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

"Which curse word are you using in this comic? I can't think of a single curse word that is an adjective that's only five characters long. Or is it some fancy Canadian curse word?" -Zach

Sure! In Canada, we just pick your favourite four-letter swear word and add a silent "u".

I've never thought of those cartoon swear word symbols as literal stand-ins for specific letters. Like, a '#' does not equal an 'f' or something. There is no decoder ring you can buy to reveal the naughty stuff. Although that's a missed marketing opportunity if I've ever heard of one!

Personally, when I am hearing the dialogue out loud in my head, I imagine cartoon swears as an unintelligible string of growling consonant sounds. FJKSRDN!

"How come Aaron never returned to his original identity, Jackson?" -Max

Aaron is his real name! Jackson is just the name he went by as a ninja. (And possibly his original real last name.)

"In a recent post-comic post you mentioned you were busy with Canada Day, and I was wondering--what does that entail? I'm not familiar with the festivities of the holiday. " -Cholisose

Everyone strips naked, smears themselves up with moose grease, and eats a few pounds of Yak meat. Usually we try to sacrifice an American to the great Beaver, but sometimes we have to settle for an Albertan. (Kidding, kidding!)

Or maybe we just had an all-day BBQ and watched the fireworks. Believe what you want!

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

-Sam Logan

Fiiiiiiiiig

How adorable are these fan-made Fig Pig plushes? Chogo adorable!

Well, that's a wrap for today. Come back on Friday for pants! (Maybe.) Also, a new comic and a new round of Q and A! If you've got a question you've been just dying to ask... well, uh, stop dying and just email it to me with "Q and A" in the subject line. Pow!

-Sam Logan

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

"I was impressed by the overall look of the 'Fix Your Problem' book. It immediately called out to me, and is definitely something I would pick up and read if I found it in a store. Did you do the design yourself? What kind of work went into it?" -Jackson

Thanks, Jackson! I decided early on that I'd do something relatively monochrome, to capture the feel of the interior artwork while still utilizing some colour. I also wanted something more graphic and "designy" than your traditional splashy-full-page-illustration-with-logo comic book cover. Maybe it's just because I'm also a graphic designer, but I wanted a layout that utilized a lot of big, simple type and empty space, more like a regular book. (The kind that are full of words!)

I think the few comic trades that do take that approach, like the Sin City books for example, look really slick -- especially when they're part of a series. And this will be a series of books, I hope -- with each future Sam and Fuzzy volume using this same layout, only with a different piece of art and different dominant colour.

Once I had the basic layout done and the art finished, I just had to do the title type... which proved to be the hardest and most gruelling portion of the process. Fortunately, my friend Brian from Instant Classic lent me his typographic expertise and helped me pick a font and create the final logo design. Thanks for saving my butt, Brian!

"How come 'Sam and Fuzzy Fix Your Problem' is volume 1? (According to the spine.) What will that make the books collecting the earlier comics... Volume -1, -2, and -3?" -Allison

Basically, the plan is to do two sets of books! It seemed like a good idea, since "Sam and Fuzzy Fix Your Problem" was a fresh start, and the first chapter of a new multi-part series.

So, I'm collecting the pre-"Fix Your Problem" comics in their own set of books with their own numbering. I think I'm going to call it Sam and Fuzzy Vs. The Ninja Mafia. Just think... I'll be able to present it to the readers of the newer comics as the "prequel series"! How weird is that?

"How is Mr. R. Sin using the remote in this comic? Surely a TV remote would be more complicated than a telephone?" -Jake

I wish I had an answer for you, Jake. Instead, I have five. Choose your own retcon!

a) Sin is using an alien TV with an alien remote with alien numbers on it.

b) Sin underwent months of intense training to learn to operate the power button. (He still needs minions to change the channel.)

c) Sin is controlling the television psychically. The remote is just a prop he uses to help him visualize his powers.

d) Sin's television is actually turned off by the verbal command phrase, "Sidney, Sidney, SIDNEY." The remote is just a chocolate bar with an LED in it.

e) The timeline of the past was altered when Sin gave Satan his marriage to save Aunt May, punched the dimensional barrier, and collapsed the multiverse. Unfortunately, from now on he will have to wear pants and a bomber jacket.

That's a wrap for today! See you on Wednesday.

-Sam Logan