a candid conversation with the blogosphere's hardest-working dillweed regarding the recently altered status of his lovelife.

Barrett Chase is known as the creator of Occam's Razor comics, the co-creator of Perfect Duluth Day, and the co-publisher of Perverse Verse. But to many, he is known as the romantic partner of everyone's favorite information scientist, Ca-chee. Barrettchase.com is sad to report that this uber-relationship has come to an end, after an unbelievable 12-year run. We caught up with Barrett to ask him what the fuck is going on.

BCDC: First off, I just have to ask the question that's on everybody's mind -- WHY?

CHASE: Like I know. There are a lot of factors. It's like asking why toast tastes better than bread.

BCDC: But dude, TWELVE YEARS!

CHASE: Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know better than you do. Back then, the first George Bush was president. Johnny Carson had just stepped down from the Tonight Show. It hadn't been that long since Hammer dropped the MC from his name. This relationship has been going on since the "2 Legit 2 Quit" era! I have these two friends now -- Nick and Maria -- when Ca-chee and I met, they had just turned 11 and 12, respectively. It's mind-boggling.

BCDC: A lot of people are saying that they kind of saw it coming. But why did you take so long to tell the blogosphere?

CHASE: The same reason I'm doing it right now with this dumbass interview. The Internet is where I go to escape this stuff. Plus, just because this is a blog doesn't mean it has to be all personal and weepy. When it comes to comedy, I try to put out whenever I can.

BCDC: So you are sad about the whole thing aren't you?

CHASE: Well, yeah. What do you think I am, a zombie? A robot?

BCDC: Zombie. Hee hee! Robot! Ha!

CHASE: Braaaaains! BRAAAAAAAAAINS!

BCDC: If you make an R2D2 noise right now, I'll piss my pants!

CHASE: (flailing arms about limply) Danger! Will Robinson! Danger! I'm a robot!

[the scene degenerates]

BCDC: (wiping away tears of joy) Is this just avoidance? I mean, does this indicate that you are actually torn up inside?

CHASE: Absolutely.

BCDC: Your audience is going to find you pathetic.

CHASE: Ah, fuck 'em. I'm trying to survive here.

BCDC: So what about the logistics of the whole thing? How's that going to work?

CHASE: Well, I'm staying here, and she has a new place of her own now. A little one-bedroom deal in the East Hillside. She's gonna do laundry here and we're still gonna hang out and stuff. We're just not boyfriend/girlfriend or whatever you want to call it.

BCDC: So it's pretty cordial?

CHASE: Totally cordial. The whole point is to save the friendship. You don't go through 12 years of everything with someone and just throw everything away. Or at least I don't.

BCDC: How have other people been responding?

CHASE: Pretty good. My mom is worried that I'll "start in on a heavy drinking program," which means she cares about me. It also means she's inadvertantly funny because she used the word "program." My friends have been supportive, which means they've been working hard to get me started on that program as soon as possible. But also, they've been helping out as much as possible.

BCDC: I hate to do this, but well, it's a natural progression. So, tell me, why was it you broke up again?

CHASE: I think the most prominent reason is that whole 12-year thing. See, if you meet someone in your teens, and fall in love and everything, you are basically going from the care of your parents into the care of your lover. You can try to get around that in every way possible -- and believe me, we have ... in every way possible -- but you're still never going to be truly independent. You need that in order to be a whole individual. If you don't get it, you crave it. You have to establish it. And you start to resent the person who stands in the way of it.

BCDC: I see.

CHASE: So it's like, we really want to be together, but we also really don't want to be together. We need to change. But most of all just not be together.

BCDC: And that's it?

CHASE: Hell no! This is just the Cliff Notes version. In fact, it's just one page of the Cliff Notes version. I'd write some more pages for you, but shit, I haven't even read the book yet.

BCDC: Typical English major.

CHASE: Yeah, whatever.
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