by Alison L. Roberts

"Write about what you know" is the popular mantra of many English and writing teachers, from high school all the way through to college. Less often discussed is the all-too-real corollary: "It's often hardest to portray what you know and make it something others will actually want to read."

Then you come across something like the web comic Real Life (RealLifeComics.com), written and illustrated by Californian Greg Dean.

The premise is deceptively simple: a "gag-style" comic populated by his real-life friends and driven by their tech-fueled, pop culture-informed quirks and obsessions. What sets Real Life apart from a sea of similarly-themed web upstarts is its execution. Dean pokes fun of traits that many of his readers see in their own friends — and, if they're honest, themselves — in laidback, low-key way that is ultimately affectionate and genuinely funny.

(Whether or not you are a fan of his favorite video game or have traveled back in time via your own, self-built time machine.)

Since its debut in November 1999, Real Life has grown to span nearly 960 online installments and typically draws more than 40,000 readers, per day.

This success came to the attention of I.C. Entertainment, the comic and manga publisher that successfully brought Fred Gallagher's Megatokyo web comic to print. Now, as Real Life closes in on its fourth anniversary online, Greg Dean finds himself in a position that is the envy and eventual goal of many digital doodlers. He is preparing for the August 2003 publication of his first print compilation, Real Life: The Complete Year One Collection...

That, and patiently answering my very long list of questions via e-mail. Enjoy.

Real Life: The Complete Year One Collection by Greg Dean. Coming soon from I.C. Entertainment.

ALR: Have you always wanted to be a comic artist?

Greg Dean: Honestly, not really. I went through a stint where I was hellbent on being a video game developer... I just sort of fell into the cartoon thing.

ALR: How did you get your start in comics? On what projects did you work before Real Life?

Greg Dean: When I was a kid, I used to draw little parody comics for fun (such as "Star Blech" and "James Blonde, Agent Double-0 Zero"), and I never really stopped. But Real Life is the first project that's actually gone anywhere... most of my other stuff ended up getting thrown away or lost. It was just kid stuff, anyway.

ALR: Is your art career at a point where it is a full-time occupation? If not, what is your day job? (And would you like your comic art to eventually become your day job?)

Greg Dean: I'm working on making the comic my day job, but it's slow going. Right now I work at a small private airport fueling airplanes and the like. It's brainless work, but it gives me time to work on my comic.

ALR: How did Real Life come about?

Greg Dean: Well, back in '99 I had just begun to read web comics and started really getting into a few (PvP, Sluggy Freelance). I knew I could do a comic, I just wasn't sure what to base it on. Then one night, when hanging out with my friends, I sort of sat back and watched the dynamic. It was like we were a bunch of comedians and didn't even know it. I started to think that perhaps the only premise I really needed was "Me and My Friends." I wrote a few weeks worth of strips, and they seemed to be funny, so I put them online, and it's been growing ever since.

ALR: How would you describe the premise of Real Life to someone who isn't already familiar with it?

Greg Dean: Real Life is a comic based around nothing other than me and my friends. We're computer geeks, but the humor isn't necessarily computer-based. The only thing that really holds true is that everything in the comic is somehow inspired by something that I've done/talked about/obsessed over/you name it. My friends and I are the only inspiration needed.

ALR: How do your friends feel about being incorporated into your comic version of real life? How close are they to their comic counterparts/namesakes?

Greg Dean: As much as I thought they'd shy away from it, all my friends are really cool about being in the comic and really enjoy it. They know enough that when I make a joke at their characters' expense, it doesn't relate back to them. They're pretty cool people. As for how close we are to our comic counterparts, basically the comic characters are like gross exaggerations of a few traits of our real selves. I am kind of dim-witted at times, and I do tend to obsess over things, but I greatly exaggerate it for the comic. Wouldn't be funny if it was just some guy going to work and being normal.

ALR: What comics, anime/manga, video games, RPG games, movies, forms of entertainment, etc. are your personal favorites? (I have some ideas from my reading… Tenchi, lain, Ultima Online, EverQuest and Final Fantasy are some of the immediate ones that come to mind.)

Greg Dean: Jeez... all kinds. Video games, definitely Final Fantasy and Ultima Online, and as for anime, I love Chobits, Love Hina, Tenchi Muyo, Irresponsible Captain Tylor and a whole ton of others.

ALR: Do they serve as creative influences for your work? In what way?

Greg Dean: I suppose so, yeah. After all, a good deal of my comics are about those anime or games. I did a whole storyline on Final Fantasy XI recently. I see them as vehicles for humor but without actually making fun of the game itself.

ALR: What else fuels your creative process?

Greg Dean: Unleaded gasoline. *chuckles* Seriously, most of my ideas are pulled from thin air. I'll sit and think for a particular subject — ANY subject — and I put my characters into situations revolving around it. Most of the time, it writes itself.

ALR: What do you think makes Real Life different from other comics and web comics out there?

Greg Dean: Not a ton, I suppose. The graphic style used to set it apart, but lots of comics are drawn with the computer nowadays. There's also been a deluge of "real-person inspired" comics in recent days, so I'm not even unique there. Blast.

ALR: Who do you see as the target audience for Real Life?

Greg Dean: My standard answer would be anyone willing to read it, but I suppose Real Life is targeted at people my age (21 at the time of this writing) who are into somewhat the same stuff as me. But really, I'll take anyone I can get, and I won't tailor the comic to try to reel in a particular demographic.

ALR: Has your intended audience affected the creative process?

Greg Dean: Not really... the only concession I make is that I try to keep the language fairly tame and certain adult situations more or less out of the comic. I want to make sure that anyone of any age can read it without getting in trouble. Plus, as much fun as corrupting the young sounds, it would probably get me into trouble.

ALR: Has the creative process and/or intended audience evolved as Real Life has progressed? (Did you go into your first installments with any specific ideas or creative goals in mind? What were they?)

Greg Dean: The intended audience is still the same, but I've definitely changed how I do things. Nowadays, I don't spend so much time explaining gags or things in gags. I trust the readers to be astute, and I try not to dumb things down too much. People are pretty smart, for the most part, so I don't feel the need to hold their hand with the dialogue. I used to sort of walk people through jokes, it seemed.

ALR: What kind of reaction have you received from readers?

Greg Dean: Lots of people tend to identify with certain characters. They look at the cast and say, "Hey, that could be me and my friends!" I get a lot of people who just start reading and get hooked because I mentioned something that was previously ignored by other media... It's like a method of validation or something. Mostly, people have just been really, really nice.

ALR: Has reader response ever affected your work? In what way?

Greg Dean: Somewhat... like, if I receive a lot of negative reaction over something in the strip, I might steer away from it in the future. Mostly, I try to take negative comments with a grain of salt. I get a lot of people pissed off because they think I hate French people (there are a lot of jokes throughout the comic poking fun at the French), but as long as people, for the most part, understand that I really don't hate them, I don't think I need to change the way I do things. No matter what you do, it's going to offend SOMEBODY, so just go with it and don't look back.

ALR: On what projects are you currently working?

Greg Dean: For the most part, Real Life is it. I'm going to start up my comic at SwordsOnline again soon, which is called The Forge. I also have a few ideas for projects that would require collaborative efforts, as I don't want to ruin them by drawing them myself. (Yes, I happen to have a bit of a storytelling side, as well.)

ALR: How are they similar and/or different from Real Life?

Greg Dean: The Forge is mostly different in that it's a continuous, story-driven comic, rather than the gag-a-day nature of Real Life. It's still humor-based, but there are a few strips here and there that don't have jokes! *gasp!*

ALR: Why expand into the print market now?

Greg Dean: I've ALWAYS wanted to see Real Life in print... I just don't think it was really ready until now. But once the opportunity presented itself to me, I had to jump at it. Luckily, I was working with Illustrator from the beginning, because it's about as suited for print as any program can be.

ALR: Why did you go with I.C. Entertainment?

Greg Dean: I heard good things about them from Fred Gallagher, and I know them by reputation, as well. I have a few I.C. comic books, so I knew they were quality.

ALR: What has been involved in revisiting Real Life's first year and in making the transition from web comic to trade paperback?

Greg Dean: Honestly? Very little. Since it was always in vector format, I just resized the strips, planted them in the book, and did some commentary. No special editing or preparation was needed.

ALR: Have there been any specific challenges with the transition?

Greg Dean: Getting used to print layouts was tough, and I'm trying to make everything work together visually. It's not just the strip now. It's font coordination, image placement, things like that. It'll take some getting used to, but I adapt pretty easily. I suppose the biggest challenge is just getting up off my duff and DOING it.

ALR: What features are available exclusively to the print collection?

Greg Dean: Most of them aren't even finished yet, but what's already slated to be in it is a commentary section under each strip, as well as the first 52 installments of The Forge, to get people into that. I also plan to have a special multi-page "book-only" comic, but it's not been worked on yet. We'll see when we get closer to deadline. *grin*

ALR: What is it like to revisit the earliest installments of your work?

Greg Dean: It's been weird, but it's also been very helpful. For instance, I noticed that, in the older comics, Tony and Dave had a little bit of a dynamic I hadn't explored in a long time, so I brought it back with the current storyline. I also considered my old method of humor, and I'm trying to recapture that a bit.

ALR: How do the most recent installments differ from the first year?

Greg Dean: Mostly it's just the writing. I've tried to lean towards a more realistic method of speaking, rather than the clunky dialogue of the first strips.

ALR: How long do you see Real Life running?

Greg Dean: Ten more strips, and I'm calling it quits. *sly grin*

ALR: What are your immediate plans for the title/franchise?

Greg Dean: Other than the book, I'm working on getting another seller for Real Life merchandise. Nothing's been finalized yet, though...so I can't say much about it right now. I'd eventually like to do some sort of flash animated stuff when I learn how, but that's just one of those "if it happens" things. I don't really plan ahead... I just do what feels right.

ALR: How long do you see yourself creating comics?

Greg Dean: As long as humanly possible. I mean that... comics are my life.

ALR: On what kind of projects do you see yourself working in the future?

Greg Dean: Maybe one day I'll get to realize my dream of working on computer games, and I'd like to brush up on my REAL art skills and try a crack at a more serious comic endeavor. I'm kind of a jack-of-all trades, though... I work on whatever catches my interest.

ALR: Are you planning any public appearances or convention stops?

Greg Dean: Indeed! This July in San Diego, CA, I'll be sharing a booth [at Comic-Con] with Fred Gallagher from Megatokyo. Hopefully I'll be on that panel, as well, but I'll be there throughout the whole convention. Should be an awesome time.

ALR: Is there any message you'd like to send your current fans and potential readers?

Greg Dean: I am so, so sorry for what I've put you through. I'm just glad there aren't laws against it. Yet.

Oh, wait...POTENTIAL readers... Um, "Real Life is super-spiffy! Ignore what I said to the current readers, that doesn't apply to you! You'll love it... no, really!"

Thanks, again, Greg! And thank you to everyone at I.C. Entertainment who made this interview possible.