Interview with David Pugh - Comic Artist turned Author

The M.A.S.K. UK Comic didn’t credit writers or artists for their hard work – unlike US Comics whereby there would be a title screen, so you knew who did what.  Through connections made via my blog and other M.A.S.K. sites, I found out from fellow M.A.S.K., and all round comic fan, Darren Gregson, the names of some of the people “behind the M.A.S.K.”, so to speak.

I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with David Pugh.  David’s style of art just brought all my favourite characters, vehicles and Masks to life….

M.A.S.K. Comics – David, welcome to my M.A.S.K. Comics blog.  It’s a pleasure to have you for a chat.

David Pugh – Happy to get the chance to talk to all those readers who enjoyed my work.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Can you tell me a little bit about yourself –your background and interests outside of what we know you for – your fantastic work in Comics?

David Pugh –I retired from comics in February 2011, I was tired of drawing heroes’ adventures and wanted some action of my own. In April 2009 I volunteered for two months as a graphic designer and Computer Arts teacher in the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, India. I’d been a supporter of the FREE TIBET movement since I was eight-years-old and saw the news footage on my grandmother’s black and white television of the young Dalai Lama entering India, on his way to a life in exile. It was followed by a documentary about Tibet and I decided I wanted to go there. I made so many Tibetan friends and received so much gratitude from my very attentive students that I returned in 2010, this time with my daughter helping with the classes and staying for four months. I had planned to return for a further four months in March 2011 but then I heard that the Daily Mirror’s SCORER strip, that I was co-artist on, was to be axed. I decided I’d just buy a one-way ticket.  I spent three months back in Dharamsala but I was offered some creative voluntary work in Rishikesh, where I stayed for a further two months, getting free yoga lessons every morning. When my visa ran out I travelled across Nepal from West to East for three months. I didn’t return to the UK until June 2012. I’ve been continuing travelling pretty much full time ever since. During the course of my travels I began formulating a series of novels inspired by own adventures.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Were there any Comics that had a profound influence on you when you were growing up that helped shape your interest in working as an Artist?

David Pugh – I was ten years old sitting in my doctor’s surgery when I first saw the Eagle comic, featuring DAN DARE-PILOT OF THE FUTURE.  I was mesmerised by the Mekon, I had no colour in my life as we only had a black and white TV with one channel. I couldn’t believe that an artist could draw such realism and detail. My mother snatched the comic away from me, telling me I’d have nightmares if I looked at such things, to which I replied, ‘But Mum, I want nightmares like this!’  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to draw Dan Dare for five years, I couldn’t achieve the perfection of the original studio, well there were five of them working on it which I didn’t realise when I was ten. My mother never did buy me the Eagle but I was very happy that she did buy me Boys’ World and Ranger, the latter having the wonderful TRIGAN EMPIRE by Don Lawrence. It wasn’t until I got to Art College that I was introduced to the mighty world of Marvel comics and the works of Neal Adams, Jim Steranko and the inimitable Jack Kirby. Until then I’d only seen DC comics, which were a bit flat, Marvel was so experimental with inspiring layouts.

M.A.S.K. Comics – What was your path into mainstream Comics?

David Pugh – 1976 I was working as an Artist/ Visualiser in a Thomson regional newspapers Creative Services studio on the edge of the Brecon Beacons.  One of the editors of their fifteen titles knew I like comics and asked me if I’d like to write and draw a comic strip for the children’s page. They gave me an eight inch by three column space which was the proportion of an A4 page. The strip was called LOOKING GLASS LIBRARY, where two children and their dog find that they can enter the pages of classic books. I took them inside ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, FRANKENSTEIN and the Welsh epic the MABINOGION, amongst others. 1979 the company brought out a freesheet called the GLAMORGAN STAR and gave me a half page. I came up with a Judge Dredd inspired character, CAPTAIN CLASSIFIED-STAR RANGER, he was supposed to help sell classified advertising but he went on his own way. As I had been published for several years it qualified me to join the SOCIETY OF STRIP ILLUSTRATORS, Dave Gibbons, David Lloyd and Alan Moore being members at the time. We had a monthly newsletter where we could showcase our work. Pat Mills liked one of my Captain Classified strips and offered me SLAINE in 2000AD. The rest is history as they say.

M.A.S.K. Comics –I’ve read that your favourite character is Loner from Wildcat – what is it about that character that appeals to you so much?

David Pugh – I was delighted to be offered Loner as my character, the cool black hero was especially designed by Ian Kennedy with me in mind.  I had perfected a black and white style which I felt had enough texture to not need colour and I enjoyed the challenge of creating a handsome and tough black guy.  I was listening to a lot of West African music, so my Loner became a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Senegalese singer Baba Maal.  Drawing Loner was the happiest year of my comics career; the man helped me reach a new standard of illustration.  I was honoured when Kev Hopgood, who became Iron Man artist at Marvel, told me that he thought that I had created the most convincing black character in British comics.

M.A.S.K. Comics – I believe that there is a Graphic Novel of Loner coming out – is this a collection of stories from Wildcat or is it all new?

David Pugh – It’s a collection of the whole run from Rebellion, including the late Eric Bradbury’s work.  They didn’t realise that I still had all the original pages; they used the 1988/89 process film, I hope it will reproduce well.

M.A.S.K. Comics – How much would it mean to you to bring this character back and would you like to further develop him?

David Pugh – I don’t draw anymore, I’m getting more delight from the writing; it allows me to take my creativity to a higher level.  I was offered six pages in the SLAINE thirtieth anniversary book but I don’t enjoy looking back, so I turned the offer down; much to the consternation of some of my artist friends, who thought it would have boosted my career.  I was in India at the time and walking down a very different path.  Most of my contemporaries thought I was crazy as getting high profile comics work was getting harder to find and they believed I could have relaunched my career.  I am relaunching my career but as a novelist, a painter with words.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Your son-in-law is a Filmmaker – how would you feel if he approached you and told you he wanted to turn Loner into a Movie of TV Series?

David Pugh – It takes a lot of money and connections to produce a movie or TV series and of course Rebellion hold the copyright and Ian Kennedy and Barrie Tomlinson created the character.  I just took him to a higher level and think I gave him a strong personality.

M.A.S.K. Comics – We are in an age of 80’s properties coming back and making their way onto the big screen.  However, many of these, such as Transformers and G. I. Joe, aren’t true to their 80’s counterparts that my generation grew up to love and want to share with our children.  Do you think that Loner would have to adapt to work in 2019 and beyond and would that perhaps feel like a betrayal to what you love about that character?

David Pugh – Betrayal, not at all, I believe that in the right hands a good script writer can improve a character.  Loner was created very much out of time, so I don’t think the work has dated and wouldn’t require updating.  I’m sure the readers of the collection will realise that it was created thirty years ago.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Wildcat was one of the many comics from the same stable as Roy of the Rovers, The Eagle, Judge Dredd, 2000 A.D., etc.  Wildcat is also the name of one of my favourite vehicles from M.A.S.K. which brings us nicely onto my favourite all time comic.  How were you brought onboard to the M.A.S.K. Comic?

David Pugh – I had been sacked on SLAINE to put it bluntly, I took two weeks off after the second series and came back to find I had been replaced.  What hurt was that nobody told me this, it was down to Mike Collins, my replacement to pull the rug from under my feet at a Birmingham comic convention.  Pat Mills has since apologised for this but it meant that I was hanging around waiting for the odd FUTURE SHOCK, one of which I wrote.  I did an eight page story, THE MAN WHO COULDN’T DIE for the 2000AD SUMMER SPECIAL 1985.  Barrie Tomlinson, the group editor loved it and invited me to join the MASK team from issue one.  The big bonus for me, as well as being sent all the toys was that I was working with Pete Milligan’s scripts, though as in traditional British comics fashion, neither of us were credited.

M.A.S.K. Comics – M.A.S.K. started as a fortnightly comic during its first year, then, I assume due to overwhelming popularity, a weekly incarnation.  How far in advance did you get the scripts to work on before print date?

David Pugh – It was usually six weeks ahead, so not much maneuverability for missing deadlines. I wasn’t comfortable drawing more than three pages a week but I’ve never once missed a deadline.

M.A.S.K. Comics – For any of our American friends reading this, UK Comics are completely different from US Comics in that M.A.S.K. had 5 stories per issue – some only a single issue long and some serialised through for several weeks.  You worked on the serialised stories, were you given the full script in advance or only a week at a time?

David Pugh – The full script was sent to me, though I confess that I didn’t always read it through.  Like the reader I appreciated the anticipation of what would be happening next!

M.A.S.K. Comics – The process from getting the script in your hands – I take it you then had to do a basic storyboard or did you just know what had to be done and crack on with it?

David Pugh –No storyboard, I just did a thumbnail sketch of the layout as I went along but that wasn’t submitted for approval, only the pencils went to the company who were hired to keep an eye on the continuity between the toys and the artwork.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Many of the Comics you worked on were the sole property of the comic.  M.A.S.K. was the property of Kenner Parker, entrusted to IPC/Fleetway.  What are the differences in producing a comic such as this?  Do have to go back to Kenner to approve the stories and artwork before publication?

David Pugh – Kenner Parker hired a company called Copyright Promotions, so my pencils went to them.  Later I worked with this same company when I drew a series of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG adventure books.  I don’t think there was one artist among them; they just worked to style sheets.  I’m sure the MASK readers remember that I drew the vehicles for maximum impact.  Kenner Parker messaged Barrie to say that I drew the vehicles so well that there was no need for me to submit further pencils for approval.  That speeded up my production of pages.

M.A.S.K. Comics – For reference, I assume you were given all of the toys to help get them right?

David Pugh – That was the best bit especially as I had two young children at the time, they loved playing with them and were very careful. Having the toys brought realism to the strip, giving the pages a more cinematic edge and improved the action.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Your artwork really defined the characters and brought them to life – in the same way the Voice Actors did in the Cartoons.  (I would read the comics in my head in the voices created on screen.)  Did you ever have a say in the development of the characters or their individual stories?

David Pugh – No, I just interpreted the script and was happy working on Pete Milligan’s wacky ideas.  He became very famous during the three years I worked on MASK and went on to work in American comics.  Barrie Tomlinson wrote the final stories of my run; I think the reader probably noticed the change in direction.  Barrie allowed me to concentrate on big images, thereby giving the pages maximum impact.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Despite the main focus being M.A.S.K. vs V.E.N.OM., there were many ancillary characters – normally a catalyst if you will for the story.  One that springs to mind who entered the comics at issue number 5 is Kamikaze.  What processes do you go through to come up with these original characters.

David Pugh – Kamikaze was written by Pete Milligan, all he asked in the script was for me to create a huge, cyborg like super sumo wrestler.  Kenner Parker never intervened in the ancillary characters but I seem to remember them complaining that there wasn’t enough emphasis on the vehicles in the UNDER THE VOLCANO story and too many original inventions and villainous characters.

M.A.S.K. Comics – So, do these characters remain the property of the writer and artist?  Or the publisher or Kenner?

David Pugh – They remain the copyright of the publisher, I just retained the right to sell the original artwork.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to claim all the M.A.S.K. pages when IPC/EGMONT were clearing their warehouse.  I was possibly the only M.A.S.K. artist to make the effort to go to the storage unit but I had years of work to collect.  I managed to retrieve all my LONER work but left M.A.S.K. until last.  I started at issue one and my wife at the last story but we ran out of time as the unit closed at 5pm, so we never met up. Unfortunately that meant that I only have a few pages of FUNNSVILLE and UNDER THE VOLCANO, which were my favourite stories, as I designed a lot of original stuff for the both stories, good villains too.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Did you have a favourite character?

David Pugh – I had a soft spot for Miles Mayhem and Vanessa was quite hot!  On the good guys side I liked drawing Hondo MacLean, could be why I got the job drawing Loner.  I did like his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, a really cool car.

M.A.S.K. Comics – A favourite Mask?

David Pugh – Following on from the last question, Hondo’s blaster.  I would have loved drawing the X-Men so Hondo’s mask was as close to Cyclops as I was going to get.  Also, I preferred masks that didn’t totally obscure the character’s face. Brad Turner’s mask did have more expression than most with the right lighting though.

M.A.S.K. Comics – The Cartoon and the American DC version of M.A.S.K. somewhat simplified the designs of the vehicles.  Your vision, on the other hand, was more accurate.  Did you take great pleasure in making these vehicles look real?

David Pugh – The three years I spent on MASK improved my drawing skills so much.  I suspended the vehicles from my angle poise lamp to get the right dynamics.  I have to acknowledge the toy designers for putting so much realism into the vehicles that I believed that they were real.  I always had a problem with Transformers, they looked cool but I found them soulless.  I’m amazed by how successful the movies have become, MASK could easily compete with the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise.

M.A.S.K. Comics – One of the reasons I think your artwork stands out is that it wasn’t coloured – it was as you had drawn in pencils/pens.  It had more of an impact – would you like to have seen your vision coloured?

David Pugh – I was attempting a style that didn’t need colour and I was furious when they introduced spot colouring on some of the pages, particularly when most of it was off register. I contacted Barrie when I saw the first piece of this unimaginative block colour, but it took weeks for him to get Fleetway/Egmont’s art department to stop doing it.  It felt like someone had graffitied over my artwork.  I didn’t do any colour work until I worked on Loner and then it was only covers and posters.  The late Sandy James did an excellent job on the MASK centrespreads and covers, I never understood why Sandy suddenly fell out of fashion, he’d been a mainstay of British comics for so many years.  His was a sad story and demonstrated how competitive the comics business can be.  Towards the end of his career Sandy was supplementing his income by sketching in Glasgow market.  What an unbelievable shame after all those breath-taking MASK covers.

M.A.S.K. Comics – The covers and the centre page spreads where a mainstay of the comic and really drew kids, like me, into picking up M.A.S.K. in the newsagents.  To hear what you’ve just said saddens me greatly.  Did you work closely with Sandy?  I assume as sometimes the covers were a snapshot of the story inside you would have to at least liaise with him?

David Pugh – I met Sandy on a few occasions and I helped him find some new work on the adventure books I was working on for Ladybird Books.  Sandy did several SONIC THE HEDGEHOG illustrated books for them but his heart wasn’t in it.  He wanted to get back to drawing action adventure like Johnny Cougar, which he’s probably best remembered for.  As to your question the answer is no; Sandy was shown photocopies of scenes from the interior that Barrie Tomlinson thought would make good covers.  Sandy was left to it but still his pencils had to go to Copyright Promotions for approval.  I don’t think they were qualified to suggest improvements; those covers and centrespreads couldn’t be improved on, they were wonderful.  My son wallpapered all the centrespreads as a frieze on his bedroom wall, unfortunately I only bought one copy of the comic, so I don’t have any complete issues. When I worked on 2000AD I received copies in the post every week, even after I crossed the corridor to Boys’ Adventure comics.

Sandy's Cover

M.A.S.K. Comics – The UK Comic differed somewhat from its US counterpart and the DIC Cartoon.  In the other incarnations of M.A.S.K. we see that all the agents have a life outside of M.A.S.K. – Dusty is a Pizza Chef; Brad a Rock Musician; Bruce is a Toy Designer; Alex owns a pet store, etc.  The agents are called up as and when required

We don’t see that (very often) in the UK Comic – would you know if there is a reason?  I assumed with only 4/5 pages per story per issue would’ve been restrictive or DIC had the rights to that background story.

David Pugh – You’ve hit the nail on the head, we only had room for the action and that’s what I wanted to draw and I hope what you readers wanted to see.  There were too many talking heads on the cartoon show and the colours were a bit lurid.  We had more action in our comic than the cartoon show, they could have done better but 3D computer modelling was still very limited.  I learned 3D STUDIO MAX for my work on SCORER.  I built the entire Dave Storry house in the program and just dropped the drawn characters in situ.

M.A.S.K. Comics – I know that you have a special place in your heart for Loner – but what about M.A.S.K.?

David Pugh – As I mentioned MASK helped me take my drawing and inking to a much higher standard and I have to thank Barrie Tomlinson for giving me the freedom to create the dynamic layouts which became a trademark of my style.  I also enjoyed drawing some of the exotic locations that Pete Milligan set the stories.I was already getting a thirst for real adventure, so the settings were an important part of my storytelling.

M.A.S.K. Comics – When I was a teen, M.A.S.K. had a profound influence on me – I studied Art & Design and Technical Drawing as I wanted to be a Toy Designer and work on the M.A.S.K. Toy Line.  I even sent some of my designs to Kenner but was surprised to receive a response from Tonka.

It would be a few decades later I’d find out that Kenner Parker was sold to Tonka and eventually bought by over by Hasbro.  Were you aware of any of the changes going on with M.A.S.K.?

David Pugh – As I mentioned earlier, Copyright Promotions were the company I dealt with and I reached such a high standard in my art that my work no longer went to them for approval.  The staff there were mostly young women with no art training, they were more like continuity people on a film production.  I used to have a copy of the MASK style bible they worked to but it was mostly front on, side and back view and sometimes a three-quarter perspective.  I think the folder was designed for the cartoon show as there was a lot of emphasis on matching colour.

M.A.S.K. Comics – Ohhh…  a M.A.S.K. bible?  Is that something you still have?  Something you could share with us?

David Pugh – Unfortunately not, when I left on my world travels in February 2011, I sold my comic collection as a job lot and the M.A.S.K. bible went with it.  It was in a red plastic covered A4, full coloured landscape ring binder folder to which they would send me updates.  It had the M.A.S.K. logo printed in black on the cover was a nice collector’s item; I should have sold it on eBay!

M.A.S.K. Comics – Recently, Hasbro have attempted to bring back M.A.S.K. by “updating it”.  The essence of what made M.A.S.K. is missing completely.  If you were asked, would you love to work on M.A.S.K. again?

David Pugh – To the great disappointment of all the readers who loved my comic artwork, I’ve moved on to a new career in which I’m getting a deeper satisfaction, painting with words.  I don’t have the connection to pencil and brush that I used to have.  Drawing was so much part of my life that my middle finger actually changed shape to accommodate the pencil. It’s now returned to an ordinary finger!

M.A.S.K. Comics – M.A.S.K. was just one chapter in your history, tell me about your current project?  I believe you are now an author of a trilogy.

David Pugh – Yes, three books about retired and disillusioned comic artist, Jeffrey Dharma.  Each book is set seven years apart, the first book sees Jeffrey go on a solo journey of self-discovery in India.  He wants to walk the Hindu path of Vanaprastha, the time of life when you give up on responsibility, which I’m still pretty much doing.  However when Jeffrey discovers a small Jagannath beach temple in India and is told by the young priest that he is the earthly embodiment of Jagannath’s brother Balabhadra the god of the white races, Jagannath representing the black people, his life takes a new direction.  Through a series of bizarre twists of fate, Remus Jallow an African palm-tapper and his wife’s former lover becomes Jagannath’s new incarnation.  The two of them need to find their Oriental sister Subhadra, so that the three can connect in a highly sexual union and form a holy trinity to bring peace and love to the universe.  This part of the storyline is in direct opposition to a violent battle that is taking place in West Africa, where Jeffrey’s wife, Sylvia is at war with a very evil people trafficker and drug dealer, Bob Jatta.  Bob is on his own journey of self-discovery and hopes to transcend death to become the nemeses of all humankind; but that’s book two! You can see me talk about book one DHARMA SUTRA on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc9RNEdv-So&feature=youtu.be

M.A.S.K. Comics – When will we see this series in the shops?

David Pugh – DHARMA SUTRA is scheduled for release on 28 June 2019 but there is some opposition to me writing as Jeffrey Dharma, which was my intention. To quote… "After some careful consideration, we would like to suggest that you change your pen name.  I understand that you would like to link the name to the book title, “Dharma Sutra”.  However, as you know, Jeffrey Dahmer was a notorious serial killer and sex offender who engaged in rape, murder, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism.  I realise that you have spelt Dharma differently, but from a marketing perspective, especially given the genre of the book, we think your pen name is in poor taste.  This will almost certainly have a negative impact on the marketing of your book.  Therefore, we suggest that you to reconsider it.  Bookshop space is highly competitive to get onto as it is and we would not like to give buyers any reason to reject the book based on negative connotations linked to your choice of pen name."  I knew this, Jeffrey Dahmer is mentioned on page two but I don’t think the marketing woman read that far!  So, I guess it’ll be coming out under my own name but the decision is still under discussion as the book has been through several editors over two years and no one saw a problem.

M.A.S.K. Comics – From what I’ve read, your son-in-law had asked you about a pilot for a TV Series that sparked this adventure off, how did that all come about and did he have any input?

David Pugh – Michael Traverzo, my son-in-law asked me if I had an idea for a US TV pilot, what I actually came up with has become Book Three, JEFFREY DHARMA-ZODIAC MAN.  Jeffrey has developed the ability to interrogate the murder victim and get the name of the killer by connecting with the pineal gland in the brain.  This gland is the source of our dreams and the generator of DMT which eases death, the much quoted “White Light”.  The pineal gland takes forty nine days to develop in the human and forty-nine days to die; curiously this is the exact number of days that the Tibetan Book of the Dead tells us is the time that the soul chooses its new parents.  

Michael found it a bit out of his comfort zone, so I started writing Jeffrey’s background story less than a year later.  Dharma Sutra had been kicking around my head for several years and finally all the pieces came together in May 2016.  I had been friends with a Gambian palm tapper for about thirteen years and we travelled around West Africa together.  When travelling in Pushkar, India I came across a sahdu, a dread-locked holy man who looked the twin of my African friend and I thought he would be perfectly at home living as a sahdu smoking ganja all day.  This became one of the story lines for book one, along with Jeffrey’s quest for enlightenment through having lots of sex. 

The second chakra is the source of creativity and sexual desire, Remus Jallow the palm tapper finds this an inspiring concept.  As I touched on, following an encounter in a Jagannath beach temple in Puri, Orissa the pair discover that they havebeen chosen to be the earthly representatives of Jagannath, god of the black races and his brother Balabhadra, the lord of the white people.  The two need to find an Oriental woman to become the embodiment of the “yellow” races, their sister Subhadra.  When she is found the three partake in a ritual of cosmic love in an ancient cave temple in the Broken Hills of Orissa.  They find the enlightenment they seek and embark on a mission of spreading universal love.  This half of the story is in stark contrast to the war that Sylvia, Jeffrey’s wife finds herself caught up in and enlists a former lover, a Botswana hit man to take on the drug and people trafficking empire of the sadistic Bob Jatta, Remus’ boyhood friend.

M.A.S.K. Comics – You seem to be extremely creative; will we have more solo projects from you?

David Pugh –In the course of writing book three I created Aurum, the Gold World, where people with strong egos drop out of the Samsara, the cycle of rebirth to continue to live an eternity of self-indulgence and creativity.  Aurum is the location of Leonard Cohen’s Tower of Song, where all the great song writers go when they die.  Radio one DJ John Peel has an office in the building.  Jeffrey and his colleagues briefly encounter Jimi Hendrix, on his way to play in the Red House over Yonder.  Aurum is made of solid gold and has a latticework of fairy mine-shafts which link it to every period of human time.  Along these tunnels stolen children have been brought for thousands of years and exchanged for gold.  I’m thinking it might be a great place for a series of short stories featuring famous historical characters.  Wild Bill Hickok and tiger conservationist, Jim Corbett become allies of Jeffrey when he invites them to join him on a rescue mission.  It was fun allowing the two of them to speak in their own voice.

M.A.S.K. Comics –  You are also involved in Charity Work, I believe, what can you tell me about that?

David Pugh – During my time volunteering in Dharamsala I discovered that many of my Tibetan refugee colleagues had family in other parts of India but couldn’t afford the time off or the bus fair to visit.  I’d been helping my Gambian palm tapper friend, Lucas for years to visit his family in Guinea Bissau, the country was so poor that his father had migrated to the Gambia to look for work when Lucas was a young boy.  I’d also been giving money to the Nepalese waiters in my favourite bar, the Gem in Delhi’s Paharganj district, so they could take a week’s holiday to visit their wives in Nepal. 

When I stopped working in early 2011 my first thought was how to continue helping like this with no income coming in?  The idea come to me that I could continue giving bus fare to these friends if I sold my artwork.  I set up a web-page explaining that from then on any art I sold would go directly into my Bus Fare account, so by buying my work they’d be helping to bring some moments of happiness to poor families.  All went well, despite some of my Tibetan friends asking not to be featured on the web-page and seen to be accepting charity. 

Of course people who donate money like to see the faces of people they are helping.  The Africans had no such worries so I began concentrating on a program to encourage people to join Lucas on his home visits and experience what it was like to stay in a jungle.  I had found it an enlightening experience but most people wanted a hotel with a swimming pool.  I made the mistake of involving a rich Canadian-Gambian on the program, not knowing he was a gangster, he said that people would more likely sign up if they had the comfort of a luxury 4x4 rather than the local transport I had planned using. 

Senegal had introduced a visa which made it complicated to cross the country into Guinea Bissau, so I suggested that maybe we could take tourists to the rarely visited Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal.  The result was that this man who became the inspiration for my villain Bob Jatta, took all the remaining funds by threatening to abandon my wife and I on a remote stretch near the Senegalese border.  Today we have only one Bus Fare beneficiary a family here in Si Thep, Thailand, where I’m currently based.  I met a brother and sister who had made the nine hour bus ride to Pattaya to work in the bars and clearly hated it.  At first I gave them money to take the time off and visit their mother but the brother suggested that if I could give them money to regenerate their land they could grow fruit and vegetables to sell and keep pigs and chickens.  There was little Bus Fare money left so I topped it up with my own savings and now the siblings have been able to return home to look after their mother and have been able to buy a second-hand 4x4 to deliver their produce but that’s pretty much the end of my Bus Fare plans.

M.A.S.K. Comics – David, Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to have this Q&A.  I appreciate you were having to make a big decision on the pen name for your book.

Well, there we have it.  After 3 decades of being an avid fan of M.A.S.K. comics, I've finally had contact with one of the artists of the best comic ever made.  

If you have enjoyed David's Art and reading this blog, I'm sure that you would also enjoy reading his first novel in the trilogy now available to buy.

Please feel free to share this blog with all of your M.A.S.K. friends.  Remember you can comment below or visit the M.A.S.K. Comics Facebook Page for more conversation.

#assembleMASK #MASKcomics #DIC

#MASKcrusade #DavidPugh 

I know you - now available to download from Amazon

After my recent interview with Rachel Kennedy; The Platform Hub would like to advise you that you can now download her book, "I Know You", from Amazon.com.

At £1.99 (current price as of today 27/03/14) this offers value for money!

Filming at Stirling University - Outlander, perhaps?

On my way home from work one night before Christmas, travelling along the A811, I noticed some large, bright lights suspended from Large Cranes.  After dinner that night, my wife and I went to investigate.

We couldn't see much - a field approx half a mile from the road surrounded by trees seemed to be the main focus of the lights.  There was a field further down with vehicles and security - we stopped but they refused to advise what they were filming.

We later found out that they were filming a new TV series based on books by Diana Gabaldon called "Outlander".

"Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century - and a lover in another.

In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. Suddenly she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds.

A wartime nurse, Claire can deal with the bloody wounds that face her. But it is harder to deal with the knowledge that she is in Jacobite Scotland and the carnage of Culloden is looming. Marooned amid the passion and violence, the superstition, the shifting allegiances and the fervent loyalties, Claire is in danger from Jacobites and Redcoats - and from the shock of her own desire for James Fraser, a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. Jamie shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire, and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives."

Sounds interesting!  I'm not really a book reader - but I'm sure that the TV series will be great!

So, out and about tonight, and we see a large light off in the distance.  Drawn to it, we end up at Stirling University - at Airthrey Castle to be precise - to find Film Crew Vehilces - and plenty of them.  Speculation on Twitter is that this is more filming for Outlander!

Interview with Sharon Noble

When I was in my teens, I received duplicate copies of a Preview Comic that came free with comics that I purchased at the time. The comic in Question was M.A.S.K. – an acronym for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand.

I was initially sceptical – Transformers and Action Force (later to become G.I. Joe) were popular toys, comics and cartoons and I thought that M.A.S.K. may just be a rip off. I had a similar issue with Transformers when I first heard of them as Go-Bots had already established themselves in the UK – but quickly fell away.

I soon became a fan of M.A.S.K. and despite not collecting the toys (I was told by my parents and brothers that I was too old to be doing such things) I managed to complete the full run of M.A.S.K. Comics. I did manage to buy some M.A.S.K. toys – but my main focus was the comics.

At the same I entered the “World of Illusion” of the comics, I started watching the cartoons. There are a few differences between the Cartoon and UK Comics such as there is no Gloria Baker in the UK Comics; the UK Comics really were a toy marketing campaign and only featured vehicles and characters as and when the toys were released. By the time the Split Seconds series hit the UK toy shops and at last we had Gloria Baker – the comic had ceased production.

Despite these differences, reading the comics then changed for me. I was now able to visualise the characters voices and persona's as I read my comics – this coupled with some of the best artwork found in comics made the characters come off the page.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I came up with an idea for a script based on M.A.S.K. and through my M.A.S.K. Comics Blog and Facebook Page, I now have the opportunity to have a Q&A session featuring Sharon Noble – the voice of Gloria Baker, Vanessa Warfield and the M.A.S.K. Computer.

If you are not a M.A.S.K. fan, don’t despair – Sharon is a very talented and accomplished Actress, Writer, Teacher….

Platform Hub (PH): Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today!

Sharon Noble (SH): Thank you for asking. It's my pleasure.

(PH): Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

(SH): Well, let's see. I'm happily married to an actor and have three delightful children who are in "the business." I'm a devoted animal lover with three big dogs who nearly push us off the bed at night. I like to travel, but I also like to stay home and dabble with oil painting. I read several books a week, ranging from thrillers to espionage to historical fiction to romances.

(PH): When you were growing up; did you have your career path mapped out?

(SH): Oh, yes. From the time I could breathe, I always thought I was an actor just waiting to grow up so I could start working. My parents put me into tap and ballet classes when I was three (yes, three years old), so I had an early start on the stage. My first memory of the stage is singing "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" and dancing in a yellow tutu with sparkles all over it. It must have been hilarious to see a three year-old little girl trying her best to sing and dance. After that I remember being in plays every year in school and oftentimes being asked to dance for student assemblies. I don't know what those teachers were thinking, but I remember I agreed. So I would take my costumes and ballet slippers and scamper around the stage while a teacher played the piano. When I was 10 years old, I began to worry that no talent scouts had come to my town to look me, so I began a writing campaign to all the major studios in California. I told them about this amazing little girl that they should be scouting, and I signed the letters "A Fan." Of course, they must have laughed themselves silly when they received them.

(PH): When starting out, did you face a lot of obstacles and if so, how did you manage to overcome these?

(SH): No obstacles except for my mother's concern that I needed a back-up plan in case my dreams didn't become realized. I took her advice and got a Master's Degree in Theatre and Communications. That advice has proved very valuable. When I was 16, I became an apprentice actor at the Palm Tree Playhouse, a professional theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where I worked until I was 18, studying and working with New York actors who were in residence for a season. Then, when I was 18 and chosen Miss Sarasota to represent the city in the Miss Florida Pageant, I was given a college scholarship and went off the study.

(PH): Did you have a lot of support from family and friends when you first started out?

(SH) My father, bless him, was with me 100% all the way. He thought I was the whole world wrapped up in a big smile and a head of curls. He called me Sunshine and Little Girl, and he took me everywhere with him. I continued dance lessons until I was 18, and my dance teachers also encouraged me. At school my teachers encouraged me and cast me in school plays every year. I also did half a dozen plays at the local theatre, The Players of Sarasota. My mother, however, steadfastly warned me to get my head out of the clouds and get my feet on the ground. She changed her tune, however, when I began to work professionally, and especially when she could watch me on television. She loved to watch my commercials because she could see them over an over again.

(PH): Do you have any horror stories where, in hindsight, you wished you’d never taken on a job?

(SH): Only one, but I remember it vividly. I was hired to do a voice job -- a simple thing, really. I had been hired from my voice tape, but I had never met the client. When I arrived, he seemed to have a bit of an "attitude" but I've worked with off-the-wall people before, so I wasn't put off. You've heard my Vanessa Warfield voice, so you know what I sound like. However, this client said to me sarcastically, "You sound like Minnie Mouse!" I tried the reading again, in a lower register, but he insisted I had a squeaky voice and seemed irritated with me. The sound engineer said, "She doesn't sound like Minnie Mouse in the booth" but this guy was on a roll. So, I finally said, "Look, I'm obviously not what you want, so I'll take my money and let you hire someone else." With that I took leave. Of course I was paid for the session, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

(PH): In my teens, I started collecting M.A.S.K. Comics which led me to watching the M.A.S.K. Cartoons. What can you remember from your time voicing this fantastic Cartoon Series?

(SH): It was sheer pleasure every time we were in the studio. We usually taped four episodes a week, two on one day and two on another. We had to wait for the storyboards to arrive from Japan, but we had the scripts ahead of time so we could prepare whatever incidental voices occurred. Most of us had never met before we started the series, so we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. Brennan Thicke, who played Scott Trakker, taped his work separately from the adults, so we were just five folks having a great time and creating characters that we loved. Marsha Goodman was our director for most of the episodes, although there were also guest directors from time to time.

(PH): You played a number of roles in M.A.S.K. – including Gloria Baker, Vanessa Warfield and the M.A.S.K. Computer. How much of a challenge does this put on you as a Voice Actress?

(SH): A modest challenge. More like great fun. I voiced all the women and all the children except for Scott Trakker, so that was where the challenge came in. Each week the team would be in a different country, so we had to learn new accents. But I also had to provide a different voice for the incidental women. That was the challenge. Inevitably there would be accents that some of us didn't know, but there would always be one of us who could do it and could teach it to the rest of us right there in the studio. We worked hard and quickly, but that's part of the joy of acting.

(PH): As well as M.A.S.K., you have many other Cartoons under your belt. Are you generally in a studio by yourself or are the other Voice Actors with you so you can adapt to them as you act?

(SH): I've worked in the studio alone many times, but when voicing cartoons, I prefer to work with the other actors so we can react to each other in the moment. It makes a more creative result, I think. Each actor can react to the mood and delivery of the others, and that always results in a fresher, more spontaneous result.

(PH): Does this make it easier - working as part of a team?

(SH): It's not difficult to act alone, but it's not nearly as much fun. And I think the product is greatly enhanced by the interaction of interpretations that perhaps one actor alone might not consider. I'm also a people person, so I love the fun of creating as a team. And the bloopers and outtakes are sometimes hilarious.

(PH): Brendan McKane also voiced characters in M.A.S.K. Was this the first time you'd worked with your husband?

(SH) Ha, ha. No. Brendan and I met in a play called The Hostage produced at Magnus Theatre Northwest in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We were intensely competitive, and I was impressed with the quality of his acting. I'm always drawn to talent -- music, dance, painting, singing, acting -- anything in the arts. I find talent mesmerizing. I didn't know until later that he was drawn to me for the same reason. At one point he told me he used to stand in the wings and watch me work. After that play closed, the director, Burton Lancaster, asked us both to do the next show, a musical called "Stop the World; I Want to Get Off", which had opened on London and then had a great run on Broadway. I'm not a singer by any stretch of the imagination, but I can sing, and Burton liked my work, so we did the show. Then, the next month I went to Blyth, Ontario to do a season of summer rep, and Brendan was in the company. We did four plays together. Then fast forward to after we were married, we did three more plays together.

(PH): Does it make a difference when you are working with Brendan?

(SH): Only in that we work differently. I run lines and blocking in my head while I'm washing dishes or walking the dogs or whatever. I can be in a noisy room and still do my work inside my head. Brendan, on the other hand, isolates and works intensely. He needs to be totally alone, in a quiet environment. So he works late at night after I go to bed. But on-stage we work seamlessly, and, if our characters interact, we do so with the knowledge of each other's innate styles.

(PH): Do you prefer your work on Cartoons or Live Action Roles?

(SH): That's like asking which of my children I love best. They're totally different animals. Voicing cartoons allows the actor to become whatever the script requires. I've provided voices for singing alligators, chipmunks, talking shoes, other inanimate objects, and narration for travelogues and nature films, and I enjoy the challenge of the different needs of the work. But live action allows me to also look different, play different character, and (the not so good part) tells me if I'm employing my own personal idiosyncratic body language that unconsciously comes into play. I have some body language that I don't particularly like, so I watch the live action to see if I'm successfully disguising my personal gestures and using only the gestures that belong to the character.

(PH): Quick Fire M.A.S.K. Questions –

Gloria Baker or Vanessa Warfield

Aura or Whip

Shark or Manta

(SH): Vanessa

Whip (much more deadly)

Can't decide between Shark or Manta - very different but effective

(PH): Moving away from your acting career, can you tell me about your novels?

(SH): I write erotic contemporary romance novels. So far I've written three, Autumn Desire, Passion's Design, and Velvet & Topaz, and they're published by The Wild Rose Press, Pink Petal Books, and Freya's Bower. I began on a whim one day. I was sitting at my computer with nothing really in my head. Then I had a line in my head, so I wrote it down. It turned out to be a conversation, so I just continued writing until I had about five pages. I found it was like a movie playing. I saw the characters, heard what they said, and followed what they were doing. The funny part is that sometimes they do something that I wouldn't have planned for them. I have an idea of where they going and what they're doing, but it changes as I'm writing. I know that sounds as if I'm a bit cuckoo, but it's the truth. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes they just take off and go in a different direction. I spoke recently at the West Coast Writers Conference, and I present a workshop on romance writing at the West Hollywood Book Fair each autumn. I also present this workshop at local libraries during the year. I'm also available for writers' groups.

(PH): Are your books part of a series or one-offs?

(SH): They're one-offs. As a reader, I don't care for series, so as a writer I don't write them. I like the story arc that begins and ends in one book.

(PH): Where do you draw your inspiration from?

(SH): Anywhere and everywhere. Autumn Desire was inspired by my mother's return to college after my father died. Passion's Design just popped into my head after I had been chatting with an actor from South America. Velvet and Topaz was the result of a trip to England with my daughter. We visited Hampton Court Palace, and the idea just presented itself nearly full blown. Sometimes when I'm walking my dogs, I'll hear a line -- just a line -- but it grows into an idea, then into a page, then into a chapter.

(PH): As a writer, do you ever critique scripts that you are given to read? Do you ever think “I could do better”!

(SH): I make it a point not to read other writers' scripts. I read their published books but not their work in progress. Writing is highly subjective, and one writer's voice is different from another writer's voice, and it's not my place to critique another writer's work. Who am I to offer my point of view to another writer? I never offer my manuscripts for critique until they're submitted to a publisher and I am assigned an editor. That's my own personal point of view. Sure there are times I know I could do better, but there are times I know I couldn't possibly do better.

(PH): How long can it take you to write a book?

(SH): Ah, that's a good question. It can take a few months if I'm not busy with anything else, or it can take a year. I need long stretches of time at the computer -- like six hours or so. Some writers can write for an hour and pick up a day or so later, but I can't. I'm a seat of the pants writer, no outline, no plan; I just let the story unfold, and it takes time for it to get started. I like to think that, as I write more, I can accomplish more in less time, but I'm not sure that will ever come to pass. I write what I love; it's like reading a book or watching a film.

(PH): When I was writing my M.A.S.K. script, I had a complete mental block trying to write a scene. The challenge I had surrounded a new character – I didn’t know what I was going to call her Mask or what ability it would have. One day on a drive into work I heard a 90’s song called Renaissance which linked in my head to Reconnaissance then shortened to Recon – and her Mask was born. The scene then played out in my head and within minutes I knew how to get past my 2 month (maybe longer) block.

Has a similar thing ever happened to you?

(SH): Yes, it happens frequently. But when I write myself into a corner and am stymied, I invite my son to brunch and present the problem to him. He always offers two or three options for getting out of the mental block. His mind is very fertile, and he has a multitude of ideas. I've suggested to him that he should write, but he always declines. He says he's just an idea man.

(PH): When writing – do you allocate a set amount of time each day solely for writing with no other interruptions?

(SH): Yes. Always. Sometimes my husband will make lunch and call me down to eat. I usually say, "I can't come right now, I'm watching the movie." I can't stop and start as some writers are able to do. I have to do a complete chapter before I can stop because the idea has an arc that must be completed.

(PH): Are you “old school” and write with a pen and paper?

(SH): Naw, I use the computer. It doesn't look right on the page if it's written by hand.

(PH): Can you tell us about your recent activities?

(SH): I just finished a voice job for a GPS system for a Japanese manufacturer. The street names were interesting. And I auditioned for a film that I'm waiting to hear. I'm doing the drawings for a children's book that a friend is writing, and I must confess I'm lagging behind on that. I just don't have enough time in the day.

(PH): I believe you were Presenting at the West Coast Writers Conference – is this a regular event for you?

(SH): This was my first year, but it went very well, and I've been invited to present again next year. The conference was well attended with a mixture of fledgling writers as well as professionals. The questions were thoughtful and relevant. I did three presentations, and by 5:00 I was well and truly spent.

(PH): I also believe you teach English to Foreign Language Students, this must be a very challenging and rewarding experience.

(SH): Yes, I love teaching. I used to teach at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, and Red River Community College, also in Winnipeg. I also taught commercial acting at Kristen Models in Toronto and Hollywood West Studio in Burbank. But teaching English to foreign students is a different animal entirely. My students are from all over the world, so I could have a class consisting of people from Spain, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Argentina, Dubai, Iran, India, etc., none of whom speaks English. I don't speak their languages, so I teach in English. You can imagine the degree of if difficulty, but we manage it. I love it when the light goes on over their heads and I know they understand. It gives me little shivers down my back. That's why I teach.

(PH): I was never very good at languages when I was at school and didn’t get very far with the French lessons I took. Do you know a number of foreign languages to help you teach English or would that be a hindrance?

(SH): I wish I did. My mother used to say that a person who know only one language is not educated. So I studied Spanish in high school and college. But with nowhere to practice it, I lost much of it. I can get along, but I'm not fluent by any means. I have a few words of French and a lot of hand gestures.

(PH): Moving onto a different tangent altogether – Erotica? How did that happen?

(SH): It's not really erotica. It's erotic romance. There's a difference. But as to erotica, I read the works of Anais Nin many years ago and found her work eye opening. Then a few years ago, a friend gave me a book of erotica as a Christmas gift, and I thought it would be useful to spice up my novels.

(PH): I’m sure you’re aware there are many sexed images of Gloria Baker and Vanessa Warfield on the web – do you approve?

(SH): I don't disapprove. I'm from a family who was open about sexuality. When we were recording the series, we used to get storyboards with Vanessa's breasts popping out of her unbuttoned shirt and some with Matt Trakker's pants filled with what could be considered a lunch pail. The Japanese have a different slant on sex. I liked their interpretations, but our series was for children, so we had to suggest modifications.

(PH): Finishing off (I don’t mean any poor puns re above) – if my script were to make it onto the big screen, would you be interested in reprising your role as the M.A.S.K. Computer and have a cameo role along with Brendan, Doug Stone and the rest of the team in the movie?

(SH): Of course I would be delighted to bring my characters to life again. I think it would be an excellent idea to use the original actors because there would be consistency in the sound of the voices, especially important since the series has been recently released as a boxed set so that new generations can enjoy the original!

(PH): Thank you very much for your time!

(SH) You're entirely welcome. You're a very interesting interviewer.

If you would like to know more about Sharon, you can check out Sharon-Noble.com or her profile on IMDB.

Sharon's book, Velvet and Topaz, is currently available at Amazon!  You will also be able to find the complete M.A.S.K. DVD's at Amazon and Play.com.

If you would like to see Sharon in a Live Action M.A.S.K. Movie - please feel free to sign my Petition to Bring Back M.A.S.K. and join in the Facebook Campaign as well.

#assembleMASK #Hasbro #MASKComics

Remember to follow and like The Platform Hub Facebook Page and also the M.A.S.K. Comics Facebook Page.

Thank you,

Scott.