Tripwire Speaks To Patrick Goddard About Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley

Going Rogue

In July of this year, Tripwire reviewed the new Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley book written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Patrick Goddard. A link to that review is provided below:

https://tripwiremagazine.co.uk/headlines/tripwire-reviews-rebellions-rogue-trooper-blighty-valley/

Tripwire’s contributing writer P N Neal recently took the opportunity to ask the artist Patrick Goddard a few brief questions about his time about working on this book…

TRIPWIRE: As a young fan of 2000AD, did you enjoy the Rogue Trooper stories?

PATRICK: I was only aware of Rogue Trooper (and 2000AD) through the 2000AD annuals I got during the early 80s. I didn’t read the Prog until much later.  But my favourite period of Rogue is his first few years, as it all went a little bit Star Wars later on and didn’t feel like a war story any more to me. I prefer Rogue in a war environment, getting mixed up with military politics and the repercussions of all that.

TW: Were there any artists that illustrated Rogue Trooper that you had a particular fondness for?

PG: The three main artists I love that influence me are Gibbons, Kennedy and Wilson. I probably draw more naturally in a style to Dave, but I love Cam’s gritty bold chiaroscuro b/w art and then Colin’s hardware and tech designs, so I try and steal from all of them!

TW: Rogue Trooper is a war comic. Your new partner in crime Garth Ennis is clearly an expert on the subject. Are they the type of comics you enjoy reading yourself?     

PG: I’ve obviously read a lot of Garth’s work over the years; I’ve enjoyed war comics since reading Battle Action Force as a child and Garth does do good war comics! Sara is one of my favourite books from the last few decades and I think his Johnny Red: Hurricane series would translate perfectly to film. His Punisher and Fury books with Goran Parlov are also a great read.

TW: How did you react to being told you were illustrating Rogue with a Garth Ennis script? It felt like a slight rebirth for the character, would you agree?

PG: I was thrilled to be asked to draw Rogue Trooper: there wasn’t much of him in the last two decades, so I never really had the opportunity to draw him before. My 2000AD big three would be Dredd, Johnny Alpha and Rogue so I’m immensely proud to have drawn two of them (so far!). To work from an Ennis script was an added bonus! I’m not sure if it’s been a rebirth as such, with the film being in production I think there’s been a plan (that I’m not privy to) to get more Rogue out there. It’s been great to see others getting the chance to put their mark on the character which has always been the 2000AD way.

TW: Can you say if this new creative partnership will continue for a while? Do fans have more stories to look forward to reading?

PG: Well, I’m currently over halfway through drawing another Garth Ennis Rogue Trooper story which hits the Prog late September I think. It’s not a sequel to Blighty Valley but another story set in the first few years in his history and fits in nicely. Garth has mentioned another Rogue story he’d like to collaborate on, he’s just working out the details to see if it all comes together. So, fingers crossed we can work on another one.

TW: The Rogue Trooper film is due for release at some stage. I am curious when drawing Rogue do you have any actors in mind when working on the character?  Tom Hardy or The Rock perhaps?

PG: I don’t have anyone in particular in mind when I draw him: he’s cemented in my brain by artists such as Gibbons, Kennedy and Wilson. Although I do think I draw him a bit too good looking at times, but I’m stuck with that way now. I do remember thinking that when I saw the movie Pitch Black with Vin Diesel 20+ years ago that he would’ve been perfect for the role, not so much now though. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing how he’s animated in the upcoming film, and I’m jealous of the few other 2000AD guys who have done some work for it.