Eran: For those who didn’t already know, yes, this is totally true. For those wondering “waaaaahhh?.. This strip is not about games and/or gamers. You LIARS”, we should explain.
Being all-purpose geeks, we enjoy various stuff, and, therefore, making fun of (I mean, with! with!) various stuff. While our main aim is to tell some gaming stories with our gamer characters, we also enjoy doing the occasional news-related strip, when said news is geeky in origin, and we find a funny thing to say about it. We realize of course these strips might sometimes be quite niche, but we’re okay with that – not everyone will get/enjoy every strip, but at least they know they can return next week for a new strip that they will get (and hopefully enjoy). And these strips are also useful to us, beyond allowing us to go wild once in a while – since no prior knowledge about our characters or backstory is needed, they can be shared much more easily, and with that, attract new audience.
Aviv: My favourite part in comic strips like this one is adding all the little detail.
As a reader – or consumer of content of any kind, really – I love when there’s more than just the primary point of focus, when the creator took the time to flesh out the world around the main event in a scene, even if it’s so in the background that it almost goes unnoticed. I’m sure anyone who’s searched a screen capture of the whiteboard from Cabin in the Woods or wandered around Bioshock Infinite’s Columbia just to stare at posters can relate.
In a comic strip, it gives added value to the punchline, a second payoff of hunting down small jokes once you’ve enjoyed the big one. And for me, as the illustrator, it’s an awesome opportunity to just have fun throwing Easter-egg-like bits around.
Oh, and a word to Mattel: I would totally buy Bathing in Enemies Blood Barbie if you created one. As well as every other idea on that meeting room whiteboard. You’re welcome.
