When it comes to designer toys James Jarvis is the man with his ‘In Crowd’ series being collected by boys who love toys everywhere. His distinct style and quirky ideas have made him the leader in the world of 3-Dimensional characters thanks to the detail and unique personalities he gives to each and every one.
Not content with making adults part with their hard earned cash for a set of toys now he wants them to start spending on his new venture – a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel called ‘Vortigern’s Machine and the Great Sage of Wisdom’.
Co-written with Russell Waterman of the über cool Silas and Maria brand the book is going to be a hit with hipsters and big kids everywhere. “It has long been an ambition of mine to produce a book in the classic European comic-book tradition” comments James. “I grew up on Tintin, Astérix and Lucky Luke. There has always been a strong narrative element to my work, but it was always in the background. It seemed like time to get my shit together and do it properly. With Vortigern's Machine we wanted to create a cartoon world that was geared specifically to telling stories. Something like the In-Crowd isn't really suitable for that.”
Working for over a year with Waterman the story was a complete collaborative effort. Taking them many a lunchtime to construct. “We wanted to create a narrative framework that could be used for telling lots of different kinds of stories. So we designed a basic concept and cast of characters that you can keep coming back to. We had animation in mind as well. The idea is that each story will see the boys initially dealing with the trials and tribulations of (sub)urban living. They visit Mr. Vortigern with a question and he sends them on an adventure that informs upon the aforementioned problem(s). Just like Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Ben or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...”
Rusty and Wiggs are the central characters of the book (along with their trusty sidekick Dworkin the dog) and were inspired by characters James drew several years ago in a comic strip about de-striping toothpaste. Some of their exploits are accompanied by witty footnotes which help to explain some of their attempts to be ‘hip’. “We used them as a starting point, but made the references to youth culture a bit less marginal. I wanted an excuse to draw a bit of Victoriana, and that is where Mr. Vortigern came in. He makes a good counter-balance.”
Vortigern’s Machine and the Great Sage of Wisdom tells the story of two friends, Rusty and Wiggs, and how, while wandering through their urban environment, they uncover some of life’s most pressing metaphysical questions. To answer these questions they visit their friend and mentor, Mr Vortigern who introduces them to a magic slide projector. Through this machine they are transported to a jungle land far away where they embark on a fantasy adventure in a quest to find The Great Sage of Wisdom. On their journey they encounter many fantastical characters including a tribe of Hippies, a giant ape called King Ken, a bunch of murderous monks and a troll called Kevin.
The book is packed with detailed illustrations and a variety of characters including the iconic Ken but it was those details that caused James the biggest headache. “I find designing, researching and making preliminary drawings incredibly easy, but making finished artwork is a bloody nightmare. I obsess too much over the obscure details and forget about the bigger picture. I spent a lot of time worrying about how Rusty's hair would look from particular angles.”
And of course we couldn’t let James go without asking him one of life’s most pressing questions: Who WOULD win a fight between a Polar Bear and an Octopus? “Being equally at home at sea and on land, I think that the polar bear is truly the more formidable foe.”
Watch out for more adventures from Wiggs and Rusty along with their mischievous hound Dworkin. “We have started very early work on VM volume two, which deals with outer space, Lizard Men, evil multi-dimensional corporations and trainer culture.” Can’t wait!
James will be attending his first UK book/toy signing between 1pm-2pm on 15th April at The Forbidden Planet Store, 179 Shaftsbury Avenue, London WC2.
Published by Amos Novelties Ltd, distributed by Die Gestalten Verlag (DGV).