1207: That's Why Brutus Wasn't In Yesterday's Strip

I'm bothered at the lack of concern Gladys has about her husband's sleep coma or long-term sleep paralysis. As a sufferer of fairly regular sleep paralysis, it's frightening. Even though I know what's going on and I'm technically awake, I always fear that I may never move again. I'm sorry that Brutus has a wife who doesn't care about his well-being or will wake him up when it's clear that he's going to miss work.

The Nightmare (1781) by Henry Fuseli, depicts a demon visiting a sleeper
and sitting on top of her causing her to be unable to move.

1206: They're Still In School?!

Oh, Facebook, you never seem to disappoint with your users' veiled hint of bigotry.

First, her name is Caitlyn. Continuing to call Caitlyn "Bruce" is akin to me calling you Emily when your name is Alison. For someone who cares about world hunger, maybe you should be more respectful to people by calling them by the name they want. I'm not even going to comment on the incorrect pronoun usage except for this sentence here.

I also think people don't understand how solving world hunger would work. Hint, it would involve deposing numerous tyrannical leaders and basically taking over two continents. Why don't we focus on the hunger we have here which can easily be solved by equality and basic human decency. Lastly, how is our country being run into the ground? If your complaining about the president or Congress or the governors or state legislatures that are duly elected by the people then what are you really upset about? To change that, you would need to change our jingoistic, xenophobic and all-around holier-than-thou attitudes that we have and those are three things that you seem fine with based on your other Facebook posts.

Why do teachers in comic strips always assign summer reading? These kids are not going to be in your class next year. If it's just a suggested list then why does it seem mandatory? This kind of setup may work if these kids attended a one-room schoolhouse or even a consolidated school in the early 20th Century but not in today's modern school system.

1205: All In All We're Just Another Piece of Paper In the Inbox

I've talked about the old MS-DOS game "Dracula In London" before but all the pictures have been delinked thus the post is rendered kind of boring. Last night, I played a quick game (you can find it at Archive.org) and tweeted some pictures of the gameplay.

The title screen. This was a public domain game that I played on DOS. It was also one of my favorite early games. pic.twitter.com/RtC4XvuCkR

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

The map screen just gives you a list of what you can do. You don't actually use the map. pic.twitter.com/VIWghSZffO

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Not a lot of detail. Characters are represented by letters and, like an Atari game, you have to use your imagination. pic.twitter.com/2nTMMeakq3

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Inside the Carafax Estate. This is a pretty detailed room. pic.twitter.com/frNIdYq37T

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Here's what Dracula looks like: pic.twitter.com/DKafUaLvVH

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

I hate the spiders. I have 2 characters on it and it still takes 3 turns each to kill it. pic.twitter.com/BjnztzJoCj

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Ugh. Mina just died. Now I have to skip sleeping and watch the graveyard for her shambling vampire corpse.

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Dracula has apparently left London so we're all headed to Transylvania to hunt him down. pic.twitter.com/Gnxs508j4M

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Doodely-doodely-do: He's not at Castle Dracula so the game is over.

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Here's my score. It's bad because Mina died, Dracula survived and Renfield is still insane. pic.twitter.com/cFvy3FE41F

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

I've never had Renfield cured. I've never gotten a perfect score because of Renfield.

— Brian Hall (@tauycreek) June 1, 2015

Maybe if Brutus quit lamenting about how life is the worst and just get some work done then maybe life wouldn't be the worst. I will start using Monday-Ja-Vu though.

1204: Spider-Man Cares Not for HIPAA Laws

Is there nothing in this comic that can be construed as sexual?

I'm assuming that they are going to take Bull to a farm upstate?

Does patient-doctor confidentiality still apply when a superhero is listening in? Here's to next week featuring a six-day explanation from Dr. Stone about why he can't divulge information about Harry to the guy who murdered his father.

What does Michelangelo have to do with anything? Last I checked, being able to paint beautiful frescoes on ceilings isn't in high demand at the moment.

1203: Sorry, Wrong Pinot

I'm not a wine person. I didn't even know that Marsala was a wine, I just thought it was a way you prepare the sauce which I guess it is but whatever. According to Hello Vino, a wine you could pair with chicken Marsala is a pinot noir.

For more information on pinot noir, you can watch this video:

1202: He's Known Across the Land

Over the summer, I am going to try to get some things added and changed here. I have started a new Facebook Page for Tauy Creek. It's pretty bare right now but I'm hoping to get more stuff on it especially links to webcomics or writing sites. I am also looking for good recommendations that I can post on a page at the top of the site. Any relevant site is welcome so webcomics, comic books, television, writing, whatever is cool and updates regularly, so if you have a suggestion, let me know via Twitter, the contact page, comments or on Facebook.

I also hope to get a lot of writing done over the summer including a new series that is a little unconventional. There may be other things that I will add or change over the next three months, please let me know if you like them, hate them and make sure to tell your friends about this website.

Is there a reason that we are all being subjected to the back of this guy's head? Couldn't Chip put the guy behind the table facing toward us? Also, I don't know if you remember yesterday but Brutus looks like slightly disgruntled. I bet that Veeblefester asking Brutus if he was disgruntled and then threatening Brutus to be more happy at work made Brutus disgruntled.

1201: Everyone Is Completely Gruntled

I love how Veeblefester's solution for disgruntled employees isn't fix what is making them disgruntled but to slam his fist down on his desk and demand the employee stop being disgruntled. I mean, what's a little disgruntle? At least Brutus isn't this guy:

1200: Riley & Tyler: August

August

“He didn’t keep a clean house,” Jean muttered as she, Linda and Tyler went into the townhouse once occupied by Jean’s son, Codie. Movie and superhero posters adorned the walls, a massive video game setup dominated one of the walls of the front room. The kitchen was nearly bare and the bedroom had an entertainment center set up with a massive TV, several DVD players, stereo and speakers along with a bed and couch. “What are we supposed to do with all of this garbage?” Jean asked.

“We sell it, Mom,” Linda said.

Tyler opened the door to the other bedroom to reveal more than three dozen comic book longboxes and bookshelves full of graphic novels, trade paperbacks and statues. “Holy crap,” Tyler exclaimed.

Jean and Linda followed him into the room. “Oh, Goddamn it,” Jean said. “How do we sell these?”

“I’ll take them,” Tyler said.

“We don’t have room for them, Tyler,” Linda replied. “Look at all of this. There must be 40 or so boxes and four bookcases.”

“I’m just going to call that comic book store downtown and see if they will give me a thousand dollars for the boxes,” Jean said.

“Grandma, there is no way that all of these comics are just worth a thousand dollars,” he pulled a lid off a box and grabbed a random comic. “This is Fantastic Four number 45. It’s got to be worth about a hundred bucks.” He showed the comic to his mom and grandma. The Fantastic Four were prominently on the cover with four other costumed people sneaking up behind them, the caption ‘Among us hide…the Inhumans’ ominously hovered between the two groups of superpowered beings.

“These comics are why Codie killed himself. He spent more time with them than with people,” Jean said.

Tyler sighed with an annoyed tone. “Mom, please?”

“If it’s okay with your grandma then it’s fine with me,” Linda gave in.

“Fine. Take them,” Jean waved her hand. “We’ll hold a garage sale for all this other crap.”




Tyler moved the boxes of comics and shelves of graphic novels into his bedroom, which displaced much of his room. He spent the next two weeks before school started reading his new comic collection by just pulling a comic out at random.

When school started, he decided to take graphic novels or trade paperbacks to read during downtime. The first one he took was Batman: The Killing Joke. When he arrived in his Earth Space Science class for third hour, he sat down at one of the lab tables and pulled it out and started reading.

Riley Saxberg came into the room, walking past Tyler and sitting down one row behind and one row over from him. Riley stood up and glanced at the graphic novel. “The Killing Joke?”

Tyler turned to look at Riley, her short, brown, curly hair with a white, lace bow in her hair. Riley had a round boyish face but feminine features in the lips and eyes. Riley’s hair was short, only down to the start of her neck. Tyler could see the small lumps of her breasts and the round stomach like a young boy who hadn’t lost his baby fat. Riley was wearing a black shirt with some band Tyler had never heard of—Thousand Foot Krutch.

“Yeah,” Tyler nodded.

“I own that one. Have you read Arkham Asylum?” Riley asked.

“Not yet. I just got a bunch of books from my uncle so I am slowly getting through them,” Tyler said.

“Cool,” Riley sat back down.

The classroom had filled up and one seat was left behind Tyler and to the left of Riley. Jarret came in and groaned. “I got to sit next to the shemale?”

“Shut up,” Riley rolled her eyes.

Jarret sat down. “I don’t know why someone would want to quit being a man. I mean, we’re awesome!” Jarret exclaimed and a couple of male students agreed loudly.

“You’re really proving how awesome you are right now,” Riley turned to Jarret.

“Whatever,” Jarret shrugged and laughed with the other guys while pointing at Riley.

The school bell rang indicating the end of passing period. The teacher stood up from his desk, walked over to the door and closed it. “Welcome back. I hope you all had a good summer. This is third hour Earth Space Science just to confirm that you are in the right class.”

Tyler closed his book and slipped it into his notebook. He looked back at Riley who was sitting with his head on his hand and doodling in a notebook. Tyler then turned back to the teacher.




Riley Saxberg and her family moved here last spring but Riley and her sister Hannah finished out the school year at their old schools. Riley had wandered around town for most of the summer where she met Sydney who would end up becoming her best friend.

“If Jarret called you a shemale then you need to tell someone,” Sydney said as they went through the lunch line.

“Mr. Hartman was right there and didn’t seem to care. Besides, this school won’t even let me use the girls restroom so all Jarret would get is probably a good talking to. Give it a month or so and I’ll stop being an oddity,” Riley said.

Riley and Sydney walked by the table Tyler and his friend Jackson were at. Tyler looked up at Riley and watched her walk by. “Do you know anything about that new girl Riley?” Tyler asked.

“She’s in three of my classes but I don’t know anything about her. Rumor has it that she’s really a he,” Jackson said.

“Yeah,” Tyler sighed. “Jarret called her a shemale in Earth Space Science and she basically admitted it. I don’t know. She tried to talk to me about the comic I was reading and I was kind of snapped at her.”

“People are probably mean to her all the time. She’s probably used to it,” Jackson shoved a giant spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. “They need to give us more food for lunch,” he complained.

Over at the table where Riley and Sydney sat, Riley had just finished the breaded chicken sandwich. “Do you know Tyler Bray?”

“Pretty well. We’re not friends or anything but we’ve grown up together. He’s nice. Kind of quiet and can be weird sometimes. He used to try too hard to get people to like him and laugh. I don’t really see that anymore,” Sydney explained. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Riley shrugged. Riley looked around the lunchroom and into the commons area. “I thought Hannah had second lunch as well. I wonder where she is.”




In one of the restroom stalls in the girl’s locker room in the basement of the school, Hannah had her arms resting on his shoulders as she sat on his lap and had sex. When they were finished, they readjusted their clothes, flushed the condom down the toilet and started making out. “I told you that no one would come down here,” Hannah smiled deviously.

“It was a good idea,” Matt said and they kissed again.

“I noticed during freshman gym that when everyone is at gym, no one comes down so we’d have the place all to ourselves.”

Hannah had the same hair as Riley only hers went down past her shoulders and was in a ponytail. Hannah also had her dad’s features of wide eyes, small mouth and sturdy chin. She was also a couple inches shorter and her breasts a little bigger. Matt had floppy dark hair that covered his ears and forehead. He was tall and lanky with short, curly hairs above his lip and poking out from his chin. Matt looked at his watch. “We should head upstairs and eat some lunch. We have ten minutes left.” They walked through the locker room and went back upstairs holding hands. “Is it true that your sister used to be a guy?” Matt asked as they walked into the cafeteria and going to get their trays.

“My brother is a guy who thinks he’s a girl. No amount of drugs or surgery is going to change that,” Hannah said angrily as they went through the lunch line.




The next day, Riley was already in Earth Space Science when Tyler came in. “Hey, Riley,” Tyler approached her. “I thought you might like to read these,” he handed her three graphic novels, all very similar in style and artwork. They were titled Superman’s Metropolis, Batman: Nosferatu and Wonder Woman: The Blue Amazon. “The Superman one is first. It’s based on German Expressionist films of the 1920s. The story and art are both amazing.”

“Thanks,” Riley smiled at him as she took the books.

He smiled back.

Want to read more? Contact me to become a beta-reader and help me edit this story and come up with a title!

I get the feeling that Chip is a huge fan of daytime television. And I don't mean just a casual fan. I get the feeling that Chip knows the favorite foods of all the women on The View and The Talk.

1199: Never Too Late

No offense? That face Hattie is giving Brutus is definitely a face that says "What I am saying right now you should take offense to."

Anne Meara, 1929-2015

Anne Meara, wife to Jerry Stiller and mother to Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller has passed away. She had been married to Jerry since 1954 and was half of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara who made frequent appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their careers declined along with variety shows but they continued writing and performing appearing in recurring and guest roles. Meara appeared in Rhoda, Sex and the City, and The King of Queens.