Soppy
by Cookie N Screen
Forbidden Planet is as illuminating on Shaftsbury Avenue as the theatre shows in London. While tourists may be enticed by the sparkly lights of Les Miserables, the pull of the store will drag all geeks far and wide to spend their hard working cash gloriously. This haven, filled with more merchandise than you can dream of and comic books shelves high, is a place of true beauty. It’s where fan can meet fan or be introduced to an entirely new series of any medium. Forbidden Planet gives the nerdy population what it wants, which is exactly what it did last Thursday when popular animator and cartoonist Philippa Rice dropped by.
Forbidden Planet is as illuminating on Shaftsbury Avenue as the theatre shows in London. While tourists may be enticed by the sparkly lights of Les Miserables, the pull of the store will drag all geeks far and wide to spend their hard working cash gloriously. This haven, filled with more merchandise than you can dream of and comic books shelves high, is a place of true beauty. It’s where fan can meet fan or be introduced to an entirely new series of any medium. Forbidden Planet gives the nerdy population what it wants, which is exactly what it did last Thursday when popular animator and cartoonist Philippa Rice dropped by.
“I’m very excited, I don’t know what to expect but, I’m thrilled to be here,” says Rice. The young author is celebrating the release of her published book Soppy. Originating as a comic strip, the popular series has caused a wave of happiness on a national and global scale. Colourful and poignant, the strip revolves around the titular character and her domestic live with partner Luke. Based on her own life, Rice has garnered critical and audience acclaim, selling out her first copy of a 16 page collection (through self-publishing). Sitting in the office of Forbidden Planet, surrounded by buzzing phones and memorabilia as people prepped for a busy evening of Soppy, I was lucky enough to catch a few words from the artists about the new release, Soppy and Luke and new upcoming projects.
“The comic comes from a real place and real situations are what people relate to.” Philippa says, talking about how her art was inspired. “The greatest art comes from your own experiences and I had started writing these little diary comics of my life and it just developed from there.”
“Soppy gets a lot of responses from people who feel a connection with it” laughs Philippia when talking about the audience reaction to Soppy and Luke’s domestic life which replicates a lot of situations that couples seem to relate to; allowing the comedy and enjoyment to come from this realism. Speaking of the relatability, Rice adds; “I get people saying ‘Oh, it’s as if you are spying on me” which is great because they obviously feel some connection to it.”
The domestic life of Philippa and her real life partner clearly influences a lot of the drama and humour in Soppy. “It’s not a conscious decision, really,” she says as we wonder how she decided which situations to bring to the page and gift to Soppy. It's a more natural process, Philippa states “It’s not like I write it down when it happens. I suppose stuff too intimate doesn’t go in. And definitely stuff I wouldn’t want my mum to read!”
“The comic comes from a real place and real situations are what people relate to.” Philippa says, talking about how her art was inspired. “The greatest art comes from your own experiences and I had started writing these little diary comics of my life and it just developed from there.”
“Soppy gets a lot of responses from people who feel a connection with it” laughs Philippia when talking about the audience reaction to Soppy and Luke’s domestic life which replicates a lot of situations that couples seem to relate to; allowing the comedy and enjoyment to come from this realism. Speaking of the relatability, Rice adds; “I get people saying ‘Oh, it’s as if you are spying on me” which is great because they obviously feel some connection to it.”
The domestic life of Philippa and her real life partner clearly influences a lot of the drama and humour in Soppy. “It’s not a conscious decision, really,” she says as we wonder how she decided which situations to bring to the page and gift to Soppy. It's a more natural process, Philippa states “It’s not like I write it down when it happens. I suppose stuff too intimate doesn’t go in. And definitely stuff I wouldn’t want my mum to read!”
Of course, using the experiences that Rice and Luke go through must have both its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to their relationship; “It’s always nice to read things back. Especially when it’s a memory you’d forgotten – it’s like reading back a diary,” Philipa mentions speaking on the positives, interrupted slightly by the phone and a head that pops around the door because there is a busy and excellent shop to run. However, she mentions, negatives can be tricky. “Sometimes, there is always that worry that I am forcing a situation for the sake of the book or that Luke feels like a plot point. It would make the relationship tricky and it’s often a question that springs to mind ‘I’m doing this because of the comic.’ And of course, there is always the worry of if we ever break up I’ll have this famous comic to remind me of us.”
It’s not just the situations that filter into the story, as Philippa has a keen eye for background details that are brought into the vibrant world, such as the marionette on the door. “Oh yeah, they are all things we have around the house” she says, adding another layer of quirky realism to the comic strip.
The vibrancy and colour scheme are very important to Soppy’s unique style, the comic is drenched in red, black and white. “It’s such a great colour scheme and I like the colours usually. Not like I sit in a house surrounded by red but I do have objects and clothes with the colour.”
With Soppy feeling very close in style to French artists and comics, as well as establishing Philippa’s unique style and voice, it’s unsurprising that Philippa has been influenced by French artists and other elements that really enhance her book. “Someone recently gave me a book by Katheryn Bernardu which has a red and white pallet. And there is also artwork by Yves Saint Laurent, which I never knew he did, that is really influential. Animators such as Oliver Postgate really helped inspire my work as well.”
Whilst Philippa main talent is cartoons, she has also worked in other mediums such as stop animation and croquet. “I’ve always been interested in cartoons,” she says, spinning side to side on the swivel chair in similar manner to myself as we talk about the advantages of her work. “On my grandma's fridge, when we were kids, we’d put what we wanted to be and I remember putting ‘I want to be a cartoonist.’ I guess I never lost sight of that. Animation just came naturally to me, though I enjoy balancing it with the other mediums.”
It’s not just the situations that filter into the story, as Philippa has a keen eye for background details that are brought into the vibrant world, such as the marionette on the door. “Oh yeah, they are all things we have around the house” she says, adding another layer of quirky realism to the comic strip.
The vibrancy and colour scheme are very important to Soppy’s unique style, the comic is drenched in red, black and white. “It’s such a great colour scheme and I like the colours usually. Not like I sit in a house surrounded by red but I do have objects and clothes with the colour.”
With Soppy feeling very close in style to French artists and comics, as well as establishing Philippa’s unique style and voice, it’s unsurprising that Philippa has been influenced by French artists and other elements that really enhance her book. “Someone recently gave me a book by Katheryn Bernardu which has a red and white pallet. And there is also artwork by Yves Saint Laurent, which I never knew he did, that is really influential. Animators such as Oliver Postgate really helped inspire my work as well.”
Whilst Philippa main talent is cartoons, she has also worked in other mediums such as stop animation and croquet. “I’ve always been interested in cartoons,” she says, spinning side to side on the swivel chair in similar manner to myself as we talk about the advantages of her work. “On my grandma's fridge, when we were kids, we’d put what we wanted to be and I remember putting ‘I want to be a cartoonist.’ I guess I never lost sight of that. Animation just came naturally to me, though I enjoy balancing it with the other mediums.”
My Cardboard Life
Already kicking off 2015 on a high, Philippa Rice’s career may be massive already, but it feels as though it is heading for interstellar heights. Not just with Soppy, as Philippa has also amassed a great following for her other comic My Cardboard Life, which can be found online. 2015 looks set to be just the start of many amazing ones; “Soppy takes up most of my life over the next month but I would love to get back into My Cardboard Life and see how that goes. I am also working on a Youtube Channel to share secrets of animation. I’ll see where life takes me.”
Many people seeking inspiration should look to Philippa Rice to discover how she built such an excellent career. She is incredibly inspiring and has reached great heights but is keen to give advice for anyone hoping to follow a similar path. “If you have ideas, make them. Find a community, especially online, and support each other (Tumblr is great for this). Start off small, build it up that way and more importantly do it for yourself. Make sure you're comfortable and just do it.”
Finally, before we leave and Philippa meets an abundance of fans, I have to ask, is she with geek? “We’re sat in Forbidden Planet. Of course I’m With Geek!”
You can buy the Soppy book at Forbidden Planet. Check out My Cardboard Life here.
Many people seeking inspiration should look to Philippa Rice to discover how she built such an excellent career. She is incredibly inspiring and has reached great heights but is keen to give advice for anyone hoping to follow a similar path. “If you have ideas, make them. Find a community, especially online, and support each other (Tumblr is great for this). Start off small, build it up that way and more importantly do it for yourself. Make sure you're comfortable and just do it.”
Finally, before we leave and Philippa meets an abundance of fans, I have to ask, is she with geek? “We’re sat in Forbidden Planet. Of course I’m With Geek!”
You can buy the Soppy book at Forbidden Planet. Check out My Cardboard Life here.
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