GameCulture Gets Experience Points, Scott Johnson Chat

One of the things I have learned over the years is that comics as a medium as just as much a part of culture as books, movies and games. When you can combine comics with another love, it becomes powerful to both mediums.

In the case of Experience Points, by artist Scott Johnson, he has combined his love of creating comics with his passion for videogames. The comic originally appeared on Crispy Gamer, but with the demise of the editorial side of that site, he has agreed to bring the comic to GameCulture.

The comic will run once a week on Monday, beginning Feb. 8. In the meantime, we picked Johnson's brain a bit about the comic to get fans their XP fix. Read the interview after the jump:

GameCulture: How did you get started creating comics and what was your first one?

Scott Johnson: I've been drawing and doodling on flat surfaces my entire life, and not always on paper.  My math homework often contained more artwork than it did math.  Most people thought it was a problem, but I loved it.  I wanted to draw all the time, and there have been countless little comics here and there that I started, ended, and started again ... much to the entertainment of family and friends.

My first real web comic was a little thing called Real Toons, which dealt with the humor found in first person tactical shooters.  That led to ExtraLife, a general geek related comic, that still runs to this day.  The web has afforded me a way to take my passion for drawing cartoons and comics and build a real audience around them without the old restrictions of syndication and traditional publishing.

Experience Points represents a natural progression for me with new characters and new stories to tell.

GC: What attracted you to the videogame theme?

SJ: Growing up, I was either drawing or playing video games.  Only made sense to put the two together and see what comes of it.  It's a great way to document what I'm playing and enjoying.

GC: What games do you like to play and why?

SJ: As host of "The Instance" podcast, a show dealing with the business, culture, and gameplay of World of Warcraft,  you might think that it would be the only game I play these days.  As it turns out, I love console games, portable games, and other PC games as well.  Having owned every console released since the Atari 2600, I've certainly had my fill.  My favorite genres include shooters, RPG's, puzzle games, and a lot of crazy downloadable independent stuff.  There's never been a better time in my mind to be a gamer.

GC: How much of the characters you create reflects your personality or experiences?

SJ: In the case of Experience Points, there is a lot of me inside of Vincent.  Steve the Duck provides a very interesting contrast, but if I had admit it, I'd say Steve represents a very different side of me. As a result, I feel like the two almost constitute a single well-rounded character.

GC: So tell us about Vince. What makes him tick?

SJ: Vince loves video games, but longs for a life of greater meaning. He wants to meet someone, outside of his adopted Duck roommate, that he can grow old with, raise a garden with, watch movies with, etc.  In the end, he's a little sad and slow to admit that the best relationships in his life are with guild mates and Xbox Live pals. Sounds depressing, but part of his motivation to go on is doing what he loves, and knowing there is more for him just around the corner.

GC: Is there a chance of a lady in Vince's future? Even the geeky Jon in Garfield ended up witha girlfriend.

SJ: I don’t think it would be fair to have Vincent have to wait and never find the girl right for him.  He’ll find her one day, but in the meantime there will be plenty of bad blind dates, horrible guild mate relationships, and other folly.  But she’s out there ... somewhere.  And Vincent knows it in his heart.

GC: What made you decide on Steve the duck as a companion instead of another talking main character?

SJ: Readers of some of the earlier panels will remember we had another character named Barney.  He was kind of a dummy, and general foil to the more straight-man-like Vincent.  But I never really could get him out of his stereotypic roots to find his true nature.  For a while, we saw vincent spend many panels alone, or with work and online contacts. When Steve came into his life, completely by accident, I knew I’d found Vincent’s perfect companion.  I never looked back.

GC: Vince plays many different games, but his obvious love is World of Warcraft. Why?

SJ: Vince considers himself an RPG gamer above all else, and shines in his WoW guild in ways that he struggles with in his real life.  He’s charismatic, strong willed, and exquisitely geared.  While he loves video games in general, it’s in the fantasy-based MMO where he really finds his feet, at least socially, and can shed his nerdy look and awkward existence a few times a week.

GC: How long does it take you to create the comic and what is the process you use, from idea to completion?

SJ: While this varies depending on the day, most of the time it goes like this:  Scour around my own recent game experiences and life experiences, see if there is anything in there we can riff on.  If not, I go to gaming blogs, and news sources around the web to find a spark.  Once I am good on an idea, I write up my dialog and start building out a sketch of the overall comic.  Then I ink, color, tweak, and post!  The entire process can take anywhere between an hour and three on average.  Sometimes the best stuff comes in the middle of the night, where I keep a pad for quick idea capturing.

GC: In the feedback you have received about Experience Points, what resonates most with the fans?

SJ: By far it’s the juxtaposition between Vince and Steve, and how Steve often acts as a way to remind Vincent of the simpler things in life, of truth and consequences, and ultimately of his own need for companionship.  Steve’s blank stare and loyalty are at the core of the comic as it is today, and I think fans see that as an anchor for these characters.

We look forward to the new strip every Monday. Watch for it right here on GameCulture. Thanks, Scott!