For more than ten years, pop culture cultists have revered and adored a mysterious, brooding thirteen-year-old girl named Emily the Strange. Nobody knows much about the young girl with a porcelain face and huge eyes framed by black bangs, and her ever-present brood of black cats only adds to the intrigue--but that hasn't stopped a generation of rabid fans from letting Emily put her spell upon them. We recently had a chance to talk with Emily the Strange creator Rob Reger and Emily the Strange comic book artist Buzz Parker, to find out why Emily the Strange is so popular and so, well, strange.
-Tell us about the origins and development of the Emily character.
Rob: I first printed Emily on a shirt for a friend who ran a shop that I sold tees to in Santa Cruz. It was a design created by Nathan Carrico for Santa Cruz skateboards. And since so many people started identifying with the shirt and character, I printed more, and created another design...then another...and another until slowly her world grew and people started to know the character. It was mainly tees and stickers in the beginning. Then my buddy Brian Brooks came to work with me full time on developing her character (after a few years of doing my own designing and using some freelance artists). Brian really added a lot of the attitude that we identify her with now. Buzz Parker then added the environment (the website, her house, bedroom etc.) she exists in - with his attention to the details. Jessica Gruner came to us to help develop that "quirky" strange side of her. I've just led the way working with each of them and directing her vision/story...
-Was the character popular right away or did she take a while to catch on?
Rob: Emily was not for everybody (and still isn't!) - and she was certainly not an overnight sensation... Slow gorilla style marketing (passing out thousands of stickers etc.) got the message out...The thing was - those who identified with the phrases and image of Emily and her designs REALLY liked it and identified with it. People started to become fans of our art and of Emily - and that really fired us up to keep creating her world.
-Were you surprised by how popular she ultimately became?
Rob: Of course. I could not have predicted this - especially since the whole concept was and still is anti-popular - not doing what all the others are doing...
-How did you decide on her age and look? Were there particular reasons behind those decisions or did it happen more organically?
Rob: Her look has pretty much stayed the same since the first design, and her age came to be 13 because we just liked that number- but then it made sense - it's a wonderfully vulnerable and impressionable age where some positive feedback in the way of "being yourself" can go a long way. All the development has been very organic- we have never sat down and calculated "let's do this because we can gain this part of the revenue market share" type of thing...
Above: The minds behind the strangeness: creator Rob Reger (left) & artist Buzz Parker.
-Emily's attitude and the statements she makes are very misanthropic, yet she is still so likable. How do you balance the messages she puts across without going too far and having her come across simply as mean?
Rob: She is a strong character that believes in herself, and that has integrity. We really don't put her into situations where she is simply mean or cruel. We try to avoid the lowest common denominator - which many spin off Emily's do. Attitude is something one needs to not get pushed around - especially if you are going against the grain. If you are not able to stand up for yourself, you will be a victim of others' agendas. We try to put the power back in the hands of the individual.
-I've noticed you always have a sketch book on you and are constantly drawing in it. Is that where a lot of your ideas for Emily come from or is that more of a creative outlet for non-Emily ideas?
Rob: Both. I always carry a sketchbook to capture any idea I have - be it a quick representation of the place or people I am with, or to remember an idea I have gotten for a product, design or story. If I don't capture it to look at again later, so many great ideas get forgotten. Plus I cannot stand being bored - I always have to be doing something, creating something.
-The first Emily the Strange comic book came out this past summer giving her a "voice" and narrative stories for the first time. What were the challenges in taking her in this new direction?
Rob: Creating a script that accurately describes scenes that can be drawn and understood as still frames was one of the biggest learning curves. As we were writing, we had great scenes describing that which could really only be done in animation or as a moving image with sound - we really needed to focus on how to tell the story in simple frames. The stories/ideas were the easy part - we have so many that have been back logged for years waiting for this chance to put them to use...
-Emily and Wednesday Adams, would they be friends for life or mortal enemies?
Rob: "Friends" is such a strong word! I think they would email each other, exchange recipes, and give each other the nod on passing by, but they really both occupy a space and place that does not allow for anyone else to be in - no matter how similar, cool, or wacky they may be. Emily's enemies certainly are not those who are doing there own thing in a strange way. Unless they are just copying her...which is another story altogether...
Above: Rob, Buzz & a couple Emily fans at a recent signing in Portland, Oregon.
-The comics have a very distinct look, yet still retain the essence of Emily throughout. Was it challenging to be creative with your art and be true to the look and feel of Emily's world?
Buzz: It might even be easier to do comics because Emily's style has always been to simplify, to do more with less in terms of artwork and message. Doing the comic book is less constricting so we can really stretch out the story and art.
-There is a lot of non-traditional panel structure throughout the issues, does that allow you more freedom to be creative with the storytelling or is that just a preferred style?
Buzz: Tradition was left at the door when we started these comics! As I read Rob's scripts, I always look for the highlight of each page and draw the page to support that panel. I'd much rather look at a more dynamic page and decipher it then know the page obviously starts here and ends there. I've always been a fan of ragged, loose panels. No straight ruler lines allowed here.
-Who are your influences when it comes to comic art?
Buzz: I grew up on Spiderman and I've always been impressed with the Romita father and son action over the years - that is so cool they can do that together. As a teen I really began digging Bernie Wrightson's wicked ways. Later on I got into looking at Mike Mignola's adventures. Black and red all the way.
-Rob is, of course, involved in each issue and does some of the art. Is it at all daunting working so closely with her creator, or does he allow you some freedom to experiment?
Buzz: Rob and I have a very easy time working together on all things Emily. The comic is a new, more complete, storytelling medium that just takes longer than other projects. But it's just as fun as all the other stuff we do. In between production steps we always one-up each other during comments which usually leads to a solid Emily comic adventure.
-Do you ever secretly draw Emily smiling and happy and then hide those images from Rob?
Buzz: The night I saw 28 Days Later, I drew a very disturbing zombie Emily ripping out some throats... well, it was pretty gross. No one gets to see that one.Â