The internet is chock-a-block full of different web comics and it takes an awful lot to stand out – thankfully Cat and Girl are just quirky enough to make their own little space in the big bad world of internet comics. Created by Dorothy Gambrell, Cat and Girl, follow… well a Cat and a Girl as they stumble through life. Girl is somewhat cynical about life and in between spouting post-modern rants and philosophical speeches she still finds time to enjoy the smaller things in life, like bacon, and Cat is an anthropomorphic (see we know big words), lead-paint-eating, crazy-scheme-inventing… cat!
Cat and Girl has a very dry sense of humour, turning cheek to many other web comics which tend to indulge in more slapstick or zany jokes and reading Cat and Girl can be very refreshing!
Dorothy is also the creative mind behind The New Adventures of Death and The Ralph Bunche. Writing and drawing her own comics, finding time to do other things can be a task in itself but she takes some time to talk the @rcade…
Can you tell us a little about yourself to get the ball rolling?
Geography is destiny. Stony Brook, NY to East Setauket, NY to Williamstown, MA to Brooklyn, NY to Tucson, AZ and back to Brooklyn, NY again.
Where did the idea for Cat and Girl come from?
An allegorical student film featuring two female leads named – once the credits rolled we see – yes, they were actually named “Cat” and “Girl,” and they carried a mirror down a city street to symbolize something or other. I figured I could come up with more exciting and less allegorical adventures for characters named “Cat” and “Girl.”
Let’s say on average how long does it take you to complete an issue of Cat and Girl? Where do you get your ideas from?
Each cartoon takes about an hour to write, three hours to pencil and draw and four hours to clean up and add shades of grey and perfectly perpendicular boxes to. Ideas come from staring at a blank piece of paper until there is something to write on it.
If you encounter writers block how do you overcome it?
Writer’s block is a luxury. There is no writer’s block when you’ve got something due the next day. If you can’t think of anything good, well, then – you have to use something bad, or kind of half-assed or something stranger than you would ordinarily allow yourself. And a lot of the time people like these cartoons better than the cartoons you drew when you thought you had an idea. Authorial intent, indeed.
Do you read other comics? If so, do you have a particular favourite? When it comes to your own work with Cat and Girl do you have a favourite adventure for the duo?
I do read other comics but not as many as I should. Playing favourites is for parents.
You have a franchise of Cat and Girl goodies, how can we get our hands on some?
They are on the internet. For sale! It’s actually remarkably easy.
I try to make things that aren’t tee-shirts. Right now the most exciting object is the Trophy of Perpetual Futility. The problem with investing a lot of time in making things that are not tee shirts is – people buy tee shirts.
What’s the future for Cat and Girl? Aside from them making their own pickles and the lack of shrimp…
Creating a low-risk financial portfolio for retirement savings, unfavourably comparing current pop music to slightly older pop music and sitting in the car when they show up for the Early Bird Special at Red Lobster before the doors even open.
Finally, if you were trapped in an Arcade for eternity, what game would you play to pass the time?
I’ve always been too cheap to play arcade games. The closest I get is Laundromats.
You can visit this odd little pair of misfits at Cat and Girl.com and to purchase some of the brilliant goodies and t-shirts don’t forget to check out the funky little online store!
