It has recently been my pleasure to interview Baden James Mellonie. It was a joy to talk to this talented writer about his place in the UK comic scene and also his plans for the future with SHIFT.
As I have done so in the past I asked Baden three random questions that are not comic related. i do this so you and I can get to know the person I interview a little better.
Paul: Do you enjoy sports and if so who might you support?
Baden: I love sports-Football, Rugby Union, skateboarding, and boxing. I am a Derby County season ticket holder, a lapsed England fan (hardly surprising) and a Northern Ireland supporter, my Grandfather was Belfast born. I played football until I was 41, then hung up my boots.
Paul: If you cook what may be your favourite dish or take away?
Baden: I do cook, but work gets in the way. I love Indian food, a Chicken Madras/Vindaloo is my usual go to. I learnt how to cook when I went to University and do love to cook when I can.
Paul: what is you least favourite movie? A film you dislike.
Baden: Least favourite movie-That's a tough one. I find comedies very challenging to watch, however the worst film I've ever seen has to be something like the Green Hornet, which I couldn't finish, Battlefield Earth, or anything by Uwe Boll. Guaranteed rubbish.
Paul: Could you name the first comic you ever read? How much did it cost and how old were you?
Baden: The first comic I ever read- No idea what issue, but, the first I remember reading and collecting are-Commando books. My grandfather, Robert "Bob" James Sharpe, was 3rd Squadron 2nd Regiment SAS WW2 and read Commando, War Picture library and Westerns. The Commando's definitely got me hooked. My Great Grandparents also collected them and when we went to Gloucester to visit, I always took away a pile of comics.
My Great grandparents had both passed away by the time I was 8 years old, so I would have started around 1976, aged 6, I think. I had to sell my Commando books when i lost my job a few years ago, I had 535 of them. I started a subscription again on issue 5167 thanks to the late, great Colin Noble and have been collecting again, ever since.
I do remember these two though. Definitely. The Black Pagoda, was brilliant, 1978. From Commando, I started getting 2000AD, Battle and some Marvel UK reprints, such as Rampage, Daredevils etc. Hooked. Have been ever since.
Paul: What comics inspired you to write comics?
Baden: It wasn't comics that inspired me to write, it was people. Specifically Liam Sharp and his wife Chris, Simon Bisley, Jamie Delano, who I met in 2004. They all told me to get on with it. My influences are essentially 2000AD, Commando, Hellblazer and Horror/Sci-Fi.
I then met my creative partners in comics crime, 2000AD stalwarts Paul Peart-Smith, Stephen Sampson, David Millgate and Ryan Brown, who have supported me ever since. I'm blessed to call all of these people my friends as well having the joy of working with them.
Paul: You published a couple of books about your rejected scripts, could you talk about how you decided how to publish them?
Baden: I had a pile of work that was unpublished, from around 2013-2016. Submissions to 2000AD,John Freeman's Strip, IDW, Panini, Markosia, the Typhoon Haiyan anthology book for charity, which I don't think ever saw print. I still liked a lot of the stories. I lost my job in 2015 and 2016 and then my mum died. I was suffering with my mental health a bit and couldn't focus on writing anything new, couldn't focus on much really. So Rejected formed from that, dealing with pain, giving me the capacity to heal.
Paul: Did rejection letters encourage you to write more stories?
Baden: Not directly encourage-I'm stubborn so I will keep on writing regardless. However, Rejected did help heal some wounds. The first rejection from 2000AD hurt at the time.
Paul: The Girl of Their Dreams was an excellent story. It was published in the latest issue of SHIFT can you say how it came about?
Baden: Thanks Paul. I liked it. It was a Tharg's future shock submission originally, which got Rejected. It stemmed from my hatred of bankers and banks Lol, austerity and financial hardship. Iceland locked up the bankers. My idea took it a step further.
Paul: How many more stories have you written that might SHIFT readers have to look forward towards?
Baden: Next up in Shift is 2:57AM, co-created with artist Brett Burbridge, with covers by 2000AD legend Stephen Sampson. It's a horror story about faith. I think it's something that has never been done before so let's see what the readers think. 
Credit: Logo designed by Stephen Sampson.
Credit: 2.57AM, Part 1 Page 1 Art by Brett Burbridge.
Paul: To finish, I have asked many artists and writers a fun question to finish. If you could have any superpower what might it be?
Baden: A superpower? I am old school, so regeneration or more strength would do me.