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

"I was wondering; how could the painting destroy Estoban in a way that couldn't be done with the apparently easily accessible article that Fuzzy found?" -Dean

Well, while the man in that small newspaper photo certainly looked kind of like Rikk, it doesn't prove much on it's own. I like to think that Rikk was almost mercilessly diligent when it came to eliminating any actual physical evidence that could connect him to his past life. It's more tragic that way!

But the painting... even though he knew it could hurt him, he was just too vain to destroy his own "brilliant" work. And that's what came back to bite him in the ass. Used in combination with the article, the painting would have been pretty damning -- close examination would have shown all the various visual hallmarks and ticks of Rikk's technique. (And possibly a smattering of his fingerprints, hair, body fluids, spittle, cologne, or favourite brand of pizza pops. Science!)

"I tried shouting my question really loud, did it work? " -Dane

About 37 to 54, depending on the season and the number of lemurs.


"What games have you been playing lately, and what are your thoughts on Arkham City?" -Timmy

Other M left me so distraught that I had to go back and start replaying Metroid Prime 3. And man... I'd forgotten how great that game really was. Even if Other M hadn't been saddled with some of the worst cutscenes in years, it would still have been outclassed in pretty much every way. I still like the idea of a 3D, third-person Metroid game, but I want one with environments as deep, imaginative and well-crafted as the ones found in the Prime series. By comparison, Other M felt like a series of hallways with vaguely thematic wallpaper.

I am excited about Arkham City, but also a little disappointed. The one thing I didn't like about the original was the character design style, and it looks like that isn't going to be changing for the sequel. Arkham Asylum's gameplay did such a wonderful job of capturing everything that Batman is about, and the vocal cast was pitch-perfect... it's a shame that almost all the characters were redesigned to look like either a 'roided-out pro-wrestler with a two-foot-wide neck, or some kind of stripper. (Or both.)

"It was stated long ago that Sam is Canadian and left for the USA for school or something like that. But why come to the USA for a storyline perspective? Sam could just as easily have lived in Canada, free of doctoring ninjas, doomy coffee shops and the all American Pamela Anderson and Michael J. Fox. Why did Sam (you) move Sam (not you) to the USA?" -Tom

To be honest, it was primarily to get him in the same country as larger-than-life entities and corporations like the Ninja Mafia, Noosehead, and Sin Records. I guess I just couldn't really imagine any of those things being based out of Canada!

That's a wrap for this week, and for the Off the Books! Come back on Monday, when we'll be running a little stand-alone Rikk Estoban-related material before we fire up our next big story.

-Sam Logan

Any book club members out there still waiting for their bonus pack? If you still don't have it, don't worry! Just forward a copy of your Topatoco email receipt for your book order to my email address and I will make everything right.

We return on Friday with the last installment of "Off the Books", plus another round of our "Q and A" feature! Got a question you want answered? Try shouting it really loud! (Or alternately, email it to me with "Q and A" in the subject line.)

-Sam Logan

Anye book club members out there still waiting for their bonus pack? If you still don't have it, don't worry! Just forward a copy of your Topatoco email receipt for your book order to my email address and I will make everything right.

And congrats to Kayla Tettleton, the winner of the original art!

The real Rikk Estoban would probably be infuriated by the baseless fictions presented in today's strip, but hey... I won't tell him about them if you don't.

Operation: design new merch is complete! (I think.) I've got some fun stuff lined up for the ever-growing "holiday season," which I believe -- if Costco displays are any indication -- began about four weeks ago. Fake trees, Halloween candy and school supplies... all at the same time? There's a word for that, friends, and that word is amazingdreamworld. Consume!

-Sam Logan