The following interview was conducted by alejkhan in the http://www.drunkduck.com/community/view_topic.php?tid=41514 so how can you keep surprising the audience without compromising that one dumb thing that makes the character what it is? The only character I do that seems to have any real mileage is my perennial loser version of Aquaman. Anyways, I guess the point is I'll bring them back if there's a joke to be had by them.

You complain a lot in your author’s notes about being unsatisfied or unsure of a joke or of the use of the four panel format in order to deliver the joke (by the way, you are more often than not needlessly worried), but where do you feel you were most successful?

Short, simple jokes work just fine in four panels. Let’s see… the Your Mom ones come to mind. Actually, I have no problem with most of those early strips. It’s just working in any set number of panels will limit the kind of jokes you can do. Each joke is meant to be a certain length, whether its 4 panels or 8 or 27. You need a certain amount of panels to fit in all the information, set it up, to get the timing right. The joke dictates the length of the comic and if you can’t use that length it will show.

And finally, it seems a lot of the inspiration for the situations in “Last Place Comics” come from your everyday life and your friends, so I have to ask: Just how close are you to being “Zach” in “Last Place Comics?”

Not exactly. It’s true that all of the comics are based on actual events, but in real life I’m a 900 lb woman and I made it all up.

XD

Thanks for answering my horrible questions with non-horrible answers, Exzachly!

I have to say, the questions and answers are probably the funniest I've read yet.

Exzachly, what are your feelings on baby seals? Do helpless kittens have a place in your art process?

It must be awesome living with 19 feral cats. At the very least, I bet they keep magazine solicitors away.

This interview tells us all exzachly what we needed to know about you!!!! XD

Great interview! I was laughing the whole time (extreme extreming). I've been following Last Place Comics since I started DD. One of the funniest things I've read on the web…not just DD. The updates have slowed down tremendously but when it is updated it's worth it. If you haven't checked Last Place Comics out, you should because it is absolutely worth it!

That's way too funny! Great interview!

Okay Exzachly, I thought your questions were good but your answers are even better!
You are the most imaginative 900 pound woman I know!

skoolmunkee
Do helpless kittens have a place in your art process?

Why do you think I keep 19 of them around? If I wanted pets I'd buy a swarm of screeching owls, pretty much the ultimate pet.

harkovast
You are the most imaginative 900 pound woman I know!

You have to have a big imagination when youre trapped inside this 900 lb fleshy cell inside your actual prison cell at San Quenton. Trust me guys, those endangered species laws aren't to be messed around with…

Lol, very funny interview xD. I've only read the most recent page from that comic so I'll have to backtrack and catch up on the archives.

Congrats on getting “Last Place Comics” first place ;].

Great interview!
Exachttyytyttyry was awesome!

Damn, you're right - it is similar. I can especially relate to the “funny… funny… something funny…”

The similarities end with the ivory desk though - I use a stuffed polar bear, which I killed with a hammer (to ensure the back provides a nice, flat surface).

Are you still extreme extreming? Dude… that's gonna get you killed one of these days, you need to be careful.

Yeah, you put the whole thing much better. How basically the ideas just come at random and its up to you to either pay attention all the time or try and force one later. Personally, I've always been horrible at remembering ideas, and I'm too self-conscious to carry around a notepad or anything cause I don't want to look like a self-important douche.

Exzachly
I'm too self-conscious to carry around a notepad or anything cause I don't want to look like a self-important douche.

Amen to that. Though I have thought before that it would be funny to buy one of those mini-recorders for that same reason…

Like some fat black chick in line at a movie theater bitching about something or another… “Tah-RONE!! Da HALE yoo MANE y'awll ain't got no MUNNEH??”

And then just jump in front of them, click it on, and say into it “Comic idea - obnoxious black bitch holds up the line because her boyfriend is broke.”

Then when I regain consciousness in the ambulance, “comic idea - treatment is refused when I make fun of the EMT's gay mustache.”