Sam and Fuzzy Q & A: BAM! Edition
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"I'm a bit confused. Both Hazel and Fuzzy mention BAM! in Wednesday's comic ('and I can't let Sin get away! not after what he did to BAM!' 'Fuzzy! We don't have BAM!'), but who or what is BAM!?" -Miguel

BAM! is an interrupting sound effect! And he has actually been training for this moment for the past ten years. Between you and me, I think there's big things ahead for him in future strips. I've actually got an entire BAM!-centric story planned, where it is revealed that BAM! is actually Aaron's long-lost uncle.

"I might be thinking too much, but in recent times I've started noticing a striking resemblance between Hazel and Catwoman, from the Batman universe. Both are incredibly skilled thieves, both are attracted to (and highly successful at stealing) rare and well-protected items, and both use those oversized goggles (or so do some "incarnations" of Catwoman). Was this pure coincidence, or was it a deliberate "tribute" of yours to the notorious villain?" -Bernardo

Not particularly intentional! But Hazel definitely takes some inspiration from the super-thief trope in general, so it's probably not surprising to see a little Catwoman in there! When I designed Hazel, I'd actually forgotten that Catwoman was running around in goggles these days. Maybe it was a mistake to give them to her! But I really like the emotional distance that they can convey visually.

I suppose the big difference between the two characters is how far Hazel falls from vamp and femme-fatal archtypes. Catwoman's over-the-top sexiness and flirtatiousness are such a big part of her character. I'd be reluctant to claim Hazel is more practical or grounded thief -- she's certainly just as theatrical. But they're not particularly sexy theatrics. Unless you really dig scarves.

"My favorite thing about 'Sam & Fuzzy' is the humor mixed a sort of 'dark side'. But I feel like a lot of your merchandise is all the humorous stuff, or prints not really plot related. Any chance you will have some designs that focus on the more serious side of 'Sam and Fuzzy'?" -Duncan

I get what you're saying, Duncan. Especially when I'm designing shirts, I do tend to lean towards the broader and more comedic aspects of the strip... if only because that's what translates most readily and appealingly to that format!

That said, we do have the Ninja Showdown and X vs. Y shirts, which play up the more action-oriented elements of the strip, if not the heaviest. But in general, I feel like prints are probably the best medium for representing the side of the comic that you're talking about. And we do have some prints that are more stylish or story-focused than joke-based. But perhaps there's a specific dark, dramatic or art-driven moment from the comic that you think deserves the print treatment?

And of course, there's our books, which exist entirely to collect and present the entirety of Sam and Fuzzy's sprawling, epic dramatic mass in the prettiest way possible. Sam and Fuzzy's serious side is tied pretty tightly to its narrative, and there's no better way to really capture the tone of a story than by putting it into a gigantic honking book.

That's a wrap for this week, team. See you on Monday!

-Sam Logan

Thor paw

I spent my last night in Toronto watching Thor with Shannon, Katy, Ryan and his lovely wife and friend Jen and Tim (respectively). It was... pretty OK! Fluffy and undeniably simplistic, but endearingly earnest and bold about recreating the inherent goofiness of the original comics. At the very least, I left convinced that Chris Hemsworth's boisterous, larger-than-life Thor could work excellently as a part of an ensemble cast production like the Avengers.

Friend or not, I would be remiss not to tell you about my pal Dan Kosub's new album. You may even remember when I linked to his last one, a year or two back! Dan has talent coming out of his ears, and his music reminds me of (among other things) BNL in their more earnest moments. If that sounds like your bag (or part of your bag), you can hear a few sample songs right here.



-Sam Logan

TCAF'd

Thanks for the great weekend, Torontonians! (And Toronto-visitors!) TCAF has a reputation for being one of the most pleasant and laid back comics shows around, and it's well deserved. It was a the perfect setting to visit with you all, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Extra bonus thanks to my immediate booth neighbours, Jeph "the Nemesis" Jacquestionable and Joel "the Vandal" Watson, for keeping me laughing all weekend long. (And for helping me create a very special new character that I'll share with you all as soon as I'm in the vicinity of a scanner again.)



-Sam Logan