A perfect Sunday with...Laura Helsby
Spicy tofu, must-read horror and breaking Padme's heart
Every week, a top writer, artist or creator reveals how they’d fill their perfect Sunday, sharing their favourite comfort reads, movies, food… anything that would make their weekend great.
Today it’s the turn of 2000AD artist, Laura Helsby.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… brunch
This has to be a really good, spicy, tofu noodle dish with lots of veggies. I could legitimately only eat tofu and noodles for the rest of my life and live happily. My desert island food stuff for sure.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… read
I'm not much for novels recently. I blame comics for that, but the one book I always go back to, even now, is The Green Mile, by Stephen King. A real masterpiece. I am a big admirer of King's work. I read that book cover to cover when I was in secondary school, a page turner like no other I had read. And, if I may, it has the best film adaptation of any book I know, it's scary how accurate to my imagination it is!
Laura’s perfect Sunday… comic
Now we're talking!!! This is an easy one, my all-time favorite to read and re-read is most definitely The Autumnal by Daniel Kraus and Chris Shehan with colours by Jason Wordie and Jim Campbell on letters. I have legitimately never read another comic or book that impacted me as much as this one. My first foray into horror comics and, in my opinion, a standout for the genre. There were actual page turning jump scares that scared me more than any film. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a horror lover. This is a must-read.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… movie
If I ever talk about film, there can be no other answer than Star Wars! And more specifically, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I'm a massive fan of all things Star Wars, all films and shows but ROTS just hits different.
You wouldn't think this would be a comfort film considering all the heart wrenching misery it puts us through, watching Ani become Vader. But I adore it. I was a little obsessed with Anakin and Padmè as a child and this film killed me. "Anakin... You're breaking my heart! Same Padmè, same.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… TV binge
Wynonna Earp, hands down, is always and forever my favourite TV show.Wynonna Earp I'm currently working my way through my bazillionth rewatch, due to it finally being renewed, in a way, for a 90-minute special. The fans of this show are called Earpers, and we Earpers don't give up without a fight, three years after it was all ending, we're back! If you're into western fun with a paranormal twist then I'd highly recommend it, it also has some of the best queer representation I've ever seen in a show, shout out to Emily Andras for that. Oh! And it's based on a comic by the wonderful Beau Smith.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… podcast
The Hoop Genius Podcast by Mo Mooncey and BJ Armstrong! I'm a massive hoops fan as y'all will come to realize and this is my favourite pod, the guys keep each other in check and don't run away with biased opinions. Just great people talking about the beautiful game and all it entails.
Laura’s perfect Sunday… album
Can I do a two-parter here? I'm doing a two-parter. Normally this would definitely be Tubeway Army Replicas. Gary Numan and Synth just sends me to a whole other astral plane. Close my eyes, listen to Are 'friends' electric? and I'm all set.
But at this current time, I've been REALLY enjoying Florence and the Machine's newer album, Dance Vision, which gives me a similar feeling , ethereal and otherworldly. 'King' is my favourite track hands down:
"I need my golden crown of sorrow, my bloody sword to swing.
My empty halls to echo with grand self-mythology.
I am no mother, I am no bride.
I am king"
Like, DAMN!
Laura’s perfect Sunday… treat
My semi-nightly routine of waking up at 1/2am in the morning to watch my Chicago Bulls play! Or the Chicago Sky. I love basketball so much, it's worth ruining my sleep schedule, win or lose! Go Bulls!
The English Astronaut by Paul Cornell with art by Laura Helsby has recently been serialised in 2000AD.
Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! Earth, November 1963, and Major Thomas Anderson is about to become the subject of a British Experimental Space Programme project. Locked into the Injection Seat, he’ll take a cocktail of drugs that will dislocate him from the current year and plunge him into 2024…
LAURA HELSBY (they/them) is the artist of “The English Astronaut” which ran in 2000 AD from prog 2367. They’ve also drawn Future Shocks for Tharg, and are becoming increasingly prolific in the UK comic scene!