HYDERABAD: Unlike travellers who google about a new city before visiting it, David Llyod prefers to explore it on his own. “I did not read about Hyderabad before coming here,” he states and adds, “I never try to know and research about any place I am travelling to. Because I like and want the initial impressions,” says the British comic artist’s first visit to the city. As an international guest at Comic Con 2016, he was awe-struck while coming from the Shamshabad airport. “I really liked the trip from airport. I saw the rock formations here and they looked terrific from an artistic point of view. I was really impressed by them,” he shares. However, the weather didn’t give him much chance to go around. “We were supposed to have gone on a sight-seeing trip yesterday. But we couldn’t do it because of rain. Rain is not my favourite thing. I come from England where we have lots of rain. Seeing it kind of put me off a bit.”
Best known as the illustrator of the story V for Vendetta, David shares how artists are constantly thinking about creating something new. Is it lonely being an artist? “It is a lonely profession. It is true. A lot of my colleagues work in studios so they could work with friends. I could never do that. because I find it distracting. Although it works for a lot of other people, it wouldn’t work for me.” David reflects how working individually has its share of advantages and disadvantages. “If you are self-employed, you are your own boss. You don’t have the security but you have the freedom. You can work at home, have breakfast and sit comfortably in your drawing room and draw. I am into publishing now but it is the same thing. I have been doing it for a long time and I like that. I do not like anybody telling me what to do,” he says with a laugh. Speaking about disadvantages, he states, “The only drawback professionally is deadlines. You need to have the right constitution if you are working in the industry. Because deadlines aren’t really kind and you need to choose your work. Once your are able to do it, then it is an enjoyable job.”
David also publishes ‘ Aces Weekly ’, a digital comics magazine. “Being completely digital, it reaches out to larger audiences. It is cheaper and doesn’t wipe out resources. We do similar things as in print and the only thing is we change the surface. It is kind of revolution and it is also different. Comic readers like to collect things. In the digital media, it visible and accessible but one can’t hold it. It is a tough sell but I believe it benefits the readers.”
He encourages young artists to draw more. “The most important thing is to draw well. If you draw well, everything else is technical. If anyone wants to be a professional and wants to tell stories, you need to reach those standards. Otherwise, you are not going to be employed.”
