Chapter 17, Page 21a: Livestreaming Supervillain

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Brad Guigar

Fairmount City has faced plenty of supervillains before. But this may be its first livestreaming supervillain.

After losing her brief burst of social-media stardom, Hailey re-emerges with a new look, a new name, and a dangerous new relationship with engagement metrics. Now she is Countess Influencia — the Validation Vampire — and every heart, like, and notification seems to make her stronger.

Fairmount News Network tries to cover the attack, but even the news crew can’t stop checking her feed. As hearts start streaming from phones across the city — and around the world — it becomes clear that this crime spree is no longer just a local story.

The world has met Countess Influencia.

And she would very much like you to smash that “Like” button.

Transcript

Panel 1
At the Fairmount News Network studio. Someone off panel whispers, “Psst! Ms. Takahaski! You’re on the air!” Hana Takahaski looks up from her smartphone and says, “Oh! Umm… We’ve got breaking news!”

Panel 2
Hana says, “We’re getting live reports of an attack on the downtown area.” A stream of hearts begins floating from her phone.

Panel 3
The scene widens. Hana is still on her phone. The cameraman is also on his phone. Streams of hearts flow from both phones and from other unseen people in the studio. Hana says, “She may be the first supervillain to livestream her own crime spree! Moreover…” Then, distracted by her phone, she says, “Hold on…” Her phone displays the text: “YAS, Queen!”

Panel 4 (inset)
Exterior view of the Fairmount News Network building. Several streams of hearts flow outward from inside the building and from the street below. Hana says, “Moreover, while Fairmount City is her current target, she has already taken the whole WORLD by storm!”

Panel 5
Hailey, now transformed into Countess Influencia, floats above the city as streams of hearts flow directly into her body. She says, “Look upon Countess Influencia and despair!” Then, in smaller type: “And don’t forget to smash that ‘Like’ button and subscribe!”

Alt text

A five-panel Evil Inc comic introduces Hailey’s new supervillain persona, Countess Influencia. At Fairmount News Network, anchor Hana Takahaski is caught looking at her phone just as she goes on the air with breaking news about an attack downtown. As she reports, red heart icons begin floating from her phone. The scene widens to show the cameraman and others in the studio also absorbed by their phones, with streams of hearts flowing upward. Hana reports that the villain may be the first supervillain to livestream her own crime spree, then gets distracted by a message reading, “YAS, Queen!” Outside the Fairmount News Network building, heart streams pour from the building and the street below. In the final panel, Hailey floats above the city in her new vampire-inspired outfit as Countess Influencia. Streams of hearts flow into her body as she declares, “Look upon Countess Influencia and despair!” She adds, “And don’t forget to smash that ‘Like’ button and subscribe!”

Phables — The Curse of Rafinesque

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Brad Guigar

Here’s a special Phables* comic I did back in 2006, that I love to share every Halloween.

It’s the (mostly) true story about a botanist who taught at Transylvania University in Kentucky (the place really exists). When he was caught with the college president’s wife, he was ousted from campus. Upon leaving, he placed a curse on the institution, and, supposedly, every seven years, something tragic happens at Transylvania University. The last “Curse Year”, by the way, was 2018, so we’re due in just two more years.

Transcript

[Panel 1]
Text: “Everybody has a scary story about Philadelphia…”
Image: Illustration of a city with a label pointing to “Transylvania University.”

[Panel 2]
Text: “The best ones are true.”
Narration: “Constantine Rafinesque was a self-taught genius with a passion for botany.”
Character (Rafinesque): “Mostly.”

[Panel 3]
Narration: “He left Philadelphia to teach botany at Transylvania University in Kentucky, but ended up cutting classes more often than his students.”
Student: “Anyone got a smoke?”
Rafinesque: “sigh You don’t have to raise your hands.”

[Panel 4]
Narration: “School president Horace Holly fired Rafinesque after the botanist’s alleged affair… with Mrs. Holly.”
Mrs. Holly (offscreen): “Oh Raf! You pistol. Such stamina!”
Rafinesque: (examining plant under microscope) “OK… Stay calm… Dioscorea pubescens… Podocarpus rubicollis… Cacalia’s protective…”

[Panel 5]
Narration: “Upon leaving, Raf uttered a curse: ‘Damn thee and thy school! A plague and curses upon you!’**
(**And probably a couple more we can’t print.)”
Image: Rafinesque shaking fist.

[Panel 6]
Narration: “He returned to Philly where he supported himself by publishing books and scientific articles on nature. He even gave public lectures on the subject.”

[Panel 7]
Narration: “He died in 1840 and was buried in Ronaldson’s Cemetery in Philly.
(At least, they thought he was buried in Ronaldson’s…)”

[Panel 8]
Narration: “Legend has it, a group of rowdy Transylvania University alumni disinterred Rafinesque’s body and returned it to the campus.”
Image: Shadowy figures carrying a coffin at night.

[Panel 9]
Narration: “Actually, it was a rowdy librarian who, upon learning of Raf’s demise, wrote his Philadelphia benefactors and suggested he be transplanted at the campus in a place of honor.”
Librarian: “That is so rowdy for a librarian.”
Another character: “Shhh!!”

[Panel 10]
Narration: “And so Raf’s body was placed under the steps of the Old Morrison, the school’s administrative building.”
Image: Drawing of the Old Morrison building.

[Panel 11]
Narration: “Evidence suggests the body honored in the tomb below the Old Morrison is that of a female.”
Another character: “My old upstairs neighbor… used to keep me awake at night playing those ‘Velvet Underground’ records…”

[Panel 12]
Narration: “So… Rafinesque’s body remained in the cemetery where it once stood is now a playground in South Philly.”
Image: Child bouncing a ball next to a tombstone.

[Panel 13]
Narration: “No one can say where his spirit is. His curse, however, seems to be at Transylvania University, y’see… Soon after he lost his job, the Old Morrison burned to the ground.”

[Panel 14]
Narration: “Or so they thought…”
Image: Rafinesque turning dramatically.

[Panel 15]
Narration: “Y’see, in Raf’s time, graves were reused. The first occupant buried would be dug up. The next was put on top of him. And so on…”
Text on tombstone: “Popular site. People are dying to get in.”

[Panel 16]
Narration: “Apparently the workers assigned to retrieve Raf’s body didn’t dig deep enough.”
Worker: “Don’t see anybody. Guess we dug deep enough.”

[Panel 17]
Narration: “Seven years after that, the man who fired him – Horace Holly – died of yellow fever. And every seven years after that, tragedy has struck the college.”
Character: “Just call it a seven-year sneeze.”

[Panel 18]
Narration: “Such as 1969, when the Old Morrison was razed by fire again!! The entire building was ruined – all except for one room… Rafinesque’s crypt.”
Image: Rafinesque in front of a door labeled “Transylvester Sprinkler System.”

[Final Panel – Footer]
Text: “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!”