MARK O’BRIEN

The No. 8 Wire poses a batch of questions...
A creative person answers...


What cities/towns have you lived in (or spent more than a few months in), beginning with your place of birth?

Dunedin, Tauranga, Paraparaumu, Hamilton, Rotorua, Nuku'alofa, Auckland

What are the earliest stories you remember hearing?

Sunday morning radio children's stories....sparky the train, et al

What music was present and still memorable from your youth/adolescence?

Early 80's ....Talking Heads, Joy Division, Cure

For you as a creative person, who are three influential artists or thinkers?

Picasso , Ralph Steadman, Asterix the Gaul

What is your dream of happiness?

Living on the beach drawing cartoons

Who are your favourite or most admired figures from history?

Leonardo Da Vinci, Hunter S Thompson

Name three films that you consider profound, moving, or extraordinary.

Team America World Police, Cherry 2000, The Life of Brian

What was your first real job? second? third?

Economist, Promotions Manager, Cartoonist

If you had to eat the same meal every day, what would it be?

Curry

Name a few books that you couldn't put down, would read again, haunt you still.

Majic (the one about the puppet), Adrift (a guy who survived in a liferaft for six months)

What have you done, seen, experienced, or produced that was a disappointment to you?

Having a 8 x 2m mural painted live at a conference destroyed by cleaners overnight, and having to paint another one to send to the delegate who'd bid thousands for it at the evening's charity auction.....

What was the most recent live performance you attended, and where was it presented?

New Year's Eve gig at the Hilton in Auckland

In one sentence, can you define art?

Distilled imagination

What word of advice would you offer an aspiring artist in your field?

Marry a rich woman!

Where would you like to live, but have yet to?

Samoa

What would you like to do, but have yet to?

Kitesurfing

Briefly describe a project you are planning for the future.

Trip to Valencia to suss out somewhere to stay during the next America's Cup

What one question would you add to this Query?

How much difference has technology made to your creative pursuits?


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I've been drawing cartoons since shortly after I was born in Dunedin in 1961. I drew my way through school, creating the MONSTA cartoon character at high school.