Tease of the Month- Rob DenBlyeker
Among the best loved comics on the internet, Cyanide & Happiness is perhaps one of those few comics that does justice to stick figures, humour, satire and sarcasm! What’s more, Rob DenBleyker from C&H was here at the Bangalore Comic Con! And needless to say, we caught up with him.
As we plotted world domination and got to know his love for the microbreweries in the city, I realised that the job of a fangirl is truly terrible. Especially the whole squeal and faint routine when she actually does get to meet the hero.
But once you manage to look past the histrionics, you realise, being a fangirl is immensely satisfying. Especially when you get into a conversation with one of the internet’s most brilliant minds.
ST: This might sound blasphemous, but there are people who don’t know about Cyanide and Happiness. How would you introduce it to them?
Rob DenBleyker (RD): I’d describe it as a comic about terrible people. It’s a universe where everyone says and does things people shouldn’t say or do.
ST: How would you define your process of creation?
RD: It’s unpredictable. Sometimes I jot down a weird thought I had, then reverse engineer it into a comic. Sometimes an entire comic will appear at once in my head. Sometimes I’ll just give two characters a prompt and see where they go. It depends on the comic.
ST: What’s your favourite thing to laugh about?
RD: I laugh at dumb puns and kids falling down.
ST: Why did you name the strip Cyanide and Happiness?
RD: The name comes from an early comic by Kris Wilson, where one guy asks the other what his cotton candy is made of and he says “Cyanide and Happiness”, to which the guy responds “Hot damn, I’ll take four”
ST: If you had to pick any of the other Cyanide and Happiness guys to sacrifice (or murder)- who would you pick. And why?
RD: Andy, our merchandise manager. For no reason at all.
ST: Procrastination- how would you define your relationship with it? And how do you deal with it?
RD: I suffer from extreme procrastination sometimes with the comics. How do I deal with? I dunno, I’ll deal with it later I guess.
ST: How difficult is it to write humour for the web?
RD: It’s easier because we don’t have editors telling us what to do, but it’s also harder because we don’t have editors telling us when it’s bad. I’ve made a couple comics that were only funny to me.
ST: Tell us about your favourite memory related to C&H
RD: We decided to use a wooden picnic table for our booth at New York Comic Con, but they could only deliver it two blocks away from the convention center. We were wearing tuxedos and had to carry a picnic table across New York City. It was very much a “How did my life get to here?” kind of moment.
ST: How do you tackle creative barricades?
RD: I change my environment when I can. You can’t force creativity itself, but you CAN force yourself into the situations where you’re more likely to feel creative.
ST: According to you, what is your greatest masterpiece so far?
RD: I live in the moment, so, this interview.