Jon and Leah
We were very glad when Jon and Leah suggested the Portico library for their photoshoot, as we hadn't heard of it and if there's one thing that can never hurt, it's going to a library. The Portico turned out to be a very old Manchester library hidden in plain sight on Moseley Road, accessible through a very small and discreet door, like Narnia. Inside was beautiful, and we were soundly looked after by Emma Marigliano the head librarian, who gave us a tour so that when Jon and Leah turned up we were like ready, and everything.
Jon and Leah are accomplished writers of comics, their work including (amongst other things) 'Albion', the classic reboot of British superheroes; adaptations and re-interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, Dracula and Sherlock Holmes; a one-shot Dr.Who outing; two series on zombies ('Raise the Dead'); an online enhanced comic collaboration with Channel 4 ('The Thrill Electric') as well as the book '800 years of haunted Liverpool'. Knowing this canon, and being easily influenced by our surroundings, (along with our subjects' eerie unflusteredness at having their picture taken), DC and I did begin to feel like futuristic interlopers in a Victorian thriller - a bit like Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder from the film Dracula
or Daryl Hannah in the film 'High Spirits'
Whilst we were shooting away (literally shooting away), we found out that Leah is from Northamptonshire, like me (Sterne), which led to reminiscences of the now defunct Panache nightclub, where I spent many nights trying to convince goth girls that I was the keyboard player from Saxon. Even better, there was a pub below the library where we retired for beer.
Jon and Leah's website is http://www.moorereppion.com/ or you can follow them on twitter @leahmoore & @johnreppion. The thrill electric can be found here http://www.thethrillelectric.com/ - something we strongly recommend..
http://www.theportico.org.uk/Home.html
Who are you and what do you do?
John: We are Leah Moore (@leahmoore) and John Reppion (@johnreppion) and we're a husband and wife writing team based in Liverpool. We mostly write comics but we do other stuff too.
How do you use social media?
Leah: I’m on Facebook, Twitter Google+ and Linkedin. I used to have a Myspace page too, but I couldn’t hack all the spangly “Thanks for Add” stuff and eyewatering page themes. Also the crazy people. Myspace has lots of them. I use Facebook for family and people I actually know in one way or another. Twitter I mainly have work buddies on, so we can all sit in our respective studios/workrooms gabbing away when we should be working. Linkedin is a weird place, where its all supposed to be network but its so formal and CV like it makes me instantly uncomfortable. Maybe they should merge with Myspace, get some of the glittery gif stuff going on. Google+ I have to say is still very much like a big empty room. I don’t see a lot on there that I can’t get on Facebook or Twitter, but maybe it’s just early days. I mainly use it to play Angry Birds.
Do you think social media helps people?
John: Definitely. I think the world is genuinely a better place for it. It's helps us a lot. It's helped us to get work (a Doctor Who one-shot with Ben "30 Days of Night" Templesmith @Templesmith), it's how we heard about DC Sterne and managed to get these lovely pictures taken! Sometimes its useful for research - people recommend books and sites and stuff - but, mostly, it just helps people like us who work form home to feel part of a greater community. It helps all us comic freelancers to feel like we're in one big virtual office, which is nice.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
Leah: Oh loads of things, people I had lost touch with completely including my oldest friends in the world (Hi Jenny! Hi Sheri!) people I haven't seen since I was like ten, all that kind of stuff. Seeing all the pictures of babies as they arrive is rather magical. Instead of just an announcement and a name, yu see them actually growing right there on Facebook. We have got work from people being in touch on Twitter or Facebook, we’ve been invited to events, we’ve made new friends, sold books, discovered new bands and of course we get lovely messages from people who have enjoyed our work, which is the most encouraging thing for any writer. I would say that without social media the last ten years would have been very different indeed.
And the worst?
John: Sometimes you forget that the people you're working for can see what you're actually up to all day if you just keep updating. Not that we're particularly bad slackers or anything, but sometimes you look back at your stream and feel a pang of guilt. Oh, and drunken tweets are rarely a good idea. Drunken tweets at celebrities, even less so.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
Leah: my favourite is @xaimeh because its Xaime Hernadez of Love and Rockets fame. I keep hoping that one day I’ll get to actually be in Love and Rockets and hang out with Maggie and Hopey but alas I doubt it’ll happen!
And the worst?
John: Form a very personal, selfish point of view, I'd say any writers who constantly tell you how many million words/new series pitches they've written before breakfast. I sit down at the PC all eager to start work, crack my knuckles, read their updates, and then just think "What's the point? They've already written it all". Lots of them are very interesting, talented and lovely people though, so I still follow them.
If you had the chance, which one person you follow on twitter would you like to meet?
Leah: ha! See above. I would love to meet Xaime Hernandez just to say thank you for all the amazing stories.
What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
John: Dream tweeting. Ability to block people in real life. Automatic Augmented Reality display of the holiday photographs of everyone within a 30 metre radius. It's a bright new future.
