and his wife, Roz, to discuss the idea. Jack Kirby Quarterly was born. I did a 90-minute phone interview with Kirby on July 28th 1993, just over ten years after my schoolkid self had received that beautiful letter from him. My biggest thrills come in ten-year cycles.

Kirby saw the first issue of my mag in September ‘93, and although it was embarrassingly amateurish I do believe he appreciated the sentiment; he said very nice things to me about it. Just as I finished off a second issue, the elderly and frail Kirby passed away on February 6th 1994. I thought about cancelling JKQ but decided to carry on. I self-published ten issues between 1993 and 1997. In 1998-99, US company Pure Imagination published three more issues, now with glossy colour covers. A fourth issue was planned and 75% completed, but in 2001 differences with the publisher led to the idea being dropped. I thought about the self-publishing route again in 2002, but it wasn’t viable. Early in 2005, I did put out an ‘official final issue’ with a tiny print run of 200. Finally, old friend & colleague Dez Skinn offered to publish a 15th Anniversary special through his company, Quality Communications, early in 2008. The 68-page issue came out in September ‘08 (see cover to the left; click on it for supersize view) and received strong reviews. You can buy copies from Dez’s ebay store here. We may do further ‘annual’ issues at some point.

I did my first professional journalism in 1997 for, of all things, a fitness magazine. It wasn’t much fun, but it was a break. Later, Dez Skinn started giving me work for Quality—ranging from Web design to print design, journalism and cartooning—beginning an association that continues to this day.

In 2007, I worked as researcher/consultant on the BBC4 documentary In Search of Steve Ditko (dedicated to another fave artist, the co-creator of Spider-Man!). Somehow, this didn’t lead to a prolific career in television (to date, at least), but it was a fun and valuable experience regardless.

Returning to my Monster Kid roots, in December 2008 I decided I would write an exhaustive biography/filmography of the original Wolf Man, Lon Chaney Jr, as the two books about him to date really don’t do justice to the subject. The provisional title is Moonlight Shadows and I’ve been working on it piecemeal ever since. Last time I checked, I’d written about 70,000 words (the finished book would likely be twice that long).

Cinematically, aside from my horror films obsession, I love film noir and a wide range of world cinema. I think Orson Welles is the greatest film director who ever lived. And Citizen Kane isn’t his best movie. I even watch the odd new film. But CGI overkill is starting to piss me off.

Musically, my soundtrack is dominated by David Bowie, Siouxsie Sioux and Tori Amos. I got to meet Tori in September 2009. As a youth I had a struggle in allegiance between Bowie and Queen, but DB finally won. People like Siouxsie have always been role models—I’m a punk at heart, with more than a touch of the gothic. Otherwise, my musical tastes are quite diverse.

Politically, I’m a big believer in personal liberty with a strong leftist/humanist edge, a bit of an anarchist and quite anti-establishment and so-called tradition. Religiously, I hold no beliefs whatsoever; I don’t know all the answers—no one does—but, as a skeptic, do hold the view that the likelihood of the existence of a Big Man in the Sky is exceptionally remote. But who knows? Not me. Figuring out the here & now is hard enough…

My father died in 2002 and my mother followed in 2006; the family otherwise has historically been rather fragmented and distant, so as an only child—my mother miscarried my prospects of a sibling in the late ’70s—I retain no other family ties of note.

My best friend is a West Highland White Terrier named Fred. He was born in 2004.

I have red hair (though it’s occasionally been blonde), long legs and a variable mood. I can be temperamental and challenging. I appreciate honesty above most things—falseness and insincerity are major pet hates of mine. I’m bisexual and currently find myself single since 2007 (though not necessarily by choice). My motto is, ‘Being bi means twice as many people don’t fancy you!’ But I always enjoy being proved wrong. :b

I’ve been playing around with Web stuff since 1995. This site has been online in various incarnations since around August 2000 (the blog debuted in Dec ‘00). Which is kinda scary and quite sobering. Pictured below, some of my sundry incarnations from the last decade…

…everything about Chrissie Harper you didn’t want to ask particularly…

---

AGE: Over 21
BIRTHDAY: October 30th
HEIGHT: 68.25″
WEIGHT: Slightly more than adequate
FAVOURITE FOOD: Something hot
FAVOURITE DRINK: Moderately strong & sweet cider
FAVOURITE COLOUR: Darkish purple
LIKES: Honesty, creativity, individuality
DISLIKES: Dishonesty, conformism, bigotry

HEROES: Orson Welles, Jack Kirby, Tori Amos, David Bowie, Siouxsie Sioux, Joan Jett, Marlene Dietrich, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr, Barbara Steele, Ian McKellen, Noam Chomsky, Klaus Kinski, Evelyn Ankers, Shirley Manson, Ingrid Bergman, Franco Nero, Johnny Depp, Laurel & Hardy, The Mighty Boosh, My Mother…
VILLAINS: Adolf Hitler, George W Bush, Tony Blair, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, everyone who ever profited from ass-licking as a substitute for ability…