Ten Questions: The Timony Twins
This time, we talk to the terrible Timony Twins, the force behind the hit Zuda comic, The Night Owls. Here we ask them ten questions in an attempt to inform and entertain.
From the Wikipedia article:
The Night Owls is a twice weekly webcomic by Peter and Bobby Timony appearing every Tuesday and Thursday on DC Comics Zuda imprint. It was selected as Zuda’s Instant Winner in December, 2007.Set in 1920’s New York, the strip follows the adventures of a group of Detectives who solve supernatural crimes. The strip alternates between single gags and longer story arcs, though each episode is designed to stand on its own. Although it often deals with bizarre and disturbing themes, the strip maintains a light-hearted tone that is generally suited for all ages. Each strip is usually six to eight panels long, has an art deco banner across the top and is colored in warm sepia hues.
1] Tell us who you are!
PT: I’m Peter Timony, the Writer on Night Owls and also the Evil Twin. Bloo Ha Ha! (TM) I’m also the Righty. Bobby’s the Lefty. We’re mirror twins.
BT: I’m Bobby, and I draw the comic. I’m the good twin and lefty.
2] What is the most difficult part of starting a webcomic?
PT: One of the most difficult things is sticking to a deadline. You want to be consistent with your updates (and the quality of your updates) so that readers can depend on them. Also, marketing your comic and getting readers to check it out every week. That’s one of the benefits of Zuda, actually. There is an established fan base there and DC does a lot of marketing that would not ordinarily be available, such as as print ads in the DC books.
BT: The most difficult part for me was getting used to keeping up the schedule and meeting the deadlines. I’d never had such a long deadline commitment before, and in April we switched to two screens a week, doubling my work load. It took some adjusting, but I got the hang of it.
3] What helped you decide to host your comic on Zuda rather than just striking it out on your own?
PT: A couple of things. The DC connection, the money, the exposure. Working with Zuda has been a blast. They treat us like gold over there, and the other Zuda creators we’ve met have been very friendly. Zuda is like a big happy family, without the genetic ties… except for Bobby and I who are actually related.
BT: When I first heard about Zuda I recognized what a great opportunity it was and started working on my comic right away. The Night Owls was only ever intended for Zuda. If we hadn’t gotten in, I would have moved on to something else.
4] What inspired the look of the comic?
PT: Old movies. Bobby and I are big fans of early comedy in film. Give us a few hours and we’ll jaw your ear off about Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy or the Marx Brothers. I’m a Groucho kind of guy. Bobby is more of a Stan Laurel kind of guy.
BT: While coming up with ideas for the comic, I was watching a Harold Lloyd movie called “Speedy”. In it, Lloyd plays a cab driver and throughout the film we’re treated to various location shots in NYC in the mid 20’s. I decided to use that as my setting, and built the concept up from there.
5] Why stick with the comic strip format? Was it a conscious effort on your part to stick with that set up, or did it just happen to work out that way?
PT: The decision was based on Zuda’s aspect ratio, which to us resembled a Sunday paper comic strip. Also, our understanding at the time was that we would be updating once a week for a year, so we wrote it like that, with the knowledge that a week (or a few days) would go by before people saw the next page, so each page had to end in a punch line or a cliffhanger.
BT: I think the Sunday comic strip format helps contribute to the nostalgic look and feel of the comic.
6] What is so appealing about the time period that The Night Owls is set in? The comic seems to appreciate and embrace the period in which it is set, where as most webcomics tend to take an almost anachronistic approach to the time period. Do you do a lot of research to make sure you’re sticking with the time period?
PT: Like I said, old movies. We love ‘em. We have watched many of them and read many books about the people in them. Not just the comedians, either. I likes me some Bogart or Cagney, on occasion, just to mix it up a little. Ever see “The Roaring Twenties”? It’s got both of them in it.
BT: Thank you. As far as research goes, we tend to write the stories, then pick through them for anachronisms. As an example, Pete wrote some dialogue about grabbing the car keys. We looked it up and discovered that they didn’t use car keys in 1926, so we changed the line.
7] Which of you handles the majority of the writing? Is it an equal process between the two of you?
PT: Bobby and I discuss possible story lines and verbally hash out any plot points. We decide all that together, and then I write them. Originally, Night Owls was Bobby’s thing. He wanted to do the Zuda submission, and I encouraged him. He wrote the first seven pages and got stuck, so I stepped in and wrote page eight. Then while he was drawing page eight, I scripted the next arc, which is the Bluebeard story. So Bobby was glad for the help. Anyway, he is too busy drawing, inking, scanning, coloring and lettering each page.
BT: Pete writes the comic, and incorporates any input and suggestions I have. I couldn’t do it without him.
8] Which character has proven to be the most appealing to your readers? Any idea as to why this is?
PT: I think maybe Roscoe, because he’s cute and he’s the comic relief, he gets most of the good lines.
BT: It’s hard to say without doing a poll or survey. I suspect Mindy might be a favorite.
9] Which of you would win in a fist fight?
PT: Bobby and I are very close and would never resort to fisticuffs… that said I would totally kick his ass… Then his wife would kick mine.
BT: Peter underestimates my pugilistic prowess.
10] What do you look for in a webcomic to read?
PT: I like a lot of things. I look for humor, action, drama, whatever. As long as it is well written and fun to look at, I’m there. I’m not really a very critical person when it comes to other people’s stuff.
BT: I enjoy good character work. I like when a character has a well defined and specific point of view, and I like when the choices the character makes reveal insights into his personality. I also enjoy a unique artistic approach in a webcomic.
Special thanks to Bobby and Peter for participating. Do YOU know anyone we should interview? Send your suggestions!
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