Q&A With Tim Eldred
Q. How did you come up with the idea for Grease Monkey?
A. We've seen lots of stories about soldiers on the battlefield, so I always wanted to explore what it's like for the ordinary people behind the lines who can only watch and comment on the action. It seemed to me that stories about such characters would have more universal appeal since their lives are much more like our own than a soldier who deals in life and death.
Specifically, the idea for Grease Monkey was first inspired by a Stan Ridgway song called "Overlords," this bizarro tune about humans toiling under alien oppressors. It has a lyric about going underground and Monkeywrenchin'. This got me thinking about someone with a mechanic's job, and I pivoted off the term "monkeywrench" to envision the character as an ape. That put it all into place for me. An intelligent gorilla would be a perfect "outsider" to watch and comment on the human condition.
Q. Grease Monkey has appeared in print before, hasn't it?
A. Yes, the first few chapters were published on three separate occasions in the 1990s. I kept on writing and drawing new chapters after that until I reached a satisfying conclusion. The book consists of 24 chapters plus some extra material, which covers a whole year in the lives of these characters. This includes the early chapters, which comprise about 20% of the book.
Q. What inspired you to become a comics artist?
A. Star Wars was my major inspiration as a youngster, and I subsequently discovered all the great anime and manga from Japan. I was a fan back in the days when it was still an underground cult and the only way to get it was from other collectors. It was sort of like archaeology back then, because you really had to work to gather it up and "decode" what you were seeing. My favorites were SF action shows like Space Battleship Yamato (also called Star Blazers) and Armored Trooper Votoms. I loved studying the writing of these programs, watching stories unfold bit by bit into these huge, fascinating tapestries. A few European comics also influenced me, and I've been able to get a little bit of everything into Grease Monkey.
Q. What other sort of work have you done?
A. I wrote and drew lots of comic books in the 1990s. I had the extraordinary good luck of being involved with many anime-related titles such as Star Blazers, Votoms, Robotech, and Captain Harlock in addition to other stories of my own. My love of anime also helped me migrate into a career drawing storyboards for TV animation, working on shows like Dragon Tales, Heavy Gear, Spider-Man, and Xiaolin Showdown. It’s been about ten years since that career began and it¹s still going strong. More recently, I’ve been working on anime DVD projects for (again) Star Blazers and Votoms. This even lead me to write and produce the first-ever English language documentary about a single anime series called Space Battleship Yamato: the Making of an Anime Legend.
Q. What lies ahead for you and Grease Monkey?
A. This book was 14 years from initial concept to finished product. I didn't work on it non-stop during that time, of course, but it's immensely satisfying to finally send all that work out into the world to see how people like it. I've already written and sketched out an entire second book, and depending on how this first one is received, I hope to dive in and finish it soon. (It won't take another 14 years, I promise!) There’s a long-term plan for the story that would probably take an additional two books to tell, and I'd love to make a career of it. We'll see what happens.
Contributor: Tor Publishing
Reviews
Grease Monkey
Tim Eldred
This is a very interesting book for young adults who like a twist on science fiction and also enjoy a romantic comedy. Mac Gimbensky is an eight-hundred-pound gorilla that meets a young boy called Robin, who is bent on becoming a top-notch repairman for the flagship called the Fist of Earth. This is not what Mac had in mind, and he certainly did not want to teach him the ropes. The two ultimately became good friends, however, and form a super team. Robin is at an age when he is looking for a romantic relationship, but has no idea of how to go about finding it. I was amazed at the way the author was able to take a comical adventure on a spaceship and turn it into a coming-of-age novel. What a unique way to approach and explain feelings that a young man has after he meets his first love. Mac becomes Robin’s adviser and shows an insight that will delight the readers. The vocabulary is excellent and does not in any way talk down the to the reader. Sometimes parents and teachers shy away from graphic novels because they look too much like fancy comic books. This, however, is actually a novel and has all of the ingredients needed for hours of good reading. If you have never bought a graphic novel, this would be the one to start with. It is a great gift to give to give to that thirteen-year-old boy who is just learning about life. I highly recommend this novel. 2008, Tom Doherty Associates, Ages 12 to 16, $1995. Reviewer: Kathie Josephs
ISBN: 0-7653-1326-X
Added 06/16/08
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