Mr. Boop, the psychosexual webcomic that is a scathing critique of copyright

The first panel of Mr. Boop felt like a raging id of the internet, but it was better than that.

Betty Boop is his wife. She is really hot.

The genre of webcomics that defined it's boom a decade or so ago was typified by imperfectly drawn panels, constant flirtation with copyright violation, and a horny, self-indulgent hero based directly on Mr. Boop.

Robbins is weaponizing the tropes of a largely bygone era of fanfiction, delivering a note-perfect satire of a very specific time on the internet with layers that only reveal themselves as the story unfolds. Robbins is a writer and comedian whose credits include appearances on I Think You Should Leave and The Eric Andre Show.

Mr. Boop's initial appeal was tied to the internet, but the comic has a different kind of weight. It is the best way to read a comic.

When I finished Mr. Boop, I had over one million questions. Alec Robbins is here to answer some questions.

Photo courtesy of Alec Robbins, amazingly

Why Betty Boop is internet- married?

It was nothing else. It would be funny to draw a comic about being married to a fictional character. That was never the approach. It came from Betty Boop. A life-size statue of Betty Boop was on display at a bar. I would take a photo with it to make my friends laugh. I was so inspired by the thought of Betty Boop that I would often send out a message like, "damn, Betty Boop is really hot."

How did that inside joke turn into this psychosexual webcomic?

I drew a sketch to make my friend laugh. I sent it to him. I wrote 40 Mr. Boop strips on my phone while sitting in my car after work. They came naturally. It was like rocket fuel when I started drawing them.

You expanded the universe to other fictional characters such as Bugs Bunny, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Peter Griffin after reading the comic. By the 45th comic, Alec and Betty Boop are having an orgy with a bunch of cartoon characters.

I took it very seriously, which characters would be in and which wouldn't. You are playing with every character that people have well-known sexual obsessions with online once you open that shell.

Sonic or SpongeBob are ironic. Jessica Rabbit is obvious. There are left-field ones. I knew there was a thing with Gardevoir, if you were familiar with PokE9;mon fans and how they end up sexualizing certain characters. Gardevoir is probably one of the ones you have seen.

You need some that are personal. When I was younger, I loved watching Gina and Ranma from Porco Rosso. You have to include your favorites. I had to make sure I was also in the crosshairs. I don't want to come off like I'm making fun of people. I also threw in some of my other vices.

There is a whole meta-narrative about Betty Boop's father breaking up her marriage to Alec. Did you run into any actual copyright issues when you wrote a comic that included so many very recognizable fictional characters?

Maybe. I don't know if I should talk. I think my answer is a winking.

You have a scene where Mickey Mouse shows up with an erection and says, "Walt Disney really hates it when I, Mickey Mouse, participate in orgies."

I think it's pretty clear how I feel about it. I can tell you this. There was a loud noise. I stopped being worried. When nothing happened to me, the scare made me braver than ever. I'm even more protected once it's about copyrighted works, with Mickey Mouse as the holy grail. It is a very valid critique of that world.

The ending really dips into all-out horror, right down to a video finale that incorporates the End of Evangelion song.

There were a few drawings that I changed because I was not comfortable with them. I was wondering if that was the right capper for everything. It makes sense, but I was worried about the statement I was making. I don't want Mr. Boop to say that it's bad to fall into fantasy worlds.

Would you ever go back to the Mr. Boop universe? We know Alec was married to two other people, but we don't know anything about their other relationships.

Maybe. I like having a button on it. It was fun. I miss it. I didn't think it ended too early, but a lot of other people do. I didn't want it to drag on too long. I can't go back to it.

I have been wondering if Jaleel White's voice is in my head when Sonic the Hedgehog talks in Mr. Boop. Is that correct?

Yes. That is the canon voice for me.

The interview has been edited.