The story is filled with absolutely gorgeous art, absurd humor, and a huge assortment of odd ball characters who you can't help but fall in love with. If for some reason you're one of the few people who hasn't discovered Girl Genius already, be sure to take a day off to go read through the archive.
Kathy
Kathy Peterson: Girl Genius is one of the most original ideas for a comic I've ever seen. How did you come up with the initial concept? What, if anything, provided the inspiration for your version of Europe filled with Mad Scientists and experiments gone wrong?
Phil Foglio: The initial idea is that we wanted to do a comic with a smart, strong female lead. Originally we were going to do it as a contemporary strip, but Kaja was looking through my sketchbooks and saw all this steampunk-type stuff that I enjoyed drawing, and said why don't we create a setting that would let me draw as much of that kind of stuff as I wanted.
KP: Reading Girl Genius, it appears as if you've put a significant amount of time into developing a back story and history for all the characters and world itself. To what extent do you have the various story lines you are working on already figured out?
PF: Kaja and I wrote the story for six years before we put out the first issue. The story is complete. This is not to say that it's FINISHED. We know where the story is going, but how it gets there has changed significantly.
KP: Five years from now, where do you hope to be professionally? Will you still be working on Girl Genius or do you have any new projects that you want to do in the future?
PF: An excellent question. We do have some other stories we're constructing, but Girl Genius is still fun.
KP: It's been over a year since you made the switch to being a webcomic. How has the transition gone? Are you happy you did it? Any advice for other people thinking about making the switch?
PF: It was the best thing we ever did, professionally. Making a webcomic is easier, cheaper and faster than a regular comic. My advice is remember that each and every page should be able to stand alone. A new reader won't care about your story arc, they'll judge you by what that see the first time they see it.
KP: How do you and your wife split up the various duties that go into making Girl Genius?
PF: We both write it. I draw it. The colors are done by the charming Cheyenne Wright. Kaja letters it, formats the pages for the book, does the pre-production design & layout, and maintains the websites.
KP: What's the best way to get rid of a mimmoth infestation?
PF: Very sticky peanut butter.
KP: Last, what's the one webcomic you'd recommend people check out that they're probably not reading already?
PF: Dresden Codak
