Ask the Cast: Pebble Version Edition

[Josiah]

"Of course I know Professor Oak. We pokémon researchers are a tightly knit bunch. Besides, between his research, pokédex work, radio show, and his history as a trainer, he's a bit of a celebrity."

[Metalheadz]

@Brendan

How do you get your hair like that?

[Puyon]

@Cali:
Do you ever carry a map with you? It might be a little helpful.

[Josiah]

@Brendan

How do you get your hair like that?

"It's just naturally this way."

[Josiah]

@Cali:
Do you ever carry a map with you? It might be a little helpful.

"Yeah... But walking around with a map just isn't cool or fashionable so I'm in a bit of a bind there."

[Metalheadz]

@Brendan

From the way May described Hoemn, how would you compare it to Johto?

[Josiah]

"To be honest, I'm thinking that if I went back to Johto as a trainer I'd probably see it in a whole new light so it's kind of hard to answer that."

[Metalheadz]

@Josiah

Were you inspired to make PV off of Pokemon X, the webcomic?

[Phonox]

And here we go.

@Grass Kid

Does your fear of tall grass stem from your father's fear of tall grass or were they inspired by a common event?

[Josiah]

@Josiah

Were you inspired to make PV off of Pokemon X, the webcomic?

"This question, again? Well, I guess you haven't been around long enough to know the history there. Any, in a nutshell... I came up with the idea for Pebble Version in the spring of 2003. At the time, I did a web search and there weren't any online Pokémon comics. I quickly put together the first several PV strips as a test and sent them to some friends for feedback (months before Pokemon X launched). They all liked my comics, so I spent the rest of the spring and summer ripping sprites, improving my sprite comic making skills, and putting together the PV web site. PV launched in August and, shortly after, I discovered that someone (Recon of PX) had beaten me to the punch and launched a Pokemon R/S comic a month or two before PV went live. I read the first bunch of PX strips and noted that he story and humor style were significantly different than my own so I saw no problem with continuing on with PV as planned. After all, there were a million Mega Man comics online so I figured there was certainly room for two Pokemon R/S ones, especially since they were soon different. Furthermore, while PX was well done, I really didn't like the humor so I stopped reading it and just focused on PV.

And then a bunch of PX fans (who had very clearly never read much of PV) started flaming and threatening me and accusing me of ripping off PX. Recon told them to stop at first then switched stances and began strongly encouraging them to continue. Eventually I sent him a long polite e-mail explaining PV's origins and pointing out the many ways it differed from PX in great detail. He apologized, the flaming died down (but didn't completely stop) and things were good for about a year until Recon and his fans started the flame war up again. I sent Recon another polite and well reasoned e-mail and things died down again for another year or two. Both times, I encouraged PV fans not to flame Recon of PX and they listened.

Then Recon made a rather nasty Halloween comic that accused me of ripping off PV. I played it down and joking suggested on the forums that I should do something similar in return. Apparently, some PX readers were spying on the PV forums and blew my reaction way out of perportion. They started flaming in earnest and Recond even threatened to send some friends of his in Arizona (where I was living at the time) after me. Once again, I encouraged PV fans to stay out of the fray but we did have one forum member (who was later banned for other reasons) post a couple of flames on the PX forums, which only made them madder. Finally, I went on the PX forums, posted a polite, well reasoned, and lengthy message once again explaining the origins of PV and pointing out off the differences between the two comics and Recon and his fans finally backed down. To help keep the peace, I suggested that Recon remove the Halloween comic and that we do a friendly link exchange. He refused both suggestions, but the flaming pretty much stopped and things have been quiet ever since.

So yeah, long story short... I started working on PV before PX launched and I did not find out about PX until after I launched PV. I have read a little bit of PX. It seems like a well made comic but I stopped a short way in because the humor just wasn't my style and haven't returned since. Naturally, I have some issues with PX's creator and some of its fans due to past encounters but I still think there's plenty of room for multiple Pokemon R/S comics out there and I don't really care which has the higher TWC ranking (PV did for quite a while, right now I think PX does but I haven't checked in ages) or anything like that. I just want to focus on my comic and ignore PX. Hopefully the PX guys will keep that attitude in regards to PV as well."

[Josiah]

And here we go.

@Grass Kid

Does your fear of tall grass stem from your father's fear of tall grass or were they inspired by a common event?

"Ever since I was a baby my parents have warned me about the dangers of the tall grass so I just grew up this way."

[Metalheadz]

@Mr. Briney

How old are you?

[Josiah]

"Son, when you get to be my age you stop counting."

[Metalheadz]

@Grass Kid

How did you possibly survive being torched by Brendan's Torchic???

[Josiah]

"I don't know. I'm just lucky, I guess. It must be good karma for warning so many people about the tall grass."