Port port port
I am still in Portland, and boy, am I meeting some talented cartoonists in this town! Just in Periscope Studio alone, there are a veritable bevy of amazingly talented folks from indie and mainstream print and web comics. And they've been kind enough to let me come work in their shared space while I'm down here -- which is a big change for someone like me who is used to working in a home studio in relative isolation. Being surrounded by so many great writers and artists while I'm working has been fun as heck, and a great motivator to boot. I am going to miss it!
And hey... if you are a Portlander yourself and want to support a local comic book store and a non-local cartoonist, the Floating World and Cosmic Monkey comic book stores now both have a limited number of signed-and-sketched-in copies of Sam and Fuzzy on their shelves! (EDIT: It sounds like Floating World might be out... I will try to get them some more tomorrow!)
-Sam Logan
Sam and Fuzzy Q & A: Find Out Later Edition
Got a question you want answered? Just drop me an email with "Q & A" in the subject line!
" I assume that Rexford is really, really, really, really, really, really, really old, and yet there were "generations of forebears" before him. So just how old is The Pit? Or did he get his position somewhat recently? (Also: nice touch with Fuzzy's face being taped over his forebear's face.)" -Tom
Rexford is very old! How old hasn't been said, but we know that one of his teeth was "buried for centuries" before being unearthed (and decorated) by humans. I can't really get into specifics -- that would be serious spoiler town -- but we'll definitely find out more about him and his past in future chapters.
"In Friday's comic, Rexford assumes that Sam's predecessor, the former Ninja Mafia Emperor, passed on his code to Sam before his passing. However, it's a widely known (and secretly untrue) fact that Sam achieved his position by killing the entire Ninja Mafia council, earning the role by default. Even if Sam really had killed his way to the top of the corporate ladder, there's no way he could have gotten the code from the previous NME if he had to kill the guy to get the job in the first place. So my question is...huh?" -Rocky
Because of the nature of their organization, the leadership of the Ninja Mafia is passed down in a more... uh, chaotic... way than the positions of most other committee members. As a result, the way they pass on "the number" is a little... different. We will find out more about this as Sam does!
"So now that the secrets of "The Pit" have been revealed, does that mean that The Committee is good or evil? Does that make Hazel and Brain evil or good? Heck, does that mean that Sin is evil or good?" -Tom
A lot of committee members have done undeniably bad things individually -- Sin being the perfect example. But the actions of the committee itself are definitely a little less black-and-white, at least more so than folks might have assumed. Whether their actions make them good or bad or misguided is up to you to decide as the story goes on!
That's a wrap for this week. See you on Monday!
-Sam Logan
Portland
So, here I am in Portland! Shannon is doing a two-week internship at the Oni Press offices, so I thought I'd come along with her and have some authentic Portland-type experiences.
So far, I've managed to squeeze in a visit to the enormous Powell's books -- which I haven't been to since I was a kid! -- and tried some Voodoo Doughnuts. Today, the crazy talented folks at Periscope Studios are kindly letting me visit and borrow some drawing space for the day. And tomorrow, I'm going to Comics Underground to watch some comics creators do live readings.
It is true what they say... this city is overflowing with cartoonists and comic events like no place I've ever been. Even in January! So I'm going to try to cram in as much of it as I can before I have to go home.
-Sam Logan
