A long time ago in a place far away from Vegas (Michigan) lived a girl named Michelle who read a book her best friend gave her called "Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children." She completely identified with the title character in the book, and she's been "Creepie Suzie" on the interwebs ever since. Yeah, that's yours truly and after many, many years I had the opportunity to virtually speak with the author, iconic illustrator and producer. Also known as the only person in the world that has never met me, but truly gets who I am on the inside.
If you haven't read the book yet, (You need to right away.) you probably are familiar with his cartoon called "The Oblongs" which has been featured on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and WB, and is now available on DVD. Or you may have seen Angus as a guest at one of the many conventions and art shows he attends.
Note: This wasn't a live interview, and normally I would clean up an emailed interview to make it look like we're having a conversation. I couldn't make any edits to this though; it was too funny. (I had tears I was laughing so hard.) So you're reading Angus just as he sent it to me.
Angus Oblong: I did base Milo Oblong on myself, but a bald version. Actually, Milo is a combination of me & a very dear human friend and now world famous artist, Jeremiah Maddock. Yes, I was heavily medicated as a child. At my peak I was taking 72 medications (just like Milo), but now I'm off of everything except for drugs and alcohol.
Body Count Rising: How do you feel about medicating children?
Angus Oblong: I do it quite often. It makes it easier to get them into the van.
Body Count Rising: How do you think you would be different if you were not medicated at that stage of life?
Angus Oblong: I often wonder that. And by 'that', I mean something entirely different. I often wonder if I'm dead. I read somewhere in a book (Does anyone reading this remember books? They're like online media but for people with an attention span.) I once read in a book that the deceased occasionally don't know they've died. And that freaks me out more than alligators and crocodiles freak out Sterling Archer. Whenever I think I might be dead, I do these tests, checking to see if I'm still alive. Like I drive. And if you can believe it, that is the best thing I could come up with to test that life still pulses through my veins. Vains? Shit. I can't believe I don't know whether it's veins or vains. I think it's veins. Vains isn't even a word. Vanity, however, is. So it's veins. Anyhow, ghosts can't drive.
Body Count Rising: When did you first realize you were brilliant? Did your teachers recognize and encourage your level of intelligence, or were you simply labeled as hyperactive and dismissed.
Angus Oblong: Oh stop. Brilliant? I don't think I'm… well, maybe a little bit brilliant. But not like those guys who work in the Apple stores. Their badges say "Genius." There's this guy who works at a nearby supermarket named Paul (The name badges thing reminded me of Paul.) Paul is clearly in his upper 90s! As in over 90 years old. He's spry and his mind is sharp. I'm obsessed with Paul. Thinking of being him for Halloween. Anyhow, at first, I wasn't sure if I should feel sad or glad that he was employed bagging my groceries, so I slyly asked his coworkers. Turns out he works because he wants to, not because he has to, so I was glad. Where was I going with this? Paul. Name badges. Apple dudes. Genius. Yes, you called me that. Ha. And now you can't take it back! Stupid bitch.
Angus Oblong: Oh stop. Brilliant? I don't think I'm… well, maybe a little bit brilliant. But not like those guys who work in the Apple stores. Their badges say "Genius." There's this guy who works at a nearby supermarket named Paul (The name badges thing reminded me of Paul.) Paul is clearly in his upper 90s! As in over 90 years old. He's spry and his mind is sharp. I'm obsessed with Paul. Thinking of being him for Halloween. Anyhow, at first, I wasn't sure if I should feel sad or glad that he was employed bagging my groceries, so I slyly asked his coworkers. Turns out he works because he wants to, not because he has to, so I was glad. Where was I going with this? Paul. Name badges. Apple dudes. Genius. Yes, you called me that. Ha. And now you can't take it back! Stupid bitch.
Body Count Rising: Milo is immersed in a band of misfits and more than slightly imperfect people. How do you identify with the alternative crowd, and have you always?
Angus Oblong: I absolutely speak for the imperfects of this world! The ugly, the malformed, the too short by society's standards, the morbidly obese and even one color blind guy. I'm not a really big fan of poor people though, they're just so gross.
Anyhow, when I first created the Milo's Clubhouse gang concept (Milo Oblong, Helga Phugly, Peggy Weggy & Mikey Butts), I wanted to give it a acronym, so I named them the Gang Of Odd Kids, or GOOK. Then my Chinaman friend said that "Gook" is a derogatory term for Chinamen, or the Orientals. So I scrapped that. You don't want to piss them off. They know Karate.
Body Count Rising: Why?
Angus Oblong: Why whut? Why do they know Karate? Because they're the Orientals. Duh. Or do you mean why do I prefer the company of those deemed societally lesser according to the “Debbies” of the world? Maybe because I was that kid who got stuffed into trash cans and lockers between classes and got beat up after school. But please, don't feel bad for me, because ala Kill Bill, I sought my revenge on them over the years, one at a time. I'm shitting into one guy's mouth as I type this. Hilarious. He's gagging. He hates this.
Body Count Rising: Do you find this to be a sort of non-conformity?
Angus Oblong: What. That question? Yeah. Yeah I do.
Body Count Rising: You attended U.C. Berkeley. Did you major in Art, Illustration, Graphic Design, Content, or anything related to your profession now?
Angus Oblong: Look, lady, I've had better than you try and figure out which student I was at UCB before changing my name to Angus Oblong. Dig deep. You will fail.
That being said, I majored in Illustration.
Body Count Rising: What was your major?
Angus Oblong: I just told you. Are you retarded? Oh shit! In a previous question, while listing societal imperfects, I forgot to mention retards. I fucking LOVES me some retards. Not in, like, a sexual way. More like in a pure awe kind of way. I just can't look away when I see one. And I could sit and listen to a retard talk all day long and never get bored. If you're reading this and you have a retard, please please please loan it to me. I promise I will be nice to him. I just want to chill with one for hours & hours & hours.
Body Count Rising: Did you always know that you would create for a living?
Angus Oblong: Yeah. Uh-huh. I did.
Body Count Rising: What was your major?
Angus Oblong: I just told you. Are you retarded? Oh shit! In a previous question, while listing societal imperfects, I forgot to mention retards. I fucking LOVES me some retards. Not in, like, a sexual way. More like in a pure awe kind of way. I just can't look away when I see one. And I could sit and listen to a retard talk all day long and never get bored. If you're reading this and you have a retard, please please please loan it to me. I promise I will be nice to him. I just want to chill with one for hours & hours & hours.
Body Count Rising: Did you always know that you would create for a living?
Angus Oblong: Yeah. Uh-huh. I did.
Body Count Rising: What would you consider your first breakthrough art piece, and when did you create it?
Angus Oblong: I guess writing and illustrating my book, "Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children."
Fun fact about the origin of said book: Have you ever seen the “Rocky Horror Picture Show”? Well in that movie, Dr. Frank N. Furter puts on a floorshow in the middle of the night to an empty theatre. That was what I was doing when I wrote and illustrated Creepy Susie. I was making a book that [I thought] only I would enjoy. An act of pure decadence. But as I showed it around, it was enjoyed by the humans orbiting around me. And Alice (you don't know her) said, "Can I buy a copy of these stories?" You can't say “NO.” to Alice. She's -or she was at the time- a Stanford Professor. And so began my side job as a self-published author. Smash-cut to me getting the book published by Ballantine (a devision of Randomhouse) and then an animated series based on the book. So basically, Dr. Frank N. Furter inspired my career and life path. Although I do not wear fishnet stockings. Anymore.
Body Count Rising: I understand that you never go out in public without makeup. (I know the feeling!) How much of “Angus Oblong” is persona and how much is the real you?
Angus Oblong: Let me hand the keyboard over to my friend who happens to be in the room. Here he is. He will tell you the truth. And I promise to not edit anything he says. Here goes. This is my human friend, Brandon:
Hi. Brandon here. I feel the raw power of what I am about do divulge here as Angus glares at me from the couch across the room. Honestly, I think he would murder me if I said the wrong things. You really should see the look he's giving me. It's not what you want to find standing at the foot of your bed at night. Angus Oblong is a humanitarian. He gives to charities and (Charity is a hooker by the way.) he helps people whenever he can. His home is immaculate and completely clutter free. He has impeccable taste in clothes and his feet don't smell baaaad at all. And he would never put his smelly feet on your face (Yes ON!) while you're passed out on his couch.
He says I can keep going. OK honestly, he's awesome. I've never known a more down to earth guy. He's friendly and he's cool. He's generous and only completely selfish about 20% of the time.
As far as the makeup goes, he goes without it a lot. But only allows the pics of him with it on to go online. I think he only wears it when he's out doing public appearances. And you would probably never recognize him out of it. It's kind of an amazing thing he's created with this clown persona. I wish I had thought of it first. Brandon out!
Angus Oblong: Let me hand the keyboard over to my friend who happens to be in the room. Here he is. He will tell you the truth. And I promise to not edit anything he says. Here goes. This is my human friend, Brandon:
Hi. Brandon here. I feel the raw power of what I am about do divulge here as Angus glares at me from the couch across the room. Honestly, I think he would murder me if I said the wrong things. You really should see the look he's giving me. It's not what you want to find standing at the foot of your bed at night. Angus Oblong is a humanitarian. He gives to charities and (Charity is a hooker by the way.) he helps people whenever he can. His home is immaculate and completely clutter free. He has impeccable taste in clothes and his feet don't smell baaaad at all. And he would never put his smelly feet on your face (Yes ON!) while you're passed out on his couch.
He says I can keep going. OK honestly, he's awesome. I've never known a more down to earth guy. He's friendly and he's cool. He's generous and only completely selfish about 20% of the time.
As far as the makeup goes, he goes without it a lot. But only allows the pics of him with it on to go online. I think he only wears it when he's out doing public appearances. And you would probably never recognize him out of it. It's kind of an amazing thing he's created with this clown persona. I wish I had thought of it first. Brandon out!
Body Count Rising: Is your name legally “Angus Oblong” and will they let you wear your red nose at the DMV to get your picture taken? I mean they don’t make me wash my face for the picture, so I would think that would be discriminatory if they made you take off your makeup…
Angus Oblong: I'm back. I just read what Brandon wrote. It really could have been worse. I thought I'd actually be editing it but I'm only going to correct his spelling. No, you know what? I'm NOT correcting it because I want everyone to see how fucking stupid he is. Even though he said mostly nice things about me. What was the question on the table? Oh, legal shit. Yes to all of your legal questions. I mean no. No to them all.
Body Count Rising: I know you said you do EVERYTHING in full make up and even your closest friends have not seen you without it. Could you please share an experience where that hasn’t worked out so well for you?
Angus Oblong: Readers, this interview is being done with an emailed list of questions. This is not a phone interview. So don't be thinking, "Bitch, he JUST SAID he don't do da makeup ALL DA TIME! Sheeet." (Say that out loud. You'll sound like a big fat black woman.)
Body Count Rising: When has the clown makeup not worked out so well?
Angus Oblong: Hmm. Well once I couldn't get into a strip club with it. And it's hard to buy booze with it on. Oh! And Las Vegas casinos HATE when I wear it. Throws off their face scanner surveillance. Did you know that as you walk through Vegas casinos, there are teams of humans behind two-way glass using extremely up to date face scanning technology to know who you are? It's kind of creepy. Maybe a tiny bit comforting in that those red-flagged as terrorists never again will emerge from their rooms because Homeland Security enters and murders them with scissors. That's how I imagine Homeland Security taking people out. With scissors.
Body Count Rising: Do you lead a double life as some make-up free guy out and about in the world?
Angus Oblong: Let me rephrase the question to, "Angus. Do you ever go into thrift stores and sniff the crotches of the little boys' shorts that have been donated?"
The answer is no. No I do not.
Body Count Rising: When did you first decide to paint on the face and why?
Angus Oblong: You are obsessed with the clown makeup!
Body Count Rising: Has the make-up design changed over time?
Angus Oblong: See?
Body Count Rising: Why a clown?
Angus Oblong: See?
Body Count Rising: How many noses do you own?
Angus Oblong: See? (Four.)
Body Count Rising: Do you wear a nose even when you have a cold?
Angus Oblong: See? Obsessed.
Body Count Rising: Do you ever get snot in your clown nose?
Angus Oblong: Yeah.
Body Count Rising: Do you ever get festive and decorate any other parts of you body?
Angus Oblong: I occasionally paint my toenails. Green. But those moments are only for when I'm with my dear friend, Tim Godek. We have vowed to retire together, living in a house with a lanai and eating cheesecake in the middle of the night. Anyhow, whenever Tim and I get together, the first thing we do is paint our toenails green. Glitter green. I only get to hang with Tim once every few years which sucks. I'm looking forward to retirement. If I make it that far. But I'll probably be dead by 40.
Body Count Rising: Do you get your humor from your parents?
Angus Oblong: yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Sorry, there was gunk on the Y of my keyboard and that was me cleaning it off. I think it was chocolate. Bear with me, there's still some on there. y7h77u Got it. Now where were we? Oh, my parents. Them. Why do you bring them into this?
Body Count Rising: Are you a dog guy or a cat guy?
Angus Oblong: Pigs. Currently I have a pig named Pugsley. He's 6 1/2 years old, lazy, fat and kind of useless, but very cute. And I'm thinking of getting a hamster. Or maybe a bunch of hamsters. I've got all this Habitrail I've been buying up in preparation. I want a little hamster city in my home. I'll call it Hamster Village or something stupid like that.
Body Count Rising: Do you have any pets?
Angus Oblong: Yes. Pugsley.
Body Count Rising: If yes, what?
Angus Oblong: He's a pig. I just said that.
Body Count Rising: Pics?
Angus Oblong: Yes. I have many, thank you for asking.
Body Count Rising: “The Oblongs” TV series is vastly different than your initial vision of the characters in your book “Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children.” For instance, the character Creepy Susie is less homicidal and more a depressed goth-type. As Supervising Producer for the series, did this cause a rift, or was the humor purposely lightened to appeal to a wider audience?
Angus Oblong: The purposely thing.
Body Count Rising: Who was your nemesis with regard to thwarting your vision, and have they now been destroyed?
Angus Oblong: I planted a lemon tree over his remains and now my lemonade is so much more satisfying.
Body Count Rising: I love and identify with Susie’s confusion about emotion and feelings. After I read “Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children” I thought, “Wow… This guy really gets me!” In a collection of short stories you fleshed out every character and not only gave them a lot of personality, but made them endearing. Does this ability come naturally to you, or did you revise your book numerous times until you came up with the very succinct version that we know today?
Angus Oblong: Very few revisions were made from the self-published versions to the one you hold now. I redrew some of the stories when the publishing deal happened.
After the Creepy Susie book was a huge hit (It was on the New York Times Best Seller List at #1! But only for one week. Then never again. And it was up for a Bram Stoker Award against one of the Harry Potter books. J.K Rowling won of course.)
Where was I? So I wrote & illustrated a follow-up book called "13 More Tragic Tales for Ugly Children." But my publisher and editor said, "Angus, we can't publish this. You've gone too far." Ha! So it's available at www.AngusOblong.com in self-published form. I honestly thought that going too far was what was expected in a follow-up book. Am I wrong?
Fun fact about the title of “13 More Tragic Tales for Ugly Children” book.: Women were buying my Creepy Susie book for their troubled children then giving to them, thinking it was some sort of self-help book. Without reading it themselves! THEN would write mean letters to the publishers and to me. I have some of these letters framed and hanging on my wall. (If you haven't read my Creepy Susie book, it's a series of short illustrated stories about ugly, pathetic and deformed children who lead sad lives then die. It's hilarious.)
So I named the 2nd book 'For Ugly Children' as opposed to 'For Troubled Children' thinking, "Now there's no way they'll buy this for their kids." Angry women are just.. just awful things.
Body Count Rising: How do you think this band of misfits would be treated in today’s society? Or are they a direct reflection of today’s society?
Angus Oblong: They would be treated badly of course. But that's what they get for being different.
Body Count Rising: You had stated that people-watching inspires you. Buddy Giovinazzo’s “Life is Hot in Cracktown” is a series of dire, humorless vignettes of life on the streets of New York that he directly observed, paired with a strong social commentary. You had stated that we should not take any of your works seriously, but I can’t help but feel there is also a strong social commentary coupled with humor; black demented humor, but still humor. I feel they’re strangely comparable. Am I completely off base here, or is there something to that?
Angus Oblong: I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. Something about New York? I've been there before. Very crowded. I was even mugged there once.
Body Count Rising: You also have six other books, you’ve produced and directed; I know you said you were working on a novel, and you’re doing art shows as well as personally commissioned pieces. Of these, which talent are you most passionate about and why?
Angus Oblong: I'd have to say writing & illustrating books is my biggest passion. Also I love making original artwork. (You can always find original pieces for sale at www.AngusOblong.com in the Gallery section.) I've just started a new book; loads of illustrations with some text. It'll look and act like a children's book, but with all the flies and death and stuff, it's really for the adults.
Body Count Rising: What’s the strangest piece that someone commissioned you to create?
Angus Oblong: I get couples who commission me to draw them fucking. And one lady had me draw her being raped by a biker. I drew her screaming during the rape. I mean, one can't really enjoy being raped, can one?
Body Count Rising: Have you ever had to decline a job that made you uncomfortable?
Angus Oblong: Probably.
Body Count Rising: What’s your secret talent?
Angus Oblong: My secret talent? It's a secret.
Body Count Rising: So like I said, I fell in love with Creepy Susie and for about 20 years I’ve been “Creepie Suzie” online as an homage to you and your art. I had no idea that one day I’d be actually speaking with you! (Insert fangirl gush here.) Are you ok with me being a fan and using a permutation of the name, or are you really fucking annoyed with me? In which case I will stop immediately. I would never want to piss you off. Quite the opposite. I think you’re a genius and I love telling people the story behind my screen name. It gives me an opportunity to talk about you!
Angus Oblong: No nooo, it doesn't piss me off at all. I love it! I also love when humans get tattoos of my artwork or change their last names to Oblong. When the show first came out, there were all these bootleg shirts of my characters being sold on eBay and of course I bought them all. I'm very giving when it comes to y'all using my characters for whatever. I think of it as free promotion!
Body Count Rising: Speaking of fans, it would seem you are regularly accosted by a barrage of eager and often drunk fans. You must have some fun, or maybe not so fun stories from the conventions. Please do tell!
Angus Oblong: I don't only appear at conventions. But the first thing that comes to mind is: I'm in a hotel lobby after signing at a comic convention all day. I spot a priest! So I walk up to him, determined to be respectful, I say, "A clown and a priest walk into a bar..." To which he responds, "Which one of them fucks the other one in the ass?" It was floored. Are priests allowed to cuss? I'll ask a nun.
Body Count Rising: I know you get lots of goodies from your fans. What’s the oddest “gift” a fan has sent you?
Angus Oblong: A dead chicken.
Body Count Rising: How many fingers am I holding up?
Angus Oblong: 4.
Body Count Rising: You’ve been reviewing films, products and services (Well, until Yelp kicked you off!) Since this is a horror, cult, sleaze and exploitation site, what’s your favorite horror, cult, exploitation or horror film?
Angus Oblong: You saw my Yelp reviews before Yelp politely asked me to stop? They removed me for 'irrelevant content.' Ha.
My favorite horror, cult, exploitation or horror film? You wrote horror twice. “The Cabin in the Woods”, “Silence of the Lambs” & Disney's “The Little Mermaid”.
Body Count Rising: I really like horror.
Keep up with Angus on his Facebook, Twitter or his official website and get the "Creepy Susie" book. You'll thank me... or you'll be horrified when you figure out who you're really dealing with here.