March 08, 2004

John Allison Interview John Allison is the creator of the online comic strips Bobbins and Scary Go Round. He discusses his work (he sounds like he's not looking to get syndicated) and how he makes a living. This comment was says a lot about Allison. Sales are healthy enough to constitute a large part of my living. People like to support the comic and I really don't like the idea of donations, it's too much like begging. I try to make good products that people will want to buy, at a reasonable price. I refuse to sell anything that I wouldn't buy myself, just so people can blow their money on trinkets. My friends shake their heads at my ghastly, moralistic ways.
posted by Sullivan 20 years ago
  • I read this this morning. I do love Scary Go Round, for some reason. The cheerfulness, I think.
  • I wonder how John Allison feels about Jon Rosenberg at goats.com. They did a couple of goats/Bobbins crossovers a few years ago, but by the sounds of it they've parted philosophical ways. Not to mention that Bobbins is long since ended. I stopped reading goats regularly about the time Jon started cutting back on strips and charging money to see the rest. Did buy one of the books, though.
  • Bobbins was one of my favourite webcomics, until it died. Scary Go Round I always have trouble keeping up with. He also mentions Men In Hats (awesome) and Questionable Content (any webcomic which mentions Explosions in the Sky and compares Conor Oberst to Winona Ryder gets my vote).
  • I still like Bobbins better. The cast page is worth checking out.
    Elliot Schlesinger City Limit's tech support is a mystery within an enigma. His macho posturing at odds with his talent for dressmaking and sewing, Elliot is clearly a man fighting inner demons.
  • I've been reading Scary-Go-Round for a few months now, and I quite enjoy it. Its regular schedule is a refreshing change from most webcomics, and I like its quirky dialog and spunky characters. I am just now starting to go through the Bobbins strips, so I can't compare between the two just yet.
  • I quite like the loose cute-scariness theme that differentiates Scary-go-round from the more sitcommy Bobbins, and all my favorite characters are still around. Plus, bobbins is sans Hugo, which cannot be tolerated. I also love Allison's habit of upgrading the look of the strip suddenly instead of the gradual acquisition of skill more common among web cartoonists (that are capable of acquiring skill). It reveals that he's consciously refining his art offstage. Great art, brilliant writing, and a laugh every strip. John Allison kicks ass.
  • I quite like the loose cute-scariness theme that differentiates Scary-go-round from the more sitcommy Bobbins, and all my favorite characters are still around. Plus, bobbins is sans Hugo, which cannot be tolerated. I miss Rich from Bobbins. The guy got himself in the worst situations with women. The Amy and Shelly fight was hysterical.
  • Great Hugo moment: Do not take Hugo Rodriguez for th idiot. Unlike Ryan, I did not think Superman was a movie about two dudes living coincidentally similiar lives.
  • Todays comic also made me laugh. Fallon: I liked the story of how you resurrected yourself and became our new lord and saviour. Wayne be praised. Wayne: Much respect to my little brother Jesus for rolling away the stone, but only I could have headbutted a mountain out of the way.