Randy Milholland of SOMETHING POSITIVE may not be strictly New Blood, but he’s hardly Old Guard, either. In the incredible span of just two and a half years, the humorously black S*P has become one of the most popular comics on the web, and his fans have gone as far as supporting him to the tune of a year’s worth of wages, allowing him to quit his job and devote himself full-time to cartooning.
Now you can ask him all those questions that have been burning in your craw through our latest community interview. Simply ask your questions by posting a comment to this very article; we’ll pick the ten best brain-grillers, and fire them off to Randy’s dark and disturbed head for immediate prostitu- processing.
But make fast with the questions — we’ll only accept them until August 17th.
Sorry I didn’t get a chance to say hi at Otakon (I was the guy in the Charlie Brown shirt.)
Anyway, I came across a game engine called Adventure Game Studio which allows you to create a graphic adventure with little programming skills. Why not create a game of your own and sell it for about five or ten bucks? That way, you can likely come up with enough revenue to get through the next year.
Bill Adams
Lexington KY
Your cartooning is very stipped down, and very unlike anyone else’s work out there. Who are your artistic influences, and how would you like to see your artwork evolve?
Randy,
You have a very unique and consistent style of drawing. I was wondering what sort of art background you have. Is it all something you just picked up naturally, or did you have any formal training? Also, how long does it take you to create a strip from idea to posting?
Keep up the excellent work.
Right now, you are considered the gateway webcomic for all webcomic newbies. How difficult was it for you to initially break onto the webcomic scene? And what advice can you give to new people who want to start their own webcomic?
As a role-player yourself, what gaming system or style do you best enjoy? Or, conversely, what gaming system or style do you find most awful, ludricrous, or offensive?
Hida Jiremi
(Jeremy Puckett)
well i just recently came across this site and have read every archive from this year and i must say this comic is probably the most realistic i’ve ever read..lol i very much enjoy it..now to the question at hand..i’m sure you get this alot but here goes..Are your characters based on people you actually know? and if so do they know how you personally view their personalities/character flaws? and how do they feel about this? lol.its something i’ve been pretty curious about so i hope i get an answer ..thanks..
PoisonedMind
Looking to the future, if you had a goal for SP in say, 5 years (or even 10), what direction would you see it going in? Coffe table compilation book? Animated series? Weekly comic publication? What would you like SP to be in 5 – 10 years, IOW?
Seeing as Peejee just got her fathers permission to marry Kyle the lying cheating #$@&*+!!! sucking bastard (Although if he really is #$@&*+!!! sucking then she must be head over heels), will she, and will she ever find out if he is cheating on her?
Hey Randy just wondering…In Guilt by association pt. 7 (March 30 2004) Branwen knows that Eva has blonde hair and it’s never really come up how she knows what Eva looks like again. Is that just supposed to be out there? Supposed to show that Branwen is checing up on Davan’s past? Or maybe I’m dense and missed the explination.
Would you post the real Mike’s contact information? Would you post it if he pissed you off enough?
the way i see it Davan and Brawnen should stay together….Jim should go straight and get together with peejee…..ahahahahhahahahahahahh! but i very much doubt what ever we want won’t happen….so let opinions rule the world…whooooo!
yeah i was wondering…since Somethingpositive is one kick ass comic and all, why you haven’t updated new gold dream……i found that quite entertaining as well.
~lydia
In your comic, you find humor in suicide, religion, politics, homeless people, violence, alcohol abuse, rape, abortion, cancer and sex slave midgets. Is there a topic to you that is sacred?
Or, the opposite of whoriental’s question:
If you could have anyone vomit on YOU, who would it be and why?
Randy
If you could date one of your female characters, not the person you’ve based them on but the character herself, who would it be? I promise to protect you from PeeJee.
If you were gay, which of the guys would you be hot for, be they gay or not?
By the way, I pretty much hate Taxachusetts too. Kinda stuck here for a few more years, ‘tho.
Thanks for the strip, amigo.
Bryce Platt
I know you make most of your comics off of events in your life, or the lives of your friends and famiey. As far as your familey is conserned, do they get offended by any of the strips showing them?
Do you feel your comic strip will ever evolve to become a mass-produced cookie-cutter strip, that looses it’s identity & specialness?
(Think Cathy or Sally worth..)
You manage to produce a comic that is both very, very funny and very moving at the same time. Do you have any of “serious” sub-plots that you were afraid were going to fall flat or any that you haven’t had the courage to do?
Right about now I feel like a person born to do some sort of specific task, but plunked into a world where I’m totaly out of step with everyone else. I could go on but it would probably sound like blah blah blah after a while. I guess what I am getting at is…how does someone know if their life was worth it all?
Any chance the Cast Section can be completed? Only the main characters are actually working.
Great Comic!
Will you still marry me?
Randy, now that Scott Kurtz has sounded (as one comic artist put it) “the shot fired at Lexington in the war between print and online comics”, what’s your take on Syndication? Have you ever considered trying to get your comic syndicated? Because of the strong language and subject matter in Something Positive, would you prefer to target “alternative” magazines?
So seriously — is there a snowball’s chance in hell of Mike ever wising up/maturing enough to have a chance with PeeGee?
The characters of S*P play a large variety of RPGs and often are playing different campaigns everytime. How often do you get to game? And what different systems do you play?
So would Aubrey and PeeJee be up for an asian threeway? If so, I’m available!
Based on what’s happened within the last two days on the comic, my question is this.
When (assuming this happens) it’s revealed that Kyle’s a cheating bastich and needs his testicles removed….will PeeJee and her dad reconcile? Or will it be an “I told you so.” match from his end, thus further impressing the wedge between them?
Ok so I have to know, even tho I will probably regret it, just what inspired Choo-Choo Bear, Pepito and Nailed? Nightmares? Cute fluffy anime gone wrong? Too much alcohol? A dare? Just because you could? Inquiring minds want to know.
Considering that you put up a comic seemingly every day for two years without any guarantee of getting anything back from it, save for a lack of sleep and an ulcer, what kept you going for so long?
I’ve been enjoying what you have done with Davan and Branwen. It has been good for him to be in a mostly stable relationship.
However, have you any thoughts as to what you are going to do with Mike having the knowledge that Kyle is cheating on Peejee? It seems to be an interesting choice to have Mike be the one that first found out about Kyla. What made you decide to do it that way?
Congratulations on becoming self-employed.
Since you have 1 year, do you have a “business plan” to continue beyond that point. Are you just going to do pledge drives like NPR or what? Not that there is anything wrong with that. It seems to have been very effective.
Also a suggestion. You should contact Scott McCloud (The Understanding Comics guy.) He is particularly interested how the internet will effect the future of comics and getting people to pay for content. Plus, he runs in the Neil Gaiman/Will Eisner type circle. So, not a bad guy to know. FYI his site is: http://www.scottmccloud.com/
You mentioned a week or so ago in the news that you were sick of Boston, and maybe thinking of moving? Would Davan also choose a new location to live? Also, I noticed the character Kestrel from Queen of Wands just got an interview in Boston… Are you two planning many more fun cross overs?
Is there a story behind Mr. Fishface that you would be willing to share with the class?
Hello Mr. Milholland just want to say first of all I am a big fan of your comic and admire how you blend comedy and drama with dirty jokes and still keep it from seeming fake or cartoonish.:) It’s got a realism I love to read when I need to be cheered up or need a good laugh and you never fail to deliver so Thank You sir Thank You,I don’t know how I would have survived My first Semester of College without you comic.:) It is truely great and it inspires me so much as an aspireing artist and writer so again Thank You for the bright spot of cheer in my otherwise boring day.:) Well I better ask the question that logged in to ask so here goes-Mr. Milholland how would I go about setting up my own comic and what equipment would I need to do so also how much does it cost to set-up and run a comic site? 🙂
Seriously? OK; think about it: if your two best friends were anywhere near as creatively violent (I prefer the term “imaginative”) as PEEJEE or AUBREY (or really, just about any of the women in the cast), would YOU draw nipples on characters based on your best friends/siblings?? (After all, friends are the family we choose.)
Now: What was your question again?
Are you getting your questions out of a 1980’s “Teen Beat” magazine? Just curious; I seem to recall a similar “reader’s submission” addressed to A-Ha.
Ooh! Maybe it was your wacky Creative Writing teacher in highschool! Am I right? Yes? (I should know– she got transferred to my school. I made a point of failing her class.)
Damnit, this site doesn’t automatically log you in. But the above is mine.
You obviously haven’t read the entire collection. Try taking the time to do more than skim to the punchline, and you may discover that these characters actually do care about each other. This isn’t “Seinfeld,” you know. (Yes, I actually did like that show when it first started, but when the writers stopped caring about it, so did the characters stop caring about each other.) As for shockingly stupid people; either you’re blessed with never having had to work in retail, or, you could be nominated as my own personal guru.
Kisses!
Somewhere in Canada
It seems that many people have a particular fondness for Davan (perhaps “fondness” isn’t the right word…) or an affinity for him. I know I feel a certain affinity with him, in some respects.
Why do you think this is? What do you think it is about Davan’s nature that attracts readers (other than the fact he is hilarious)?
–RAF
‘ultimately, it is irrelevent’
Hi Randy! I was wondering all the time while I’ve read your comic, what inspired you to start drawing Something Positive? I love the sarcasm and witty-ness that you put into Something Positive, How do you keep it up?
Hey Anonymous[and tactless as well as gutless]why are getting in the man’s face with that proper grammer B.S. when you should know that the way people really talk is not always grammatically correct but still how “REAL” people choose to speak and he writes that way to keep the realism of the comic intact and anal butt heads like you should stop being so dam fussy and learn to just get out of other peoples business,so just chill poindexter.:) And I “AM” “College” educated with a 189 I.Q. and have taken an English course in College Writing and have one of my Poems being published by http://www.Poetry.com and so I know all about the MLA and proper English Formats so I am well aware of how your “supposed” to write but that is “NOT” the “ONLY” “ONE” “TRUE” “WAY” to write so simmer down and relax plus it couldn’t hurt to wash that filthy disrespectful mouth out with some soap.:) My god where did you learn to talk like that,did you not have good parents or what.:) Nice Young Ladies and Gentlemen do not swear at people in polite socity and it shows bad manners plus a lack of good upbringing to swear like that so watch you tongue because the Lord is always watching and listening and He doesn’t care for pottymouths.:)
Hey those are still good comic strips and are moving as well as funny.:) Just like S*P*.:)
Well don’t think your alone my friend I for one feel that way and let me tell you something I know for a fact and that is God doesn’t make mistakes and if you keep your head up and keep the faith that He has a plan for you with time He will show you that you’re not alone and that you life is totally worth it.:) So stay positive and everything will work out,you’ll see I promise you that.:) And if you wanna talk to a fellow out of step person write me at benduchaine@juno.com I’ll welcome the company.:)
Wow, this is an interesting comment, anonymous… you realize you’re telling somebody who got his readers to donate a year’s wages in two weeks that nobody cares about his comic? You do realize that? As long as you do realize that…
He does not forget His children even if they try to forget Him,so I say you should remember Him even though He has never forgotten or stopped caring about you.:) Peace be with you my friend and God Bless.:)
Here’s a question about Choo-Choo Bear:
Just how many cats or other living creatures has Choo-Choo Bear eaten alive, and how long does it usually take him to do it?
Well Mr Millholland,
since this is the first time i send anything to you let me start of with saying that i absolutely adore your comic. i’ve been introduced to it by an american friend who submitted a mediocre tribute flash on NG. and thanx to your comic i’ve found some other comics i like a lot as well (e.g.: queen of wands, scandal sheet). and there have been quite a few crossovers with those strips (allways to my pleasant surprise). On this moment Kestrel is going to move for a job interview to err boston it is i guess. and she’s gonna live with Davan’s girlfriend.
so right now i’m looking forward to this new crossover between two of my favourite comics and i can’t help but wonder
is this gonna be a long crossover. and if so how are you and aeire gonna manage that? and if not why not?
A masshole is your average, Massachusetts-born asshole. Trust me, I live in Massachusetts. I’m surrounded constantly by Massholes.
Has the real Aubrey, Jason, PeeJee (etc) ever reacted violently to a comic you’ve put up?
Your comic for 8/14/2004 was amazingly impressive with respect to dialogue. My husband and I would both kill for the ability to stand in someone’s face and flawlessly deliver a line such as “I’m sure whatever sad slab of humanity that lost Russian Roulette with life and had to bite down on the bullet chamber housing marriage to you is very proud of your progress” without twenty minutes of rehearsal time beforehand. =)
With that said: How long does it take you to come up with the finished dialogue for a given strip, and how do you do it? Do you start at the beginning and work forward until you reach a good stopping point (being a webcomic, you don’t have any real space limitations), or do you prefer to figure out the stopping point and work backwards? Somewhat related to that, do you consciously try to write dialogues that are one strip long, or is it something that just seems to come naturally in the course of determining what your characters would say?
When you posted the infamous challenge, it seemed as though it were a joke; something I’d never heard of from any comic author before, not as such. At the time, I assumed it was, like many of your statements, a jest to put your update situation in perspective. But people came through, and I don’t need to tell you joyously how that went. You know better than I.
Well, okay, I figured it might happen eventually, but not within a month…
So my question is, did you know this could happen? That you might actually get an opportunity to ditch that job, and to devote yourself full time to Something*Positive? Or did the level of response blow your mind as much as it did mine?
Would Davan be a Boston Red Sox fan? Would he scorn them and their fans for eternal optimism, darkly and sadistically revel in their constant and systematic disappointments? Or would he loiter on Yawkey Way in full Yankee’s attire to antagonize people?
More importantly, would he be a Patriots fan, or not care about Boston sports at all?
HEY GUYS I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EVERY ONE DOES ANY ONE HAVE PICTURES FROM Otakon OF KITTEN AKA”MORWYNNE” SHE IS FRIEND AND HAS NO PICTURES AND SHE SAID SHE LOOKED REALLY CUTE IF YOU DO OR KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND SOME PLEASE E-MAIL ME OR IM ME AT OUTLAWSTARHINA ON AIM. THANKS
First, thanks for a great comic.
I’m curious about how you and Aeire do the crossovers, especially the recent ones with Davan and Kestrel instant messaging back and forth. Do you work out the gist of what will happen in your individual comics and then write on your own? Do you roleplay the scenarios and find stopping points? Do you fine-tune each other’s work to better suit the characters?
Thanks,
Amal
In Queen Of Wands, Aerie is moving into Boston with your girlfriend. Does this mean she’ll be appearing more in S*P?
You tend to generate a goodly amount of controversy… how do you feel about it? (Any publicity is good publicity? You don’t care? Poison all critics? None of the above?)
Kelly J. Cooper
Comixpedia Features Editor
How often do you get the inevitable Davan = Randy comparison from readers, and just how accurate is it?
Now that you achieved the dream of making a living off your work, do you have any more plans for the future? Where do you expect to be, say, five years from now?
When you put out the request to your readers for a year’s salary so you could quit your day job, did your target figure include a fudge factor to compensate for the loss of employment benefits such as health insurance and retirement planning? If you didn’t think of that, how old are you?
Paul Gadzikowski, paul@arthurkingoftimeandspace.com
Arthur, King of Time and Space New cartoons daily.
Also, did you account for Sales Tax? Alternative Minimum Tax? Bribes for unruly pimps? Chainsaw Wax price increases?
These are important things to consider, even for a young man such as yourself. It is never too early to save for the day when you will be too weak to wield an unwaxed chainsaw.
Have any women ever actually said that you’re not nearly as hot as Davan? Have any men?
Sorry, I didn’t mean for this to be anonymous.
what, in the name of all that is un-holy…..inspired choo-choo bear?!
What are the qualities that draw you to other web comics? Good art, good plotting, good characters, subversive humor, etc?
…and, follow up question: have the lambs stopped screaming?
What made you decide to do a comic that was strongly based the somewhat “off-color” and humourous aspects of life, rather than say, a gamer or anime comic or a more homogenized version, so that it would be more “family” friendly?
I’ve just recently wondered – what is PeeJee’s other job? It is speculated that she’s got two jobs, one of them being at the bar, but what is her other job? Does it have anything to do with her computer science degree, or her love of writing? I’ve checked the FAQ, but no such thing is mentioned, not to my knowledge. We all know that Davan works
as a popular web comic artistmedicaid billing, and Aubrey now has her phone sex tech support line, but nothing for PeeJee’s mysterious first job.First, I’ll say that I love your comic, Randy, and hope you have better luck with that new apartment than you’re having right now.
My question: Where did you come up with some of the characters with smaller roles, like Choo Choo Bear and Pepito? I think he’s absolutely adorable, and I sometimes wish that cats like him were real.. I’d own one as a pet! A shame that Choo Choo Bear can’t be shown more often, but I understand your reasons for it.
What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened when meeting fans/ protestors? Have you ever been stalked?
Randy,
I know that you’ve stated in the past that PeeJee comes from someone you know (a friend, if I remember correctly, but I’m too lazy to search through the Archives to find it), and pretty much everyone has told me that Davan is you. I’m curious, though, as to where your other characters have come from. Even from the beginning, they were all very well-developed (at least to me), and I’m wondering if they were based on real people, or just the fruits of your
deranged and dementedfruitful imagination.– Jason
In your faq you say some of your characters are based off your real life friends. When portraying them in the comics, do you ever have to adjust things for particular characters? I.E. Make things they do and say a little more extreme, ease up on them for your readers (though after having read your comic for a few months, I can’t see you easing up on anything.) Or do the real life “PeeJee” and “Aubrey” pretty much inspire you the way they are?
Are there any plans to release some (or all) of the comics in book form?
If you could vomit on any person in the world, who would it be?
What exactly happened with the whole Monette-baby thing, first she’s pregnant and then she lost it? You didn’t go into much detail and I re-read the Monette strips, but it kinda just seemed to miss a middle part.
Hey Randy,
I am just wondering…after the “Cat fantasies” comic posted at the end of March, are we ever going to see Twitchy Hug again?
Amber
What is a masshole?
How is the panty business going for Davan? It hasn’t been mentioned since he spoke to Kestrel on the phone, however Choo Choo Bear was clearly set on revenge due to her feeding forgetful-ness. At Branwen’s request, has he simply let the panties pile up by not selling them? Has he thrown them away? If he stopped the business, he and Bran should be swimming through a sea of pink and lacy just to reach the phone or door! WHERE HAVE ALL THE PANTIES GONE?!??!? (And how much would a pony-car cost?!)
Did you name the comic ~Something Positive~ because you were told to do “something positive with your time” growing up?
Have you ever decided not to draw a strip idea, because it was just too wrong, even by Something Positive standards?
So Randy…. How biographic is the strip? At what point does it diverge from “real life”? Are you beginning to have some problems with fans thinking they know you simply from reading your strip?
Also Boston is re-known for having an infamously tight “fen” scene with a lot of crossover from one sub-genre to another, how does this help or hurt your writing, or does it affect it at all?
Hey Randy,
I was just wondering if you could name ten things you draw inspiration from for creating Something Positive. (music? tv? books? Doritos and Bawls? whatever…) Please take this as a serious question. You are wonderfully, itelligently creative and it might help others to be so in knowing what helps you to create.
Thanks,
Mike
The guy teaching Mike about women looks an awful lot like Kyle. Is it so? Is PeeJee’s father right?
I was wondering, has it been difficult to treat cartooning as a day job? I don’t just mean nerve-wracking, although I imagine it is, but is it hard to wake yourself up every morning and get to work drawing comics and working on something that up until now had just been a hobby of yours? Anyways, I love the comic, and wish you great success.
What makes you such an embittered, uncaring soul that you can write a webcomic this funny? And where do I get some? (Peejee and Aubrey’s tendency to mark their territory through violence makes me happy. I thought I was the only one who did that)
will you have my love child???
In a three-way fight to the death, who would win if the combatants were you, Brian Clevinger and Pete Abrams?
Rules of the fight are as follows:
– Brian is not allowed to use febreze.
– Pete cannot call on Bun-bun as a familiar.
– You may not tag in Aubrey and/or Peejee.
Was there an inspiration for Choo-Choo Bear? I mean, a furless, boneless panty-stealing kitty must come from somewhere besides the recesses of your mind…right?
Caity Ross
Colorado Springs
How do you feel about sprite comics?
Which characters of Something Positive (including the stranger ones like choo-choo bear and… damn, I can’t remember the name… you know, the spanish-speaking dwarf)were based on people in real life and which ones are based on your own twisted imagination?
What is your connection to queen of wands since you have some crossovercomics and the main char in qow might move to boston?
You often mention that SP is vaguely based on your life and that of your friends, the main characters. Are the individual storylines often based on things that really happened? How does this affect the people who are in them, like PeeJee, Aubrey, etc.? Do you ask their permission for various storylines?
Thanks.
When is Peejee going to figure out that Kyle’s dumb ass is cheating on her? Hmmm? HMMMMMM?
-Jenne
Question; About cheesecake. Do you like cheesecake, and if so, does Davan? If there’s a discrepency in your seperate cheesecake preferences, what causes it? And if not, do you agree about your favorite flavor of cheesecake? Does Jason have an opinion about this?
Cheesecake is actually more of a tart than a cake.
I can answer your question. Yes that is Kyle and yes PeeJee’s father is right.
1. Given that PeeJee is working in a bar, What’s the most poisonous cocktail recipe that she’s managed to inflict on her customers?
Hey, there’s a new category for the fan-art section :))
2. What have you done about incorporation, and your taxes? Don’t mess with the IRS. Granted you’ve got the cash so you can afford to pay them up-front, so it’s less of a problem. It WILL be worth talking to an accountant about this.
That side of your experiences would be invaluable to everyone else that is inspired to try the same as yourself (like my band, for instance). Your successful jump to full-time creative work has been a source of wonder, dismay, outrage, and cries of “Well he did it!!!” 😀
Rock on.
You’ll find some of your fans at http://www.mutantswarm.org
I’ve been very curious about this for a long time. Are the personal secrets of your comic characters the same as the personal secrets of their living counterparts? In other words, did the real Peejee REALLY have a secret crush on Jhim, and if so, isn’t she mad about you putting it in your comic strip?
-K
Randy:
You raised an amount equal to a year’s salary to take a year off and work solely on your comics, and that’s great. My question: did you take into account health insurance and other costs? Was it difficult to work out insurance independent of your old job?
Randy~
I know that many – if not all of your characters – are based around people you know in real life. I was thinking about what my friends would do if I were to make a daily webcomic about them… and I decided that if I know my friends, they’d do some stupid shit to get me to draw a comic about them.
Have the real people ever done something just to see if you’d put it into a comic? I can see Jason doing it for the attention or Aubrey and/or PeeJee coming up with some outrageous scheme trying to see whether or not you’d have the balls to put in your comic. But maybe that’s just what I’d do.
Thank you for drawing such a great comic!
~Leah Engemann, Vaginamancer
Grand Rapids, MI
SheDevil938@yahoo.com
You comment in your FAQ that in the original few comics, Something Positive was 90% based off of your real life, and that now its somewhere closer to 65%-70%. Have you found it difficult to transition the comic from primarily autobiographical to largely fictional? Has it been a difficult balance to maintain between telling the sorts of stories you think are good for the comic and telling your own story?
Will Mike ever date Pepito?
I generally consider Something Positive to be the single best webcomic there is. What would you consider to be some of the greatest webcomics?
Seriously. I’ve always wondered why the women in S.P. don’t seem to have nipples. It’s not as important as the story line(s), but these things matter…
-Rusty
Why don’t you talk about the real life story of how Jhim went to a wedding for people who believe they are dogs and live their lives as dogs?
One of Jhim’s anonomous DC friends.
It seems to me that you have reduced the number of “out there” scenarios in favour of more believabe storylines. What happened? have you started caring too much about your characters?
Why do you write Something Positive: for yourself as a way to express yourself or for the pleasure of your readers?
WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER MY EMAIL, YOU ASS!?!?!
why don’t you know how to use the subjunctive, you sick piece of #$@&*+!!!??
every single character in your comic says “if it was” or something of the like, “if i was you” for example, when any grammar school graduate SHOULD know that it is OBVIOUSLY “if i WERE”. learn some english, you tool.
whoa. it definitely bleeped me out. impressive.
lets try a little experiment: fcuk.
Did Choo Choo Bear Die? If so, were Cthulu and/or the Pony Car involved?
how many ideas did you go through, before you hit gold with something positive? did you know that people would be drawn to the comic like they are or did it start as a hobby?
Hey Randy,
What exactly is the extend of the intended crossover between S*P and QoW? Kestrel’s interviewing to go to Boston, and there seemed to be some connection between she and Davan on the phone when they were conversing. Also, Aeire has been quoted as saying QoW will end sometime in 2005 (though I don’t remember the source , so I could be wrong), which means the character would be up for grabs for S*P, I’d assume, as you and Aeire are (appear to be) friends. Will Kestrel be joining the S*P cast? And where does that leave Branwen if something happens between Kestrel and Davan?
And to continue on a tangent, is there something about Branwen that hasn’t been revealed yet, like perhaps she is bisexual? Or a Chasing Amy-style recovering lesbian? You’ve dropped hints in recent comics (Branwen knowing Eva’s recent hair color, Branwen hinting she might be up to shag Claire, etc.) that there’s definitely something Branwen isn’t telling Davan and the readers, and while I’m sure you don’t want to spill the beans, could you at least give us a little hint?
Pretty please? I’ll buy you a pony-car!
—From Mary (the crazy girl who stole Choo-Choo Bear and Davan—among others—for a Shit Happens guest strip a few months back)
Strips which end without punctuation, bizarre cat, protagonist with no social skills and chocolate pudding for hair…
…you’re Jim Davis’ love-child, aren’t you.
What is your projected year to get run out of Boston by?
-MorrisT
Well, you’re supposed to capitalize the proper nouns and the beginnings of sentences. You’re supposed to employ commas before and after you quote speech. You’re supposed to avoid run-on sentences. Any grammar school graduate would know that, too.
You need to find a hobby, preferably not proofreading. It’s a comic for Chrissakes!
~Leah Engemann
Grand Rapids, MI
shedevil938 @ yahoo.com
Does your personal fear of oral sex and associated traumas extend to Davan? If so will any of your own tragic yet funny because you aren’t me adventure going to be illustrated?
Where does your title “Someting Positive” come from? Is it related to your March 15, 2002 comic or something else?
Has there ever been a particular strip that you’ve made and wound up regreting later? Anything you’ve been given more grief for than you felt was due?
–random asshole in Tx
Promise me that you’ll never sell out and turn into a talentless hack recycling old material for Paypal donations and bad sitcom spinoffs? Please?
Who are your biggest influences in deciding to become a cartoonist (artistic or other)?
Did you know of Xydexx when you came up with the ponycar?
Do you think your characters fall into any specific “subcultures” or “subcategories”? (goth, nerd, etc… Except for Mike, I’m not a -total- moron.)
Also. I know this is FAR ahead in the future, but do you know if you are planning on attending Anime Boston 2005? (Because I get to ST Unknown Armies.)
Thanks!
~Sonya
Is there a plan for finishing _New Gold Dream_? Is it based on an actual, ongoing game? Do/did you hope to tell a short story and wrap it up, kinda like a miniseries, or do/did you hope to have a second ongoing comic like S*P?
John C.
Of your S*P characters; who is your favorite to create story lines around?
~ Lee
(Brilliant comic! It’s the only one I have ever bookmarked.)
poppalee13@hotmail.com
How the hell did you come up with the idea for a boneless, cancerous, cat?
So I know that Jason at least is based on a real person, and I presume Davan shares more personal experiences with you than the general public should really know about, but how much of Something Positive has happened, or at lest is adapted from the real world, and how much is completely fictional?
Dear God I hope you made up Pepito.
(And thanks, by the way. I’m an Oberlin College student, and everybody in my posse thought it was great that you visited last year.)
What in the world made you have Kyle propose of PeeJee? I mean, I can see exactly where its going and how he’s going to die horribly. Yet, I can’t see someone with Kyle’s … personality flaws actually getting the cojones together to propose. He knows what PeeJee (and Davan and Aubrey and Jason) would do to him if his cheating ever came to light. Is he suicidal as well as out of character? Somehow, with impending doom havering over him like that he’d go find someone else who’s just as oblvious and oddly trusting as PeeJee, but less of a homicidal sociopath.
After all, Mike isn’t going to be able to keep his yap shut that long is he?
Branwen, Kestrel and Davan love triangle in the near future? distant future? alternate dimension?
Will Choo Choo ever find a bone disease ridden, chemotherepied, elasticy lover?
Where’s the New Gold Dream my man? Where?!?! 🙂
If Davan moved out of Boston, where would you base the strip? L.A.? NYC? Chicago, Miami?
So now that QoW may be sending Kestrel to Boston, does this mean more Kestrel/QoWness appearing in S*P? (please, Gods, let it not be so…)
How has your life changed since you became self-employed? More motivated? Less motivated? Harder?
Hi.
I’ve been happily addicted to your comic for many moons now and I trust you completely with all your creations (foolish fool that I am). My question is this: I think SP has a ton of potential even outside of the webcomic realm. Do you think that an animated series might be on the horizon? It would knock the snot and brains out of Adult Swim’s usual lineup, and yet Adult Swim has a very stable base of twisted, disgrunted American Anime fans. In short, people who would dig your work and could potentially make you wealthy.
GRW
How much do you want to have a sexual relationship Scott Kurtz of PvP? I mean- you show all the signs of having a crush on him throughout the times you’ve mentioned him. A number between 1 to 10 would be nice.
You mentioned that you see SP ending eventually, like in 7 years or something. How long do you want to keep drawing the comic, and do you have a story arc planned for the whole 7 years (and if so, in what kind of detail, rough, general or high detail?) or do you make it up as you go along (like most soap writers) If you make it that far, will you end SP, and if you do, will you replace it or just leave it or something else?
(thats actually 5 related questions, but I like being thorough)
You have powerful women in your comic. From an intellectual perspective, how do you feel about Aubrey, Peejee, and the rest as products of the feminist “revolution,” as it were?
are there any reasons that you do this comic for yourself that aren’t financial?
I.E.: tension reliever, artistic outlet, etc….?
Who do you think (in a last man on the planet situation) would mate with Davan first, PeeJee or Aubrey? Yes mass amounts of alcohol could/would be involved.
How many stalkers would you say you’ve gained due to S*P?
Were you the one out the front of my house last night…doing a rain dance nude except for that er… “placement” of Peanut butter?
Oh and when you make characters in the comic do their more wierd things, do you ever have to ask permission from/tell the real people they are based on.
Would you be even slightly phased if I said that I looked up to you for being the brains behind such a depraved webcomic? Keep up the good work.
Any Chance of a Choo-Choo Bear action figure? Any chance of seeing a picture of you?
Are there really boneless, jealous, pink cats out there? If so, where, and how much?
If each of your main characters were a sandwich… what kind of sandwich would they be, and why?
– Rukis
We’ve all noticed (well, the non-dumbasses have, anyway) the change in the character development of Creepy Mike. My question is, do you honestly believe that the Creepy Mikes of the world can really change?
Why did you start drawing comics? Did you expect the money, women, and noteriety, or were these fringe benefits?
-What is your personal favorite out of all the Something*Positive strips?
-(seconding another poster’s suggestion) What is the nicest email/comment/message in a bottle that you’ve received regarding S*P?
Thanks,
Casey
Would you rather be semi successful as a web comic artist or very successful as a print comic artist?… and of course, why?
-Issue13
What’s Choo-choo’s pedigree? Where can I find a kitty just like him? Does his intercity travel keep the pipes in Davan’s apartment from clogging? ’cause my plumber’s bill is getting kind of out of hand… I’d feed ’em real good and I hear panty-hunting is good in this state…(eeewwww.)
A lot of the things Devan does and the people he hangs out with are culled from real life. Has this ever caused problems for you in real life? Or have you ever abandoned story ideas in order to not cause problems in real life?
I have forgotten God, and he has forgotten me.
Should I remember him?
You managed to get readers to donate to you enough money to survive for 1 year but what about next year? Do you think S*P will go farther being self employed then working a day job and if you do will you try to stay self employed in a year?
How closely are the characters in the comic based on your real life friends? Are any of them ever offended by the way they are portrayed in the comic?
Gemma Finnigan
What size pants do you wear?
Do you have to explain often to americans that there IS a world outside America (in which most of the population live), and that you happen to live OUTSIDE of America? How do you respond to such emails/letters/converations emotionally? 🙂
If you could change one physical aspect of Homo sapiens, what change would you make?
Did the real PeeJee/Aubrey/Jason/etc. ever have objections about being featured in your comic?
Can you tell us about your inspiration for starting S*P? How did you decide how to develope the characters?
Will you collect all the S*Ps into a book, like Megatokyo? Pleeease?
Most importantly, though… I love your comic with passion unmatched by any man. Long Live S*P!
Davan. It’s spelled Davan, fool.
If God personally told you to impregnate a slave, assuring you that your wife/girlfriend would not mind, then when your child gets old enough that he stops pooping his pants and can do basic math you must kill him, would you do it?
Davan seems emotionally unattached in relationships. He’s cynical and expects the worst, so when it happens, he’s hardly surprised. He does anger well, but not passion. Don’t get me wrong, the character of Davan seems extremely mature and (mostly) stable.
But it doesn’t seem like a deep love for him in relationships, he seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Do you feel this is a fair statement about Davan? And if so is this simply how he is, or perhaps will Davan no longer be as pessimistic (in his relationship at least)?
-Marian
Given the opportunity and funding, would you stand to make a film/series or animated cartoon based on your comic? Or would you choose to divert the funds to other SP related plans instead? And in the case of film/series/cartoon, would you ask the real life persons who the characters are based on, to play their roles/do the voice overs?
– Terri, Scotland
The issue that dealt with Monette’s lost baby, marriage proposal and adoption by the MacIntires was easily the most moving piece you’ve ever done. Switch the storyline’s focus back to the “Texas cast” or else this Tweety Bird stuffed animal I’m holding hostage gets stabbed in the crotch.
Oh yeah, the question. Well, err, is Peejee or Aubrey bisexual?
Randy,
Despite the scathing sarcasm and dark humour which first draws people to your comic, it’s become evident over the years that the true charm of S*P comes from the human aspect, the growth of the characters, and the well-written suspense-filled storylines – just take a look at all these other replies to see how many people are on the edges of their seats over Kyle’s infidelity.
Not only are you a highly adept sitcom writer (that being the only genre I can picture S*P falling into) with a massive audience hanging on your every curse, now you’re also pioneering a new way of life, being the first entirely self-employed webcomic artist; trusted by thousands of complete strangers to continue to provide them with their hit of Davan’s world, and relying upon their tender mercies for your livelihood. It’s a first; there’s no precedents, and suddenly you’re entirely dependant on yourself for guidance, with “Those hundreds of little soulless eyes watching you like tiny sharks observing their prey”. Even if you tried to leave the country, there’s probably some readers who could hack your paypal account and get all your money… some others who work at the airport that could trace you… and a couple of others from Texas with lots of guns. It must take a lot of courage to live like this, and not have the pressure dry up your creative spirit forever.
However, despite my lengthy introduction, my question is no great philosophical conundrum…
now that you have achieved your dream, being self-employed and drawing comics for a living, do you find yourself living from day-to-day, without long-range goals, or have you formed new dreams and goals as to where to take this comic, and your own life? with all this political power at your fingertips, do you have plans as to where to take it? life often reaches plateaus where we’ve achieved something great but have no idea where to go next. have you conquered this one?
and finally, if a creation of yours – S*P or some as yet unwritten tale – were to take to the big screen, would you prefer Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson to direct it? (Peter Jackson uses more guts, by the way).
many thanks,
chikkstrel
Scotland
What are the red circles on the shirts of Davan, his father, and Monette’s girlfriend? People wearing red-circle shirts seem to be centered around Davan’s home, but that’s about all I’ve been able to figure out.
Thanks.
Sometimes your strips refer to events which happen “off-screen”, or significant events are given only casual mention. I’m thinking specifically of Monette’s story arc – her sudden success at lesbianism, her lost baby. Do you do this to keep your readers on their toes, as an artistic device where action happening “offscreen” is an interesting literary technique, or is it simply expedient to skip over details which aren’t interesting enough for you to draw?
Another question (screw you I can post multiples): how much do we have to pay you to do more New Gold Dream strips!?!? Ummah the talking chameleon had me laughing for nearly a week straight – “I am not the frog” still makes me chuckle.
Um…reread carefully that strip. Maybe you’re a little innocent, but the pictures that Davan showed her were not pictures of her face.
When asked questions in fora like this, is there a question that you really hope someone asks? What is the question and what is your answer?
-Adrienne Seel
Ottawa, ON
Canada
After nearly three decades of stress, you’ve decided to wipe out humanity. How do you go about it?
Do you have a plan in life, or are you taking things as they go and just winging it?
(In other words, are you anal retentive about what is going to happen in the future, or do you do you take it one day at a time?)
The art is well above average for a Web comic. The writing is also well above average. But–well, this is more of a comment than a question, I guess.
I observe that your stories are very character-driven, and they’re about getting to know the various characters. But, the thing is, character-driven stories don’t work especially well for the reader unless the reader likes the characters and cares about them. And I have to say, your comic doesn’t have one single sympathetic character in it. Every single character in it is either shockingly callous and sadistic (Davan, Peejee, Aubrey, Branwen, Jason, Davan’s parents, Kim, even Choo Choo Bear) or shockingly stupid (Mike, Monette).
Was this your intent from the beginning, or did it just sort of happen that way?
Oh, and given that these characters are supposedly based on people you know, could you tell Kim that there’s a big, dopey-lookin’ white guy in Michigan who wants to be her sex slave? KTHX.
is Aerie cute? do you like her?
now for the most important question of all…
boxers of briefs?
Yes, that is him. That’s why both the girl he’s with calls him Kyle, and Mike is surprised when he see’s the picture of Peejee and Kyle together.
Ok, another question, seeing as my first question is considered redundant.
How do you go about deciding who to do crossovers with? Is it based on who you think has the best comics relating to yours, or are there other categories that you use to decide who you’d like to do crossovers with?
You’ve talked about readers spontaneously tracking you down and showing up at your door in a stalkerly fashion; has anyone ever tracked down any of the people other characters are based on?
Working with lots of other poor bastards at a company is one thing. Working by yourself, with no one to commiserate with when customers(readers) are unreasonable, and no one to help you fix things when they break… well, that’s a very different thing. How do you like the new job? Is it what you thought it would be? If not, do you feel you should struggle out the year? Or are you considering a different path?
I’m just saying… a good resume piece might be “fans raised enough in a few short weeks for me to quit the rat race for a year!”
The VG Cats Choo-Choo Bear. It doesn’t really exist, does it? I mean if it DID, you would have shared it with all of your fans, right? Right? RIGHT?????
Is there anyone webcomic creator or team you would ABSOLUTELY NEVER work with, and why?
Dusty668
Your comic explores alot of taboo topics. One of these is homosexual rights and beliefs. How do you feel about being seen as a leader in getting people to talk about this subject and how it relates to the world today?
If you where fooling around with a pregnant woman, and somehow a broomstick got involved, could you poke the baby?
What was your inspiration for Choo-choo bear? Perhaps a chemo-cat in your past?
What are your plans after S*P? Have you considered compiling all the commments into a book? Prehaps and animated or live action (obviously low budget)series or film? For the love of The Lady Giea (I’m pagan) don’t put it on the WB! If none of these ideas seem keen to you wen the 10 years is up, have you considered Sepuku?
Hey Mr. Milholland. I’ve been reading your comic for the last couple of years. I really love it! I’ve gotten all of my friends hooked on it too. You have a wonderful sense of humor and a knack for a good story. My question is: What got you into comics? Why did you choose to start Something Positive?
I look forward to reading your answers to all of the questions posted. Thank you for your time and Something Positive. Keep up the excellent work.
Sincerely,
Rachael
What would the D&D 3.5 edition stats for a boneless chemo cat be? Would he be a Kitty of Holding or Devouring or some combo of the two? Do you mind if I make one for my gaming group? Do the panties get any form of gastric acid damage from extended periods in the kitty gullet? Inquiring mimes want to know!!
Sm00ches,
Rev_Blacky@BabiesTasteGood.Com
Have you ever created a strip or story arc based on a dream you had?
kidmissile
dunno if anyone has asked this already of not, there was too damn much comments it would take forever to findout and i’m sleepy!
anyway, randy, u mentioned a while back that people started ringing ur door bell and calling u up cuz they loved ur comic that damn much. have u ever gotten an obsessive fan? one that really freaked u out by, say, sending u weird ass e-mails? wanted to convince u to fall in love with them or actually believed that u feel that way about them?! or, even wierder, got to the point of stalking?!!!
thanks for the time man. and greater thanks for something posotive! it’s like being addicted to the thing, something-positivism!
Mr. Milholland,
There are quite a few webcomic artists making a living off their strips and fans these days, but all the other ones I can think of – even huge names like Megatokyo and Penny Arcade – only draw and post out three or four comics a week. You on the other hand have started putting out strips seven days a week, sometimes more than one a day. Do you think you will be able to maintain this workload indefinitely, or do you see S*P going to a less frequent schedule in the future? And if you’re planning on keeping this schedule, what do you think is the reason you’re able to do so, when other webcomics aren’t?
– Alex Puffe
I don’t know if this has been asked… How did the idea for Choo-choo orginate? If you could describe in detail it would be far more entertaining.
damn you stole my question!!
Do you ever back out of a comic or storyline you’re working on for any reason?
Is there anything you simply won’t touch?
Is nothing sacred?!
Sorry, I was channelling my mother there.
Were you aware that some of us use your comic as exorcism of our personal ghosts and demons? (Mine are scared of yours.)
http://manhattan.livejournal.com
have you ever explored going into mainstream cartooning? maybe a syndicated strip? have you ever been approached with an offer? what would it take for you to go that route?
Do you plan on any financial disclosure for all the people who donated money?
And since that question makes me sound like an Asshole, here’s another:
What happened to Kim? She was around but I haven’t seen her as of late. Is there any possibility of a Davan-Kim relationship?
http://www.livejournal.com/users/capnnudity
Will we get to see pictures of Randy after Aeire dresses him up like a dewy-eyed catgirl?
Well noticed. Of course, the fact that one of the other women actually told Davan’s girlfriend that Davan was “waiting for the other shoe to drop” when the girlfriend said the same sort of things about Davan does slightly detract from your Insight score there. You pass the roll, but don’t bother playing a Glory card on that.
… people wanting to know whether there’s going to be a book, whether there’ll be a film, what inspired Choo-Choo Bear and whether there’s going to be a threesome with Kestrel.
To Marian: full marks for observation. You’re right about Davan “waiting for the other shoe to drop”. In fact, that’s the exact phrase another woman who knows him better used when explaining to his new girlfriend why he seemed to be … well, I think you quoted the girlfriend quite closely too. You pass your Psychology skill roll, but don’t bother playing the Glory card on that one, okay?
To the anonymous one who asked: “is Aerie cute?”, no marks for observation or effort. Really, you could find out by accident.
Now, finally, my question: OMG IS IT TROO U VOMM1TED ON JAMES GRANT?!? COZ THATS LIEK SO KEWL AN STUFF! AN HES A BIG FAMOUS ORTHUR NOW AN ALL!!!!!
Oh, alright, I’ll offer a slightly more serious question: are any of your characters going to be reading Pedestrian Wolves, and will they like it?
Ooh, red link. Shiny!
As someone who has a comic as well read as yours, do you have any advice for people hoping to start their own comic in the near future? Aside from “stick to it” and “work hard”. Perhaps a formula that you think works well or the do’s-and-don’ts when it comes to subject matter/story?
Randy, I met you at Otakon, I was the one that brought my friend with the furvert badge over, quick question i was wondering if you think it would be a good idea to put Kestrel (from Queen of Wands) in the background of your comics every now and then since she is moving to Boston,for example her sitting outside ofa resturant as Davin walks by. You wouldn’t haveto worryabout writing her character and I’m sure Aerie would be appreciative that her character wold live on.
I love the comic, always have and the new more frequent updates are awesome. I think its great that you’ve gone into self-employment for the happiness and sanity of us all. Anyways, my question is, what about next year? will there be another “help me cover my money needs for more comics” drive, or perhaps will we see more merchandice and prints in the online store to come up with the income? How long can we anticipate the trend to continue (or will it be up to us, the loyal readers? 😀 ). Either way, good luck and keep doing what you enjoy – that way you never have to work a day in your life.
Dear Randy,
Would you like it if I mailed you a hooker via UPS? You could take her out and play minature golf or something.
Love the comic,
Julie T.
What are the best and worst parts of drawing S*P, now that you’re doing it full-time?
Describe inproved anal plundering. or at least the DC save for avoiding severe mental damage.
For $1,500, would you make out with the man that was pimping the crabs on the Baltimore Magazine you got in your hotel room at Otakon? My friend and I have a bet going about the amount of money it takes to buy the average person, and are conducting a survey, so we’d appreciate an answer, kthx.
Randy–
Do you want an agent? My name is Emilie Staat and I’d love to represent you. I think I could sell a Something Positive Year One book easy. If you’d like to talk, you can email me at emiliestaat@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Emilie
Holy crap, the stuff that spews from your characters is incredibly harsh… do you think of that all yourself, or do people tell it to you? Jesus… it’s harsh.
— The Sarel
New Gold Dream?
What does choo-choo’s skeletal structure look like? i know that he is “boneless,” but could he perhaps hold his basic shape with cartilage, like a shark?
JP
Kansas City
Your comic has some great gay storylines. Will we ever see the return of Jhim (who’s very hot for a comic character) and the resolution of storyline with Branwen’s gay dad?
–Kane
Do you plan on doing any flashback comics relating to Fred’s first wife and son, or about Davin and Rose’s relationship?
On a less serious note, I have on several occasions had random people on the street come up to me and tell me I look just like Davan. While this is a sure indication that your comic is very popular, should I personaly be concerned? Davan has been described as pretty ugly a few times (though I don’t see it).
What’s new with Jhim? Will he be coming back any time soon? Peejee’s wedding, perhaps?
You seem to be pretty close with Aeire the writer of Queen of Wands, you two of done sub comics a couple times and even some fan art of eachothers comics. Since her main character Kesteral is looking into moving to Boston and plans for you two to do more subcomics together?
are you this bitter all the time or did you have to work at it, cause its funny as hell. Go you. Keep up the good work.
This question may have already been asked, but I dont give enough of a shit to read through all the “OMG STORYLINE QUESTION” posts to find out if it has or not.
I think your idea of getting readers to raise money to match your salary was excellent. How do you feel about this system of (sort-of) patronage? You’ve done this webcomic out of the goodness of your heart until now (ad revenues &etc notwithstanding); do you feel that being directly supported by your audience has further encouraged you to produce creative works? What sort of obligations do you feel you have towards your “patrons”, and do you feel that this is an effective means of making a living?
I frequently comment that the music industry ought to take up a system of patronage, where an artist’s fans contribute to their salary *directly* (no more middlemen); thereby encouraging them to produce more creative works. I’ve been wondering if this would actually be effective; and from what I’ve seen of SP, it has been thus far. Your thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated.
spquestion@gurney.dissimulo.com
Did you actually expect folks to donate a year’s wages, or were you surprised when donations started pouring in? Also… Do you plan to ask the same thing next year, or the year after (depending on how much over the goal you got)?
I *am* the Boston Crab-Man (insert sinister musical sting here), and I want to know how much money you’re going to be paying *me* to make out with Randy. And are you offering cash, travelers’ checks, fresh flavorful crab meat, drugs, or what?
Pimpin’ ain’t easy, y’all.
I absolutely adore Choo-Choo Bear! What inspired you to make a character out of a furless, boneless cat many years past its prime?
The story line of Queen of Wands has rapidly accelerated towards a collaboration with Something Positive. Though this may seem absurd I was wondering whether this pointed to a perminent, or possibly just slightly-longer-than-a-crossover, collaboration?
Also I love to look back at my favorite old comics like Calvin and Hobbes, Foxtrot, For Better or For Worse, and The Far Side to see how the humor and the drawings evolved. I was wondering what brought about the more serious and moving attitude of the comic as well as any artistical changes that were made.
Since I did not take time to register for this site, my two internet identies are shiningman, in honor of Orson Scott Card’s “Alvin Maker” series, and TheWorthing in honor of his greatest work in my opinion “The Worthing Saga”
Randy,
First off, I love your comic. My Mom and me get a kick out of your shirts that you sell, but I was wondering why hadn’t Kim shown up recently in S*P. If in some older comic she stated she was leaving Boston, then my mistake and I’m sorry for wasting your time.
Samantha Roper
Pagan 14 year old
Reston, V.A
We’ve given you $22,000. Yet we still see missing comics (for instance, July 24th and 25th) and spelling errors (August 15th contains the line “I hardly notice is anymore”). I’m not one to hold against you the occasional missed comic or spelling error, but previously you were doing incredibly well at getting us comics that were, more or less, on time and with proper grammar, spelling and the like. And now it’s your JOB.
We’re seeing comics being posted late, spelling errors, and the same problems.
What do you DO with the extra eight hours a day we’ve given you?
-James T.
I’m also wondering about the Kestrel cross-over, but my real question is about New Gold Dream. I know it’s Pee Gee’s rpg. Just wondering if you’re taking the ideas from a real game or something? And when will we see another one … it’s been a month and a half.
Aloha, Randy.
You put a lot of people you know or have known into your comic. Is there anyone in your life you would not consider putting in your comic? Why or why not?
Mahalo.
-Brandy
Hello sir.
First of all let me say that I love your comics and you Rock on Ice.
Now for the questions… plenty of times I’ve noticed that you post a message and or put an add and whatever it is on that topic get’s like an uber boost (your matching sallary, the rpgers datting site, heck this question thingie)
anywhoo is that flattering or frightening to know that you have that much influence?
I want to ask about some characters that haven’t been seen in a while but when it comes right down to it it’s your comic so it’s your choice to hae them on or not.
And Finally are you gonna do a trip to Turkey after the Philipines? If so then you will at least have one fan there… until november when my duty station changes(s)
Thank you so much for your time
Good day or night
José
During the phase he was (at least somewhat) in the forefront, was Choo-Choo Bear an allegory for the webcomic itself? Something Davan has that makes him unique and allows him revenge on his enemies. Am I overintellectualizing. If not, are other elements of the comic also elements for other things?
How the hell are you living on $22,000 a year?
i think this is kind of interesting. celebraties have this kind of problem(s), and randy’s under that “famous” catagory with all those fans out there. so, has anyone actually took it a bit too far r.k.?
that’s one smart ass question! u go girl! 😀
Randy –
What if your readers raised, oh, say $22,000, with the contingency that you had to draw S*P characters in explicit furry porn to get the money. Would you do it?
Keep in mind… you KNOW what they’d want you to do with Choo-Choo Bear.
Are you happy with your characters as they have evolved? If you could go back and change the course of the comic, would you? Is there something in the plotline or character development that you are unhappy with?
In all your wildest dreams, did you have any clue that your comic would gain such reknown ? Granted, you’re not on Neil Gaiman’s rolodex, but he does know your name and that’s cool.
How much advance plot planning do you generally prepare ? Like a couple days ahead, a week, a month ? Or is this still a seat of your pants deal ?
Do you ever consider the possiblity of writer’s block and/or what that would mean to your safety in the real world as regards the number of people who have donated to your current financial status ?
Cheers.
Randy-
How does your daily life differ now that you have quit your day job in order to pursue work full-time as a (this is my terminology, by the way) comics guru? Was the transition difficult?
I apollogise if this question has already come up, but I’m rather curious.
Randy,
What other webcomics–besides the ones listed on your link table–do you frequent?
Thanks!
I was fascinated with the fact that you got your readers to pay your salary for the year, but what are you going to do for money _next_ year? Do you think your readers will come through again and again? Or are you making contingency plans?
Davan seems to have found a relatively stable relationship. Was that so you could explore Aubrey and PJ’s personal lives more fully?
Actually, both Aubrey and PJ seem more stable now themselves. They haven’t broken into Davan’s house and kidnapped him with insane and degrading plans for a while now. Will we see more of their special brand of “teamwork” soon? (Perhaps when Kyle’s villainy is revealed.)
After the various Queen of Wands crossovers, Kestrel has mentioned visiting Boston for a job interview. Do you see more crossovers with her in the future?
Have the death threats slowed down at all? 😉
-dana
Did you sell your soul to the devil to get someone to make a German translation?
Dennie
PeeJee and Davan… it could happen, right?
How do they put the ice cream into the container?
This is a timescale question.
We saw the storyline of “Mike steps out” back in May later the “Girlfriend on the Go” storyline. Then the long break in comics happened. Is there anything that you are planning to re-insert in that empty area of comics that pertains to either of those stories? It seems logical that the “Mike steps out” stuff might pick up after “our book”, but I still wonder about the other stories that could be planned to fill that space. Could you please shed some light on your plans for the big space?
-Wolff
Random Anonymous Cur
Blacksburg, VA
I’ve got a few questions –
1. What’s your biggest regret in regards to the comic?
2. What’s the thing that you’re most proud of about the comic? (It’s all the money and fans, isn’t it?)
3. What is your favorite strip, and what is the one that you wish you didn’t draw at all?
4. What prompted you to start New Gold Dream?
5. What is the nicest email you got? We know about the ones that annoy you, but nothing about the good ones.
6. Do you plan to add more shirts to the store? If you do, will you request input from the readers about ideas, confirmation about ideas you already have, or no input whatsoever?
Given the social economical ramifications of the disappearance of the Mentos and Mountain Dew commercials in prime time television since the downfall of ‘The best series in prime time ever’ (i.e. all those shows that called it quits at season end this year), what has Mike been day-dreaming that he’s doing while working?
so…..you have a favorite beer? or are you more of a liquor fan? just wondering.
Geeks/losers/fatalists find great joy in your work. Do you know how much WE appreciate seeing Davan and crew #$@&*+!!! up life? We do 😉
The character driven story arcs are the strongest part of you comic, do you have your stories written in advance of the artwork or do you make the stories up as you draw?
-JMDYC
I know what Massholes are!
My question – Any special reasons that your city scenes don’t look more like Boston? The angry pro-pot puppeteer was in Harvard Square, and we saw the Coop once, and the subway shots look like Red Line cars – but why no more distinctive features?
Or maybe you’re just being subtle, because I’ve already got enough clues to figure out Davan lives in the Porter Square or Davis Square area.
Is Pepito based on a real person?
Do you regret the “match my salary and I’ll quit” drive?
(mainly are the “we own you” crowd worse than the former job)
Your art and writing is witty, clean and refreshing (ooooh, froo froo words!!). Are you formally trained at all? i.e. Art school, college, life experience, etc… Come on, spill the proverbial can of beans, ya Masshole!
Roland
If you ever get into marketing toys based upon your comics, could you please ever find it in your tiny black heart to have made choo-choo bear toys? Sticky, stretchy toys, with STUFF inside?