Joystiq profile: Dueling Analogs' Steve Napierski
by Ross Miller 
{ Feb 2nd 2007 at 8:00AM }
Taking time away from creating a poll that marginalizes the artistic merit of gaming comics into a silly competition, we decided to take a new look at a webcomic we've been watching since almost its inception -- namely, Dueling Analogs' Steve Napierski.
DA has always been close to Joystiq, even going so far as to dedicate a strip, sort of, to PSP Fanboys' Andrew Yoon. We're glad Napierski took time out of making a full-sized Konami Code poster to reveal some insight into his life.
Tell us a little about yourself. What is your "other life"?
As far as my personal life, I'm married, have a baby girl and am an avid collector of video games and anime. As for my career, I create websites and web related content for automotive dealers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Plus I am also a freelance web designer and graphic artist.
Why did you start making webcomics? Why game-related?
I always wanted to get into comics, but the prospect of doing an entire book before anyone would even read it seemed overwhelming. Now, with webcomics you do one strip or page at a time and people all over the world have instant access to it. That appealed to me.
I was already working on the outer circle and that took care of my character driven strip. So, I created Dueling Analogs to take care of my gaming and gag strip needs.
With your experience so far can you (or have you) turn this into a full-time, financially stable career?
Not yet. Though it has been able to supplementing my income considerably. It is still going to be a few years before the prospect of that would even be option.
What is your creation process, from idea to publishing? What mediums and technology do you use?
The ideas come from everywhere. What I play, what I read, what I collect. From there I create the rough pencils and scan those into Photoshop. Then, I import the newly scanned image into Illustrator. I trace all the characters, apply shading, backgrounds, layout and dialog in Illustrator and then save for the web. That's about it.
We dig the Mega Man villains and "What if artist X did Dueling Analogs" strips, but our favorite comic by far is the Konami Code -- So Dark the Contra of Man. Where did that idea come from and how do you feel about its execution?
I was out at dinner one night and someone was talking about the Da Vinci Code and The Last Supper and I thought to myself that it would be wicked if the Konami Code was in the last supper. I decided to hold off until the release of the movie and create the comic then. Right now the comic is only available for the web, but I am working on a poster size version of it.
Do you have a timeframe for the poster?
I'm really hoping to have it done and ready before July. But, a lot of that depends on time and my distributor.
What are your favorite strips?
- Farewell Aeris... Aerith
- What's Love Got to Do with It?
- With friends like these, who are your enemies?
- Super Smashed Bros. Brawl
- Maybe we should see other people...
- You've got heart, man... [Ed Note: be sure to read the description if you don't know all the list items]
Agreed, though Twins is a close second.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
copa @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:21AM
Thanks, I never like to start my mornings without a Mary Magdalene oral sex joke.
Brown @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:35AM
I hate to be "that guy" here, but the Mega Man villains really aren't that funny. The strip is occasionally inspired, but most of the time it's rather shruggable.
Kn1ves @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:52AM
Shadow of the Colossus was probably the best web comic he created, I would say, even better than the Konami code.
Chris. @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:24AM
Weirdly, I stumbled upon Dueling Analogs around about the 50th strip and went through the archive, living about 75% of the stuff there.
However since then it appears to have gone downhill fast....still confident they can make me laugh again.
Blizz419 @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:14AM
Everyone out to get the Christians lol, whats funny is that there are people who really believe that. I was raised Christian and even i see its the Christians out to get everyone lol. Personally i thought the magdalene joke was amusing.
Scott Winston @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:09AM
Ha ha, I knew the comments be pissed about that. Maybe the author hates women?
Mobat555 @ Feb 2nd 2007 11:17AM
There is no comic I look more forward to the DA. Perhaps my sense of humor differs from others. But its one of the only comics that can out right make me laugh. Its not a comic you have to read every day to enjoy and you do not need a dictionary to decrypt it either (As seen in comic #83 "Babel Fish").
Steven Napierski @ Feb 2nd 2007 5:09PM
@6 I have no problem with women. Actually, I have no problems with anyone's gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc... Granted I feel that political correctness has caused us to tread on eggshells a little too lightly and I'm not politically correct.
@9 That's the weird part of the situation. In the beginning I made more crude and sex jokes (they are still there, just not in abundance) and got slammed for doing so. So I pulled back some and made them more occassional, which in turn ostricized some of my original base audience. I still see it being a teetering act for a while...
lionzub @ Feb 2nd 2007 1:13PM
His comic isn't funny at all... really lame actually, all he does is rip off other webcomics (like VGCats) and somehow makes them un-laughable.
Jack @ Feb 2nd 2007 2:52PM
He's a great artist but ever since "Press Start to Play" quit he has taken its spot as consistently the least funny comic in the roundup. He really should try to find a writer, there are plenty of good writers floating around that would have his artistic talent at their disposal.
Scott @ Feb 2nd 2007 2:54PM
I like dueling analogs. Instead of being topical (mostly) like penny arcade Steve makes these amazing observations about games. When he misses, he misses, but when he hits one, he hits one out of the park and into the next stadium.
pete @ Feb 2nd 2007 10:59PM
im glad you guys interviewed him. ive been reading DA since like one of the first weeks. granted, its not my favorite, but i like it. its like VG cats and PA combined.
and as a 2nd note, press start to play died? i stopped reading after they wernt updating anymore but i thought they re-started it a few weeks later. :(