CHRIS SHEPHERD AND HIS NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL ANFIELD ROAD
Monday 4th November at the Green Man, 36 Riding House Street W1W 7EP
Big thanks to Chris Shepherd after last night’s London Animation Club/Anfield Road event. Here was the chance have a world-renowned animator give a book signing only six days after publication.
Chris did an amazing PowerPoint presentation of the book, tracing the story back to his growing up next to the Anfield stadium in the 70s and 80s and tracing his animation career back to a childhood drawing of a giant with two heads arguing with itself and hitting itself with clubs. He also showed a short anthology/showreel of his animations, from his Farnham graduation film Safari through to his most recent film Brexicuted – which also has in it a two-headed figure hitting itself.
He described how, after writing three unproduced feature film scripts, he decided to take a step in the dark and adapt one of these scripts into… a graphic novel. There’s room for a big irony then if someone adapts it back into a film!
The book has much in common with a number of Chris’ short films, with a period Liverpool setting and the channelling some of the spirit of Willy Russell. To close, Chris performed readings from three sections of the book, which was itself a kind of animation. We then moved to a joyful book signing, as you’ll see from the photos.
It was really nice to have something new and different at London Animation Club and at the same time to see lots of familiar faces.
SYNOPSIS
Conor lives at home with his Gran on Anfield Road, Liverpool. Life is routine — Findus Crispy Pancakes for tea, drunk scallies on the way to the footy, and a school that’s more like a prison.
But Conor dreams of getting out, going to art college in London with his girlfriend Maureen… but he’s terrified of leaving his sick domineering grandmother behind and striking out on his own.
What follows is a Northern Fantasy, as Conor navigates bigotry, sickness, and being true to himself, all against the glorious backdrop of 1980s Liverpool.
BIOGRAPHY
Chris Shepherd was born in Liverpool.
In 1995 he set up a production company called Polkadot. He directed the multi award winning film, The Broken Jaw, for Channel 4 and produced BAFTA nominated The World Of Interiors. Chris’s Polkadot credits include: adverts, title sequences and the award winning Stareout sketches on BBC/Talkback’s Big Train.
In 2000 he became the co-founder of production company, Slinky Pictures, with producer Maria Manton. Director/writing credits include a ten part series for Channel 4 called People’s Britain and his acclaimed short Dad’s Dead, which is winner of over 20 international awards including Best Short at the British Independent Film Awards and a BAFTA nomination. He’s also worked with a wide range of commercial clients including BMI, COI, Nestle, Western Union, Eagle Star and Proctor & Gamble.
His 2005 collaboration with artist David Shrigley, Who I Am And What I Want, won many international film awards, as did Silence is Golden in 2006, a live action/animated drama. His latest BBC drama, Bad Night for the Blues, explores Chris’s relationship with his Aunty. Chris currently has a feature in development and continues to write.