The majority of the characters (really all but the "generic" ones) are based off myself and my real-life friends. That being said, that doesn't mean the comics are based on real life or real events, the characters are just modeled after and named after my friends (and even then the last names are different). Characteristics of these characters have some grounding in real life, but for comedic effect, they have been blown ridiculously out of proportion to get more laughs.
SAM - full name: Sampson Jude Shoemaker. Sam is the main character of the comics and modeled on myself. It was easiest to make Sam the lead, so that the comics could be told from his (my) POV. Sam is a shy, clumsy, and somewhat gullible teenager. Having grown up living in another town, Sam is still adjusting to life in Lakeville. He is best friends with two of his classmates, Ryan and Nick, and also is friends with the three Freeberg sisters, who live a couple of blocks down from him. He is part of a club in his school (a new idea just introduced for the fourth season of comics) and his biggest talent is drawing. Since this character is based on myself, and I draw the comics, there's a running joke within the series that Sam has "powers" and can control what happens. This is highly untrue, because whenever he tries to make something happen, something bad (and hilarious) always happens instead. Sam often breaks the fourth wall and addresses the readers, or comments how something in the comic is different or "never been done like THAT before".
RYAN - full name: Ryan Travis Whittaker. Ryan is Sam's best friend and based on my own real-life best friend, Ryan White. Ryan and his sister Rachel go to the same school as Sam and are in the same classes. He is generally classified as "the cool kid", and everyone seems to know him and like him. Ryan can sometimes be a little cocky, but he knows when to be and when not to be. Ryan befriended Sam around the second season of the comics, and has stayed his best friend since. Even though he goofs around and never seems to care about his schoolwork, he's actually smarter than Sam, always quick to come up with an answer about anything and everything. Ryan has a little sister, Rachel, who is actually smarter than him, and even in the same grade as him. He gets a bit frustrated by this sometimes, but usually doesn't care.
BAILEY - full name: Bailey Isabelle Freeberg. Bailey is another of Sam's best friends and based on one of my oldest friends, Bailey Freemire. Bailey has been around in the series since comic #1 and remains to be one of the three characters who have survived all four seasons thus far. She is the oldest of three girls in her family, with her younger siblings Kenzie and Molly. Bailey is often painted as the "pretty, nice girl-next-door" type, but she has her moments when she can be downright spunky. She never hurts anyone, or makes jokes about anyone at their expense, but sometimes she'll hit Sam if he makes a joke she doesn't like. Even though they are the same age, Bailey doesn't attend the same school as Sam and Ryan, going to a different one with her sisters. Bailey does get annoyed when people make blonde jokes, hence why these comics will never (or seldom) have blonde jokes.
KENZIE - full name: Mackenzie Anabelle Freeberg. Kenzie is based on another friend of mine, Mackenzie Freemire. She's another character who has been around since the first season, even though her looks have changed several times, from having a ponytail, to having pigtails, to having wavy hair, and finally to this long straight haired-look you're seeing. Kenzie is the primary source of sarcasm in the comics, and has an unmatched prankster's mentality. As the second child of her family, she likes to take advantage of her younger sister's gullibility, and of course takes advantage of Sam's gullibility as well. That does not mean that Kenzie is a nasty little upstart, she actually is a kind and compassionate teen, but she just likes to prank a little too much for some people.
NICK - full name: Nicholas Benjamin Hopper. Nick was added in season 3 in 2010, and his personality had not fully been established. In the movie version of the comics released in 2011, Nick had his moment to shine. While I try to keep the comics and the movie separate from one another, I kept Nick's movie personality intact. Nick is somewhat of an awkward character, but he makes for great laughs and good companionship. He attends school with Sam and Ryan, but is a grade lower than them. He has a tendancy to appear out of seemingly nowhere at irrelevant times or in the middle of the conversation and know what they were talking about. He is great athlete, and does several sports for the school.
MOLLY - full name: Molly Arabella Freeberg. Molly is based on my friend Molly Freemire. Molly is usually a very quiet and soft-spoken character. She is the youngest sibling in her family, and Sam feels connected to her, since he is also the youngest in his family. Sam takes the blame for an unfortunate running joke in the series that Molly never says more than one sentence per comic strip.
RACHEL - full name: Rachel Jacklyn Whittaker. Rachel is the younger sister of Ryan. While she does not appear as regularly as the other characters, Rachel is the smartest of them all. Even though she is a full two years younger than her brother, her IQ is high enough to place her in the same grade as him and Sam. This is the reason that Ryan and Nick often calls her "Rachel the Brains".
SARAH - full name: Sarah Lynn Kruz. Sarah is a new character just added for this (the fourth) season. She goes to school with Sam, and is part of his drama club. She is a little socially awkward, and sometimes makes Sam uncomfortable, but she is very caring and generous. She has a very low tolerance for caffeine, as evidenced by a new batch of comics where she drinks a Dr. Pepper and goes crazy for several comics. She also has a pet bunny named Bigfoot.
SHANNON - full name: Shannon Elizabeth Rooth. Shannon is also a new character and has not yet been fully developed. She is a bit bossy, and is the president of the drama club at Sam's school.
FRANK - full name: Franklin Jeffery Parkour. Frank is vice president of the drama club at Sam's school. He is also a new character and has not yet been fully developed. It can be implied that Frank can be a bit pessimistic at times, but is still a great guy.
CARL - full name: Carl ??? Morrison. Carl is another new character and has not yet been fully developed. He is based on my friend Carl Mohr, who in the movie version of Sam's Comics played the character Jack Weidman, Sam's classmate rival. As I said earlier, I try not to make any comic/movie cross overs, and Jack was created specifically for the movie. Adding Carl as a character does have the potential to be somewhat confusing, since he will look like Jack from the movie. However, Carl will not have Jack's personality.
GABRI - full name: Gabrielle "Ginger" Schmitt. Grabi is another new character and has not yet been fully developed. She is a member of the drama club at Sam's school and is supposed to be a "spunky, sassy" character. She has only appeared a few times and hasn't taken on any personality yet, but she will.
KENZIE - full name: Mackenzie Anabelle Freeberg. Kenzie is based on another friend of mine, Mackenzie Freemire. She's another character who has been around since the first season, even though her looks have changed several times, from having a ponytail, to having pigtails, to having wavy hair, and finally to this long straight haired-look you're seeing. Kenzie is the primary source of sarcasm in the comics, and has an unmatched prankster's mentality. As the second child of her family, she likes to take advantage of her younger sister's gullibility, and of course takes advantage of Sam's gullibility as well. That does not mean that Kenzie is a nasty little upstart, she actually is a kind and compassionate teen, but she just likes to prank a little too much for some people.
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