It's hard to believe the Tacomic is already a year old. It seems like just yesterday, if yesterday were 366 days ago (leap year!), that R.R. Anderson's brilliant and relevant sketches took root in Tacoma's thriving virtual landscape.

To celebrate the event, I sat down to interview one of his first characters, who was kidnapped right out of my own Chihuly-glass-bearing office: Little Fatboy Tribnet.

R.R. served as translator, since it's hard to understand what the little guy is saying through his generous and gravy-stained jowls.

Cole: How are they treating you in Tacomic Land?

Chubby Tacomicharacter: Good. I'm making friends with Tacoma's other, smaller newspaper cartoon metaphors. I get goofed on 'cause my weight and 'cause my family is a bit more well-to-do, but I'm used to it.

Cole: When you are transferred from R.R.'s brain, through the pencil, to the paper, does it hurt?

Chubby Tacomicharacter: As a two-dimensional character the experience is quite exhilarating … kinda feels like licking a 9-volt battery but throughout your whole body, which just turns out to be lines of graphite. Some drawings like to heap all kinds of metaphysical explanations on this, but I like to stay objective.

Cole: What do you miss the most about living at The News Tribune?

Chubby Tacomicharacter: I miss the routine. I miss the glamour. I miss the influence. I miss riding that big escalator each morning. I miss all the Mariners tip-ins. Most of all I miss the paper tricorn hat lunch parties.

Cole: You get to come out in public once a year for your birthday party, but what are you doing the rest of the time?

Chubby Tacomicharacter: Sometimes I get invited to Rotary Club luncheons.

Cole: Which famous cartoon character would you most like to have two-dimensional sexual relations with?

Chubby Tacomicharacter: The Baroness or Æon Flux.

Cole: Me too.

What: Tacomic's 1st birthday party, with R.R. Anderson's creations on display and for sale.
When: 3-5 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Helm, 760 S. Broadway, Tacoma