Today’s page takes us back to Ralph’s Diner, where Captain Heroic proves—once again—that nothing rattles him… not even a surprise soup bath.
Hailey is mortified, Captain Heroic is dripping, and somewhere across the diner, Yazmine Velour is livestreaming the whole thing as heart emojis rain from the internet. It’s a small moment, but one that says a lot about who Cap really is—and why people can’t help falling for him.
Transcript
Panel 1
Hailey (distraught that she has dumped hot soup on Captain Heroic): Omigod Omigod Omigod…
Captain Heroic (turning to another person eating at the diner): Excuse me. Would you hand me a napkin, please? (The person hands him a napkin)
Panel 2
Hailey: I’m so sorry Captain Heroic, sir. I didn’t mean to — {sob}
Panel 3
Captain Heroic (handing her the napkin): Here. Please don’t cry.
Panel 4
Captain Heroic (continues): Most of my first impressions involve disintegration rays. And actual impressions. In concrete.
Panel 5
Captain Heroic: This was far more pleasant — not counting the bay leaf in my shirt.Yazmine Velour (as she livestreams the interaction from the other side of the diner, a torrent of heart emojis flow from her phone as the audience reacts): Omigod Omigod Omigod
After Dark
This week's commissioned MicroFic delivers exactly what you’d want from a pairing between Dynasty and Father Christmas.
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Yes, he lives up to his name.
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Yes, Dynasty knew exactly what she was doing.
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No, the North Pole will never be the same.
I also posted the Goblin Girl MicroFic from the Monster Girl poll — and the response was so good, I might need to make these poll-powered MicroFics a recurring thing!
Everything Cartooning Book
When I mentioned my appearance ot the
Buckeye Book Fair in November, I heard from a number of readers who hadn’t heard of my how-to book,
The Everything Cartooning Book.The Everything Cartooning Book
is a 305-page, text-heavy tutorial that covers cartooning from the raw basics all the way to self-publishing and freelance basics. It can be found in most bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. To say that I’m proud of the book is an understatement.
Unlike most cartooning books, this one doesn’t spend a lot of space on showing you drawings; it explains how to get those drawings done and done well.
Plus, there are entire chapters that go into depth on editorial cartooning, comic strips, single-panel strips, anthromorphic comics, character design, expression, and several other topics.
And it has a chapter that you won’t find in any other cartooning book that I know of — how to write humor. Of course, there’s no formula for humor, but there are some strategies you can follow to write jokes and improve the gags you’ve written.
