Leigh Chalker

Voice Over (00:04):
This show is sponsored by the Comics Shop. We hope you enjoy the show.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (00:25):
Yeah. Good day mates. Uh, welcome to a very special Tuesday night Chinwag here on the Comex, uh, network. Brought to you by the Comex Shop. You can support not only this show, but all the shows, uh, and lots of the creators who appear on those shows by going right now, well after the show, maybe to Comex Shop. And by, um, lots of the books there from lots of the creators you see on these very shows. One creator who is on, uh, one particular show a lot, um, but you could argue doesn’t get his time in the sun, perhaps. Um, well, I’m here to shine that sun upon him. Uh, welcome to the show, Lee Chalker.

Leigh Chalker (01:10):
Hello. Thank you for having me on the show. Benzie. <laugh>. It’s lovely to be here. <laugh>,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:17):
Uh, this is weird. Um, please do us a favour, uh, like, subscribe, uh, click the bell, all that good stuff for the channel helps all this stuff grow. Um, now before we get started, a few things. Uh, this is a live broadcast, uh, and I am an idiot. Uh, so take things in the spirit that’re intent. I, uh, I, you know, I tend to say things try to be funny, uh, whatnot, and things can come out all kinds of weird ways. Um, but we, we have a safe word for, uh, weird moments such as that. Um, so much so the power of this word has spread, uh, from chinwag to drink and draw and back to Chinwag. And, uh, and that is pickles. Uh, so this is not a gotcha type programme. Um, but it is one of honesty and, and love and, uh, creativity.

(02:08)
Uh, and in as much we can go deep and sometimes too deep, uh, or in directions that maybe one of us doesn’t want to go. And that’s where pickles comes in. So if there’s a pickles, there’ll be a divergence. Um, you might go sped, why did you, we were just getting the real dirt outta that one. And I’m like, well, I’ve spoken to this guy a bit. Um, in some ways he doesn’t even have to say pickles, because I can see it on his face. Uh, so if we divert from some chunkiness, it, it’s to, you know, keep the show rolling as opposed to having us both, uh, crying and vomiting or, you know, both at the same time. Who knows. Um, lastly, before we get started, I do, uh, encourage comments. Uh, if I don’t, click them straight away, bear with me. It’s, uh, just so we don’t derail whatever we’re on, uh, you know, you might be asking something that I plan to get to further in the show, but please do feel free, uh, smash that comments, keep ’em coming, and, uh, we will get to them as we do. Um, for those who don’t know, this show is based on six words. I can’t remember how you say it, but there’s six. What do you prompts <laugh>? There’s six prompts. I had to write ’em down. Who, what, where, when, how, and why. Uh, and those are open for interpretation. For example, Lee, who,

Leigh Chalker (03:33):
Uh, well at, uh, from my approximate yeses and speaking to my mother at 9:31 PM on Wednesday evening, the ninth of the 11th, 1977, under a waning crescent moon at the Townsville General Hospital. Uh, this was brought into the world and, uh, named Lee Earnest Chaka, uh, earnest is, uh, my middle name, and it is a family, uh, tradition that the son is named after the grandfather of the Chaka. And it’s been going on for a very, very long time. And that’s about as traditional as I get. Um, I’m just, uh, I’m in a transitional phase of my life, uh, coming to 45 and lived a lot of lives, I think, in that 45 years. And, uh, and going through some changes. Um, uh, I am the, uh, culmination of everything. I have tried everything. I’ve failed, everything I’ve succeeded in, tasted, loved, hated, heard, smelt, touched. I guess every experience I’ve had, uh, has, um, brought me to this. And, uh, here I am. Um, so I guess that, uh, is, um, oh, I’m also, uh, based myself on, um, a couple of foundational rules these days with my change. And that is my sobriety, uh, my meditation and spiritual practises, uh, my vegetarianism, my creativity, and, um, trying to do my best, um, to live a life of, uh, love and kindness and compassion. So for myself and for other people. So that’s where I’m at. Mm-Hmm.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (05:35):
Um, fair to say, you’ve had a little bit of practise hearing the do’s and don’ts of the who question over the years. ’cause that was a tremendous, who, um, thank you,

Leigh Chalker (05:45):
<laugh>. I dunno, you know what’s really weird is I thought to myself today, I was having a cigarette at, at work, and I was at the back. And, um, and I, I’m a little nervous, you know? ’cause it’s like I’m a bit woo, you know, like, it’s me here now, you know? So, yeah, it’s a bit tricky. And, um, uh, and I thought, he’s gonna get me on the who, you know what I mean? Like, and, and <laugh> and <laugh>, because I hadn’t thought about it, man. I always like to like, listen to other, well, you know, like, that’s cool, you know? And, um, yeah. Yeah. So today, um, yeah, I just, um, I don’t know. Like I said to you, um, my mom earlier today, I just said, I have no expectations. I’m just coming in and, and doing my thing, man. So that was, that was me in a second there. So, uh, yeah. Yeah. So,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (06:41):
Mm-Hmm. I’m depressed to hear you’re 45. I thought we were at the exact same age.

Leigh Chalker (06:46):
Um, no, I am 46. It’s just my life changed at 45, man. So, um, yeah, I, I, I think

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (06:54):
I was feeling, feeling better.

Leigh Chalker (06:56):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I had a little flashback there. ’cause I don’t know, man. I sort of, I think now people think I’m weird saying this, but that’s okay. Um, hopefully it’ll all piece together later on. But I feel like, um, I’m, um, it was when I found sobriety that I realised that, um, I’d sort of, there were a few things that, um, made me realise I’d left my old self behind and I had to go through this transitionary period where there were lots of ups and downs and things. So, uh, I am 46, but it was, uh, yeah, 45 that I recognised that, um, uh, I guess I had to, um, I wasn’t quite the person I wanted to be, so, um, Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. So there was a little like, nudge off to the site to, um, find other things in life, mate. So, yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (07:57):
Um, fun fact, if you go from my house to a section of the country that, uh, I used to actually play shows, uh, affair, uh, every now and again, um, there’s a, a famous road that you drive past all the time called Earnest Wanky Road. Oh,

Leigh Chalker (08:15):
Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (08:16):
<laugh>. Yeah. And so it’s just a <laugh>. We, like, it’s not a Melbourne thing. We have very, we have Smith Street, high Street, all the regular sort of names, and then just outta nowhere. Earnest Wanky Road. Yeah. Yeah. So just like when you said, I think it’s actually Ernst Wanky Road, which makes it weirder. Um, and Wanky is WAN ae Yeah. Dunno what it means. Dunno. Anyway.

Leigh Chalker (08:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you know, because we’re such a cultured show, mate for the evening, let’s call it one K or something like <laugh>.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (08:47):
Okay. Yeah, yeah. I, I grew up on Patterson Street, um, which was because it was, uh, previously farmland owned by a guy called Patterson. Uh, and the, like, Mr. Patterson or whatever, the two streets off, um, Patterson Street were cousin Drive and Leonard Leonard Street, because he is cousin Leonard lives ne lived next door. So I thought, is that, do they name all roads like these, this, because this is fricking great.

Leigh Chalker (09:15):
Yeah. Well, man, I, I, can I, in a strange way, you’re bringing me back to a memory. Last time I was in Gunda guy and, um, I was at the family first hotel, and I met a fella called, um, seven Mile. Seven Mile Steve’s and Love it.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (09:36):
Love

Leigh Chalker (09:36):
It. And he was a nice dude, and, um, had a good old yak to him. And then it was really weird. Went to the bar at the corner of the bar, like, um, there was another fella, you know, you stand there and you get talking to him, and he called himself six miles, Steve. And I was like, okay, <laugh>, what, is there a baffle of like, Steve’s with mileage or something going on? Like, it sort of baffled me for a bit. Yeah. So I went, I went back to my uncle Pat, and, um, uncle Pat had been there for a long time. And, um, and, uh, I said, pat, what’s going on with seven miles Steve and six Miles Steve? Should I expect, you know, like two miles, Steve and that sort of stuff. And he goes, nah, no, no, that’s, that’s the tour. I’m, yeah. And I’m like, why are they called that? And he’s like, because six miles, Steve lives six miles, six miles outta town, and seven miles there, lived seven miles outta town. And that’s how we tell ’em apart. And I was like, okay, fair enough. That’s cool. I can live with that. So, yeah, you know, colloquialism of these street signs, man, I’m, I’m, I’m all down with it, you know, we’ve got some, some strange ones up here too, man. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (10:45):
Yeah, when I found out that I, uh, lived on previously it was an, an apple orchard owned by this dude Patterson. And because, uh, I’m, as I said at the top of the show, I’m an idiot. Uh, I was also a child, a child idiot. Um, I heard Apple orchard and thought wine cellar. I don’t know how I got the two mixed up, but I thought, so there used to be wine cellars all over here. Like, so we’d dig a hole and we could like find a hatch, and then there’ll be a hole. So me and my buddy, we dug a huge hole, like, I mean, a kid sized huge hole. Um, but to this day, there’s this huge divot in my parents’ backyard where, you know, my dad walked down and go, what the hell are you doing? You trying to find an apple orchard? An apple or crazy? You fucking idiot

Leigh Chalker (11:27):
<laugh>. Oh, dude, I, um, we used to have a record store, um, in Townsville and it was called The Rubber Biscuit. And for years and years,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (11:37):
That is wicked name.

Leigh Chalker (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I kept mucking it up and I used to keep cook thinking it was called the Vinyl Cookie. And, um, I’d say <laugh>, and I’d be tell, I head down to the vinyl cookie and then I’d biscuit, you idiot. And I’m, I, you know, like, it sells fucking CDs and stuff, you know? So like what <laugh>

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (11:58):
Yeah, we had one near here called the Spinning Crumpet. Um, we didn’t <laugh>,

Leigh Chalker (12:03):
Uh, the spinning crumpet, man, that’s the best. Out of all. Why didn’t, you know, why did that not exist?

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (12:09):
Yeah. Um, I wanna get to as well, uh, I was gonna, I had a few loosen, loosen up questions, but I feel like we’ve accidentally already loosened ourselves. Yeah. But we’re big fans of the band Pearl Jam, you and I, and I got Vitality for Christmas, uh, when it came out. And my dad read the lyrics and you remember spin the Black Circle and it says, see this needle drop, drop dropping it down. My dad read that as drug use and was very sort of, oh, oh, Rob, no, Rob. And, and me being a, this time a teenage idiot, I was like, oh, sorry dad. I didn’t even get it until years later. I was going, um, spin the Black Circle. And I was like, oh, he’s talking about records. Mm. Anyway, he’s talking about spinning crumpets this guy.

Leigh Chalker (12:59):
Yeah. Yeah. Hey, I’ll tell you what, that’d be a talent though. Spinning crumpets. Imagine 70,000 people rocking up to see some dude spin crumpets. I dunno how entertaining that would be. You’d probably have a mass walkout, but I’d go just for, you know, I saw some dude’s been trumpets, but, you know. Yeah. <laugh>, you know <laugh>. Yeah, mate, you keep calling yourself an idiot. I’ve got it tattooed on my left arm, dude. So just let, come on now. Don’t be too harsh of yourself. Alright. You know what?

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (13:24):
Yeah,

Leigh Chalker (13:25):
Yeah. I’m the dickhead that’s got it on, on my left arm. So funny

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (13:28):
Because I’ve got dickhead written on my right arm too. Yeah, yeah.

Leigh Chalker (13:33):
We can, we can n like against <laugh>, um, <laugh>, um, yeah, for anyone out there tonight too, um, there, there may be a few swear words here because it’s like, as being a guest, um, I am gonna try and be as authentic as I can. So I do apologise early on for, uh, uh, like, I’m not gonna cut sick, you know, like, but uh, if, you know, sometimes a joke just needs that little bit of an extra like, you know, cross the line. So it’s gonna have to be done.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (14:05):
Absolutely. Let’s do a quick, uh, check-in with the comments before we, uh, move on. Uh, Nick may, looking forward to some chatter from the conversational connoisseurs

Leigh Chalker (14:14):
Yeah, yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (14:15):
To myself for being able to say that without tripping on it. Uh, got you on, got you on while I work. Can’t wait. Awesome. Yeah, thanks. Si. Can’t wait for the conversation between Lee Lyle and Rob Chaka <laugh>, where our careers are fairly intertwined, but not that intertwined. Just she

Leigh Chalker (14:32):
Unbeliev. Yeah. Yeah. Actually Lee Lyle’s not too bad. Like Lee Lar, Lila, you know, like, I’d imagine someone yelling right out, you know.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (14:40):
Uh, Gary, congrats on the 50th. Well done. Thank you. Well, why am I saying thank you? It’s not me.

Leigh Chalker (14:45):
You can say thank

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (14:47):
You. I’ll take congratulations. Thanks.

Leigh Chalker (14:52):
Thank you, mate.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (14:54):
Thanks Kerry. Um, hi fellas. Dave, I miss you. How are you? Good evening gents. Pickle time.

Leigh Chalker (15:02):
Pickle time. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:03):
I don’t know what you’re up to over there, Pete. Uh, hello to Abstinence. The Minded Absence. He minded.

Leigh Chalker (15:11):
Absence minded.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:12):
Yeah. I’ll take it. Thank

Leigh Chalker (15:13):
You. Yeah. Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:15):
Legendary. Lee Chaka.

Leigh Chalker (15:17):
Oh, there’s me, mate. How are you bud?

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:20):
Uh, Lee’s been practising his answers throw him a ruddy curve ball are No, I

Leigh Chalker (15:25):
Haven’t, Nick, I, I’m telling you, I haven’t meant <laugh>. It’s a lie. Don’t look,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:32):
You take credit for that one so that we even it out. Um, episode is already amazing. Bloody hell. Alright, then. I slowed it down by Rick. Congratulations on the series Milestone. Hell yeah. Thank you

Leigh Chalker (15:45):
Very much, George.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:46):
Agreed. Appreciate that. Uh, Lee, you are dyslexic because that’s the sort of stuff I do.

Leigh Chalker (15:53):
Uh, could very well be, I dunno, <laugh>, I dunno,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (15:58):
Insane versus idiot. Oh, that’s the, uh, siz has a tattoo that says insane. Yeah. And then Rusty, of course gave us a, a half a percentage or whatever that is.

Leigh Chalker (16:09):
Yep. Yep.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (16:10):
Thank you. Thank you, rusty. Um, I’ll, alright, so <laugh>, I’m gonna use this as a, uh, is it a, where is it a when, but I wanna know, was there any in your family, your mom, your dad, um, cousins, anybody? Was there artists? Has anybody else, um, got that creative spark?

Leigh Chalker (16:36):
Um, well, not that I’m aware, not that I’m aware of on the Chalker side, but on the Macintosh side, which is my mom’s side, my mom’s handy. Um, she could have been really, really good. Um, but she, um, being a single mother for a lot of years, obviously had to donate her time into, um, raising me. And, uh, so she didn’t get a lot of practise to do things and push on, but she was always there when I was doing, uh, learning how to draw and, uh, was always encouraging me and stuff. I, I, I had plenty of encouragement when it came to artwork. I mean, she still does now to this day. Um, mm-Hmm. And, uh, she’s never, um, uh, she’s always, she, she always used to say that if I wasn’t drawing, um, for a period of time, there was something wrong. You know, like she could just tell that I was off.

(17:29)
Um, and she was usually right, um, like pretty much 90% of the time. But, um, my grandfather, Eric, um, my mom’s dad was actually the first artist that, um, I saw. And, um, he went to Papua New Guinea when he was about 17. He caught, he couldn’t enlist to go over there. They are mate, the mums are great, Nick. Um, he couldn’t enlist because he was too young to go to Papua New Guinea. And, um, he jumped on a, on a train with a group of blokes and, um, shot out to Mount Isa. Um, and, uh, at Mount Isa, I can’t remember the exact term, but let’s say it’s like the Army Reserve, you know, like, and, um, uh, when, when, um, it was full on coming, um, into Papua New Guinea, the war, um, they shipped him out and he stayed over there for three and a half years. He wouldn’t come back.

(18:30)
So all, I dunno why, but he came back, he left Eric Macintosh, Eric Charles Macintosh, and came back owners Duke. And you’d walk down the street and people would be like, duke. And he’d be like, you know, he never said much. I mean, I’m assuming now, you know, we know like all of the terminology and stuff now with the, um, PTSD and things like that. But, um, when he was over in Papua New Guinea, um, he spent a lot of time, um, charcoal drawing pilots, soldiers on pieces of paper and stuff like that. Um, he would make sculptures like my uncle Steven, um, actually has, my grandfather found a, uh, an American mosquito crashed in the jungle. And, um, he took a part of it and spent two or three years sculpting the part of this plane into the actual mosquito. It’s about this big, it’s still like my uncle Steven’s got it.

(19:31)
And he mounted it on a bullet so it pivots perfectly. Right. And that, that’s a family heirloom. And, um, and he painted, I don’t know where he got the paper from, but big sheets of paper. He loved aeroplanes . So every aircraft that he saw in Papua New Guinea, he would paint. So there were these huge, like deckels I guess, that he kept of like mosquitoes and, you know, like hurricanes and, you know, like B 50 twos and heaps of stuff. And, um, oh, there was more man. Like, there was so much more, and I didn’t know, um, that they existed. And, um, I was with my grandmother, man, I would’ve been maybe four or five. And, um, at that stage, mom was raising me by herself. And, uh, my grandmother used to look after me before I went to school. I was very close with my grandmother.

(20:33)
And, um, and yeah, she was, um, going through some stuff and, um, came across from memory, a suitcase or two full of this artwork. And I’d seen things like cartoons on TV and, um, you know, phantom and different things like in newspapers and stuff like that, and Flash Gordon in newspapers and things. Mm. But I’d never seen anything like this. And it was like my granddad’s fingerprints were on them from the charcoal and stuff like that. And, you know, like, and, um, and he never talked man. Like, he wouldn’t talk about anything. Uh, he was very quiet. He was grumpy. Um, but very fair, like if you, you know, um, um, and he had five kids, so obviously he coming back from the war, um, pushed off and had to raise kids, you know? Um, so he stopped his art. And, um, uh, they, they, they were amazing, man.

(21:36)
They were like, uh, without a doubt, they’re the pieces of artwork that, um, that I saw. And man, I was like, wow, like my granddad did this, you know, and he wouldn’t talk about it. He never talked to me about ’em for years. And it wasn’t until years later, um, when my grandma passed away and the rest of the family were out. They weren’t in Townsville, they were all over Australia and stuff, doing their varying things. So it was me and granddad sitting there one night waiting for the family to come in. You know, I’ve made all the phone calls. Granddad had glaucoma by that point, you know what I mean? Like, um, and, um, we’d never been really close. Like I was that scared of him. I used to get my grandmother to ask him if it was all right, if I could go and stand near him in the backyard, you know, like, um, and he loved birds, man.

(22:35)
He had averies of birds everywhere. Like, just loved me go out into the fields and, and like catch finches and stuff and bring them back and he’d like breed. And, you know, like, he is an awesome dude. And he worked on the Railroad man and had all these railroad building tools and built was one of the dudes building the bird and bridge. Like, man, he was really, you know, like in, um, yeah, he’s a pretty amazing dude. And, um, yeah. And that night for some particular reason, he just, um, I don’t know, he just opened up about what all the artwork was and he could, and, um, and the artwork wasn’t with us at the time. It had been divvied up and handed out and, you know, like other members of the family and stuff had, you know, got it. And, um, he was just remembering people’s names that he’d served, things that he’d seen, like, um, um, bombers dropping bombs into volcanoes so that they would erupt so the Japanese wouldn’t be able to come across the hills at that stage.

(23:42)
So Port Mosby could just get a couple of days of, and there were drawings of, um, um, this jetty that he did, and it was all of his mates, like they used to, you know, go, they only had their army gear, I guess, you know, really. And they were like swimming and stuff. And he used to do drawings, like sit back under the trees. He was actually the first person I ever saw with tattoos as well. Um, he had two ta, one tattoo here and another one there. One was a palm tree, um, like a sailor Jerry, if anyone knows, um, tattoos. Um, he was a Hawaiian, not Hawaiian, but he was an American that lived, like, went to Hawaii and did tattoos. And there you’d know ’em, a lot of sailors and stuff have them. Um, and, and I used to marvel at his tattoos as well.

(24:32)
And, um, he designed those and he had them like needled like, like, you know, into, you know, like, um, in a tribalistic, I guess, fashion into his arms. And, um, yeah, he was an interesting man. Um, a lot more to him. Um, but obviously, you know, as we get older and things, uh, you know, um, become, you become more aware of things, um, obviously suffered a lot. I mean, he stayed there three and a half years, um, came back as known as Duke. So I don’t know, <laugh>, you gotta be doing some stuff over there to do that. Um, and, and he did artwork while he was there, man, and brought it all back and as sculptures and that. So that was the first guy that I saw and just went, wow, you know, like, wow. And so straight after that, um, being an only child, any piece of paper, any pad I could find, you know, like that was like, I was trying to draw aeroplanes and, you know, like, and, and army men and drawing battles, you know, like on paper and, you know, like really trying to do things and showing him.

(25:38)
And, you know, you’d get mad, you know, <laugh> and I don’t, you know, like, ooh, you know, like it, and if for me it was like, try harder, okay. You know what I mean? Like, you know, spend another couple of days, grandma, grandpa. But, you know, I guess that, um, that was my prompt to start drawing. And, um, uh, with that, um, I, I don’t know, I just, um, I just kept drawing, man. Um, I felt a real comfort in it, uh, being an only child and stuff. And, uh, I was always, uh, I was always, I, I’ve always had friends, don’t get me wrong. Um, and I’ve always been in clubs and sport and stuff throughout my life, but, uh, I never really, how shall I say, I don’t wanna sound like a dickhead when I say this. I’ve never real, there’s not a lot of people in my life that I’ve ever clicked with.

(26:40)
Like a lot of, I have a very close knit, um, group of friends that, um, um, yeah, they’re, I call them my people, you know, like they’re the ones that, um, uh, I like people and I like talking to people with the people that I can sit down with and, um, talk about, you know, things. Um, yeah, they’re, they’re pretty few. So when there were those moments growing up, um, yeah, I was always drawing, um, encouraged too. Uh, I grew up with, um, two, my grandma, my mom, um, my granddad and two other aunts and two uncles, um, Steven and David and Donna and Janelle. And, um, I suppose when I was drawing, um, I was like their little brother, their pain in the bum. So it was like, they were quite happy for me to be off drawing while they were, uh, doing their things. So, um, I, yeah, I was, um, very much left to my own devices and encouraged and found comfort in it, man. Um, which I think is still prevalent today. So, uh,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (27:54):
That’s why <crosstalk>, I had, uh, both my, both my grandfathers. So one was a, a full on painter would paint landscapes and whatever. He was really quite good. Um, but he wasn’t, he was a pretty shit person. Um, and I thought for, for a spell that, that’s where I got it from, um, that that’s where I got being a shit person from. Uh, that’s where I got art from. Um, but then on the flip, uh, my mom’s dad, um, and he’s, he was a dude that was, was in the war, uh, in, uh, in the Dutch army and stuff. Um, he, he came to Australia, he was a printer. Um, and so he did everything like the old school printing was, you had, uh, bits of metal on pieces of wood, and you would literally have to get, you know, you wanted to spell your name, you had to get, get the L and then get the E and then get the I and get the g get the h line ’em all up and, you know, and put whole letters to like a whole paragraphs of stuff Yeah.

(28:57)
That he’s doing. Um, and so when I first drew something in front of him, like he was, it was so not his, his vi his zone, um, but he worked in the printed image. And so he, he was kind of like taken aback that I was doing it with pens, if you know what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. Like, he would sit down and he would watch me and he, you know, and I’d notice him and stop and he’d say, no, no, keep going. And, um, then he started, uh, he would, and I took it for granted as a kid, but now I just think how amazing it was, he would get these, um, part of his printing was he would make pads, like, uh, pads of paper. Yeah. And so he would guillotine ’em to these, you know, huge nice a two sheets, glue ’em with the glue and bind them all and stuff, and gimme these huge drawing pads. And I’ve still got like three or four of ’em filled with drawings from when I was a kid. Um, yeah. Yeah. And just, yeah, like hundreds, like this thick, like my mom would tell me to put them away because she’d hurt her back lifting them <laugh>.

(30:04)
Yeah. And I remember, like, my uncle, um, my uncle was a singer during the Vietnam War, um, that was like, he went, he would go from bass to bass on fucking tomahawk helicopters and do cabaret singing for the troops. Um, you know, they’re hoping for Marilyn Monroe to jump out and instead, it’s my uncle going if

Leigh Chalker (30:27):
<laugh>. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (30:30):
My dad didn’t have to go ’cause he had, uh, pimples on his back. Uh, so having a backpack on would’ve ruptured these pimples. And so when I was a teenager and I had pimples on my back, I was like, well, yeah, that’s where, as much as like, I’m never taking my T-shirt off, this is so embarrassing. But if a wall breaks out, I’m s Yeah. Yeah.

Leigh Chalker (30:50):
Oh, dude, I, I understand the, the, the acne thing. I had terrible acne when I was, um, uh, in my teenage years, man. Like, um, like really, really bad. Um, to the point where like my parents, um, took me to like skin specialists and stuff like that. And I was very, yeah, right. Um, I was very self-conscious of it, man. Like, um, very much so. Like, uh, lost a lot of confidence with it. Um, mm. And probably wasn’t until I was about 17 or 18 that I actually sort of started not to get <laugh>, you know, like cleared up as they say. You know what I mean? Yeah. Um, acne is part of the creative path. There you go, George. You know, when you get those pimples, George, you know, like Yeah. It’s like,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (31:45):
Yeah. <laugh>. Yeah.

Leigh Chalker (31:47):
It’s nice. Thank you, Susan. Good on you, mate. Appreciate that. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (31:51):
Well, speaking of acne and teenage whatevers, I mean, I don’t know exactly when this took place, but you’ll tell me, um, let’s talk music for a sec. Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You, you play in music. Um, we’ve talked briefly, um, mainly when we first met and we both realised we had spent time in bands, did we sort of, uh, talk to each other about it. Um, and we’ve been like hanging out now, uh, thanks to Shane putting this whole shindi together since 2019 or something. It’s like five years. It’s

Leigh Chalker (32:22):
Yeah. Yeah. Long time.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (32:22):
Ridiculous. Um, so yeah, tell us about music, um, and a few things. And also like, did you, um, did you foresee slash hope that it would be a career at

Leigh Chalker (32:38):
Some point? All right, let’s, this, this is all tied in, so, yeah. Yeah. Um, music hugely important to me. Um, even, hello, Ben, two champs outta Good to hear your story this time, Lee. Thanks, mate. Good on you, Ben. Um, I grew up, uh, in 19 72, 19 73, my mom and dad met and they were like 18 years old. And, uh, dad came from Gunda guy and was a hell of a footballer. This will all work into the music. You’ll, you’ll get it. And, um, yeah. Um, because there’s a point where the music becomes very prevalent and, um, and, um, dad got injured. He was actually going to be signed to the Manly Waringa Sea Eagles at the time in the NRL back in the, uh, very early seventies. And that he was like a 16, 17-year-old rugby league prodigy, apparently. And they were hunting him. But, um, dad liked to drink, uh, as did all of the Chalkers.

(33:36)
So you, uh, <laugh> can, uh, there’s, there’s a, there’s a, a rhythm there. Um, and, uh, uh, we were very good at it. And, um, so dad got injured and, um, uh, was gonna spend a quite a lot of time back in those days, um, recovering. So the contract and stuff got pulled and he couldn’t go. So he wanted to get out a gun to Guy, which was a small town. So he decided to join the Army. ’cause um, most small town guys, you know, he did a few other jobs and things, you know, he worked in a bank, didn’t dig it, but Dad always had a thing for Army men. Like, even when I was young, he was always like, army magazines. Uh, you know, like he just, he loved it, you know, like that was a lifestyle for him that he enjoyed. So he moved up to Townsville.

(34:17)
’cause we’ve got Rack Barracks, which is like the, the, the biggest, you know, infantry base in Australia. And, um, might have changed now, but I think it still is. And, um, uh, he met my mother, um, at the Allen Hotel. And my mother’s story is they, dad was singing, dancing on a bar, and, um, and she just looked at that dude and went, oh, you know, look at that man. You know, and they sang the, the, the night away together. And I guess, you know, like, um, you know, chemistry sort of happened. So Dad, about three months later was getting deployed to Singapore. Um, for whatever reason it was the, the Vietnam War was just on the tail end, I think, of things. But Dad didn’t get there. He went to Singapore. So mum decided to, basically, I’m going with him. And, uh, they, at 18 and 19, 17, 18 sort of thing, went to Singapore and they spent two, three years over there.

(35:22)
Now, when they were in Singapore, um, it was not like Singapore is now, there were, I’ve got photos of like, like, yeah, very, very different. Um, and, uh, they would spend nights with their friends, you know, singing and drinking and always singing music was very, um, uh, integral. And, um, there used to be, um, army Radio, and dad used to sit down, um, dad bought himself this big, um, machine, which was like a, a, not, I can’t, a film reel. Um, like, you know, you’d tap these things, you flip ’em open, put it down, wind it around this thing. And like, like, so he recorded man so much stuff, right there were like 30 or 40, like six hour reels of music that he recorded from the Army Radio and Records, man. Just unbelievable amount of records. So by the time I came back and they’re living in, um, Australia and Townsville every Saturday and Sunday was music, like, it was, the real player was going like, you know, like records were on, there was never any moment without music.

(36:40)
And the music was like, everything from like Marty Roberts through to like the real early thirties, forties, jazz, sort of like that beat Boppy sort of stuff. Um, oh, Frank Sinatra, credence Black Sabbath, you know, like, um, but the one, I remember the first song that I remember going like, <inaudible>, you know, who is that? And it was like, wow. You know, you know, yeah man, you know, you get that, you know. And, uh, it was David Bowie and it was Starman. And um, and that’s the first song that Wow. Right. That’s unreal. I love it. So I went on this, I guess I used to, man, I got into after David Bowie and like, I was in the Black Sabbath and like, credence and like, there was just so much stuff. Like I was just gouging, you know? And, um, and at that stage I was reading a lot of comics, ’cause dad collected comics too, so that was, in my mind, I was still drawing and stuff, but music and I draw, and music was going, it still does to this day.

(37:47)
Like always music. Always music. And, um, um, so then I got to, or maybe about seven or eight, and, um, mum and dad were back together at this stage, and they both realised that maybe I had a thing for music. Mm-Hmm. So they sent me to, um, a classic p classical piano, um, teacher. And I, I, um, I learned that for about three years, I guess, till I was about 10 or 11. Um, to the point where like, I can read music and I, I used to be able to, I can’t anymore. But, um, still listening to music at the time, back in those days, um, I don’t know, I, I, I was caught, man, between music and drawing, you know, and art. Um, so I didn’t really give a hundred percent to either one, you know? And, um, and then I guess my dad was very sporty, so dad was very much like, come on, you know, join a cricket team.

(38:55)
Join a rugby league team, you’ve gotta go swimming. So I used to swim during this time too, man. I got trained by like Ian Finlay and Glen Buchanan, and, um, and they were proteges of Laurie Lawrence. And, um, yeah, like I was very busy at this stage growing up. And, um, um, so sport, music, drawing, you know, school comics, like, I didn’t really have much of a life to decide what I wanted to do. Um, I was at like a melting pot, so the piano lessons disappeared. Um, you know, I used to have a piano in the house, man. I used to sit there and play piano to mom and dad’s, you know, like, um, learning and shit and singing and that. And um, and um, so I, I guess I just, I didn’t stop listening to music, but, um, I focused more on drawing ’cause it relaxed me in comic books and things.

(39:47)
And, um, I was very heavy into sport. My dad wanted me to be, this is, it’ll make sense at the end, but my dad was probably very, um, uh, God loved my dad, um, but very, how shall I say this politely, never really allowed me to make a choice on what I wanted to do. He pushed in the direction he wanted me to go, which I think was something that, uh, possibly, um, he had a loss of when he was a child and couldn’t get somewhere, you know what I mean? Um, so I felt a lot of pressure to do things that I wasn’t really sure of. Um, so I stopped listening to music and, um, uh, stopped playing music. But then I started listening to more music, and I discovered my own music, like through my uncles, you know, like a lot of early Australian music.

(40:52)
I fell in love with, like the cure, REM uh, around that late eighties period, I fell in love with English music. So I was a massive, like Stone Roses fan. Um, um, happy Mondays. Um, and then that went into like, the verve and suede and like the wonder stuff, and they do, they do George indeed. And, um, and I just started, wow. You know, like, this is a whole, you know, and we do it now, but like, my, my mom and my mom loved a lot of the music I was listening to. My dad was like, what is that? It’s awful. It’s not like they used to make it at my day. You know what I mean? And the worst part is I always thought to myself, I’ll never be like that. And you know, now I sit there talking to mate, what’s this shit I wouldn’t listen to?

(41:39)
You know, come on, slap, slap, and you know, like the weird head science. And, um, um, so I was really drawing and creating, I was learning to paint and I was doing lots of things and playing sport. And, um, fast forward through all of this, um, in school, in high school, um, I was very close mates with a couple of, um, other guys that didn’t quite fit into everything as well. Um, Chris Cru and Michael Plata. And Michael Plata is a successful musician now. He tours and stuff, um, around the place, man. And, uh, I do album covers for him, for his charity record label. Um, what colour is Sound he puts the money he makes into, um, uh, charities for like saving animals and stuff like that, which I’m more than happy to do. And I’m, you know, and basically, I remember the first day, um, he learned guitar lessons and we used to sit in grade 10, and, you know, like, we’d be like, we should start a band.

(42:37)
You know what I mean? Like, you know how it is. And like, and we’re like, yeah, start a band. I don’t know how to play anything. And Bright Crew was like, I don’t know how to play anything. And Michael’s like, I can play a chord, man. You know? So we used to like, sit in my mom’s house and plug this electric guitar into the stereo, like mic input and yeah, <laugh> man, like blowing speakers everywhere. None of us could sing. None of us could write lyrics. We had no idea. We would just feedback cranking things, stepping on pedals. We were reading books like la you know, like, we didn’t even know that microphones existed. We had no idea there was a pa you know, we had no idea, man. And we did this for, and, um, and we suddenly realised when we left school, like, you know, like, why don’t we have some fun, you know, doing this?

(43:33)
We’re not getting too bad. And, um, I, I wasn’t playing an instrument at the time, but we were playing, uh, like punk pop, sort of rock and roll music. And, um, I never really considered it, but they started getting really like, good. And, um, and then I started writing songs, singing with Michael and Chris and that, and we’d spend like hours together, man, for years that, you know, we would like just, you know, those moments, man, you’ve been there. And, um, and there was something magical about, you know, like, um, just creating noise and sounds and, and how we’d talk to each other was like, you know, it needs to be like water, or you need to do that, or bring this back in here that, you know, bring that cord in, you know, like, you know, and doing stuff. And, um, and I think that really started kicking like things into gear for me.

(44:34)
You know, like you can create, you know, stuff, um, not just by yourself, but with people which came back to me years later with you, you know? And, uh, uh, and then we got together and we started playing some gigs and we started going, all right, you know, like, and people were like, Hey, you know, like, you guys aren’t too bad. And we were like, oh yeah, okay, cool. And you know, I remember our first gig, man, like, we rolled in like, ha it was a free, as as that what they call the James Cook Blues Bar. And it was this real seedy bar on the main nightclub strip of Townsville, and it’s not there anymore. And, um, uh, it’s now like, you know, some Brazilian fucking, you know, I have to, you know, I dunno, you know, some Chico, fuck, I don’t know, you know, you get your nachos or whatever, man, but some upper toosh, you know, posh thing.

(45:26)
But it used to be this seedy thing first night I’ve walked in there, you know, like, and we’re all in like, man, this is Townsville, right? Army, Garrison Town. Dudes walking around with mullets and like double, like, not just double plug as bud, but you know, like, there’s like no shit. There’s like bread, you know, like fucking clips holding people’s thongs together and the fourex stubbies that, you know, oh mate, like <laugh>, like it was wild Lands, man. And we rolled in there wearing bell bottoms and fucking hair down to our belts and shit like that, you know? And these dudes are like, looking at us and we’re like, what the hell are we doing? We played a gig here. We were already think we’re a band, you know? And like, we got hammered within half hour, man, of like, like, seriously, we just had about 10 beers each got up and, um, played this gig in front of like, I don’t know, man, 10 people at the time.

(46:14)
And, um, some dude down the back shooting up in one of the booths that went on the nod, you know what I mean? Like, it was a real seedy joint. And, um, and that was it. Boom. We were like, oh, yeah, that was cool. And, um, so we progressed and got a lot better. Um, and when I was 20, just turned 21, we had some gigs coming up that were really big man, you know? And, um, like big, like a couple of hundred people playing with other bands, you know, and getting into the uni for the first time and stuff, which was big if you get into the uni, you know what I mean, at the time, you know, like, you know, like, we’re rocking now. Yeah. And, uh, yeah. And, um, I know, yeah, yeah, you, you’re picking up what I’m putting down and um, and oh, cocky is all fucked, man, you know, like, yeah.

(47:07)
You know, like, you, you get to that point, mate, you know? And, um, and it’s silly, but you do. And, um, um, we had this, um, the weekend before. It was a Saturday night, we all went to this party, and it was out at Bushland Beach. And, um, we were all there together, and I got hammered and we all did. It was, it was a big party, you know, as kids do and stuff. And, um, I remember not feeling great this night, man. Like, I was off. And, um, we used to cruise around in this Ute and, um, two cars, but one of ’em was a Ute, you know? And, um, I remember going out by myself, man, having a cigarette laying down in the back of this ute. And, um, I remember being under a full moon, and I was by myself in the street, and it felt really strange, man.

(47:55)
I didn’t want to be at the party, uh, didn’t wanna be around anyone and stuff. And it was before mobile phones, you know? And, um, and yeah, and it was a strange feeling. And, um, I just sat there for a long time and lost in my thoughts about music and what I wanted to do. And I wasn’t sure and just didn’t feel, felt lost and, um, felt lost when I should have been feeling united with these guys, you know? And, um, anyway, I must have fallen asleep and come out the next, you know, and they’d come out the next morning, we’re going home, what the fuck? Having to you last night, you know? I don’t know, you know, I just, it wasn’t, you know, into it went home bit off and the guys knew like we were tight. And, um, that Monday they all rolled over.

(48:46)
I was living with my uncle at the time. Um, mom had moved to Brisbane, and there’s a whole other story in between that, but we’re just on the music phase and, um, Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And they said, come on man, there’s something wrong with you. Let’s go and play. And, um, I was like, yeah, yeah. Alright. And man, we went to our jam space, which was in this youth hall. Um, oh man, it’s what the centre of Townsville is now. But when I was growing up, the centre of Townsville was, man, it was bad. Like, it was, you know, there’s people passed out on streets, vomiting, blood, like it, you know, like, it just, it’s the one of the worst places you could have imagined back in like the like 93, 9, 4, 9, 5, 6 period. And, um, if you could grow up there and not get a punch in the mouth, man, you could go anywhere and not get a punch in the mouth, you know?

(49:39)
And, um, we had the best jam ever. It’s amazing. All these songs came together. It was magic. It was fucking magic. It was the first time in my life that I had that musical boom, you know, like, just, wow. Like, and we all were buzzing. And I came and we left, and, um, hyped as hell, man. And I got back to my uncles and we all walked in there, all GED up, and, um, and my uncle Steven met us at the door and just said, you three go. And I was like, oh, fuck, what have I done? You know, I’m thinking, have I left fucking, you know, have I left a bag of weed out? Have I fucking done? So, you know, <laugh>, I didn’t know what was going on. Fucking natural punk man, you know, and Steven just boom. And these other dudes like, were like, what?

(50:32)
What? And he’s like, get fuck out. You gotta go now. Fuck off. You’ll understand later, Lee. Sit down inside. And I was like, whoa, okay. This is heavy. So anyway, um, I walked inside and, um, that was the night that I’d found out that my father had died, uh, four nights before when I was feeling off and, uh, sitting by myself in the back of the ute. And, um, I don’t know, there was some energy. And I, at the time, that’s, I think where I think, um, looking back on it, because I’ve had a lot of reflection time in the last 18 months, two years, um, that was probably the first time I recognised that there was energy between people and oneness as it would be called now. But I wasn’t able to articulate it at the time. I didn’t know, you know, I knew dad was going through something, but I didn’t understand the link or what was happening, you know?

(51:28)
And, um, that was a heavy night. And, um, the next day the dudes came back and they were like, Steven, you know, Steven’s like, no, it’s cool, man. Take him. You know, like, he needs to get out. And, uh, we went back to the jam space and we stayed there, man, for like, fuck, all day, most of the night, and just played and played and played, man. And the singing stopped being singing and it became like screaming, wailing, like howling and, um, release. And in that way we transformed into something new as musicians. So from that point on, I always associated music with a release for me. Um, people that used to see us live, if they saw us. Um, I used to always be wet, like there were buckets of water poured on me and, you know, like just from energy, and same with the other guys.

(52:33)
We always used to like, and it was energy, not so much bouncing and jumping and that, but just a lot of, you know, talking into it, you know, like just like on stage counting ins, just lots of stuff. And, um, all energy based men and, um, a, a great release. And, um, I did that for many years. And when we all decided to go our different paths for different reasons, you know, everyone has their own path at different points, you know, um, there was, it was a real sense of loss. Um, so I had to put it into something else. And at that stage, Susan, whose, um, name came up before, um, uh, uh, Susan and I, um, were partners for 15 years, and it was pretty early on when everything sort of split up for a bit with the band and that. And, um, I think I turned my energy to other music, but I started to come back to drawing, and I started to have those moments of like, you know what, I’m gonna sit down and I’m gonna just, and I was just drawing shit, man.

(53:49)
I wasn’t even drawing anything specific, you know, like I was trying to draw a norm, brave Fogle, Batman. I was trying to draw, you know, like Todd nfa and Spider-Man, I was just, just fit. So it was there, it was starting to come back, you know, I was drawing ghost writer, like ex, um, t era and stuff, you know, and it was all coming back to me, and I started reading comics again, but still playing music. And the music was important, but the, the comic books started to filter back in and the artwork, so they sort of became incorporated again, and I’d given up on sport at the time. And, um, um, yeah, and just creativity was the thing that got me through that. And creativity, that is not the only time in my life. The creativity has got me through. And, um, uh, would say probably some of the best people I’ve ever met and greatest moments were in those dark spaces playing music with those dudes, man, you know?

(54:57)
And, um, and the comradery with them still to this day. We may not talk to each other for a few years, but you know what I mean? Like, when we speak to each other, there’s, there’s no loss. It’s like, you know, what does he want with me? You know what I mean? Like, it’s like, oh, yeah. You know, like bang bang and, you know, talk and like, it’s whatever they need, I’ll give and, you know, like vice versa. So it was really special man period. Um, so yeah, music’s very important, and it still is to this day for me. Um, I can, you know, songs bring me back to things and, uh, good bad, particularly Pearl Jam, you know what I mean? Uh, like there’s more, there’s more music that I listen to than Pearl Jam, but, um, um, there’s something about, you know what I’m talking about, there’s something about that fuck Aveta man that can just like strike, you know, with different songs and things like that, man. So, you know, like, yeah. Yeah. Music’s been hugely important still to this day, so. Absolutely. Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (55:57):
Yeah. Well, I had a whole heap of follow up. Um, but I, I also don’t want to like, you know, I don’t want to keep piling it on ’cause you know, we got heavy, so let’s get light and we’ll get ahead again,

Leigh Chalker (56:13):
Mate. You hit me with whatever you want. Bey.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (56:16):
Well, uh, well, all right, well, we we’re just two mates talking. Um, yeah, because like, I, ’cause it’s, it’s funny when you said you sat outside the, the gig and, and, and something felt off. Um, and I thought you were telling the story about how the band went away. Um, and I was like, holy shit, because, you know, my band, uh, same thing. Um, I had to go outside and I sat on a bench and I, I felt weird. Um, and then a couple sentences later I realised you’ve told me that story, uh, you know, holy shit, you know? Um, it’s not like my story at all. Um, although, yeah, I mean, and it’s not, but my, uh, bench moment of, uh, feeling off, it was actually my dad who uncharacteristically, well, not really, but like, he would come to shows and it was, it was late, so he would then bail the moment our last chord hit.

(57:22)
Um, he would always do this thing where he came up and he shook the drummer’s hand. He fucking loved, um, the drummer in my band, and then in my brother’s band, I think he just loved drummers, but he’d always go, oh, excellent show to the drummer. Um, but yeah, he came out and he sat next to me and, and he was just quiet for a minute, and then he was like, what’s going on? Um, and I thought, that’s where we’re going. And, but obviously not. Um, fuck. Um, yeah, I, I, uh, I feel like, um, you might be the same. There’s a misconception I think when you play music and you’re in a band and you think we’re good, you know, um, that you want to be famous. Mm-Hmm, <affirmative>. Um, and I think it’s, it’s much the same as telling stories in comic books. Like, uh, you just want people to, you want, you want to be able to create more. So you seek these opportunities and, and, um, in music, you want to be able to play shows to people who want to listen. Um, it’s not the, it’s not the fame you’re after. It’s, um, I don’t know. Is is it douchey to say people appreciating your, your art or something? Um,

Leigh Chalker (58:33):
Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (58:34):
Am I, am I making a point in

Leigh Chalker (58:35):
There? It, man, you know, like, um, yeah, I, I, look, I, I think we’d both be fib and if we said there wasn’t thoughts of, you know, oh, you know, we could go somewhere, you know what I mean? Like, oh,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (58:50):
Absolutely.

Leigh Chalker (58:51):
You know, you, you know, there, there is that, um, and you do have those things, but at the end of the day, um, to agree with what you’re saying, like much like, you know, you get a comic book out and it’s beautiful, but the beauty of it is in the creation when you buy yourself and you’re doing it. Same with music, it’s lovely to play in front of other people. So other people can, you know, wow, they put some work in or those songs are great, but there’s a certain thing that happens between a couple of blokes, you know, like, or you know, members. I don’t wanna just single it, single out, you know, like, um, you know, men from women and that sort of thing. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. That there’s a magic in that too, man. And probably some of the best creativity you’re doing is actually not in front of anyone else.

(59:40)
It’s not because you’re shy, it’s just because there’s just, you know, you would’ve had those jam songs that are two and a half minutes that suddenly become 20, and you’re just sitting there looking at each other, like, the fuck is that? Are we the best fan ever? Yeah. Like, you know, you know, like, yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, no, I, I don’t think, maybe when I was younger, um, I don’t know, man. I’ve never, I’ve, I’ve had an ego, you gotta, fucking hell have, I had an ego. Um, so I can’t say I never have, but I think there’s a different, I think you need an ego to have drive to want to do something when your ego is bad. It’s when, um, it eclipses any consideration or any thought, compassion or kindness for anyone within your spectrum. Do you know what I mean? Like, your friends, your, I don’t have to listen to that.

(01:00:43)
I know what I’m doing. I’m top shit like, da, da, da. When you start getting to that, fuck man, you need to come down and peg real fucking quick because it’s all gonna go tits up, you know, if you want to carry on like that. And I, to a certain extent, like when I was younger, I was very lucky to have Susan, who was someone that would fucking kindly like, always pull your head in. Um, my uncle Steven, um, who was like, my dad really was another one that was just like, oy, you are being a dickhead man. You know, like, reel it in. So, um, as I’ve gotten older, I mean, everyone out there has seen that. Yeah, man, when I was drinking and stuff, I used to have an ego at different times, like, for sure. And sometimes very fucking obnoxious, you know?

(01:01:29)
Um, um, but I do, uh, I very, very often question my intent now as to what my actions are or why I say things to people. Like, I don’t, I think on things a lot, some I’m wrong, you know, like a lot of the times, you know, <laugh>, everyone’s wrong. But, um, I do ask, I do question my intent. Like, I’m not out to like, deliberately hurt people or anything, you know what I mean? So even doing Chinwag, man, you know, like once a week before the shows, you know what I mean? I always like, am I doing this for the right reasons, man? You know, like I just, I like to keep myself grounded, you know, like to a certain extent. Um, um, but I also understand that to get to the, we, you gotta have a little bit of me, you know what I mean? Like, so that’s that I try and keep ego in check. So yeah. I’m with you, man, about the, the creativity. And pull your head in Lee. Thank you, Susan. I’ve heard that before, many times over the years. <laugh>,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:02:33):
Um, Susan has an, has a quite another quite interesting comment that, um, we will be getting, getting to for sure. Um, no, I guess, um, uh, yeah, uh, funnily enough, I filled in for you on the episode, uh, with Tim McKewan, and he blew my mind somewhere in the, you know, in the, the three quarter mark of the show, um, saying that sometimes as creatives, we want permission to create. And I feel like the, yeah, when I say, uh, when I, you know, you were saying, I think, you know, in a band we’re sort of like, we could do something with this. Um, totally agree. But I, I think the f the fame is like a, a w was permission, was, was a permission that I was seeking to remove work commitments and things like that. Like, I don’t, I don’t want, I didn’t never wanted to walk down the street and have people going, ah, trying to touch me, like Justin Bieber.

(01:03:32)
Um, I just wanted to be able to play music, uh, in, not in support of bands, not playing to someone else’s audience, but, um, you know, going to play to a full house people there to see you. Yeah. And not you, you, the, the art you have created, you know? Mm-Hmm. Um, uh, yeah, A few, lots of things I want to touch on. Um, uh, alcoholism has come up, uh, once or twice. Yeah. And it’s something I am quite ignorant about. Um, I, uh, my mom, I think, well, my mom and, and dad, there’s some craziness, but that my dad in particular, very levelheaded. Um, uh, and I have that for the most part. And particularly in my twenties, I’d loved to get drunk all the time, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, binge drinking, like you wouldn’t believe. Um, but I always, there was something in, in a couple of my friends where they had a switch that flicked, um, where they would lose control, uh, and whatever.

(01:04:45)
I would just think that I was way funnier. So I, like, I would tell five times as many jokes, I would perhaps get a bit braver, um, to talk to ladies or whatever. Um, and even at my most drunkest I was still quite aware, um, and as I got older, um, uh, drinking, binge drinking like that was affecting my creating on the following days, because I’m getting older, and it would be, it was getting harder to just fucking get over a hangover. And so I started having to question, you know, if I really want to get, do, do, do done on Saturday, I can’t really be drinking on Friday. And, um, and so as much as some of my buddies even still will be like, oh, you’re soft cock. Why aren’t you drinking beers? And it’s like, oh, ’cause I want to draw sluggish tomorrow. You know? Um, and

Leigh Chalker (01:05:37):
How toxic masculinity may they <laugh>. Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:05:42):
Uh, so, so I don’t want to like, you know, you give us the history on everything, but, but my main question, um, was how did, uh, how did it feel? How does it feel creating with that monkey on your back and then creating with that monkey off your back?

Leigh Chalker (01:06:04):
I was very well aware when I was younger that my dad and family, um, were, um, had alcoholism in them because the time that I was with dad, uh, he was sober, and, um, he was a good dad. And, um, when he fell off the waggon, that was it. Like, mom packed me up out, and I didn’t understand why the sudden change, but she just said, you have to trust me here. You know what I mean? Like, let’s rock and roll and fuck, mate. Over the next three or four years, I saw someone that I saw as the highest echelon of man, your father. Just man, fuck. Unreal mate. Like, and I was very well aware of it. And, um, he died, and about a month later, my grandma died. And, um, and my dog died all in the space of about three and a half, four weeks.

(01:06:55)
And I grew up in a family where I don’t, I don’t blame them for this, but it was just the times. And, um, I, when, when I’d cry, members of your family would be like, stop it, or I’ll give you something to cry about. So you’d bottle it. And when you’d be laugh and people would say, shut up, I don’t need to hear you laughing. ’cause you know, I’ve got a pretty well laugh, you know? And, um, um, and I dealt with a lot of that. Um, and so I never communicated much. Uh, I remember mem friends in, in bands also used to say at times, um, I never used to drink, like, I’m pretty sure, like occasionally like yourself on weekends. And that, that there was a lot of no, you know, um, when Susan and I first started going out when I was younger, and, um, you know, there were good times, but there wasn’t, you know, and, and I didn’t communicate.

(01:07:55)
And, um, I think I was about 24 and our dog passed away, and I was really close to this dog. Um, fuck man. It shattered me. And suddenly, like, everything just started flooding out, and I started drinking, and, um, and I had a lid on it, and I didn’t, and I went through periods of sobriety and I didn’t, and I was smoking a lot of pot as well, so I’d measure it in between. I’ll just stay on, you know, you know, you’d just dumb shit not knowing how to communicate, just being, you know, just fucking, um, growing up in a, in a really strict Catholic family as, um, as you’re aware, um, you know, they have some pretty strict rules about, um, you know, you can’t talk about that unless you go to confession. Okay, well, I wanna go to confession now. We’ll go in a couple of months.

(01:08:57)
Oh, fuck, <laugh>. You know what I mean? Like, it’s like, fuck, you know, like it’s, I don’t get it, man. You know, like, and your, your brain’s just overworking as a kid and overthinking and, um, I, I couldn’t, I couldn’t articulate, man. I couldn’t, I just wasn’t emotionally, um, mature enough to understand. I didn’t have people I could talk to about this. Everyone that I had in my life at the time were all very similar type people, um, that, you know, fucking just didn’t talk. And, um, slowly over the time, um, just drinking became something where I found I could start talking with and communicating and being comfortable with people and something, you know? And then it just continued on over the years. And, um, that played a massive role in, um, Susan and my breakdown, it was my drinking, um, a hundred percent. I’m fucking a hundred percent the blame for that. Um, I, I just, I just fucked, man. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know how to, like, I just, no, I, I don’t have a drinking problem. I can deal with it. I’d have periods off, man, you know, like two, three months, six weeks a month. But then when I came back, dude, it was like fucking two cartons of beer in one day. You know what I mean? Just pummelled like, see you later. Mm.

(01:10:29)
Um, and I used to draw and I felt comfort in drawing, but I could never be where I wanted to be drawing. And I knew I had to stop drinking, but I was playing in bands, and it was all that toxic masculinity and, you know, like, fuck, every, everywhere you went was drinking. And, you know, if you’re not drinking, there’s something wrong with you. And, you know, you give the peer pressure and, and you wanna stop. But to stop, I’d have to pull away from my friends, because that was what our whole bond was. And I couldn’t do it because I needed them, because I’d lost heaps, and I wanna lose more. And that’s something I’ve realised, um, in the last 18 months, is, um, uh, something that I’ve had to work on in myself, and I’m still not good at it, is, um, is losing people, um, through death or leaving, or suicide, lots of things, you know? Um, and I have a healthier way of dealing with it now, but I always, I didn’t always, um, and it did intrude crude immensely on my artwork, and I fucking hate myself for it, because, um,

(01:11:58)
I could have been better, you know? Um, all of that time, you know, it, fuck, it takes a lot of time to be a drunks, bessy, you know what I mean? Mm-Hmm. Like time, so much time wasted, man. And it could have been so much better spent, you know, like doing something productive, being a better partner, being a better fucking person, mate. You know what I mean? Um, just treating people better, having more self awareness, um, not fucking up. And like, fuck it, I’m gonna go and have 20 beers. I forget about it tomorrow. You know what I mean? Um, yeah, it was, um, yeah, it wasn’t cool. Um, something I’m deeply ashamed about, but, um, I, that’s my life. Uh, that’s what it is. Um, I talk about it openly because, um,

(01:12:49)
I can’t tell other people what to do. That’s not, I don’t want to control anyone’s thoughts or how they live their life. That’s something I definitely don’t want to do. But, um, if I can put myself out there, uh, and let someone, what I’m talking about is not directed at anyone specifically, but if something that I’m talking about may trigger something in their mind, or, or maybe give them a little bit of a buzz of like, you know, fuck, you know, I do a bit too much of that, or I think about that. You know what I mean? Like, you know, like, um, I would, I would gently challenge anyone that has those thoughts to what are your intentions? You know, like, why there’s something lurking there, there’s a reason why you’re hiding it, you know, like, and that’s, um,

(01:13:50)
And that’s, and the scariest thing to do is to go within and try and work out what the fucking damage damages, um, because we all overlook it. Um, and there’s something, there’s, there was always something in me like, I’m <laugh>, you know, like, um, I was always, I still am damaged, but better ways of dealing with it. There’s better coping mechanisms. Um, if you feel like you have a drinking problem that you don’t want to announce it to the world, try giving yourself 28 days without drinking, you know, that just give yourself four weeks off. See how you go with four weeks. You’ll know the answer after that. You know what I mean? Like, that’s, that’s all I’d say to people. But I’m not a preacher about it. I can tell you that it’s, um, sobriety now where I am, uh, is something I will never turn my back on. There’s no fucking way, uh, that I will ever go back to drinking, man. Like, no way, if I, in a, if I find myself in an uncomfortable position where, you know, I can’t, obviously I can’t stop people from drinking and, you know, doing drugs and those sorts of things, but, um, if I find myself in an uncomfortable position, I’m more than happy to stand up and walk out and leave. I don’t have to give an explanation, man. You know what I mean? Um, and that’s just what I’ve sort of gotten to, um, in terms of the creative side of things. I think it became really apparent to me when

(01:15:28)
Issue four of Battle for Bustle was coming out in 2021. And, uh, and fucking shit was bad and bad. I was, had bad relationships with people. Um, I just wasn’t handling myself right in scenarios and shit. And, um, and I would say I, I’ve never <laugh>, there we go. Um,

(01:16:07)
I was drinking probably 20 beers a day and working full time <laugh>. That was just on, you know, that was during my working weeks, smoking, like probably five, six joints a day, passing out, getting up, going to work, you know, barely living, man. How the fuck are you expected to feel or know who you are? Like that, you know, at the time it was just a horrible cycle. Just things that I had to deal with. I was in situations that I now realise I didn’t want to be in, but I was in, and I couldn’t get a way out. And it was fucked because I couldn’t communicate how I felt, like just cycles, man, awful cycles, you know? And, um, um, and I just kept digging that hole deeper. And, um, for myself, and I, I thank the person who assisted me with issue four. Um, for many reasons.

(01:17:09)
I do thank them, um, because it never would’ve happened, because I don’t remember doing any of the artwork. I, it’s there, you know, like it’s there. Uh, and it’s a printed comic book, and it’s there. I have no fucking idea what I was thinking. I had ideas going through my head that made no fucking sense. Um, that to me, in the theatres of my mind were like, fuck. And yeah. You know what I mean? Like, woo. You know? Like, yeah. But in reality it was like, fucking what, mate, you know what I <laugh> like, what are you doing, idiot? You know, and just redraw and pages like, I’ve got fucking man, it’s like a 28 page comic book, man. There must be like 60 fucking pages drawn. You know, like, you know, like, you, you’re not, fuck, you know? Like, that ain’t normal, I don’t think. Um, um, it’s amazing that lived that comic book. Um, so that was at the worst point. Um, and yeah, just, I was really bad with, I think you and I, I think I’d fucking ripped you about something that, you know, like, and, you know, like, that was awful. And, um, you know, there’s a lot of things I regret, man, and regret’s not cool. Um, just things I could handle better.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:18:38):
Yeah. Well, I mean, the man himself said it best, you can’t spend your time alone, red digesting past regrets.

Leigh Chalker (01:18:46):
Woo. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Indeed. And, um, um, creative

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:18:52):
Creatively. Yeah, you’re,

Leigh Chalker (01:18:55):
You go ahead.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:18:56):
No, I was gonna say, you, you, you are aware you’re meant to be, um, creatively, I, I lament, um, you know, uh, I spent my thirties, uh, sad and depressed and, uh, unable to reconcile the, that I gave my twenties to music, and everyone said that, uh, my band was the next big thing, and all this cool stuff happened, and then it just sort of went away. And, and so I settled. So I thought, well, I’ll do it. All my friends, all my friends who stopped coming to shows nine years ago, because they settled down to, to start families, I thought, well, I’ve, I’ve always wanted to be a dad. I’ll, I’ll start a family. And then, and that didn’t happen for, for 10 years of, of trying. Um, and, uh, like I think about it now, and I just go, man, I could have done so much stuff. I could, the, the, the leaps that my art took from Devil’s Toilet One, had I done Devil’s Toilet one when I was 30 instead of 40

Leigh Chalker (01:20:03):
Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:20:04):
I, I could be, but you know, and like, you, uh, Rick Eva’s career didn’t take off till he’s 35. And I’m like, you know, I’m 32, and I’m like, all right, I’ve still got a couple years. And then, um, now Morgan Freeman’s career didn’t take off till he was 54. So that’s my next time, <laugh>. I’ve still got time to be Morgan Freeman.

Leigh Chalker (01:20:22):
Yeah. Yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:20:23):
Um, but you, you, uh, can’t spend your time alone. Est past regrets. It doesn’t, just doesn’t get you anywhere. Life is what’s happening while you are busy worrying about this stuff. Um,

Leigh Chalker (01:20:36):
Well, one of my, one of my teachings, man, you know, like, um, was, um,

(01:20:45)
You know, like when you go through school or you’ve got, you know, authoritarian figures in your life that are like, you need to know what you’re doing by this time. And if you are not got your shit together by 25, you know, like you’re this or that, you’re, you are loser. If you’re not together by like 35 or have kids in a house, like, you know, like I, you are, I, I realise one of the things that I have regrets, but they’re things that I’ve had to put to bed mate, you know? Um, Mm-Hmm. Because I wouldn’t have gotten on this path where I am now if it hadn’t have been for all of those things. And deep down within myself, um, you know, like I’m able, I can talk about it. Like I’m, I’m, I’m comfortable with that to talk about these things. Um, and I, you, you are where you’re meant to be, and there’s no right or wrong time. There’s no right or wrong age. I think looking at myself, because without any of, you know, like, fuck, mate, if I would’ve diverged one degree when I was 26, I never would’ve met you if I had degree, if I diverged 0.5% of a degree, or if I hadn’t have had those two extra beers one fucking Saturday night, you know what I mean? Like the universe, I never would’ve met Shane and vice versa with, you know, Gary and, and Ryan Valer, and so many people who have like, become such a fucking integral part of my life, you know, now. And, um,

(01:22:49)
So I have to leave you. That’s right, George. You are man, you where you’re meant to be. And, um, and sometimes whatever

(01:23:03)
Angst or anger you have, man, if you don’t fucking curb, if you don’t reel that shit in, it becomes bitterness, man. And that’s fucking poison. And that poisons everyone around you. And that’s where I was before I stopped drinking. I was at that poison phase, man, you know, like, um, uh, I was, I, I was toxic to fucking be around, man. Like 100%. There were bits of me that were there that would shine through, you know, like the majority of the time it was, it wasn’t any, I was walking around like a fucking zombie mate, you know? Um, I, nothing, um, so that showed in my art for sure. Um, ’cause a lot of the bustle, uh, battle for bustle issue won two. And, um, three was done, uh, from 2009 through to about 2013, um, when I was in not a bad head space, you know what I mean?

(01:24:12)
So I fucked. That’s what I mean, man. I fucked around so much drinking, dude. I was seriously, I would write it Saturday, gonna get some beers. I just got ink. One panel I got all day, all fucking day, man, I’d still be here at nine 30 at night. Fucking plastered, man, ripped off me that that panel wouldn’t be drawn. That panel would be sitting there two weeks later, man. Do you know what I mean? It’s like, that’s, that’s the stuff that I don’t enjoy looking back on, because, um, much like yourself, um, with, with where I am now, like I’m, I’m by far not a great artist. I think, um, I think I’ve found my voice, and I definitely, I can definitely improve. I draw every day, man, with the aim of improving like that. And, um, but like yourself, man, if I would’ve been doing it at 30, where could I be now?

(01:25:19)
But it’s the journey, man. It’s just what it is. And I find that, um, you know, I can talk to people about it, people ask me questions about it. Um, I think the best way to be as honest about it, um, you know, I’m not sitting there, you know, like firing off crackers, you know, like, yeah, man, this is what you wanna do. You know what I mean? Like, I hope that people, um, uh, recognise the fact that it’s not a good way to live. Um, you know, a lot of sacrifice, <laugh> that comes with drinking, um, but it is what it is. Um, so, yeah. Um, I, I don’t lament on it, man, to be honest with you. It’s just, I guess we’re talking about it now. And, um, I wanted to, um, on this chinwag be as honest and authentic as I could be because, um, um, you know, people come on this show and, and they’re very honest about things with me and the audience that listened to it. And I, um, I wanted to let them know I was aware of that as well. So I want to talk about these things. So, um, whether it puts me in a good light or a bad light, this is my life. So, um, it’s just where we’re at. But

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:26:32):
Yeah, uh, as you know, I was very nervous coming to this show because I, um, you know, and you put me at ease. But that’s what we do. You, we, um, do right by you do right by this thing that you’ve created. And, and, um, uh, well, there’s a, there’s a big question I want to get to, but I want, I wanted to share something, and it, and it’s, it tied into some things you were saying, and now it’s kind of, especially with this huge disclaimer, I’ve separated enough that it, now it’s gonna make it sound like, um, sp sped sharing some trauma, whatever, but a big thing that helped me deal with regrets. ’cause I, and even still, because I’m a big regret, um, and I spend way too much time, um, thinking about the past and things I could have done differently. Um, I have a name tattooed on my arm.

(01:27:27)
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this, if I have, forgive me. But, um, this is one of the best people I’ve ever known. Uh, uh, it was the 16-year-old son of my best friend, um, who passed away. And, um, he was the most charismatic, kindest soul, uh, you’ve ever met. Um, and he had such a light in him, um, that he was one of those, and his dad too. But he took all the best bits of his, you know, as, as you hope for your kids, took the best bit of, of his mom and the best bit of his dad. Um, and, uh, you know, this like, and then to just sit there and have these regrets about, oh, you spent your 30 sad. And then I just go like, perspective much, you know what I mean? Like, just, it’s a fucking privilege to be around this long, to, to have all these fucking, um, whatevers.

(01:28:26)
Um, but you, uh, touched on something. Now, this is my big pickles question. Um, so brace for it. And, and feel free for those who are tuning in late. Um, you may know pickles is the safe word of just like, yeah, no, I don’t wanna talk about it. It’s, it’s not that big a deal. I, I dunno, I, but I’m just very curious and I’ve, uh, just always wondered it. And, and as a fan of your work and as a friend of yours, um, I have diagnosed you with something, um, that I’ve made up. But, um, <laugh>

(01:29:05)
That, that you are two things. I I am the same two things, but mine, I have reconciled and use one to help the other as best I can at times, particularly years ago. And I don’t, I feel like yours were at odds. Um, you are a very serious artist and you are a larrikin. And sometimes I get the impression, or have gotten the impression that those two don’t necessarily like each other, that the serious artist wishes this guy wouldn’t joke around so much. And this guy, the jokester, sometimes wishes this guy wasn’t so fucking serious. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Am I speaking any sort of something that makes sense or am I lay off? Yeah,

Leigh Chalker (01:29:59):
You are speaking truth. Yes. That’s, that’s something I’ve had to reconcile. Um, and try to, I do find difficulty with it because, um, I think that anyone that knows me knows that I’ve got a fairly dark side, you know, like, and can very easily slip into it. Um, and not dark as in violent or anything, just, um, um, you know, darkness things, you know, people live in shadow, mate, you know what I mean? And it’s like I have a lot of that, um, from everything I’ve been through and, you know, like mental illnesses and things that I’ve had to sort out myself through varying, um, experiences that have left me traumatised. But at the same time, I try and take that darkness out on my artwork. Um, that is probably why people would suggest, like, I get a lot of, why is your artwork so violent? Why do you know? Like, why are you doing, you know, like it’s really ultra violent and stuff. And, um, because that is a part of me, um, that needs to come out. And my drawing is my creative release, and it helps me with, um, what I battle. The larrikin in me is something that I’m hoping

(01:31:34)
Comes forward more and more as, um, I push on through this journey at the moment. Um, I think people are probably seeing the larrikin, and

(01:31:53)
I, I think you, you might be, it’s nice that you touched on this actually, dude, because this does, this does ring true with the mindset I’m in at the moment. Um, everything of mine was black and white and grey shade. And I think that gives you a pretty good idea of where I was as a human being at the time. I do a lot of this artwork, alright, um, deep inside, lots of thought processing, et cetera. I think people are starting to see now that there’s some colour starting to come out into my artwork. There’s, I’m starting to put out like more painting images and, and bringing brightness up and, and incorporating colour into the black and white. And, um, and I’ve had a strange realisation that I can’t separate the two. And I think I’ve realised that because when you, when you go through the sort of trauma that I went through, uh, you know, over the last couple of years, there’s, you know, for all, you know, it’s a cliche, but people hear the, oh, the shadow work, you gotta fucking play with your shadow and shit like that.

(01:33:14)
And fuck, mate, you gotta get a wrangle on that motherfucker. You’ll never lose it. But you have to bring, you have to absorb it. You have to recognise that there’s this person in you that is insanely fucking subconsciously not good. And you have to realise that there is this other part, the duality of the person, man. And you have to find a happy medium. And I think what I’m seeing in my artwork at the moment is I’m starting too with these practises that I’m doing, um, like my meditations, my spiritual work, like my studies and shit like that, being more truthful, being more open, um, uh, about things, uh, the larrikin is starting to incorporate into that serious side of things. They can coexist 100%. Um, it’s balance. Like everything is, it’s another cliche of when you fucking go on this journey and people say, everything’s connected.

(01:34:20)
Everything’s connected, man, everything is connected. There’s so many words that are cliche, like balance. Balance is fucking everything. It doesn’t matter where you’re eating healthy, smoking, too many cigarettes, fucking running too much, whatever, everything is balanced man, balanced symmetry, mind, body, spirit. You know, like with me, my, my, my main voice is my artwork. And I think, I mean, you’ve read the new issue that’s gonna be out of, um, battle for Bustle, and I know a handful of other people have, and there’s a fairly big divergence in what it was previously to incorporate a lot of my beliefs now, um, that I think, I think, man, I think the larrikins starting to win Bessy. And I like the larrikin, you know what I mean? Like, um, I like the light me, the child, me, um, the fun me. Um, and I think I lost that because I allowed too many other people to dictate terms to me.

(01:35:25)
And I did things to keep other people happy. And I reneged on what my path was and what was right by me. Um, again, lessons, hence the dream that I’ve told you about that I’ve had twice in terms of the word resonance and not understanding it the first time, but understanding it completely about a week ago. And I am what I am. Um, and I’m aware of both sides, but I would like the larrikin and the happy me to come forward more than the dark, you know, like, ’cause, um, I feel like I’m in a really good place, man, at the moment. Um, like I know I’m talking about the past and we both are, but I don’t, yeah, there’s regrets. As we said, you can’t live there, but you can learn, you know, I’ve fucking learned one thing. I don’t want to go back <laugh>, you know what I mean?

(01:36:35)
It’s too fucking hard to get here to, you know, like, to repair from that. So that’s why I put such an emphasis on those foundational things of me, man, which is the sobriety, which is my meditation, spirituality, creativity, you know, like my vegetarian, um, beliefs and, um, you know, kindness and love and compassion, man. You know, like I think if I can stay to those, that area and question my intent, you know, like, I think I’ll, I think the Larkin will come more and more man, you know? Um, I didn’t do a, like my paintings were my colour and my drawings were black and white. And then as I got better at inking, and you’ve seen like the new rosy pages and stuff like that, the textures, and I’m starting to paint more and I’m starting to think more like I’m painting with my inking and stuff, and then everything’s just sorta as, as I’m broadening my thought processes and shit.

(01:37:33)
And I’m like, just sponging as much creativity as I can man, and like releasing things, but also having time while I’m doing that to process things and stuff. You know what I mean? Like, it’s all coming together, man. And I, I hope when I’m an old man and I’m sitting <laugh> and I’m sitting down with you mate somewhere, and we’re having cup of tea and shit, the larrikin will be in full swing and the, um, darkness will be quite happily, um, sat, you know, in comfort. And it’s little, it’s there, but you know, like it’s, you know, um, I hope I articulated that okay then.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:38:17):
Yeah. Well, a few things. I mean, you can be serious without being dark. Um, and you can be funny without being silly. Um, I think, uh, my wife was riding a bike, uh, just recently. My kids just got off training wheel, so we’ve been riding as a family, and, um, I’ve been enjoying it. The kids have been enjoying it. My wife hated it. And she said this to someone who was watching her ride and they said, um, you’re holding on too tight. You, you grip on the handlebars, loosen your grip. And, um, you’ll find it’s a much more pleasant ride. And I just, like, I don’t, not that it’s the most poetic sentence, but suddenly, you know, the creative brain that we have, I’m just like, loosening your grip on something. Suddenly you enjoy that thing, like taking it perhaps a little less serious, not, this is not advice to you because segue, um, I think, uh, the larrikin and the serious side in you.

(01:39:13)
Uh, this is something I’ve thought I had thought I wish I had have asked you or, or maybe not wish I, I wanted to ask you a couple of years ago, but it was never really like the, the, the time or the place, and I didn’t know what the response would be. Uh, and perhaps it’s a testament to where you are now that I, I feel like this is the curly question, but I think he, he, he, uh, particularly, you know, what my intents are now, um, and all that sort of stuff. So, you know, it’s just out of curiosity and, uh, and just as a, as a fan, whatever. Um, but this show, um, is where I think your serious side and the larrikin coexist and make for good viewing. Um, because I was saying to someone, um, just a, a little while ago that I, I like, I like, uh, watching something that has feels in it, but I don’t like going there knowing there’s gonna be feels.

(01:40:18)
’cause I don’t want to, there’s enough feels in life. I don’t want to feel stuff. I want to, I’ll almost watch an Adam say on the movie rather than whatever the, the latest Oscar thing is, because it’s not gonna be particularly hilarious. It’s not gonna partic particularly heavy. It’s just, you know, whatever. Uh, so I like the fields to sneak up on me because turns out I do love him. I just don’t like to seek them out. And, um, on this show, I think you balance, um, the, the, you know, you keep things kind of light, you let it get heavy, and then you, you bring it back to the light again. Uh, and perhaps this show is partly responsible for your larrikin and your more serious artist side. And I don’t mean dark side, I just mean, um, the same reason I wanted people to read Rosie, because I knew there was a segment of people who knew me as the Devil’s toilet guy, and I wanted to show that I’m not just poop jokes.

(01:41:20)
I feel like I’m a good writer. I feel like I’m a serious artist who just makes an idiot of himself on the internet. Um, and anyway, so this show, I think is is where your two talents, uh, have coexisted now on this show. Um, I wanna talk about it a little bit. Um, I do, one of my pet peeves is podcasts that talk about the podcast. Um, but this is an interesting journey of yours, uh, because I dunno whether you knew it when a few of us started saying it. Um, but not just me, but like I heard, I, and I, I think I told you this, I was literally at a convention and I heard two people talking about Chinwag and saying how good you are at hosting this show. Um, with no knowledge of me and my connection to you, even that I was sitting there, they were just comic people talking about this thing that happens in comics, um, in our little comics is a niche.

(01:42:22)
Australian comics is a, is a niche within a niche. Um, so there’s not much like this sort of thing where people get a platform, um, to be taken seriously. Um, and you did me a huge favour because, uh, on the Comex network for for a time there Drink and Draw was kind of an hour long interview. Um, which, you know, for some creators was not their forte. And so it was a struggle to get an hour out of somebody. Or also was, it was, there was a lot of nonsense going on, sometimes on drink and draw. And so I felt people didn’t, the creator sort of segments, they didn’t get to kind of delve into the more serious, I tried my best, but once Chinwag came along, I felt like, Alrighty, that’s, that’s the sister show to drink and draw. That takes that, that serious bit.

(01:43:21)
We can put it over there. Now, drink and draw can be totally silly. Um, and I think like drink and draw. Um, but more so here you’re creating a, a time capsule, a snapshot of, um, comics right now and to a and to an extent comics of the last sort of 20, 30 years. Um, but this will be a very handy resource, I think in the future. Should one of us, um, make Big and Suddenly has gone, oh, what else was going on, going on at the time when Nick May was just coming up, you know, or whatever the case may be. Speaking of intentions and all that sort of stuff, tell us just a little bit about this whole thing.

Leigh Chalker (01:44:12):
Uh, chinwag is a bit of an enigma man, but thank you very much for the kind words, mate. Um, um, chinwag has become, yeah, uh, uh, very, very important in my life. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:44:34):
It should be noted, just, just to derail you, we have been sitting at a higher viewer number all night than the majority of drink and draw shows. Just, um, just, you know, if that’s a feather in your cap, ’cause I know you have referred to Drink and draw as the, the, the mother show or something like that. Um, and I’m looking at that little viewer number and it’s gone down one up to down, one up to like, it’s, anyway, people are watching <laugh>.

Leigh Chalker (01:45:04):
Yeah. So

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:45:05):
There’s some pressure

Leigh Chalker (01:45:06):
For you. That’s okay. Yeah. Um, well, hello. Um, <laugh>, um, <laugh>, um, I, when, when we were doing Drink and Draw and, um, <affirmative> and we, you know, like I remember like Drink and Draw started and we started really enjoying ourselves. No pressure, <laugh>, um, no pressure at all went, you know, like it’s all, I’m talking to me mate here, you know? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and all my mates out there. Thank you for listening. I hope I’m not horrifying any of you. Um, um, uh, when we started Drink and Draw and we were all becoming really close and mates and stuff and, um, and all, you know, becoming a little band, you know what I mean, like the Comex crew, you know, like in, um, um, uh, I had noticed that at the time hadn’t even occurred to me. It was just a thought in my mind, you know, like, I think there was a show, oh, look, I can’t even look, I honestly don’t remember who the particular person was, but we, we got really excited because at one point, you know, like, we all started thinking, Hey, I remember us having a group yarn after the show, and we were like, what if we could get like a Gary Cha or, or a Glen’s Glen Lumsden on here, or, or a Mark X or Tim McEwen, you know, like, we were all like, nah, fuck, they’d never come on this show.

(01:46:42)
We were all like, come on, we should try, you know, we all got up. And um, and then suddenly it’s like, you know, like you and Siz were putting like the invites out suddenly we turn up on Friday night and there’s fucking Glenn loves them and there’s Gary er, and like, and because you’ve got so many people on the screen, you know, you, you doing like, man, like, oh yeah. And, um, and you’re like, uh, ’cause you showed me fucking courage, mate, because that first show we were sitting around like, uh, uh, uh, and someone wrote in like, you guys have gotta talk. You gotta say something, and you just fucking stepped up, man. And just boom, here’s sped z gotta keep it rolling. Gotta keep it rolling. And I remember that first night going, yeah, fuck yeah, man, do you know what I mean?

(01:47:34)
Respect, you know? And, um, and so I was like, I could never do that. You know, like, ’cause I was so far out of like being in bands at the time and like drinking too much, real lack of self-confidence. And like, I, I’ve been through a lot of ranges of emotions and things, but like, I was really, um, taken aback by just how you grabbed the bull by the horns that night, man. And um, and I remember when we got to the, the, the bigger dudes that, um, uh, I remember, you know, you were doing your best to ask ’em questions, but then everyone else was firing questions in and things were diverged and you couldn’t get an answer. And it was going like, fucking all over the shop. And, and it was around then I started thinking like, man, I wonder what it’d be like doing a one-on-one, you know, like with someone.

(01:48:28)
And then, but in my mind I was like, oh, no one’s gonna wanna fucking listen to me talk to someone, you know, maybe I could talk to see if Spie wanted to do it. And I remember I rung you one day and I still drinking at the time, and I said, Benzie, you know, like thinking of, you know, what about this idea? And you were like, fuck, you know, yeah. Sounds okay, but there’s a lot of work in that. Gotta get gas, gotta follow things up, da da da. And you know, as you get more and more drunk, you’re like, yeah, fuck that. That’s a lot of work. <laugh>. Yeah. And you’re like, nah, you know, nah, you know, like, nah. And I, you know, and um, so then I got sober at the time of ro you know, like when Rosie came out and everything.

(01:49:08)
And um, um, and I had a few months off, uh, to, you know, ’cause I wasn’t drawing ’cause I was suffering some pretty bad dts and some bad, um, you know, missed levels, um, wasn’t drawing. And, um, you guys invited me on for my first drink and drawer after like, fuck, I don’t know, man, like six months or something. And I was like, really? Like, wow, okay, no worries. And I found myself nervous, but chatting more than I had normally and like really clear and stuff. And then I just came back to that idea and I started thinking about, you know, like me and I wanted to meet six people. I wanted to have a one-on-one with you. I wanted Ryan Valer, Ben Sullivan. I wanted to give a shout out and bring Gary er on ’cause he was the man that, you know, like fucking put battle for Bustle, you know, like out, um, I wanted to meet like Gary er at that stage because like, fuck man, I’d known him since like, you know, in comic book forms since I was a kid.

(01:50:12)
And, um, you know, and fuck, who was the, somebody else was in there too at the time. There’s been like 50, and forgive me, um, it was pretty Earl oh, and Peter Lane, who I’d been taken back by Sky’s Cabin Library at the time. And, um, thanks bud for being part of it. And, um, and, uh, and I just remembered that, yeah, sky’s Cabin Library had really like, fuck, that’s a really original concept. I liked that it stuck. I wanna meet that dude. So that was my six. And I talked to Shane about it, and Shane was like, mate, you wanna have a go? Let’s have a go. You know? And I was like, okay. So this idea rattled around for about six or seven weeks, right? And, and then I was talking to Valour about it, and Valor’s like, yeah, I’ll do it. Yep. Yeah.

(01:50:59)
And I’ll let you know when the iPad’s work and you know, she fucks up all the time. I’m like, yeah, yeah, no worries. So four weeks went by and I had, I was driving home Tuesday, chinwag popped into my head and, um, it was only gonna be called like Tuesday, gas bag, Tuesday, you know, like Tuesday yarn. And you know, that was a couple of things with Tuesday. Chinwag just sort of like was the one where I went, yeah, that’s the one. And uh, um, and uh, I spoke to Shane and Shane was like, yeah, man, we can do that. Then Peter Wilson just jumped on and did a banner and things like that and everything just sort of like started coming together. And I was about six, seven months sober at this stage, I guess, you know what I mean? And like, starting to feel okay, man, you know, like I was starting to come okay.

(01:51:40)
You know, things were still, you know, just, I, I was feeling all right. And, um, it was a Friday afternoon and I said to Ryan, oh, you know, I should do this Chinwag. And Ryan’s like, yeah, Tuesday. And I was like, what? He’s like, I got the iPad, it’s up and work, and Tuesday I can have it done Tuesday. I’m like, Ryan, it’s Friday. He is like, yeah, fuck that Tuesday now. Never, man. Like, and you know what Ryan’s like, I’m like, oh, okay. So I said to Shane like, ah, Tuesday for Chinwag. And he is like, yeah, then done. Look bang. And then I remember sitting there that first Tuesday, chinwag, man, I had no fucking idea what was going on. I’ve never done anything like that before. And, uh, um, okay, you know, like, let’s give it a go. The first one done.

(01:52:28)
And then, and then Peter, the second one done, and third one, and I started, I guess I started getting a bit more comfortable with it and I started realising like, how fucking cool is this man to like meet all these like-minded people? Like I’m not King Kong up here in North Queensland, you know, like, um, I’m not in an echo chamber. Like, you know, there’s these people I admire that I’m getting to talk to and things, you know. And um, uh, and then I got through six and I was like, whoa, fuck. Okay. And then I might go for eight, you know what I mean? I tried eight and then suddenly it’s like, okay, no worry. And then it just slowly built up and I, I don’t watch any of the shows back, but the only one I’ve ever watched back was when I came back.

(01:53:31)
Um, I think I did 12 episodes and came back like three months later. Excuse me. ’cause I needed a little break and, um, shit was going on. And, um, I came back and it was Nick May, uh, we’d done a Nick May one previously and I couldn’t remember. You’re a naturally a natural what? I don’t know, but it’s what you are. Thank you, Nick. Um, probably a natural pain in the ass mate, but, you know, as long as <laugh>, but thank you. Um, um, and I watched the Nick May one and I remembered, okay, do this, do this. And just slowly over time, I’ve just shaped it man to, um, fit in where I can, what I can do, what I’m, do, you know, like, because I I, I’m learning on the fly here too, man, you know? And, um, I’m feeling much more confident with it.

(01:54:19)
Um, again, there comes an element, like tonight’s a little different because, you know, for me, ’cause I’m guests and I, I don’t like, I don’t like to talk about myself heaps when there’s other guests, I prefer to, uh, allow them to open up and if there’s a moment, um, save the space for them or be quiet with them or respect that moment, listen, prompt them, you know, like if it lulls and I’m learning. Um, I think what you said before about chinwag has been hugely, uh, healing for me because I, where I didn’t speak before and I held a lot of emotions in and things like that, and I only put it onto paper and artwork and things. Um, I’m learning to be vulnerable with people and I’m learning to respect people’s opinions and listen to people and, um, and love differences in people and, and see a beauty in people’s stories.

(01:55:37)
And I find the stories supremely motivating because, you know, we’re all creators and stuff, but the most important story that you’re creating is your own. And, um, and I just feel really privileged, man, that these people come on and, and talk with me for hours, man. You know what I mean about things. And, um, and I’m more privileged than what people, uh, and, and grateful and honoured than what, and humbled than what, than what people would realise. Like it’s inspired me particularly over the last two and a half years to keep going. I would say without Chinwag, uh, I wouldn’t be about ready to release my first solo comic in like <laugh> three years. Um, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with people so that I could improve my own relationships with people. Like, um, I’ve had an example, Susan and I, um, I hadn’t spoken to Susan for 10 years just through, you know, um, and just being able to recommunicate and the confidence to, you know, like, I need to, I need to iron some shit out here.

(01:57:13)
You know what I mean? Like, um, and there’s other people, like my relationships with people are better. Um, you know, it’s been a rocky road, like, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had to do a lot of recalibrating and things. It’s been very rocky man, emotional rollercoaster the last two and a half years. But chinwag has been essential for me. And, um, I’m really glad that, you know, you’ve noticed that, um, both of those sides come together. Um, I think, yeah, I think it’s definitely helped me heal. Um, and with that, um, I get the pleasure and honour of allowing people to tell their stories, man. And it keeps me going, you know, as I hope the people that are guests, you know, that for the people that are listening, they can hear what the people that as guests have gone through themselves and they get a fuck.

(01:58:04)
Yeah. You know what I mean? What that dude did, you know, or that, that that created did to, you know, like to push on and the shit they went through, you know, like, and, um, and I fuck Australian comics is important to me, man. Like, I’ve been reading this shit since I was a kid and it’s like, it was so hard to find anything about Australian comic book creators in Townsville, you know what I mean? Before the internet and stuff, I didn’t know who any of these people were other than names in comic books or a random like newspaper write up or, or just, you know, like it was so barren, the information, you know? Um, and to like be able to, you know, with, I mean Comex, I mean without Shane and Kerry, I mean like, fuck, I wouldn’t, chinwag wouldn’t exist, you know, like, and the faith that those two have, um, put in me ’cause fucking hell, wow, man, I’ve put some people through some shit over the last two and a half years, you know, and, um, yeah, ain’t been easy for me or for them. So, Mm-Hmm. Yeah, no, it’s very, I’m very grateful for Chinwag man.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (01:59:20):
Yeah. Um, in some way, and this is more probably me trying to, um, well, a few things. Uh, Nick May’s episode is still the, uh, most watched chinwag of all the Chin Wags, uh, and your, uh, boosting his numbers, uh, again tonight, which, um, you know, for some of us who have been on a few in Wags to not even be in the top five, it’s like, bro, um, <laugh> <laugh>. But, um,

(01:59:51)
Yeah, something, and this is more, this is more a me problem and a, and a drink and draw problem, but I guess it’s, um, I just want it said, um, because, you know, we, and we, we do, we do stuff for, for comics and for Siz and, and whatever, and um, sometimes people think the comics shop is just for comics, studio comics and whatever. And we try our hardest to stress that notes like, all Australian comics are welcome. Um, and particularly on drink and draw, people think, well, you know, someone has one or two people have been heard to think, um, that it’s just, you know, a handful of us rotating and stuff. And it’s important to stress that like, um, this is not for everybody being on these things and doing these things and, and for the amount of people you do see on Drink and Draw and on Chinwag, there’s, there’s been almost three times as many people invited.

(02:00:49)
Um, yeah, there are whole sections of, of the comic community that we are trying to, um, include and whatever, but, but creators as a, as you know, as a generalisation, as a stereotype, whatever, we’re we’re solitary figures that sit in our dimly lit rooms and, and draw comic books and whatever. So, um, I guess that’s why when things like, um, this show and whatever, it’s, uh, I don’t know that it’s a gift for the Gab thing, but it’s, um, you know, you and I just are, are able to do this. And so we felt we should do this. Like I, I, uh, back in the day when it was, you guys need to talk, I had done, uh, I had a local radio show back in my early, I had a podcast in my late twenties and we did 80 episodes or something, like, I’m not really a stranger to this sort of thing.

(02:01:46)
And so it, it took a little bit of, uh, not like guts as in, um, like more so I was worried what, what everyone else would think, um, that I was, that it, I worried that people would think I was trying to steal the limelight, whereas what I was doing was I thought I, I can sort of see what this could be if someone just sort of took the reins and if no one else wants to do it, I’ll do it. Um, and I think, yeah, I don’t know that I could do that. At one time I did a, uh, some one-on-one videos for the First for Moose that came out and I, um, I did a 15 minute interview with Peter Wilson, um, where I told him how good his comic radical was, um, which for those who dunno, that’s Ed Kiley’s comic. Um, fortunately it wasn’t live.

(02:02:40)
I was able to edit that, the title of the book out and put a Crimson and Rascal. Crimson and Rascal, and I thought crimson and radical. I don’t know what I thought. I, yeah, I had a bunch of other things to tag onto, but I, I can’t remember all of them. And I think it’s long past time that we, um, we’ve done, we’ve celebrated the, the 50 episodes. Uh, now obviously something else big is coming up, um, and talk of Susan and what we are now gonna touch on, um, <laugh>, this comment came in earlier. Remember the Bustle city in the spare bedroom? Now I’m gonna ask you what that is because I have a, I have a, there’s a picture in my head. <laugh>, uh, no spare bed for 12 months. Ha ha. I have good memories of your creations. What a brilliant mind you have.

(02:03:29)
If anyone deserves it. All you do now, bustle City. Now there’s, there’s two versions. If someone had a gun to my head and what, and said, what is it? I would say it’s a version of your granny flat with the pages on the wall. What I want it to be is cardboard buildings that you’ve built and little cutouts of, of it is that, of where characters are gonna be. And, and mm-Hmm. <affirmative> plotted your story. Okay. Please tell me about Bustle City. Of course. Uh, we’re about to start talking about the comic book that I’m sure everybody watching knows about, um, battle for Bustle. Um, so tell us about Bustle City, the, the real life version.

Leigh Chalker (02:04:10):
Uh, I, when Bustle came into fruition, I was very heavy into, oh man, I loved film. And, um, and I could see a real symmetry between comic books, storyboarding, filming, that sort of stuff. And I’ve always loved filming shit. Um, you know, like you can see with even the cover and, you know, like I film the covers and things like that with lights and set things up. I’ve just always had a thing for it, you know? And, um, I just had this crazy idea that I just wanted to, um, practise filming. So, I don’t know, like, um, Susan would be able to tell you, um, yeah, there’s some around Neil. I’ll dig them up and stick them on internet for you in the next couple of days, man. And, um, yeah, there was a whole spare bedroom, about half the size of the granny flat, and I built giant city like buildings, each one different out of cardboard Legos.

(02:05:17)
Any materials I could find. I had bridges going across ’em. I had lights hanging off the roof. I had, um, I was building clay statues to mount them as, um, gar oils and things on these buildings. I painted the buildings. Each one had different brick structure and textures and things. Um, I, I even went out and bought cars and made cars and like coloured them and retrofitted them and put them on these, um, like bridges and streets and shit. And I was filming them in fucking stop motion to try and like fucking show movement and things like that. And, uh, um, yeah, this thing was huge. And I, man, I don’t know, I spent months building this thing, and, um, I put it all together. I had people in windows and stuff, and I, I, I’d had the spare bed was say, you know, three feet high.

(02:06:18)
I had, um, the stratus scrappers up on that, and I was building, um, I was building <laugh> far out. Righto. I’ll try my best. No promise, I’ll try. Um, Susan May have ’em actually. There you go. Um, um, and, uh, and I was building the maze underneath it. And in my mind, as I was doing this, bustle was coming together, and I was starting to create things in 3D, not just drawing, you know. And I started taking like, man, and I was down on the ground with cameras, setting up people and taking photos with lights behind them and like, and, and cellophane windows and things, and cutting out windows to look like, and different cellophane. So they look like church windows. And this city, like, I mean, I’m probably making it sound more extravagant than what it is, but so much work went into that. And so many of those photos, believe it or not, actually became the work of the Cityscapes in, um, battle for Bustle.

(02:07:35)
And, um, I think that city stood for well over 12 months. And like, people used to actually come over and sit in the city and have beers and stuff just sitting in amongst like, these big buildings that I’d made. And there were a few people that came over for the first time, and they were like, you gotta fucking see how, mate, you know, Lee’s fucking sick. And they’re like, fucking, what? You know, they’re like, fucking man, this dude built a city and must be hell. And they’d come over and they’d go, oh, yeah, I only came for the city. Where’s this city? And I’m like, open this door to the spare. Fucking an hell <laugh>. There was shit on walls and everything, man. Um, yeah, yeah, I’d go in there and film and like, fucking, oh, dude. Yeah, man. Like they, they were, um, it was full.

(02:08:34)
Um, I, if I want to do something, I’ll do it and drinking, stop me from that, because I slowed down. And that’s the thing I regret because it’s like, man, I, if I put my mind to something and I’m fucking like, bang, I’m doing it. Like I will get it done. I can tell you, anyone that knows me will know I will get it done. It may take longer than I said it will, but you can bet your ass in some make shape or form, it will be done. Um, yeah, they were good times, man. You know, like sitting in there doing that stuff, we’d fucking night times, you know, with lights and shit set up and yeah, no, it was great, man. You know, they were really good times. I, I hadn’t thought about that in a long time, so thank you, Susan. But that was the genesis of, um, at that stage, I’d, um, fucking read all of Dune, all of David Eddings, the, um, Bulgaria ad, um, the Lord of the Rings and stuff again, uh, Raymond d FI’s, feist’s books.

(02:09:46)
I was fucking reading the, um, the Gun Slinger series. Um, I was falling deeply in love with Jack London at that stage. Um, one of my favourite books still to this day is a Jack London book called The Star Rover. Um, and at the same time, I was like, fucking falling in love through Dad, but later, after he passed back with history and battle Bustle was taking place, and fucking, you know what’s really weird? Um, I’ll show you what’s really weird now that we’re talking about this. Bussel was done in three, um, versions and, um, uh, so Bustle is about four and a half thousand years of history, right? And, um, I’ve got it all. I’ll show you how many. So that’s one battle for Bustle folder, right? That’s it all laid out, all all comics. That’s the Bible. So that’s one. And then there’s the next part, which is all of this shit, all character designs, all drawings, the first Hanson and all these things are all in there.

(02:11:15)
And these drawings go back to 1996. So this is how long it started gestating. And then there’s this one, and this was, you know, this is, this is more, this is like all the scripts from like 19 98, 97. This is the original artwork when I was just doing it stream of conscious and character designs and stuff. And, um, and there I found today, like this is the Bustle series that you guys are reading now. This is, it all laid out, like all the panel work and everything’s all here. And I just changed it, like to fit where I’m at now, but that’s the entire comic in folders. And then I did find this, which was around the time of the city being built. And where is that <inaudible>? Bear with me because it’s here. Um, I found the original comic books today, um, which are, hmm, I don’t know. They were here. But anyway, um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:12:31):
Well, with, with all that planning. So, so I, you, you were, uh, um, nice enough to send me battle for Bustle five, uh, which I have read and enjoyed. Um, two things just on, on the, uh, that world building, uh, stuff there. So I, so I often preach, um, uh, not, I’m not anti world building by any stretch. I love the, i I love world building, but without a character to latch onto. Um, all of that is kind of, uh, you know, I have the attention span of a fricking moth. Um, when if the light’s not on, I’m, I’m, I’m barely flying. I don’t know what this analogy is, but, um, <laugh>. So sometimes, sometimes when, when a, when a book or a comic starts with, you know, the third moon of Osiris rises in the West, and it’s just like, fucking just tell the story of the person, something you do expertly in battle for Busle five.

(02:13:30)
And no spoilers here, because I, I think there’s a big reveal now, the tension span of a moth. I haven’t read the first four issues in a little while. There’s something like around page 13 or so, I went, what? Holy is Wait, is so and so, so and so, but you know, that’s for after the show for people to read. Um, but yeah, the, the, the, the first page, there’s a little bit of, a little bit of catch up of like, the bad guys have kind of given us their sort of, uh, modus operandi. Um, and then, you know, just when, just when I could feel my moth starting to go, uh, then suddenly we’re with Christopher, the main character, and he’s in a very real position, um, and we are with him, and, and you feel him. And it’s kind of exactly what I, uh, want.

(02:14:25)
Um, just that right amount of world building and almost right to you took me right to the, to the, oh, just give me a, and there he was, there was our hero for, for lack of a more nuanced word. Um, and then we followed him, you know, and then we’re off and running. Um, one thing that did stick out to me, um, particularly in some of the advertising, but a particular word, uh, or, or sentence saying that was in the book, uh, my mind is my fortress now for a time. Um, you had talked about a separate project, my mind is My Fortress. Yeah. With those binders of years and years of planning, somehow you’ve obviously still allowed some room for fluidity, uh, to take this story where you are, you know, you’ve set something up in your teens and twenties and whatever. Mm. But now in your forties, you’re taking the story, you’re injecting elements of real life. Well, and you’ve, you’ve probably always been doing this, but I guess I have a little bit of more insight now to your real life. So I’m seeing it. Has that always been there since issue one, the real life’s creeping in?

Leigh Chalker (02:15:41):
Uh, yeah. Yeah, it has. Um, but more so now, and that’s to do with a question you asked before. If my sobriety has, um, increased my creativity, um, and got me to where I need to be, it was always my intention, um, battle for Bustle started. I never intended on doing a comic book. I don’t know if I’d ever thought about doing a comic book, but when my dad died, I found that I had this really strange, I kept driving around to the places that he and I used to frequent, and I started drawing splash pages, and that, that comic exists, like it exists. I’ve got the splash pages over there, it could be printed tomorrow. Um, and it was called Drive. And it was about, uh, uh, a sun lamenting, I guess, the places that his father took him, you know? Um, and then it was, that was going to be my, you know, here you go, dad.

(02:16:41)
You know, like, I, I did one for you, you know? Um, and then as I fell in love with all of these things, and I built my city, and, you know, like, um, I had a lot of friends that I was getting encouragement from, and I don’t know, man, I just started drawing more started, you know, like, it just all comes back to the music. And I was in a fully creative period, and, um, uh, and my mind is, my fortress is actually the first words in battle for Bustle issue one. And I wrote that, um, many years ago. I dunno where I got that from. ’cause sped this, it all ties into like where I’m at now in a spiritual sense, man, because I was never able to articulate it before the last maybe 12 months, man, um, what this spirituality thing was. But I’d always had it, I’d always had it.

(02:17:34)
I grew up in a strict Catholic family, but I wasn’t, I wasn’t picking up the religion thing, you know, I didn’t, I didn’t have a, you walk into church and there’s a dude being stabbed, and there’s dude being hung. There’s a dude fucking hanging off a wall. You’re like, fucking, what? You know, you know, fuck, you know, like, whoa. You know, like, so that, that iconography was with me. And, and I get it. I, I know that people find something in that, but for me, I just wasn’t getting it, you know? Um, but with respect, I know that there’s people out there that find something in it. Um, but I was always a little bit more, I love animals, I love birds, I love energy going with my gut feelings, like just going with flow, you know, like, and things. And I never could articulate it.

(02:18:20)
’cause being in a Catholic family, you’re sort of like, ah, don’t be silly. You know, like, go to church, you know, blah, blah, blah. And I got muddled up, and it’s always been there. And, um, and, uh, battle for Bustle came about because of my love for world building. And it also came about from one instance, and I’ve said this before, a long time ago. I used to work at, um, a major supermarket, uh, many years ago. And, um, I was one of the kids that used to on a Saturday, get the yellow paper, you know, like the pay packet, you know, here’s your money, you know, sign off and go. And then they introduced a finger scanning thing where it read your fucking, you know, like, and timed in and that sort of stuff. And I remember, fuck, I remember, bang, I was like, 17.

(02:19:05)
And I was like, fuck, we’re just turning into a machine, you know, like at that point. And then years later, when I was doing Drive and I was reading all these books, I kept coming back to that, like, and then I was becoming more socially aware, and I was seeing hierarchies and classes and things like that. And then back at the time, I didn’t wanna talk to people about it, because there was no one else I could really talk to about it. But these things were in my mind, you know what I mean? Like, fuck, seeing a real difference in, in, you know, when you work in a supermarket and shit, you can see like homeless people coming in for an apple, but right next to them is a judge. You know what I mean? Like buying an apple as well. And it’s like just this incorporation of people there for the one resource that they both need that, you know, like fucking within a second, they’re separate and they go to their highs and their lows.

(02:19:54)
And like, my mind was always sort of like wandering, you know, wandering like in these sorts of fashions. Um, um, I remember having a conversation with my dad when he was alive once and saying to him when I was young, like, so if we’re, if we’re, if, if I’m here with you and I’m in Gulliver with you, and that’s in Townsville and that’s in Queensland, and Queensland’s in Australia, and Australia’s in the Pacific and Australia, and you know, like Australia’s in the world, nerds in the solar system, da, da, da, what’s the universe? And is it in like, you know, I was always thinking things like that, you know? And, um, and so I guess it just <crosstalk>, what was his answer? Uh, I <laugh> at the time, at the time, I think he, um, he just dragged on his cigarette man. And, um, just let me wander.

(02:20:37)
He used to just let me talk and wander with my thoughts, you know? And, um, so he gave me space to allow those thoughts. There was nothing, I could always have thoughts. He was very free like that in terms of if I had questions and things, like he would just allow me to decipher the answers and, and gently nudge me in ways. And I found that the people who have taught me the best, um, at times when I’ve needed them, have never done it forcefully. They’ve just nudged me, you know what I mean? Like, or let me find my way. And I love those people because they get me. Um, and coming back to, um, I incorporated Bustle was my version of what I was seeing in the world with the classes in a big city scape. Also, though, at that stage, heavily influenced by dystopian shit.

(02:21:42)
Like, I was well into like, Robocop Judge, dread fucking The Crow, you know what I mean? Like the, you know, the whole heap of that sort of stuff, like terminated, which you’ve never seen, but, uh, we won’t hold that against you, you know, like, yeah, <laugh> and, uh, but just, so I had all of that, and, and then I had to, I didn’t, I didn’t feel brave enough to be able to sit down and just do something on what my concerns were. So I incorporated into science fiction, and then science fiction brought Busle, it was called. And then Busle started off as a stream, a conscious comic book of all my things. And I didn’t have a script, and I was just drawing. I did like pages, just all stream of consciousness, man, over the course of the year. And then it started forming, and then I went back and did it again, and it formed again.

(02:22:33)
And then I was like, fuck, this idea’s growing and it keeps growing and it stuck with me ever since. And it’s like, and, and then I just got the opportunity maybe in 2010, 11, and I thought, I’m gonna have a real good crack at this. So I incorporated what I knew then, and how I was living, and what my mind was as, like I say, a 27, 20 8-year-old man, how I could articulate it. And I started doing it that way. And then it was based on Dad. So the main character was called Christopher Goodfellow, um, at the time, which changed to Christopher Battle because I, the, the title of the comic book couldn’t be Bustle. It needed to be something a bit more punchy, you know, and Battle for Bustle, that’s his last name. But it’s also the battle for the city. And my mind was going this way and all incorporating, and fuck, I was just flowing.

(02:23:24)
And I was in a real free state at this point, man. And I’m weirdly enough, I’m back in that state now, and with everything that’s happening. And fuck, I started like, you know, I’m not a huge fan of authoritarianism. I don’t like fucking, um, you know, like people telling you you can’t do things and pull your head in and fuck, like, I’d hate, like not having freedom of expression. I just fucking hate it. It annoys me. Everyone should be able to do what they want to do, as long as they’re not hurting people and they’re happy, and it’s done from a place of love. That’s what it should be allowed. But no, everyone tries to stamp you on the foot with, you need to do it this way. You need to do it that way. Well, fuck you. I’m doing it my way. But anyway, I digress.

(02:24:05)
I’ll get back on it. And it became autobiographical in the sense of, you know, there was a father and a mother and a son that was stripped away from each other due to a stupid fucking thing that the father did, which was my dad coming home drunk that night. So I started incorporating all of these life things into that, and then I started bringing in other characters as I got more like creative, you know? And I start, well, this is getting fucking big now. Like, holy fuck, this has gone from like 40 pages. This could be really big. And then, and then I was really humming and I was feeling good. A few things happen. You sort of lose confidence in yourself due to the ebbs and flows of life and work and drinking and relationship breakdowns, and then other things happening, and, you know, people stealing your time and shit like that.

(02:24:56)
And once I got through issue four, and I, and I got sober, not long after that, I realised there were a lot of things happened because, um, I’m, I’m not gonna go into the sadness of, uh, and the horror of, uh, my relationship breakdown with Tamara, but I wanted basically all the bullshit aside into one small piece. I wanted to remain sober, and she wanted to drink. And that’s a very difficult position to put yourself in. And I tried, and I tried, and I tried to see it her way, and it didn’t work out. And when it got to a point of like, I can’t go any further with this, I’m not going to drink, you know, like, and it was a breakdown and it was an awful thing.

(02:25:53)
And lots of things happened that I won’t go into because it private and just for family and friends and stuff. But it changed me more in a fucking radical sense to a certain ex extent. Um, I realised there was more to me than what I’d shown people. And Tamara, obviously as life goes on, Tamara got a new partner, you know, it’s life, that’s okay. And he approached me about, fuck you, man, I’m taking the rights to battle for Bustle off you, because Tamara did the lettering on a couple of pages and shit. Uh, a couple of issues, more or less in a nutshell. And I put so much into battle for Bustle that I was like, look, fuck, I’ll burn that before you take it. You know what I mean? So my whole labour, everything just shut down away. Don’t wanna know about it went through hell myself, that I put 25 years into this.

(02:27:08)
How the fuck could, you know, like, why would you take someone’s creative work? You know? I still don’t understand that Maybe it was a shot, you know, like fucking at me. Or maybe he, it felt like, I don’t know. I dunno, I never asked, you know, like, I just, and, um, I let it sit. And I was really lucky at the time that, um, uh, you and Ben and Ryan and I had been pushing on with Rosie. And, um, um, so I threw everything into Ring around the Rosie, which, um, fuck man, like still magic to me. Um, and it taught me so many lessons working with Ben and Ryan, seeing how you write, how you work with people. And I hadn’t worked with people before since a band at that point. I’d just been solo, you know what I mean? Um, and you get caught up in your ways and seeing, do you remember?

(02:28:15)
And do you remember that when I did the first eight pages pencils, and then Ben accidentally did the first page, and I was just like, what the fuck? Like, how did that dude get that out of that script? I don’t what? Like, and boom. And my whole mind just went, whoa, I gotta get my shit in order, man. You know what I mean? Like, fucking, I’m like half as in this, you know? And then it just kicked me into gear, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly. And then through a series of events studying, talking to, um, um, you know, I don’t want to name drop. Um, but amongst many people in the community, and I’m sure he’s been very integral to a lot of people in the community, um, without like, uh, Gary Chana, um, you know, helping me, uh, along the way in varying degrees, I wouldn’t have this new issue coming.

(02:29:17)
And, um, and then after we did ring around the Rosie and shit, you know, my cousin, and just lots of things, just, again, I needed something, man. I just needed something. And I’d always been interested, again, the spiritual thing and meditation, and that, it always interested me, but each meditation I tried wasn’t the one I needed. ’cause not every meditation and spiritual path is the right one for people. They’re like shoes, you know? Like, you get lots of shoes, but you gotta get the right one that fits you. And it always had an interest in transcendental meditation from him, like 20 years earlier. And, um, it was around the time that Susan and I had, you know, I I, we needed to clear stuff up from many years ago. And, um, and I just happened to be talking to her about it one day, and she said, had you ever gone and done that transcendental meditation course that you wanted to do like 20 years ago?

(02:30:17)
Have you ever followed that up? And I’ve just, and I said, like, no, I never have. I’ve never found anywhere to do it. I’ve tried it, just not working. And then Susan being Susan the next day, goes, fuck mate, bang, here you go. Like, there’s one up in Cairnes. And I was like, okay. So I rang this dude in Cairnes. It was all tied into how Bustle comes together and where you’re talking about. And they’re like, oh, I’m in Brisbane. I can’t get there, rah rah. So the next day I get this text message from this lady, she’s like, hi, I’m Valerie. I, I’m, I’m teaching this. I’m in CAIRs next week on holiday, but I invite you to come up and, you know, like, I’ll teach you. And I was like, really? She’s like, yeah, no worries. Like that. This is my address. Be there.

(02:30:57)
Fucking okay, mom, come and look after the dogs. I’m off. Boom, man. I went on this journey by myself up to Cairns, no idea where I was going, and spent, um, three of the most beautiful days with these two ladies. And, um, uh, changed my life at that point. And, um, um, suddenly all this p uh, PTSD and trauma that I would suffered from the last 12 months, like started to evaporate. And all of this creativity had started to push forward. And, and then I started to get into this flow state. And then I was starting to think, hang on a minute, battle for Bustle. And my mind is, my fortress is something that will be created because I didn’t get broken, but I nearly did. And that’s where the mental health story that so integral comes into it. Um, and I just started drawing and drawing and drawing again.

(02:32:06)
I started picking up steam, steam, steam, steam. And then I was painting, and then I was painting a drawing, and then I was doing this. And, and then the story came to me, and then I incorporated my life and how all of these, like, new fun functionalities of how I’d found my way again and myself could be incorporated into the comic without diverging it. And then the one thing that blew me out last year is on my 46th birthday, I became older than my dad. So therefore, like, that just totally fucking blew my mind. And, um, because I’d been doing this comic book for 20 odd years for my dad to now not even be finished the comic book because of the fucking drugs and alcohol and shit. And then he’s now passed, and then I, I recognise like, hang on a minute, this isn’t his story anymore.

(02:32:51)
It’s my fucking story. So now I’ve incorporated myself as the main character. So I sort of had a reboot, and then, and then it’s, it’s growing and growing and even more. And, um, and then I couldn’t quite know. I didn’t quite know how to take it over the line. And someone I’d always admired, ’cause there’s you and me and Ryan and, and Ben on the ring around the Rosie stuff. And, and I’d, I’d over time grown a friendship with Peter Wilson and a great appreciation of, um, his work and his sensibilities and, and his gentleness, and how he could get a point across without cracking skulls. And this is, comes back to the best teachers that I have of those sort of people. And on darkness, as you said. And he is light with his colours and how he deals with things and his sense of humour and so many things.

(02:33:50)
And so strange, you spoke about that earlier, sy because it’s all like, it all fucking connected. And I knew he was the dude for me, because I needed that fucking colour to fucking bash the black and white and bring it into some sort of, um, uh, accessibility for people, you know? Because I think the first four were like, real in depth and dark and, you know, like dark, you know, like where this one is not, you know, like, this one’s not <laugh>. It’s different, you know? And, and then, yeah, just having a relationship with Peter in a creative way was really magical. And fucking, we talked about things in like, not structurally, but like, fuck man. Like, it needs to be more like water. It needs to be like wind and shit. And then suddenly the next day he’s giving me pages and he’s like, how’s that?

(02:34:47)
And I’m like, fucking, yeah. You know, like, this is the man, you know, like, and it’s just progressed. And, um, it’s been a long, long journey, man to get. Um, so I’ve left. The first four issues will never be printed again, um, because I need to close that part of my life due to varying reasons, which I’ve only briefly touched on. Those four issues will be available to people, because as we were talking about the comic shop before, comics is an important, um, piece of work for Australian comic books, man and creators and such. And when you buy a comic book with Comex in July on that, um, I’m just gonna say it now, Shane and I will get it happening. We spoke about it to encourage people to buy comic books. Even if you wanna buy one or you wanna buy two, you’re just gonna get the, the four PDFs, a battle for Bustle absolutely free.

(02:35:56)
And that’s just to, because I don’t want them never to see the light of day, but because of what I went through, I have to close that door, so I don’t want any money for it that is behind me now. And you can just have them. That’s what we are gonna do. So when you get issue five, um, it will be volume two, issue one. And if you’ve never read the first four issues, you don’t necessarily have to. So I think you’ll, um, like SPEDs you’ll say you can pick up on this issue is if you’ve never read the previous four, but you’ll get the PDFs of issue 1, 2, 3, and four. And, um, I’ve realised how important, uh, like people, community is for me. So I guess I’d like to be able to give back to anyone that, um, has a comic book that, you know, wants to sell it. And if that’s something that helps them, then if that gets you over the line to get your comic book out so you can feel good, do it. So yeah,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:37:08):
We, we give Siz rightfully so, uh, a lot of credit for, uh, the community and, and whatnot. Um, but I think his right hand man in, uh, all of that is the guy who coined the phrase, uh, community is Unity. Um, it was all, it was almost a throwaway joke line, but it kind of became your mantra. And, um, you know, perhaps we’re, perhaps we’re not all in each other’s pockets still, if it wasn’t for you, uh, beating that drum, um, so early on. Um, now there’s, there’s obviously, firstly we should do a, um, just to, uh, for the moment close the, uh, battle for Bustle chapter of the show. Um, we will show off the cover and do a, a cheap plug, if you will. Um, so this is the upcoming cover for, uh, volume two issue one of Battle for Bustle. Um, as Lee says, you don’t necessarily have to have read the previous issues.

(02:38:13)
Um, there’s a, a somewhat of a, you know, a previously on survivor, um, type thing in, on the inside cover, which gives you, uh, any information you may need. Um, but otherwise you, you, you sort of hitting the ground running with this, um, with this dude Christopher. Um, and I mean, anyone who’s familiar with your artwork knows that, um, many fine liners died, uh, to make that issue <laugh>. Um, so out of respect for them, <laugh>, I think, uh, are we talking, uh, was it July I saw on, on the adverts? Or is it Yeah, yeah, yeah. So July this year, I guess. Um, keep your eyes peeled. I mean, it will be all over the places to look at. Uh, now, something I’ve been hanging to say, is this now, Lee, as we begin to wind down the show, mate, yeah. Um, we can, this can be a, uh, two second, uh, answer, or it can be lengthy.

(02:39:20)
It’s up to you. Um, but firstly, for those who are, you know, there, there will be a select few who are like, what? Keep going. There’s, there’s so much more to touch on, but we have to save some stuff for episode 100 is, uh, my thoughts. Um, so we can always come back. We can, there’s so much more, um, to pull from this man’s brain. Uh, but one of the big questions, I mean, really it’s as, it’s as big as the, uh, guest interprets it, but it’s a, I found it to be a hard one that really had me thinking, uh, once I saw the first handful of episodes, uh, before mine, I wanted to take this, the question seriously, and then ask, uh, answer it as best I could. I don’t know that I did a great job, um, because I still don’t really know the answer. Uh, but of the, uh, I feel like we did the who, obviously we did the what, the where, the when, uh, even some of the how, then the big one is why

Leigh Chalker (02:40:27):
I often ask myself that sped sy I had, um, I had, uh, I had a breakdown maybe a week ago and, um, questioned everything. Why am I fucking sitting in this granny flat? Why am I doing this stuff? Like, I, everything, and your brain goes into negatives, you know, with self-doubt and shit. Like, why am I doing it? The sacrifice? Because, um, you know, this comic book is s as you know, as well as other things to sacrifice a fucking lot, man. For me, relationships, friendships, like fucking, you know, like, um, uh, mental health, you know, like lots of things man, have gone into this. But sometimes you do have to flick your pers switch your perspective, as you said before. And

(02:41:39)
I’m not good at everything, but I’m good at some things, and I think I’m a pretty good storyteller. I’ve got a long way to go. It’s something I’m passionate about. It’s something that has been there with me. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. I’ve lost a lot of stuff. But the one thing that’s been a constant from when I first saw my granddad’s drawings was paper and pen. And I always felt a comfort in it, whether it was bad times, good times, man, if I wasn’t publishing comic books, I’d probably still be sitting here drawing. So, I mean, you gotta look at things from that. Um, but for me, it’s a little bit different with people because as you asked before about chinwag, chinwag has become such an, uh, chinwag has become something that I never envisioned it would become. I hope it does continue on. I mean, I wanna invite as many people on here as possible. If I don’t know you, I really don’t know you. I’m not, I’m not, uh, omitting you. I’m not, not reaching out to you. Like, I’m not that way. I want you on the show. If you want to be on the show, please let myself SPEDs like know, and you can be on like, it’s, there’s no, there’s no, there’s no nos. You know what I mean? Like, it’s a yes all, like, this is

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:43:04):
What I’ve got enough nos for all

Leigh Chalker (02:43:05):
Of us that <laugh>. Yeah. Well, I’m

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:43:08):
Saying anyway, sorry

Leigh Chalker (02:43:10):
I haven’t turned side on to show you mine, mate. But anyway, um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:43:13):
There’s a reason why I sit at this angle, but anyway, <laugh>,

Leigh Chalker (02:43:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:43:20):
Sorry, I, I, uh, no,

Leigh Chalker (02:43:22):
I’m just, I’m just chuckling. So I was gonna say something and I thought like, no, don’t,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:43:26):
I, I’ve made a real point of like, so my brain, I have the drink and draw brain of just like, joke, joke, joke of different things you were saying. And I, and, uh, apologies to those who have thought the, I’ve been, I’ve had my listening face on, but it’s a, it’s a bit of a resting bitch face. But, but that’s my listening face. Um, but also suppressing jokes face. Uh, and, but as we get, as we start to wind down the show, mate, I’m starting to get a little bit, um, I don’t know, my, my, uh, jokes per minute counter is, uh, needs to tick along. Yeah.

Leigh Chalker (02:44:01):
Yeah. That’s cool. That’s all right, mate. That’s you. That, that’s exactly what you should be, is you, um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:44:07):
Uh, I just, while I’ve already derailed you, just to bring us straight back to Sirius, um, one thing I think, and you know this, but, but it’s important. I mean, everybody is weird. And, and I promise you every single person is weird. Um, we’re just varying, varying degrees of weird and, and, and different weirds. Um, a a friend, I ha I was just like, everyone’s weird except for my mate Doug. Um, and then Doug did something weird like 25 years into knowing him, and I was like, the

Leigh Chalker (02:44:42):
Fuck, <laugh>, like,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:44:46):
I thought you were the one regular person on this planet. Um, but also the, the doubting yourself, questioning yourself that the, the breakdown you had last week, um, as much as you are special, uh, you are not special in as much as you’re not alone in those things. I think, uh, and I only know from a creative perspective and, and fellow creatives I’ve talked to, but we, I think we all, sometimes, particularly as the years go on and we’re still doing this, um, you find yourself going the why mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, uh, is, uh, becomes a, a, a, like a sort of dam leaves almost. You start, yeah. Uh, that’s why the why of the show was daunting, because

(02:45:37)
That, that was my larrikin and and serious guy. I wanted to take that question seriously. And then I was taking it almost too seriously pre-show and scaring myself, um, because I don’t know why. And I’ve been chasing dreams so long that I’m scared of catching it, because I don’t know who I am, if I achieve my goals, if, uh, I’ve always just moved goalposts my whole life with different, I wanted to play, I wanted to play a, a, a a show. We played a show. I wanted to headline a show. We headlined a show. I, it, it meant nothing. I, I wanna sell out this place. We did that then, but just kept moving. And I can see that still happening. And as much as I know it logically, um, I still find myself the, the wondering why. Um, but back to you, I derailed you so far from where you were, um, in that time. Have you found any semblance of,

Leigh Chalker (02:46:45):
Um, mate, I just, um, I think at the end of the day, it’s just, um, I found my people,

(02:46:59)
You know, I found like-minded people. Sometimes we don’t agree, sometimes we agree. That’s the creative process, that’s humanity. We’ve had our disagreements, our ups and downs. We’ve always managed to put the bullshit in our egos aside because we all have an appreciation for each other. We’re all empathic towards each other. And understand that, know that life’s not smooth. For some people, there’s a respect, there’s a voice, you know, like in what we’re all doing. I think that our intentions are good, um, fucking proud of what we all do. And I want more people to be part of the community. ’cause it’s not a fucking competition, man. And I’m, you know, I, I do have pet peeves that I won’t go into now, but sometimes I think

(02:47:59)
Just stop thinking and just do, because we’re not good at everything. But sometimes there’s some things you’re good at and you just gotta keep doing ’em. And sometimes it doesn’t give you money. Sometimes it doesn’t fucking, it isn’t what you wanted in your mind’s eye. Sometimes life will throw you a curve ball and shit like that. But the one thing I’ve learned, man, and I can tell you that one thing that I will always belt on about in Chin Wags, and I’ve been doing it more and more after discovering more of myself, and I say this wholeheartedly without a word of a fucking lie, creativity has saved my life to the point where if it hadn’t have been for these things, I can tell you I wouldn’t be here. If it hadn’t have been for those gentle teachers, I wouldn’t be here. And sometimes what some people consider success

(02:49:05)
Is different to everyone. You know, some people want a house, some people want a horse. It’s what you, you know, or a dog. It’s what you want. <laugh> some people. And I think people, you know, I think people should stop, like having expectations and comparing themselves to other people. Um, everyone’s unique. Everyone. Ha like, man, you know, when I, when I was, I don’t, I don’t think I’ve given you enough credit either, mate. Like we started at exactly the same time our comic books came out at exactly the same time that our comic books were on the back covers of each other’s as ads, you know? And Shane started at the same time with Kerry, with comics, you know, and, and your a jovial person. But you much like myself, have a darker side and a and we both suffer imposter syndrome and, you know, we’re not good enough, but we try and do our best because, you know, uh, we just try and one of the comic books, mate, without Blowing Smoke Up Your ass that I read in the last couple of years, it hit me at a right time.

(02:50:19)
And I gave me a hundred percent strength to, um, do this whole reboot. And me a battle for Bustle in my own way was sluggish. And, um, I read that and I thought that was like, fuck, that’s brave. You know? Um, and that’s probably why, because I’ve got people like you, people like Ben Sullivan, Valla, gently, gently pushing, and it’s like, fuck, you know? Like, I wanna be as good as them. You know? I wanna fucking, I wanna work hard. I wanna fucking, um, tell stories. And, um, yeah, that’s why. So it’s a community thing. Um, and it’s respect for everyone I’ve met. I don’t, you know, it’s, um, yeah, it’s got me through. So, um, got me through to this point. So I don’t really plan on stopping. So, um, at this point, um, but I’ll do things at my pace. Um, I’m not gonna rush things. ’cause um, balance is important in life too, you know? Um, so, you know, just find your pace, find what you want, find your lane, um, find your voice and, and, uh, dig in. So,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:51:44):
Um, well, for all your, you know, the, we’ve, we learned about tonight, your trials, your tribulations, your mistakes, your regrets, whatever you, you’ve done good. You’re doing good. And you will continue to do good if you, yeah, just, uh, go easy on yourself and just do what, do what you do. Uh, ’cause there’s only, uh, there’s definitely only one of, one of my questions early on, um, which I didn’t get to, was can you name a, a single artist that does art anywhere near for me? I can now I’m gonna get you to answer the question, but, but don’t <laugh>. But, but, but I, like, I quickly go for myself, Peter Wilson, Nick Ma, Dean Rankin, like a, we all play in the same vein. Um, like you could argue Ryan Valer is nearish you, but, but I’m more, I think you have a style. So I can recognise almost all my peers artwork, but yours, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.

(02:52:58)
Ryan Vela, uh, rivals you in, uh, detail and RIP fine liners, but your styles are vastly different. Um, I’ve never seen anything like it. Uh, and I, I think therefore only you can do it. Uh, so keep doing it, um, for whatever that’s worth from, from this guy. Um, thank you, Matt. But, uh, yeah, I want to thank you. Thank you for, um, letting you know, I said as long as we get, this was something I said to Nick. May as long as we get to 45 minutes, that’s kind of an episode. Uh, we got to over two hours and 45 minutes. So I think we, um, we touched on some good stuff. I just want to thank and also apologise to some people that I, whose comments I didn’t put up. Uh, it was only ’cause I just didn’t want to derail, um, some stories that were going on.

(02:53:51)
’cause it, it, I mean, it, you know how it is. You, you’re, you need deep in the story. And, but just to shout out to a few of these people, um, Kerry, good on you, Lee, for sharing your story. Great interview, sped. Thank you so much, Kerry. Thank you. Um, awesome cover from Dave. Thank you Dave. Uh, Lee, thank you, uh, for being so present in the moment. Such a wonderful chinwag episode. Brilliant stuff, guys from Peter Lane. You youngsters have so much wisdom. Thanks for sharing so much. Uh, no deadlines from, from, uh, siz. <laugh>, yeah, yeah. And, uh, free production, pair of legends right there. Thanks so much, Jesse. That’s awesome. Um, oh, what was I gonna say? Something, gentlemen, thank you. Um, yeah, well I believe that has been our show. Uh, please do. If, uh, if you could like and subscribe, that would help greatly.

(02:54:49)
Um, chinwag, you know, I like to think would’ve found its way, either way, but it doesn’t exist, uh, without Comex, Shane and Kerry literally paying for it. Um, so yeah, if you could hit like, and subscribe, all of that helps us get to a, a future goal of perhaps making this channel monetized. Um, ’cause we, damn, boy, we have the content. We just, um, we need some more eyeballs and that’s from subscribers. So yeah, if you could share with some like-minded individuals, that would help. Thank you, Lee. Uh, thank you. Me <laugh>. Just ’cause it rhymes. <laugh>. Yeah. Is that, is that our show? Did I, uh,

Leigh Chalker (02:55:34):
Mate, just one, just one thing is, um, to every person that’s been on Chinwag, thank you Shane and Kerry. Thank you. Um, and uh, yeah, and we’ll just continue, but please like, and, and subscribe as sps he said. ’cause um, and anyone that’s out there and had an interview with Chinwag, use it as you wish, share, put it out there. If you know people that you think would like to have a chinwag, send them our way. All a welcome. Um, it’s a green light, so please reach out. And uh, yeah, it’s been a real pleasure and uh, and um, yeah, it’s pretty amazing. Yeah, I didn’t think we get to, we get to 50, um, but, um, sp thank you man. Um,

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:56:34):
No pleasure. Thank

Leigh Chalker (02:56:34):
You for sharing now with me and, uh, always been there, mate. So, um, yeah, hold, I hold you in that very high regard, my friend

Rob ‘Spedsy’ Lisle (02:56:47):
<laugh>. All right, well, same. So thank you very much. All right, thank you everybody, and thank you for sticking with us. Like I talked about those numbers, they did not, people stayed with us from the start to the end, so very, very, very appreciated. Um, thank you very much. Uh, all right, thanks Lee. Um, thank you everybody, and we’ll see you, uh, down the road.

Voice Over (02:57:09):
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