Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with Lars Jakobsen, director and founder of the Art Bubble festival in Denmark, responsible for contacts with the Festival's guest artists, alongside the coordination and promotion of Danish cartoonists at foreign festivals through the Art Bubble network.
Lars is also a documentary filmmaker, illustrator and graphic designer, and owner of publishing house Fabel.
He has worked with a variety of graphic forms of expression, including fashion illustrations, advertisements, movies, cartoons, books and comics.
He is best known enough humour strip Coopville - about life in a chicken farm. Celebrating 25 years in print in 2015, the series is about everyday family life and runs every week in Family Journal.
Lars also writes and draws the album series Mortensen's Escapades, which has been released in the United States, Australia and England, as well as the Netherlands and Belgium and has begun to be be published in Iceland and Germany this year.
What are you working on, comics-wise, right now, and when will it be published?
Lars Jakobsen: Mortensen’s Escapades Book 6 – to be published in Belgium and Denmark in 2020.
Which comic project you've worked on are you most proud of and where can people see it or buy it?
Lars: Mortensen’s Escapades – buy it on Amazon.
How do you plan your day as a creator? (Do you plan your day?)
Lars: I don't – tried many times, not working...
What's the best thing about being a comics creator?
Lars: You can lock yourself in the world you're creating – the hard part, or challenge is to get everybody else to see the great idea, you're having – and like it... and when it happens – it is a great reward.
And the worst?
Lars: Getting the whole thing financed...
What most distracts you from getting your work done?
Lars: People!!
Do you think it's easier or harder for young comic creators to get published today?
Lars: I think it is much easier – you don't actually need a publisher – but it means it is harder to get recognized for the work and seen in the media
Have you ever been to the Lake District before and if so what did you think of it? If you haven't, what are you expecting?
Lars: I’ve been there once – on a very rainy weekend! I’d love to see it outside.
Which one comic creator would you most like to meet, and why?
Lars: Ian Kennedy – an amazing artist. I love his planes and Commando covers .
How do Festivals and other comics events help creators most, do you think?
Lars: I think making more space for artists to show their art and help artist networking with each other and foreign publishers.
What one piece of advice do you offer people looking to work in the comics industry?
Lars: If you really want it to happen – it will happen...
What's your favourite comic right now and where can people get it?
Lars: Mike Mignola's The Amazing Screw-On Head – get it everywhere.
Lars, thank you very much for your time and we hope you enjoy the Festival!
LARS JAKOBSEN ONLINE
Web: art-bubble.dk
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is back in Kendal in the Lake District 11th – 13th October 2019: www.comicartfestival.com | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |Youtube
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