I’ve been drawing Robbie and Bobby for awhile now. This August will make eight years. Here I’ve put together some snapshots of Bobby over the years.
In the first year of drawing Robbie and Bobby, I was struggling with just making the characters look the same in each panel. If you see some of the earliest comics, Bobby loses and gains weight within three panels! I drew a staring contest that lasted twenty-five panels just to practice drawing them repeatedly. It was a pretty boring comic!
During 2005, I really got the knack for my character design, and the art was showing progress. I was drawing more detailed backgrounds, and was paying closer attention to lettering, and character placement in each panel. As I got more comfortable with the basics, I started experimenting with the style.
Crosshatching, perspective, (other art words), I didn’t want to get bored with my comic, and it was good to challenge myself. The most drastic change happened this year when I switched from exclusively hand-drawn art to illustrating on a digital tablet. Learning a new device was a challenge in itself, but I’m really glad I picked it up. Another small change you might notice is I’ve changed my lettering style. I used to write in lowercase, but now it’s almost always in caps now. Some of my analog comics had legibility issues, partly because of the lowercase letters, and partly because of the limited space. Now that I’m drawing digitally, space is less of an issue. This has really allowed for some innovation with the comic. I’m rather pleased with this development.
I recently added hundreds of comics to the archive dating back to Robbie and Bobby‘s first year. The strips were originally untitled when they ran in The Daily Cougar, so I’ve added unique titles to help you. (Please excuse if some of them still are not titled yet! I will get to those shortly.) There are also some good story arcs in there. Some of them are five comics long, some are ten. Those story lines really helped develop the Robbie and Bobby you know today! If you like what you’ve been reading so far, there’s definitely something in the archive you’ll like, too.
So, maybe I should have some sort of eight year anniversary celebration in August? It’s exciting to look back on how long I’ve been drawing Robbie and Bobby. I wonder if there’s such a thing as “cartoonist years?” Eight years feels like a long time, but it’s really just the beginning.
Thanks for reading!
Congrats and cheers!! Had no idea Robbie & Bobby has been around for sooo long!!!
Thanks Mija!
Yes, much like a twenty hidden in a winter coat pocket, Robbie and Bobby have been quietly awaiting your excited discovery
A twenty, what kind of mad cash are you making?
The presidents are so angry on my dollars.
It’s not anger, but a stern love. They’re happy you’re saving them, but they want to teach you to spend. Lincoln isn’t upset, he just has the look of hunger for places he’s never been.
I knew Robbie and Bobby before I knew you!
But I still like you best.
That's right! You came to my party and left a note on my drawing desk requesting more vampire cowboys.
You are sweeter than bee spit.
I think i like Robbie and Bobby the best today in it's current form. Your lines are really smooth and i love all the gif's and such you do. :]
Thanks Denis! That really means a lot. You've seen this progress firsthand, pretty much!
We will have so many stories to share at the webcartoonists' retirement home.
Truly awesome. I've been drawing comics since I can remember, but I have only been putting anything up for 6 months now (aside from some early attempts I shan't be speaking of). It's interesting to see some of the problems you are talking about, and how some of them are things I still struggle with. Keeping characters looking the same is a big one, and it's the primary reason that out of all of the ideas I have for strips, I went with the gag strip idea (at least it will get me used to keeping a schedule?).
I really dig your comic, and it's stuff like finding out that you've kept it up for 8 dang years that makes me want to get to work on other comics I want to do. If you were a person who lived in the same country as me, I would fully buy you a celebratory 8 year beer/cake/cat/whatever thing it is you enjoy in August. But I guess instead I'll just drink/eat/befriend it myself, and show you pictures.
I think this whole comics thing would feel really futile without being able to talk to other cartoonists. Who knew talking about spaghetti hammocks on twitter could be so fun? When I started, I had no idea I'd get to have these kinds of awesome and hilarious friendships with people who make comics, too. (Thank you, Internet!)
I will totally take you up on that celebratory beercakecat, Keith! Thanks so much for the kind offer. Maybe we can met up at a comic con in the not too distant future? By then, it'll be closer to the 9th anniversary, and even more EXTREME. Explosive fist bumps and super high fives will ensue. Whadda say about dem apples?
Those are some good apples. I gotta say, the whole being able to interact with other cartoonist aspect of comics nowadays is really helping keep me motivated to do stuff. I always hear cartoonists from back in the syndication days, and even some webcartoonists from early on talk about how lonely of a profession it is, but thanks to Twitter and the internet in general, it's been really easy to talk to people who are doin' this, and it helps a lot. I will stand by my word and create a world of beercakecats whenever we are able to both be at a comic con, for true. Nine years is a better anniversary ANYway because beercakecats have 9 lives!
Jeez, 8 years is a helluva long time. Congrats on keeping with it for so long. I've only started reading recently but I'm really enjoying what I see. Keep up the great work!
Thanks a bunch, Josh! I appreciate the encouragment, and I don't intend on quitting comics. I decided long ago that I ever lost my hands in a shark attack or industrial accident, or industrial shark accident, I'd draw comics by holding a pen in my teeth. So, I guess that what you'd call dedication?
Awesome. Just started reading this year and it's definitely one of my fav webcomincs. Love seeing you on Reddit!
It's Reddit Sarah!
Thanks so much, Sarah. There's so much wonderful work out there, and it's really nice of you to you consider to Robbie and Bobby one of your fave comics. I guess that's saying something! I'll keep posting them online long as this ol' internet is around
How old were you when you started? Do you ever draw non-Robby and Bobby comics just for fun?
I was twenty when I started. It was my sophomore year of college, and I had actually submitted some non Robbie and Bobby comic ideas to the school paper before they picked up the bot and his boy. (Thank goodness for rejection!) Deadlines five days a week was great training! ^_^
I do actually have a couple of side projects I'm working on that are not Robbie and Bobby comics! I will post on the site when those are complete. Thanks for asking, Turbo Sloth!
Wow, great progression. 2011 is a good year!
Thanks for reading, christiann! 2011 has been the best year so far, besides the first year, which was essential to the progression. hehe
I really appreciate your encouragement, too! Now if you excuse me, I have some reading to catch up on over at Sticky Comics! ^_^
Good to know you're dedicated. few are.
Also good to know you're naming the old strips.
Much appreciated, Jety. It's good to know I have such dedicated readers, too! It would get awful lonely making all these comics without people to enjoy them–and keep me sharp with constructive critiques
Thanks again for your help with reviewing the archives!
dawwww…
you're welcome.
I was into Robbie and Bobby before it was cool. Now they sold out.
Haha! That's so true! I still have your nice letter you sent The Daily Cougar in 2003. That was really cool of you, and it really encouraged me to keep making comics. Thanks so much, Gael!
And here we are today. I'm swimming in a pool of comics money! It's a veryyyy shallow pool, by the way.
Love your write-up, Jason. It's cool how you mentioned your growth as a cartoonist. Some people just do the same thing without learning! It was a bold move to switch to digital but I certainly think you've mastered it.
Though I still miss the hand-drawn boy and robot!
I think I will try lots of different art thangs in the course of my cartooning. Hand drawings are not behind me, in fact I have a special hand drawn project planned for the Nano Fiction auction coming up at the end of the August.