Interviews

Randy Milholland of Something Positive

R.K. Millholland draws for a fan.

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When you talk to (or even write about) Randy, words like "shindig" actually make sense. If you've read his comic(s), you understand. If you haven't? Go away and read them. Come back when you're done.

Really. You'll thank me.

Molly (M): How real are the bottom quotes?

Randy (R): A lot of them are quotes of conversations. Not necessarily how I feel at the time...they're just something I slip in.

M: How ahead of the game are you? Is this supporting you?

R: I'm not broke. I'm getting my bills paid. I can't afford health insurance and the dry spells in the summer hit the hardest.

M: Is this why you do cons?

R: I do cons because I get invited and it's fun and I get to meet fans.

R: The nicest one was at a con where a guy walked up who just got a job and now worked for Google used to live in the same town handed me a $100- and walked off.

M: Ask your self this: "How long do I think I can get away with this?"

R: As long as still interests me.

M: Do you care deeply for your characters? You really torture some of them.

R: Some of them I care deeply about but some of them are just afterthoughts and will never be more. I think you can tell from the way I develop them. Some of the characters I hate, like Kharisma, but I'm trying to give more storylines to her.

M: How do you create the comic mechanically?

R: Blue pencil, to Micron, then scan, then use Photoshop, and finally add color and text there.

M: Rippy & Choo-Choo, when they're "out of character" are they REALLY you?

R: They're both equal aspects of me. Choo-Choo has become less of me and more of how much of an asshole I can make the character.

M: When did you know that you could do this? That you wanted to do this?

R: I started wearing my own shirts into work. That's when I knew I was leaving the company. They changed their dress code but missed hair. The next day I came in to work with bright purple hair and there wasn't a thing they could do. A year later when they revised the book they made sure hair color had been added in, but for that whole time they could not make me change my hair.

M: How do you know when you're successful?

R: A lot of people say it's when you get your first hate mail...which means I was successful my fourth week.

But seriously, it's when you're happy with your storyline.

M: Give me your standard stats, just for the record.

R: 31 years old. Turning 32 in November (of '07). Live in Arlington, MA.

Quote in caption? "I tend to glare at my own work."