Behind the Storyboards

The newest are at the top.

This is all copyrighted, so don't steal.

New!

	The sequel to this one, in which a camera phone proves useful.
	Further tomfoolery in our Star Wars game. Playing as three Jawas and a cranky droid continues to be a lot of fun!

Not New!

	Random conversations are so much fun. Especially when they make good comic material all on their own!
	When there are no customers or responsible adults around ... Things get a little less dignified at work.
	The best jokes are the ones that don't need the punchlines to be said out loud. Not when an expectant silence will do!
	The droid in our Star Wars game is called R2FU. Of course he doesn't sound like R2D2. (Not with Stone narrating!)
	The parking lots at work have been fascinating places lately. Everything from fly-fishing competitions in front of the sport store, to this bit of irony in front of the building next to it.
	This particular Magic Card can empty a plane of existence, leaving only the ground that you're fighting on. And that's not all it's good for!
	This night was full of snapshots of humor.
	Facemaking contest, go!
	I just found some very old sketches that I never finished, and now I present them as a look back. My comic sketches haven't changed much (which surprises me).
	Usually these are easy to open. But not always.
	That's San Francisco in a nutshell, at least in terms of driving through it.
	The car was new at this point, and we were discovering a nice feature for summer days.
	I don't remember what the rest of this conversation was about, but this was the most memorable part. And things continued in that vein for the rest of the trip.
	Here at long last is Stone's chapter from 24-Hour Comic Day. He set a shorter goal than I did, and it worked out well. He finished what he set out to do, and he got to sleep in the wee hours while I worked, then he drove us home when the 24 hours were up. This comic features the characters that he and Andrew dressed as this Halloween -- a pair of atypical Jedi.
	Good times on the way back from a bonfire party some weeks back.
	Of cats and other animals.
	Carrie's 21st birthday involved sampling of various semi-tasty poisons, and trying to gauge how much alcohol was needed to feel any effects.
	We had a lot of fun putting together our Halloween outfits this year.
	True story. It took a while to get back to costume-making.
	The pre-Halloween party was lots of fun, and not just because of the costumes.
	When Abby Met Carrie, and Her Fuzzy Cape of Doom.
	Fact #1: Twi'leks are generally considered to be a sexy race. Fact #2: Stone knows this, and suggested my costume.
	Who wants to say "cheese" for the camera when they can do improv?
	When you travel in the right circles, everybody knows Magic Cards. And has fun things to say about them.
	Despite the hard work it took to make them, let it not be said that I didn't enjoy wearing my lekku.
	Everybody loves out-of-context sentences!
	Dogs are good at this. Hyper-friendly dogs who've just been introduced to the crowd are especially good.
	I didn't have much in the way of reference photos for people's outfits, but I believe I captured the gist of the situation.
	These things do exist. I just found out. And I wasn't the only one amused by the terminology.
	I think this sums it up pretty well.
	This was from a recent visit to the relatives. The garden was beyond impressive; the observation failure was amusing; the line was a Seinfeld reference. Fun people, my relatives.
	One thing Not To Do when making Halloween costumes. It's fixable, and amusing for bystanders, but a detriment to progress.
	Our Star Wars game has been reinvented as something a little less dignified. Turns out stormtrooper helmets have radio transmitters in them. And Jawas have an excellent sense of rhythm.
	In which we discover fun things about the Jawa race.
	Allies are a wonderful thing.
	A bit o' silliness springing from a loose interpretation of the miniatures on the board. We love bits o' silliness.
	We're new at this whole subterfuge thing. Apparently it's noticeable.
	Why of course Jawas can use the Force. And they can do it exceptionally well, when their players roll 20's in casting illusions.
	We visited some friends a while ago for a backyard campfire kind of get-together, which we now call a "Bonfire Party." Here are some highlights.
	...And here are some more. Good times were had by all.
	This year we both undertook the challenge that is 24-Hour Comic Day (not to be confused with Hourly Comic Day). While on HCD, artists draw one panel/page/picture for every hour they're awake, on 24-Hour Comic Day, they attempt to complete a 24-page comic book in the 24-hour span. I succeeded! Stone set a shorter goal and completed the chapter that he aimed for. This is my comic (his will be up next week). The working title is "Robots and Ducks."
	Stone and I went to Disneyland on his birthday with good friends Dan and Tara. Being the geeky types we are, we all had Green Lantern-themed shirts and rings (the rings are homemade). It was interesting to see who of the many people at Disneyland knew what the symbols meant. We actually saw two other people wearing the shirts, which was great. Then there was the rest of the crowd, who weren't up-to-date on comic book current events.
	Our guides at Disneyland knew which rides to go on when, and they made a good selection for first one of the day. Sleepy no longer!
	Before this trip, I was not aware of the existence of a restaurant near Disneyland with an indoor jousting arena, and shows/plays featuring live jousting before every meal (which are medieval-style, with no silverware). Before this trip, I had not been properly entertained at dinner. It was epic. I recommend.
	An observation from the long ride home: there's always fun to be had with mispronouncing things!
	Nerf darts are fun. So are physics and trajectories. But surely this is obvious.
	Once upon a morning when I was not there, Stone wanted to sleep in. The cats had other ideas. Domino in particular was very persuasive.
	This store exists and it is AWESOME. We heard about it on the internet, and made a detour on our trip just so we could stop there. We bought everything we're discussing in the strip and more. (And we realized later that it actually said "Viking Odorant").
	This year Stone's birthday celebrations covered a number of days. And Disneyland was only part of it!
	Doncha love sentences that can be taken more than one way?
	We went bowling recently, and wackiness ensued. Abby in particular had a great time!
	This, kids, is why you make sure to use a bowling ball that fits your fingers. If the holes are too small, either you get your thumb stuck like I did, or you hold it lightly as Stone does.
	Abby regales us with stories of What Not To Do In The Back Of The Classroom, and Stone demonstrates the fine art of timing.
	Hooray for sudden revelations!
	Children's dessert and adult conversation. You have been warned.
	Recognizing a familiar voice actor can be an awesome thing, especially when you think of that actor in terms of a different character they've played.
	This game has been likened to a sillier version of Grand Theft Auto. And that's not only because you get to do things like go on a rampage with a sewer truck.
	Public Service Announcement: hiccups are not always harmless & funny. Not when they come with acid reflux. We learned some interesting new hiccup cures this week, and found ways of making it funny after all.
	Stone hurt his finger last weekend. Here he demonstrates a very important criteria for judging how well it has healed.
	This one-night camping trip with a couple of high school buddies involved some fun times. And funny moments on the car ride there. Hooray for cars with character!
	Fun fact! These smells are disturbingly similar, at least on the first whiff.
	Hannah instructs Carli and me on the most efficient way to clean a tent. It's definitely fast, I'll give her that!
	Dishwashing can be hazardous. Also humorous!
	This night was good times. Included are boffer swords, light sabers, sketchpads, laptops, and the old Transformers movie. (And that's an actual metal sword in the last panel, not a light saber that I forgot to color.) The third participant in our geek party was Carrie, and she drew us a fan comic of another fun moment from that night!
	Work comic! I'm not sure why some injuries are more funny than others, but if I had to guess, I'd say it has to do with the amount of Seriousness in relation to the amount of Comical Flailing.
	On our way to some costumed combat, we had to entertain ourselves somehow. (This was originally the Hey Sheep Game, but we have only cows here.)
	Someone pointed this out at work a while ago, and I just had to comic it. (Yes, that is a verb. Now.)
	Here's an older one from Target. You should hear these guys sing. It's liable to make the walkie-talkies melt.
	As a counterpart to last week's installment, here's a scene from the Star Wars party featuring our Real Life Selves. And the bathroom. Because really, what's a good party without poop jokes? In case you're wondering, we do keep a battleaxe hanging above the toilet. For emergencies. It's been documented!
	This week's Star Wars game involved further adventures in Tasting With Your Fur. And it has been decided that little Remi is adorable. Especially when she's trying to be fierce.
	Everyone loves Freudian slips.
	What ink are they using on their rainbow tights nowadays? I thought that smell was patented...
	This is a story with all the classic elements: pride, frustration, and absurd faces. And that wasn't the end of it, sadly.
	I overheard this at work and just had to comic-ize it. FYI: turns out the massive circle thing was going to be the cover for a vat at a winery. I wouldn't have guessed.
	Here's another work conversation that amused me. FYI: the jug was this stuff. It's meant for coating bartops and the like.
	A moment of fun at home before the Star Wars game began, featuring Stone, Andrew, and alcohol.
	Here's the latest update from our Star Wars game, featuring my character the Squib, Stone's character the fancypants nobleman, and some scraps of robotics.
	We have a new dishwasher! One that doesn't make lakes on the floor! These are glorious days. And the best part is the sound it makes.
	Stone is funny without meaning to be.
	Another workplace comic! Featuring antics from our oh-so-dignified assistant manager. Also featuring this stuff, which is meant for repairing fiberglass.
	True story. No, the manager wasn't there that day. How did you guess? There are rarely dueling blowtorches when there are responsible adults around!
	Magic Cards, communal humming, and quirkiness. That's my brother, and friends.
	Magic Cards: teaching people to count since ... since we started playing the game. Apparently there is still learning to be done.
	Our camping adventure in a nutshell. It was cold, wet, and somehow much more fun than it should have been.
	"And now, on TMI Theater..." the answer to your question is three cups. I was surprised too. See how educational winter camping is?
	Many things got wet on this trip, including and not limited to: everyone's shoes, my pants, Aaron's entire tent, Mike's latex swords, and my oh-so-warm snow jacket. The umbrella was crucial on Day Two. Even if it did make me stand out like a mohawk at Hair Club For Men.
	We have a three-person Star Wars D20 game going on in our spare time, and I've been having a lot of fun with my character. She is a Squib, which in the Star Wars universe is something short, furry, and fond of scavenging junk to sell. And also able to taste through her fur.
	When the furniture is made to human scale, alien bars can be frustrating places. Especially for those who can taste with their fur.
	Always trust your shipmate over the bartender. Even if the shipmate is a weird tall not-really-blind thing, and siding with him means no more drinks. (This character belongs to our third player, by the way; Stone's will surely show up in later comics. There is still much to chronicle!)
	This is a fancomic done for Carrie of Insert Title Here, in return for all the nifty things she's drawn for us! Rae makes for some good comedy; it was only natural that the comic revolve around him. (That and the fact that he and Nikki are the only two characters we can make things up about, since the others are based on people who would point out that it never happened.) Anyways. Yay!
	This comic has been in my box at work for some time; I finally brought it home and finished it. It's the last bit about the construction, which at the end involved electricity problems. Plural.
	Here is the promised haircut comic. This was the day before Inauguration Day -- a time for new starts all around. And less time spent cleaning long hairs out of drains.
	Recently we went to a birthday party for a coworker of mine, and it was fun. Scenes not pictured here include Mythbusters, Horrible Alcohol Grimaces and crazy superthick pizza. A good time all around!
	Apparently there's an up side to these things. Who knew?
	February 1st was Hourly Comics Day, and this is my collection of hourly comics. The rule is to draw a comic for every hour you're awake in the 24-hour span of February 1st. Thankfully this was on a Sunday, and I had plenty of time. It turned out to be lots of fun!
	Stone bought some of that pez soap that he discovered at work, and it was a while before we actually read the fine print on the label. Interesting stuff on that label.
	A conversation at work, and a game of impromptu Thesaurus.
	Stone was in quite a hurry when he jogged past my store one day...
	Rice crispies + optimism = yay!
	A seat-stealing cat has the tables turned.
	I like to keep track of some of the better typos I've encountered. They pop up in irritating places.
	Since we started watching Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs, the comedy quotient of Stone's injuries has gone up dramatically. I think a lot of it has to do with the expressions. And the tone of voice.
	Yes, they sell these at Target. No, I'm sure they're not meant to resemble anything other than a gray thing to rest your feet on. But for anyone's who've played Portal, they are AWESOME.
	The return of the Bat Hat! And strategic gravity as well.
	This happened at work a long time ago, and I've been meaning to draw it. At my store, we sell vinyl on rolls for things like dog doors and walk-in freezers. One roll lasts a long time, and a new one is gigantic. Also tempting.
	Remember that construction at work? This is another one that I've been meaning to draw.
	This is actually a Frankencomic, since all of the lines were said on different occasions. But I write this kind of stuff down, and these quotes fit best together in one strip.
	Hooray for slips of the tongue! I do like this mental image better than the one she was aiming for.
	Beware: lack of dignity. The dialogue was too good to pass up.
	A fun moment of realization. The light sabers are from UltraSabers.com, and they are glorious and fight-worthy. By which I mean you can run over them with a car and not break them. Yes, you do want one.
	Recently my store underwent some construction, for improved soundproofing between the shop and the storefront. It was an interesting time, summarized here.
	Store-bought beanies have never been this cool. (Found here.) And, here's a better picture. Which is almost funnier than the comic.
	Old Bay is an east coast spice. Meant for seafood, used on everything. Contains mace, and other peppers. Stone loves the stuff.
	See, there was this Gatorade powder that we found in the back of the cupboard... Next to the Old Bay...
	Just when we thought all the comical injuries were going to come from him, I just had to bite a chip at the wrong angle. In all fairness, I suppose it's about time.
	While Stone and Jamoya rearranged things for the impending party, this witty exchange took place. And I was there to write it down.
	Those cookies were delicious. As well they should be. In other news, using faint pencil for skin tone leads to sub-par results. Must perfect technique.
	Cookie joy must be shared, with blatant use of Jedi mind tricks if need be.
	What do you call a beer thief of viking descent? Something clever, of course.
	Stone has been certified to use a chainsaw to cut trees at work. We're still not sure how that happened.
	As it turns out, going to pick out a tree with Stone after work can be just as entertaining as witnessing his on-duty antics. Lessons learned: Noble firs look better, Douglas firs smell better, and both will shed needles on you if given half a chance.
	We could have blamed Murphy's Law for the direction of most projectiles lately, but in this case it's better attributed to Adams' Law. Not because John Adams hit himself with anything comical, but because of the easily-adaptable song.
	Out of context, but then, it needs no context. And it was either the Zombie Bat or a light saber that night.
	So proud of the bad jokes. So very proud.
	Nerf darts at bedtime. When there's no adults to tell you not to.
	Here we have the Very Versatile Face Fluff. Now able to change appearances without being trimmed!
	Witty conversations in the kitchen. That's what visiting friends are for!
	This is a question that has come up a couple of times, and there's always a ready answer.
	Polite request, phrased as a public service announcement. Well, it was a service to someone...
	If only English made sense. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as fun then.
	Who says mixed drinks have to consist of only liquid? There are some fascinating possibilities out there.
	Even people who've known him for years can have trouble with it.
	The rest of the conversation is anyone's guess.
	They really were that good. And they were gone before the night was out.
	It's a tricky sound to do without sounding like a donkey or some other loud animal. This time it was almost an emo Wookiee, which would have been an impressive feat in its own right.
	And this is why the cell phone people have invented the "lock screen" function. This used to happen all the time.
	See, when I grew up, that used to be blamed on barking spiders.
	Progress report from the epic Super Smash Brothers battle in the next room.
	Febreezing the feet. It's not the first time.
	One thread on the NaNoWriMo forum was a brainstorming session about a slightly goofy werewolf novel-in-progress. The challenge was to think of ways to write a "were-melon." The people who posted on that thread were very creative indeed, and some of the ideas just begged to be drawn. This is your run-of-the-mill were-melon, howling from the hilltops.
	This is my sketchy portrayal of a vine breed of were-melon, taking wolf form and ready to bite people with sharp roots.
	Here is a snapshot from a possible story, fraught with drama. (The phrase "carnage in the fridge" was quite popular on the thread that spawned this.)
	And here is the epic conclusion to the were-melon saga. Epic, I say!
	Traditional? Dignified? What are these strange words you speak of?
	No end to entertainment, this was.
	I love out-of-context conversations.
	I think this was the credits to a video game, but the movie came next.
	And then there was the Pants Wars. We're also partial to Lord of the Pants, and any other movie you can interject "pants" into.
	This conversation had a little more context than the last.
	What does a clever goblin do when he can't reach the battle? He improvises. Oh yes.
	This has become our new cautionary catchphrase. Because really, every manner is a comical manner.
	The most lethal weapons around, at least as far as the guys were concerned. Diversion, anyone?
	In hindsight, this would have been funnier if I'd drawn it in character. We all know what magnificent singing voices Gigantic Troll Things have.
	The debating was good on this quest. Especially the snarky interjections.
	How better to end the festivities?
	This was a new record for Things Tripped Over In The Dark. Then a different kind of record. Quite a souvenir!
	I saw this from the other side of the field, and thought it would make a pretty good public service announcement. In case anyone needed it spelled out for them.
	It's a quote that everyone in a LARP setting can be expected to recognize.
	I don't know what the context was, but I don't really need to know.
	Goblin songs are inspiring things. And melodic. And dignified. And hard to miss.
	I overheard a lot of interesting conversations in the tavern, including this tidbit from my fellow wild elf.
	What was I saying about goblins and dignity? Oh yes, they're full of it.
	Further Nero hijinks, involving a rabbit, a gypsy, and an unattended spell-pouch.
	This scene was much more fun when viewed through the mental lense that translated the people in white headbands into Horrible Goblin Things (which apparently like to dance).
	The song is this one.
	Who wouldn't want to pet a six-foot-tall bunny?
	Them bandits had it coming, too.
	One of the many joys of night battles.
	I found out after I drew it that he was really just supposed ot have feathers on his face, not a full bird head. Oh well. I like my version better.
	Who needs a rallying horn when you have one of these?
	Don't worry, it's not meant to be funny. Just true.
	I don't know what that bird thought it was doing, but that wasn't safe for anyone involved.
	Why seatbelts are a good thing, especially when exiting a tunnel.
	Making the best of a long lunch line at NERO. Our secret: Trader Joe's pizza dough. It comes in a bag, and makes great breadsticks.
	The oh-so-hot weather made for both good and bad moments. Here's one of each, at the same time.
	The joys of a well-organized Army of Bad Guys. Who knew very well that we were on the way.
	I'm sure no one else noticed the vague absurdity of this scene, but I thought it was funny.
	Some things don't make a lick of sense until you know what the costumes are supposed to mean. Then they make a little bit more sense. But not as much as you'd expect.
	Playground + Mythbusters quote + Norse gods = fun.
	This was Stone's 25th birthday cake. What, you expected something normal?
	I get the feeling I'll be drawing a lot of these, of varying levels of weirdness.
	I don't know what that line is from, but it worked.
	The discussion of maternal awesomeness.
	Yup, that was the conversation verbatim.
	Playing Super Smash Brothers as Kirby allows for many chances to eat things. And people. And teammates.
	After watching a video about male bonding over fake gunplay, a chance arose to demonstrate the theory.
	Kirby again. You either hate or love the puffball that eats everything. And there was not a lot of love in the air at this point.
	Let's just say that the game "No More Heroes" has the save points in the strangest places...
	In his defense, it did look pretty scary sitting there on the floor.
	This was my theme of the night, chortling to myself and sketching away.
	A direct quotation from life. Hooray for misquoted 80's songs!
	It is so sad when they spill. So very sad.
	This was a fun conversation, and one of those "This would sound really weird out of context" moments.
	Reeses and Domino are an invaluable help in our comicking efforts. Why, without them, who knows how much we might get done!
	This was our first honeymoon swim in Hawaii. It didn't exactly turn out the way we'd planned.
	Fun with old lava flows in Volcano National Park!
	We heard this a few times on that tour, actually.
	A favored honeymoon pasttime, yes indeed.
	We rented a car, for wandering and exploring the islands. We got a good chance for a minor geek-out right off the bat. (Pun intended.)
	It's a step up from Segways, but still...
	Overheard conversations in elevators are lots of fun, especially when they don't make sense.
	This hotel had telephones everywhere.
	All it took was one afternoon of parkour in the hot hot sun.
	True story. They wandered in while we had the balcony door open; 'twas very cute.
	This rocketed past on the streets. It seemed mismatched somehow.
	This was in the middle of a fleet of cars at a dead stop, but you'd think they were right at the front of the line.
	Next, on When Gravity Attacks! What will fall, and where?
	For an upcoming fencing tournament, Stone shaved his winter beard into something that made him resemble either V for Vendetta or an 1860's mustache-twirling villain. That was the idea, anyway; one friend had a different interpretation.
	Still equipped with his twirly mustache, Stone consumes his first liqueur-filled chocolate.
	On New Year's Eve, a particular Star Wars Drinking Game was played: you drink whenever a Skywalker whines or throws a temper tantrum. (For the accelerated version, C3PO counts.) Some players were more eager than others.
	Now for another installment of our road trip adventures: one more scene from the very beginning.
	...And here's a classic road trip moment that many traveling pairs can surely identify with. I wasn't consciously trying for revenge after the above comic; I swear.
	Our road trip is off to a fine start! Hooray for omens...
	How does a guy with asthma do that, anyway?
	This is exactly how it happened one evening, right down to the wording. That stuff really exists. Cool, isn't it?
	The game was Kingdom Hearts. The timing was perfect. The response was witty. Thus, a comic it is.
	Apparently alcohol equals bathroom trips and spontaneous Jack Sparrow impressions. Who knew?
	Here is why screw-off lids are not necessarily progress: the other kind offer a convenient sobriety test!
	This little scene took place while we were working on the latest page. We're still not entirely sure how it got there...
	In an interim from working on the latest page, there was a grand Nerf war, involving two six-shooters, four eight-shooters, and a sniper rifle. Oh, and a derringer. This is how the first honor duel conspired. (That's Stone on the right, and coworker-buddy Andrew on the left.)
	A sketch that has yet to be finished: the creative pair behind all this madness. She pencils, he inks, and we both create. Such fun!

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