About the depressing nature of the comic

[toddandpenguin]

I jokingly say that I like to write anti-comic comics. I like to make comcis that make people cry.

Well, that's not true, but as anyone who's been reading Todd and Penguin for a while knows, I don't take the easy road. Though the comic started out as a standard gag-a-day comic, I have found the most joy in presenting stories that are non-traditional. The theme of death is a central one to Todd and Penguin as the comic was inspired in part by the death of my best friend, Todd, who died in a car accident.

While the character is not based on Todd, there are certain things that I think about differently because of Todd, namely death.

I had the idea of Holly's baby dying while visiting New Jersey in July, where my father-in-law is dealing with bone cancer. Being around cancer is nothing new for me, as other family members have had it, but to my wife, it is frighteningly new and real. One morning at the hotel, I woke up and knew what would happen to Todd next.

You see, I don't plan things out for the comic, so much as learn them. The characters are real to me, and when something happens, it isn't contrived or plotted out so much as it probably should be. It wasn't always like this, but as I have spent more time with the characters, they have become part of my constant thought process.

When I told my wife what was going to happen, she was NOT happy. At all. "You just don't do that-it's not right." She said. "People don't come to the comic to be sad."

My mom, who is the biggest fan of my comic, said the same thing, as did some other people. I never had so many people NOT want me to do something.

Which of course meant I had to do it.

As it came closer to the day it would happen, I was still having second thoughts. Maybe I shouldn't do it. Moreso, I suddenly didn't *want* to do it. I had grown to care about the baby and what this would mean to the family.

I also began to think maybe it would alienate any readers who weren't already alienated by my previous serious,dark, and surrealistic stories. The comic has never been better in the number of readers and maybe you don't mess with that, I thought.

But that isn't true to the story.

I made a promise a while ago that the story is the most important part of the comic. It would be what it is. Some people don't care for that, and to be honest, the comic is not the best told story. I have very little time to plan it out as far in advance as I should and sometimes it shows. I would love to take a few monhs off and work on the direction and story, but being part of the Daily Grind does not allow me that luxury.

Anyway, some people are writing about this around the web. I listed the links to two Websnark related posts on the site. That's all I've seen so far, but if anyone cares to discuss the subject, feel free to comment here.

Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do for the comic, only time will tell. It's funny, though, Eric said something in his snark that I really liked, "And of course, we don't know that Holly will survive. In any other comic strip, it would be certain. In this one, maybe she will, and maybe she won't."

I like that people don't know. To mean that means I DID do the right thing by being true to the story.

[scallery]

You know what Dave? Today I read through your archives for the first time. And I have to say that this move in your comic makes sense, despite the dislike for it. Todd said it himself, he was overdue for his bad karma. I think you went about it incredibly well. It really doesn't feel out of place, and you still convey that sort of numb depression that is Todd. I can't wait to see where you go with this.

[Rayndel]

That's how characters work. I don't write comics, let alone draw them (stick figures would be as far as I could get), but I do write stories and RPs. Eventually, what's going to happen to the character...they tell you. Sometimes, you're just as surprised as everyone else.

Personally, I like the take that Greg from Real Life has on his comics. He writes them to write them. Because he enjoys it. Not because the readers will like what he writes, not because it's what he thinks will bring in more readers. It's the same with your comics. Before you tried to change styles to fit in with the mainstream and you realized that that wasn't what you wanted to do. You write the story the way it's given to you, by your thoughts, or the randomly contrived epiphany. If they don't like it, they won't read it, but for every one of them that leaves, at least one more will join.

They just have to know that it isn't their story to tell.

Sorry for the longwindedness. Keep up the good work.

[Abe.]

Dave, this is your comic, and I'm glad you haven't forgotten that. I've been reading TAP for a long time *almost since the beginning* and I know I'll be reading it until the day it ends.

[RagingEmu]

Todd and Penguin does always seem to be a little dark - Todd's life is always a wee bit sad, has something going wrong with it, but that's just the way it is.

As far as loosing the baby, yeah, it's sad, but if the comic is going to mimic real life, and not just be a mindless gag-a-day thing, then bad things are likely to happen, since that happens in life.

I'm still reading.

[Bobo the Penguin of Doom]

I have only one problem with this story line, the timing. It is a real downer that they lost the baby so close to Christmas.

For me death is an ever present part of life. People always tell me that I should shut up or that I need help when I talk about how the minute we are born or, for that matter, the minute we are concieved, we start dying. I do not fear death nor does it bother me. The only thing that I worry about when it comes to death is the manner in which I will die when my time comes.

Will I die a meaningless death at a young age or will I die saving some else's life, at a young age. Preferably I will die an old man with a lovely wife and grandchildren, but if I die young I don't want it to be meaningless, like getting hit by bullets from a drive by shooting while walking down the street.

Anyway, I only wish that this happened sometime after Christmas but judging by what I see, you are alot like me when it comes to the darker aspects of life and I have to say that it is refreshing. Everybody else does a gag a day or a happy, everything works out perfectly, type comic but no one really does what you do.

It would suck if Holly dies, I have really grown attached to her, but if it is her time then bring it on. Life isn't perfect, it is filled with loss and death walks beside us all each day. We cannot escape it and we should always remember that we and/or some one we care about could die at any moment from the most simple and inconsiquencial thing.

Now you ask yourself, "Who is darker, me or this Bobo fellow?".

[Rayndel]

(Yes, I have more to say ~_^ )

Probably the best thing about all of this is that you stay true to the characters. Today's comic is the best example of that. Penguin still has his child-like innocence, in saying that Todd needed his Daddy. Despite the sadness of the current arc, you can't help but smile a little at that.

[Tangent]

You did good, David.

You did good.

[Tangent]

By the way...

Here: http://tangent.panel2panel.com/tan-ch-0225.html

And most especially... here: http://forums.comicgenesis.com/viewtopic.php?t=70157

Though I suppose my Tangent above kinda makes the second link unnecessary...

Take care...

[Cheirdal]

Baby's are quite often the death knell of previously funny TV shows. I could see that happening in comics too. There was already enough cuteness in the comic with the penguin and cat. One of the things I like about Todd is that he is kind of depressing. He never seems quite happy even when he's got a good life.

[tuxedolady]

Although I'm pretty new to discovering Todd and Penguin, I took days reading everything, and I was never disappointed; nor am I now.

If this comic is supposed to mimic real life, then it's wonderfully done, and it's simple that the only way to get to the funnier, feel-good comics are to have some actual reality happen every once in a while, so people can enjoy the happiness that much more.

I'm definitely a fan and I hope you don't go through too much criticism for your decision. After all, it is your comic.

[MaatAset]

I like your comic because of the fact you don't just go for the gag and because of that it doesn't seem to get stale for me, which is why I return every weekday morning to read the new comics! This particular one came as quite a shock to me and I have to agree on the timing part... for me the morning I read the comic, was the morning before I was going to graduate college with a BA degree So it did start my day off a bit sadly. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

[RagingEmu]

Young Todd is so cute!

[toddandpenguin]

Although I'm pretty new to discovering Todd and Penguin, I took days reading everything, and I was never disappointed; nor am I now.

If this comic is supposed to mimic real life, then it's wonderfully done, and it's simple that the only way to get to the funnier, feel-good comics are to have some actual reality happen every once in a while, so people can enjoy the happiness that much more.

I'm definitely a fan and I hope you don't go through too much criticism for your decision. After all, it is your comic.

Welcome abord, glad to have you. Particularly since you said such nice things

[toddandpenguin]

Baby's are quite often the death knell of previously funny TV shows. I could see that happening in comics too. There was already enough cuteness in the comic with the penguin and cat. One of the things I like about Todd is that he is kind of depressing. He never seems quite happy even when he's got a good life.

I notice that a lot of people who should be happy aren't. I don't know if it is a cultural thing or a human nature thing. Not sure what it is indicative of, probaly many factors that could take this thread into 15 different directions.

[toddandpenguin]

I like your comic because of the fact you don't just go for the gag and because of that it doesn't seem to get stale for me, which is why I return every weekday morning to read the new comics! This particular one came as quite a shock to me and I have to agree on the timing part... for me the morning I read the comic, was the morning before I was going to graduate college with a BA degree So it did start my day off a bit sadly. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

Thanks for the nice words. Hope your day got better, seems like it did!

[toddandpenguin]

You know what Dave? Today I read through your archives for the first time. And I have to say that this move in your comic makes sense, despite the dislike for it. Todd said it himself, he was overdue for his bad karma. I think you went about it incredibly well. It really doesn't feel out of place, and you still convey that sort of numb depression that is Todd. I can't wait to see where you go with this.

Welcome! Thanks for the nice words! I appreciate everybody who has taken the time to weigh in.

[MrsPickle]

Gah! I kept checking back all day and no new strip!

I know you're probably busy... but I hate it when you're busy LOL

[toddandpenguin]

Gah! I kept checking back all day and no new strip!

I know you're probably busy... but I hate it when you're busy LOL

Yeah, I was working on two news stories which kept me working til' 4:30am on Thursday morning, and went back to work at 9am on Thursday morning 'til midnight. I thought for sure I was going to miss the Daily Grind deadline!

Phew!

[Philippe Gaboury]

I find that you chose a hard road to take and that you're dealing with it admirably David. The writing on this last series is perfect.

[dykewife]

in the past couple of days i started and read through the entire archive of todd and penguin.

having the baby die was a downer, but it is reality. yes, it brought tears to my eyes. but i don't read comics to always laugh. there are real to life comics that i read that aren't "haha" funny, they're "life." sometimes life is funny and sometimes it isn't.

i'll keep on reading the comic to see how the lives of the characters develop, even the lives of characters that couldn't possibly exist in real life, the penguin who eats cookies and the evil wannabe cat.

[KylenPhylar]

Dude, I love it. I am a big MT fan myself, and though it is funny most the time, there are a lot of serious times in it. Not so much as it sucks, but enough. do what you need to do man. I think it is a great twist, and i love the ABH guest strip that was done. It touched me.