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VG Cats: the story on HearLore | HearLore
VG Cats
On the 1st of September 2001, a bored office worker named Scott Ramsoomair decided to turn his lunch breaks into a digital legacy that would outlast the decade. He created a simple webcomic featuring two anthropomorphic cats named Leo and Aeris, characters directly inspired by his own real-life pets who had been named after figures from the Final Fantasy video game series. The first strip, titled Feelin Gassy, appeared online on that date, launching a project that would eventually become one of the most recognizable names in early internet culture. Ramsoomair had started the comic simply because he was bored at work, drawing during his breaks to pass the time, but the strip quickly evolved from a personal pastime into a satirical commentary on the video game industry. The timing of the launch was so close to the tragic events of the 11th of September that Ramsoomair later joked about the bad timing, though the comic itself remained largely focused on the absurdity of gaming culture rather than world events. Before securing the VGCats.com domain, the comic lived on a subdomain of cjb.net, a humble beginning for what would become a multi-platform franchise. The strip was not originally plot-driven but instead focused on the chaotic dynamic between two gamers who often found themselves in violent and absurd situations. This format allowed Ramsoomair to parody popular games and the industry itself, creating a space where violence, language, and sexual innuendo coexisted with the cute aesthetic of the characters.
The Violent Duo And Their Creator
Aeris, a blue-eyed female cat with pink fur, became the central force of the comic, defined by a short temper and a willingness to physically abuse her companion Leo. Her character was not merely a comic relief figure but a source of constant conflict, often assaulting other characters and making sarcastic quips while simultaneously showing an interest in writing yaoi fan fiction. Leo, a green-eyed male cat with grey fur, served as the foil to her aggression, portrayed as unintelligent, impulsive, and possessing a loose grasp of reality. The dynamic between the two was so intense that Joystiq later described them as adorable characters who felt most at home with violence and sexual innuendo. Ramsoomair admitted that all his characters related to him at some point, suggesting that Leo might have been born with an intellectual disability, a trait that occasionally surfaced as moments of unexpected intelligence. The comic was not a traditional narrative but a series of vignettes where the cats played roles in parodies of popular games. This approach allowed Ramsoomair to explore the darker, more absurd corners of gaming culture without the constraints of a linear plot. The characters were not just pets but avatars for the frustrations and obsessions of the gaming community, turning the comic into a mirror for the industry it satirized.
When did Scott Ramsoomair create the VG Cats webcomic?
Scott Ramsoomair created the VG Cats webcomic on the 1st of September 2001. The first strip titled Feelin Gassy appeared online on that date.
Who are the main characters in the VG Cats webcomic?
The main characters are Leo and Aeris, two anthropomorphic cats named after figures from the Final Fantasy video game series. Aeris is a blue-eyed female cat with pink fur and Leo is a green-eyed male cat with grey fur.
What happened to the VG Cats animated series released in 2006?
Chris Boe released the first half of the episode A Tale of Two Kitties on the 21st of January 2006 but only the first half was ever produced. The animated series remains incomplete and was hosted on SheezyArt.
When did Scott Ramsoomair announce the end of the VG Cats webcomic?
Scott Ramsoomair announced the end of the webcomic in February 2022 in a now deleted post on Patreon. He later began to update the main Patreon account again on the 20th of July 2023.
How many Web Cartoonists Choice Awards did VG Cats win?
VG Cats won two awards in 2005 and one award in 2006. The comic was nominated for several Web Cartoonists Choice Awards throughout its run.
In 2006, Ramsoomair made a strip depicting creatures from Maxis' video game Spore, and the game's creators responded by replacing the drawn characters with in-game versions and sending him custom figurines. This interaction highlighted the growing relationship between webcomics and the video game industry, as companies began to engage with fan content in unprecedented ways. The comic also hosted Adventure Log, a Final Fantasy XI webcomic that ran until 2008, and Super Effective, a parody of the Pokémon series that went on hiatus from 2014 before resuming updates on the 8th of September 2024. These side projects demonstrated Ramsoomair's versatility and his ability to tap into different gaming communities. The main comic itself underwent significant changes, shifting from a focus on two gamers to a broader parody of video games by 2006. Ramsoomair also experimented with April Fools' Day pranks, such as replacing the home page with a fake Krug page in 2003 or creating a Myspace profile for Solid Snake in 2007. These stunts kept the audience engaged and showed the comic's willingness to play with the medium itself. The comic was once affiliated with BuzzComix, but it eventually outgrew that platform to establish its own domain, becoming a self-sustaining entity in the early days of the internet.
The Pantsman And The Animated Dream
Pantsman, the alter ego of Scott Ramsoomair, was introduced in Strip 37, I Like Bunnies, as an incompetent superhero who concealed his identity by wearing trousers and sometimes underpants on his head. His greatest weakness was vodka cooler, which caused him to drop his trousers and transform into Peter Pantsless, a character who wore a pair of jeans around his neck to provide a two-tailed cape. The character was created to explain the inconsistent updating of the comic, adding a layer of meta-commentary to the narrative. In 2006, Chris Boe, a friend and associate of Ramsoomair, created an animated adaptation of VG Cats, releasing the first half of the first episode, A Tale of Two Kitties, on the 21st of January 2006. Boe wrote and animated the episode, but only the first half was ever produced, leaving the animated series incomplete. The animated series was a testament to the comic's influence, as it demonstrated the potential for the characters to exist beyond the static webcomic format. The episode was released on SheezyArt, a platform known for hosting fan-made content, and it remains a rare glimpse into what could have been a full animated series. The comic also featured Bad Mushrooms, a sprite comic created by Ramsoomair prior to the creation of VG Cats, which was hosted on the VGCats.com website.
The Financial Struggle And The Patreon Shift
After comic 380 in 2018, Scott Ramsoomair created a Patreon account for furry-themed pornography based on Leo and Aeris among other video game related characters titled VG Lewds. On the same day as the aforementioned comic, Scott stated in a blog post that the site's advertising revenue was no longer able to sustain him financially, and asked his users to help support him in this newest venture. As of March 2022, the VG Lewds Patreon was shut down without comment, with Ramsoomair later stating that he wanted to focus on an ending for the strip. In February 2022, Ramsoomair announced the end of the webcomic in a now deleted post on Patreon, but he later began to update the main Patreon account again on the 20th of July 2023, and released a new comic strip in December of the same year. This shift from traditional advertising to direct fan support reflected the changing landscape of webcomics, where creators increasingly relied on patronage to fund their work. The comic had been nominated for several Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, winning two awards in 2005 and one in 2006, but the financial realities of the industry forced Ramsoomair to adapt. The comic's merchandise, which had been hosted by various providers including CafePress, Hyperion Press, ZeStuff, and Shark Robot, also played a role in the comic's financial history, though the relationship with CafePress ended in 2008.
The Legacy Of A Digital Cat
VG Cats has been nominated for several Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, winning two awards in 2005 and one in 2006, cementing its place in the history of webcomics. The comic was not just a series of jokes but a cultural touchstone that influenced the way creators approached the intersection of gaming and humor. Ramsoomair's work was recognized by outlets like IGN and the New Straits Times, which described it as a geeks' favorite web comic. The comic's influence extended beyond the screen, with merchandise ranging from t-shirts to prints and buttons, all hosted by various providers over the years. The comic's ability to adapt to changing times, from its early days on cjb.net to its current status on Patreon, demonstrated its resilience and the loyalty of its fanbase. The comic's characters, particularly Leo and Aeris, became icons of the early internet era, representing the chaotic and often absurd nature of online culture. The comic's history is a testament to the power of the web to create communities and sustain creative projects over decades, even as the platforms and technologies around them changed.