Have you ever accidentally stumbled onto a TV show and just been pulled in by it? Did you, after seeing
it, know immediately that you wanted to see it again? Were you then compelled to return and watch the
next episode? If so, then you know how the comic strip “Big Top” hooked me. I discovered it on a
syndicated comic strip site (now known as GoComics) and was immediately smitten with the comic due to its
humor and clean, yet cartoony art style. The strip, created by Rob Harrell, reads like a really funny
sitcom (no, I’m talking about a so-funny-it’ll-make-you-laugh-out-loud kind of sitcom) with talking
animals, a boy, and his psychotic pet clown that’s set within the realm of a travelling circus. Harrell
provides laughs everyday of the week with subject matter that ranges from random gags to pop-culture riffs
to sweeping sagas that affect not only the Big Top Circus, but the world. And yes, it’s all funny.
In addition to writing and drawing “Big Top” on a daily basis, Harrell also manages to find the time to
paint. He has completed quite a few lovely works depicting the human figure in a variety of poses,
lighting, and color schemes. (You can view some of them here at
his own site. ) Recently, I was fortunate enough to steal Harrell away from his work for a brief (yet
insightful and humorous) interview (which I now present to you in its entirety). I hope that you enjoy
(and then promptly check out Big Top ).
Steve Magnum
Steve Magnum: With all the ribs, slams, and punishment that you put Stucco the clown through, one might
get the notion that you have coulrophobia. And if that’s the case, does taking aim at Stucco provide a
therapeutic release for you?
Rob Harrell: Absolutely. I’ve always thought clowns were terrifying. Ventriloquist dummies, too. I
don’t know how often I get the idea across successfully, but I think of Stucco as being more of a wild
animal than the animals themselves. Although, I occasionally like to have him come out on top. I like to
think that he simply does the annoying things he does because that’s the way he was made. Sharks are
eating machines, and clowns are annoying machines…
SM: Earlier this year, you took a break from the strip in order to deal with cancer. But instead of
your strip going into re-runs for a few weeks, a different guest creator provided a new strip for each day
you were recovering (except for Sundays). People like Jim Davis, Jan Eliot, Mike Baldwin, and others all
stepped up to give you a hand. How did that happen? What got the ball rolling? How did this get from
idea to reality? And will those strips be in the next “Big Top” collection?
RH: Well, when I found out I had the tumor, I really wanted to try to work hard and not miss any days.
It was sort of a personal goal. A way to “get through” the whole thing. But, then in January, they
figured out it was a much more serious type of cancer, and things started moving really fast. I suddenly
had to have this surgery, and knew the recovery was going to take a while.
So, I think the idea came up when I was talking with Mark Pett, who does the fantastic “Lucky Cow.” I
mentioned it to a couple of people at the syndicate, and they just ran with it. It was amazing. They
sent out a letter to their creators, and people jumped in to help. It was originally going to be a week
of “subs”, but because of the response, they ended up with two and a half weeks. Not to get all mushy,
but it still chokes me up. They helped me out so much at a time when I needed it so bad.
As for the next collection, we’re gonna have to keep our fingers crossed for that. So, everyone go to
your favorite bookseller and order twenty copies of the first book! Come on! Grassroots effort! Let’s
go! (Magnum’s Note: I purchased my copy from Amazon.com and believe me when I say, “it’s worth every
penny.”)
SM: Do you think that knowing that your friends and peers had your back helped your recovery?
RH: Definitely. The first couple weeks of my recovery are sort of a blur, but one thing I didn’t have
to worry about at all was hitting a deadline. I was able to focus on getting better, icing my eye,
sleeping about 20 hours a day and listening to my iPod.
SM: Let’s talk about Wink, for a minute. The bear used to be in a biker gang and now rides a unicycle
in a tutu. He has an undying crush on news anchor Katie Couric, and he loves to pummel clowns. Would you
say that he is your alter ego? If so, how much of his character is based on you and how much is “all
Wink”?
RH: You know, I think I’m about half Wink and half Dusty. I generally present myself in a fairly
Wink-like manner. I tend to avoid conflict like Wink, but there’s a healthy, angry Dusty diatribe going
on in my head. Like Wink, I’ve had some crazier times in my past, but am now pretty well domesticated.
My wife Amber and I turn on the Today show every morning (not sure about Meredith Viera, yet) and have
become sort of homebodies – which all seems pretty Wink-like. The part of Wink’s character that’s all
Wink is that sort of “childhood innocence.” I like having a character like that, because I think that’s a
trait most of us have a hard time hanging onto.
SM: Dusty Poodle is an interesting lens with which to look at (and skewer) pop-culture. How did you
come to create him?
RH: He sort of created himself. He wasn’t in the original idea of the strip, and then he showed up in
a punch line panel one day. Then I had he and another poodle show up now and then. No one’s quite sure
what happened to the other poodle (when asked, Dusty just gets this chilling, far-away look in his eyes),
but Dusty just stuck around. I figured out I really liked writing for him. I think he’s sort of the
vehicle for me to say what I want to say and do the things I want to do. I’ve tried to set him up as a
likeable unlikable character – but one with limitless access to the worlds of pop culture, politics, high
society… you name it. I find him really therapeutic.
SM: In addition to creating “Big Top”, you’re also a skilled oil painter, and you’ve created several
beautiful pieces. Do you have a preference when it comes to the style of work? Do oil and canvas appeal
more than newsprint (or vice versa)? If so, why does one appeal to you more than the other? If not, what
is it about both types that you find attractive?
RH: Hmm. The honest answer is that I think I prefer whichever I’m doing at the time. The flip side
is that when I’m painting, I feel guilty that I’m not working on the strip, and when I’m working on the
strip, guilty that I’m not painting. It’s not healthy. The fact is, when I’m working on either, I can
lose track of time, and that gives me some sort of charge. With anything creative, I love that “zone” I
can fall into, where I lose track of time, or the CD stops and I don’t realize it for another hour and a
half. I tend to have a lot of things going at once. Gag cartooning, illustrations, the strip, paintings,
commissioned paintings. I’ve been doing some writing. I’m trying to learn how to do some simple
animation on my computer. I just love finding that creative space-out.
But, back to your question, the thing I love about the painting, is that it uses a completely different
part of my brain. I think working with paint is a lot more like sculpting than drawing. But I love doing
both.
SM: Aside from “Big Top” and your paintings, are there any other projects you’re working on that fans
should keep an eye out for?
RH: You can look for my gag cartoons to be showing up (hopefully) here and there. I’ve been doing
some pieces for Mad magazine, which I think is just so incredibly cool.
Then, of course, there’s my Great American Novel, my series of high-budget, enormously successful Big Top
features, and my string of scalding Tarantino-esque movies which will shake the film world’s very
foundations. And that sex tape that I’m having leaked next week.
SM: What inspired you to create your first comic strip “Freak Out”? And why do you think that it
wasn’t the hit you were hoping for? When you pursued professional comic work, what made you decide to
create something new instead of retooling “Freak Out”? Will your readers ever see “Freak Out” (in any
incarnation)? (Note to readers: Harrell created this strip while in the fourth grade, so unless you were
in his class or his family, it’s highly unlikely that you’ve seen it.)
RH: To call “Freak Out” a comic strip would be a stretch. It was more of a blatant rip-off of Mad
magazine, Cracked magazine, and those stickers with gross versions of real products. Remember those? Do
they still make them? Anyway, most of the “magazine” was a series of flagrant copyright violations and
subtly changed versions of those cards. (Cut me some slack. I was 8.) There were original characters…
Henry the cat. Bob the Blob. But they really didn’t do much, as I recall. I just liked drawing them.
So, no, Freak Out will probably never see the light of day, again.
There were a couple of other strips that I tried to get syndicated shortly after college. One was
“University Blues” and was largely about beer. The other was “Fester’s Travels”, and was about a frog, an
alligator and an elephant crossing the country on a mechanical horse named Exxon. Thankfully, the
syndicates rejected both.
SM: Did you ever read comic strips or comic books when you were growing up? If so, what were your
favorites? If not, how did you develop an interest in creating comics?
RH: I know you asked about comic books, but first let me address comic strips. I loved Pogo. Any of
those books I could get a hold of, I just poured over the art. Incredible. And Charles Addams. Then
came Bloom County, which I just worshipped. I wonder if kids still get that way about strips these days…
Also Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side. But Doonesbury has always been my biggest comic strip love. The
moon rises and sets over Doonesbury. Or however that saying goes.
As far as comic books go, I never really got into the whole superhero thing. Not sure why. This probably
makes me really uncool, but I always read “Archie.” I had a ton of those. Also, Sad Sack, Richie Rich,
that kind of stuff. I also loved Mad and the magazine CARtoons.
SM: Have there been any particular Big Top storylines that you’re especially proud of? Conversely,
have there been any storylines that make you cringe and wonder “why did I do that?” when you look back on
them?
RH I tend to be the proudest of the bigger story arcs, but I try not do it that often, as it’s tough
for a new reader to pick up in the middle of something and stick with it. Maybe if I was in 400 papers,
it would be different, but for now I’m trying to build my audience.
But I think some of my favorites were when the changed their circus to “Le Big Top”, a Cirque de
Soleil-type show, when Dusty went to Mars, Stucco’s back story, and their ill-fated reality show “American
Sideshow Idol.”
I don’t have any series of strips that make me cringe, but I do cringe when I look back at how the drawing
of the characters has changed. Dusty’s nose in particular has undergone dramatic shifts in size, without
me realizing it. I think he may have gotten an implant without me knowing.
SM: Ok, final question: Will we ever see Pete don a “Zothar, The Human Tree Frog” costume and perform
in the comic strip?
RH: Funny thing. I put that in my bio, that I had worked a sideshow for years as Zothar the Human
Tree Frog, as a joke. But I have had more questions about that than any other thing in there. After a
couple of years, the publicist at the syndicate called me to timidly ask if it was true or not. I told
her yes, because of my freakishly large finger and toe pads.
But… Zothar may be showing up in the strip very soon.
SM: On behalf of my colleagues here at Genrebusters and myself, thank you so much for your time. We
truly appreciate it.
RH: Thanks for asking me to do this. I really enjoyed it. I love doing the strip and am always
looking for ways to get the word out about it.
