Forward, Foreword
I met with Penny, star of the comic strip Penny, at her favorite local cafe. After she sheepishly asked if I could buy her a coffee, which I happily did, we began talking about one of her favorite topics.
RH: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about Ruben, your writer and artist.
P: He’s the greatest, isn’t he?
RH: He’s a talented guy, and a real doll. We met at a comic book convention, Super-Con, where we were both doing the small press thing. I fell in love with the strip the instant he showed it to me.
P: Thanks! He makes me look really good, doesn’t he?
RH: He does! He gives you a classic comic strip look while still keeping you looking modern.
P: He does? I guess he does, thanks! I love what he does with my hair. It’s really easy to take care of.
RH: His writing has the same feel. The situations he puts you into have this classic comic strip vibe, in the tradition of Cathy. But the way you handle those situations makes you a unique and fresh character. You’re not stereotypically screaming-banshee stressed, ditzy, shallow, or whiny.
P: You just haven’t seen me off panel! But wow, thanks again. I love the way Ruben writes me. I’m not just a one-note character, you know? I have some complexity! But I think that’s because I represent a normal, crazy, modern woman just living her normal, crazy, modern woman’s life. I don’t know how Ruben does it, actually, packing a life into those little boxes in a realistic but funny way. But he does!
RH: I agree completely. After reading just a few of his comics, the first thing I wondered was how does a man write so well about a woman?
P: I’ve wondered that myself. I think, with Ruben, it’s that he’s a great listener. And I think that’s what makes a great writer. Ruben is someone who listens and pays attention to what’s really going on around him. Not just to women, but to everybody he meets. All my co-stars are great characters too, and are like funny versions of people I know must exist in the real world.
RH: Many of us have had your boss, or someone just like her, at some point in our careers, for sure.
P: Ooo, really? I am so sorry.
RH: Us three-dimensional folk somehow manage. But reading comics like Penny certainly helps us cope.
P: I’m glad Ruben and I can help!
Rebecca Hicks
Writer-Artist
www.lunasea-studios.com
RH: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about Ruben, your writer and artist.
P: He’s the greatest, isn’t he?
RH: He’s a talented guy, and a real doll. We met at a comic book convention, Super-Con, where we were both doing the small press thing. I fell in love with the strip the instant he showed it to me.
P: Thanks! He makes me look really good, doesn’t he?
RH: He does! He gives you a classic comic strip look while still keeping you looking modern.
P: He does? I guess he does, thanks! I love what he does with my hair. It’s really easy to take care of.
RH: His writing has the same feel. The situations he puts you into have this classic comic strip vibe, in the tradition of Cathy. But the way you handle those situations makes you a unique and fresh character. You’re not stereotypically screaming-banshee stressed, ditzy, shallow, or whiny.
P: You just haven’t seen me off panel! But wow, thanks again. I love the way Ruben writes me. I’m not just a one-note character, you know? I have some complexity! But I think that’s because I represent a normal, crazy, modern woman just living her normal, crazy, modern woman’s life. I don’t know how Ruben does it, actually, packing a life into those little boxes in a realistic but funny way. But he does!
RH: I agree completely. After reading just a few of his comics, the first thing I wondered was how does a man write so well about a woman?
P: I’ve wondered that myself. I think, with Ruben, it’s that he’s a great listener. And I think that’s what makes a great writer. Ruben is someone who listens and pays attention to what’s really going on around him. Not just to women, but to everybody he meets. All my co-stars are great characters too, and are like funny versions of people I know must exist in the real world.
RH: Many of us have had your boss, or someone just like her, at some point in our careers, for sure.
P: Ooo, really? I am so sorry.
RH: Us three-dimensional folk somehow manage. But reading comics like Penny certainly helps us cope.
P: I’m glad Ruben and I can help!
Rebecca Hicks
Writer-Artist
www.lunasea-studios.com