Speaker 1: Hello, and good morning everybody.
Speaker 2: Hello, hello man.
Speaker 1: I got to tell you what you have put together
something here that I think is going to be around
fifty seventy five years. This is this is something that
speaks genuinely not only to the up and coming generation,
but to a modern generation that wishes we had books
like this when we were younger.
Speaker 3: Oh, thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 2: That's great.
Speaker 1: Good. Where does it come from? Because I mean, did
you did you live it? I mean, do you did
you go to a coffee shop or a t shop
and just sit there and go, this is Oh, this
is it. This we're going to we got to put
this into the storyline.
Speaker 3: Well, I mean kind of a long story. Heart Supper
actually originated as a kind of spin off from one
of my books that I wrote before Heart Stupper. Nick
and Charlie were characters in my very first book, which
is called Solitaire. But in that book they're just side characters.
You don't really learn a lot about them. So when
I finished writing that book, because like, I love these
characters so so much and I want to know what
their story is, and so that became Heart Supper and
it's just growing from there.
Speaker 1: Patrick, how do you keep it so natural, like it's authentic,
like it's something that's really happening in our everyday lives.
Speaker 4: I think that all comes from Alice, really, because the
genesis of the TV version is just me reading the
webcomic and being like, Wow, this could be really exciting,
this could be an amazing TV series, and then talking
to Alice finding a kind of creative collaboration and partnership there.
Speaker 2: And we've just sort of.
Speaker 4: Tried to make the TV show as close to the
webcomic graphic novel book series as we possibly can, and
I think to speak to the naturalness that you mentioned
that is what is so inherent in your drawings. The
boys are so easy with each other, and the intimacy
that Alice puts on the page is what we wanted to.
Speaker 2: Capture on screen.
Speaker 4: And so to work with brilliant directors ls Lynn Andy
Newberry and of course Kit and Joe in kind of
Alice's decision to life, it's just a privilege and that's yeah,
that's where the naturalness is.
Speaker 1: I think, Well, Alice, I mean, the thing about it
is is that the graphic novel is amazing in the
way of there's real emotion inside those those pictures, the illustration.
I mean, it's like, you can you I'll look at
the illustration, then I'll read the words, and it's it's like,
because I feel something in this whole entire, you know,
a connection here.
Speaker 3: I'm so sorry.
Speaker 4: I just I can't.
Speaker 3: I can't hear it. I don't know if it's something
on our end.
Speaker 1: Can you hear me? Now?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 1: Okay. There's such an emotion attached to the to the
illustration as well as the storyline, connecting them the way
that you do, it's almost like you go into a
different dimension with the readers.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, it's That's one of the things I
love to draw the most is expressions and little gestures
between characters and body language. My favorite thing to draw
is people and people's emotions.
Speaker 2: So that's kind.
Speaker 3: Of how I create Heart Stopper and how I write
and draw these relationships and big, big feelings that are
so central to the story of heart Stopper. It's just
what I love to write stories about.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 1: It's really interesting, Patrick, is the fact that I speak
with so many different authors that dream of getting shows,
you know, displayed on things like such as Netflix or
even TV shows. The thing is is that you're part
of this journey. I mean, you're part of this legacy.
Speaker 4: I mean it's fantastic. It's a privilege, and getting to
work on the show with Alice is just such a joy.
You know, We've been doing kind of like panels when
we've been in New York and previously in Toronto, and
it's been amazing meeting the fans who are just so
appreciative and such pains to say thank you for doing this,
and I'm like, I would do it for nothing. That
is like, it's the funnest thing and it's something that
we both love and we just have passion for. So yeah,
to get to do it is brilliant.
Speaker 1: Alice, how do you work on the pacing Because you're
not rushing anything in this story at all. It feels
like it's really happening in real time.
Speaker 3: I mean, I'm a planner when I before I write,
I plan very carefully what the plots of the story
is going to be. I always know exactly what's going
to happen at the end of the story, so I'm
always working with that end point in mind. And really
the pacing of heart stuff or is just I want
it to feel really natural, and like we're growing up
alongside these characters who are growing up and we're really
just following them through their ordinary, everyday lives, the problems
that they face and the joys that they experience. And yeah,
I wanted to feel as.
Speaker 1: As it can, so Patrick, So the book this is
volume number five. You guys are in the TV show,
are doing season number three? Do you sneak look into
into the future books to find out what your character
is going to be doing?
Speaker 4: I did. Yeah, that's another really fun part of the
job is that Alice sends me the comic panels, and
as you know, we've been talking about what the ending
of Heartstop is going to be, and we've been looking
forward to finishing that story and telling it in a
really complete way.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's really exciting.
Speaker 4: To be kind of, you know, happy the Bird's idea
of what alice Is sort of vision for the whole
story is, and it's really really important that we do
that justice in the TV version. And yeah, people seem
to be loving season three, so I think touch with
so far we're doing.
Speaker 1: All way, Alice, he said, the ending come on, as
readers and viewers, we don't want to see an ending.
But then again, it's on Netflix. We can start it
all over again. But still we don't want to see
the story end.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, well, I mean all stories have to end. Actually,
it's a very bittersweet feeling. Like obviously, I am very,
very sad to be eventually saying goodbye to Heartstopper, because
I love this story and I love these characters. But
at the same time, I want it to end on
a high. I would never want to drag it on
forever and ever, that's no good for any story, I
don't think. So. Yeah, I'm sad, but I'm also really
excited about bringing the story to a clothes and creating
the most beautiful.
Speaker 1: Ending that I can patrick. One of the things that
we have these days, we have giant flat screen TVs
in our living rooms. But the thing is, though, is
that I would like to see a few of these
episodes up on a big screen in a movie theater,
so I can really get that movie theater, you know,
kind of a vibe that a story like this can
bring out. Have you seen it on a big screen?
Speaker 2: We have watched it on a big screen.
Speaker 4: Yeah, we've seen it in Toronto and we've saw it
in New York and we've actually seen it in London
as well, so we've been doing a bit of a
touring up on these beautiful big cinema screens. Is amazing
and I think that's one of the things I'm really
proud of is the artistry.
Speaker 2: Behind the show. It makes it look very sinematic and so,
you know, the story is you might say it's a
small story because it's just about teenagers dotting everyday thing,
but actually the emotional slayer that it is good and
I think that's reflected and how all the brilliant crafts
people who come together to make the show have made
it look and when you see it on a big screen,
you're like, wow, this is like an amatic vibe.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's more than just a story about teenagers,
because one of the things that you do, Alice, is
that you showcase love, friendship, loyalty. These are all things
that we need to teach our young teens and younger adults.
But you're doing it in a way that's through the
pages of a book and through a TV show.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's I think Heart Suffer is kind
of naturally a little bit educational, like just because of
the tone of the story. It has this optimistic you know,
it tells you that things are going to be okay,
and it shows you how so even though the characters
go through these dark times. For example, Charlie deals with
having an eating disorder, we see exactly how he gets
out of that dark place and finds healing and finds recovery.
And hopefully that is helpful to young people, especially who
really need that in the books that they're reading and
they need that information. So yeah, hopefully it is a
little bit helpful in some way.
Speaker 1: Patrick, I would love to see the studies on people
who have watched Heartstoppers on their smartphones or in the
privacy of their bedrooms, and it's teaching them to be
more open with their emotions. And so when they go
to school or they go to their jobs, they're a
little bit more open because you guys say, it's okay
to be you.
Speaker 4: Yeah. I mean, I think the show is centers optimism
and in a very queer story, and I think this
is maybe one of the first generations that are getting
lots of media now that is optimistic and hopeful and
has kind of joy in it. And as Alla says,
we don't shy away from the tough you know storyline.
Those things exist in the world and we tackle them,
but I think we do it in a way that says,
you know, you can get through this and open communication
is the key and do things in your own way.
There's no one defined way to be a queer person.
There's no one defined queer identity, and that's one of
the things in the show that I'm really proud of.
It's sort of celebrating lots of different identities in the lgbtqia,
you know, family really. So yeah, hopefully it's a little
kind of slice of rainbow joy for people to use
and to be taken and have a positive impact.
Speaker 1: Alice, where can people go to find out more about
your journey? Because with you bringing this story to an end, saying,
oh my god, she's got to be doing something else.
You can't turn writing off.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean what heart stuffer is very much my
focus right now, and people are welcome to follow me
on Instagram that's kind of where I most active. It's
just at Aliefoseman or you can find out more about
my books on my website Aliphoseman dot com. But yeah,
who knows what the future will bring. Things are very
heart slepper focus right now, but it's coming to an
end and then I'll get to write a news story
and I'm really excited about that.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: What about you, Patrick? Where can people find more about you? Well?
Speaker 4: On Instagram as well. Pat Waters two underscores is my username. Yeah,
I'm working on heart Stopper. It takes up a huge
amount of time and that's amazing. I'm also working a
show which came out yesterday on Stars called Sweetpea with
a fabulous actress called Ala Panel in the lead role.
It's very different to heart Stopper, That's all I'll say.
Speaker 2: But it's thoughts so very good.
Speaker 1: Wow, the two of you have got to come back
to this show anytime in the future. The door is
always going to be open for you.
Speaker 4: Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1: Will you'd be brilliant and thank you for for your art,
the two of you. You're acting as well as you're writing,
because the world needs this right now.
Speaker 3: Oh thank you.