Chapter 7: Everything Starts With An E
In which I chat with illustrator Junior Tomlin about reggae, rave and robots.
Hello, I’m back already!? Well, while I was writing the previous chapter about Shut Up & Dance, it dawned on me how much it crossed over with another interview I conducted a few years back, so I’ve dug it out of the archives for you.
Back in early 2020, I spotted Junior Tomlin had a book coming out via Velocity Press. I’ve been a fan of Junior’s artwork since my teens, so I pitched a piece to The Vinyl Factory and jumped on a tube across town to meet him.
For those not familiar with the name (including The Vinyl Factory themselves at the time) Junior began his career illustrating record covers in 1989 with Renegade Soundwave’s single ‘Space Gladiator’ which featured the surprise rave anthem ‘The Phantom’ on the flip. Commissions for a succession of rave-related records followed, and soon his surreal illustrations were adorning the walls of smokey house-shares and musty teenage bedrooms across the land via his flyers and posters for the likes of One Nation, Dreamscape, and Slammin’ Vinyl.
Over a nice cup of tea in Junior’s flat on Ladbroke Grove, we discussed everything from the dub records he grew up with in the ‘70s to working on Clive Barker’s Nightbreed. I also found a few parallels in Junior’s creative journey - we were both surprised to get Es for art A-level, we’re both percussionists, and we both really love the bit on Renegade Soudwave In Dub where they sample the Ewoks theme from Return Of The Jedi - and headed home feeling like I’d found a kindred spirit.
We also discussed Junior handling the artwork for a music project which I’ve still barely started (yes, another unrealised project!), and on the tube home I began sketching out an idea for a book which has sort of morphed into the one I’m currently writing, so thanks for the inspiration, Junior! Speaking of which, Junior’s fantastic book is still available from Velocity Press if you don’t have it already.
The interview begins below this photo…
When were you born?
1960. In September I’ll reach that lovely age known as 60. I’m running out of 50s, mate!
I wanna know how you got started, are any of your family artists?
My dad was in art school back in Jamaica. He left us with a clay head that he made.
Where did he live in Jamaica?
Somewhere in Manchester.
Have you been out there?
Yeah years ago but not much. The last time I went out was for my cousin’s wedding. My mum came from St Catherine, she was a cleaner but she was… Mum. She did what she had to do because she was bringing up three children in 60s/70s Ladbroke Grove. My dad came first and then she joined him. This was 1958.
Same year as the Notting Hill riots! And they brought you up around here?
Yeah, I went to Oxford Gardens (primary school) and then Christopher Wren (secondary) up in White City.
Were they supportive of your art interests at school?
I was always inspired by my art teachers. When I got to the 3rd or 4th year I had this idea that I wanted to become a graphic designer. Graphics is everywhere from signage to labels on Campbell's soup, and I wanted to do something like that. I didn’t know back then I was going to be an illustrator.
But you were already drawing?
Yeah, I was drawing things for other people’s school projects: “Junior can you draw this for me? You can draw!”
Did you charge?
No, I should’ve been more enterprising *laughs*
Did your school support your new interest in graphics?
Yeah, my art teacher at the time was called Carol Amis but you’d know her as Carol Klein, the lady from Gardeners World.
Did you go to art school?
Yes, after A level art, in which they killed me off… Everyone was expecting me to get the highest mark in A-level art, but they gave me an E. I was doing more imaginative stuff than just, you know, drawing white bottles or an apple and things like that. It wasn’t fitting the criteria.
But it didn’t put you off.
I was a bit gutted but… I’d like to meet them now. They weren’t forward thinking. Imagine if the examiners had a greater breadth of knowledge when it comes to reading different kinds of fiction, like science fiction, fantasy or anything else, so they could understand the nuances of a different image they’re presented with, otherwise they’re looking at the art and saying “I can’t understand this, what is this guy on!?”
So this was the late 70s?
Yes.
Was fantasy art back then still quite underground?
It was coming up, but my work back then was mainly about shape and form. It’s the key to understanding how to draw. When you can understand shape, you can draw anything. In those days I won a competition at school and they gave me a WHSmith voucher. So I popped in and bought a protractor and ruler and all that stuff and had some money left over and spotted 3 volumes of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books.
So the Asimov covers had a big influence, but did his writing too?
Yes, it opened my mind to other things. Especially I-Robot and the three laws of robotics.
“Good grief, what happened to the black people in space!?”
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