Question: How would you describe your comic strip F Minus?
Tony Carrillo I think it's easier to say what it is not. I don't really have any regular characters. There is no continuing storyline. There's no clear time period or setting. There's not really a theme. No slices of life, no precious moments. There isn't any political commentary, or if there is you really have to dig deep to find it (Maybe that fish represents the president, and that motorcycle is the economy…). There are no valid points or relevant thoughts. So what's left after you take all of that out? That's an excellent question.
Q: What inspired the title F Minus?
TC: I was in college when I started drawing this comic, so grades were pretty significant in my life. When trying to think of a good title for my comic I started thinking about the concept of grading. I think that being judged and rated is something everyone is familiar with, whether on the job or at school or in life in general. So I tried to decide what grade would apply to the people and situations in my comic strip. I always felt that the grade C minus was the most insulting (sorry Tony, you're not quite mediocre). But there's something about the F that is just so unpleasant. And what happens when a failing grade just doesn't quite express the situation? F Minus.
Q: Do you intend to develop characters in series along the way?
TC: Having regular characters can be a positive and a negative. With characters you can develop an ongoing storyline and readers can associate with their personalities. However, if I come up with a funny idea about computer hackers, I don't want to have to figure out how I'm going to work it into the life of a Viking or a cat. With F Minus I have the freedom to create any situation, any characters and any setting I need to tell the story I want to tell. Besides, I can't draw the same thing twice.
Q: How do people react when they hear you're a cartoonist?
TC: I think cartooning is one of those jobs that everyone feels they could do if they just had the opportunity.
I can't count all the times I've heard the phrase "Hey I've got an idea for a comic for you…" I really don't mind hearing their ideas. I just think it's strange.
If I were to meet a plumber, I wouldn't tell him/her, "Hey, I've got an idea for a new, more efficient sewage system. You can use it if you want."
Q: What were some of the other jobs you have had?
TC: I've had several strange jobs over the years, the best of which was dressing up as a monkey and dancing around for people coming into the zoo. One of the most unpleasant jobs was working as a camel-ride attendant. My duties were brushing the camels in the morning, selling tickets for the ride and helping people on and off the camel. But that wasn't the bad part. It was also my job to let the "portly" patrons know they were too big to ride the camel. Imagine me, a seventeen-year-old kid telling a 250-pound man he's too big. It toughened me up.
Q: Do you see yourself making a career out of being a cartoonist or do you see yourself doing something completely different 10 years down the line?
TC: I think if you had asked me 10 years ago what I would be doing now I may have said astronaut or… dinosaur catcher. It's hard to predict your own future. I love cartooning and would be happy to still be doing it a decade from now. But who's to say…
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