Fleen: Mind talking about Strip Search?
Maiden: Not at all.

Fleen: Looking back on it, what did you get from the show. In the sense of “If I hadn’t gone on the show I never would have ______ .”
Maiden: Swung for the fences. Strip Search taught me to swing for the fences.

Fleen: In the sense of take a course of action, own it, and don’t doubt your work because even it if doesn’t entirely work, it’s still yours¹?
Maiden: Like I said, I wasn’t ready to do Tenko King two years ago. Strip Search helped me realize that the only obstacles in my way were the ones I was throwing up myself. For me it wasn’t about the work, it was about me. I needed that time to realize that I need to be the one to speak up, and put myself out there. I’ve always been committed to improving my craft, but I haven’t been very good about putting myself out there. I’m a stronger artist and person because of Strip Search.

Fleen: It’s interesting to hear you say that; watching the series, you were one of the Artists that I thought was over on the realistically self-confident end of the personality spectrum.
Maiden: Just because I can push through my fear doesn’t mean I don’t have it.

Fleen: No, it just means that you’re a grown up².
Maiden: It’s interesting to me, because I am categorically introverted and self-analytical but no one would guess it.

Fleen: I know people like that — for whatever their situational requirement is, at times they just approach being on as a job to do. Not that they’re insincere or anything; just that when the extroversion-requiring task is done they’re back to being solitary.
Maiden: Yeah, I’m great one-on-one, but god help us if you put me in a “party” situation.

Fleen: And yet you lived in a house with eleven strangers, plus a filming crew, PA producers, and an unknown number of traps. Sounds like party times to me.
Maiden: Yeah, and it was terrifying. I loved it when it was just me and Erika talking at the table before anyone else woke up, or me and Mac³, or me and Amy [or any of the other Artists], but by day three we were all so comfortable with each other, it wasn’t an issue but oh my god, that first day.

Fleen: And it was only about a 20 hour day, I’d guess.
Maiden: Just about. Each day was so long that it made bonding really easy, and made it easier to forget about the nerves.

Fleen: What caught you most by surprise once you hit the house and the show started?
Maiden: How amazing everyone was — friendly, kind, thoughtful, and genuine — it’s what I’ve always wanted. I’ve always wanted to be in a group of caring artistic people, and live in a house filled with at least one unknown trap.

Fleen: To tell the truth, that camaraderie (what Mike called a hippie love commune) was pretty surprising to me, since it’s pretty much the polar opposite of reality/competition programs. Knowing Robert [Khoo, Penny Arcade’s President] I didn’t think he’d seek to fill the house with borderline psychotics just for the drama, but I also suspected he’d have some surprises up his sleeves that would deliberately stress the situation to see how you’d all react.
Maiden: I think its the most genuine and real, reality show there is.

Fleen: What about the experience went exactly as you suspected it would?
Maiden: Nothing, I was sure I was going to go home the first day. No wait, I take it back — I knew there would be ping pong, that was a given.

Fleen: Did you figure that you would have heard of any of the other Artists? Watching episode one, seeing everybody’s face when Erika came in was a treat.
Maiden: I had never seen a picture of Erika, so when I asked who she was, and then later that night finally figured it out I felt like a huge dummy. I was expecting to know a few of the artists, and I have been a huge fan of Katie and Erika’s work but I’d never seen any photos of them in real life so I had to piece it together through conversations.

Fleen: If Strip Search season two was announced and Robert said, The fans asked us to have you back would you go in for another shot?
Maiden: Absolutely, I already volunteered to be a guest judge if there’s a season two.

Fleen: I volunteered to be a guest judge before there was a season one. Having seen what the show was like, I’m on the verge of begging.
Maiden: Let’s put it out there one more time. Robert if you need Guest Judges for Season Two, Gary and I volunteer.

Fleen: We can do a Beard and ‘Stache challenge.
Maiden: Done. Unless it’s shaving a comic into my beard then I’m out.
Fleen: Well, naturally. Can’t violate the sanctity of the facial hair. My wife would divorce me.
Maiden: Same here, expressly forbidden.

Fleen: So what’s up after PAX Prime?
Maiden: I would love to go to Emerald City Comicon as an attendee or vendor. Gearing up for Tenko King, which is slated to launch in March as well. Just making sure I have all of my ducks in a row, so that when the site is ready to launch, it is actually ready.

Fleen: If I were Robert, I’d already have a rough idea of when the Strip Search DVD set would be going up for pre-order, and exactly how much I’d be charging for the special edition autographed by all the Artists⁴. Been asked to hold any dates for signing?
Maiden: …

I can neither confirm nor deny anything Robert may or may not say to me.⁵

Fleen: You’re mentally reviewing the NDA, aren’t you?
Maiden: You never know when Khoo’s listening.

Fleen: Sure you do. He’s always listening.⁶
Maiden: Hahaha, it’s so true.