RUE BRITANNIA: The Music and Magic of "Phonogram"

[andy khouri]

Image Comics' indie hit "Phonogram" is out in trade paperback this month, and CBR News jammed with creators Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie about music, magic and why those things matter.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=10991

[KieronGillen]

Just in case anyone has any questions to ask about Phonogram, the interview or whatever you like, I'll be hanging around here.

And if you want to know anything off McKelvie, I'll prod him for answers too. He is my terrible slave.

KG

[will_butler]

Just wanted to pop in to say that Phonogram has been my favorite new comic in forever. Beautiful work on both the writing and the art, and you should both be very proud of it. I'm really looking forward to the next one, and to Suburban Glamour.

Will

[KieronGillen]

THAT'S NOT A QUESTION!

Thanks, man. I'm glad you liked it. We both felt really privledged to do it, y'know.

(Suburban Glamour is annoyingly beautiful. I'm looking forward to it. Being surprised by McKitten's art is a completely different thing than him drawing my stuff.)

KG

[ultramandingo]

..... if any ones still awnserin qestions - who was the memory kingdom guide guy sposed to be - " arent you ....." i kinda missed the brit popthing - more of a zodiac mind warp fan

[Tinmansstory]

I don't have the issues in front of me, so these are really just from the top of my head...

1) In [possible] future installments of Phonogram, do you have any idea for introducing new -mancers? You had phonomancers and retromancers to begin with.
2) Actually, a better question for me is, how would you explain what it is exactly that, or what kind of power does, a phonomancer have? I mean, it doesn't seem overtly complicated, but the nature of what Kohl does is difficult to pin down. Or maybe you're not supposed to really know.
3) Any chance of introducing some more modern British bands in future installments? I'm not as familiar with Britpop (aside from Oasis and Blur) as I am with current music. Maybe the Long Blondes?

Thank you for this series. I enjoyed it a lot and am looking forward to Suburban Glamour.

[dan bailey]

Maybe the Long Blondes?



Good call -- was listening to the CD 30 minutes ago, right before leaving for work.

[KieronGillen]

Oh God. I never came back here. Er... better late than never, eh?

Thanks for the questions, Tinmanstory. Answers!
1) Yes and No. What wasn't made explicit - but will be in the next, I think - was that Phonomancery is actually a larger category. It's like saying "Scientist". "Retromancer" is a *sort* of Phonomancer (like Biologist is to Scientist) rather than an alternative to one. If I can think up enough catchy names for sub-sects of Phonomancers, they'll be more of them. It's about what each phonomancer chooses to specialise in - for example, Indie Dave in the comic is into Memory Magic. He's really into Memory magic. Not that Kohl can't do it when he's taught what to do, but it's not really his key things - you can't imagine him doing another memory kingdom trip for kicks, can you? But Indie Dave is all about the memory magic.

2) As the previous answer suggests, depends on what the Phonomancer is, and what it they choose to do with it. Some stuff just doesn't *interest* a specific phonomancer, even if they abstractly could do it. Kohl's a sort of generalist Phonomancer - he has his interests, but he's not as obsessional as someone like Indie Dave is (Which is why Kohl works as a lead in the first series, as he's a bit more flexible, if not as powerful). So, yes, it's relatively open. It's not really a set superpower - it's stuff you can learn and use.

For example, not all Phonomancery is OUTWARDS looking. The Memory Kingdom stuff is an example of an introspective spell which lets you dwell in fantasy. But some phonomancers use rituals to get closer to music, to make it hit harder, turning it into a harder hitting opiate or whatever. No-one else would know they're feeling more intensely, but it would be enormously moving for THEM.

This is, I suspect, not answering the questions. Phonogram's a big universe so - yeah - it's not something I tie down precisely.

3) Definitely. In fact, issue 5 of series 2 is based around an obsessive Long Blondes fan. It's called "Lust, etcetera".

KG