Gathering Absent Friends: At Silver Bullet Comic Books, Tim O'Shea chats with Phil Elliott about the collected Absent Friends:

"I've always tried to pare down my writing, trying to avoid verbosity, and to try and make the words and pictures flow. I'm not that interested in having folk linger over a panel, admiring its technique or detail. I'd prefer to have the reader get to the end and think 'Hey, what did he say back there?' and go back. I've always been particularly pleased with the short Monsters strip, which I think captures what I like to think I can do best."