FAQ

Welcome to the FAQ page where I answer all the questions you may have! That way I only have to explain it once. I hate repeating myself.

 

Q: Why is your site called Odd but nice?

A:  Good question. It’s called that because my father remarked on more than one occasion that my siblings and I were: “Odd, but nice”. Which I feel sums up this blog and myself quite well. Plus whenever he said it,  it made me smile because he said it in an upbeat funny voice and it seemed amusingly accurate.

It just fits, okay?
Q: How would you describe your blog?

A:  I would describe it as… If Hyperbole and a Half  & The Oatmeal & Calvin and Hobbes had a less funny baby that tried really hard. Hyperbomeal and Nice.

 

Q: Why are your paintings all so crappily done?

A:  The reason that my blog comics are rather…rough around the edges is because I draw them strictly on my tracer on my laptop in MSPAINT.  I love how they turn out kind of wonky because to me that adds to the humor. I have no formal training in graphic design or anything like that. I did art in high school. And you can ask my grade 12 art teacher- I was not very good.  I remember bringing a piece I’d done and when she saw it, she looked horrified and I quickly said, “This is just a rough outline its not done or anything” and she was like, “That’s good! I was worried!” So I feel like that sums up my talent in serious art.

 

Q: Are these stories actually real?

A: Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) yes. Everything I write and describe has happened to me and those around me. Disaster sort of follows me around like I have magnets in my pockets. I used to hate it, but now I sort of embrace it. My husband kind of shakes his head and laughs in disbelief.

 

Q: Why is Alan Rickman your husband stand in for the earlier posts?

A:  I thought he was super cool and attractive – especially in Die Hard which is one of my most favorite movies ever (“Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho”). And when I met my husband he reminded me so much of Hans Gruber in the movie (I think the eyes and facial hair)! So when my Husband decided he wanted to remain anonymous Alan seemed like the perfect stand in! Then I found I enjoyed drawing more and more of my posts -using less photos – and I liked how he looked in cartoon form!

 

Q: Does your husband read your blog?

A:  He does. Well, he refuses to read it in front of me. But from what I can tell, when I pass him in the office chuckling he enjoys it.  But when I ignore him talking to me because I am intent on finishing a blog post, he does not. The great thing is, he is my post-editor. As in, I post my entries and then he tells me which words I screwed up. Its a perfect symbiosis.

 

Q:  Do you draw requests?

A:  Not often. I feel like that is cheating.

 

Q:  Who are your inspirations?

A:  Above all – Bill Watterson creator of Calvin and Hobbes – his stories have the heart and humor that I hope to infuse my own work with. He taught me you can be funny but with heart.  I’ll never forget reading about how he sat in front of the mirror pulling weird faces to draw the ones  Calvin was making and I remember thinking right then that I wanted to be a cartoonist. (I’ve also wanted to be a veterinarian, stand up comic, x-ray technician and director).

My online inspirations are Alli Brosh creator of Hyperbole and a Half – Allie is hilariously funny and showed me that I do not have to be Rembrandt to do comics. But she is also willing to talk about things less funny within her blog- her writings on depression are brave. That’s the only word I can use for it- brave.

My other online inspiration is Matthew Inman creator of The Oatmeal – his unique voice and drawings are instantly recognizable and I don’t know why but I find it so appealing. I must not be the only one since he has millions of viewers a month! Sometimes I dream of a time when my blog is as popular as his but then I wake up and go back to writing about rocks shaped like mountain lions.

 

Q: Is your work copyrighted?

A: Yes. And I get especially pissy when people post photos of mine and they are not linked back to the original source of the posting. If you want to post a photo of my work please link it back to my website (that I will be okay with). If you re-post an entire posting of mine and pretend you wrote it I will obviously not be okay with it.  My husband has suggested I watermark all my photos – but truthfully, that would take FOREVER and I always hate watermarks in pieces that I’m reading. Its distracting (to me) and do you know how long it would take me to go back and watermark all my old ones? FOREVER. So just don’t be a jerk, okay?

 

Q: Why do you hate horses?

A: The real question is,  why DON’T you hate them? To further answer your question, please click here.

 

And here.

p.s. Sorry if you like horses.