Interview with Luke Pearson

We have reached the end of our Hilda week and what better way to sign off than to have a quick fire interview with the creator, Luke Pearson!

Luke Pearson, author of widely celebrated Hildafolk series, has fast become one of the leading talents of the UK comics scene, garnering rave reviews from the prestigious Times Literary Supplement and The Forbidden Planet International Blog amongst others. He was the winner of Young People’s Comic category at the British Comic Award in 2012 and been nominated for the Eisner Award’s Best Publication for Kids and Best Writer/Artist in 2013. He has recently worked as a storyboard artist on the cult classic show Adventure Time. Luke is a frequent contributor to a number of comic anthologies in the UK as well as self-publishing a number of small-run homemade comics.

BWB: How did Hilda pop into your head?

LP: She evolved from a character I'd done a few drawings of in my sketchbook. She wasn't the exact character she is now until I was about to draw the first story.

BWB: What are your main influences?

LP: For this series, I draw from Scandinavian folk tales and illustrations for those stories (for instance Theodor Kittelsen's artwork.) Tove Jansson and Ghibli are obviously touchstones. In terms of other comics, I think about certain European comics, manga and indie comics, the importance of each varying. The look and tone of each book is notably different I think and it reflects what I've been into and where I'm at as an artist.

BWB: Why the blue hair?

LP: Why is your hair the colour it is?

BWB: What's been your favourite Hilda story to write & illustrate?

LP: The Bird Parade was maybe the biggest breakthrough for me in terms of drawing and was probably the most fun to do once I got into it. The story was the most straightforward I've done plot-wise (the first story aside) so it wasn't as much of a headache to figure out as the others.

BWB: There are rumours of a animated series. If you could get anyone to voice Hilda who would it be?

LP: It would be someone unknown

And so we have left the best until last... to finish off this momentous week long celebration of Hilda, Flying Eye have kindly let me show a sneak peek of a whole spread from Hilda and the Stone Forest! Let your eyes feast on the eye candy below (have a click if you want to see it bigger!).

Thank you to Luke and Emma at Flying Eye Books. I hope you all have enjoyed this week long insight into a very special character and her world. All of Hilda's adventures can be purchased from the Flying Eye Books website.