The 7 Commandments of Philo
1. Thou shalt draw fast!
This is convention-level sketch or 24-hour comic level panels. Put some detail into them, but not so much it’s going to kill you, and only add backgrounds if it’s important to the story or they are very simple. Perfect is the enemy of done, but I do allow some wiggle room for clean-up. Show-night is Saturday and you have until Wednesday of the following week to get me panels you’re happy with, but don’t spend forever working on them. Spontaneity and what’s drawn on air is the draw of the show, and I would prefer it be closer to what was broadcast anyway.
During broadcast, I average around 10 minutes per panel. If you are still working on a panel, or I am still working on a panel, it is okay to leap frog over each other to allow the other artist to catch up. This is why we have the 2nd commandment. Also, please make sure your artwork is centered and visible on the broadcast screen. I can’t do that on my end. This is something you have to manage and be aware of.
2. Thou shalt number thy panels first!
It is so easy to just start drawing what’s been decided to be drawn. No! NUMBER YOUR PANEL FIRST, even before we figure out what you are drawing in that panel, number it. As soon as we know what number your panel is, number it. Number that panel. When I am putting pages together later on, I need that number. If you are using separate files, number the files, if you are using separate layers or folders, number the layers or folders. I don’t care. Just number it. Thank you.
3. Thou shalt write in thy captions second!
After we know what panel you are drawing on the show, we’ll figure out what you are drawing in your panel. Once that caption has been figured out, write it down. You can type it in if you are drawing digitally. I can provide you the font I use which is Captain’s Talk or you can use an easy to read font with no wild characters. You can also handwrite in your caption on its own layer. This is perfectly okay.
But after the panel number, and before the start of the drawing, there should be a caption written in. The nature of the show is juggling drawing, talking to each other, talking with chat, telling stories, and looking up reference for panels offscreen. It’s very easy to “get lost,” doing Philo. It’s happened to me more than once. If you write in your caption first, then you can reference it silently and go “oh yeah! That’s right!” Trust me on this.
4. Thou shalt label and date thy files!
Please, when you send your Philo panels back to me, include in the file name the date of the episode and your name. Please make sure that all panels are labeled correctly, referring to the 2nd Commandment, whether they are separate files, or separate layers on a single file. The file itself, though needs a date and your name. Thanks.
5. Thou shalt have fun!
This is meant to be a fun thing to do on Saturday nights and not a super-stress inducing thing. Before the show I open the room anywhere between 15-30 minutes before airtime to do a quicky tech check and get the wigglies out. This is done with a casual countdown. I close the screens, and bring them up with introductions before doing a quick recap of the previous weeks episode. We then pick up the story and trade panels for 1.5 hours when I close out screens with an outro for each, say goodnight to the audience and end the broadcast. After each show I keep the room open for 15-20 minutes to discuss the show and how it went and how the guest felt during broadcast.
If at any time, something on the show is making you feel uncomfortable you can always email or message me privately. If it’s during broadcast (like something suggested in chat) there is a private chat available in Restream we can use to discuss the issue quietly, without making it obvious during broadcast that is what we are doing. My loyalty is to my guests over my chat. I will back them up every time. But you have to talk to me and open the communication if an issue arises.
6. Mine Robin is a hard-working woman!
Robin Fisher starts her day at 5am EST, takes public transit an hour to work, stands on her feet for 15 hours chopping meat, takes public transit home an hour, and then does this show at 9pm EST. She has fallen asleep on the air.
It is not you, it is not personal or a critique on our guests. it is because she is physically tired after a long hard day but loves comics so completely she is willing to forgo sleep to talk about them for just a little bit longer. We have said goodnight to Robin, closed her window, and continued with the show. I’ll check on it backstage periodically to see if she rejoins us.
7. Philo is thine comedy ent’rtainment for thou adults!
Philo is a live-drawn improv jam comic. It is live-theatre, live-drawing, a very lively chat. The artists will draw panels based on suggestions from chat. By having that interactivity it encourages people to both watch the show and tune-in each week to see if their suggestions drive the story forward. I don’t discourage chat’s suggestions, but I do steer them like a cattle drive: you discourage them from where you don’t want them to go. That being said, I can not control the internet and sometimes we get random people or lewd suggestions that chat goes crazy for and I have to steer a cattle drive from jumping off a cliff…
For this reason, I am stating that Philo is a 21+ comedy show. Comedy clubs will give themselves similar labels because of the live interaction between comedians and the crowds. It’s a liability issue.
