An interview with Christopher C. Teague
by Stuart Young

Christopher Teague for some insane reason runs Pendragon Press in his spare time, when his spare time seems to be ever dwindling by the day... but perhaps one of these days, he’ll be able to relegate running Pendragon Press to the day-job and his spare time will become better wasted on more fruitful endeavours, like getting drunk, more writing, a little bit extra reading, an increase in exercise... who knows?

Stuart Young: Chris, I know you’re shy about promoting yourself and so you’re probably a bit nervous right now. But don’t worry, just think of this as a cosy little chat. (Shines glaring lamp directly into Chris’ eyes.) Now talk, you dog!

Chris Teague: I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition.

SY: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Now talk! What first attracted you to becoming an editor?

CT: Because I failed as a writer! I ventured into the small press about 1997 (even to this day how I came across the BBR Catalogue is still a mystery), and then a little while later, I found Nasty Piece of Work an almost spiritual home for me at the time, and my stories. David Green [editor] bounced four or five of them, plus a handful of poems, and so disillusioned I thought, how hard can editing be? and set about reading for Nasty Snips then I read Noel Hannan & Rik Rawling’s indie comic Streetmeat, and suitably impressed, I agreed to publish Noel’s prose collection Shenanigans. This was in the days before digital printing, and therefore I was too ambitious too early on and quickly ran out of money. Imposing a hiatus on Pendragon Press, I continued to read for my next anthology Tourniquet Heart and fulfilled the orders that trickled in for the previous two books. Around 2001, I made contact with Sean Wallace of Prime Books who said yes to Tourniquet, and indulged me the delights and cost-effectiveness of digital printing on my sojourn to some place called Chicago and a World Horror Convention from then I set in motion the plan to publish Lockley & Lewis’s The Ice Maiden, and realising the cost effectiveness of digital, Paul Finch’s The Extremist war collection should be available now, and a certain novella in December.

SY: Although you’re best known as an editor you’ve also written several stories yourself. Which do you prefer; writing or editing?

CT: Well, as I said, my first attempts at writing were horrendous (my very first, outside of English comprehension lessons, was a blatant rip-off of a story I read in Fear called ‘Monster’ thank God it doesn’t exist any more, nor the homage to Terry Pratchett that I wrote in Uni). My first sale was to the Big Issue in Wales in 1996, with a story called Grumbling. It was through editing that my own writing got better, but I’m such a lazy sod that there are only about a handful of stories in print. I’m not reading for any anthologies at the moment, so my writing is more to the front therefore, as of now, I prefer writing. When I can.

SY: Am I right in thinking you’re quite a big fan of surreal comedies such as The League of Gentlemen and Monty Python. And no lying to me! Don’t make me use the soft cushions!

CT: Just don’t let that Dr Chinnery anywhere near me on a dull day in the summer of 1989, when it was absolutely chucking it down on a family holiday in Yugoslavia, the rep switched on a video in a room in the hotel, and put on a tape of Life of Brian I was at the right age, I think, especially when Brian was told to leave that silly Welsh tart alone. Not long after that, I discovered Spike Milligan, then Peter Cook (mostly as Derek with Dudley Moore’s Clive), but Python is my first comedic love I suppose.

SY: So you like Monty Python, Chris you don’t mind if I call you Chris?

CT: No, not at all.

SY: So Chrissie-baby, you’re also a big fan of Terry Gilliam’s films?

CT: Even Baron Munchausen. Brazil is a work of genius, ’nuff said. And who would’ve thought that Bruce Willis (along with Brad Pitt) could act, in Twelve Monkeys?

SY: Any other filmmakers you admire?

CT: Well, there are two: Brian De Palma and John Carpenter the former for his camera pyrotechnics, and Carpenter for just doing his own thing (even if he’s been a bit crap lately). There are, though, a few more: Cronenberg, Fincher, Romero, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch. I am, though, a sucker for the Steadicam, so Garrett Brown [inventor] has to be mentioned purely for his work on Rocky and the sublime corridor sequences in The Shining.

SY: You’re taking your own first tentative steps in film scripting. Is this something you see developing in the future?

CT: Most definitely I’ve written one short already, with one or two others out there, hoping to find a suitable home lately, though, a number of short stories have stemmed from screenplays I found it quite easy to ‘bolt’ description and narrative onto the bare bones of a script.

SY: So has running Pendragon led to fame and fortune yet?

CT: Well, a semblance of fame I suppose, but no monetary fortune. If I did go into this game/racket/whatever to make money, I probably wouldn’t have bothered, but I’m quite happy that the latest batch of books more or less pay for themselves now

SY: Pendragon publishes a wide range of product: anthologies, single author collections, novellas and a wide range of genres: crime, horror, science fiction, dark fantasy. Is that a reflection of your tastes or a cunning marketing strategy or a bit of both?

CT: Well, I’ve read many, many horror short stories, but haven’t read that many horror novels; yet, I’ve read more sf novels, but not that many short stories, but I do think I have an eclectic taste whatever I like the sound of, I’ll read.

SY: Tourniquet Heart featured a soundtrack listing at the back of the book. Have you any plans for future books that would actually have an accompanying soundtrack CD?

CT: When I was compiling the soundtrack, I was toying with the idea of producing an audio book version then forgot about it then just recently remembered the idea. Music, though, is probably my second vice after books, and so I would like Pendragon Press to become Pendragon Media Corporation where I’ll rule the world, buy out Rupert Murdoch and show Jonathan Pryce how a megalomanical media baron should act bwah-wah-wah!

SY: You’ve published stories by some big names like Ramsey Campbell, Christopher Fowler, and Steve Rasnic Tem not to mention upcoming authors like Tim Lebbon and Paul Finch. If you had the choice of publishing any writer in the world, who would it be?

CT: William Gibson, but if David Cronenberg has a collection of stories in his attic, then I’d take a look. Gibson is probably my favourite sf writer huge fan of dystopia, cyberpunk and future noir (though I still haven’t read Richard Morgan).

SY: Whenever I speak to you you’ve always just finished some classic by George Orwell or J.G. Ballard or someone similar. So I take it that you concentrate on reading stuff that you think will be really worth reading.

CT: I was a late-starter when it came to reading didn’t really catch the bug until University so I’ve got some catching up to do. J G Ballard, I’ve only read Crash and Concrete Island, and even though the intelligence left me scratching my head, I was still in awe of the stunning prose; Orwell, though, is a major influence on my viewpoint I think I read 1984 and Animal Farm at just the right moment, starting out on the road to employment and an interest in politics, and how the vast majority of our so-called Leaders are just out there to screw you. If only Lord Sutch was still alive he actually made sense! I’ve also only just read Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird two books which deserve their classic status: next up, one day, Lord of the Flies

SY: And finally; do you admit that Attack of the Clones is the worst film ever made?

CT: Um, ah, erm well, it’s not the worst

SY: How can you say that?! You’re just looking for an argument!

CT: Yes, I am.

SY: No you’re not!

CT: Yes I am!

SY: No you’re not!

CT: This isn’t an argument, it’s just contradiction.

SY: No it isn’t!

CT: Yes it is