FAT Fridaze STRIP: #002

(Song: "When I'm With You" - Best Coast)

FAT Fridaze STRIP: #001

(Song: "Perfect Day" - Lou Reed)

The Perks of a Strip

Sequential Art (also known as comics) has many forms, The 2 more popular today being Graphic Novels (can range from 50-300+ pages depending on the book), and another classic Comic Books (which usually range from 10-35 or so pages). I put Zines in another category because they tend to have a multitude of different shapes, sizes and lengths. (I love that the comics pictured below have all been made into films, as well as many others! It's a great time for comics!!)

The comic strip has been around for ages and traditionally runs in newspapers and magazines (usually a horizontal strip of 2 or more panels in either B&W or color). I have worked on a comic strip series before in Jr. High entitled "Daniel & Friends", which consisted of myself and 3 made-up friends (which now just seems kinda weird..haha)... but the stories weren't very funny... I didn't have any interesting ideas... I just wanted to make something. I made about 10 or so and then gave up... but doing that gave me an idea of what working on a comic strip was like.

Archie

There are many upsides to doing a series of comic strips as opposed to a short comic/full length or graphic novel... the first being that it doesn't require as much time (which is probably my main reason at the moment) Once you have decided on a small cast and location you are ready to go. You can't over think it... you just take a simple idea and go with it. That alone is nice, no need worrying too much about a plot... over working dialogue. You just simplify it all. Shorten it to the most basic idea, and there it is. Also, you don't have to worry so much about character development, that will happen over time, so the characters just need to have shticks and you need to shtick with them... *crickets*

Next, is the fact that in the digital age, most people don't want to spend more than a few minutes reading a story of some unknown artist/writer, unless maybe the images are so captivating it draws them in... that is unlikely if you want to save time (if you are still reading this, I commend you... you are either a close friend, bored, or really high).

Which finally brings us to FAT Fridaze. I have been working on a few strips for the past week (in hopes that I can get ahead and never fall behind...NEVER!!!! *sobs*) Tomorrow will be the official release of Strip # 001!! YIPPIE!! I'm excited to see how long I can keep up this series, I am also working on a Graphic Novel with the same characters that I would like to publish in a year or so (MARK MY WORDS!!)

Anywho... to wrap this post up... I don't... really have anything else to say... Hope you enjoy my first Strip!

Thanks! <3

A brief History of Famous BFFs

There have been famous BFFs since the beginning of time... but one of my most memorable friendly duos dates back to the stone ages... 

Fred & Barney

Barney and Fred were the family men. They had full time jobs, but took on the roll of dad at home... through all the pitfalls and hi-jinx of nuclear family life everything managed to work out all right, because they had each other.

Beavis and Butthead

(My favorite) Beavis and Butthead showed that it was ok to be an outcast that nobody understood, as long as you had your friend by your side. They were the stoner music friends, always finding time to sit around and talk about music, and no matter where they were (school, work, going to get nachos) They always had fun.

Wayne and Garth

On SNL the live action Wayne and Garth became famous music bffs. They were even given 2 movies

Luna and Usagi

In Japan, manga had shown many friendships, one of my favorites is a close bond of a human and an animal. In Naoko Takeuchi's Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon, we got to see what happened when young Usagi Tsukino was paired up with a talking cat, who helped her on her mission. This unlikely pair showed the level of guidance and leadership one friend can have in another's life...

Milo and Otis

The unlikely pair can also be seen with 1987's Milo and Otis, A kitten and puppy are born on the same farm and don't realize they are meant to be mortal enemies. They stray too far from home and get lost, and together go on an adventure of a life time. This film showed that it didn't matter what history had told us, societies standards didn't apply. If you click with someone you just click.

Enid and Rebecca

Their similar views on society brought Ghost World's Enid and Rebecca together, A pair of young girls who are a bit lost in the world.

Ace and Gary

Society's views began to open up to other ideas in the 90s. Ace and Gary The Ambiguously Gay Duo finally spoofed the ambiguous nature of super hero duo Batman and Robin. Although they claimed to just be "friends" there was always that sexual layer of "more-than-friends" the villains had no trouble seeing. Spoofing guys that have a "room mate" when they are 50...

                                 

Ren and Stimpy

One of my other favorites, Ren and Stimpy, was a magical duo, of a cat and dog. Their sexuality was often questionable, but still they got past their differences.

Thelma and Louise

Proving that friendship was worth dying for. Thelma and Louise were the Bonny and Clyde of platonic girl duos.

  

Bill and Ted

The live action stoner/music duo Bill and Ted, showing that it was ok to be stupid. hahah

Cher and Dionne

Hollywood brought us Cher and Dionne, high school Valley Girl BFFs. They were just a phone call away. Together they grew up and made it through school life.

Romy and Michelle

Romy and Michelle proved that sometimes you do stay friends with people for life... after high school and even past your reunion... these fashion forward, big fish moved to LA and enjoyed their life.

Brian and Michael

The British series Queer As Folk brought us Stuart and Vince, gay bffs from high school, but the American version took us deeper into their complicated relationship. Brian and Michael knew each other so well, and even when they seemed as though they had abandoned one another for good.. they always came back when needed.

This now brings us to Adrian and Phoenix, our very own Gay BFFs in the comic world. I've been working on Fat Fridaze for a while now... I have wanted to tell a tale of two gay guys who come from different worlds, but something seems to click when they are together. I had been working on the character design for a long time, and nothing was sticking... but then I was offered the opportunity of having a mini comic in my friend Jimmy's queer zine... it felt like the right time to introduce the world to these guys... something finally clicked and the designs finally stuck.