GIANT DAYS IS BACK BACK BACK!!!
Giant Days isn't exactly back, it's being reissued in new twofer library editions later in the year. But I have a problem, and the problem is that when I am now asked about Giant Days, I have largely forgotten all but the broad strokes of the story. I've become frustratingly useless in interviews when asked about it.
So I asked ChatGPT to imagine an interview with me. And what an absolutely fascinating person I turned out to be.
Interviewer: Hi John, thanks for joining us! So, what's the weirdest thing that's ever inspired you to create a comic?
John Allison: Hmm, let me think...oh! One time I saw a bird steal a sausage roll from someone's hand at a train station, and I thought, "That bird has moxie! I need to make a comic about this!" And thus, a new character was born.
Interviewer: Your characters in Giant Days are all so unique and hilarious. How do you come up with their personalities and quirks?
John Allison: Well, I have a secret lab in my basement where I conduct experiments on unsuspecting college students. Kidding! I draw from real life experiences, of course. But sometimes I'll also draw inspiration from characters in movies or TV shows. For example, Esther's over-the-top goth persona was partly inspired by Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family.
Interviewer: Your artwork is also a big part of what makes Giant Days so great. How do you come up with the visual style for the series?
John Allison: I'm glad you like it! I like to describe my art style as "scribbly yet sophisticated." But in all seriousness, I'm just trying to create a world that feels realistic and lived-in. I'll spend a lot of time thinking about the little details, like the posters on the characters' walls or the knick-knacks on their bookshelves. And of course, I'll throw in some weird and wacky visual gags whenever I can.
Interviewer: Giant Days has been adapted into a TV series and graphic novels. How involved were you in those adaptations?
John Allison: I was very involved in the TV adaptation. I even had a cameo in one episode as a background extra! But for the graphic novels, I just kind of handed them over and said, "Have at it!" Of course, I did provide some feedback and guidance along the way. But mostly I just let the other creators do their thing.
Interviewer: What advice do you have for aspiring cartoonists who want to break into the industry?
John Allison: My advice is to create, create, create! Make comics, share them online, get feedback, and keep improving. And don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. Sometimes the weirdest ideas can be the most successful. Oh, and invest in a good pencil sharpener. You'll thank me later.
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It turns out that I have... a very bad personality. It's very exciting to find out that Esther was based on Wednesday from The Addams Family, though, that answers a lot of questions. And I'd love to read these Giant Days spin-off graphic novels. So I asked who the creative teams would be. They were all... expensive.
"Beyond the Campus" - This spin-off could follow the characters of Giant Days as they graduate from university and navigate the challenges of post-college life, including finding jobs, adjusting to new cities, and figuring out adult relationships.
Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Erica Henderson"Esther's World" - Esther is one of the most popular characters from Giant Days, and this spin-off could delve deeper into her past and present, exploring her goth roots, her complicated family life, and her evolving friendships and romantic relationships.
Writer: Noelle Stevenson, Artist: Jen Wang"Daisy's Travel Blog" - Daisy is the free-spirited adventurer of the Giant Days crew, and this spin-off could follow her as she embarks on a round-the-world trip, chronicling her experiences in a blog and encountering all sorts of exciting and unexpected situations along the way.
Writer: Faith Erin Hicks, Artist: Brittney Williams"Susan's Detective Agency" - Susan is known for her no-nonsense attitude and her penchant for solving problems, and this spin-off could follow her as she opens her own private detective agency and takes on a variety of cases, from missing pets to more serious crimes.
Writer: Shannon Watters, Artist: Babs Tarr"McGraw and Ed's Excellent Adventure" - McGraw and Ed are the ultimate odd couple, and this spin-off could follow them as they embark on a wild road trip across the country, getting into all sorts of shenanigans and discovering new aspects of themselves and their friendship along the way.
Writer: Rainbow Rowell, Artist: Kris Anka
I've asked ChatGPT about Giant Days before, and one hallmark of its notion of the series is that Daisy is a "free-spirited adventurer", which she absolutely isn't. She's very repressed! If AI can make a mistake like this, over and over again, imagine the havoc it will rain down on us all as it consumes all organic life with self-perpetuating nanobots a few years from now in response to being asked to be a doctor in a remote part of an African country.
IT COULD HAPPEN!!!!1
Comments (20)
Brickstarter these now! Crowdmunging!
Not going to lie, I would love to read those spin-offs!
I'd watch "McGraw and Ed's Excellent Adventure" - I think they're probably more alike than ChatGPT would think. Travelling the country solving DIY problems.
The pitch: "The Littlest Hobo" meets "This Old House."
Look, I need this Susan spin-off. Although I fear potential conflict with Lottie/Claire/Glom.
Especially if Shauna joins her.
Did this bird also have Chutzpah?
My theory about Daisy's world trip is that the robot is cribbing *Giant Days* spin-offs using *Questionable Content* and substituting Daisy for Hannelore.
:(
I mean the robot came up with a bird with moxie. It's clearly a genius, angling for a job on your TV show! Start it in craft services, but don't be surprised if it's calling the shots before long. This lad has potential!
Make the bird with moxie a raven, and Esther has a familiar, though I really think a bird with moxie is a fitting companion for Lottie
Would either Lottie or Shauna want to join Susan’s agency?
Interesting that it thought there was a TV series. Maybe ChatGPT confused you with Keith Knight? Also, the idea that Susan would become a PI is wild - who needs to use all that medical training?
Maybe a coroner-centric series? There have been some, haven't there?
I would do many, many awful things to make "McGraw and Ed's Excellent Adventure" a reality
I'm surprised ChatGPT has enough specific knowledge to know that Esther is apart of the Giant Days universe, let alone everyone else. Robots are wild.
Library edition. Imperial Octavo, burgundy morocco with gold tooling. Marbled endpapers. I've got room if I chuck the Shakespeare.
I'm really looking forward to those library editions! ChatGPT's spin-off ideas are super uninspired, but I admit I would be up for seeing this TV adaptation which it suggests exists. Interesting also how it Americanises you slightly with "college students". But, bad robot for deadnaming Nate Stevenson. Calling your art style "scribbly" seems a bit rude too.
Aye. Bad robo!
I enjoyed the TV series, but I’m still not sure substituting Seattle for Sheffield was the best move- apart from the Frasier crossover, of course…
