September 5th, 2020
Paola: Welcome, everyone! We haven’t been on Tapas too long-
Paul: Like, maybe three weeks…?
Paola: Around there, yeah.
Paul: That’s sad.
Paola: Well, anyway, we’re so pleased to have a special guest joining us today. He’s the creator of the adorable and hilarious South Seas adventure, “Keinani and Mo’o”. I think that’s pronounced “MOE-oh”, right?
Doug: chuckles Correct.
Paul: And the hot, topless girl is Keinani.
Paola: Yes, you’re quite fixated on that.
Paul: I gotta be me.
Paola: Anyway, he is Doug Compton, currently an animator, probably best known for his work on Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and other classics of the 1990s. And a little bit of work in the 1980s too.
Paul: When the producers all said, “Here, let’s throw this idea against the wall and see if it sticks!”
everyone laughs
Paola: Doug, tell us, how did you create Keinani and her erstwhile companion Mo'O? What totally floored us was where the story went from the get-go. It just seems like this is the sort of story that goes where you want, and it pays homage to so much that’s come before. Frankly, this is such a genius concept.
Doug: I do tons of random drawings and a lot of them involve girls and various beasts. While looking through my stacks of cartoons one day, I came across one I had done in 2011 called "Thumbs up".
The characters intrigued me enough that I did some more drawings of them.
Paul: And I remember you talking about your other project, “Coyote Girl”, what was going on with that?
Doug: Well, while I was drawing the “Thumbs Up” characters, I was thinking of dropping the “Coyote Girl” comic I was working on as it was just too laborious for one person to sustain. I decided to do a comic "strip" like in the newspapers I used to read growing up...
Paola: Which I still love today, but more from the aspect of reminiscing about how they used to be…
Doug: Yeah, without all the censorship.
Paola: Exactly.
Paul: You talked to us about the islands too. We imagine that had a lot to do with your creating “K&M”.
Doug: Of course. I love the islands and have been to Hawaii several times so I gave them Hawaiian names. As for the story, I wanted to make it very free form and divorced from reality and keep a disciplined sense of whimsy where it could and therefore it could go anywhere. I’m also inspired by both current events and pop culture influences, so I wrote the story over time as I created the first strips that set up the relationship between our two main characters.
Paola: And people will notice just how much current events play a role, especially on a political level.
Doug: Oh, definitely. I pull no punches. laughs
Paul: Was it a hard choice to make to get into politics in “K&M”?
Doug: Most of my favorite comic strips have had political content. Pogo, Bloom County, Doonesbury, to name a few.
Paola: Big fan of all of these. What they did in the Reagan years in the 1980s was nothing short of genius writing.
Doug: Definitely. And since “K&M” would be modeled after my fave newspaper strips it would be only natural to have some political satire. At first you can see the writing was influenced by topical happenings in our culture. I did see a lot of unsubscribing after my first Trump strips and I remembered reading an interview with Lynn Johnson, who I've recently worked with-
Paul: To butt in a moment, Lynn Johnson is the creator of one of the most sensational Sunday Funnies strip, “For Better Or Worse”.
Doug: That she is. Anyway, she said not to write for yourself, which I assume means that I should try to appeal to everyone. I tried then to move the story away from politics but it seems I occasionally tend to drift back.
Paul: I can’t see how you would limit yourself like that. I can’t imagine any creator doing what the readers want, and not what they want.
Doug: Yeah, I mean, why NOT write for myself? I have things to say and I'm going to say them in my own warped ways. So, yes, I just tell people, “Look, if you don't agree with my politics, unsubscribe because you are NOT going to like this comic.” Simple as that.
Paola: Ohhh, Doug, it’s NEVER that simple. laughs
Doug: Well, yeah I know. I just mean to let my fans know that if you love what I’m doing, then stick around and I will keep drawing and hopefully making you smile.
Paul: Besides “K&M” and “Coyote Girl”, is there other webcomic/comic experience you had you’d like to share? Sorry, I know you mentioned you did a lot of animation before too, and I’m a big cartoon nut.
Paola: Seriously, he is. When he found out you did 80s and 90s toons, he jumped up and down like, “We gotta interview this guy!”
Doug: chuckles Well, I’m still pleased to be asked. “Coyote Girl” was my first attempt at a comic and my influences come from old school comics and designs. You two are probably old enough to remember "hillbilly" strips like “Li'l Abner”.
Paul: sighs Daisy Mae, for the win…
Doug: Oh yeah. But anyway, that's where some of my inspiration for “CG” came from. Also, the girl/beast thing going on there with being raised by coyotes and all.
Paola: Seems to me like you enjoy stories that involve young girls who grow up in isolation from the rest of the world.
Doug: Yes, and why I like this theme, I have no idea! chuckles I just seem to do what I like.
Paul: Enough of this! Get to the animation!
Paola: Before Paul has a stroke. giggles
Doug: laughs Yeah, most of my career was in animation. I worked at a few studios in New York and later did a lot of storyboard work for Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. I taught animation at a comic school for 30 years and for five years at the School of Visual Arts in New York and just retired from teaching last year.
Paul: OMG…
Paola: Thanks, Doug. You broke him…
Doug: laughs I didn’t mean to!
Paola: You promised!
Paul: Okay, I’m fine now. Back to business. What's your favorite part about "K&M"? What sets it apart from others out there with similarities?
Doug: My personal favorite part is drawing the characters. Aside from that, just creating the story and making the characters act within it. I also like seeing how other people react to it in their comments. I like when they see the characters as being real, like I do. I mean, I know they're in my imagination but when you create a story for them they become real in a way.
Paul: We see comics like never-ending novels, and you’re having to constantly go back through it, and think, “Oh, hey, I have an idea!” and suddenly it’s taking a new direction. I think that’s what stands out to me about “K&M”. It “borrows” from all these various other plots and settings, like “Gilligan’s Island”, “The Island of Dr. Moreau”, and so on, and it adds the “K&M” element in, and just warps it deliciously. By the way, kudos on making Keinani a cat. That was hot…
Paola: giggles We’d have preferred an otter but…anyway, what are your future plans for "K&M"?
Doug: Well, I'm not going to tell you where the story is going, for sure.
Paola: Of course.
Doug: But it could keep going for a long time, or I could wrap it up shortly. It depends on a lot of factors. I would love to be able to do more of it and to do it in color. The best thing would be to find a talented colorist to work for me and maybe another writer too but I can't afford to pay anyone.
Paul: I could totally help write this. We could talk about this afterwards. chuckles
Doug: Well, if the strip would somehow start to make money I would be able to hire some help, but it's certainly not there yet. I think it could be a lot better though with the right crew.
Paul: And how do you explain "K&M"'s following so far? What's making it so popular?
I mean, apart from the sexy usually-topless native girl. laughs
Doug: Let me think. Hmmm. Nope, I think that's probably about it! everyone laughs I don’t know if it’s that popular just yet, but it’s nice being on the “popular” list all this time for Comedy, with about 1600 happy subscribers, and at least 37k likes so far.
Paola: Do you have any advice for webcomic artists that wish to achieve the success you've had so far?
Doug: You know, I really don’t. I have no idea what makes a web comic popular. I see a lot of popular strips on Tapas and other places and, while I do like a few of them, I don't really know why a lot of them are popular. I tend to like the ones with better drawing though. Always have.
Paola: What’s been your favorite moment from "K&M" so far? And your least favorite?
Doug: Favorite has got to be K&M's first kiss…
Paul: That was just beautiful. Love Mo’O’s reaction, asking for an hour of “fun”. And I’m thinking, “He only wants an HOUR?!”
Doug: laughs Really. As for my least favorite, ugh, I guess anytime I have to draw that hideous giant monster in the Oval Office... but for the story, I have to do it.
Paul: A necessary evil, if you will. Do you want to continue doing other comic projects, or other things entirely, maybe step back into the animation spotlight?
Doug: As long as I'm able to hold a pencil or stylus I will be doing some sort of cartoon project. I've had most of my success at animation and I have an animatic finished for a short film so it's likely I will do more. My 2009 film animated from Stan Freberg's Nuttin' For Christmas has over 8 million views, by the way.
Paola: I am a huge Stan Freberg fan. I followed his antics for decades. A great comic genius.
Paul: But she reaaaalllly hates that song. laughs
Paola: Gawwwd!
Doug: I guess though that drawing is a compulsion, and until that compulsion burns itself out I will keep doing it, and I will keep trying to create things that entertain people. It doesn't feel anywhere near burnt out yet!
Paola: And we hope it isn’t for a long time. Doug, thank you so much for blessing us with your talk today.
Paul: It’s been a privilege for us both and the best of luck with future success.
Doug: Thank you both so much.
Paul: You can read the antics of “Kenani and Mo’O” here:
...and if you feel like donating at all, and helping him get his team together, that would be awesome too. Aloha, everyone!
Everyone: ALOHA!
(If you'd like to put your hat in the ring for a possible interview as well, let us know. You need to have a strong following, at least 1500 subscribers or so, and more then 20,000 likes. You must earn our praise.)