Krrnch!

It is always a pleasure to draw these kind of unhinged visuals. And Sam and Fuzzy provides me with so many opportunities! Sometimes I wonder how all the earnest, hard working auto-bio cartoonists resist the temptation to just toss realism aside and draw a bunch of ridiculous crap.

Of course, some of us can have it both ways. But we can't all live a life as surreal as Jeff's! I'm not even sure it is legal in most countries.

-Sam Logan

My Skills are Varied

One of my favourite parts of New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the "Super Skills" movies -- video clips that show off hilariously elaborate trickery to earn piles of lives or beat levels incredibly fast. Of all the clips I've seen so far, this is probably my favourite, but there's one for every level of the game.

For years, you've been able to find videos similar to these all over YouTube. But those videos were of the classic Mario titles, and they were made by fans -- crazy fans, dedicated to completing these games in the fastest or most outrageous ways possible. At times, the "secrets" these guys uncover look like they are practically breaking the game. After all , surely the developer never intended to have folks earn infinite lives, or beat the entirety of the original Mario Bros. in under six minutes.

But with the "Super Skills" videos, Nintendo have tipped their hand. They're not just aware that these kind of gamers exist. They are deliberately designing the levels to facilitate all those ridiculously esoteric tricks and perfect speed runs. On purpose!

Who knew?

-Sam Logan

Sam and Fuzzy Q & A: Existential Edition
Got a question you want answered? Just drop me an email with "Q & A" in the subject line!

"Why did you answer a statement the other week?" -Martin

I'm not sure! Why did you question my answer to a statement?

"Is Rexford really a dinosaur, or is he a very large and hideous, hideous cat?" -Michael

Mr. Rexford is a real, honest-to-goodness dinosaur. You're probably just questioning it because I'm not as good at drawing dinosaurs as you are, Michael. You jerk.

"I was rereading the comic and I stumbled upon the first 'Saucy Hippo' here. Is it still the same one mentioned by Jess here? And if so, is Mr. Gillespie still the owner, and will he be returning?" -Molly

It is part of the same chain, although probably not the same location. As for Mr. Gillespie, it is pretty likely that he will show up in these flashback stories eventually. As was once cryptically referenced, Fuzzy was working for Gillespie on the night he first met Sam!

"What has happened with the magazines you used to work in? Haven't updated us about them for some time now." -Luis

YES Mag and KNOW are still alive and well! For those who don't know, when I'm not busy making Sam and Fuzzy comics, I also do all of the page layouts and some of the illustrations for these two great children's science magazines. One time I got to draw a whale weighing its own tongue. My life is pretty sweet.

That's all for this week! We return on Monday. See you then!

-Sam Logan