Student turns comic artist
WINDSOR (CUP) — What started out as a crude drawing of University of Windsor English major Rachel Olsen's father has spawned an increasingly popular online comic.
Is This Too Real For You? still true to its roots; it illustrates Olsen's family members and friends, her strange childhood, and the everyday situations she finds herself in.
After finding an illustration of her father she drew when she was two years-old, Olsen decided to re-draw it on her computer.
“It looked ridiculous — a massively disproportionate head, with arms coming out of it, wobbly eyes, no torso. I thought it was hilarious,” she said.
Soon she was adding in the weird things her dad would say. She showed the pictures to her friends, and then posted them on Facebook. The comics quickly outgrew the single album Olsen had designated for them and she then began the Facebook group.
Her friends and family are portrayed in the comics mostly as being strange or angry at odd things for absurd reasons. Olsen thinks they enjoy it.
“I mean, my dad did throw me out recently and told me never to come back home because I'm not his daughter anymore, but he said that's just his way of asserting the patriarchy. Nothing weird,” joked Olsen.
The character of her father, who loves sardines and attests to the magical powers of vinegar, is certainly a standout favourite among the cast. The fame has not gone to his head, thankfully.
“If I asked him, he'd probably say something like: ‘I'm waiting for mail, go stand on the porch and wait for it. If you can't stand on the porch for your father's mail, you can forget about everything.' My dad is too modest of a guy to do anything but divert the attention,” Olsen said.
Olsen even gets recognized because of her comics.
“The weirder the person is, the better. Usually they'll start their sentence with: ‘I know this sounds weird, but…' and then I know it's going to be good,” she said.
As for what she'd like to accomplish with her comics, Olsen said: “I wouldn't mind single-handedly turning our agricultural community against the harvesting of celery. But more humiliating is the real reason, which is that I'm such a huge fan of my parents and siblings that I originally just wanted to show my friends how awesome they are. They are the best people I know. If other people think they're great now, then I'm happy.”
Besides diligently updating the Internet population on her absurd life, Olsen is busy working with people from a film school in the U.S. writing a script, as well as working on her own writing.
Olsen is also working on her website with artist Ryan Marshall. The site is up at http://isthistoorealforyou.webcomicplanet.com, but under construction, so it's encouraged that you catch up on the comics on Facebook at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33857540332.
Is This Too Real For You? still true to its roots; it illustrates Olsen's family members and friends, her strange childhood, and the everyday situations she finds herself in.
After finding an illustration of her father she drew when she was two years-old, Olsen decided to re-draw it on her computer.
“It looked ridiculous — a massively disproportionate head, with arms coming out of it, wobbly eyes, no torso. I thought it was hilarious,” she said.
Soon she was adding in the weird things her dad would say. She showed the pictures to her friends, and then posted them on Facebook. The comics quickly outgrew the single album Olsen had designated for them and she then began the Facebook group.
Her friends and family are portrayed in the comics mostly as being strange or angry at odd things for absurd reasons. Olsen thinks they enjoy it.
“I mean, my dad did throw me out recently and told me never to come back home because I'm not his daughter anymore, but he said that's just his way of asserting the patriarchy. Nothing weird,” joked Olsen.
The character of her father, who loves sardines and attests to the magical powers of vinegar, is certainly a standout favourite among the cast. The fame has not gone to his head, thankfully.
“If I asked him, he'd probably say something like: ‘I'm waiting for mail, go stand on the porch and wait for it. If you can't stand on the porch for your father's mail, you can forget about everything.' My dad is too modest of a guy to do anything but divert the attention,” Olsen said.
Olsen even gets recognized because of her comics.
“The weirder the person is, the better. Usually they'll start their sentence with: ‘I know this sounds weird, but…' and then I know it's going to be good,” she said.
As for what she'd like to accomplish with her comics, Olsen said: “I wouldn't mind single-handedly turning our agricultural community against the harvesting of celery. But more humiliating is the real reason, which is that I'm such a huge fan of my parents and siblings that I originally just wanted to show my friends how awesome they are. They are the best people I know. If other people think they're great now, then I'm happy.”
Besides diligently updating the Internet population on her absurd life, Olsen is busy working with people from a film school in the U.S. writing a script, as well as working on her own writing.
Olsen is also working on her website with artist Ryan Marshall. The site is up at http://isthistoorealforyou.webcomicplanet.com, but under construction, so it's encouraged that you catch up on the comics on Facebook at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33857540332.
