Queen of Wands F.A.Q - Or: Let's Clear Up A Few Things In Advance

Occasionally I get asked questions either via email or through the forum. This is a list of some of the most frequently asked questions that I get, and answers to said questions.

Q. How long have you been drawing stuff?

A. I've been drawing since I was about two or three, I don't remember exactly. I *do* remember that I started out by drawing Snoopy. A lot of Snoopy. A big 'ol troop of Snoopys. As I got older, I started drawing furries here and there. No, I don't have any artwork left from that time period. And then I hit middle school and decided unicorns and horses were the coolest things EVAR OMG LOL!!1!!!! ...then I got my brain back from that damned monkey and started drawing more dragons and fantasy type stuff. And then I drew people. I draw a LOT.

Q. Is Queen of Wands based on your life?

A. Yes, loosely. Very loosely - part of the time I'll take experiences that I've had, and alter the characters involved or the precise events that occured to make it either flow better, or funnier. Right now, it's about oh, 50% taken from real life, and 50% stuff I stuck in because I thought it was interesting or amusing.

Q. How do you draw the strip?

A. I pencil out the strips on sheets of 8/12" x 11" 67lb. Bristol paper that I can get in reams of 250 sheets at Office Depot really cheaply. I use a .07 mechanical pencil with non-photo blue lead for the pencilling process, because that way I can ink over it directly without having to erase. I like not having to erase because I'm a lazy sod. I ink the strip with a common everyday normal gel pen - I like 'em because they don't really bleed into the paper at all and I can get a pretty fine or thick line, and the ink tends to flow smoother than a regular pen would. I then scan the strip in and colour it with Photoshop 6.0.

Q. Will you link to my comic/organization/blog/livejournal/etc?

A. I don't have a links page - I read so many comics that a links page of everything I read would be just insanely long. And if I start linking to everything, then I'll start linking to everyone that asks because I don't want to make them feel bad. I have a few links on the sidebar right now, and those will probably be leaving once I get a new site design done, and be replaced by a little bar that randomly rotates with comics that I read without fail EVERY SINGLE DAY. There are a lot MORE comics that fall under the 'I catch up with them once a week or every two weeks' that won't be in the link rotation - not because I don't like them, but because I simply can't link to everything on the web. It's just not possible. So while I'm sure you have a wonderful whatever site, and I'll gladly take a look at it myself, chances are good that I'm not gonna link to it.

Q. Will you marry me?

A. No.

Q. Oh my god! I totally want to boff Kestrel/Felix/Shannon/Seamus/Wannabe Wiccan Girl/That Chair You Drew In The First Panel Of The Strip On January 13, 2003!!!

A. I really don't need to know. Really. Lust after 2-D characters if you want, but I really don't want to hear about it. No, really. ...especially the chair, you dirty little bastards. And that wasn't even a question, for chrissakes.

Q. Do you make a living off of doing this?

A. No. Give me money and I might. *sweet smile* Actually, this wasn't really intended to be anything I make a living off of. Although the auctions and t-shirt and print sales generally bring in a tidy sum, which is nice. But it's not how I make my living, no.

Q. Can I get a sketch or original artwork from you?

A. I don't do commissioned work at this point in time, unfortunately. I *do* put original artwork, both QoW and non-QoW, up on Ebay every once in awhile - I'll usually announce it in the news section when I do. Sketches I don't just randomly send out to people - but if you run across me at a Con, I'll do sketches. It's fun!

Q. Do you go to cons?

The only Con I have attended and am currently planning on attending is the San Diego ComicCon - mostly because it's right in town, but also because it's huge and wonderful and sells sharp shiny objects yaaaaay. I don't currently have any plans to attend any other conventions, because that costs money.

Q. Want to have sex?

A. Um...no.

Q. Didn't you used to do Xenith? Why doesn't it update? When are you going to update it?

A. Yes, I did Xenith, and it is still available for your viewing pleasure on Keenspace. It is not updating at the moment because it's become a side project for me, and I really only work on it when I've got time to do so - and I haven't really got the time at present to do that.

Q. I'm going to be in San Diego for (insert reason here), you wanna hang out?

A. If my schedule's open, yeah why not. I warn you though, I'm not as entertaining in person. I talk a lot. ...like, a LOT.

Q. What's up with that monkey thing?

A. Bob Costas.

Q. Are you planning on releasing a Queen of Wands book?

A. No. Nor do I plan on doing one. Most of the early strips are backed up on disc, but they're in very small format, and I don't have the larger files saved, which means in order to prepare the book for print I'd have to re-scan and re-do all of the earlier strips, which is a hell of a lot of work. I never really intended this to be a project for print - I just put it up on the web, and it's there for your reading pleasure. Also, books cost a lot of money to produce - and since my comics are in colour, that would cost even more to produce than normal. Sorry bout that.

Q. How long do you plan on doing this?

A. The F.A.Q.?

Q. No, the comic, you nitwit.

A. Oh. Queen of Wands is currently slated to end in 2005.

Q. WHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!?!!?!

A. Because it has an ending. Duh. And I have other projects that I am working on as well.

Q. Other projects?

A. Yes. I'm currently in the process of working on one.

Q. You sure seem to really like porn. Why?

A. Dude. It's porn. Do you really have to ask?

Q. Why does the cast page only have three characters on it?

A. Because I'm effing lazy.

Q. Are we done now?

A. Yeah, I think so. If you have any other questions for the F.A.Q., go ahead and mail 'em in, and I'll consider adding them to the list if they're good.