Richard: In "Eleventh Hour" you illustrate Danick the Dragon, what characteristics do you give Danick?

Simon: `Tall, 'Dork' and handsome' sprang to mind immediately when I read the script Ian (Sharman) gave me. He had to look chivalrous and heroic He's the consummate 'I'm a hunk...and I know it!

But he's really an unfortunate buffoon! I had to get that across in a sympathetic way, especially due to how the story pans out! There is a sequel to Danick And The Dragon which is ready to go to print called Danicvk and The Gelatinous Cube (great fun drawing this and more visual jokes included, which I love! I've spoken at length with Ian re: Danick and we've countless stories planned for the future (maybe his own title)...'Dork Knight' anyone? Lol!

Richard: Do you enjoy drawing monsters and babes?

Simon: Oh yes, I've always been a huge fan of monsters, from movies, myths and folklore. Brought up reading the Greek Myths, always loved the Hydra, Minataur, Gorgons, but a huge fan of Kong and the Harryhousen monsters, like the T-Rex in Valley of Gwangi, Gorgo, and my personal faves - Werewolves!

And babes, well name me an artist that doesn't like drawing pretty girls, no hang on, there's bound to be plenty!....They've always sold comics off the back (and front) of eye-catching females and I like nothing better than seeing the female form drawn well. The likes of Frazetta, Adam Hughes, Frank Cho, etc are superb draughtsman and I've always been fond of the pinup art of painters such as Vargas also.

My mother embarrassed me a few years ago at a family get together by mentioning a drawing I'd made when I was about 8/9 years old of a busty blonde lying at the bottom of an ocean with a passing shark remarking (in speech bubble) 'Cor what great ***s!'....comics are such a BAD influence! Ha Ha!

My OGN - Unbelievable will feature some classic twists on a few well known and lesser known monsters and a pretty girl or two, and recently Ian Sharman asked what I should include in the next script for Orang Utan and I suggested Alien Monsters and babes, so I guess the answer's a resounding 'YES! to both, Lol!

Richard: Would you like to do more work for Orang Utan?

Simon: I have a story lined up with Peter Rogers, the co-founder of OUC Studios, named Valhalla - Hall Of Heroes, a contemporary twist on a Norse Tale, featuring an angst Viking teen on a raid to Britain's shores and there's a top secret project coming from them soon that I'll be a part of!

I've also a script or two waiting in the wings, which I may or may not illustrate myself, one named Escape Agents and the other tentatively entitled 'Masks', so there's definitely an ongoing connection (plus they're a great bunch of guys and girls and good buddies of mine).

Richard: What can you tell us about "Unbelievable! (The Man Who Ate Daffodils)"?

Simon: This is my pet project which I've worked on over the last 5 years or so, as I mentioned earlier, I have a fondness for monsters and movies, but also an interest in crypto zoology.

Unbelievable is a blend of folklore, fantasy, dark murder mystery and monster movie (in a Stephen King/Hammer style). There's an underlying theme which will present itself at the conclusion of volume one which will be familiar yet unfamiliar to readers of the genre.

I hope to pose the question, what if seeing isn't always believing, but believing will allow you to see?

I wanted to take a few classic legends from Welsh and British folklore, introduce a few crypto zoological elements and give them an interesting twist and along the way come up with some cool looking monster/creatures and characters which will appeal to both fantasy and horror readers.

The story has a re-imagining of the origin of Merddyn (Merlin) and there's a smidgen of Peter and the Wolf thrown in also. The premise is this:

The remote mining village of Bryn Boncath has its share of stories, of local legends, of half believed histories. It is a close knit community, with closely guarded secrets. It is home to the orphaned Ben Ellis and his grandfather, Emrys, and it has become the scene of a series of bizarre and mysterious deaths.

A new neighbor has moved in. A man long thought dead has returned. Livestock are missing. There are noises in the night. People are afraid to go into out after dark and sightings of a giant hound, or maybe a big cat are on the increase once again.

Suddenly it seems to Ben that what he took to be the tall tales of his grandfather may be more than just stories. It seems that something is stirring in the forests and the mountains around Bryn Boncath. It seems that ancient history is repeating and this time round Ben has an important part to play.

I can't thank Nic Wilkinson, the Creative Director of Insomnia Publications enough for her support and `belief' in the story when I pitched it. Hopefully you'll see the results before the end of this year!

Richard: What is your art like on Valhalla - Hall Of Heroes?

Simon: A little bit of a departure, as I'm planning on using a different approach to this title, usually I use the straightforward method of breakdowns with a non-repro blue pencil and ink myself (old school analogue inking with pen and brush and lovely black ink, can't get the grasp of digital inking!)

I've already completed a fully painted cover and I hope to go down the same route for the story, something in the vein of Fangorn's work on Druss The Legend and Wolf In Shadow, to give it an olde -style pen and wash look, with a few tweaks. I haven't used the fully painted style since my work on The Adventures Of Dolphinman.

Richard: What was "The Adventures of Dolphin Man" about?

Simon: The characters were under license, some designed by Andrew Skilleter (Dr. Who fame) and the basic premise was that an interstellar war involving an aquatic group of alien shape shifters crash on Earth. To prevent Captain Shark and his cohorts from capturing them, Dolphinman and his crew hide among the humans using a serum to transform themselves into real dolphins. An eastern sorcerer named Maoshan was introduced as a secondary villain, who tried to steal the serum to create an army of hybrid/mutant soldiers - ninjas, the Pirhana Clan.

I was commissioned to plot, script provide artwork, pretty much the whole shebang, it was a lot of fun to do but very short deadlines and unfortunately didn't go very far! Lol!

Richard: What do you have planned for the future?

Simon: Hopefully one or two more volumes of Unbelievable, to complete the epic storyline (heh!), some more Danick tales and collaborations with Orang Utan Comics Studio, possibly something for an american anthology and there is a collaboration with Andy Winter (Hero Killers) that we've planned for a long while, but our schedules are both busy at present.

Richard: What is the attraction of drawing for you?

Simon: I like to consider myself a storyteller, just describing on paper what's in your head using black lines on paper is a major buzz, something intangible becomes something tactile. Its a great way of exorcising your demons and I love creating new characters. Born with a pencil in my hand and graphite in my veins, guess I'll never stop.

Richard: Would you like to work on a Star Wars comic?

Simon: Wow, yes, that would be a dream come true. I was a huge Star Wars fan, watched New Hope back in '77 and collected the action figures and British reprints of the comic for years. I once drew a few pages of a fanzine story, blending a `Sharpe' type character in the Star Wars universe, looooong time ago for Mondo comics. If I had the opportunity today it would have to be a Chewbacca tale, love that big walking carpet!

Richard: Do you have any professional training?

Simon: I completed my A Level in school, checked out art college but was poo-poo's by some short-sighted, blinkered, toffee-nosed tutors who explained that 'I'd never get anywhere drawing comics' and to stick to fine art. Told them to 'stuff it' and I'd learn on my own. Self taught through blood, sweat and tears, how to books, anatomy and life drawing classes and years of caricature. At eighteen I won a national newspaper, Young Cartoonist of the Year award for Wales.

Completed two courses in cartooning, the London College couldn't teach me anything, but the Morris College of Journalism offered me tuition by a comic book artist named Bojan Djuckic, great guy, very inspirational and supportive. Came away with a Distinction in Freelance Cartooning and Illustration.

Also had the good fortune of meeting Mike Collins and David Roach my unofficial mentors when was starting out so I owe a debt of thanks to them both also.

Its very strange, but an honor now to give that back to other artists who approach me and ask for advice and a huge compliment that somebody thinks that highly of you and your work.

Richard: How do you relax away from work?

Simon: I'm a big movie fan, so when I find time to watch its great. I also have a four year old boy (who I'm slowly corrupting...heh! He's starting to tell me the names of the alter-ego's of superheroes!). I read avidly, books, comics, magazines and sometimes, very rarely I get the urge to sculpt something.

Richard: How can someone contact you?

Simon: Via the medium of cat-bagpipes, hold a cat under your arm-pit, bite the tail and pump your elbow up and down vigorously, facing North......joking! (no cats were harmed in the making of this joke!)

I'm all over the web like a rash, Lol! I can be contacted by email, at my blog 'Strangely Drawn', on myspace, comicspace, the orang utan comics studio website, deviantart and facebook. I believe there's also links on the Insomnia Publications blog, The Red Eye.

Richard: What words of wisdom do you have for others?

Simon: Never give up, it may be damned hard work but if you try your hardest, there'll be no regrets when you're old and grey!

Also, listen to criticism from the pro's (if its constructive) and make your own mark.

And never wee upwind....!