Category: Commentary

Don’t take any of this personally

Posted on by Nathan

This was originally going to be comic…#261, I think. Somewhere around there. If I remember correctly, during the process of writing it I decided to try and update my software (Corel Painter X, at the time) and ended up breaking it entirely. The comic was unfinished and by the time I found new software and was ready to draw again, the idea’s time felt like it had passed.

Not sure what happened this particular day but I suppose either a.)the situation came around again or b.)I was desperate for ideas and decided to finally finish this one.

Sidenote: If I don’t act on a comic idea I’ve had within a day or two of having it, I often don’t want to do it anymore. That was “yesterday’s idea”, I often think. Are other writers like that too? [September 6, 2013]

 

Good to be prepared!

Posted on by Nathan

Here is how the night actually went. A good amount of people showed up. There was no formal ‘program’ or ‘introductions’ so we all sorta grouped off to cook supper for ourselves and families. I ended up hanging out with people I already do anyway.

Then all the parents went home to put their kids to bed, and suddenly there was like a dozen people left including me. Most of them were classmates I didn’t really know well, so we gathered around a fire and people started telling really interesting stories about their high school shenanigans. As a cloistered computer nerd I had no idea about…a lot of what went on.

Ultimately I don’t remember anyone making a big deal out of my single status. I was really anxious to go, but it was okay in the end. [January 5, 2017]

do you dare me?

Posted on by Nathan

 

More of these comics than you realize OR that I’ll admit are actually quite honest. I just cloak it in a veil of humour, like so many. To remove the cloak would, I think, largely go against the general tone of things around here and be quite jarring. (Not that I’m against doing it on rare occasions anyway). Also, sometimes “being honest” just means that I want to rant about certain people in particular and there’s always the danger that they’ll read it afterward and be upset.

Anyway that’s why Honesty Week will probably never happen. [September 4, 2013]

taste of his own medicine

Posted on by Nathan

 

This is a completely true story, and I will have you know that I worked very hard on his expression in Panel 2. Conrad used to get this extremely impish little smile on his face whenever he was up to No Good, and I needed to bring that across.

Apparently I did not work so hard on whoever is supposed to be sitting next to him. Is that a hair net? Looks terrible. [Sept.4, 2013]

I’m not saying it’s wrong

Posted on by Nathan

 

Ha ha, that bee just charms me every time I see it. I’m charmed by my own work! The sign in panel 1 also turned out unexpectedly well, and at one point I had found a perfect real-world photo on flickr that I was going to edit it into — you know, for desktop wallpaper lulz. Got permission from the photographer and everything, then never got around to it.

I like to talk about the importance of a routine when working on a comic; try to work at the same time of day, that kind of thing. What that has sometimes meant to me however is that anything outside of that routine is just “too much work” and never gets done. Oh well! [September 4th, 2013]

WHO IS THE VARMINT NOW

Posted on by Nathan

Your Humble Author here, just checking in. Thanks to Aluren for pointing out that this comic didn’t get posted automagically like the rest. And it’s important, a sequel to the Electric Cowboy one!

 

[Begin Commentary] I like this comic quite a bit. The first panel is rather more dynamic than my panels tend to be, and I like the last panel as well. It’s a tiny bit poignant and (WE HAVE EXCISED A SECTION IN WHICH THE AUTHOR BECAME NEEDLESSLY PRETENTIOUS AND PRATTLED ON ABOUT THE NATURE OF AGING AND CONFRONTATION. IT WAS BORING) a single tear. [April 8th, 2013]

Please Use Coupon Responsibly.

Posted on by Nathan

I’ve been married for nearly a year now and I still can’t think of a scenario where having this coupon available is a bad idea. I’m actually going to forward the link to my wife right now just to make sure she has it handy.

I mean, it’s built right into the comic that it’s to be used in a situation where I’m being ridiculous and stubborn. Why shouldn’t I be called out on it?

Also that’s a nice Kirby mug, Nathan! Thanks! [April 8th, 2013]