Chapter 17 | Page 3b: Hot Stuff

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.

  • Yes, he lives up to his name.

  • Yes, Dynasty knew exactly what she was doing.

  • 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!

Buy “Stripped” today!

feature-posterMy friends Dave Kellett and Fred Schroeder have an event today (no foolin’), and I want you to participate. Go to http://www.strippedfilm.com/ for details, but here are the highlights: We’re going to do a big push to tell people to make their purchase today. We want to give this movie a big push to get it wide recognition. We’re going to try to get as much notoriety for the movie as possible by making it #1 on iTunes. And we can do it if we act together. Here’s the link to get it from iTunes. Here’s the first five minutes of the film. Folks, Kellett and Schroeder have made what will undoubtedly become the finest documentary on the art of cartooning ever. This goes waaaaaaay beyond “Print vs. Web.” This is a sensitive, moving, endearing, warm all-encompassing look at cartooning from several different perspectives. Heck, I’m even in it! It shows people who couldn’t possibly have anything at all in common all telling remarkably similar stories about their passion for the craft. It talks about the very nature of creativity. It talks about thunderous successes and heartbreaking failures. But mostly, it talks about cartoonists and their burning need to make comics. But, listen… don’t take my word for it. All you need to know is this: Bill Watterson drew his first public cartoon since the last Calvin and Hobbes to promote this movie. Can you imagine how many offers he’s had in all those (almost 20) years?! — how many good causes… fun projects… deserving people? He quietly said no to them. And he said Yes to “Stripped.” If that doesn’t make you ache to own this film, then I got nothing. You’re going to watch this movie once and then sit there in quiet awe as the credits roll. And then you’re going to listen to it over and over and over in the background as you pencil or ink or sketch or wash dishes or… well, you get the point. This movie goes beyond good… it’s important. You’ll never look at your drawing board / Cintiq / sketchbook the same again.