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Slideshow: Succe$$

Succe$$ Finale

By KARL STEVENS AND GUSTAVO TURNER | January 6, 2009

Writing "Succe$$"

by Gustavo Turner

"Succe$$" was a challenge from the get-go. It was meant to be a weekly strip, one that had a long-term story arc with continuity but also could be enjoyed week by week by people who did not follow the overarching narrative. I had often been puzzled by those strange strips on daily papers (like the perverse "Gil Thorpe" or "Rex Morgan, MD") that only seem to make full sense to those who religiously follow them for decades. "Succe$$" needed to avoid that hermeticism, while still retaining the perennial "Serial" quality of making readers wonder what was going to happen next week.

The original pitch for "Succe$$" (from last April) described it as "a post-9-11 story about a new breed of young capitalists. They're eco-friendly, gadget-obsessed and they scorn the gaucheness and vanity of the Gordon Gekko yuppies. They're Reagan babies, programmed to "Just Say No" and "Just Do It" at the same time. If you looked at the back seat of their Priuses, you'd find well-thumbed copies of "Atlas Shrugged."" This was the overall idea at the start and I think, 35 episodes down the line, that the complete work fleshed out that world and also reflected many interesting paradoxes of the troublesome first decade of the 21st century.

"Succe$$" found itself talking about the recession in May (months before the government fessed up to it, but well after it had actually started) and about deadly taser brutality weeks before reality in New York imitated the plot of the story. Some of its predictions might still shock future readers ("Little Baghdads" soon appearing in many American cities? It's more likely than you think.).

The whole story can now be read from beginning to end. Paraphrasing Amazon.com, if you like J.G. Ballard and MAD magazine you might like "Succe$$."

Thanks for your time.

Note: Succe$$ was chosen as one of the "Best Webcomics of 2008" by Derik Badman at The Webcomic List.