Everything you ever wanted to know about this humble webcomic, but were afraid to ask!
Q: What's this whole thing about, anyway? It seems kind of weird, to say the least....
A: It's about a rather unique concept wherein Dr. Ardra Renelsior, a brilliant scientist, decides to raise twins as a sort of lifelong science experiment. The humor comes from the fact that Ardra tends to think along logical, scientific lines (her many quirks aside) and is extremely clueless when it comes to actually raising children. Eileen and Lenore, while both super-intelligent and rather sarcastic, otherwise couldn't be more different from one another. Read the Character Bios to see what I mean.
Ardra is much more than a comic about a single mom and her bizarre "experiments", though. Ardra also has a strange love for objects she finds nostalgic (pay phones, in particular) and a tendency to lean towards obscure or offbeat things when making decisions. She also hates coffee, SUVs, cell phones, credit cards...or anything else she deems "Yuppie" accoutrements. A lot of this actually has to do with her SERIOUS issues with her mother, and will all be revealed as the comic goes on. Ardra and the girls all seem to suffer from a sort of "fish out of water" thing when they leave the house and meet "normal" people. Ardra wears a lab coat everywhere, and the girls are just too freakish, albeit in vastly different ways, for the average person on the street. Their reactions to non-geniuses, and other people's reaction to them, make up alot of the humor.
Q: Why don't you use Eileen more?
A: Well, admittedly, I do underutilize her. I think the problem is, she doesn't always lend herself to humor, having such a downbeat and stoic personality. Her funniest lines come from her ultra-sarcastic, dry wit, and I wonder sometimes if that really appeals to most people. I like it, but my tastes are different than most.
I do plan to try to give her more lines in upcoming strips, like in the "Eileen on a game show" storyline that's coming soon. It just seems that Lenore and her bizarre tendencies took a real stranglehold on the comic early on, and just won't let go. She's probably the funniest character, so I give her the punchlines more than I should. But Eileen will have her time in the sun, so stay tuned.
Q: How'd you luck into getting a cartoonist like Trevor Adams? He used to work on "Least I Could Do", a practically legendary strip in the webcomics universe.
A: I'd had the word out for awhile that I needed a cartoonist. My work had gotten to the point where it wasn't COMPLETELY wretched, but I simply don't have the time, and can't afford the equipment it takes to do the job well. So, one day out of the blue, Trevor sent me an e-mail, saying he really liked my comic, and wanted to work on it. His character designs totally blew me away, and I begged him to work for me. He really "gets" the concept and characters, and has a real ability to bring my ideas to life much better than I ever could. The rest is history, and proof positive there is, indeed, a God.
Q: What's the deal with squid ink?
A: Ah, yes, squid ink. Comedy gold! It's actually an "Iron Chef" reference. One of the challengers once made squid ink ice cream, and Chen responded with squid ink in rice. I thought it was hilarious, and had Lenore order squid ink ice cream at an ice cream shop. (This was in one of the pre-internet sample comics I did, so nobody outside my household has seen it yet). After that, it sort of took on a life of its own...squid ink on popcorn, squid ink on General Tso's chicken, etc. Lenore uses it as her favorite condiment. She probably thinks every picnic and restaurant table needs a black squid ink bottle to go along with the red ketchup and yellow mustard ones.
Q: Any plans for merchandise?
A: Not yet, but if reaction to the new website is positive, and readership keeps going up, that's definitely something we'd consider, so keep watching. If you like this comic, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell that weird guy down the street...
Q: Why doesn't Ardra carry a purse? Where does she keep all her stuff?
A: Hmm, good question. I imagine she carries a wallet, and just keeps it in the pocket of her lab coat. She probably pays cash for nearly everything, and just goes to the ATM when she needs more money. As for makeup, other than a little lipstick, she doesn't tend to wear any, so that's no problem. Anything else she needs, she probably just stuffs in the glove compartment in her car. So, she probably considers a purse illogical. Yes, she's a strange woman, but that's why we all love her, right?
Q: Ardra's not very, um, womany, is she? I mean, she doesn't seem to focus on her appearance, doesn't shop much, has no friends, and doesn't date. Is she "the L word"?
A: No, only if the "L" is for Libertarian. She's just got a strangely logical, scientific mind, and simply doesn't find all that "Cathy" stuff very appealing. No trying on shoes or swimsuits in this comic! Ardra likes men, but only if they have high IQs. They just get scared off by her mind and/or her strangeness. Or her kids, or as she calls them, her "experiments". Secretly, she's probably kicking herself for letting the high IQed Gordie get away. But she'll find her "prince" someday. Maybe not in this country, though....(nice and cryptic, huh?)
Any more questions? E-mail me at ardrarenelsior@yahoo.com
