Dan Smolinski to release The All-Knowing Wizard Rob at Louis’ on Friday, July 25
It’s been almost three years since Dan Smolinski first started publishing his comic strip in The Sheaf. An amazing feat in itself, what makes the story even more remarkable is that the strip is called FUCK! and it’s about a drug dealing wizard named Rob, who may or may not be a real person.
Seriously!
But if poo-poo humour is your forte it’s also wickedly funny.
Within the pages of FUCK, we are introduced to Wizard Rob, his sidekick Dan (no relation, we’re told) and a whole host of zany characters that populate a world where gross-outs seem to be the only currency and giant, gang-banging tree louse are the norm. It’s anarchy, but Smolinski, whom you may also recognize from local punk group Lady Deathstryke, has created a world beyond the boundaries of good judgement and moral reward. Similarly, FUCK doesn’t always make sense; that’s okay though because, to quote Reader’s Digest, “life’s like that.”
Also, thankfully, FUCK is nothing like Reader’s Digest, although it is appreciated when Smolinski occasionally tackles more heady, current event-type topics. Just don’t singularly blame Dan the comic creator – he has also invited his friends to give their own creative license on Wizard Dan. Oddly enough, the results are actually sort of seamless.
Ominocity recently caught up with comic strip creator (stripper?) Dan Smolinski for a chat about the joys of fart jokes, Wizard Rob, and the bummers of never receiving any hate mail.
Ominocity: Rumours have it that Wizard Rob is a real person. There is also a character named Dan. How much of F#CK! is based on real life?
Dan Smolinski: Other than their imagery there is very little reality based in the F#CK! Characters. In real life Rob is a nice, smart guy who shoots music videos. In the strip he’s a moronic drug dealer/wizard.
OM: A lot of the humour is also real, but could be described as “puerile” by those of a lesser constitution – any hate mail from Sheaf readers?
DS:I actually receive zero feedback from Sheaf readers. The staff has always liked the strip mostly so they keep me on. This year I plan on putting an email address on the strip so people can contact me regarding their feelings on my fart jokes.
OM: Why invite other “artists” to give their interpretation of F#CK!?
DS: It’s rooted in my cartoon upbringing which has always been getting together with like-minded friends and jamming on drawing funnies as a way to make each other laugh and pass the time. I’ve been drawing comics and cartoons with guys like Leif and Jesse Carlson for almost 25 years now. They basically taught me how to draw. For what it’s worth.
OM: What can we expect from the launch party? Will Wizard Rob be making an appearance?
DS: The launch is going to be a quick little two hours with drinking and people exchanging money for a book. I’m going to put a presentation together but it’s mostly going to be everyone reading comics.
If he can free his schedule of moonshining and defeating balrogs, Wizard Rob should be in attendance.
– For more information on the book launch of The All-Knowing Wizard Rob click HERE.