Written By: Will Davies
Do you ever get that feeling? The one where it’s one in the morning and you’re desperately trying to write a column before your editor’s time zone crosses into Thursday? That sort of tingle in your right heel and the strange sense that all of your teeth would much rather be somewhere else? They call it the “deadline itch” and it’s the number three cause of death amongst columnist types. Fortunately items one and two on the chart don’t enter into things here, the Septagon editorial staff are very nice people and not at all chain smoking serial divorcees who keep phoning us all up and asking for their goddamn columns. As far as I know.

Anyway, the webcomic causing me a variety of distresses this week is none other than The Adventures of Doctor McNinja. It is mostly the creation of Chris Hastings who draws and writes the comic while inking is performed by a one Kent Archer. It’s more than likely that you’ll have strayed across Dr McNinja at least once, after all it is one of the longer running titles out there with eight thirty page issues available in the archive. It also holds a seat on the Secret Webcomics Illuminati (read Dayfree) along with other popular titles such as Questionable Content and Little Gamers.

The plot of the comic runs very much like a lot of print titles with individual stories lasting about thirty pages at a time with slower paced character threads occasionally running in and out. Things are generally quite surreal what with the Mexican raptor bandits and the ear ghosts, but Hastings occasionally displays somewhat more sophisticated writing skills managing to craft a number of his core cast into genuinely interesting characters, as opposed to Ridiculous Ninja Themed Characters One and Two as they might have been if left to their own devices. The dialogue is also of a high quality and stay well clear of the less subtle approach that permeates a number of similar, less successful titles.

Hastings art is also top-notch. He deploys simple, effective and entertaining style that has come into its own in recent issues and surmounted some earlier rough moments. About as much humour is derived from the artwork as it is from the dialogue or plot and more often than not all three are put to work in tandem producing very distinctive and memorable moments. The qualifier for “distinctive and memorable is getting three grown men to stand in a corridor shouting “KNIIIIFE EEEEEYYYE” at each other at four in the morning without any chemical assistance.

Oh god, what have I done:

Will: First off, the obligatory “basics” question. What is DrMcNinja about?

Chris Hastings: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is a comic about the adventures of a doctor who is also a ninja. He comes from a family of ninjas, the McNinjas, and they are very disappointed that he decided to become a doctor instead of a full time ninja. He has a 12 year old sidekick who has an enormous mustache and rides a raptor, and his receptionist is a gorilla named Judy.

Will: The comic has a very distinctive sense of humour, one that has a very strong “internet” flavour about it a medium which is not widely recognised for its grace or sophistication. Do you ever feel that writing the comic becomes a struggle to stay on the right side of the separating line between the surreal and the merely random?

Chris Hastings: Nope! One of the core principles behind Dr. McNinja is it’s bizarre sense of logic. The comic is always going to be weird, but it will never be random. It’s driven by logic.

Will: To me McNinja seems like a hybrid of the more serious long-form webcomic and the mania that ensue in four panel affairs. Do we detect the rumblings of a serious writer under the madcap antics of a comedian?

Chris Hastings: Hahaha, that’s a good question! I would say there is a funny person who loves a good story and and appreciates good storytelling. Also, there is someone who can’t tell a decent joke without context.

Will: So San Diego Comics Con is coming up, or if everything has gone tits up it’ll already have passed. How do you feel that webcomics stand up against the big boys? Glorious independents or pretenders scuttling about the periphery?

Chris Hastings: The webcomics tables at Comic Con attract some pretty big crowds the whole time! I’d say the scuttling was pretty glorious.

Will: Stock Question #442: Who are your greatest influences? Apart from Batman.

Chris Hastings: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 80’s Action movies, and just superhero comics in general.

Will: What webcomics aren’t people reading that you think they should?

Chris Hastings: I think more people should read the Slighty Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs. http://inspectorham.com/ It has fantastic artwork, and dark humor that isn’t dark in the annoying Hot Topic kind of way, but in the good, beheaded hamster prostitute way.

Will: Evan Dahm of Rice Boy wants to know how much money would you have to be paid to allow the characters of your comic to be mascots in a commercial for adult diapers?

Chris Hastings: $500,000. The ball is in your court, Depends.

Will: And the worst possible question for the next poor unfortunate?

Chris Hastings:”How have your worst moments with the opposite sex helped shape your artistic vision?”

The Adventures of Doctor McNinja can be found at www.drmcninja.com  I would go if I were you. They are aware of the various locations at which you dwell.

Discussion Prod
Does anyone actually read this far down the page? Discuss.

Five Items or Less

All quiet on the western front. Also the eastern and southern fronts, and I don’t think anyone’s been north in a while either.

Next week on FPE: Things move in a dynamic new direction! Away from proper scheduling as fast as possible!

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