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Comics: Meet the Artist
Francesco Marciuliano
Cartoonist, "Sally Forth"
Friday, October 03, 2003; 1:00 p.m ET
Welcome to the Washington Post Style section comics discussion, hosted by Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin. This week, Tobin is joined by Francesco Marciuliano, cartoonist for "Sally Forth," on which he collaborates with Steve Alaniz and Craig MacIntosh.
Join Tobin and Marciuliano online Friday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss "Sally Forth" the art of cartooning.
Submit questions either before or during the discussion.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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washingtonpost.com:
Welcome, comics fans, to another edition of "Comics: Meet the Artist." Today our guest is Francesco Marciuliano, who writes the popular strip, "Sally Forth," which is drawn by Craig MacIntosh. Francesco is joining us from his home studio in New York. Welcome, Francesco, and thanks for joining us Live Online.
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Francesco Marciuliano: Thank you very much for having me, Suzanne! Just to let everyone know, I’ve been drinking since dawn, have had nothing to eat today but Pez and I believe I accidentally misspelled my own surname in an earlier post, so clearly I’m good to go. Jokes aside, I'm really excited about the potential to answer readers' questions and make a remarkable fool out of myself so let's go. Hello, first caller. I’m listening.
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Budapest, Hungary:
What is your creative process? Did you design entire storylines with the outcome predetermined, or do you prefer to let your characters proceed with their futures uncertain? Do you write in batches or do you create at a fairly steady rate?
Francesco Marciuliano: A lot of it has to do with finding inspiration. I question friends and family. I eavesdrop on conversations at restaurants and public transportation. I stalk interesting looking people for hours, hiding behind mailboxes and slow-moving senior citizens. In short, I’m insufferable company. I also draw inspiration from various sources—Nick Hornby novels for his incisive, almost intuitive grasp of adult relationships, "The Simpsons" for outright laughter and "The Cat in the Hat," frankly because I’m fascinated by the concept of a feline millinery (really, have you ever heard of such target marketing?). Many would be quick to point out that none of those brilliant influences have ever made themselves known in a single "Sally Forth" comic strip, to which I can only respond, "Gee, you…you really know how to hurt a guy." Then after all my research--which has yet to be considered tax deductible--I start writing the daily script, often in one sitting so that days flow seemlessly from one to the next. Sometimes i have a predetermined outcome. Sometimes the story dictates the ending. Sometimes I panic and dismiss the first six days with having Ted come out of teh shower and Sally realizing the last year was all a dream (check your "Dallas" reruns, people). Then I rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite. And...well, you get the idea. Each week i submit a full six daily strips and one Sunday, including logo panel. Each week my editor writes back, "You're kidding, right?" It's sort of a dialogue we have going. Oh, you don't know the pain I suffer. Hungary, huh? How's President Arpad Goncz doing these days?
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Staunton, VA:
Can you explain the whole Greg Howard,
Craig Macintosh, Steve Alaniz, Francesco
Marciuliano thing? I half expect to one
day read "Sally Forth by Alan Smithee."
Francesco Marciuliano: Short story long, Greg Howard created, wrote and for a time illustrated "Sally Forth," starting in 1982. Around 1990, Craig Macintosh took over all art duties for the strip (that’s his signature, "Mac," you see in the bottom of the panels). Then in the late 90’s both Steve Alaniz and myself were hired to assume the verbal side after Greg had retired and sold his share of "Sally Forth" back to King Features Syndicate. The plan was for Steve and I to write strips separately, so the syndicate could double up output and thereby increase the odds of getting viable "Sally Forth"-like plots. Eventually, due to many factors (including Steve moving to London when his wife was transferred), I became sole writer and now Craig and I represent "Team Sally," both on the page and in "strongman" competitions.
Long story short, I wrested control in a bloodless coup. All choking.
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New York, NY:
Is the strip hard to write from a woman's perspective?
Francesco Marciuliano: Well, the cross-dressing helps. (By the way, years from now should I choose to run for political office, the spectacular, almost historical, failure of my campaign will be traced back to a single humorous quote I made in one of the foremost papers of record—"Well, the cross-dressing helps." Which will be a shame, since I have the perfect solution to our nation’s budget crisis. I don’t want to give away too many details but suffice it to say that like MacGyver it involves chewing gum, a paper clip and the Earth’s electromagnetic field. Oh, and a bank heist.).
To actually answer your question, I never assume I can write from a female perspective. Instead, I write from a particular individual’s perspective, Sally’s. If I were to interpret Sally’s voice as the voice of all working women, not only would that be highly presumptuous on my part but it would also greatly flatten the tone of the strip and almost certainly eliminate any chance for her character to have a singular sense of humor or her own set of beliefs. I think readers relate to, Sally. I don’t think they assume Sally is them.
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Brooklyn, NY:
Please solve a mystery! In Sally Forth there is a character named Alan Gallo who is the young boyfriend; in previous strips he is a classmate who is a math whiz. Alan Gallo is my husband's name, he is very good at math (in fact he is the Chief Financial Officer for a major US Bank) and I'm wondering if this is a coincidence or if someone connected to Sally Forth is an old acquaintance or schoolmate. The whole family is dying to know how he got his name in this comic strip!
Francesco Marciuliano: Nothing like seeing your name in print, huh? Especially when the cartoonist has not charged you a fee...yet. However, truth be told the name is based on very dear friend of mine who is, like your husband but not your husband, a whiz at math. He's also probably reading this right now (Hi, Alan! When do you want get dinner with Jowdy and Elliot?) But if you like, you can continue to tell freinds and family alike that somehow your spouse made his name onto the funny pages...all for a standard fee is one million dollars.
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Germantown, Md.:
We haven't seen Hilary playing sports much lately? Has she given them up or is she just taking a hiatus from them?
Francesco Marciuliano: Ever since she became a free agent Hilary's been bogged down in countless contract negotiations. But that hasn't stopped her from signing a lucrative, record-breaking deal to promote $400 Nike shoes to the booming pre-adolescent fashion market ("Nike--Just Buy It Already"). Actually, she's still doing her thing, playing softball, soccer, bungee-jumping, wrestlin' gators for nickels, what have you. Recently the strip has concentrated on Sally's possible career move but once that story line has been resolved we'll see more of Hil in athletic action...just in time for the great kids outdoor sports' weather known as the dead of winter.
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Boise, ID:
I love the strip and have been reading it for years. I was wondering do you have any other comics that your working on and if so what are they about?
Francesco Marciuliano: I currently completed a new comic strip but given that I have no set syndication deal it would probably be too early to reveal the comic's subject right now. But heed my warning, it will forever change the way you look at the funny pages and humor itself! Or it might get shrunk down to microfiche size to make way for a tire ad. It's anyone guess. By the way, syndicates, did you notice I mentioned I completed a new strip? Call me!
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Birmingham, AL:
Aside from the -Sally Forth- strip, do you do any other writing (books, film/television/web sites)?
Francesco Marciuliano: I write humor pieces (my last short work, "Diary of a Superhero," was recently published at the McSweeney's website, www.mcsweeneys.net). My wife and I just launched our own humor website, "Drink At Work--Weekly Career Advice for the Professional Disinclined (at www.drinkatwork.com). I'm working with a director and designer on an off-off-broadway comedy review that hopefully will run next year. I'm also writing a screenplay for a great film concern called Crewless Productions (www.crewless.com) and I just completed a new comic strip for possible syndication. Wow, I love product placement. Thank you for the opportunity to promote me so well, kind sir or madam. You truly are a mensch.
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Takoma Park, MD:
Sally Forth is one of my favorite comics! She a great role model for women (as good as a drawn woman can be!), and she's funny!
Francesco Marciuliano: Well, that's not exactly a question but a great compliment is a great compliment and I really do appreciate your obvious intelligence, clear insight and stellar taste. Thank you very much. Yes, this has clearly been my favorite question so far.
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Baltimore, MD:
My favorite character is Sally's boss. Is he based on anyone in real life?
Francesco Marciuliano: Arthur Schopenhauer. Actually, since I didn't create Ralph I cannot be certain what the original inspiration for the character. But since Ralph is now mine, MINE!, I like to think he is an homage of every immediate myopic, mindless supervisor I had to contend with at my last publishing job. Like they say, "Revenge is a bitter pill best served cold."
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Jersey City, New Jersey:
As for the future of Sally Forth, will the characters evolve beyond there current ages or will that stay the same? Is that part of the secret to longevity of a comic strip, to keep the characters basically in the same time period?
Francesco Marciuliano: "Sally Forth" is about particular individuals at a particular time in their lives. In short, it can’t be a comic strip about a working mother if Sally is retired in Boca engaged in all-day canasta tournaments and Hilary has dropped out of college to be the bassist for a touring bar band called "Bumpercar Romeo" (Note to self: Start a band called "Bumpercar Romeo"). I’m not exactly sure what Ted will be doing in his golden years but something tells me it will involve an international jewel heist and a cadre of super villains known only as "The Masque."
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Mountain View CA:
There must be a lot of constraints on your creativity in a strip with a long-time loyal following made in collaboration with other artists. Do you ever just break out and make strips you never intend to be public in order to give free rein to your creativity?
Francesco Marciuliano: Very good question. It's an odd task taking over writing duties of another person'screation. The thing I realized early on is that in order for the strip to remain fresh I couldn’t imitate creator Greg Howard’s voice. After all, who would pay to hear Frank Sinatra Jr. sing when you can listen to his dad’s recordings? Besides, I’m sure you’ve seen it time and time again where a strip goes from having the creator’s name to having the byline "Created by…" run across the top, only to immediately notice that the comic no longer has a unique voice or singular perspective. Then within the blink of an eye the strip suddenly seems coldly manufactured by committee rather than created by an individual. That was my greatest fear in assuming writing responsibilities for "Sally Forth." (Well, my greatest fear was that I would have to do it while being buried alive, but thanks to some rather wily negotiating skills on my part—and my accepting a new, now severely reduced salary—that never came to pass). Truth is, Greg and I have markedly different perspectives, writing styles, even senses of humor (so naturally I was the ideal candidate to take over his comic). To try to do the strip exactly as he had done it would have resulted in a faint echo of his voice. So I decided rather than hit every note exactly as Greg chose to I would instead reinterpret his song, getting across the same story but in a somewhat different manner.
And yes, I often write strips for both my amusement (nothing like giggling to oneself to worry one's spouse) and, just recently, I completed a new comic strip for possible syndication. man, am I shilling for myself or what here?
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Birmingham, Mich.:
Not that there are many left, but is there a specific comic book series or comic strip that you think would make a good feature film? Do you have a particular favorite you'd like to see?
Francesco Marciuliano: I think "Ziggy" would make an absolutely frightening Chronenberg film, much like "eXistenz" or "Crash" but with a heartwrenching pathos and terrifying glimpse into one man's fractured soul that would seer into the collective mind for decades to come.
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Sherman Oaks, Illinois:
Are you true cartonist or are you more of a tracer?
Francesco Marciuliano: Are you a fan of "Chasing Amy" or prefer Kevin Smith's other films, like "Clerks" or "Dogma"? And yes, I am a true cartoonist. Man, I hope so...
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Gulf Shores, AL:
A 2 part Question:
What comic strips/writers have been the biggest influence on you?
and as a comic writer, can you explain the introduction of the "Scrappy-Doo" character into the the Scooby-Doo cartoon series?
thanks
Francesco Marciuliano: As a child I devoured practically every "Peanuts" anthology printed. I would like to think I was drawn to the remarkable well-defined characters and precise interpersonal relationships but truth be told I was probably attracted to the startling undercurrent of sadness that ran in the strip (especially during the 60’s, when many of the characters would have kept the psycho-pharmacological industry flush with cash). I also saw myself as a mirror image of Charlie Brown, only with a more varied wardrobe. Then as I got older I also read "Bloom County," "The Far Side" and "Calvin & Hobbes." In other words, every strip no longer in syndication. That’s gotta be an omen of some kind. As for "Scrappy-Doo," you have to realize that there is evil everywhere in the world. Some of it is rather banal (like the American version of "Coupling") and some, like "Scrappy-Doo," can only speak of cruel, nefarious forces at work.
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Westminster, Md.:
Hi, Francesco! From Business Week to the comics pages...what was THAT transition like?
Francesco Marciuliano: I'm getting quite a few questions from Maryland. And sinec the person knows I worked at BusinessWeek may be the work of some friends, so let me say hi to Anne, Jeb, Nora and Gracie Brack of said state. If this post is not from them, then let ne also say hi to everyone I know, including Frank, Isilda, Marcello, Rithie, Joey, Brittany, Chuck, Chance, Chris, Dare, Cathy, Raymond, Sandra, Charles, Jeff, Elliot, Alan, Maryanne, Liz, Judi, Amy, Gia, Carolyn, Geoff, Dan, dave, Kim, Kate, KAP...um, this could go one forever so clearly it was not a good idea. As for your actual question, the transition from my magazine was seemlessly in that I couldn't wait to get out of that place and just concentrate on the strip, stealing sevceral office supplies along the way. The mug is mine now, Keith Fox. MINE!!!
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Lancaster, PA:
I hear you are going to be taking over the drawing for Bruce Robinson of GOOD MEDICINE...is that true?
Francesco Marciuliano: We're still in talks. I want more money. They say they've never heard of me. These things take time.
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Mt. Rainier MD:
Thanks so much for Sally Forth and family! It's nice to see authentic-seeming people dealing with life with some wit and humor. Sally's job seems like a place where I've been somehow.
Francesco Marciuliano: Why, thank you very much. That was very nice. Another excellent question...or statement. I'm glad you enjoy the strip so much and hopefully I can continue to earn your attention each and every day. And if not, how's cash sound?
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Huntsville, AL:
In your opinion, who is more powerful:
The Incredible Hulk, Superman or Thor, the Norse God of Thunder?
Francesco Marciuliano: Frankly, Little Lulu could beat them all in a heartbeat. Don't let the name fool you. Lulu's a killing machine.
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Atlanta, GA:
Is Hillary still a vegetarian?
Francesco Marciuliano: For those not in the know, last year Hilary decided to become a vegetarian. It was a story line that generated a lot of positive feedback, which was quite heartening given that most of my fan email conclude with the rather Noel Coward-esque witticism, "I’m never going to read your strip, subscribe to any paper that runs it or even brake if I see you crossing the street." (Actually, most of my emails seem to come from excessively irate fans. Perhaps they get upset when they yell at the comic strip characters and the characters fail to respond or even flinch, so they take the next logical step and write me). Given subsequent food-related plots, it would seem that Hilary’s choice was not a permanent one. That in absolutely no way should be taken as a slight against those who practice vegetarianism (including my wife). Nor should her change of mind be read as my stating vegetarianism is a whimsical choice rather than a well-reasoned and seriously practiced diet born out of health, personal, environmental and political concerns. Hilary’s story line was in fact a reflection of how children assume different responsibilities and act upon certain ideas as they work their way to become fully-formed, hopefully functional adults. If she were a real child, I would like to think I would applaud her for acting upon such an idea, rather than dismiss her for sensing it wasn’t quite what she wished to pursue.
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tamarac, FL:
Why is it SO tough to get syndicated?
Francesco Marciuliano: Sadly, it's a matter of odds. Every year the syndicates receive several, SEVERAL thousand submissions, only to maybe introduce one or two new comics each year. Not to mention that the comics page has gotten smaller and smaller while some strips that perhaps should be retired stubbornly hold their place in the newspaper, like an old man who refuses to move no matter how few people are visiting him now (gee, that was a rather sad analogy. I'm sorry about that one). But if you're interested, keep submitting and remember, never look to he comic pages to get ideas. They already have strips like that in syndication. Be as bold and as innovative as you can possibly be. Just like my new stri...okay, enough shilling for that.
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Key West, FL:
Has the SNL skit "Cowbell" influenced you in any way?
Francesco Marciuliano: It is my guide, my mantra, my very philosophy and the underpinning of every single belief I hold near and dear to my heart. Hi, Amy. Or Gia. Or Carolyn. Or Marcus. Or Dougie. Or...
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Riverdale:
Why is there always one character smirking at the punch line?
Francesco Marciuliano: That's a facial tic and I would ask you not to draw undue attention to it. Actually, it's just one of those things Sally does. Some people have come to expect it. Others leave copious rants about it in their blogs. Frankly, I'm kinda in the middle on the subject. Maybe she should switch to something along the lines of a "death glare." Or just wrinkle her nose like "Bewitched." Hey, Sally with supernatural powers. And a sexy, evil cousin also played by Sally. Now we're talking comic strip!
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Columbus, OH:
I think you do a good job of writing
Hillary's character. Do you have kids?
Francesco Marciuliano: No, but my wife and I have two cats, Boris and Natasha. (I’d like to say I named them after characters in "War and Peace." I’d also like to say I got past chapter two in Stendhal’s "Charterhouse of Parma" before tossing both the book and a graduate degree in literature out the window. But truth is they were named after characters from "Rocky and Bullwinkle.") Boris and Natasha don’t help with the rent, they eat us out of house and home, they destroy our furniture, they pee on most available surfaces and they spend every night meowing at volumes easily detected by low-flying aircraft. So in may ways they are exactly like having two little children. Two very, very disturbed little children.
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Danbury, CT:
What's the collaborative process like on a
comic strip?
Francesco Marciuliano: Hell, my friend. HELL! Actually, it's quite seemless. I write the dialogue and scene descriptions. Craig Macintosh works his graphic magic, placing addition touches of his own to the enterprise and viola! "Sally Forth" is served to you hot and fresh! It's kinda cool, actually, how well it works.
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Las Vegas, Nevada:
Is cartooning a lost art? The reason I ask is there a so few new comic strips. Most of the one's in the daily paper have been there for 10+ years.
Francesco Marciuliano: Most of the comics have been in the paper for a 100+ years. Then again, "Apartment 3G" has been running for well over forty years and it's still "Later that same day..." so maybe some need the extra time. Many cartoonists, like Breathed and Watterson, have bemoaned the current state of the daily comic strip and they are absolutely right. Cartooning is a very valid and popular art yet like Rodney Dangerfield it gets no respect (although, considering Rodney's last few films, perhaps respect is along shot for him right now. Man, I loved "Back to School," though. Oh, where was I?) And since so many of the old comic strips won't leave, fewer new ones can grab real estate on the funny pages. It's truly a sad state of affairs for the both the cartoonists and their readers.
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Murfreesboro, TN:
Is there any Sally Forth merchandise
available? Like t-shirts or shot glasses?
Francesco Marciuliano: If there is, I'm not getting a cut of the action. Man, my lawyer was an idiot.
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Columbine, CO:
Did you have many friend growing up, or did you just sit in the back of the classroom doodling?
Francesco Marciuliano: I...I had friends. The Fonz. Charlie Brown. H.R. Puffenstuff. Uh...The Fonz. They loved me. LOVED ME! Actually, despite being a very shy child, very shy young adult, very shy thirtysomething man, I was very fortunate to always be surrounded by good, check that, great friends. And yes, I did doodle in the back of the classroom. Mostly on the class hamster.
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Arlington, VA:
This has to be the funniest Live-on-Line chat I have ever read! Do you find your cartooning career helps or hinders your humor-writing gigs? Where, besides what you listed above, have you published?
Francesco Marciuliano: Thank you very much. Another excellent, incisive question! As for your actual question, it's a mixed bag. "Sally Forth" has provided me with innumerable opportunities to be heard so I have absolutely no complaints about the strip. But being that I did not create the strip, I cannot warp it to my own sensibilities...yet. Well, never, but a man can dream. So instead I put my other sense of humor into more personal projects. As for where I've been published, outside of copywriting gigs for BusinessWeek, The Economist and The New York Times, please look at mcsweeneys.net and my new website, www.drinkatwork.com. And for my new comic called...okay, I'll stop. Thanks!
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Tarrant, Al.:
Did your father have any influence on your writing?
Francesco Marciuliano: My father had A LOT of influence on me, almost all of it, well, memorable. Actually, the ol' man is probably reading this right now (if he remembered after numerous calls on my part) so allow me this opportunity to give a shout out to the one, the only, you know him and you love him, FRANK CARMINE MARCIULIANO!!!!!!!!!! And the crowd goes wild...
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Los Angeles, CA:
Who would win in a fight? Sally Forth or
Cathy?
Francesco Marciuliano: Cathy has a glass jaw. Not many people know that. Why, are you a betting man?
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haddonfield, nj:
Where do you get your inspiration from? The strip is so insightful!
Francesco Marciuliano: Thank you very much. You...you people are so nice. Sniff. Really, thank you for the compliment. I read a lot. Mostly fortune cookies and graffiti. Actually, I ask my wife, I ask married friends, single friends, male and female friends for advice and personal experiences. I ask, I pester, I cajole, until they give up all chances of escaping my greedy, grimy clutches and tell me a little about their lives, which I then put into the strip and don't give them a dime or an ounce of credit. You...you wouldn't happen to have any ideas, would you? 'Cause I got a deadline in about four hours and I've got nothing.
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Los Angeles, CA:
Follow-up: any chance we could SEE
Sally beating up Cathy in a future strip?
Sort of a cartoon crossover thing?
Francesco Marciuliano: Hey, first rule of Comic Strip Fight Club--You don't talk about Comic Strip Fight Club.
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Cruden Bay, Scotland:
I think it was very smart of you, Mr. Gary Larson, to change your name to something so different. Are you ever going to bring back The Far Side?
Francesco Marciuliano: WOW! That may very well be the best compliment I have ever received in my entire life, considering my high school guidance counselor once advised me to "think small." WOW! I am on cloud nine, no wait, cloud ten...no, nine. Snotty cloud ten residents...
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Hightstown, NJ:
Where do the Forths live?
Francesco Marciuliano: Everytown, U.S.A. Perhaps you saw the chilling expose on the town in "60 Minutes." What a bunch of pervy little residents, huh? Actually, If you want a more precise location, think somewhere around St. Paul, MI.
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Birmingham, AL:
When doing these on-line chats, do you have to answer all the questions, or do you get to ignore the ones from crazy people?
Francesco Marciuliano: Next question.
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Burke, Va.:
Shy? You say you were shy? I find that very difficult to believe from your answers? Or are you only able to freely communicate via a keyboard, and you freeze up in FTF situations?
Francesco Marciuliano: I've greatly improved over time but, yes, the keyboard does free me up. Gee, I don't know about the rest of you, but this chat is proving rather mentally and spiritually cleansing, huh? I've never said so much before without being forcibly restrained or completely ignored during dates.
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Fargo, ND:
Have you ever considered writing a comic book? Or, for the more pretensious among us, a graphic novel?
Francesco Marciuliano: I have a few ideas right now that can best be described as "spectacularly inane." But I continue working on them nonetheless because I never, ever learn from my mistakes. Thanks for your interest.
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Lick Skillet, AL:
Do you think Sally would ever consider having an affair?
Francesco Marciuliano: Gee, wouldn't THAT be in the spirit of a heartwarming family strip. You have problems, my friend. Scary, scary problems. For shame, MR. Lick Skillet! For shame, indeed! Be gone with you.
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Chicago, IL:
You mentioned the American version of the TV show -Coupling-. Are there any TV shows you do watch these days? Seen any good movies lately? How about a CD recommendation?
Francesco Marciuliano: Okay, here we go--TV: Alias, 24, Simpsons, Family Guy DVDs, King of the Hill, Futurama, Home Movies, Everybody Loves Raymind, Ed, That 70's Show, King of Queens. Sopranos. Six Feet Under. The incredible Curb Your Enthusiasm. The original Coupling and the BBc show The Office. Movies: Any Coen Brothers film. Breaking Away. Memento. Office Space. Kurosawa (sp?), so, so many...CDS: Early R.E.M., The Shins, Radiohead, the Lolas, so, so many...
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Currituck, N.C.:
Hi, thanks for taking my question. Do you ever plan to introduce current event story lines into your comic? Or do you just work so far ahead that issues would be out of date by the time they were printed? I'm not really talking about politics, but more about trends, or the must-have toy for Christmas, that sort of thing.
Francesco Marciuliano: Advanced deadlines make writing exceptionally current story lines rather difficult. Plus, Sally is a strip about typical family scenarios, not hot button topics. But occasionally I slip one in. Did you see that Ebola scare story line a few years back? Chilling stuff indeed, if I say so myself. Ted was never quite the same after that week.
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Chicago, IL:
What are Sally's Top 5 records?
Francesco Marciuliano: Too, too hard to answer in such short time but clearly Sally loves her Radiohead. You should hear her sing "Knives Out."
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Washington, D.C.:
Why in recent years has the Ralph character been given so much prominence? He's not as zany as Mr. Dithers or Dilbert's pointy-headed boss; he's merely irritating. I keep waiting for him to be accused of sexual harrassment of Sally's whiny co-worker with the big glasses.
Francesco Marciuliano: Ralph is a very pushy person. The man won't take no for an answer.
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Pigeon Forge, TN:
Why don't they draw Sally more voluptuous?
Francesco Marciuliano: Are you sure you approach the family funny pages in the right spirit?
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East Lansing, Michigan:
Are there any particular new talented comic strip authors who you think will soon becoming better known?
Francesco Marciuliano: Wow, very good question. I wish I had the time to give you a complete answer. Send an email to King Features with that query, they'll forward it to me and i promise to respond as soon as I can. Thanks.
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Bethesda, Md.:
How did your Duke education prepare you for your career as a comic strip writer?
Francesco Marciuliano: A degree in Critical and Philosophical Analysis of 20th Century Literature. What else could I have done for a living? Sell troll dolls?
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McLean VA:
Is it feed a fever and starve a cold or the other way around?
Francesco Marciuliano: How about just taking them both to a romantic restaurant and then maybe a nice movie.
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Downtown:
Perhaps an obvious question, but I'm wondering why you (male) decided to do a strip with a female main character/point of view?
Francesco Marciuliano: I just had to do a cartoon. If I weren't doing "Sally Forth," I would be sobbing, loudly and uncontrollably. Then maybe return to my career in publishing, only to spend most of my office hours fighting back the copious, stinging tears as I recall what once was or could have been. Eventually I’ll crack all together and become completely hysterical with grief, most likely at a budgetary meeting when my supervisor’s PowerPoint presentation will instantly remind me just how much I hate PowerPoint presentations. My reputation shot, my finances gone, my skin still supple because I’ve taken to ingesting body lotion out of pure insanity, I’ll wind up wandering the streets, wearing gloves for shoes and shoes for a hat (and maybe the hat for a codpiece), all the while constantly muttering, "Give Sally the chocolate Easter bunny, Hilary. That’s a good girl."
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Francesco Marciuliano: I just wanted to say three things: First, I hope this was an entertaining, and not wholly enervating, experience for all involved and I really do appreciate your great questions and interest in the strip. It certainly means a lot to me. Second, all comments stated in today’s Q&A are mine and mine alone and do not necessarily represent the opinion of King Features Syndicate (that should spare me at least some legal action). And third, thank you, Suzanne, for this tremendous opportunity. I had a great time! Bye!
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washingtonpost.com:
Thanks, Francesco, for a VERY entertaining chat. Best of luck with your new strip, I look forward to seeing it in the near future.
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