I am Jeph Jacques, author of Questionable Content and professional internet cartoonist. AMA

Is Hannelore ever going to find someone? She's my favourite.

Yes! And guess who it is:

IT'S YOU!

Butts?

Please, people.

My time is very valuable, could we please not clutter up my AMA wiALUGBAGUHALBAGLHAGLUBGAGLHALUHGBGUUALGH

BUTTS BUTTS BUTTS BUTTS

This may be a little personal, but I often see your written posts (below the comic) and it seems you are either sad, depressed, or just generally very stressed a lot. Are you happy with your work?

(You should be! I love reading QC, and hope that you know how much enjoyment I (and thousands of others) get out of reading your work.)

I am generally happy with my work, but I'm also my own worst critic (and I have some pretty mean critics). And I do have depression and anxiety problems, so there's that. But I do like my comic, I wouldn't be able to do it if I didn't like it.

I just wanted to say thank you for being 'out' about your anxiety and the struggles you have with it. I myself have anxiety and it can be a crushing blow to being productive or even getting out of bed some days.

What effect has it been on your work? Does it usually help or hinder the creative process or getting things done?

It's a hindrance, definitely. I can't imagine how feeling horrible would HELP someone get work done.

On the flipside, the comic helps with my anxiety. It's pretty much the only structured routine that I have, and when I'm drawing I can just focus on that instead of omgpeakoilglobalwarmingoccupywallstreetmichellebachmann

Speaking of "omgpeakoilglobalwarmingoccupywallstreetmichellebachmann," do you happen to have your own worry hat? Or does the comic suffice for one?

Sometimes I could use a worry hat.

mine is named "Celexa"

Hey Jeph!

I just wanted to say thank you for pushing the story along. I've been waiting for something to happen to Marten for the past few months :P.

But in all serious, you have an amazing talent to write characters who feel real, and that is not an easy thing to do. I love the comic, and I'm a huge fan.

When it comes to these big story/plot points, do you plan these out weeks or months in advance? Or do you just write every day and realize a large story point is coming up by the seat of your pants?

Bonus question: Is there ever going to be some sort of resolution for Faye in terms of why her father did it? I guess the mystery makes me question a lot. Then again, I guess that's how life is sometimes, huh?

Also, draw request: Draw some QC girls in a 1950's pin-up style. Alternatively, you could use Pintsize :P

When it comes to the story, it's both. I'm constantly heading towards pre-planned events, and constantly veering off in unexpected directions, and those pre-planned events frequently change as well.

Re: Faye's dad- I think I'm going to keep it a mystery. But who knows?

i've read daily for about 4 years now, and feel qualified to state that your comic has a peculiar addictive quality, not unlike hugs or meth. is this intentional, and if so, why have you forsaken the standardized warning label regarding habit-formation?

ALSO BUTTS

[edit]

k, real-ish question. in regards to the comic universe, you've mentioned that a relatively short time period has actually passed for the characters, somewhere in the realm of a year or so? hannelore's OCD seems to have significantly improved in startling fashion. was there a catalyst towards her "recovery" or am i just looking at details that don't exist?

I feel like it's been a couple years now, in comic time. Hannelore's getting more comfortable around her friends, so she's less of a wreck all the time now.

My favourite description of QC is "the nerdiest soap opera webcomic ever". I think it's accurate and endearing. What do you think?

Yeah that's pretty accurate

Is there a character you've created that you just can't stand? That is, if you met them in person, you'd be sorely tempted to do them bodily harm?

As much as I love writing and drawing her, if Faye were a real person I would absolutely LOATHE her.

If you could take QC in one incredibly crazy direction with no terrible repercussions, what would it be?

Clearly, the answer is butts.

yep, definitely butts

I saw this on your twitter, so I feel like some sort of stalkerish super fan. I'll go along that vein and ask, how does it feel when people come up to you on the streets and geek out with "OMG That's Jeph Jacques!"?

It feels weird and exciting. I've never really gotten used to being "internet famous" so when it spills over into everyday life it's even stranger.

How frequently does this happen?

Irregular intervals, but fairly frequently here where I live. It's a small town with a lot of college kids who read my strip.

How far in advance do you have the general story-line worked out, or is it more ad hoc?

I have rough plot points (Marten and Padma hooking up, etc) planned out, and I just sort of aim for those. But frequently the comic will go in a different direction than I was expecting, and those plot points will change. I guess you could say I have a longterm plan, but am improvising my way through it.

Could you give an example of a past event in the comic where you originally planned one thing to occur, but the end result was significantly different?

The Marten/Faye romance is the biggest one. They were originally supposed to get together and live happily ever after!

Wait, so what prompted the change? Was it a spur of the moment thing, or did the idea form gradually?

I wanted to keep doing the comic, and I couldn't get them together and have it remain interesting. And it turned out that was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life.

Who drives the plot more, you or the characters? Would you 'force' the characters into acting in a way that they wouldn't normally, just to create an interesting story?

It's a give and take. I'd never intentionally force them to act out-of-character.

How do you actually make a living off your webcomic? (Like, where does the majority of the money actually come from- ads, merch?)

In my case, it's a 50/50 split between ads and merch.

I know it's terribly personal, but can you give us any insight into how much you make?

Like, do you make more or less than $50k a year? How much does it vary month to month? Year to year?

Does it make sense for Hannelore to have piercings when she's such a clean/neat freak?

By the way, thanks for making the comic, I've been reading it for years now.

I'm not going to get into specifics, but I own a house in rural Massachusetts and support my wife and dog off of the comic.

I haven't seen anything but growth year to year thus far (and boy I hope that trend continues). Month to month, the summer is generally the slowest time for merchandise sales, and Christmas is the best.

And getting piercings done by a professional is one of the cleanest things you can do to your body.

Are those of us who don't contribute financially douchebags?

Nope! Just reading (and giving me your delicious, delicious pageviews) is enough.

I'm pretty clueless about how RSS works but is there any disadvantage for you if I use that over visiting your website?

Not really. I still have a project wonderful ad up on the feed, so it's not costing me anything.

Did the comic start out as a reflection of your own life and evolve into something else?

Marten's situation definitely mirrored mine at the time, but they diverged almost instantaneously, I mean literally by like the third comic.

AnthroPC's. WTF? Did you create Pintsize just to serve as an outlet for, well, the twisted shit you can't make Marten say, or..?

ps. Butts lol

I knew I wanted to have sci-fi elements in the comic, and little robots seemed like a fun idea.

Pintsize is the id of the comic.

Why did you decide then to make Momo a (semi)human character? As far as I can tell, she's now indistinguishable from a regular character. I felt that storyline was kinda jarring in terms of everything else that had been written, since before the robots had just been comic relief.

Also, if AnthroPCs can take human form, how do any of the characters have jobs? One would think that AnthroPCs would make much better workers than humans, especially at low-skill low-wage jobs such as working at a coffee shop.

I thought it would be fun. It was indeed fun!

It's really interesting that some people found that story jarring.

AnthroPCs can do some jobs better than humans, but can also get just as bored and miserable as humans.

What story arc was the hardest to write? Not necessarily on a creative level, but on an emotional level?

(If it's not the Dora/Marten split, where would you rank their breakup?)

Anything involving two characters having an argument is agonizing. The Dora/Marten split sucked pretty hard.

Do you think you'll ever start another comic?

Absolutely.

Edit: link works now

Current Hampshire student here-- any advice?

Don't do cocaine

I use Questionable Content rereads to reassess how I've changed in the past few years every so often. Thank you for your work.

One question only. Where is pizza girl and what have you done with her cheesy goodness!

She'll be back, probably.

Boxers, or Briefs?

Boxers. My balls hang lower ever since I got the vasectomy and I can't imagine keeping them confined to briefs.

I believe it's official. Any question is on the table. Nothing is too personal to ask.

I've also gotten a lot more comfortable talking to strangers about my balls after the vasectomy.

Somebody alert relevant_rule34!

I knew I was truly internet famous when I saw the first QC 34 that was better drawn than the actual comic.

when people post your comics on sites like reddit, would you prefer that they linked directly to your site or rehosted the comic on imgur?

Link directly to my site, please. I pay for all this bandwidth so people can share my comics.

Your art for QC has changed quite a bit over time, what are your proudest achievements as the art progressed and "improved"?

Has there ever been a stylistic change you've reverted because it didn't pan out like you expected?

I'm just happy to have gotten better. I've still got a long way to go before I'm really any good, though.

I've never had to do any big reversions. SO FAR.

What's the weirdest thing fans say when they meet you?

these days? "Butts"

Apologies if this has been asked in the past, but.

Are there any storylines/decisions you've made about one of your characters that you wish you could rewrite? Either because you don't feel like it was the right way to go after seeing how it panned out, or because you had an even better idea for it later on.

I'm not big on the idea of rewriting things, I think the comic should remain what it is, warts and all.

Does Padma have underwear that says "DAAAAAANG" on it, or is that pintsize commenting on the situation?

Underwear

What happened during the blackout? I mean, what really happened there! conspiracy mode online

a lot of cussing on my part

I really like your comic and I've been following you for a long time. I always feel for you when someone is being a jackass on twitter. How much does it bother you when people go "OMFG QC used to be so much better!" or "WHERE IS RAVEN?!" or just generally feel like they should have a say in how the story goes?

I saw how upset you were on twitter and on your blog about the douchebag who told you to go back to drinking, I just wanna say that I respect you so much for the decision of going sober.

Best of luck!

I don't really care, it's just a part of the gig.

What do you do during the day when you're not drawing your comic?

A good bit of the day is spent doing things like this- answering emails, talking with fans and colleagues, etc. Designing merchandise takes a lot of time, but that's generally in intermittent spurts- I'm not doing a lot of that right now because Topatoco is already geared up for Christmas.

I read a lot, and play guitar, and play videogames, and pet my dog, and try not to worry.

What is your favorite color?

That particular shade of blue I use for Hannelore's shirts a lot.

Why do you hate us so much that you always put cliffhangers over weekends? ;)

I enjoy toying with your emotions

When is Marigold gonna get some love?

NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR(maybe)

What's your major inspiration for Questionable Content?

Everything is inspiration! Ideas come from all over the place. And since the comic is so continuity-based and character driven, it often sort of inspires itself. I can just let the characters hang out, and on a good day, something funny will happen.

Along this same line, do your characters have real life counterparts? Do you know a real-life Hannelore or are they all made up for fun?

They're all made up, except for the Makeout Hobo. He is a real dude.

Please draw the face you made when you realised how many people are asking you stuff in this thread! :p

:o

Can we have plushies of the AnthroPCs? I would probably overspend immensely for my own Pintsize. And then I would be too creeped out to ever undress in front of it.

They're coming out soon!

If the opportunity arose, would you ever want to take QC to another medium, for instance an animated show, or live action-something-or-another?

If someone made me an offer, sure. But it's not something I'm actively pursuing at the moment.

If you could bring another comic's characters into the QC universe, who would you bring in?

Also, what ever happened to the long-running feud you had with Sam Logan?

Probably the Girls With Slingshots ladies.

Sam Logan shall be crushed under my feet and I will hear the lamentations of his women

This thread is averaging roughly 10.1 comments per minute after only ten minutes. How does that make you feel?

boner towne

What is your favorite post-rock album this year?

And So I Watch You From Afar- Gangs

How many USB ports does pintsize have?

Two, on his butt.

Jeph! Big fan, how would you describe your drawing style when compared to other drawing styles?

"not the worst"

So, how much time do you spend looking up fucked up pictures for pintsize to post on twitter?

Love the strip. I have NOT cried reading it...

It doesn't take that long, usually 5 minutes on google image search or gurochan will turn up something sufficiently vile.

Hanners ssems to get more and more sane. Is she just gettting more adapted to life outside of a space station, and more comfortable with the group? Could she ever get a boyfriend?

Thank you for the great comic!

What are your inspirations, important comics, artists, etc., if any?

She's getting comfortable with her friends. I would be very, very surprised if she ever dated someone.

When I was starting out, Diesel Sweeties, Scary Go Round, and Nothing Nice to Say were my biggest inspirations.

If you could bring one of your characters to life and had to live with them, who would you choose (I was possibly thinking pintsize but then I realized I like living....)

Probably Marigold. She'd be the most unobtrusive roommate.

Your art style has evolved a lot over the years, but for the past few hundred comics it's stayed relatively the same.

While it looks very nice, do you think you'll ever advance it even further? Or are you comfortable with how it looks now?

It's still changing, but in more subtle ways. I'm working more on getting proportions and posing right instead of making radical changes to the way I draw faces. I can look at stuff I drew last month and see tons of differences between how I'm drawing this week.

I'm sure it'll continue to advance, I certainly hope it does. Stagnation is death.

What's your theory as to what the deal is with all the readers who creep on Hanners?

She's cute and innocent.

Who would you consider to be your greatest webcomic artist rival?

Also, Deathmole rocks

SAM LOGAN

What is your readership level like? I mean, how many page views do you get per day?

Is there a day of the week that is more popular then others in terms of updates? (More people read Friday than on Wednesday for example)

What's the most annoying question you get constantly?

Somewhere around 400,000 readers. Google ads tells me I get about 30 million pageviews a month.

On days where I update, Mondays are generally the highest traffic days, Fridays are the lowest because many folks read friday's comic on Saturday or Sunday instead.

"When is Hannelore going to find someone"

If you could be the author of any other comic what would it be?

I would love to do Oglaf, if they ever have a guest week and don't invite me I will drown in a sea of tears

I have to admit that I used to quite enjoy QC but a few months ago I got kind of tired of the seemingly constant inclusion of new permanent characters. It felt like it rather watered down the dynamic of the original characters. Is this a concern or a criticism you've run into before?

Eh, not really. You gotta inject some new blood to keep things fresh, and over time the "new" characters will no longer be new and you (the rhetorical you, not you specifically) won't notice anymore.

You should have seen the complaints I got back when Hannelore was a new character. Oh, irony.