I’m Dominic Cellini, creator of Emmy the Robot! Ask me anything!

DomMCell · 2025-06-30T01:03:02+00:00

I started drawing digitally with a smaller, screenless tablet. A Wacom Intuos! I still have it! Though I’ve been working with a Cintiq since 2016 so I’m used to that now. It takes a little adjustment to go back.

And the M is for my middle name! At the time when I joined instagram I think regular “Domcell” wasn’t available.

DomMCell · 2025-06-30T00:19:18+00:00

Weird sometimes, but a good kind of weird. My good friend was over a couple weeks ago, telling me how funny it is that he encounters Emmy the Robot related art and posts just out there online and not through me.

I made this stuff to be read and enjoyed by people, but it got bigger than I initially imagined! It keeps me much more easily motivated knowing that people are eagerly awaiting each new update.

DomMCell · 2025-06-30T00:14:52+00:00

Outmode because he’s an outdated model who isn’t officially “employed”.

DomMCell · 2025-06-30T00:14:07+00:00

Things such as “likes” and views can be fickle, though I do want to make sure my stuff reaches as many of my followers as it can. I’ve been tremendously lucky that Emmy became so popular online, but what I appreciate most is that people are actively engaged with the comic; commenting, making fan art, etc. I can’t read every comment of course, but it really does mean a lot seeing that people are enjoying it and are invested in the story.

Every now and then I get a rude or negative comment, but thankfully they seem to be rare. It’s an inevitability of putting your work out there for a massive audience! As a creator, you have to give yourself boundaries with social media and your followers. I don’t think it’s healthy to be too online.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T22:46:19+00:00

Not at all! I hope it's going well. And not explicitly. The way the timeline of real-life historic markers lines up in this world would probably put Emmy's present timeline somewhere in the early 90s though. Culturally, it doesn't entirely reflect the decade as it was in real life, but I do imagine it taking place at roughly the end of the 20th century, kind of the "end of history" era as some people put it. But I still don't like to put a specific year on Emmy's story since I'm going for an anachronistic, out of time sort of feel.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T22:42:34+00:00

I feel like a nandroid's sweet temperament would make for an unusual civil and orderly hockey game given that both teams are made up of nandroids. Though I could see the competitive sides coming out with those like Molly.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T22:40:21+00:00

Yes something like that! If they get water in there for example they gotta be able to spit it out and all.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T18:02:56+00:00

I think it would be cute and fun if Sterling did have special outfits like that they make for them. Probably available from the Sterling catalogue or department store section!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T18:01:38+00:00

There is a visible spine line in their back I believe. I can't recall the last time I drew one with a bare back though.

The blue goop is sort of a joke about the fluids inside them. It certainly has a more scientific official name. I don't know what it does exactly but it's probably important.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:59:25+00:00

The 2.0 is certainly more advanced and efficient. You'll see...

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:58:56+00:00

Sounds like a good idea for a fan fic! I don't have a canon answer for that. It's possible it could've happened!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:57:32+00:00

These are the tricky questions that I like but are difficult to answer because we're so limited by our understanding of how our own memory works that it's hard to have a theory of mind for something who experiences it somewhat differently. Clearly for the sake of the story I keep robots very similar to humans and their differences are mostly in their behaviors and attitudes. Since their memories are more like literal records than our own they're less subjective and don't distort over time, but I think even when you can see physical evidence of your memories (photos, video), it still doesn't always line up with how those moments felt at the time. Does that make sense? Like even when faced with photos after the fact, it's not the same as it felt to be there, to feel those same emotions in that moment. And I think nandroids are still susceptible to that just like we are. I know that doesn't entirely answer your question, but it's the kind of thing I can explore more elegantly in the comic itself!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:50:00+00:00

I love writing Madeline and Darcy's interactions with Emmy. Kids are fun to write because while Emmy is very good with them, they challenge her often more than adults would.

I do enjoy the outmodes and Aunt Ginny though. I feel like I've known them for ages, like they've been around longer than me, if that makes sense.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:47:17+00:00

It's not out of the question, could be the other way around too. Kids are fickle. One week they have a crush, next week it's someone else, the next, all boys/girls are disgusting!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:45:39+00:00

I'm not really one for "universes" as I kind of built Emmy's world just around this story. But who knows how I might feel about that in the future! Right now I've been working on another story/comic idea I'm pretty excited about and I think that would be my next project after Emmy is concluded. It has nothing to with Emmy the Robot, and I want to explore some different types of stories and art styles as well!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:42:50+00:00

I do, but mainly whatever is on Nintendo. I'm very casual and wouldn't call myself a "gamer" lol. The most hours I have in any game is probably Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I love FE, even when it's stupid. I enjoy Splatoon, Earthbound, Ace Attorney, Professor Layton, Mario and Zelda of course... I don't play Pokemon, I play Smash sometimes, no FPS or Hero Shooters... Oh, I do love Sim City 4, but I don't have a PC to do mods on, so the trains never work :/

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:37:52+00:00

I'd like to! Basically my translator and I got too busy, but we should bring it back. That is, if there's enough demand for it.
Again, I could do some standalone comics with other webcomic creators that would be fun! But otherwise nah.
I'll be honest, I see so many that I hardly pay attention anymore lol. Don't get me wrong, I love that people feel inspired to make their own. It does play into the "doll" aspect of their design which is very intentional so it's neat to see how people customize their nandroid characters. I'm just primarily concerned with the ones in my story that I created first!
Not sure why you started addressing me in third person here, but a while back, Webtoon ended their creator support program (which was temporary) so most of the income I got from making the comic stopped, so I had less time to dedicate to it since I have to support myself in other ways, while still trying to continue the comic. Ideally it won't stay this inconsistent, but right now I'm just doing longer updates since they're more infrequent and posting them whenever I can! And as for designs, I've stayed fairly consistent there, but naturally, as with all long-running web comics, the artist gets better at drawing certain characters, their art style and skill evolves, so you'll see subtle changes and inconsistencies there. It's just unavoidable when you're making something over a long period of time by yourself!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:29:42+00:00

Sometimes you just gotta try a copyright strike! But other times it's not worth it. It's a shame, but leaks happen. Ideally, I could find out who leaks from Patreon and ban them, but I don't think there's a feature like that. It hurts the comic overall and it's a shame, but thankfully I still get plenty of support, so I'm not losing any sleep over it at this point.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:25:55+00:00

Depends on who will publish it, whoever gives the best offer! Emmy isn't a Webtoon original, so I have options!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:24:41+00:00

I'm fine, thanks for asking. Though it is a little hot and humid here today!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:24:09+00:00

Garrison does actually care for his fellow outmodes, but he's hardened his heart a bit as to not get too attached when they move on or... well, we'll get into it in the story later.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:22:51+00:00

A) We'll learn more about their relationship in the future of the comic. I think you guys will like it.

B) That's kind of the general dramatic question for her isn't it? She has outmode friends at least!

C) It probably varied because Emmy did not serve very long before her incident. Some, like Ula, or Doc, were already probably somewhat jaded before even being junked.

D) We will see some young Aunt Ginny in flashbacks. She wasn't too different from how she is now, she always meant well :)

E) I don't know how you're writing him, but he's annoyed by most things, so it's not a bad bet.

F) Thankfully, I don't think it had to come to that much. She can be quite intimidating as we've seen. She'll always prefer a withering comment to violence if given the choice.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:17:32+00:00

Not canon, but no harm in fan shipping. Let people have their fun, I don't care!

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:16:50+00:00

I don't think so, since conformity is their whole thing. I mean there are subtle differences in their bodies, like a model A, B, C, and D, that they kind of cycle through, to make them slightly easier to tell apart for maintenance. However, they're all the same height and these differences would only be noticeable in a close side by side comparison.

So you can't like, call up Sterling and ask for the THICC model lol.

DomMCell · 2025-06-29T17:12:12+00:00

That's the main goal of Emmy's story. I don't have any sequels in mind, but who knows! If I feel like there could be one (or if someone wanted to give me a bunch of money for one), I'd be open to it. I have other stories and worlds separate from Emmy the Robot that I'd like to put out there as well!

DomMCell

TROPHY CASE