Sam and Fuzzy Q & A: Titular Edition
Got a question you want answered? Just drop me an email with "Q & A" in the subject line!
"Obviously, there are very practical reasons for not changing the title of the comic (the URL, for one), but if you knew for certain it would cause no confusion or other problems, would you change the name of the comic after the ending of Sam and Fuzzy's main arc? Since what's followed is arguably a sequel or spin-off, depending on how you look at it? And what would it be, if you did?" -Mads
Good question!
After ending the Sam and Fuzzy saga, I decided to give myself the freedom to alternate between different kinds of stories -- and even different projects entirely -- from chapter to chapter. As a result, in the past year I've made:
-One Sam & Fuzzy story (Sam & Fuzzy & Trevor), which was included in the S&F Vol 7 book.
-A bunch of pet-centric comics (including Loafin' Around and Pet Sounds) that will ultimately be included in a sequel to Vote Dog
-Three larger interconnected stories (Cult Classic, Inhuman Relations, and Whether Permitting) that will ultimately be part of a new book set in the S&F Universe. (I am considering calling this new series itself Inhuman Relations, but I haven't decided yet!)
In the future, I think I'm going to stick with this approach! In other words, you can expect some chapters that continue this "new S&F universe" story, as well as some that are other stuff... including stories that are set in other universes or continuities.
ANYWAY, to get back to your actual question... because of this multi-project approach I've been taking, I haven't retitled the website. But I've been wondering if something like "Sam and Fuzzy Presents" would be a good idea!
It would be nice to ultimately redesign the website in a way that acknowledges it collects comics from more than one series. But I'd like to keep using the samandfuzzy.com URL indefinitely. For one thing, "samandfuzzy" is also the name I'm best known as on social media, and a lot of people associate it with me as an artist, in addition to the actual Sam and Fuzzy series itself!
"Is there a storyline/plot you came up with, that you really really love, but had to scrap because it just didn't fit your characters? Something crazy or just plain fun that you really wish you could have figured out a way to push into the narrative? If so, what was it (assuming you don't want to keep it secret incase you ever do manage to find a place for it)?" -Michael
I don't think so! This is probably different for every writer, but for me, I kind of start with the characters first and then come up with the ideas for the stories afterwards. For example, every story I've written for the Invader Zim comic is one that I brainstormed specifically while trying to think of cool things for the Invader Zim cast to do. None of them were, say, unused S&F ideas that I had to toss because they didn't fit the S&F cast. Does that make sense!
That said, the S&F universe is also extremely versatile. So it has been very easy to work in lots of different ideas and concepts that interest me, from retail workplace humour all the way to robot civilizations and ancient demonic evils. (One might argue I worked in too many ideas and concepts, haha!) If S&F's setting was more realistic and less accomodating of that kind of crazy stuff, I would definitely have had a lot more narrative impulses that needed an outlet.
"What is an animal you have not drawn yet that you would like to draw?" -AaronBurrSir
My friend, if there is an animal I wanted to draw, but hadn't drawn yet... I would be drawing it right now! No one would stop me. I am the master of my own destiny!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to draw an Okapi.
That's all for this week, friends! But come back on Monday for our next comic.
-Sam Logan
