Tripwire's Joel Meadows!
From New Teen Titans to war photography, Joel Meadows reflects on three decades of Tripwire and comics journalism.
Joel Meadows is the longtime editor of Tripwire, the UK-based comics and pop culture magazine he co-founded in 1992. He is also a writer, photographer, and comics creator. He’s currently running a Kickstarter called Tripwire: From the Archive, Volume One. It’s the first in a three-volume book series that offers reprints of classic interviews from Tripwire’s vaults, both in print and online. With thirty-three years to choose from, it’s an unparalleled archive of interviews with the most important creators in the fields of comics, film, TV, art, and illustration. This volume includes interviews with the likes of Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Will Eisner, Dave McKean, Harlan Ellison, Ian Rankin, Joe Kubert, Walter Simonson, Brian Michael Bendis, Pete Milligan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kyle Baker, Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, Frank Quitely, and more.
For this edition of the Superfan Podcast Q&A, Joel shares his earliest comics memories, career highlights, and the lessons he’s learned over thirty years of covering the industry. From New Teen Titans to Studio Space and beyond, Joel talks candidly about the joys and challenges of comics journalism — and why whisky pairs perfectly with Tripwire.
Let’s talk about your secret origin. What was the first comic you read? Set the scene for us. What year was it? How old were you?
It was probably something like Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s New Teen Titans #3. It was 1980, I think, and I was seven years old. It was my brother’s fault that I started reading comics.
What was the comic, writer, or artist that hooked you on comics? Why did you become a comics Superfan?
I admit I didn’t know who was writing or drawing the comics I read as a kid, but again, probably Wolfman and Pérez, although a little later, I remember picking up X-Men/ New Teen Titans by Chris Claremont, Walt Simonson, and Terry Austin and being knocked out by it as a kid. I still consider Walt Simonson as one of my favourite comic creators and also one of my favourite people.
When did you start covering comics? What, pray tell, was your motivation?
Back in 1992, a former neighbour and I decided to launch a fanzine that covered the worlds of comics and music. The first issue of Tripwire, which came out in February 1992, was extremely primitive: it was stapled A4 with a pun on its cover, which didn’t work. This was before the days of the internet, so the comics industry was a very different beast then.
When did you feel that you “made it” in comics?
I feel this is a question for other people, as even though I have done this for a long time, I have no idea if I have made it in comics.
Is there a career highlight you are especially proud of?
There are a lot of these. Possibly the interviews that I did for Studio Space back in 2005 with Joe Kubert and Frank Miller, and Masters of Comics with John Paul Leon. The interview I am probably most proud of is one outside of comics. I interviewed war photographer Don McCullin back in 2013 for a feature that ran in IDW’s Full Bleed, which is something I am particularly proud of.
Is there a whale you are chasing for an interview?
I would like to do a follow-up career interview with Frank Miller. I did spend a few hours with him for Studio Space, but I want to touch on some other subjects. I have never interviewed David Mazzucchelli, so I would like to do that at some point.
How many hours a week do you estimate you spend writing and/or talking about comics?
Some people may say too many. I have never measured this, but it must be a lot.
Do you read comics websites? Do you listen to comics podcasts? Which ones are doing the work?
I do check out other people’s websites and try to listen to other people’s podcasts. John Freeman’s Down The Tubes is an excellent UK comics website, and my friend Leonard Sultana’s Talkin’ Con: A Cup Of Tea With An Englishman In San Diego is a fun video show. There are others I am sure but sadly I don’t have the time to check them all out. Barbra Dillon’s Fanbase Press does a good job, too.
Would you recommend that more people get into comics journalism as a profession?
It’s become a lot harder, so if people wanted to get into it, they would have to have a very thick skin. Then there are the weird cliques that sometimes you don’t fit into. However, it does give you the chance to meet a lot of people whose work you admire, and many comic creators are some of the nicest people you are ever likely to meet. Journalism in general makes you a better writer. If you’re going to write, then you need to read and not just comics journalism. I have read books like William Goldman’s Adventures In The Screen Trade and Stephen King’s On Writing. Follow what interests you, and hopefully you’ll find a professional space for your writing. The first step is just to write something, and it doesn’t matter if it’s brilliant or not. The first interview I did was when I was at sixth form college with the late Alan Grant when I was sixteen. Writing gives you confidence, and the more you write, the greater your confidence grows. Try to push yourself when you can.
If you could tell the general public one thing that you have been dying to get off your chest, what would it be?
Transcribing audio interviews is hell, but it’s been made a lot easier thanks to some really helpful online tools. It used to be the bane of my life.
Do you know Dana Moreshead?
I know the name, but I am afraid I don’t [know him personally].
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing now?
That’s the problem, and that’s why I’m not doing anything else at the moment. Over the past few years, I have moved into writing comics, turning from poacher to gamekeeper, and I have found this really satisfying.
What is something more people should know about being a comics journalist?
It does give you the opportunity to meet the people who have created some of your favourite comics, so that’s a really nice fringe benefit.
What cocktail, mocktail, or dessert would you pair with your site?
Probably a whisky, a single malt, as that’s my tipple of choice. I am not a big cocktail fan, as there was a comic awards [ceremony] where I downed quite a few vodka martinis, but perhaps that’s a tale for another day.
Thanks for reading this edition of the Superfan Podcast Q&A! You can find more of Joel Meadows’ work at Tripwire, and don’t forget to support his latest project on Kickstarter: Tripwire: From the Archive, Volume One.
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Thank you for the very kind shout-out, Joel!