Illustration by N.C. Winters

N.C. Winters and Josh Hagler never get along.

You see, theyâre both graduating and theyâve done comics for years, so weâve let them have this space in the Wildcat. You might not think they deserve it, but they do.

Winters: Whatâs the difference between our comics?

Hagler: Mineâs good and yours sucks. (Josh has an ego.)

Winters: I can deal with that. But remember, I have the masses on my side. When the war of the worlds occurs, it will be myself as the cynical ruler of the universe. (So does N.C.)

Hagler: The only problem with having the masses on your side is that the people Iâve met who say, ãI love ÎStuff I Hate!â Is N.C. really that bitter?ä arenât the most intelligent people in the world. And, yes, you are that bitter.

Winters: Oh yeah, and youâre ugly. The thing about your comic is, I love the art. Itâs the concept of the comic that starts to bug me. It would be so fantastic as a book. And there are many that are hilarious in their own right. Itâs when youâre doing something that doesnât quite translate in the comic format that people get turned off, which is a shame. (Josh takes a while responding. Heâs really the bitter one.)

Hagler: Why, though? Because when you read a book you expect to read a lot? Are you saying that we should assume that people who read comic strips are illiterate? Popular media is dumbed down so that the lowest common denominator can connect with it. Itâs only when you realize you should be expecting more that you start to appreciate or understand things you wouldnât have otherwise.

Winters: This brings to mind a recent party I had where people said, ãOh youâre that Hagler guy who does that comic ·ä ãYeah, that God comic · Thatâs, uh, pretty cool, I guess.ä (Josh starts crying uncontrollably.) Hereâs a tissue.

Hagler: Thanks. What do you say to critics who say ãVoice of Doomä got repetitive?

Winters: At times, the strip very much seemed to repeat itself, depending on my mood or similar events that had happened earlier that day. As it echoed my life here (at UA), there were times when less effort came and I simply forgot what I had done earlier. At times, it was my life that had become repetitive.

Winters: Why did you keep changing your comic?

Hagler: When I was first hired, it was tradition to change it every semester. I did have a time when I considered keeping a constant title so that I could establish something that would be very popular. Thatâs why I did ãDehydrated Cultureä three times. Later, other things became more important, like experimentation and growth. Coming into college, I was very conservative and Christian. Going out, now, I feel Iâve grown a lot and find meaning in other kinds of creative expression. What is ironic, especially this last semester, when Iâve finally said, ãFuck it, I donât care what anyone thinks.ä Iâm getting two or three e-mails a week from people who are also sharing ideas and expressing themselves creatively. Itâs this artistic exchange that makes the ãfuck itä attitude worth anything.

Winters: You just wanted to say ãfuck.ä

Hagler: Yeah, pretty much.