Parody
I’ve talked about it on podcasts, I’ve talked about in our blogs and in our FAQ, but for the love of Lucas, we do not intentionally take anything from anyone else! We didn’t just show up last year, we’ve been doing this parody for four years now. Similarities happen because we are all working from the same source material. It’s called Star Wars. I probably shouldn’t be wasting my time with BMS, pouring the hours into it that apparently is not evident by the full color art, but I do it because Star Wars meant something to me in my childhood.
So, to spend five minutes on this page and make a snap judgment about us and voice those ill-formed thoughts without even investigating by, oh I don’t know, actually looking around a little longer at what we’re doing, is rude and makes you look like an idiot. This is why comments are moderated on this site. At least the spam bots aren’t accusing us of stealing.
Specifically, the backgrounds in this strip are either retouched and vectorized still images that I’ve taken from the movies themselves, or original pieces contributed by Thomas Gatto made from scratch with graphics software. To be told we’re taking Family Guy backgrounds is bizarre! I don’t even understand where that comes from?
I am fed up with being compared to Robot Chicken and Family Guy. BMS preceded Family Guy’s “Something, Something, Something, Dark Side” by 11 months and Robot Chicken had only just brought out their Empire Strikes Back parody when we debuted. But I scripted 300+ strips before the first BMS strip was ever published in February 2009, all the way through to the end of Return of the Jedi. If I could have made all of those strips in a few months and published 1 per day, I still wouldn’t have finished our parody by the end of 2009 because I’ve expanded on those strips as we’ve progressed. I’ve fleshed out certain scenes as new ideas came to us. We are currently at 450+ strips and only just finishing Empire Strikes Back.
If you THINK we’re ripping people off, then just go somewhere else, but be content that you didn’t pay a single penny to read anything here on this site, and that it wasn’t done by a production studio. We’re just two people, a husband and wife and BMS is something we squeeze into our week because it’s usually a rewarding experience sharing our take on Star Wars with the world.
So I moderate comments, but I still see them all. Little know-it-alls who don’t understand comedy whose first reaction is “why is there a Sandcrawler on the ice?”, to people who have nothing better to do than to nitpick logic holes in a parody that is supposed to make as much sense as anything Monty Python or ZAZ have produced. I know some of our gags aren’t hilarious, and that some only work for the uber geek Star Wars fan, but we have to go with what makes US laugh first and foremost. If you like it then stay on board. The person who made the comment is a first time commenter, so relax, it’s not you! In this case we were also being accused of ripping off Darths & Droids, another Star Wars parody webcomic. Incidentally, I don’t read Darths & Droids, but I hear it is good.
It seems, I either get used to these comments, or I stop Blue Milk Special and do something else.
I should add that last Friday saw over 8000 unique IP address visits and 30,000+ page loads in a single day, which I believe is a record for Blue Milk Special. Perhaps it is inevitable that we will get the haters coming in when we have such a busy day. A big thank you to all the comments in support of BMS below. You guys perk Leanne and myself up. Thank you!
Don’t stop, I’ve been reading BMS for a little over a year and have enjoyed it very much. You will get compared to other people and some people assume the most famous person doing something must have thought of it first, despite the actually chronology. Please ignore these people and continue bringing very funny things to the web.
Well, I like you.
I come here because it’s refreshing original humor on one of my favorite geekdoms. Please, please, please stick around. The jerks can show themselves out the door.
I’ve been reading this for years, and I enjoy it immensely. Sure, there are parodies and similarities in those, but what do you expect? It’s Star Wars, and we all know how the movies go, and where we all can envision a parody to this scene and that.
Keep up the good work!
Don’t let those bums tell you that you’re stuff isn’t funny. I think it’s hilarious personally, and I’m a massive Star Wars fan. The fact that you put a new twist on something that I’ve watched countless times is a huge thing, so I’ll keep coming back for as long as you keep making them. Keep up the great work!
You’ve certainly done nothing to apologize to anyone for, just ignore the chatterings of trolls. This is one of the funniest, most original parodies I’ve ever read. Please continue, lots of us love to laugh at these strips. I can’t imagine why people who watches something as idiotic as ‘Family Guy’ would be complaining about online comics anyway.
I LOLd at ‘Shut up, jackass, I’m having a seance,’ FWIW. And not for the first time when reading this comic! 🙂
Those who can, do. Those who can’t, criticize. Ignore the can’ts!
I love you guys! Anybody who isn’t savvy enough to recognize that this is original material and similarities to other parodies may or may not occur from time to time, or savvy enough to recognize that it’s comedy/satire, duh, and whose insecurities are such that they have to word-vomit all over your site to demonstrate how much they know and how much *you don’t*, makes their ignorance and rudeness override whatever intellect they might possess.
Moderating comments is a double-edged sword as a result, which makes it hard to read all of that drivel and not be at least a little affected by it. Anonymity makes people say and do things that they wouldn’t have the balls to even think of saying or doing in real life – which is not necessarily an improvement or a benefit.
You already know the vast majority of us LOVE what you and Leanne do, and we certainly hope you keep skewering our beloved Star Wars Trilogy, despite the know-it-alls who lack both social grace and a social filter.
So – that’s my dose of positive juju from me to you.
OMG Rod/Leanne I just snorted my late breakfast through my nose.
I didn’t know the Forciness could be used like an IPOD.
Why “Black Betty”? 🙂
As for the negatives; Haters gonna Hate; Gloomers gonna Gloom; and the rest of use are gonna be back for more laughs!
I have no idea why Black Betty came to me while writing this strip. But when it did, I knew it was a keeper. I was certain after Leanne approved rather than looking at me reproachfully. 🙂
Well I don’t know about you T. but I want my money back!
I wish that Rod/Leanne would do something original like Parody What’s Happening or Silver Spoons! Now those would be EPIC! #NOONEEVERSAID
As a good response to these haters you should draw up a stip with Vader force choking them as part of his Dark Lord Training.
LOL
Love the comedy, don’t stop because of the haters. Ya gotta develop thick skin and an itchy delete trigger 😉
Remember, Blue Milk Special always shoots first.
The internet is full of haters. I’m impressed that you have a comment box in the first place. I love Blue Milk Special, and I think it’s funnier and more original than the big-money television parodies (which don’t need to be re-named by me). Keep up the good work. I want to see you succeed.
Please don’t stop, I love your strip and this is the first place I come to every Monday and Friday.
Please don’t stop, this site is hilarious. Ignore the haters.
Ignore the stupid comments and keep on going, I love BMS, I visit the page daily to see if there is something new. I have even shown my friends and family members that love star wars like me. Don’t let us down Please!!! Keep BMS up and ignore others that don’t understand humor.
Seth MacFarlane is the lowest form of humor. Keep on doing what you’re doing. You are awesome.
I don’t care what the idiots say. I love BMS. I found out about it a year ago and have been hooked on it ever since. I love Star Wars and especially love seeing the different parodies of the universe. I’m one of those nerds. LOL. Keep up the great work and don’t let the idiots get you down. You’re doing a great job,.
First time commenter here. Just wanted to say that stumbling across you guys a couple months ago not only gave me way too many laughs, but it’s a big part of renewing my love of Star Wars. For that alone, I’m in your debt. So please, keep the amazing coming, and don’t mind the trolls. Most of those people can’t even tell a joke that doesn’t involve “your momma.”
Hey… I love you <3
I went to New York a few years ago to shoot photography for a 10-10-10 wedding -kinda a big deal for any wedding photographer- and still consider it a highlight of the trip that I met you two at the New York ComicCon. The sketch I have of Han and Luke fighting over Leia (while she flirts with Biggs off in the distance) is one of my favorite pieces of original art. I’m always excited to read new strips, and can’t wait to revisit the series when it’s concluded. May the Forciness be with you, always.
First time commenter here as well — I’m another one of the quiet ones who has appreciated your art, humor, and commentary throughout your run and I suspect there are a lot of us out here. We forget that feedback is appreciated at times, but we’re still enjoying your work immensely. Just wanted to say thanks. 🙂
You’re right, Luke was totally using the Force to send messages telepathically. With most of the plot driven by miscommunication and misunderstanding, this feature would have come in handy in the prequels!
Anakin: “You turned her against me!”
Obi Wan: “No Anakin, this is what really happened.”
Shows him what really happened telepathically.
Anakin: “Oh, alright then.”
Love the comic! Yeah, everyone else out there has done a parody of Star Wars, but as you’ve said, there’s only so many jokes to be made. That said, I own all 3 copies of Family Guy’s Star Wars, and I’ve watched them a few times, but you guys keep on trucking. Not to mention you throw in extra stuff all the time, things like Biggs that were largely cut from the movies. You guys are way better than them. And Robot Chicken is just lame. BMS for life!
NICE!!! 😀
Please don’t heed the morons! The internet is full of them, and therefore full of people talking bile filled nonsense… sadly. Just look at the comments on pretty much any youtube video (again sadly, just imagine how nice the comments section in youtube would be if people were respectful and only commented when they had something to say).
Also imagine how sad it would be if youtube was taken down because the folks that run it were bummed out by the comments…
I love BMS dearly. Its my favorite webcomic (out of many). It is also, for my money the best start wars parody that has even been done. personally I love the ultra geek fanboy jokes, though I often have to read the description to get them… its all part of the unique BMS charm …
also what a tune …. and what the hell has the bassist got on his head ????
As a huge fan of Star Wars I love your site. I only found it just recently after my wife started reading it.
Ignore those people who want to bash you for one reason or another. Do they think the jokes that Family Guy or Robot Chicken made were new or unique? Then they’re just as ignorant as they sound.
People were making those same jokes 20 years ago. And they’ll be making them 20 years from now. They do so because they’re funny. Because we love the source material, and anything that gives us as fans an excuse to look at it even one more time is not just a good thing but a great thing.
So on behalf of myself an all other Star Wars fans out there. Thank you BMS for giving me another reason to revisit one of my favorite things yet again.
To the creators of BMS,
I found your comic while reading another creation on inkoutbreak.com within the past week and have caught up to your present comic strip of the day. I must say that you are doing what you love and those with little to no artistic talent to show their take on a beloved series may show their fangs of jealousy of your creation and take on The Star Wars universe(s).
I enjoy your works and hope to see many more of your creations and ideas come to bear fruit!
Please remember you have the power to kill haters with kindness through the power of imagination and art and weaponize kindness into a double-sided lightsaber and have it spear into the darkside of jealousy and human greed and malice.
Sincerely,
A Walker of the Nightside
Do, or bitch not.
Just do it for me.
[Ignore him. Shhh. Do it for me]
As usual great strip, it would be a sad day if BMS goes offline. I hope you can indure the uninformed that post to bring a little ray of forciness to my day. I personaly love your parody, most of the others out there dont interest me due to their crass comedy, while you do have some language its well placed and appropiate.
I bet the haters who post make you feel a little bit like Lucas and all he had to indure with Star Wars.
Actually, yes. It’s through Blue Milk Special that I’ve been able to sympathize (to a degree) with Lucas and perhaps understand why he was driven to make some of the decisions he made later in his career. He must have felt enormous pressure from the critics and the less erudite critics. It’s just a shame that as a result he would rather bury or erase his original films rather than accept them for the successes that they were (as they were). It’s a sad story.
Well i hope you can indure the insults and continue with BMS. You and Leanne are wonderfull at what you do, both BMS and the other projects you two have worked on. And i thank you for the wonderfully produced free webcomic you have allowed us to enjoy with you.
I found your comic a little over a month ago and I have loved every minute of it. From poor ever late but still dashing Biggs, to the ever lovable slippers of our favorite Grand Moff. From the antics of the clueless Dark Lord to the Sassy Princess. Please don’t ever change. I can honestly say I am a fan of both family guy and robot chicken and most of the times you are accused of copying them I don’t see it. People just love to critesize those who have talent to make themselves feel better. We your true fans LOVE!!!! your work and eagerly look forward to each new strip. Ignore the pleblians and listen to those of us who appreciate you.
A Devoted Fan