Local comic hits shelves

"Hoosier Rascals," IU's very own comic strip, will soon jump from the pages of the Indiana Daily Student to the bookshelves.\nThe comics, written by seniors Victor Neff and Alan Garelick, have been compiled into a book to be sold at T.I.S. and the IU Bookstore soon.\nGarelick and Neff have been writing "Hoosier Rascals" for four semesters, with reruns of old comics running so far this semester.\n"Hoosier Rascals" began during a conversation at an IU soccer game in the fall of 2001.\n"We were talking about how we didn't think the comics in the paper were very funny, so we decided that we'd try to make our own," Neff said.\nThey decided to focus their comics on IU events, classes, history and campus. \n"There was just so many funny things going on here, and the comics we had didn't cover any of it," Garelick said.\nThe pair began rough drawings for the comic in the fall of 2001, but didn't begin running in the IDS until the spring semester.\nTopics range from fat squirrels to the lack of pencil sharpeners on campus. Little 500, IU basketball and greek life have popped up from time to time as well.\n"Alan and Victor do a great job of turning everyday occurrences into things we can laugh at," senior Christina Gabriel said.\nThough known for it's notoriously elementary artwork, the comic has developed a following on IU's campus.\n"We're not artists and we're not comedians, but we have a good time drawing it anyway," Neff said.\nThe idea for the book came when Neff and Garelick discussed their legacy here at IU.\n"We wanted to leave a mark on campus," Garelick said. "We knew there were a few people here and there that liked it, so we decided to do it for them."\nOnce the decision was made to make "Hoosier Rascals" into a book, the topic of finances came up.\n"As soon as we decided to do the book, we immediately thought why not just do it for charity," Garelick said.\nHabitat for Humanity is a charity both have experience with. Neff took a spring break trip with them in 2002 and worked on last year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day project.\nIn order to maximize the money being given to charity, the pair went in search of sponsors. The McNutt Quad Board of Governors agreed to donate the total printing cost $1,000, effectively assuring that every penny of the profit will go to Habitat for Humanity.\n"We just hope people will get out there and buy the book because it's for a really good cause," Neff said.\n"Hoosier Rascals" will soon be available at T.I.S. and the IU Bookstore for $5.00. All the proceeds will be donated to charity.\n"We want to make sure people know that we're not getting a dime of this," Neff said. "Everything is going to Habitat"