(Diabolus) Ex Machina.

Part 32 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

***The sidenote is a reference to this comic, all the way back from 2007. I know the business cards look different, but between then and now I actually made a logo and an entire brand identity for IPAWD. I also purchased the URL, IPAWD.org, long before the iPad was released. Hopefully people with poor spelling skills and a penchant for typing “.org” will generate more hits once that site is up and running.

Lastly, our enigmatic character SPUD (“Some Peculiar, Unidentified Dood”) is taking a more active role in the storyline. Things, characters, everything — they’re finally being woven together!

Lower Rung.

Part 31 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Drawing Autumn is fun.

I’m switching back to the main story: Chris’ search for a job (and trust me, his quest is pretty appropriate for my current occupational situation). His statement of “5 years” is a reference to when I last released a comic. Anyway, like all aspiring professionals, I’ve experienced the internship path both as an intern and as someone who had them as minions. Both scenarios in today’s comic — where you either do a ton of actual work or none at all — are pretty accurate. There was one time I held an unpaid internship and a low-paying job at the same time, and I had to reduce my work hours; I figured the internship will lead me somewhere or at least give me some kind of learning experience. Nope. For a week and a half, my supervisors gave me absolutely no work or any mentorship, and instead of sitting at a desk looking at YouTube videos, I just quit and returned full-time to my job. Now at my last job, I actually had (paid) interns to command and do as I please. Of course, I didn’t whip them physically but asked them to help in production work. Needless to say, interns are the un-and-underpaid backbone of our society.

Death Corgis.

Part 30 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

This combines two of my interests: Corgis and 90’s alternative rock. Also, Brian the Corgi is named after my friend and former Parsons classmate — a genuine Corgi Enthusiast. Furthermore, Stumptown Coffee is some of my favorite coffee here in NYC.

Dead Celebrities.

Part 29 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Hey, another comic. Although I wrote this about a year ago, it’s lucky that Michael Jackson is recently in the news, what with that jury verdict.

This Charming Lady.

Part 27 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Here’s a brief history of Verona Red. The guy chained in Hell is supposed to be Pat Doran of the comic, “The Way Life Should Be,” and I haven’t decided yet whether the other demons will be featured in future comics. Lastly, the title is a reference to The Smiths’ song, “This Charming Man.”

Stay tuned soon: 2008 Holiday Cards. Expect them this Friday.

Verona Red.

Part 26 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Three new characters in a brand new comic: Failure, Fortune, and Nigel’s occupational replacement to Randy, Verona Red. I figured I should add more angel/demon type characters (especially the latter).

So Verona Red, like the missing Randy, is a devil. She functions the same as Randy in the sense that both are meant to tempt humans and balance the universe between good and evil. Verona Red, however, has some feline-like characteristics to her look (like cat ears and whiskers). In terms of personality, she’s supposed to be sultry and somewhat seductive but, generally, with a good heart. If I can relate her to any celebrity, maybe Angelina Jolie or Madonna (how cliched is that?). And if I can give her a voice, she’d be portrayed by Kathleen Turner or Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the voice actress of Julia in “Cowboy Bebop” or the lead role in “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”) — Verona Red would have a deep, breathy voice, like a porn star or phone sex operator.

Yup, Verona Red, Failure, and Fortune have been in development for a long time. I’ve even made a plushie of Verona Red for Renegade:

Normalcy is Scary.

Part 25 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Happy Halloween, folks!

As you can see, this comic sort of correlates to the general storyline. Plus, it’s a little homage to the times when Lindsey, Jen, and Chris visit Christian haunted houses.

I’m thinking that next week I’ll post some Presidential Election-based comics, but who knows. It’s going to be a busy weekend.

Be good this weekend!

Restoring the Cosmic Balance.

Part 24 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Hmm, have you ever realized that the only difference between “cosmic” and “comic” is one, little “s?” That will make you think.

So yes, Nigel gets a new partner. Who will it be…? Stay tuned.

In other news, Jeffro has started a new indie music blog: indierawk.tumblr.com. On a design-standpoint, it’s not yet complete, but if you have a Tumblr be sure to follow him. It seems that lately Jeffro’s been promoting some songs and music videos relating to Halloween.

Speaking of Halloween, tune in tomorrow and Friday for some special Halloween comics.

Crossing Paths in the Waiting Room.

Part 23 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Just to let you know, guys, but this is apparently my 400th comic I’ve published since August 2003.

Anyway, my marketing adviser and close friend, Allan, gave me the suggestion of releasing a new comic every Wednesday. Since it’s about the same day that The Onion releases its new content, Allan says that most people will most likely check out (read: “not work and dick around on the internet”) their favorite websites and consequently associate my comic with The Onion. It’s worth a shot, I say.

In lieu of Halloween, however, expect some at least two comics next week: one pertaining to the story arc and another loosely based on the story arc but has a general Halloween “feel” to it.

If you haven’t noticed the difference from today’s comic and last Friday’s, I decided to color Nigel’s wings blue instead of yellow from now on. This change, in my opinion, is more graphically cohesive and corresponds with the plushies I’ve made over the years:

Storywise, this is the first time Nigel (kinda) interacts with another main character other than Randy. Of course, both Nigel and Randy are “invisible” characters — in the sense that they’re never seen but guide humans in conflicts of morality — but in unearthly realms (like Heaven), they can be seen clear as day. Then again, it seems that Nigel vaguely knows ZCC.

There you go.

Punny Mummy.

Part 22 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Hello all. Greetings from beyond death and obscurity…

So yes, I decided to draw comics again, and let me tell ya the rest of 2008 and the following year are gonna be big: new comics, new web design, and one huge, HUGE surprise regarding the series as a whole. In fact, if you haven’t noticed or are colorblind, this comic is colored — and god willing, the rest of them will no longer be in black and white. Yes, I’m putting in the extra effort to keep the comic interesting both for you and myself. That’s not the real surprise, however; let’s just say I’m tired of certain elements in this series, and there will be some significant changes. Of course, I’m absolutely terrible at keeping a secret, so I’ll be leaving clues to the big surprise within the new material.

I actually drew this comic in May, but if you remember the storyline: 1) Chris is looking for a new job, 2) Jeffro and ZCC are trying to start a new band, so ZCC strikes a deal with Death and Jesus, and 3) Nigel has been depressed ever since the disappearance of his friend/partner Randy. I’m going to continue the storyline “Occupational Hazards” all the way through, because — to be frank — the events happening in this arc are going to shape the way this entire series progresses. Yup, I have some intricate plans for my characters…

This comic marks the debut of SPUD, an enigmatic being a lot like Nigel and Randy — perhaps a little too much. At his initial conception all the way in March, I was thinking of naming him either “Scarf and Bandages” or “Mummy.” However, after talking to my friend Dave Chen, I decided to name him SPUD, an acronym for “Some Peculiar, Unidentified Dood.” What lies underneath his bandages? Perhaps he’s someone you know, perhaps he’s a completely new character. Ah, secrets and plot devices!

So why update now? Well, I have some material I’ve compiled since dealing with real life, and in lieu of Halloween, I think it was the perfect time to introduce SPUD. He looks like a mummy, after all, and if I recall I set the “Occupational Hazards” arc during the autumn season. Now I haven’t figured a specific time table of how I want to release these new comics (one new comic a week, at the very least), so all I can say is check back soon.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I did release a new book, The Book of Luv (And Other Ways Not To Die Alone), since I presented at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago. It does contain over 20 new pages of comics (which I will publish online during the Valentine’s Day season), so it’s worth checking out.