When Chris Shepherd talks about his upbringing on Anfield Road, he does so with a mix of humour, wistfulness and startling honesty. "Growing up in the 80s was a bit desolate really," he says. "All the streets were demolished and it felt like the only things left were the pubs.
It was like Hiroshima! Things were bad, but everyone would joke about it, and there was incredible creativity at that time. Everyone seemed to be in a band, and I used to walk from Anfield into town and I'd know all the people there." Inspired by his experiences as a teenager, Chris, a BAFTA-winning director, writer and animator, has written a coming-of-age comic book that shows working class life in the city at a time of great change and social turmoil.
Speaking to the ECHO, Chris described 'Anfield Road' as a "northern fantasy" that is a "celebration of the city, family and love". 'It beats IKEA hands down': Inside the unusual shop people drive past everyday What it means to be 'Yemeni-Scouse' today The book tells the story of teenager called Conor who lives with his nan in a terraced house on Anfield Road. While other lads his age would love to live next to Anfield stadium, Conor is more interested in girls and music than football.
Like Conor, Chris wasn't too keen on football when he was growing up, and sometimes struggled living next to Anfield. He said: "I'm the type of Scouser who wants to play guitars and draw. People would say to me, oh 'it must be boss to live there', but it was a crazy place .
