After several hours of applied mad sciences, Dr. Muskiday finally has a plan.
The macronanos have been feeding on Fairmount City’s emotions, growing stronger with every burst of anger, embarrassment, infatuation, and fear. Muskiday’s new device is designed to reverse the process — converting a macronano back into harmless micronanos while safely discharging all that stolen emotional energy.
There’s just one problem.
To test the thing, they need a macronano.
Fortunately, HoloClone Miss Match knows exactly how to bait the hook. A little romance. A little melodrama. And perhaps just a touch more enthusiasm than Dr. Muskiday was expecting.
Science demands sacrifice. Apparently, dignity is first on the list.
One Hot August
On Friday, I posted a wrap-up of all of the August exclusives — complete with previews of all the spicy selections. You can download all of them without becoming a Patreon backer here.
Transcript
Panel 1
Dr. Muskiday finishes tinkering on his device in front of a whiteboard that shows how the device works.
Macronano —> containment unit —> compression field emitter —> emotion output emitter
Muskiday: OK… I think we’re ready to test it out. Can you attract one of the macronanos?
Panel 2
HoloClone Miss Match: Musky, darling, this may be our last chance to consummate our love before the macronanos take over!
Panel 3
A macronano reacts as Holoclone Miss Match (continues off-panel): Take me, my love. I’m yours, body and soul!
Panel 4
The macronano enters the lab, and HoloClone Miss Match slams the door behind it.
HoloClone Miss Match: Ha-HA! You sure are gullible! I can’t believe you fell for that. GET ’IM MUSKY!
Panel 5
Dr. Muskiday is in the act of taking off his pants: …Huh??
If you’ve been following my Twitter feed, you know that this has been an interesting Halloween for the Guigars. When my kids announced that they were both going to be Spider-Man (one black, the other red-and-blue), I decided to build a Dr. Octopus costume. I’m the least handy person is the entire city, but four packages of dryer vent, some cardboard, a $15 thrift-store trenchcoat and a ton of duct tape, and I made a pertty darned passable Doc Ock costume.
I also won an award for best Halloween house decoration. Kinda. Check the notes on one of the photos for a complete run-down.
In the end, my two Spider-Kids, my wife (a red-wig-wearing MJ Watson) and I trotted out into our neighborhood, along with some good friends. We had a doozy of a time trick-or-treating.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, was mere footsteps away, making a personal appearance in Philly on Halloween night, but alas, it was not to be. But it was nice just knowing she was around, y’know? Kinda like spotting Santa on Christmas Eve.
Everyone came back to the house for pizza, beer (including a case of Hop Devil, natch), and assorted snacks. The kids played together fantastically, and the adults hung out and chatted, stopping every now and again to hand out candy to late-comers straggling through the neighborhood.
After everyone went home, my oldest and I capped the night with a late-night showing of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chiiiiccckkk…..!
