D is for...

Handface, the incredible new cartoon character unveiled in Monday's newspost, has received a wide variety of responses. But there's one in particular I was not expecting... folks asking if he was intended a reference to Vampire Hunter D!

I've never seen it, but folks on the twitters informed me that the "D" stands for Dracula. This was good information! With it, I was able to successfully infer that the "D" in Initial D also stands for Dracula. And as it turns out, so do a lot of other Ds. Thanks for the education, internet!



-Sam Logan

My greatest creation

TCAF is always a great show. Tons of creators, awesome atmosphere, great fan interaction -- all present and accounted for. But this year, there was something more. Something special happened at this year's TCAF, guys. Something magical. And that something... was Handface.

Jeph, Joel and I all agree... Handface is going to be the next big breakout character in webcomics. He is my greatest creation, and J&J did a great job helping me flesh out his personality and backstory! Just look at these important Handface facts:

- Handface has no eyelids

- Handface can't close his own mouth, which is entirely decorative

- Handface's only method of travel is to drag himself by the fingers while scrapping his face along the ground

- Handface has countless incredible catchphrases, which are all delivered in his signature high-pitched shriek:
"WHY DO I EXIST"
"HRRRURUUUGGHH"
"I HAVE NO EYELIDS"
"WHAT ARE THESE TEETH EVEN FOR"

Yes, there's no doubt about it... Handface is a solid gold gravy train. Which is why Jeph and I have made the no-brainer decision to immediately quit both of our current webcomics and focus on producing Handface full time. Here's a drawing that Joel whipped up, revealing our 2012 TCAF booth:



Joel also put together this fine (NSFW) photo comic, which reveals the many other contributions he made to my work over the weekend. (Building on the "Fix Your Problem, Sam Logan" jokes pioneered by my buddy Ryan "New Super Mario Bros. Silver Finish" North.) Thanks Joel.



-Sam Logan

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


"I'm a bit confused. Both Hazel and Fuzzy mention BAM! in Wednesday's comic ('and I can't let Sin get away! not after what he did to BAM!' 'Fuzzy! We don't have BAM!'), but who or what is BAM!?" -Miguel

BAM! is an interrupting sound effect! And he has actually been training for this moment for the past ten years. Between you and me, I think there's big things ahead for him in future strips. I've actually got an entire BAM!-centric story planned, where it is revealed that BAM! is actually Aaron's long-lost uncle.

"I might be thinking too much, but in recent times I've started noticing a striking resemblance between Hazel and Catwoman, from the Batman universe. Both are incredibly skilled thieves, both are attracted to (and highly successful at stealing) rare and well-protected items, and both use those oversized goggles (or so do some "incarnations" of Catwoman). Was this pure coincidence, or was it a deliberate "tribute" of yours to the notorious villain?" -Bernardo

Not particularly intentional! But Hazel definitely takes some inspiration from the super-thief trope in general, so it's probably not surprising to see a little Catwoman in there! When I designed Hazel, I'd actually forgotten that Catwoman was running around in goggles these days. Maybe it was a mistake to give them to her! But I really like the emotional distance that they can convey visually.

I suppose the big difference between the two characters is how far Hazel falls from vamp and femme-fatal archtypes. Catwoman's over-the-top sexiness and flirtatiousness are such a big part of her character. I'd be reluctant to claim Hazel is more practical or grounded thief -- she's certainly just as theatrical. But they're not particularly sexy theatrics. Unless you really dig scarves.

"My favorite thing about 'Sam & Fuzzy' is the humor mixed a sort of 'dark side'. But I feel like a lot of your merchandise is all the humorous stuff, or prints not really plot related. Any chance you will have some designs that focus on the more serious side of 'Sam and Fuzzy'?" -Duncan

I get what you're saying, Duncan. Especially when I'm designing shirts, I do tend to lean towards the broader and more comedic aspects of the strip... if only because that's what translates most readily and appealingly to that format!

That said, we do have the Ninja Showdown and X vs. Y shirts, which play up the more action-oriented elements of the strip, if not the heaviest. But in general, I feel like prints are probably the best medium for representing the side of the comic that you're talking about. And we do have some prints that are more stylish or story-focused than joke-based. But perhaps there's a specific dark, dramatic or art-driven moment from the comic that you think deserves the print treatment?

And of course, there's our books, which exist entirely to collect and present the entirety of Sam and Fuzzy's sprawling, epic dramatic mass in the prettiest way possible. Sam and Fuzzy's serious side is tied pretty tightly to its narrative, and there's no better way to really capture the tone of a story than by putting it into a gigantic honking book.

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

-Sam Logan