Natalie Portman Wants To Make a V FOR VENDETTA Sequel

The popular British designer was a guest at the "Le Strade del Paesaggio" festival in Cosenza.

There are artists who take a lifetime to try to be remembered through their own works, but David Lloyd needed only one comic to enter the legend. This is because the British designer, along with the brilliant screenwriter Alan Moore, in 1982 created the immortal V for Vendetta , a comic book that has brought into the collective imagination the iconic mask of the rebel Guy Fawkes, become a symbol of revolution.



David Lloyd has been the guest of the twelfth edition of the Landscape Roads Festival of Cosenza (held at the Castello Svevo from September 21st to 23rd), which dedicated to V for Vendetta an exhibition set up at the Museo del Fumetto, open until October 7th .



During the festival we had the opportunity to talk to Lloyd, and to ask him some questions about V for Vendetta , and more.



Hi David, welcome to MangaForever. Thirty-five years after its publication V for Vendetta today is considered a comic book and literary masterpiece, but despite the passing years it turns out to be quite current. What are the elements that made this work immortal?



" V for Vendetta tells universal things: it has elements of action and adventure but it is also a romantic story, it also speaks of political repression, and all these things are connected to each other. Arguments like love and politics cross the borders of a nation and of times, and are still relevant today ".



Would you like the idea of ​​a sequel to V For Vendetta , perhaps designed by you and written by Alan Moore?



"Alan never said anything like that, and I would not do it. The story has already been told. DC Comics holds the rights, so if they wanted they could continue the story, but I think it would be very stupid of them. It would surprise me if they did. "



In the past you expressed yourself in a not very positive way towards the superheroes, and how much they are catalyzing the attention on a global level, above all thanks to the success of the films of Marvel and DC Comics. But do not you think that the success of the superheroes has helped the comics to become increasingly central and important in popular culture?



"Superhero movies have not helped to increase the popularity of comics, or at least they did not sell more. They are two different forms of expression and entertainment. Who goes to see the films of Captain America hardly afterwards wants to go and buy the comics. But it changes if a film tells a story taken from a single comic book. This is the case of V for Vendetta for example, or Watchmen . But Hollywood does not care about all this, they see comics as a precious source from which to draw material to make money ".



Which artists have influenced you most?



"The list is very long. From comics to cinema I received a lot of influences. At the comic level, Steve Ditko was one of my first inspirations, as were Jack Kirby, Alex Toth and Jack Davis. On the other hand, I was very impressed with the visual style of Orson Welles ".



We are living a very special historical moment, in which populism, racism and hatred reign within social networks, and beyond. Do you think that, in reaction to all this negativity, an opposite movement can emerge, capable of fighting evil, just as it happens in V for Vendetta ?



"I do not believe that populism is to be fought, because it is a natural factor that comes from the people, and with the people it is only necessary to know how to communicate. The opposite of populism is liberalism, which is now compromised. The liberal forces are seeking consensus, but there is a growing force that is growing, and that has channeled all the fears of the past, especially that against immigration. The fact is that the world is changing, and some people are afraid, and vent their fears by relying on extreme political forces. This happens because no one else can talk to them, trying to understand their fears, and whoever says they do it actually spreads poison ".



So what could be done to improve the current socio-political situation?



"It would be necessary to push people to vote for political forces that are not extreme and fascist. We should ask people not to vote for Trump and other similar political figures who, once in power, are able to create problems only. "



For some years now you have created a project called Aces Weekly: every week you can find comics of various genres on the site , made by international artists (also Italian). Does the fact that you offer comics online represent a way for you to try to create an alternative and autonomous market form?



"Yes, absolutely. Aces Weekly is a very important thing for me because I'm trying to create a trend reversal in the market. Decades ago were born comics, which are a good collection point for fans. But unfortunately, those who buy comics want to collect them, have the paper in their hands, and this is something a bit 'anachronistic in a period when there is internet, and the comics can be read on the tablet, as well as on the screen of television. With Aces Weekly I propose every week 20 comic pages for a euro, offering excellent stories made by very valid artists. Unfortunately, just because they are online comics, many people do not want to read them. "



And you have not thought about proposing the Aces Weekly comics in paper version?



"I do not even think about it. For me it would be like going back, and you can not go back to the past when there is a fantastic future ahead that offers many new possibilities ".