Think Nigel and Randy are merely comic characters that exist only on paper? Well, you're wrong Mr. or Ms. Wrongy-Wrongington the Third! They're real and are travelling across this kinda-great nation, perching on shoulders, resting in the hands of people, and sometimes being placed in awkward and sexually-explicit positions! And we have the proof! For a complete set of Nigel and Randy causing all sorts of mischief, click here to go to Phillip's Flickr site.

Not every comic is published on the main page or in the Daily Illini: sometimes I'll exclusively draw a comic for a friend, or my ideas are shot down by the editors, or I simply didn't like the comic and chose to take an alternative approach. Now, will such comics fade into obscurity? Oh, ye moron of little faith!

For Christina and the Undergrad Espresso.

My good friend, Christina, is a manager at the Espresso Royale coffee shop located inside UIUC's Undergraduate Library. She asked me to draw a comic for her, and -- since a newly-opened, mega-conglomerate coffee chain is competing with them -- I decided to poke fun at the opposition. I used Photoshop to color the comic, and I reintroduced everybody's favorite electrical engineer, Caffeinated Tim.

The Way Life Should Be #1.

Pat Doran -- author of "The Way Life Should Be" -- broke his arm under mysterious, seedy circumstances and asked me to draw his comic for a week or so. Needless to say, I was tickled pink to draw his strip. He gave me the script and premise to work with, and I was given free reign over the art (as well as add some extra dialogue). "The Way Life Should Be" Sausage-Fest style... has the world gone mad?

The Way Life Should Be #2.

The second guest strip for Doran's "The Way Life Should Be." I must reiterate: although Pat gave me a premise and some dialogue to work with, I ultimately decided what was to be drawn. In this case, P.A.T. was supposed to have a casual conversation with Rat, but I decided to have them dueling as well. P.A.T. is wearing an ensemble similar to Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife, while Rat was drawn to look like Ryu from Street Fighter.

The Way Life Should Be #2.

The third guest strip for Doran's "The Way Life Should Be." If you can find Nigel and Randy, one of Duder's Harem girls, and a reference to "I Hate Pam," then you have a good eye, my fine friend. Ever consider becoming a sniper or assassin?

The Way Life Should Be #3.

The fourth guest strip for Doran's "The Way Life Should Be." It was really, really fun drawing Doran's character with my style. And if you notice, the painting in the background of the third and fourth panels is actually one of my photographs.

The Way Life Should Be #4.

The fifth guest strip for Doran's "The Way Life Should Be." The Sausage-Fest characters Drunk Mom, Duder, and Kelly the Nympho make cameos in this strip. Moreover, in this particular comic I think Doran intended the stripper to be really attractive (hence, Rat falls for her), but I made her old and saggy. Tassels, after all, are hypnotic despite who wears them.

Oh, Vroom...

Remember the "I Hate Pam" comic that poked fun at Jewish stereotypes? Well, I drew a comic in response to that, but my editors refused to publish it; they didn't want to perpetuate the controversy, I suppose. Nonetheless, here it is for your viewing pleasure. I like it, and I'm pretty sure you will, too.

A J-O-B.

Another unprinted comic regarding Matt Vroom's questionable strip. Amidst the controversy, I had an idea to make a storyline involving Vroom's character moving in with Nigel and Randy. Of course, the idea was shot down by the editors. Oh well. It would have made a great story arc.

Rivals of Obscure Music and Weird Bands (Alternate).

This strip, which formally introduces the character ZCC, is an alternate version of the one published in the Daily Illini. This exclusive strip was the original concept and ready for pring, but for some reason I scratched the idea. Perhaps I thought the penis/castration joke was a bit too raunchy for the Daily Illini, but looking at it now I find it funnier than the comic that was published.

Vroom and Seliena the PC FAA Student.

"I Hate Pam" author, Matt Vroom, asked me if he could use my Seliena character. Of course, how could I resist such an honest, loveable face like his? I even drew Seliena naked, which was clearly censored by the editors.

Homecoming 2003.

For the Daily Illini's Homecoming issue, the cartoonists and I chose one male and one female character from our comics and let the Illinois student body decide which two should be Homecoming King and Queen. I believe Vroom's Vroom and my Lindsey won the vote.

During the construction of this site, I decided to make a bunch of promo posters. The posters mark the return of Sausage-Fest after its 3-year run in the Daily Illini and feature Nigel and Randy throughout history's most significant events. I actually plastered a lot of these promos throughout the Illinois campus, so if any of you U of I students see them, know that I have marked my territory, and that area is officially my property.

#1: Nigel and Randy at the Last Supper.
#2: Nigel and Randy at the nuclear attack on Hiroshima.
#3: Nigel and Randy witnessing the historic Wright Brothers' flight.
#4: Nigel and Randy at the first moon landing.
#5: Nigel and Randy settling with the pilgrims of Plymouth Rock.

Just some random Sausage-Fest drawings, like character lineups, covers to various books and storylines, and even the early-developed cast page that first got me the job at the Daily Illini.

Have you ever wondered where I get the inspiration for the various characters in my comic? Believe it or not (well, actually, do please believe it), I base nearly all of the Sausage-Fest characters off real people. I essentially take a personality trait of friends, family, and others and amplify them to slanderously satirical levels. I also try to accurately draw caricatures of these people, so don't be surprised if you encounter the actual Indie Rawk Jeffro (nose included) or Aaron the Stoner (bong included) on the street. Still don't believe me, Mr. Doubts-A-Lot? The following images are side-by-side comparisons of some of the characters and their real-life counterparts!

Indie Rawk Jeffro.

Aaron the Stoner.

ZCC.

Kyle the Duck.

Duder the Stereotypical Frat Boy.

Lindsey.

Jen.

Cyrus the Whiny Nuclear Engineer.

Mark the Engineer.

Nicole/Death.

Joe Stalin.