Allies in this Noble Revolution of the Cheery

I haven't posted much lately cos I've been working on a big project. I can't talk about it yet so here's a few animations from the last game I worked on: Drawn to Life the Next Chapter by 5th Cell

Chillin' Like Villains just finished a storyline, so if you're not one of the seven people who read it, here's "Hard Times" in its entirety! A brand new issue starts tomorrow at chillinlikevillains.com


( All 24 pages )

It seem that John Allison has had to open up The Crisis Center (he's even had to to resort to using the American spelling). Since launching Bad Machinery nearly 2 months ago he reckons he's lost half his readers.

His thinking is

From what I can work out, there's an age group (college age and just above) that find a comic about children very alienating, some people almost sounded wounded about it.

( I have my own thoughts )

What are your thoughts on this?

Update on the last post: Webcartoonist Dana Simpson has won Amazon's Comic-Strip Superstar Competition.

Last day of voting for the Amazon Comic-Strip Superstar contest. There's at least one webcomic creator among the finalists, Dana Simpson of Ozy and Millie and Raine Dog.

So "20 Plus" ends like that. Yeah you say, "well, where the heck is Friday's strip" and I say "what is Friday?"

No seriously, I apologize. Yesterday was my birthday and stuff. So I took today's off as well. Shameless, I know.

Anyway, we start on Monday a new storyline! Like I said, Year 2 is starting. If you know what I'm talking about, okay. If you don't, it's not that important.

So it's back to school for the guys and gals. Are we going to see some *gasp* COLLEGE strips? I dunno! Hahaha, that's ridiculous!

Anyway I'm still working on Chapter 3 of MIA, so stay tuned. If you want to read the first two chapters, here they are!

Get it here:

http://www.crfh.net/fic01.html
http://www.crfh.net/fic02.html

I should make mention of two facts that I don't think I've crossposted to Snarkoleptics.

1) Brigadier John Stark is back. And in fact has been back since October 26.

2) It is now possible to advertise on the site, thanks to the good people at Project Wonderful.

Regardless of whether or not you elect to advertise with the General, I hope you have a chance to read through his stuff. While my health hasn't permitted things like story or essay writing, the strips seem doable and it's a nice stress release.

Thanks as always!

Pleased to announce that the second tiny ghosts anthology is now available. Admittedly, every comic in the anthology is already available online for free. However, if you buy the book, then you can take it with you and enjoy tiny ghosts in all sorts of places that are not internet accessible - such as airplanes, deserted islands, and maximum security prisons. In addition, the anthology contains several behind the scenes segments that explain how the comic is created.

You can get more information and order the book direct from me at:
http://www.tinyghosts.com/books/

or, you can get it at amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931468281/invisiblecoll-20

If you get it from me, the book will come signed. If you get it from amazon, I won't have to walk to the post office.

It's 4am here and I can't sleep. I have a knot in my stomach and a sick feeling in my heart over the news that voters in Maine passed Question 1 on the ballot, which repealed a law to allow same-sex couples to marry, albeit narrowly.

I want to scream my frustration and sadness over this. I want to rage against this latest (narrow) victory for intolerance, hate and ignorance.

Instead, all I feel inspired to do right now is share a personal story with anyone who cares to read it.

It's about the day I found God.

I was seventeen and had the opportunity to go on a short tour of Europe with a music group to play in various countries. We stopped in Paris where I had the pleasure to go to one of the largest, most majestic Catholic cathedrals I've ever seen. The name of the church eludes me after all these years, but I was eager to attend a mass because I was feeling spiritually confused. I was born and raised a Catholic but I was beginning to doubt the teachings of the church. "Rebellious" alternatives, like declaring myself agnostic or atheist, didn't seem to fit either. I even took a glance at the Church of Satan, but that's a story for another day.

In the end I attended this mass in France, but truth be told I wasn't really there. I was in my own head, knelt in prayer as I took in the pious majesty of my surroundings. I found myself doing something very cliche... looking up with my hands folded and asking for answers, albeit in my own head.

I said to myself, "I want to pray, but I don't know who to pray to any more. I want to believe in something, but I don't know what to believe in. The only thing I believe in is love."

And just like that, the answer came to me.
"God is love."

My heart swelled with joy. To this day I can't describe the happiness and relief I felt with this revelation. This was something I could grasp. This was something I could believe in. This was something I had been taught in my childhood and could easily take it with me all through the years. God, my God, is Love. Screw all the other teachings from all the other sources. God is Love is my religion, and I live that to this day.

I earnestly believe in God, though I don't refer to God as Him or Her. I can get behind a being who is full of unconditional love and compassion. I can easily worship a deity who loves all its creations equally. I can stand firmly behind the feeling in my heart that I received that day in the church because I feel it still in the presence of my family, my dearest friends, my beloved girlfriend and even from the readers of my webcomic who come and say such wonderful things to me, a total stranger, when I'm out at conventions. That is Love... unconditional and all-encompassing Love, and that is my God.

It saddens me greatly that not everyone sees God that way. It breaks my heart to see people standing up for hate and intolerance in God's name, claiming that God's love is not unconditional and all-encompassing. To deny others the right to express their love for one another in all its glory and uplifting wonder is, to me, a sin against the joy that God gave us.

I guess I'll just have to pray that some of that glorious Love will spread sooner than later, and all this needless hate will be nothing more than a regrettable memory one day.

Because it's none of my God damned business who you get married to.

No on 1, Maine. Don't be Utah's bitch.

Or waiter. Or sushi-chef.

I've only got anecdotal evidence supporting this, but the impression I get is that with tighter economic times people are eating out a little less, and tipping a LOT less. The restaurant managers I've spoken to (I know a few, yes) have said that average tips have dropped from around 18% to around 10%.

Sure, sure... a lot of us look at tipping as a way to reward excellent service, and will withhold a good tip from a lousy waiter or waitress. But that's not what's happening here. What's happening is that a lot of us don't want to give up eating out, so we're cutting back on our tips.

Two things:

1) Be the guy (or gal) who tips well. Start at 20% and round up. Factor that into your budgeting.

2) Crummy service? A low tip just says "I'm cheap." Unless the service is absolutely execrable, it's not really your job to discipline your server. Tip your server well, and then call the manager over and complain. If it was really that bad you'll probably come out further ahead than if you'd skimped on the tip. If not, well... you don't want to eat there again.

My friend Bob has a great policy when he eats out with a large group. He hands the unsuspecting server a $20 at the beginning of the ordering process and says "I want to make sure this is a great experience for everybody... including you." At the end of the meal he strongarms the rest of us into tipping a solid 20%. Funny thing... when Bob's around we ALWAYS have a great time at the restaurant.

But you don't have to go the extra mile. Just make sure you don't skimp. Waitresses and waiters are feeling the crunch at least as badly as the rest of us are.

Today's Order of Tales update! MY GOODNESS, eh? This certainly explains certain cryptic statements in Rice Boy.

GOODNESS