"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
"
Christopher Rawson, English professor, University of
Pittsburgh
No doubt there are people out there who have discovered Fight
Cast Or Evade and are saying to themselves "What the hell is going on here?" I direct these people to
the above quote, since it pretty accurately sums up my attitude and philosophy regarding this strip. I
came across it back during my college days, in the context of a Literature class taught by the abovementioned
Prof. Rawson, and regarding the projects we were required to do. In essence, it means that if you consider
something worth doing, then do it, regardless of how badly it winds up getting done. Do it right, but you
don't have to do it well.
That's what I'm trying to do here. I consider Fight Cast Or Evade quite worth doing, so do it I will,
even if my talent is lacking in some areas. As you may have noticed, I'm no
Jeff Smith. But I don't have to be. Technique can be learned, and I would say that I've definitely
improved over the course of the strip, but the will and the desire to do it is innate. As long as I still
want to continue this, and I'm enjoying it, and I'm doing the best I can then I'll be satisfied. The rest
of you can take it or leave it. This comic isn't Little Nemo
(and if you don't know what Little Nemo is, brush up on your history of comics), but it's not supposed
to be and, like I said, it doesn't have to be. I'm putting a lot of work into it and having fun while I do it,
and that's good enough for me.
As anyone who has spent even a modest amount of time browsing the Web can tell you, lack of talent is no barrier
to publication any more. Neither is a lack of something to say. There's plenty of pointless crap out
there. Some people may think I am doing my best to contribute to that pile, or that Prof. Rawson's quote is
a load of bunk. To them I say "Hooey." There's much worse stuff out there than this
and, besides, no one is forcing you to stay here.
Enjoy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Got a question that's not answered here?
Email me, or post in the Forum
1: What does the title mean?
"Fight, cast, or evade" is a phrase I first encountered when I began playing fantasy role-playing games back
in the early 1980's. It was originally presented in a sincere manner, representing the basic choices available to
an adventurer when faced with an adversary. I've attached an ironic meaning to it since then, as sort of an
all-purpose phrase for decision-making, especially of the panicky or thoughtless kind. When I was trying to come
up with a name for the strip, the phrase leapt to the forefront and crowded out all other contestants.
For quite a while I resisted classifying FCE as a "gaming comic," but the way I came up with the name
really admits that it is, so I stopped arguing. I don't promote it as one, but if someone want's to call it that,
I don't contradict them.
2: What's the deal with the bad art?
First off, read (or reread) the Manifesto. Still here? Okay, then. I've gotten no formal art training
since I left high school many years ago, and that was certainly not very intensive. I drew a lot all through grade
school and high school, but it was fairly obvious that it was not my forte. As my minor dream of drawing comic books
was dashed upon the jagged rocks of reality, my drawing tapered off and I concentrated more on writing. After I
started reading lots of Internet comics, some of which have truly awful art, I realized that I didn't have to draw
superheroes or giant anime robots; I could draw anything I wanted to. I said: "Hey, I can
do that." And with Fight Cast Or Evade, I try to.
3: Why isn't this comic funny?
Can't help you here. I do realize that I have some work to do, but I write what I think is funny. If others
agree, cool. If not.... Oh, well. The animators at Warner Brothers, when they were producing their
classic cartoons, made films about what they thought was funny and didn't worry about what the public thought.
They seemed to turn out all right, even though some people don't like them. Go figure. I don't like Jim Carey
or Adam Sandler, although enough other people do that they've both made pretty good careers of it. Different strokes
and all that.
4: What's Yerzle doing with his hands?
This question is in reference to a few specific
strips (and maybe some others that I'm too lazy to dig for), especially since it's been established that
Yerzle doesn't wear pants. Well, as any long-time cartoon viewer can attest, there are lots of characters that
don't wear pants (not all of them talking animals, unfortunately), and this doesn't stop them from using pockets,
does it? I didn't think you'd have a quick comeback for that one.
Edit, 6/11/2003: Of course, this question is now irrelevant. Sorry.
5: How do you create the strip?
That's an interesting question, and not an easy one to answer quickly. It's one of the questions I asked several other
webtoonists before starting FCE. The short answer is that it's not nearly as simple as it might seem, not even
for a strip like this one. A more comprehensive explanation can be found beginning on this page,
which gives a step-by-step account of how Fight Cast Or Evade is produced.
6: I want to submit a guest strip, fanart or fanfiction! Are there any rules?
Well, sorta. I don't want to discourage anyone from sending me fanart or fanfiction (it does wonders for my ego, you
know!), but there are actions and subject matter that I would be uncomfortable displaying. So I've got one simple rule
for fan submissions: Keep it within the tone of the strip. Part of the fun of guest strips and fanart is seeing
my characters in ways and situations that I might not normally put them in, but there are also boundaries that I've set that
I would be uncomfortable seeing my characters cross. A good example of this is the Yerzlemania story drawn by
Scott Kellogg during Guest Strips Gone Wild!
That story isn't explicit, just suggestive. Quite suggestive, of course, but no naughty bits get exposed.
I guess my point is that if you're wondering whether I would find something appropriate or not then go back through the
archives and see what I've already done, and if you still have a question, you can always ask me. I can hardly criticize
people for drawing or otherwise putting my characters in situations that I've put them in, myself, and I've drawn cheesecake
and used plenty of double-entendres and such.
Yes, on occasion I've gone beyond that in work I've done for other strips, but that's the point. It was for the other
strips, and well within the boundaries they had set for themselves. I hope this helps.
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