by Mike Favila, Senior Editor

When I went to Heroes Con here in Brussels, I knew that David Lloyd would be in attendance, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get a hold of him.  Luckily for me (and you readers), he was available in the artists area and had a few minutes to chat.  His new venture, Aces Weekly, is a great venue for webcomics, and with a very reasonable fee, you can access a plethora of different creators kicking out really eclectic stories.  They had comics from Jock (The Losers), Mark Wheatley (Sandman), John McCrea (The Boys), among others.

ComicsOnline: Can you tell us more about Aces Weekly? What made you want to start an online space for artists, even 10 years ago? I logged in on the site and loved the various creators you had participating.

David Lloyd:  I met a creator at SDCC who started online pub because he’d become frustrated that the costs of print pub and distribution and retail and allied needs on a book he’d worked on had decreased his income share to nothing. Why bear all that when he could publish at a fraction of the cost online? It was common sense. The 21st Century gives us this valuable asset via the net, plus the massive potential readership it can reach. So that’s why I decided to try it myself, with a colleague’s help.

The only thing that killed the dream concept we felt it was bound to be is the shocking resistance I found and still find from the mass of comic readers, who seem trapped in an addiction to paper. That resistance continues to pull Aces Weekly back from realizing its fullest potential. But I’m very proud of what we’ve done, and do, for those who’ve managed to free themselves from their paper habit enough to widen their horizons. We’re at www.acesweekly.co.uk for all those who want to know more.

CO: Do you spend a lot of time administering Aces Weekly? Or is there plenty of time to draw?

DL: I don’t draw or write at all anymore except for simple sketches I do as bonuses for all those buying a volume of AW via our code cards, which you saw at the show. This was not planned, it just happened and I can’t say I miss it. Maybe that means I’m not real artist! I’ve done a lot of stories in my career of various kinds. What more is necessary for me to do if I don’t need to? It happens that the publishing of AW does take most of my workday though. And I feel good about providing it – and I guess that satisfies some of my needs to be creative.

CO: Does V for Vendetta seem more relevant now than it has before?

DL: I think that’s obvious to everyone who sees the rise of authoritarianism in various places, including – and most surprisingly – in a democracy like the US. Who’d have imagined it could happen? It’s all beginning to look like the world that we modelled V on: Germany in the 30s. And the economic conditions now are ripening for it. We just have to be optimistic it won’t happen.

CO: I saw that V was featured in a new episode of the HBO Max show Pennyworth. Had DC given you any previous information or notice about that?

DL: No. Know nothing about it. I guess I should see it. What episode is it?

CO: What is your favorite series/project that you’ve ever worked on?

DL: If it’s favourite series, I most loved doing my contribution to the Aliens series, loved the way it turned out. Proud of it. Constantine is a good character and enjoyed doing those. I’ve worked with great writers almost always, so if I can’t point to something as a favourite choice it’s only because for some reason I wasn’t happy with some of the work I did for it, which can sometimes be just a couple of panels I should have done better.

If it’s favourite project you’re asking for: it’s a split between Kickback, which was the best experience of my working life but was doomed to an obscurity it still suffers by the inaction of a neglectful publisher, and V, which is clearly the most important thing I’ve done and says something important, and is important to people in way that few things in comics are.

CO: What are you working on now?

DL: Aces Weekly is my entire occupation.

CO: What’s the best way for fans to get a hold of you? Twitter/FB/Instagram?

DL: Facebook is still the best, but I’m on them all.

CO:  Are you doing any other shows this year?

DL: Paraguay in November!

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