Jody: Rufus Dayglo, what a fabulous name! I have to ask, is it real?
Rufus: Yes, I've had the pleasure of being called Rufus since birth. As a kid I was pretty upset, wishing I had a 'normal' name like other kids, but maybe in the long run that paid off. And then the day arrived when the world turned dayglo and nothing was really the same again. As the great scribe/song writer Kinky Fried man says, 'a happy childhood is the worst possible start in life.'

J: Did you read many comics growing up? Which were your favourites? Which most influenced your art?
R: I was incredibly lucky in that my parents not only allowed comics, but actively encouraged and indulged this rampant obsession. I had two obsessions: WWII and science fiction. From the earliest age, it was WWII comics, with Fleetway Picture Libraries being my favourite, stunning images of Germans being blown to bits by our gallant lads. Then it was 2000AD, Battle Picture Weekly, The New Eagle, Starlord, so many! And then there was the American stuff. From Marvel, I liked a lot of the toy-related comics: Godzilla, Shogun Warriors, Rom Space Knight, and GI Joe. I loved Larry Hama's stuff. From DC (whom I massively preferred; they were my favourites, although more old-fashioned, more like Fleetway comics) there was Sgt Rock, Enemy Ace, The Unknown Soldier, GI Combat, Weird War Tales, Jonah Hex, Weird Western Tales... basically, anything that Joe Kubert did a cover for, I wanted.
There were also Mad and Cracked magazines. I loved their film parodies, although I'd never seen most of the films they were taking the proverbial out of.
The artists that most influenced my work are pretty diverse, among them Mort Drucker, Jack Davis, and John Severin: US artists who drew those fab film spoofs. Joe Kubert... anything he drew. From my earliest age, he's been my favourite.
Ronald Searle is a much overlooked genius and one of my biggest influences. My Dad gave me his copy of 'How to be Topp' when I was a little boy and it's stayed in my head ever since. Searle is a great humourist, a wonderful draughtsman, and brutally funny, both visually and verbally. Then there's Ken Reid and Leo Baxendale, for their fiendish detail, humour, and joys of childhood. They make anything and everything funny. There's so much to learn from the work. Science Fiction was my other biggie.
Ramon Sola, who drew Flesh and Shako (for 2000AD) and Hookjaw (for action & visceral, gritty, in-your-face stuff). I love his work so much–a much underrated master, and an utter gentleman.
Brendan McCarthy and Brett Ewins, for their weird, Ditkoesque, Beatles-infested Strange Daze and Days...
Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra, who expanded my mind with his unique genius. He changed UK comics completely with his work in Battle and 2000AD.
And of course there's Mick McMahon, whose work I've followed since I could read. He's a brave, visionary artist, who has drawn my favourite strips, and whose body of work is incredible. His ideas awe me. I wish I had a millionth of his awesome talent! swoon!

Right: Art by Mike McMahon, Rufus, John Severin, Jack Davis & Mort Drucker.

J: When did you first discover Tank Girl? Did you read the comic back when it first came out?
R: I had the fanzines AtomTan 1 and 2, and loved Deadline when it came out. I loved Wired World, Tankie, and Johnny Nemo. Most of the other stuff was pretty bad, but anything produced by Glyn, Philip, Jamie and Alan was pure class. I was a little punk rocker, so it tied into all the stuff I loved: grubby parties, dirty girls, and drunk kangaroos. And I've always wanted a panzer.

J: Can you tell us how the Tank Girl gig found its way to you?
R: I won it on Ebay! No, really! Alan C Martin, Genius Esq., was selling mini comics of his then-unpublished Tank Girl novel 'Armadillo' on Ebay (a book, I hasten to add, I'd recommend to all TG fans). I bought a copy, we conversed, and I invited him to the Brighton Comic Expo, where we met up with Glyn Dillon and sat around talking about the possibility of a TG comeback.
At this point I didn't even consider myself for the gig, but I did very enthusiastically suggest Ashley Wood, whom I was helping on the second series of Metal Gear Solid. He draws ace girls, robots, and tanks, and seemed the logical person. Ash was up for it, as he's a huge TG fan, and Alan gave him the scripts for Tank Girl: The Gifting, a 4-issue miniseries. He completed the first book, but due to work schedules drafted me in to provide layouts.
I ended up drawing the last three books, bar a few Ashbot pin-ups he did.
Off the back of that, I handcuffed myself to Alan, swallowed the keys, and poor Alan's been waiting for me to crap it out ever since. Poor b****d...

J: Your rendition of Tank Girl is very much your own, yet also manages to stay true to Jamie Hewlett's original... this makes an easy transition for the long-time fan. Was this a conscious effort?
R: I worked in animation for a long time, and had grown up reading 2000AD, Ronald Searle, and Mad, so I'm kind of attacking from a similar angle (apart from the obvious fact that Jamie's ten billion times better than me - LOL). I was a big fan of the strip, and so I feel I know what people like to see. I know what I want to see–something that looks like Tank Girl! I hate it when someone comes in and messes up your favourite strip just so they can say they made their mark on it.
I feel comfortable with Tank Girl. I draw like that, so it feels natural. It doesn't look quite like Jamie because I'm not him–as many people have pointed out! On the whole, people seem pretty happy that Tankie's back, and have been very positive and welcoming.
I felt like CJ Ramone taking over from Dee Dee Ramone. I'd joined my favourite band–but I'm not Dee Dee, and I want Alan, Jamie, and the readers to be happy with it. I spend pretty much every waking hour drawing it.

J: In what format do you receive the story? Does Alan Martin come up with the story concepts panel-by-panel, or do you get an outline and go from there?
R: Alan sends me full scripts, episode by episode. I don't get a 'plan' of where the stories are going, as that's not how he writes: it's often as much a surprise to him where the story goes as to the reader! I'm always excited when the script arrives–I'm the first reader! Geek heaven.
Alan writes descriptions in the panels, but due to a state of arrested development, I often wildly misinterpret what the hell he's talking about. But it seems to work. He's very generous; only occasionally does he ask "What the f*** is that???"

J: Can you describe for us the process of creating a Tank Girl story? How much back-and-forth do you and Alan Martin have with the comic's creation?
R: I may suggest something I like, like Dee Dee Ramone, or Adam Ant, or Western–and Alan may or may not include my suggestion. But he's the writer, and I want him to write it; Alan is Tankie, Booga, Barney, etc. They are his voices, parts of his psyche. I'm just the half-wit interpreter mangling his ideas.
I love that he surprises me with about-faces, veering off-course, and weird endings.
It's like driving the Le Mans Big Car Race on acid with a fish taped to your face. I have no idea what's going on, but it's fun and smells fishy.

J: I love Tank Girl's changing wardrobe, especially her 'Desert Attack Outfit' in 'Visions of Booga'. Do you enjoy changing her look as time progresses?
R: Oh yeah, I'm a clothes person. I love old stuff, new stuff, and shite stuff– and inappropriate attire. It's essential in this day and age to be unprepared properly.

J: How has illustrating Tank Girl changed your life?
R: Well, I've given up sleeping, and somehow worked out how to work 27 hours a day. The basic rules of hygiene, social interaction, and social life have gone right out the window. Get on the tank, buckle in, reload the Pez dispensers, and get some.
I'm the luckiest f****r on the planet–or even in orbit. I draw a girl in a tank!

J: It's nice to see Tank Girl making such a strong comeback after her long hiatus. Any thoughts on why now is the right time?
R: Because everything else is crap, and people are suckers for punishment? Err, I dunno! I thought Tankie was dead and buried. So did she. But she's a tough wee lass, and would certainly benefit from a bath if nothing else.

J: As well as the current Tank Girl strips for Judge Dredd, you're also creating a set of posters for Suicide Girls (which are a joy to behold, I must add)– are you working on any other projects as well?
R: Yup. Tank Girl: The Royal Escape, a 4-issue miniseries from IDW Comics. Tank Girl: Bad Wind Rising, a 4-issue miniseries with Titan Books.
Ongoing B&W Tank Girl strips in the Judge Dredd Magazine into summer 2010.
And a couple of other Tankie ideas that Alan and I will announce soonish.

J: What are your favourite media to work with? The Suicide Girls posters are particularly gorgeous– are those pen and ink, or do you also create artwork on your computer?
R: They're just pencil (a 2b), then scanned and coloured in Photoshop. I used to ink, but I'm crap at it, so I just pencil. I like the immediacy and more fluid line. Plus, it's quicker.

J: What has been your favourite (non-Tank Girl) project to date?
R: Comic-wise, doing covers for 2000AD, my childhood dream. I was so lucky! I've drawn Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd, my childhood icons. I was also lucky as my lovely friend Garry Leach guided me through how to do covers. Garry's been an amazing mentor, teacher, and drinking buddy. I am so lucky to know him! He's a true great, an amazing artist and editor, and a lovely man. He can really pick things apart and analyze art. He is my Yoda– only slighter taller.

J: If you were left on a deserted island with a stack of paper and pencils, what kind of things would you doodle? (Besides a giant 'HELP!' sign.)
R: I'd probably dig a tunnel complex, set up 50 cal machine guns, claymore mines and tank traps, and re-enact the D-day landings. One has to make the most of these opportunities.

J: What do you see as the future for Tank Girl?
R: Unwashed– and on the run, down to 3 rounds, with no clear head shot. And half a packet of Tic Tacs down Booga's Y-fronts.

J: What do you see as your future?
R: Having the other half the packet of Tic Tacs in my mouth, lukewarm coffee, grenades primed, pencils sharpened, and direct orders misunderstood.

J: Rufus, thank you very much!