THE
UNMUTUAL WEBSITE
INTERVIEWS
MIKE JAMES GORMAN - 'PRISONERS AND PAWNS' ONLINE COMIC
Questions posed by Rick Davy.
When did you first become a fan of both series?
I first became
a fan of The Prisoner back in the early eighties when Channel 4 screened the
series. Loved it immediately and rewatched the episodes many times. Even took
a trip to Portmeirion!
Man In A Suitcase I first saw around 1986 when the ITV regions started repeats.
I'd heard of it but knew nothing about it. Was immediately captivated by Richard
Bradford's unique performance, the gritty, down to earth stories and, of course,
the best theme tune ever written!
Does
the art of overlaying cartoon onto still images have a name?
I'm afraid I really have no idea if there is a term for the technique I've used
in creating the strips. It really was a case of trial and error and improving
as I went along. I'd had the Photoshop program for some time and never really
done anything with it. Then I saw a video on how to turn a colour photograph
into a black and white drawing and had a go. When it was successful I had the
idea of taking screen shots and creating a strip. It's more authentic and a
lot less hassle than drawing the thing! That said there is a lot of work involved
with finding the right shots, cutting, re-sizing and pasting and often having
to change the colour of clothing for continuity.
The first strip was black and white mainly due to the fact that it also featured
Patrick McGoohan and the majority of source material was Danger Man. After that
I continued in colour, refining all the time. I would say that "Prisoners
And Pawns" is by far the most successful technically as I'd finally managed
to work out a consistency between panels! But I really am still learning all
the time.
Was
either character difficult to write dialogue for, did you hear McGoohan and
Bradford in your mind as you were writing the words?
To be honest I didn't find the dialogue difficult at all as I knew the characters
so well from so much watching of episodes! It just seems to flow naturally when
I get the situations and plot sorted out. Thinking them up was the main problem!
I really had to come up with a scenario that hadn't been covered in The Prisoner
before and fortunately I came up with one.
When
did you first get the idea to mix the two series and create a strip?
I first had the idea of merging the two series as I was completing "The
Price Of Justice" (the third strip). I really wanted to do something very
different and how great it would be to have McGill meet Number Six. Two very
distrustful characters that have been betrayed so often makes for good conflict.
And of course merging the two appeals to a wider audience. I would say it's
more of a Prisoner story than a Man In A Suitcase.
Do you have any plans to do more similar things in the future?
I have been toying with the idea of another crossover story but the question is what? McGill meets Department S? I think it would be rather fun to see McGill clashing with Jason King. There's a contrast of styles for you! Really it's all about keeping the balance between the series. Hopefully I've achieved this with "Prisoners And Pawns".
