Comic strip call Poker Pauly

Katie Lightcap, of Royersford, is using her comedic talent to co-author a new comic strip about poker called Poker Pauly. The creator of Poker Pauly is Dan Pevar of West Chester.

"I got the idea for the comic strip in the beginning of the year and started to write it. I looked for an artist about a month ago and then realized I needed an editor. After a few weeks of editing for me, Katie became co-author," Pevar said.

Lightcap enjoys writing jokes, one-liners and punch lines for the comic strip and has worked with Pevar in the past.

"I met Dan in 2003 when I was doing some really bad stand-up comedy. I looked over some of his comic strips and offered one-liners," Lightcap said. "We re-connected through e-mail and he told me about Poker Pauly. I started editing the comic strip for Dan. Now, I co-write with him. We do seven to fourteen strips a week."

Lightcap and Pevar are hoping the growing popularity of poker will aide them in their endeavor to publish the comic strip on a wider basis.

"With poker tournaments being broadcast on TV and the various Web sites and blogs about poker, the game is gaining more attention," Lightcap said. "There's an up-and-coming market for a comic strip right now. To my knowledge, there aren't any other comic strips based on poker."

"I'm hoping that eventually it will end up syndicated in major newspapers," Pevar said. "We're starting on Web sites and in local papers to become established and develop a following."

Poker Pauly has enjoyed mild success on the Internet and can be viewed by visiting PokerPauly.com.

"While working at an Internet poker store in the shipping and receiving department, I asked my boss if he would run the strip on his Web site, and he agreed," Pevar said. "Poker is becoming part of the culture now, and I hope this will lead to Poker Pauly's further success."

The Poker Pauly comic strip is based on the Pauly character, who is obsessed with poker. The strip also features Elbow, the cat, a poker-playing cactus named Obi, Dr. Sonyvox, a talking TV therapist and Pauly's older, responsible sister, Cynthia.

"Pauly's shirt has an eye on it that will sometimes give his hand away while playing poker," Lightcap said. "A lot of the objects talk and have a personality, like the cactus and the television. The cactus is a really good poker player. It gives the comic strip a unique and funny quality."

Lightcap, a graduate of Spring-Ford Area High School, holds an associate's degree in fine arts and will receive her bachelor's degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Philadelphia this summer. She hopes to work in the field of digital photographic manipulation. She has had some success in this field, but would like to make it more permanent.

"I'm enjoying working on Poker Pauly. Dan comes up with the story lines and I chunk on the funny lines. I'm more the comic relief to the strip," Lightcap said.

Written by Lisa Scull

dailylocal.com