Q&A: How Are You So Funny?

Hey y’all! I saw your post and just wanted to ask a very dumb question: how are you so funny? Like seriously, your comics never fail to make me laugh and I want to be able to understand how unlock that part of your brain, so to speak. Thanks for all you do!

-Miggy

Hey Miggy,

Well first, thank you for the compliment and it's not a dumb question at all. It's actually a complex question and I'm actually figuring out how to answer it even as I'm writing this.

Let's start with the process. When I sit down to write the comics, ideas have usually been floating around in my head for a while so I take it to paper (not literally, we use Clip Studio Paint so it's more like taking it to Text box) I write out a rough draft of the dialogue, scene, and character descriptions. Then I read it all back and start thinking about how characters can say or do things in more entertaining ways. I do pass after pass then I give it to Simon. How he reacts decides if it needs another pass, needs discussion, or it's ready to go. We're both brutally honest people when we critique art and we make no exceptions for our own so we will openly tell each other something isn't good and suggest improvement. I think this is especially important when humor is involved. Even after comics are released, I read back all the comments to see what people liked/didn't like and try to learn from reader's expectations for future content.

As far as our specific sense of humor, we're huge fans of all aspects of comedy from well written children's cartoons to the raunchiest "adult" comedies. When it comes to writing our own comic, we try to walk a line of dealing with real life scenes and issues while also keeping it accessible to as wide a range of people as possible. We're fully aware we have readers across the board and it's important we're able to reach the younger audiences too as often they're the people who need the most as far as role models and seeing versions of their own possible futures.

As for recommending how to "unlock" your humor even more, read your stuff back and see how it makes you feel. Does it bring a smile?  Put it in front of others and see how they react. From there re-write and try again until you get the result you're looking for. You can also make an effort to spend more time in the company of the kind of people you think are funny or entertaining as well. It's true that humor does rub off. Not that it's always a good thing since our 14 year old now makes jokes that are funny but you kinda regret setting an example for ;)

Thank you for your question and I hope I helped! If not, feel free to DM me and we can talk more!