The very fact that there are now school and university courses on comics in the UK is yet another indicator that the public’s perception of the medium here is changing; or at the very least that writers, broadsheet journalists and those who teach our impressionable young tykes have cottoned on to the fact that comics is a unique artform like any other that merits serious critical analysis.

Apart from Tom Paulin; he’s more interested in detergent (the feeling’s mutual, mate).

Finally we are beginning to catch up with Europe!

It’s enormously flattering to this vapid buffoon that students are even vaguely interested in his opinions, but they have asked and I have answered. This, then, is my way of saving time: by reprinting some of my previous exchanges so that you can quote to your hearts’ content, cite a source and even a link. We’ll happily respond to further inquiries when we have time and then post the responses here, but in the meantime please also check out the interviews we’ve given (above) because I’ve covered a lot of ground there as well.

On the other hand, as I once confessed to the Eddie Campbell, unlike the magnificent Paul Gravett I am far more incite than insight.

Students: you need Paul Gravett’s books! Scott McCloud’s too, since he’s up there watching over us. Pop those names in our store’s search engine and (oh, you knew this was coming) buy more product!

– Stephen L. Holland

BA Hons (English Literature & History Of Art), co-creator of Page 45, and student of comics for rather longer than he cares to remember…