Today’s performance reviews didn’t just evaluate employee performance — they completely eliminated the need for Dr. Muskiday’s "inter-office orgy" plan. Turns out, nothing clears the emotional air quite like brutally honest feedback.
Upcoming Events
If you’ve ever thought about stopping by to say hello, these two events are genuinely special opportunities to do that.
Since I’m no longer doing the traditional comic-convention circuit, chances to meet up in person have become pretty rare — which makes days like the Moore College Comics Expo and the NCS Cartoonist Showcase all the more meaningful to me.
Philadelphia
Moore College Comics Expo
Saturday, April 11th
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
https://moore.edu/events/2026-moore-comics-expo/2026-04-11/
Columbus, Ohio
Cartoonist Showcase — Billy Ireland Museum of Comic Art
Saturday, August 8th
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
https://nationalcartoonists.com/showcase/
I always enjoy putting faces to names, chatting about comics, and hearing what you’ve been reading (or creating). So if you’re anywhere nearby, I’d love to see you there.
And who knows — with travel getting trickier these days, these kinds of appearances may end up being even fewer and farther between… which makes this a pretty great time to take advantage of one.
Transcript
Panel 1:
Cassie Cruz: “The clouds are disappearing! But how?!”
Giant Tess: “Heh.”
Giant Tess: “Since everybody was standing around, I decided to make good use of the time by handing out the annual performance reviews.”
Panel 2:
Giant Tess: “Believe it or not, I actually softened the wording from last year.” In the office, all of the co-workers are furious, (clockwise from upper left: Miss Match, Count Spurlock, Psy-Chick, Lightning Lady, Iron Dragon, Desdemona, Holo-Clone Miss Match, and Catnip).
Detailed Alt Text
Panel 1:
Dr. Muskiday (a small, fly-like scientist with wings and large red eyes) hovers near Cassie Cruz, the branch manager, who is walking briskly into the office. Cassie looks surprised and says, “The clouds are disappearing! But how?!” Standing nearby is Giant Tess, a tall, muscular woman in a green superhero outfit with a cape and a large “G” emblem on her chest. She calmly holds a stack of papers and explains, “Heh… Since everybody was standing around, I decided to make good use of the time by handing out the annual performance reviews.”
Panel 2:
The scene cuts to the open office floor in complete chaos. Employees are reacting violently and emotionally to their performance reviews (clockwise from upper left: Miss Match, Count Spurlock, Psy-Chick, Lightning Lady, Iron Dragon, Desdemona, Holo-Clone Miss Match, and Catnip). MIss Match is surrounded by flames, Psy-Chick is shouting angrily, Lightning Lady is generating crackling energy around her hands, and others are arguing or throwing things. Papers are scattered everywhere, chairs are overturned, and computer monitors are damaged. Despite the destruction, Giant Tess stands calmly in the foreground, still holding her papers, and says, “Believe it or not, I actually softened the wording from last year.” Cassie stands beside her, taking in the mayhem.
I have a real bone to pick with the people who marketed the computer-animated feature
Hoodwinked . They had me convinced I was going to hate the movie.
We ended up renting it over the weekend for Movie Night, and I roared from start to finish.
See, the trailer made it look like some kind of action flick in which the main characters from the Red-Riding-Hood story team-up to do battle in some kind of James Bond adventure. Turns out, this is the Brothers Grimm meets
Law and Order. Furry and feathered cops from the animal world investigate a domestic disturbance at Granny’s cottage, involving a girl, a wolf, and an axe. The charges are many: breaking and entering, disturbing the peace, intent to eat, etc. After seeing the story from Red’s point of view, the story is re-told for the cops by each participant — the girl, the wolf, Grandma, and the Woodsman.
Of course, in each re-telling we learn a little more and thing we saw in Red’s version are seen in a new light or explained in a bizarre way. It’s really done in a clever way.
That alone would have gotten me into the movie theater, but then it came time for the wolf’s story and I was about to go from enjoyment to fandom. The wolf, wearing an old, hooded sweatshirt and a Lakers jersey, is a dead-on homage to the title character in the classic 80s comedy,
Fletch. And it’s done
perfectly! The Harold Faltermeyer music in the background, the disguises, the razor-sharp dialogue as the Wolf goes undercover. Absolutely beautiful. My only quibble was that Patrick Warburton’s voice was too deep and menacing to pull off the trademark
Fletch banter. Warburton does deadpan to a “T,” but Chevy Chase gave it that extra sarcastic bite that made it truly identifiable.
It was a much needed fix for this hardcore
Fletch fan. I’ve been holding out hope that someday
Kevin Smith will get around to doing that coveted third
Fletch. movie, but I know not to get too optimistic. ‘Till then, I’ll have this gem.
