KC Green On Writing New ‘Regular Show’ Comics At Boom! [Interview]

Boom! Studios has been teasing the launch of a Regular Show comic for a few weeks, and now, we finally know what's in store for Mordecai, Rigby and the rest of the crew from the park: An ongoing series launching this April with the creative team of KC Green and Allison Strejlau.

While Boom! describes Strejlau as a newcomer, webcomics fans will probably already know Green from his work as the creator of Gunshow. As he gears up for the launch of the series, Green answered a few questions we had about his favorite episodes, his approach to writing characters that are already established on TV, and what he hopes to do with the series.ComicsAlliance: What was it that drew you to writing Regular Show? Were you already familiar with it before Boom started putting the comic together?

KC Green: Yes, I was actually asked to do a storyboard test for the show before it became a real show on Cartoon Network. It did not pan out for whatever reason, but I was intrigued in the show enough to try, and once it came out I fell in love with it.

CA: Was there a particular episode or moment that grabbed you, or that you'd call a favorite?

KCG: There's too many good ones to name. I liked the first couple of episodes the show did, "The Power" and "Just Set Up the Chairs." They are good with the build up to the craziness and the action of "JSUTC" is so fun. "Trucker Hall of Fame" really stood out to me. "Yes, Dude, Yes" really shows Mordecai to be a flawed dude when he screws up royally with CJ, and "Diary" is another real good one.

CA: Your work on Gunshow has a really distinctive voice, as does Regular Show. Is there a challenge there in terms of making sure it feels like the show, or do you feel like it's a natural fit for the way you've been working online?

KCG: There's a bit more of a challenge there than just doing what I do normally. It may be a natural fit in the way the weirdness of the show overlaps in reality and no one really questions anything about it, but Regular Show has some well defined characters I gotta stick with.

CA: The thing I really like about Regular Show is that it takes these really commonplace situations, like buying a crappy video game or having to take care of a lost animal (in their case, a bunch of baby ducks) and then expands it into this kind of magical realism. There's a real similarity in that respect to what you do in a lot of the Gunshow strips, although they tend to make that transition in a really compressed fashion. Is that just how you approach comedy in general?

KCG: There is definitely a set up to the weird stuff that happens in Regular Show compared to Gunshow, when it just is. The weirdness in Regular Show just is too, and that's what I like about it and how I write for myself. The magical realism isn't questioned in either one of them, it just is. Which gives it more of a dream-like quality, makes it more absurd in that everyone just sort of goes with whatever is happening. There's no need for someone to stop and point out how weird it all is, YOU already know that. I'm not gonna waste your time.

CA: Along those same lines, are there any comics that influence you on that front? I know you're a big fan of Herbie, which often did that same kind of setup.

KCG: Herbie has that same kind of fun to it, Herbie JUST IS this powerful being that everyone and every animal seems to know about. He gets his powers from his lollipops and that's enough, let's have some fun. There was an old webcomic called Minus by Ryan Armand that did a similar thing where the titular character, a little girl named Minus, had these amazing god-like powers and just did. People knew of it and went on their way. With comedy you can skirt around why these things happen, 'cus it's not important. What's important is if it's funny and fits within the "laws" of the world you are writing.

CA: When the Scott Pilgrim movie came out, there was a tagline about how it was like a musical that broke into fights instead of songs, and I feel like Regular Show does the same thing, except when their emotions get out of hand, they start breaking down the laws of reality. Is the balance between trying to get those emotions that people can relate to and the big weird comedy tough? Does it come naturally to how you write?

KCG: Yeah, when people get emotional for one reason or another, it seems like the biggest, worst thing ever. You can take that feeling and blow it way out of proportion for comedic effect, and that's how I sort of deal with any issues I am having too. Comedy has always been kind of the way I deal with things, so yeah, it all comes very naturally, I think.

CA: How do you approach the different characters? What defines the cast for you?

KCG: I approach them like they are these real people and what they would do in any given scenario. Writing 101. They are already pretty well defined too, with four seasons of Regular Show already goin'.

CA: Does that make it easier because you have that template established, or is it more of a challenge because you have to stick to what's already there?

KCG: I think a little easier, 'cause, like you said, the template is already there. And if you start to deviate, you can always step back and go "is this really how they would handle this situation" and go from there.

CA: How much pressure is there to stay in line with the show? How tempting is it to do stories that you might not be able to get away with because they haven't been explored on TV yet, like, say, Margaret and Mordecai's first real date?

KCG: I guess I need to feel out what JG and Boom might let me dive into, but they seem to want to keep it similar to the show in tone, adventures of Mordecai and Rigby, which is also fine. The show has been known to reach out into secondary characters from time to time, with Benson, Skips, Muscle Man, etc. I'm completely down to try out smaller arcs with the other friends, but we are still early in the writing stages and I need to feel out what they are down with.

CA: Are there any specific stories you can tell us about?

KCG: All of the ideas I have right now are subject to be changed by anyone at Cartoon Network or Boom, so it would be just speculation right now. So what the heck, lets go for it: First idea I had was Mordecai and Rigby going on a drink run to get into a cool party, but everything that could go wrong does on their way back. Then a couple of ideas about a Rigby getting a sinus infection and an unstoppable mosh pit. I don't know how much they would want me to divulge, so there is a bit for ya.