(original transcription by ChristianSt)
All these questions were asked and answered after Strip #945.
There is minimal editing:
- Capitalized the first letter of each question
- Removed any Twitter-handles/RT/etc.
- Bundled conversations to single Q&A points
- Added "RB" / links to the tweets to mark all of Rich's answers
"Apparently, I'm answering questions or something? Huh."
- We've been reading OOTS for 945 strips (plus print-only extras); isn't it time to see under the hello kitty umbrella?
RB: Nope.
Nope? lol the more time you stretch the plot on and on the more people will bore out and quit reading
RB: If it's boring you, stop reading. No hard feelings. But I'm not changing years of planning to appease anyone else at this stage.
- I don't know if its ever said, but is Elan's mother still alive?
RB: Yes, absolutely.
- I've always wondered....will we ever see Belkar's history?
RB: I did a short w/ some of Belkar's history for KS backers which will eventually be printed. Probably not more than that, tho.
- In comic 943, is Julio's last line supposed to be "hit the head" or "hit the hay"?
RB: First one. Google, if you don't get it.
- So which of the #OotS characters is you? Or any?
RB: None of them. And also, all of them.
- What's the Snarl's alignment?
RB: Pulling slightly on the left front wheel. They should rotate its tires soon.
- We are on 945. Don't Split the Party ended at 672. Another book in the works?
RB: Yes, but not yet. Lots of prep work to do before printing.
- Was that the final panel of the book?
RB: Future unclear. Ask again tomorrow.
- Is the MitD more a plaid kinda fellow or a polka dot chap?
RB: Paisley, obviously.
- Any plans for another Adventure Game expansion in the somewhat near future?
RB: Near future? No. Someday? Maybe.
- How long does it take to go from "Let's make an OOTS compilation" to it actually going to press?
RB: More than you'd think. Extra strips to draw, commentary to write, then a lot of strip formatting to get it ready for printing. This time, more than usual, because I have to recreate 5 strips that got eaten, then re-letter the whole book for reasons.
- What's your favorite colour? And how could that possibly be connected to oots?
RB: I like every color for different reasons and in different situations, and how that applies to OOTS should be self-evident.
- Are you really?
RB: Yes.
- Thumb all good now?
RB: It's complicated. As good as it's getting, but there's permanent loss of mobility + feeling. I just need to work around it.
- How different is the story now from what you plotted day 1?
RB: I didn't plot ANYTHING on Day 1. But once I did plot it, it's expanded or rearranged since then more than it's changed.
- Which character did you have the most fun evolving for OotS?
RB: Geez, all of them. Maybe Belkar, simply because it was such a challenge.
- Think you'll finish that series on world building?
RB: Probably not. But I may write something else on the topic someday.
- Will the compilation book for the super-sized current arc also feature bonus strips?
RB: Yes, definitely.
- What’s the snarl taste like?
RB: Acrimony.
- Would you ever, at the end of the comic, make a OoTS campaig book with stats?
RB: I was working on one in 2007, then they announced 4th Ed and I shelved it. Now? Probably not.
How did the release of 4e change your mind?
RB: I was uncertain whether I was using 4e in the strip—or whether there would be a market for 3e after 4e was released.
Convert it to pathfinder & release! It's just dnd 3.75 :)
RB: Well, I only wrote like 5%, and I'd rather spend my time on fiction than game material going forward.
- Any ETA on the next A Monster for Every Season?
RB: Won't start until I finish at least one more story PDF. May-ish? Maybe?
- Did you ever get that Cintaq?
RB: No; thumb injury made it less priority, since holding a pen is harder than using a mouse now.
- Are you still having fun writing OOTS?
RB: Mostly, yes. It's hardest when I'm not feeling "funny" and need to think up a punchline anyway. The drama is always fun.
- What percentage of the story would you estimate we've seen by now? How close are we to being done?
RB: 71.34502%
So how much more time does that give us? Three more years? More?
RB: No less. Maybe more.
- I love Redcloak. Who's your favorite villain to write?
RB: Mine too. Though Tarquin and Malack were fun, too.
- You have any ideas for post oots projects as we draw to the prepenultimate section of the story
RB: Yes, many. Not all will wait that long.
- Should we expect a break of a few months between the end of current arc and start of next one?
RB: Few months? No. Less.
- Are you planning anything special for the 1000th OotS strip?
RB: Posting it shortly after 999 and not long before 1001, hopefully.
- Do you get much chance to actually play D&D anymore?
RB: No, but that's OK. I'll likely check out 5th Ed when it's done.
- What do you think of D&D Next?
RB: I've deliberately avoided it so far. I'm not planning on spending time playtesting, so I'd rather see it when it's done.
- I love that you've incorporated dinosaurs on this continent. Is that something you include in your D&D world-building? How?
RB: In a sense. There are no bad monsters, only monsters you can find a niche for and those you leave for your next world.
- Are there any arcs or storylines that in hindsight you wish you'd done differently in some way?
RB: I wish I hadn't left "Haley retrieves Roy's body" for the books. I wish I had broken this arc into two, so it'd be easier to print.
Where would you have split this arc?
RB: When they left the Empire, before the pyramid. But there are too many threads that go through both to split now.
- When you were playing D&D, what was your favorite race/class to play? (On the occasion you weren't the DM)
RB: I was almost always DM, even stretching back to 1st Ed. But I like rogues and bards, because I like skills.
- Is it easier for you to play/write for 'evil' characters or 'goodcharacters'?
RB: It's easiest to write a character with a strong set of beliefs and motivations. The exact nature of those matters less.
- Any chance of Nale/Malach/Tarquin prequel book a la Start of Darkness?
RB: Yes, there's a chance. Not 100% chance, tho.
- Have you painted yourself into any corners without meaning to do so? If so, where?
RB: A few times, mostly on little nitpicky stuff. Sometimes, that's why a given strip gets delayed. Can't think of any now.
- Is the story still evolving/expanding, or pretty much set now?
RB: Sort of both. I'm trying to wrap up more than I add, but if there weren't room to add I would get bored before the end.
Is that why this book ended up so long?
RB: Partly. But I cut a whole battle with the LG when I was recuperating because I had too much material.
Might this battle reappear in the Print version?
RB: No, I actually like it better without.
Would this battle originally have been when the OOTS figured out who "Thog" actually was?
RB: Yes, exactly. But with ~4 months to think about it, I decided it wasn't necessary and let Elan pre-empt it in his recap song.
- What do you use to draw the "Scribble" parts of the comics?
RB: Crayola crayons on bristol.
- Which of your characters would you most like to hang out with?
RB: The flumphs. I trip a lot.
- RB: A lot of near-duplicate questions, so if I skip yours, it may be because I already answered it. Or I'm deliberately dodging it.
I will file my pathfinder/3.75 question in this category
RB: No interest in Pathfinder. My goal is to move AWAY from being linked to any IP that I don't own, not toward a new one.
- Is there a map of the OOTS world anywhere?
RB: Yes, on my hard drive. It will probably end up as bonus content in a book.
- Any time table for rest of kick stater stories?
RB: As soon as I can. I want nothing more than to get them off my plate, but I can't let regular strip be any slower than it is.
- What artwork in OotS have made you most pleased with the results?
RB: Mostly the recent stuff I've done for the KS. The wallpapers, and the Monster for Every Season. And the dino chase.
- Did Tarquin's adventuring party have official name like Order of the Stick and Linear Guild do?
RB: Vector Legion. TWITTER CANON!
- Do you know how the KS stories are being put in print? One book or dispersed?
RB: That will depend on their length and whether or not I have a better place for any given story. So, no idea yet.
- Do you actually have a set answer to "the big three" questions
RB: I might, if I knew what they were.
V's gender and The monster in the dark's identity I forget the third. oh right Belkars death
RB: Yes, I know all three.
- Any ideas for projects after OOTS? Other than OOTS 2: Order Stickier, of course. :-P
RB: Many, many ideas. None that I can share now. Some are already in the works (tho shelved while I finish Kickstarter work).
- What class is Tarquin?
RB: Upper.
- Was Thog KIA in his match with Roy or will there be more of him in the future? (or neither?)
RB: Those are not mutually exclusive scenarios.
- Any chance of another strong lead female character joining the group in the next arch?
RB: Depends on your definition of "lead." If you mean equal to core 6, no. Otherwise, yes. One is already here.
- Was there originally an intent to keep Durkon as Malach's thrall a while longer (hence, the 100 strip comment)?
RB: No, it was always intended to last only a short time. Thralls aren't interesting characters.
The Index of the Giant's Comments VI―Making Dogma from Zapped Bananas
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