Greg Moodie, The National’s cartoonist and creator of MoodieVision , bares his soul to CommonSpace in our 12 Things You Didn’t Know About series
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An ice hockey player. I still do. I grew up in Canada where they put skates on you as soon as you can walk. I only started drawing so I would have pictures of hockey players and their team idents – my introduction to graphics.
Who is your hero and why?
Charlie Chaplin. I could watch him for hours. He just moved so beautifully. Look at the bread roll dance.
I’m also a big fan of Mickey Mouse’s early work.
What’s your favourite song?
Anything by Sparks, but ‘This town ain’t big enough for the both of us’ is still pretty special. I never tire of it.
What are you scared of?
Balloons. You never know when they’re going to burst. I’m also not too happy in cars.
Obviously, balloons in cars are a real problem.
Which is better: Twitter or Facebook?
One is populated by strangers, the other by people you know. You would think that might give Facebook the edge but instead it makes it suck. Go figure.
Which is better: salt n vinegar or salt n sauce?
I’m technically Dundonian so it would have to be salt n vinegar. But chips? Ew.
You’re on a desert island, you can take one person, one book and one type of food. Who would you take, which book and which food?
I would take Madeline Kahn, who sings the ‘I’m Tired’ song in Blazing Saddles. And sushi, as it’s the food of the gods, the Japanese and me. And best make it a book on how to catch fish because I really have no idea.
When have you been wrong about something?
It’s never happened.
What really makes you angry?
You know that ‘free wi-fi’ you see in bars that you have to sign up for and involves giving out personal info and then has a ‘family filter’ that blocks dangerous sites such as Wings Over Scotland ?
What really makes you happy?
Having nothing to do. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does, I wander aimlessly round art galleries pretending I don’t need to work.
If you could spend an hour with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I’m currently working on a series of Tam O’ Shanter murals for the Torphichen Inn so I’ve been thinking a lot about Robert Burns. I have lots of questions but the main one would be ‘How did you find the time?’
If you met David Cameron today what would you say to him?
For someone so educated, you’re not very bright.
Click here to follow Greg Moodie on Twitter , and click here to watch MoodieVision episodes on CommonSpace .
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Picture courtesy of Martin Shields/Herald & Times Ltd