To the webcomics’ many fans, TheMeatly needs no introduction. If you’re new to the world of TheMeatly, here’s all you need to know: TheMeatly is a webcomic about being an indie game developer. It’s by turns funny, inspiring, self-effacing, and wise. TheMeatly is also the webcomic’s creator, an aspiring gamedev who happens to be a puppet.
TheMeatly has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund not only his own comics and games, but also the many ways in which he gives back to the community and helps to promote indie games. Have a look at the Kickstarter pitch:
{% pullquote TheMeatly Kickstarter video %}
To coincide with the Kickstarter campaign, TheMeatly decided to give his first-ever interview. And he gave it to me! I am proud to present to you the first interview anywhere with TheMeatly. For the full effect, remember to imagine hearing all of his responses delivered in his voice from the Kickstarter video!
Paul: Your work combines two of the coolest things on Earth: indie games and comics. And more, of course, but we’ll get to that later. Which did you love first: video games or comics? And also, which did you try your hand at making first?
TheMeatly: Thinking back, I really grew up with both at the same time. When I was very young, my oldest brother received a Super Nintendo system for his birthday. From that day on, I was so struck with the entertaining possibilities of interactive stories that I knew I wanted to be in some part of this incredible idea of gaming (which at that time was an underground community).
Likewise, I had many comics in my life. Not particularly comics books in the sense of superheroes or graphic novels, but your Sunday newspaper comics. I would spend hours reading and rereading those comics. I often still pull out the same exact ones today to relax.
To say which love came first, is a mystery even to me.
{% pullquote TheMeatly, in the flesh felt %}
Paul: Hey, before we continue, let me just clear something up. You are TheMeatly, right? I mean, you are the creator of the comic. And this is really you, right? I mean, there’s no one else I should be talking to, right?
TheMeatly: Yes, I am TheMeatly. :) I started as a one person staff over a year ago and through the help of my amazing readers, it has grown hugely. I really just started the comic as a way to vent my own game development and creative problems. I’ve come to find out that many people share those exact same problems.
However, although I may be the one behind the comic and the characters, the growing TheMeatly Games Studio has another master helping behind it. Mike Desjardins is genius of programming and we have become an amazing team! I can prototype my ideas and do all the art and design, but it’s really his programming that makes the games come alive.
I live in the US, but Mike lives in Canada. With the success of the current Kickstarter, our hope is to legally form TheMeatly Games Studio together. Hopefully, the comic and the games are just getting started.
Paul: And TheMeatly, the comic, is basically autobiographical, at least metaphorically?
TheMeatly: Absolutely! Most comics usually come directly from my work as a developer.
If something goes terribly wrong in what I am creating, I try to take that moment to be positive and say: “Hey! This would be funny in a comic.”
Very often though, my comic ideas come from conversations with other developers as well. We will be talking and suddenly we both bring up a topic that hits both of our nerves. This clicks in my head and I quickly make a note in a list I have on my phone. The list has gotten quite long and honestly, looking back, I don’t know what some of the notes were supposed to mean. Oh well…
Paul: Ok, cool. So what comics had an influence on you as a cartoonist?
TheMeatly: My all time favorite comic strip is “Calvin and Hobbes”. As a kid, I could never get enough of it and I really connected with almost every strip. I always felt the entire comic was a love letter to creative people, showing truly unique thoughts and feelings in a visual, humorous way. It really elevated the Sunday paper comics into an art form and it is probably my biggest influence.
Although some VERY honorable mentions go to “Garfield” and “Dilbert”.
Paul: Was there a videogame that really put you on the track to becoming a game dev?
TheMeatly: Anyone who talks to me about gaming for more than ten minutes will probably find out I talk about Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars quite often. At the time, the scope of the game boggled my mind and I hadn’t played anything like it. I loved the story, the seemingly unending world, fun combat, and visually stunning art style that still holds up today. I actually wish Nintendo had continued that universe of Mario.
When I’m feeling lost for an idea, I power up that game and ideas just seem to come.
There is one other game I should mention. When I first bought my XBOX 360, I randomly was downloading demos of upcoming games. I downloaded a game called Bioshock. I turned on the demo, and like many players, have never been the same since.
Paul: You must be insanely busy. Of the total amount of time that you spend on comics and gamedev, how much do you dedicate to each, would you say?
TheMeatly: TheMeatly has literally become my life. It is the first thing I look at in the morning, and the last thing I see before I go to sleep. Sometimes I don’t even sleep. (Mrs. Meatly has had a talk with me about this. She has some silly notion I should be interested in her or something…)
I work a full time office job and also do equally full time art freelance. So I really have had my mind spinning ever since day one of TheMeatly. I spend a few hours each day doing both development and comics, sometimes one more than the other. I try to set aside Saturdays for game development only, however. But in the end, I love the comics AND making my games. I also love playing the games of others, sharing ideas, and talking to such awesome people all the time.
I hope some day soon I can focus on doing just TheMeatly.
Paul: For how long did you draw before you really developed your own style as a cartoonist?
TheMeatly: Honestly, I’ve been drawing since I was little. I love to draw. I don’t consider myself good at drawing though. Most often I don’t like what I’ve created. (I think that’s the curse of all creative people.)
Although most people really tie me to only one style because of theMeatly, over the years I’ve practiced and worked with almost every style palette under the sun. For instance, I recently released an announcement trailer for a game called, “Beasts That Swim”. Shortly afterward, I received messages asking about who did the art for it. I’m hoping people are continuously surprised by my work. I like surprising people. :)
{% pullquote Beasts that Swim reveal %}
Deep down, I’ve always had a very cartoony style. Realism tends to bore me at times and I like the simple, expressive nature of cartoons. If I want TheMeatly’s mouth to almost wrap around his whole head, then that’s the way I want to draw it.
Paul: How long does it take you to produce a completed comic strip? What’s the process like?
TheMeatly: Every comic is different. Some can take an hour. Some can take a day.
This is became I am very hard on my own work.
I have an array of my comics I could take pieces from to create new ones, but I usually just redraw those elements because there is one detail I want to make different about it.
I usually begin with a small sketch to plan the layout of the panels.
From there, I walk around like a fool muttering the dialogue to myself trying to figure out the best way I want to present the idea I have in mind.
The constant issue I have is never having enough space to tell my story. Usually, I am always about one panel short of what I want and I have to figure out how to make it work in the format I have made standard.
Which is sad; because I feel some comics could have been more successfully executed if I had that extra space.
Oh well…
Paul: What is your single favorite comic strip that you’ve done? If you had to choose.
TheMeatly: At this point in an interview, most comic artists frustrate you by saying: “I really don’t know. I like them all.” This was always weird to me. Two of my comics come right to mind that make me smile when I read them:
I have a comic about When Artists Design Games. In this comic, an artist designs a game that LOOKS amazing but there is no gameplay. Having worked with many people over the years, this is a constant stereotype that I’ve experienced, and sadly, on occasions, I have helped to reinforce.
Another one of my favorites is one of the very first comics. (People will have to dig deep for this one.) I drew a comic without words where TheMeatly sees a guy wave to him and, in response, waves back. He then discovers that the guy was actually waving to someone behind him.
It’s an old joke, but for some reason, I chuckle at that comic every time.
Paul: What kind of publication schedule are you going for?
TheMeatly: I currently release comics only when I have time to draw them. Obviously, between my day job and my game development, that comes down to sometimes less than one a week.
With the success of TheMeatly Kickstarter that is running right now, I am hoping to have the freed up time to release new comics biweekly and maybe in the future daily. Let’s all cross our fingers!
Paul: An increased comics output would be only one of the fruits of a successful Kickstarter campaign. There’s also TheMeatly game studio. We know you’re deep into at least one project, MeatSlayer: Dash or Death. Is that your primary gamedev focus now? How’s it coming along?
TheMeatly: TheMeatly Game studio is really going to be our next big staple for TheMeatly. I am so excited to launch it!
Currently, our small premiere game, MeatSlayer: Dash or Death is in its final stages of polish and will be ready to be released just after the close of the Kickstarter, if all remains on schedule. It’s an enjoyable, simple game for mobile devices, but the possibilities of the MeatSlayer character took me by surprise. I could definitely see him in many more games. Likewise, we do have two other console and PC TheMeatly game titles already in development, but without the next step of licenses and tools that we need to make it happen, it will be a rough and long road to make them come together timely.
{% pullquote MeatSlayer: Dash or Death %}
But TheMeatly Games studio is NOT just for games about TheMeatly or its characters.
What is planned is a long string of many types of titles; many of them are already prototyped.
Some people ask if we’re being too ambitious. Honestly, we don’t like doing things halfway. A lot of donors are contributing to the Kickstarter because they want to be given something new and wonderful in return. I see that as a very serious assignment. Although I can never promise everyone will like everything we create, I can promise I’ll do my best to deliver the most entertaining, quality, and unique games I can dream up and make happen. :)
Paul: Do you have any other games cooking?
TheMeatly: We’ve already mentioned the trailer for Beasts That Swim earlier. It’s a game I really love working on because I have a deep wonderment and fear of the ocean. It’s also given me a chance to dive into one of my favorite pastimes: Monster designing. I think players will have a great time on the adventure as it sails into uncharted gaming waters.
I also teased earlier about having two other TheMeatly titles in development. I originally was hoping to provide a special sneak peek at one of them for the Kickstarter, but I decided it wasn’t quite ready yet.
Hopefully, very soon I can reveal more about this game and people will enjoy coming along on the wild ride it has to offer!
Paul: You’ve long been an advocate of game jams, and The first official MeatlyJam was a big success. I know you’re planning to host another jam soon, and your Kickstarter page states that you’d like to do even more in the future. What do you like most about game jams?
TheMeatly: The most exciting part of any game jam for me is hearing the jam theme for the first time.
It immediately ignites your brain into lots of wonderful thoughts and ideas and the most delightful bit of panic.
It’s been my honor to host MeatlyJam for many, many amazing developers. Running a game jam is very different from participating in one. It’s always interesting to see where other people’s brains will go that yours never would! I recently sponsored the Ottawa Game Jam as well and it made me want to pursue the concept of a location based MeatlyJam event in the future.
I think we see some of the best work of many developers through jams.
Paul: Another fruit of the Kickstarter will be a TheMeatly YouTube show. What will that be like?
TheMeatly: TheMeatly YouTube show is another large, exciting add-on to TheMeatly universe! With the release of the much talked about Kickstarter video, I finally got to show my face for the first time. TheMeatly youtube show, entitled “MeatlyPlay” will be centered around me playing and showcasing games by many developers. It’s a great way to promote hidden game gems that need exposure.
People have really enjoyed my review comics on many games, but one comic sometimes isn’t enough to say what I need to say about someone’s work. So this is a great outlet for that!
Plus, you’ll see the addition of all your favorite TheMeatly characters in videos and shorts showing the life and times of game developers. Think of it as a live action comic. It’s a really enjoyable mixed bag of goodies!
Paul: One stated goal of the Kickstarter is to “support and review other amazing games”. What are your plans in that regard?
TheMeatly: One major way is “MeatlyPlay” on YouTube, which I just talked about. Videos of someone actually playing the games are powerful promotions. Secondly, we will be releasing the official TheMeatly mobile app shortly after the Kickstarter is funded. In the app, you’ll have access to the comics, of course and, in future, we will be adding promotions for selected indie games right there in the app itself. Not just ads in the traditional sense but more in the sense of a gallery of awesome games by awesome people. This is just the tip of the iceberg for how we can give back to this amazing community! I’m always looking for new ways to get exposure for games that need it.
Paul: Also, your Kickstarter funds would help you stock the Meatly store with some delicious merch. What kinds of items should we expect? Will there be a plush idea fairy? Tell me there will be a plush idea fairy.
TheMeatly: We’re talking about adding all sorts of new things! Obviously more shirt designs! People love the shirts!
Also looking at mouse pads, new mugs and glasses, and maybe a TheMeatly pillow.
One of our Kickstarter stretch goals IS being able to produce an Idea fairy plushie! Hopefully people want them as much as you and I do! I want one for my desk!
Paul: Best of luck to you and the campaign! The Kickstarter video’s great. And we should be expecting more video updates?
TheMeatly: Thanks so much! We’ve had an amazing start and hopefully it will only keep gaining momentum.
I’ve already released three video updates to the Kickstarter page so I definitely invite everyone to check those out.
Also coming shortly, there will be another interesting video that is purely for fun. Keep watch for that too!
(EDIT: And here it is, the world premier of TheMeatly’s very first music video!)
Paul: One more question. Are you planning any public appearances?
TheMeatly: I would love to get out and meet some of my awesome readers! It’s just very hard to do with my current schedule and workload.
But if all goes well, I may start hitting some conventions early next year. Maybe you’ll run into me. I’m sure you’ll recognize me!
#themeatly #kickstarter #interview #gamedev #webcomics #gamejam
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