27. Genie Interview

Air Raid Robertson on Oct. 16, 2009

Once again, my sister Cheryl provided some invaluable lettering assistance on this one. Much appreciation to Cheryl.

At first, my idea for this strip centered on a djinn being horribly offended at being called a “genie” by the human that found its lamp. I thought it'd be kinda cute if they interpreted “genie” as a racial slur.

I ended up deciding on the gag listed above. I couldn't really think up enough workable dialogue to fill three panels.

The idea came to me while I was thinking about how cynical and less trusting our society has grown in the last century or so. I don't think many of us would enter a magic wish scenario without a few doubts.

I made the genie red because I didn't want to make him blue. (Too much like the Disney movie) I could've gone with green or orange or something, but I liked red. The human was supposed to be decked out in some Arabian Nights-esque clothing, but the genie's comment about being in the lamp for a thousand years convinced me to put him in something a little more contemporary.