# Jeffrey Rowland > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeffrey_Rowland > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeffrey_Rowland.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Rowland > Source revision: 1355309817 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American artist and author}} {{other people||Jeff Rowland (disambiguation)}} {{infobox person |name=Jeffrey Rowland |image=Jeffrey Rowland January 2009.jpg |caption=Rowland in 2009 |birth_name=Jeffrey J. Rowland |birth_date={{birth date and age|1974|5|22}} |occupation=Author, artist |known_for=The [webcomic](/source/webcomic)s ''Wigu'' and ''Overcompensating'' }} '''Jeffrey J. Rowland''' (born May 22, 1974) is the author and artist responsible for ''Wigu'' and ''Overcompensating'', two popular [webcomic](/source/webcomic)s. Originally from [Locust Grove](/source/Locust_Grove%2C_Oklahoma), [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma), Rowland now lives in [Easthampton, Massachusetts](/source/Easthampton%2C_Massachusetts), where he continues to work on the two projects, while running TopatoCo, a company which sells merchandise based on his and other artists' comics. Jeffrey Rowland's comics are part of the TopatoCo network, along with comics such as ''[Dinosaur Comics](/source/Dinosaur_Comics)'' and ''[MS Paint Adventures](/source/MS_Paint_Adventures)''. Rowland can be considered one of the small number of [professional webcartoonists](/source/List_of_professional_webcomic_artists), as running ''Overcompensating'' and ''Wigu'', in addition to his merchandise company TopatoCo, is his full-time job and source of income. ==Comics== Rowland's comics were used along with ''[Penny Arcade](/source/Penny_Arcade_(webcomic))'', ''[Fetus-X](/source/Fetus-X)'' and ''[Questionable Content](/source/Questionable_Content)'' as an example of comics using the web to create "an explosion of diverse genres and styles" in [Scott McCloud](/source/Scott_McCloud)'s 2006 book ''[Making Comics](/source/Making_Comics)'' McCloud, Scott (2006). ''Making Comics'', New York: Harper Collins Publishers. {{ISBN|0-06-078094-0}}. p. 227 ===''When I Grow Up''=== ''When I Grow Up'' is a webcomic written by Rowland,[http://webcomicsreview.com/?p=126 When You’re Eight Years Old, Anything Seems Possible / An Interview with Jeffrey Rowland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315153230/http://webcomicsreview.com/?p=126 |date=2006-03-15 }}, Mike Meginnis, Webcomics Examiner, 2006-03-14[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031902/http://www.sbindependent.org/jeffrey-rowland-web-cartoonist/ Jeffrey Rowland, Web Cartoonist] Matt Willemain, [Stony Brook Independent](/source/Stony_Brook_Independent), 2007-03-26 which ran from June 14, 1999 until January 1, 2002. It takes place in the fictional town of Shallow Brook, [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma). The main characters were Neal, a young [African American](/source/African_American) [scientist](/source/scientist) working for the U.S. government; Roger, an unemployed [slacker](/source/slacker); Zoe, a selfish, bitter [newscaster](/source/news_presenter); and Gina, a college student and part-time employee of a video store. The structure of ''When I Grow Up'' is very similar that of Rowland's second comic, ''Wigu''. It includes five different story arcs, which are often interrupted by short stories or single strips. ''When I Grow Up'' was hosted on [Keenspot](/source/Keenspot) for some time, but Rowland eventually moved it to his own server. ===''Wigu''=== ''Wigu'' was a [webcomic](/source/webcomic) created by Jeffrey Rowland.{{cite web |first=Mike |last=Meginnis |title=When You're Eight Years Old, Anything Seems Possible / An Interview with Jeffrey Rowland |url=http://webcomicsreview.com/?p=126 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315153230/http://webcomicsreview.com/?p=126 |archive-date=2006-03-15 |publisher=Webcomics Examiner |date=2006-03-14 |access-date=2009-09-11|ref=Meg}} It was publicly launched on January 7, 2002 and was also part of the Dumbrella bulletin board.{{cite news|title=A sad farewell to genius|last=Brosmer|first=Ryan|date=2005-01-07|work=[The Free Lance–Star](/source/The_Free_Lance%E2%80%93Star)|quote=8 it! issue thursday 01.06.05 ... end last Friday, Dec. 31 ... first hit the Web on Jan. 7, 2002 ... part of the Dumbrella Community}} ''Wigu'' is the successor to ''When I Grow Up'' and derives its name from the earlier strip's initials. There have been some guest appearances from ''When I Grow Up'', but ''Wigu'' is otherwise a different comic with a new set of characters. The comic is centered on the adventures of a little boy named Wigu Tinkle and his family. Each chapter of the comic represents one day in Wigu's life. Wigu is an intelligent child with an active imagination who uses much of his free time to watch [television](/source/television) and play [video game](/source/video_game)s, where he encounters the beings of ''Butter Dimension³'', primarily the intergalactic heroes Topato (a flying [potato](/source/potato) whose [catchphrase](/source/catchphrase) is "Spring into action!" and whose primary defense mechanism consists of being made entirely of [poison](/source/poison)) and Sheriff Pony (an eloquent Space Pony who, as the storyline reveals, excretes [vanilla](/source/vanilla) [ice cream](/source/ice_cream) instead of fecal waste. Topato excretes sour cream, which he also uses to shave). Wigu was nominated for the [2004 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards](/source/2004_Web_Cartoonists'_Choice_Awards) categories Outstanding Short Form Comic and Outstanding Story Concept.[http://www.ccawards.com/2004.htm 2004 Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117080609/http://www.ccawards.com/2004.htm |date=2010-01-17 }} ''Wigu'' was originally intended to end on December 31, 2004, but resumed on April 18, 2005. The webcomic ended again on December 31, 2005 so that Rowland could continue the title as a series of printed books. It was intended that there be a new book every month, but due to various delays, only three have been published, and ''Wigu'' returned to its original online format on November 22, 2006.{{cite web |ref=Row20061113 |title=OVERCOMPENSATING: Actual Things That Happen to Jeffrey Rowland |url=http://overcompensating.com/2006/11/unihorn.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214151923/http://www.overcompensating.com/posts/20061113.html |archive-date=2006-12-14 |first=Jeffrey |last=Rowland |date=2006-11-13}} ===''Overcompensating''=== On September 19, 2004, Rowland began another comic, ''Overcompensating'', a journal/daily [blog](/source/blog) comic about his life. ''Overcompensating'', though clearly fictitious, does appear to have some reality in it. Caricatures of real life people such as [Richard Stevens](/source/Richard_Stevens_(cartoonist)), [John Allison](/source/John_Allison_(comics)) and [Vera Brosgol](/source/Vera_Brosgol)[http://overcompensating.com/posts/20050506.html The Underpants Candidate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414201506/http://overcompensating.com/posts/20050506.html |date=2008-04-14 }} Overcompensating, May 06, 2005 make appearances, while other characters, such as Baby, do not exist.[http://www.overcompensating.com/posts/20041018.html Overcompensating October 18, 2004] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607005051/http://overcompensating.com/posts/20041018.html |date=June 7, 2007 }} - "Down in the West Texas Town of El Paso" In April 2005, Rowland predicted and then 'faked' his [death](/source/death) by having Weedmaster P, a character in the strip, update the comic, posting that Rowland had died. ==TopatoCo== Rowland is the owner and operator of the web merchant [TopatoCo](/source/TopatoCo), which sells T-shirts, stickers, magnets, comics, hoodies, tote bags, and other items for a number of webcomics. As of May 2012, TopatoCo sells merchandise for over 40 different comics. Comics that TopatoCo represents include ''[Questionable Content](/source/Questionable_Content)'', ''[Dinosaur Comics](/source/Dinosaur_Comics)'', ''[MS Paint Adventures](/source/MS_Paint_Adventures)'', ''[Wondermark](/source/Wondermark)'', and ''Sam and Fuzzy''. Rowland currently operates TopatoCo out of a large warehouse in [Easthampton, Massachusetts](/source/Easthampton%2C_Massachusetts). The various cardboard box-related adventures of running the business play a large part in Rowland's comic ''Overcompensating''. ==References== == External links == {{commons category}} * [http://www.wigucomics.com/ ''Wigu''] * [http://overcompensating.com/ ''Overcompensating''] * [http://www.jjrowland.com/whenigrowup/ ''When I Grow Up'' (Archives)] * [http://www.topatoco.com TopatoCo] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061129114724/http://www.weeklygeekshow.com/2006/07/interview_with_jeff_rowland_in.php Interview with Jeff Rowland] from ''The Weekly Geek''. {{dumbrella}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowland, Jeff}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:People from Locust Grove, Oklahoma Category:People from Easthampton, Massachusetts Category:American webcomic creators --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jeffrey Rowland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Rowland) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Rowland?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.