The 12-year-old who writes, illustrates and publishes comic the Zoom! has a growing fanbase, including one in Downing Street
Zoom Rockman is a 12-year-old from London who writes, illustrates and publishes a satirical comic, the Zoom! He is on Vogue's hot list of 2013 and last year won a Spirit of London award – he met David Cameron at Downing Street. Here's a gallery of pages from the Zoom! Alison Flood wanted to find out more:
When and why did you start writing the Zoom? Which comics inspired you?
I found a box full of old Beano comics at a car-boot sale when I was eight and I really enjoyed reading them. I liked the idea that you could tell a story using pictures as well as words and make up characters and put them in funny situations. That's when I decided to have a go. People really enjoyed reading them and wanted to see more. After a few months, I'd done so many pages it made sense to put them together in a comic. I published my first issue when I was nine.
Did Dennis the Menace inspire Crasher?
Yes he did, but I wanted Crasher to be a lot worse and more stupid.
Are any of the characters based on people you know?
Yes. There's my little brother Ace, George from the Fish N Chip Shop, Rajco the Newsagent, Sam the Paper Man from Hornsey train station and Grumpa is based on my Mum's friend's Grandpa who's really moody. Skanky pigeon is based on all the local pigeons. Hornsey Hills cop is based at the local police station.
Has your writing changed and improved?
Well, my drawing has changed and it's a lot easier to read. It takes much longer to do one story. I used to make it all up as I went along but now I plan it all out before I start.
How many copies do you print and sell, and who stocks Zoom?
I print 250 copies for each issue and they all sell. I've just ordered another 200 of the latest one because it sold out really quick. Stockists are Gosh! Comics, the Cartoon Museum, the Big Green Bookshop, Rajco Newsagents, Pickled Pepper Books, Hornsey train station and Colette in Paris.
What was it like meeting David Cameron?
It was a bit weird because there were lots of other people in Downing Street who looked exactly like him. He asked if he could have a copy of the Zoom! for his kids to read and when someone took a photo of us, he said: "Skanky Pigeon."
via Books: Fiction | guardian.co.uk
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