About A.B.S.

Short Version

We are building a universe. The A bit Sketchy Universe in fact. We are building using short stories.  These stories are 10-25 strips long and are all a bit … odd. Click on Current story line and check out what we are up to today.

K. Tuttle

Way too long Version

I think about a lot of stuff while producing the A Bit Sketchy strip. I make elaborate outlines for each strip and plan on going into great detail about the A.B.S. universe, trying to get a cogent worldview on paper. Then all the sudden, I have a really great gag, and philosophical exposition takes a back seat to a yeti. However, there is thought behind A.B.S. and an underlying philosophy forming the basis for every characters’ actions. Here it is:

1. Mankind is foolish and self-destructive.

2. People are too busy defending territories to be good.

3. Friendship based on loyalty, not expectations, is man’s greatest good.

4. Never believe one person can save the world…especially an idiot.

5. Selfishness is man’s basic instinct.  That should not be surprising, it should be a given.

6. Injustice causes anger; anger causes bitterness; bitterness breeds territoriality, which makes injustice more likely because what you see as “yours” is much greater.

7. Spend less time defending “yours” and more time subverting others perception of territory. This is man’s highest aim = sarcastically belittling petty territoriality.

The overarching goal of A.B.S. is to be funny. How successful I am at achieving this goal is debatable. A good story comes first; philosophic depth is a distant 43rd after farts and 80’s music references. A.B.S. is not Ayn Rand, (she is actually readable) and these characters are not driven by some strong inner sense of right, compelled to speak at length about their beliefs. It is more like they are annoyed by others’ small-mindedness, and do their best to avoid being subjugated by them. Each character does this in their own way.

So, as you see, there is an unseen depth of character in the A.B.S. universe. There is also a world view that, while not always expressed in the strip, is built into the fabric of each comic or maybe it’s just a bunch of jokes and action scenes drawn by a nerdy drunk in his free time. Reread the old stuff and keep an eye on the new stuff before you decide.