About 0n the Fr1tz...
No doubt a few of you have a lot of questions regarding the comics section of my site. The rest of you probably don't care. For the latter group, this page doesn't include any biting commentary about Linux distributions or colorful analogies to sexually transmitted diseases, so you might want to go back to my main site if that's your cup of tea. These first few questions are just my guesses at what you might want to know.
Q: I just don't get the jokes in your comic.
A: Don't worry; you're not alone. My comic generally retells conversations I had with my real-life friends (yes, all the characters have a "real" person associated with them), and sometimes there are jokes that are funny only to the people I know. Keep in mind that just like my reviews, the comics are made mostly for my own personal enjoyment and may or may not do anything special for you.
Q: I found a really funny comic I want to email to my friends or post in my office/dorm/etc. Can I do that?
A: Of course. I only ask that if you repost/email/etc any of my comics you follow a few basic rules:
1. My copyright notice and name must remain at the bottom of the strip, so please don't crop it out.
2. You may NOT sell or otherwise profit off my strip without my expressed written permission.
Q: The pencil drawings on XXX comic are really hard to read.
A: Tough. The original 12 strips of On the Fritz were published in a university newspaper, and newsprint doesn't scan very well. I do my best to touch them up after I scan them, but I can only do so much.
Q: Your drawing skills really suck.
A: Yes, and thank you for pointing that out, since I obviously was oblivious to that fact. I know I'm not a Penny Arcade or Something Positive (both comics I personally enjoy) but I'm not TRYING to be. I am what I am, and an artist I am not.
Q: Wait. You said "published", meaning someone actually PAID you to draw this crap?
A: Believe me, no one was more surprised than me when the entertainment editor called me up and said he was going to run my scribble comic. I didn't make a mint off it, but it was enough to say I've "professionally" done a comic strip (meaning I did it for money), and I have a valid copyright on the concept now.
Q: Are your comics autobiographical?
A: Sometimes, but don't take them literally. I tend to alter certain details either out of respect for the person(s) involved or for comedic effect.
Q: What's the joke in comic 36 (or the July 28, 2006 comic)? I don't get it.
As I said, this is perhaps the single most obscure joke I've done. Don't rack your brain: there's no way in hell you've ever seen that character before unless you fit the following criteria:
- You attended school at or were present on campus of Southwest Texas State University between Fall 2000 and Fall 2003.
- You qualify for number 1 and you were very, very observant and able to connect several seeming coincidences.
Here's the whole story. While I was an undergrad I noticed that there was an odd collection of graffiti sprinkled throughout the campus (sometimes at the bottom of a handrail or on the bottom row of bricks on a building, occasionally drawn on an electrical box or an exposed pipe). This graffiti was always drawn in silver or gold paint marker, and always showed one of 3 things:
- The word "no." in lower case followed by a period.
- The words "i'm sorry." in lower case followed by a period.
- The head of that strange creature in the comic.
I never figured out who did it or why, but the connection of the 3 made a compelling comic for me. I also do not know if any of the graffiti still exists on the campus, so you'll probably just have to take my word for it. At any rate, perhaps now you'll get the joke. Consider yourselves privileged, as I doubt anyone else in the world will.
I'll add more questions as I'm asked them. As usual, the email for feedback is feedback @ techiemoe.com.