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I actually managed to make it out to the Con this year, and the
main person that I was hoping to speak with was Pete Abrams,
the creator of Sluggy Freelance. Pete is an awesome guy, and
very funny in person (as well as through email). Unfortunately, I
caught him at a really bad time, as he had not only just flown in,
but he had also spent a few hours being completely swamped by
other Sluggites. Even Phil Foglio of Girl Genius fame came to
get something autographed.
As I mentioned in the interview, interacting with the other people
at the Sluggy Booth was an experience all to itself. I’ve plugged
the comic many times since I’ve written for CollectorTimes, and
I will continue to do it. Read Sluggy today!
Chris:
I’m here with Pete Abrams. So, I guess my first question
for you (kinda getting away from normal stuff), is "What is the
worst idea that anyone has ever given you for your strip?"
Pete Abrams:
Uhh . . . I don’t really . . . that’s a tough question. I
think when I get really . . . actually when people email me and I
can tell that the email starts discussing ideas for the strip, I
usually stop reading the email because I wouldn’t want anyone
to accuse me of having anything influence me. I haven’t really
read any stupid ones, but uh . . . yeah. You’ll have to excuse
me, I want this on tape. I’m really tired at the Con and I’m not
quite as witty as I’d like to be . . .
Chris:
Totally understandable. One of the main questions I
should ask you is why Sluggy Freelance?
Pete Abrams:
Chris:
Ok, well. Is Oasis ever going to come back?
Pete Abrams:
You mean after this latest stuff, is she ever going
to come back?
Chris:
Pete Abrams:
Oasis will come back eventually. There is a lot
more I have to tell about her, what she is . . . uhhh . . . where she
came from. There’s a lot more to tell than I have written. But
yeah, definitely.
Chris:
Cool. Not in a shopping cart this time I hope.
Pete Abrams:
*chuckles* No actually, it’s kind of funny. I
actually got an email when I was doing email week, that question
saying "When is Oasis coming back?" I was getting that a lot.
"When is Oasis coming back?" "When is Oasis coming back?"
And so, I had the image in my head . . . knowing that she was
actually coming back, I had the image in my head of Torg
coming up with the shopping cart with Oasis’ smoldering bones
saying "Hey look everyone, Oasis is back!" It cracked me up
so much. I know it was really wrong and mean, but it made me
laugh so hard that I had to put it in.
Chris:
That was a great strip. So, can you tell us about any
ideas for the future?
Pete Abrams:
Uhhh . . . well, I don’t like giving anything away,
but I can tell you that I am hoping to have a sequel to Kittens, I
hope, in the near future. And there will be a Harry Potter
parody showing up eventually. It will be titled "Torg Potter and
the Sorceror’s Nuts."
Pete and Chris laugh.
Chris:
That’s really good. So . . . uhh . . . what other comics do
you read on your off time?
Pete Abrams:
*chuckles* I don’t really have any off time, so I
don’t really read any online comics or offline ones. I just started
to find time for it now, every now and then, but it’s been really
grueling for me. I used to read a lot of comics, I used to love
comics, I was influenced by all kinds of different things . . . the
writings of Neil Gaiman and Chris Clairemont, Jim Lee comes to
mind. Rumiko Takuhachi as far as Anime goes. Those are just
names off the top of my head, but as far as design and
storytelling especially Rumiko Takuhachi . . . their gesture and
expressions . . . the black and white balance that I really suck at.
And well . . . uhh . . . what was the question again?
Chris:
What other comics were you interested in? Or influenced by?
Pete Abrams:
There’s really nothing currently that I’m really
interested in. I know there’s a lot of stuff out there, I just don’t
have the time.
Chris:
I noticed when I was sitting at your booth . . . well, it’s not
just like a comic. I’ve been at a lot of other booths at the Comic
Con, and I see lots of people stopping by, getting books, stuff
like that. But, only at your booth have I seen the fans just sit
there and chat with each other, even if they haven’t even met
each other before . . . just because they’re both Sluggites. I think
that’s pretty cool. How does that affect you, as the creator?
Pete Abrams:
Well . . . it’s cool to come out here to the Con,
since I am online. I don’t normally get to meet people and sign
stuff for them. I think I’ve built a pretty good rapport with my
fans. Like, they know who I am and where I’m coming from,
and I know who they are and where they’re coming from. So it
seems almost like a family, except I’m way too . . . well . . . not that
it’s really like a family. Uhh . . . well . . . you know what I mean.
This Is fun, this is the only West Coast con I do. I like to come
out here every couple of years. I’m East Coast, so it’s a big trip
for me.
Chris:
So, you’ll be coming out to the 2004 con?
Pete Abrams:
I may be even coming out in 2003 . . . .
Chris:
I see you’re the only one that made it out from the whole
[Sluggy] crew . . .
Pete Abrams:
I usually like to bring at least one other person
out with me. Basically . . . Plan 9 doesn’t pay for this stuff, so I
had to pay for my plane ticket . . . and the people working for
me . . . since they’re working for me, they don’t have any money,
and so can’t afford plane tickets. The one guy we had out here
is in San Fransisco, and he got a full time job, so wasn’t able to
come out. And that’s about it.
Chris:
Pretty cool. Thanks for talking with me today. Enjoy the Con.
Pete Abrams:
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