Chynna Clugston-Major: New Romantic
By Park Cooper
Chynna Clugston-Major is known for bringing her love of Adam Ant to comics through her creation Blue Monday. The debut mini-series, Blue Monday: The Kids Are Alright chronicles the adventures of a group of teenagers in their quest to see new romantic pop sensation Adam Ant in concert. The second mini-series, Blue Monday: Absolute Beginners is set to debut in time for Valentine’s Day, and promises more of the teen drama and comedy that proved so successful with Blue Monday’s first outing.
In this stream of consciousness interview Park Cooper, ably assisted off-panel by his wife Barb Lien-Cooper, talks casually with Chynna about everything in the world in a rambling, rollicking evening of online chatter.
Park Cooper: Hey-hey!
Chynna Clugston-Major: Hey there!
PC: How's it going?
CC-M: Pretty good, just ran upstairs... was eating some tuna helper and watching Enter The Dragon, woo hoo!
PC: So basically what I had in mind was a free-form wild mod freaky interview where if it veers off into realms having little to do with comics it would be groovy... I could make out like it would annoy Jason, master of SBC... though it wouldn't really, I just like to pretend he's a J.J.Jameson-type tyrant
CC-M: Okay! Sweet!
PC: Anyway, enough about me, where are you on the west coast area, Californ-i-a?
CC-M: San Diego area, North County.
PC: Well then going to San Diego Con must be a peach fer you... which is in fact where we met you.
CC-M: Yeah, that's probably the main reason we moved down here.
PC: Yeah, I know it's nice for Pam Bliss to go to ChicagoCon from Indiana, but for some reason, even before Mid-Ohio-Con, the Cleveland area has always been huge for creators... Native Daughter Jill Thompson for one. Anyway, tell me about your interests... We all know about you and the cool Brit 60's thing (have you seen the film Privilege?) but when I thought I lost your email for a few hours the other day, and was looking around the web to see if I could find it by searching, your name came up in connection to the Louise "Lulu" Brooks appreciation society...
CC-M: Yes, I'm a silent movie fan...but no authority on it...
PC: I have some interests in that area myself, though I too am no huge expert...
CC-M: I love (as you probably know) Buster Keaton and Louise Brooks, along with Clara Bow & Buddy Rogers... I was surprised to find out Buddy died in '99!
PC: I like Buster Keaton. Barb loves Harold Lloyd. And okay I must admit that I greatly admire Lloyd's skill and talent, but I have loyalty to Buster.
CC-M: Ooh, can't forget Roscoe Arbuckle... Yes, I'm big on loyalty when it comes to actors. If I find out anyone gave Buster shit or looked down on him they're on my shit list! I mean actor wise... heh... although I've gotten into pretty heated arguments about Buster vs. Chaplin and have hated the person afterward.
PC: PC: Barb certainly doesn't hate Buster...! Have you seen the French silent Le Vampyr?
CC-M: I own it, but I still haven't watched it... because I suck.
PC: We have Cabinet of Dr. Caligari taped off of Turner Movie Classics on cable, but we haven't gotten around to watching it yet, so don't feel too bad.
CC-M: Oh, that's a great one. I always end up watching it at 2 in the morning and falling asleep only to have really crazy dreams...
PC: Barb just came in the room... she recommends the (modern) French film Irma Vep to you.
CC-M: Cool, I'll try to pick it up somewhere... oh, and I haven't seen the movie Privilege
PC: What're your fave rock-n-roll-related movies?
CC-M: Oh man... well, I bet you can guess one of them...
PC: Indeed
CC-M: I do love Rocky Horror too... what else... Good god I'm drawing a blank... Tommy... That Thing You Do busts me up... I recently saw for the first time Absolute Beginners, funny enough... I actually liked it, but god is it campy... Hard Day’s Night is a fave, it's just so clever...
PC: Oh ho, and I know how Absolute Beginners fits in, it's the next storyline of Blue Monday... Barb was like "Oh with Bowie and Ray Davies!"
CC-M: Yes! I had named it off the Jam song, but then Jamie and James from Oni were laughing at me saying I probably didn't know about the film with Bowie in it. I shouldn’t forget Yellow Submarine...I used to stay home from school to watch that when I was a kid.
PC: Barb's seen Hard Day's Night so often she can quote it... I was like "Yellow Sub was on TV?" Barb says yes, you and she must be the last generation that got to watch it on TV.
CC-M: Yep, they stopped in the mid 80's. I was very disappointed. It was also the first album I ever bought.
PC: Barb's was the Beatles' Rock and Roll... it had terrible graphics, she adds.
CC-M: Um...I used to really love Xanadu when I was really small... That's another one I got to stay home from school and watch... how embarrassing.
PC: So what do you most often listen to now? Can you stand anything modern? Blur?
CC-M: Oh, Blur of course is one of my favorite bands.
PC: All I know about Blur is you said they did Substitute in Blue Monday.
CC-M: They appear on the first page of the first series, and are on the cover of that trade paperback, along with Paul Weller.
PC: Barb says we have to pump her up with Jam songs in the car to give her enough energy to get through her day at her job in Real Life (as opposed to the world of comics)... mostly "Away From The Numbers."
CC-M: Ace!
PC: Your fave Jam song? Or Jam songs, plural?
CC-M: Ooh! Beat Surrender, Disguises, Carnation, Absolute Beginners, Happy Together, That's Entertainment... Down In the Tube Station at Midnight... The Modern World...
PC: Barb says that the Jam were lost for some time culturally but now it feels like maybe they're coming back again what with so many fans makin’ movies and using them... or at least Town Called Malice! I, Park, point out that Wagner stole Malice for the start of Mage II...
CC-M: Yeah, exactly... Oh, Matt Wagner's a Jam fanatic.
PC: Barb seemed to get MOST excited by your mention of Happy Together...
CC-M: I fucking LOVE that song...it's so ace... I have Paul, Blur and Adam all over my office, there's a mess of babes on every wall. Paul is just amazing though.
PC: On Barb's wall, before we moved: Jam, Psych Furs, Smiths, Jesus and Mary Chain... she bought a couple JNMC CD's off Amazon the other day.
CC-M: Oh man, they're great.
PC: All of those, you mean, or specifically J‘N‘MC?
CC-M: Hmm, well originally I meant J‘N‘MC, but I like all those bands very much.
PC: Because her roomate sold her albums one day out from under her, Barb’s been trying to get all her albums back (this time on CD, which she's not totally happy about) and has just now gotten up to Jesus And Mary Chain.
CC-M: That's horrible, is her ex-roommate dead now?
PC: No, but they are no longer friends/speaking, let us say... Who are your heroines? (She means that culturally, as opposed to Bleu etc).
CC-M: Hah! Louise, Clara, Lauren Bacall, I do love Marilyn...
PC: Did you ever run around any of that New-Romantic costumes from Adam [Ant]'s days?
CC-M: Well, in school I would sport an old band jacket that is a similar style to the Prince Charming cover... oh, Myrna Loy too, by the way...
PC: MYRNA LOY HOT DAMN!
CC-M: I loooove her...
PC: I, Park, love Myrna Loy... Thin Man, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House...
CC-M: I want to be like her Thin Man character...
PC: Yeah, Nora...
CC-M: Hell yeah!
PC: "Just putting away this gin dear..." and Asta...
CC-M: Asta!
PC: "She's contagious..."
CC-M: I wanted to name a dog Asta. But my bully looks way too much like Buster...hence the name
PC: Barb HAD a white fox terrier as a kid.
CC-M: Aw!
PC: Deftly turning the course of the conversation: we've long felt that Buffy is the Thin Man for a teen audience that's starved for stylistic humor and sophistication in dialogue.
CC-M: I have to agree.
PC: And that we see some of that same sophistication for teens /early 20's in Blue Monday too.
CC-M: Thank you. Heh heh... barring the pubic hair, of course.
PC: In Blue Monday, everyone talks like... one WISHED one'd talked in High School... ACTS like one wished one did, had the musical sophistication one wished one did... like there's a sort of wish fulfillment in the book... Of course, YOU actually liked that music in high school, but you see what we mean... even the humiliation that characters suffer in Blue Monday is sort of infused with coolness...
CC-M: Well, I make it better than it actually was in reality for myself, humiliation wise, anyway.
PC: So are you going to write Buffy some in future, is that a lock?
CC-M: Well, I co-wrote a Willow and Tara story with Jamie Rich for the Valentine special, but that's all so far... who knows what will come up in the future
PC: Excellent... Hope there's more though... Because we feel that you are the perfect person to write buffy because you have the ear for dialogue that Buffy the comic book often lacks...
CC-M: Thanks, I hope so as well...
PC: Who influences you? Rumiko, perhaps? And why comics as creative outlet instead of, say, heading a band?
CC-M: Hmm, lessee...
PC: I know Evan Dorkin... That is, I know he's an influence... did you read Pirate Corp$? Cause when I heard you liked Dorkin's stuff, it occurred to me there was a bit of similarity... Pirate Corps, strangely, is the most I've yet read by him.
CC-M: WELL! (You got Evan) Influences: Jamie Hewlett, Philip Bond, Nabiel Kanan, Rumiko of course, Hernandez bros, Adam Warren...
PC: Oh yeah, I knew you liked Adam Warren, I just forgot... In this house the fave is Magical Drama Queen Roxy... Except for his Titans: Scissors Paper Stone, of which I, Park, am the only human alive who loved it.
CC-M: Yes, they are similar...I just adore Evan's work way too much, he's probably how I went from Punk/alternative freak to Rudegirl in school... I actually helped do finishing inks on some of Scissors-Paper-Stone (clean up mostly), but never got credit. I liked that story.
PC: Shit, really?
CC-M: Yeah...no big deal, I did get paid in art, so I'm super happy.
PC: Why’d you never get credit?
CC-M: Scott Dunbier forgot to put it in the credits, such is life.
PC: Did you go as anyone for Halloween?
CC-M: Athena
CC-M: Had a blast on Halloween
PC: The goddess Athena?
CC-M: Yes, sans helmet
PC: I, Park, knew that's whom you meant... Barb asked me to clarify... got any pics? Did you have an owl? Aegis?
CC-M: Not yet on the pics, and I did think of having an owl but I didn't think anyone would get it. I was rather plain, I didn't want to carry a bunch of shit around... ran out of time to finish as well.
PC: The only rock ‘n’ roll costume Barb saw this Halloween was Exene from the band X. At work, yet.
CC-M: I saw Adam! he was great... there was an Ants cover band a friend of ours was in, they did a really good job, they played just before the Damned went on stage at the Halloween Ball.
PC: What do you like by Rumiko?
CC-M: LUM!!!
PC: Yay Lum!
CC-M: Ranma 1/2, and my favesingle story is Fire Tripper.
PC: Hee hee hee! (Ataru-like laugh)
CC-M: I love Ataru, named a catfish after him. I don't know why you need to know that, but now you do!
PC: In the video, unlike the story, you get still-pics of their wedding during the credits.
CC-M: I love the manga, I saw the anime twice, pretty good. Yes, that was cool.
PC: So what comics do you read these days? Or ever?
CC-M: Um
PC: Have you read Artbabe? Waiting Place? Other?
CC-M: Breakfast After Noon... mostly Oni titles, I rarely get to the comic shop... Slave too... so whatever I get in the mail... I'm afraid I'm not up on the scene, really... I have read some Artbabe, it's very cool.
PC: Slave Labor publishing be brilliant.
CC-M: I also recently read Goodbye Chunky Rice, and Pastil, as well as any Dance Till Tomorrow I find.
PC: What'd you think of it? I admit I must seek out Breakfast Afternoon, but I couldn't get into Goodbye Chunky Rice...
CC-M: I really, really enjoyed it... but the puppies gave me nightmares.
PC: Who publishes Pastil and Dance Til Tomorrow?
CC-M: Pulp put out Dance...
PC: Yeah, Chunky Rice was more disturbing than I thought it'd be.
CC-M: Phoenix put out Pastil...
PC: Chunky Rice gave off a depressing vibe.
CC-M: Yes...
PC: How's the whole Thrave Animation thing treatin ya?
CC-M: Craig is really talented... Not much progress at the moment, but something should be coming around eventually.
PC: How's Oni treatin ya? Pretty well I suspect?
CC-M: Oh yeah, they're always cool... except when they dare me to do stupid things when I'm drunk...
PC: Oh???
CC-M: ...Yeah...
PC: Wanna talk about it?
CC-M: Read all about it in the SPX review in the editorial section of the Oni site...! That's just one of the dumb things though.
PC: Check...
CC-M: There's always some horrid story involving Oni... or Slave... it's all good fun.
PC: How do you feel about females in comics? Audience-wise... should comics shoot for younger readers to build for the future, or do we have enough comics aimed at trying to please younger readers already and not enough to please adults? I mean, not enough QUALITY things for adults etc...
CC-M: Yargh, lessee... I'd like to see more females in comics, reader- and creator-wise, there's more girls in the world than boys, I'm just wondering what the hell they're doing...
PC: “What they're doing?”
CC-M: Yes, where the hell are they?
PC: Ah. You mean, why aren’t they reading comics...
CC-M: Yes... I don't blame them, really, but people need to realize there's more out there than Superman...
PC: Do you ever play with EBay?
CC-M: I do occasionally play on E Bay.
PC: How many comic book boxes do you have where you live? Enough that you have to make End Tables and /or other furniture out of them, like I do?
CC-M: Um, my closet here in my office is about half full of boxes, and there's some in the loft, but it's not too bad. My book collection however is out of control.
PC: Heh I could put some in the closet, but then I couldn't get at them. Fave books?
CC-M: Hmm... Memoirs of a Geisha, Cry To Heaven, My Jeeves Omnibus, my Buster Keaton collection... Lolita...
PC: We love Jeeves ‘n’ Lolita... Books about or by Buster?
CC-M: About, and I do have his auto bio as well
PC: We didn't know Buster wrote his autobio.
CC-M: I think he was helped. I think you asked why comics for an outlet and not a band?
PC: Ah ha yesss...?
CC-M: Hmm, probably because I can draw and write, can't sing or play an instrument other than a bit on the Fiddle... it was the only logical way to go. Although I am trying to learn the guitar after years of avoiding it...I come from a very musical family, believe it or not.
PC: We believe it.
CC-M: I have a '52 telecaster reissue! I wanna be jes’ like Graham! All I wanna do is rock! Sorry, getting too excited here...
PC: Well see... Barb wondered if part of it was... music doesn't quite have the same priorities as it did in frankly the 80's and early nineties... now one has either alternative bands that tend to be noisy, or pop bands that tend to have no substance to them... Barb misses melody and people who actually have something to say, combined...
CC-M: Yes. I saw people like Evan and the Hernandez brothers who seem to be on a similar wavelength, who are very involved with music and comics, it was all very inspirational.
PC: Yeah... Barb started seeing comics as the place where all her influences could come together... Grant Morrison in Doom Patrol was writing about Music and Film... other people started bringing Politics into comics.
CC-M: They made comics look fun, you could say something and be comedic at the same time, as well as make everyone dress how you want, believe what you want, live where you want, hell you have more freedom in comics than anywhere else...
PC: That’s a great quote... Oh, while I was getting ready for this evening I found this sketch you did of Batgirl... http://pmayhem.com/batgirl/pages/chynna.html... Barb loves it...
CC-M: Ha that was summer, I think. No, wait, that was at APE I believe.
PC: Might we get back to the females-in-comics question briefly?
CC-M: I think we need more female friendly books in general, but alternative comics are on the right track, so I think as long as we keep plugging away we can't do wrong. I'm sure more females are on the horizon, I see more each year showing their work at cons.
PC: Barb just reentered the room... asked if you like any old mod stuff, such as the Small Faces or the Creation?
CC-M: Oh, yeah, definitely… I'm listening to a 60's mix of mine right now...
PC: What's on it?!?!?!?!?
CC-M: Heh heh... Classics IV, Maxine Nightengale, Animals, Donovan, Hollies, Stones, Steam, Shocking Blue, Zombies, Yardbirds, Wilson Pickett, Association, Cornelius Bros, Eddie Floyd, Sam & Dave...blah blah... Get Right Back
PC: Barb's pretty impressed... I don't even know about Maxine Nightingale... Okay, last two of the prepared questions: can you give us any teaser hints about the coming Absolute Beginners storyline?
CC-M: Hmm, what can I say?
PC: I dunno... If it's too top secret you don't have to say anything.
CC-M: Not top secret, Bleu's going to be exposed.
PC: Exposed, you say... as in, au natural?
CC-M: Perhaps... there's going to be more concentration on the kids’ relationships.
PC: Oh good.
CC-M: There's a lot of that in the coming series, it's going to be one big hormonal mess.
PC: Oh my, that's great.
CC-M: The first script and pencils have been approved, so I'm working on inks now...it's going to be a lot of fun, I think.
PC: Okay, now then... what's the next convention or two you'll be at? So our readers can see ya there?
CC-M: I'll be at APE, I'll try for Wonder Con, and I'll definitely be ay San Diego, barring death.
PC: Are you into New Wave at all (aside from Adam [Ant], obviously)?
CC-M: Oh, god yes. I'm a 80's freak.
PC: Any faves? Besides Adam, obviously?
CC-M: Right
PC: We have most of the DIY Rhino 80's collection... Barb recently made a mix tape based on all the Rhino 60's re-releases...
CC-M: Cool!
PC: Kinks, Hollies, Yardbirds, Byrds...
CC-M: Kinks...god I love them.
PC: We recently bought all the Pye rereleases of Kinks on CD... well a lot of them... the best ones... we got Arthur, Face to Face, Village Green... Something Else...
CC-M: Nice! I probably have two of those
PC: Barb's got The Modern World, Teenage Kicks, Starry Eyes.
CC-M: Back to the 80’s, though: Visage, Duran Duran, Missing Persons, Flock Of Seagulls...
PC: Ultravox?
CC-M: Human League, yes Ultravox... Heaven 17... Shit, do they qualify as new wave? I think they do...
PC: Oh we've been listening to Heaven 17 a lot lately... 'Let Me Go...'
CC-M: There's so many... Temptation, Penthouse and Pavement too... Depeche Mode, uh, New Order of course...
PC: Some of Barb's important CD's: Blondie, Big Star, Bowie, James Brown, Costello, Modern Lovers, New York Dolls, Marshall Crenshaw, Shop Assistants, Shangri-La's Television, X-Ray Spex...
CC-M: Yes!!
PC: You get the idea... very pop.
CC-M: I listen to the Ramones and the Cramps a ton.
PC: Clever lyric writing... oh, she's been meaning to reupdate her Cramps collection... Barb has perfect taste in music but it pretty much stopped around the Stone Roses, she says...
CC-M: Jamie just got me to listen to The Glove, I knew one of the songs but I always thought it was Siouxsie... oh, the Stone Roses are just so wonderful..... I really loved all Britpop. ...Have you checked out Gorillaz website?
PC: No, why?
CC-M: It's ace!!! Art by Jamie Hewlett and lead singer is Damon... it's a virtual band.
PC: Got a link?
CC-M: The video is available to download of their first single off dotmusic. It's on the site too, but you have to really look for it... http://www.gorillaz.com ...Say, I didn’t mention SPLIT ENZ earlier! Camouflage!
PC: One Step Ahead!
CC-M: Yes, and Dirty Creature, Message To My Girl... History Never Repeats... Oingo Boingo... Simple Minds... Level 42... I could go on for days...
PC: My friend Jenne is the world's biggest Oingo fan...
CC-M: Ooh, and L & R, and Dead Milkmen!
PC: Gang of Four, Siouxie, Church, Style Council...
CC-M: Yes yes!!
PC: This Mortal Coil...
CC-M: Altered Images, Icicle Works...
PC: Primitives, Psych Furs... Runaways...
CC-M: Bananarama, Fun Boy Three...
PC: XTC!
CC-M: Yes! Tones On Tail! OMD! (Listening to T Rex right now...)
PC: Any and all girl groups but especially Shangri-Las, Darlene Love...
CC-M: Shangri-Las are cool, I don't know Darlene Love...
PC: Darlene Love's in the Crystals, explains Barb.
CC-M: Okay.
PC: Julian Cope, Robyn Hitchcock, Billy Bragg...
CC-M: Yes...Thompson Twins, Sugarcubes too...
PC: Kate Bush...
CC-M: Motorcrash! Can't forget Soft Cell...
PC: Birthday!
CC-M: Yes... oh yesh!
And on it went, into the night...
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