Deadline, Hugo Tate and sober dogs: An interview with Nick Abadzis, part 2

Interviews Mardou | October 26, 2026 Photo of Nick Abadzis by Paul Dawes. Nick Abadzis has been making comics since the late 1980s. From his early underground hit with Hugo Tate in the Gen-X comics anthology Deadline, to his work as an editor, writer and artist in in both mainstream and children’s comics, he found great success with his Eisner-winning graphic novel Laika. As a longtime fan, I was keen to talk to Nick about the influences and methodology behind his unique body of transatlantic work. This is part two of my interview with Nick, conducted in late May 2026 over Zoom to mark the release of his latest book, My Beloved Other: a memoir of love, race and optimism in a time of denial, co-created with his wife Angela Watson. You can read part one over here. — Sacha Mardou SACHA MARDOU: Nick, I’ve always thought of you as an “indie cartoonist” who had his training in the traditional comics realm, is that correct? Can you talk about your early comics influences? NICK ABADZIS: I had a lot of different cultural influences growing up, with my dad being Greek and my mum, who was British. My mother loved comics and cartooning and great animation and film. I was aware of American main...