Going to get some sketches scanned...

Hang in there, everybody! I need to start scanning some sketchbooks.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd post an answer to a question someone asked me the other day about the Antcomics. A reader asked me about the cartoon Ants' personalities, and if I based them on the real Ants' personalities.

Well, I thought about that and said I basically made most of it up. I know a bit about Adam's, but barely anything about the rest of them. So yeah, I sort of guessed on that.

I did, however, use the Antmuzak video as sort of a basis. For those unfamiliar with it, Antmuzak is a short film done by Godman Productions, wherein Adam and the Ants go shopping at the supermarket. As some of you know, that was what really inspired the Antcomics. It's really some funny stuff.

In the video, Adam was (of course) the take charge type, Gary was kind of the straight man (and seemed to be the most organized and serious of the bunch), the two drummers were the goonballs, and Marco...well, he liked to eat a lot. :)

So basically, that's what I did with my comics.

I also sort of used things I read in Adam Ant's biography and other bits of info picked up from interviews or what-haveya that I had seen. I sort of get the idea that Terry Lee was sort of the 'class clown' so to speak (I could also be totally off base about this). So he became the silly, goofy, sometimes off-the-wall member of the bunch. Merrick isn't as zany as Terry Lee, but I decided they could play off of each other. Merrick could make sarcastic remarks a lot at Terry's behavior.

Gary, like I said, is the organized one. The cooking thing just came to me later, in a strip called "The Human Beans" where he and Terry Lee cook dinner. I decided to make Gary the culinary master, the guy that cleaned house...the "anal retentive" one, I guess you'd say. It's fun. And since I like cooking, well...there are a lot of possibilities with the Gary character.

Marco was going to be the sarcastic one, but as the comic blossomed, he became a lot goofier than I had intended. However, it seems to have worked. So may things I have read about the real Marco indicated that he was a big fan of eating...and in the Antmuzak video this is really apparent, so the eating thing has, of course, been weaved into my comic as well.

Adam's sort of taken on the job of parental unit to the other Ants in a way. He's the leader, of course, and without him the other Ants'd probably just run around in circles all confused or...something. He sort of plays the "straight man" too; however, I like to work a teeny little inflated ego in there too (not to be mean or anything--you know what power does to people though). Adam has delusions of grandeur sometimes, but is still totally loveable. He is the guy the other Ants go to for help, for they think he is very wise (for some reason). He isn't the sort of guy that will admit he doesn't know about something (prime example, the latest story arc entitled "Bowling"). Adam is a B.S.er, to the Max. He tries to be smooth about it, but usually botches it in some way, or gets injured.

I made Adam a bit clutzy in the comic. The reason for this...uh, well, slapstick in comics is just plain funny. Plus people seem to get a kick out of seeing Adam abused. In real life I don't think he is a clutz; he seems awful damn graceful to me. Maybe that's why it's fun drawing him flying though the air, landing in the water...or flying off his bike...or the countless other abuses I have subjected the poor guy to. I dunno.

So anyhow, there you have it, my long-winded answer to the Ants' personalities questions. Any other questions are always welcome here at this blog-thingie. Feel free to ask those burning questions here. Warning: I may just get rambly about the answer...