The following is an interview with Carl Critchlow, the creator, writer, and illustrator of legendary comic series Thrud the Barbarian. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon chats with Critchlow about celebrating the 30th anniversary of Thrud, his inspiration for the series, and the most challenging elements of the creative process.
This interview was conducted on October 29, 2013.
Barbra J. Dillon, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor: Your series, Thrud the Barbarian, is celebrating its 30th anniversary by being collected into a hardcover by Titan Books. What inspired you to first create the titular fantasy character?
Carl Critchlow: I first came up with the idea of Thrud when asked to produce a comicstrip as a college project by my then graphics tutor, Bryan Talbot. I was reading the Robert E. Howard’s original Conan books at the time and thought I’d try giving them a humorous spin.
BD: Given that you are the creator, writer, and illustrator of Thrud the Barbarian, which aspect of the creative process did you find most challenging, and why?
CC: The hardest part for me has to be the writing, as it’s something I don’t really do much of other than Thrud – specifically, getting all the ideas I have for characters and individual scenes into a single, 24–page narrative arc that makes some sort of sense without being a rehash of previous stories (hopefully).
BD: Our gaming readers will know your incredible contributions to collectable card games, including Magic: The Gathering, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, The Wheel of Time, and Star Wars. Given your long history in working with gaming, including your publications with White Dwarf magazine, have you always had an affinity for gaming and/or the fantasy genre?
CC: I’ve always been a fan of fantasy artists such as Frank Frazetta and Moebius to name but two, so it’s really the imagery that has led me to work in the gaming field, as I must confess after a day at the drawing board, I usually feel like spending at least some time back in the real world!
BD: Lastly, are there any other upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you are able to share with our readers?
CC: I’m working on a couple of private commissions at the moment, but I’mdue to start on a 2000AD-related project next month, which I’m quite excited about. It’s very early days, so I don’t want to say too much more than that just yet.
