“I Hope Forty Most”: An Interview with Abigail Connor
(Thanks to the snow, Abby and I both had the day off school on Wednesday. I used this opportunity to interview her.)
Leighton Connor: I’m here talking to Abigail Connor, co-creator of the Electric Team. Abby, how’s first grade going?
Abigail Connor: Good.
L: What have you been doing recently?
A: Umm . . . I’ve been doing work, and I have eight works done. And today we had no school, because of the snow.
L: What have you done on your snow day?
A: I have gone to lunch with my daddy, the writer of the Electric Team, and played video games.
L: Let’s talk about the Electric Team. Do you remember how you first had the idea for the Electric Team?
A: No, I do not.
L: Because it was a long time ago?
A: Yes.
L: In the Electric Team, who’s your favorite character?
A: Cat.
L: What do you mean by “cat”?
A: It’s a cat, I don’t know what the name for it yet is.
L: You mean Brianna’s cat?
A: Yes.
L: Have you been thinking about a good name for the cat?
A: No.
L: Why is the cat your favorite character?
A: Because I like cats and my best friend, um, he has two cats.
L: Does it disappoint you that both your parents are allergic to cats, and will not have a cat in the house?
A: Yes, but the thing I am glad about is that we did used to have a cat, but it ran away.
L: And you’re glad about that?
A: No, I’m glad that we used to have a cat, but not glad that it ran away.
L: Okay, I see. Now you have a dog. What’s your dog’s name?
A: Molly.
L: Do you like Molly?
A: Yes. She’s very cute and very snuggly, sometimes.
L: Good. So, if the cat is your favorite member of the Electric Team, who is your second favorite?
A: Brianna.
L: Why Brianna?
A: Because she is the owner of the cat.
L: And that’s the only reason?
A: And because she’s my favorite character, and she has black hair.
L: As I understand it, you and your daddy play Electric Team with your toys, and there are characters you’ve made up that haven’t shown up in the comic yet. Who are some of the characters that have not shown up in the comic yet?
A: (Long pause) I don’t remember that many. Oh, I remember one: Shadow Snake.
L: Do you like Shadow Snake?
A: Yes. She can turn into stuff.
L: Do you think Shadow Snake will show up in the comic someday?
A: Yes!
L: So, the Electric Team comic . . . how much of the planning for the comic do you do?
A: Ummm . . . I think most of it, but I don’t know.
L: Did you make up most of the characters?
A: Yes.
L: Are you happy with how the comic is going so far?
A: Yes.
L: Do you feel like your daddy and Sam Albert are listening to you and are doing what they’re supposed to do?
A: A little.
L: Do they sometimes not do what they’re supposed to do?
A: Yes.
L: Like when?
A: When I was crying under the table [at Cincinnati Comicon.]
L: What where they supposed to do then?
A: I forget but I just remember I was crying under the table.
L: Do you remember why you were crying under the table?
A: No.
L: Then maybe Daddy and Sam were not bad to you. Do you feel like they’ve been pretty good collaborators so far?
A: Yes.
L: Let’s talk about Sam’s artwork. Were you happy when you saw Sam’s character designs for the comic?
A: Yes.
L: Which one did you like best?
A: I liked Brianna’s, I liked Leeta’s . . . I liked all of theirs.
L: Did they look like you imagined they would look?
A: A little.
L: What did you want to change?
A: Well, if Leeta . . . well, I did have some ideas a long time ago, but I think I forgot.
L: That’s understandable. Were you excited when you got the printed copy of issue #1 for the first time?
A: Yes!
L: Would you say issue #2 is going to be better than #1, or about the same?
A: I think they’re both great. Both thumbs up!
L: I know you like to draw. What sort of things do you like to draw?
A: I like to do non-abstract . . . there’s a lot of things I like to do but I cannot remember any.
L: Have you drawn any comics?
A: Yes, but someone spilled water on it, because it was paper, and it got ruined.
L: That’s so sad. Are you working on any comics now?
A: Well, the Electric Team, and a Zarko comic.
L: You’re working on a Zarko comic?
A: With my daddy.
L: Do you think that will be finished soon?
A: No.
L: Why?
A: Because I haven’t been doing that much. I’ve only done one page.
L: How many pages do you think it will be?
A: Maybe twenty.
L: Abby, what are you looking forward to in the future of the Electric Team?
A: They get older and older.
L: Older and older? How long do you think the Electric Team comic should go?
A: How about one hundred years?
L: One hundred years? All right. Sounds like a good plan.
A: Actually . . . that might be too many years.
L: Okay, so what do you think?
A: Maybe twenty, maybe, or thirty or forty. Twenty, thirty, or forty. But I hope forty most, because that is the age of my daddy.
L: All right, thank you very much for talking to us here today, Abigail. Please enjoy the rest of your snow day.
A: YAY!
(Abby’s sketches for the origin of Zarko sequence at the beginning of Chapter 3.)
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