Discworld and Member Articles
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Written by terrypratchettbooks.org
Tuesday, 22 November 2005 |
Another book signing and interview by fans, with a mention of Good Omens II.
Neil says 'hi' by the way
Neil Gaiman in glorious technicolor
To say Gaiman appeared in technicolor is somewhat misleading. Clothed in trademark black in the stark white surroundings of the Ormeau Baths art gallery, his greeted attendees at his first ever Belfast appearance with pleasantries at being here and also his relief (?) that it was the end of a long book tour. Tonight was a sense of "doneness".
He kicked off proceedings with a reading from his latest Anansi Boys, the bit where Fat Charlie learns his father has died, which raised numerous laughs from the audience, and moved smoothly into chapter one from MirrorMask, a work he admitted was completely different, the only common factor being dead parents.
Gaiman has a similar sense of humour to the late Douglas Adams, and the Q&A session that followed raised a fair few chuckles as well. He was asked first why there was no Region 2 DVD of the BBC series Neverwhere, a rather geeky starter, his response to which being "there is, but it's a secret". Neil's ambivalence for the production of Neverwhere resurfaced, saying he enjoyed creating the script, and thought he did marvellously…until he gave it to some people and it started going away from what he was imagining in his head. He also mentioned costume designers who dress people up without reading the script and a lighting man that lit the sets as if for film (it was shot on video), rendering the locations unrecognisable. and giving it the appearance of wobbliness. Some episodes were on that very thin borderline of being 'horribly wrong' and 'let's not talk about it...'
When asked about the value of creative writing courses, he said he was rather fond of academics, and knew a few people who had survived without the love of writing being bored out of them, but also knew a few who didn't. He said he was arrogant in that regard, the best model being just to write, quoting Ray Bradbury in that a lot of shit would come out first, but to persevere.
The question of Beowulf came up, and Gaiman said he was asked by his eleven-year-old daughter what Angelina Jolie was like, was she pretty, "because that's what's important to eleven-year olds", but said he couldn't really tell, describing her face covered in 150 light spots, her costume as the suit from Tron with 'Mother' written across her breasts, so really, she was just a pair of lips to him. On set, he hung out with Ray Winstone and Crispin Glover, who had voice coaching in Old English from a 'proper professor with elbow patches' and it sounded like they were speaking to each other in Geordie.
When asked about Good Omens II, he said if you'd asked Terry Pratchett that question before spring this year you would have gotten a polite version of when hell freezes over, but having met Terry at a conference, they're open to it, should the timing prove right. Ditto, a collaboration with Amano, though the problem with him is it's hard to stay in contact with him given the amount of assistants he goes through. Gaiman would prefer it if Sandman was left well alone if it was going to be adapted badly for the screen. What is to look forward to though is a stint at DC resurrecting Jack Kirby's The Externals.
Best question and answer of the night: 'So, what started you being interested in gods, and writing about them?' Gaiman: 'I don't know. I always think I should have a really interesting origin story, like 'when I was five, I got bitten by a radioactive god..' I dunno. That's a bad answer judging by the look of disappointment on your face.'
Gaiman said he enjoyed writing lyrics for songs, he doesn't consider it work, and headlining an event at CBGBs indulged his inner 14-year-old. People, well reviewers, have said that Gaiman is a rock 'n' roll author, and, if that is the case, who would his equivalent would be. If Chuck Palahniuk embodies the raw, sinewy energy of Iggy Pop, that's him excluded. Elton John? Too safe, and besides Bret Easton Ellis indulges in Elton's excess, or used to. Marilyn Manson or Trent Reznor? Too obvious. At the peril of disappointing Gaiman's fans, his is best represented I think by the Rolling Stones (remember, they were once interesting – Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil), but not Mick or Keith, rather the laid-back cool knowingness of drummer Charlie Watts.
Neil Gaiman at the Ormeau Baths, Belfast 16 November 2005; hosted by No Alibis Bookstore.
source: dogmatika - Belfast, UK
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