1213: She Gave In a Bit Too Quickly

"Have I bought you a present? Why would I buy the neighbor girl down the street, who I don't really like, a birthday present?" I don't buy very many presents for people because I'm too poor. I know it's hard to believe but being a paraeducator who runs a website currently devoted to commentary on a comic strip is not as lucrative as you would think.

Liberty #51: Vagabond Girl

Katie awoke on a bus bench and slowly sat up, squeezing the bridge of her nose and keeping her eyes shut tight. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around. She reached an arm around to scratch her other arm, pressing it against her chest. In surprise, she squeezed both her breasts quickly. “They stole my bra,” she sighed. She rested her face in her hands for a couple of seconds before getting up and walking away. She shifted in her jeans a couple of times then reached behind her to rub her ass. “And they stole my underwear.”




“Where have you been?” Katie heard as she walked into the apartment she shared with Michelle. Katie continued walking past the kitchen where Michelle was and down the hallway to her bedroom. “Katie, where have you been?” Michelle asked again as she followed Katie down the hallway. Katie grabbed a bra off of her bedroom floor and removed her shirt, putting the bra on with her back to Michelle.

She went over the night in her head, the two guys, possibly being drugged, more than likely raped and then being left on a bus bench. “I met a couple of guys last night,” she smiled.

“A couple? I didn’t think you were that kind of girl,” Michelle smiled back at Katie. “Look, Katie, do you have any money for rent?”

“No. I get paid at the end of the week so I can probably get something to you this weekend,” Katie answered.

“Where does your money go? You don’t have a car, you don’t have any bills, you rarely even go out except for getting a few drinks and apparently getting double-teamed by a couple of guys. Where’s your money?”

“Can you chastise me later? I have to get to work,” Katie sighed, tired of these financial talks Michelle subjected her to.

“I have work, too, Katie. I can’t support this apartment by myself. I have a friend who is looking for a place to stay and I’m thinking of letting him stay here.”

“Here? Where?”

“He’d get your room, you’d move to the couch.”

“I’ll give you some money on Friday,” Katie said.

“I let you stay here to ease the burden on me having to pay for everything,” Michelle began. “I also didn’t like that your last roommates basically advocated for your rape every weekend but you have to start being more responsible.”

Katie nodded because it was really the only thing she could do.




As Katie reorganized shoe boxes on the shelves, swept the floor and assisted customers in the shoe department, she thought about where her money went because she was confused by that too. She paid half the rent, bought her own groceries, gave $100 a paycheck for utilities so she should have about $400 left over at the end of the month. Take out the few drinks at the bar and her weed she should still have about $300. But she usually barely had $20 to her name.

“Hi, Katie,” a young man said, smiling and walking down the aisle toward her carrying a basket.

“Hi, Josh. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“No. I grabbed some breakfast then decided to grab some essentials,” he lifted the basket up. “Also, just between us, I’m stalking an employee.”

Katie nodded. “I see. Is it Bob in sporting goods?”

“It is. Honestly, I wanted to see if you got to work. Michelle texted me earlier this morning saying you didn’t come home.”

“Were you worried about me?” Katie blushed.

“Maybe. A little. Ever since I walked in on you being raped a few months ago I’ve just wanted to keep my arms wrapped around you and protect you. But that’s stupid. You just need to find a decent guy who doesn’t want to get you pregnant just so you’ll be stuck with him forever and slam your head into a wall.”

“Based on my experience, easier said than done,” Katie said. “Will we be seeing you this weekend?”

“Definitely. Michelle invited me to stay all next week so I’ll probably come over after work on Friday. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“Cool. Why don’t you just move in? We’d all save some money,” Katie suggested.

“I still have a few months on my lease. Also, I don’t know how committed either of us to our relationship so moving in might not be such a good idea.”

“Are you two going to break up?” Katie asked, trying not to sound enthusiastic.

“Probably. Some day. We still care about and love each other but our relationship over the last couple of months has felt a bit off. .”

“You’re probably just a bad boyfriend,” Katie said.

“Yeah, that’s probably what it is. But do me a favor and don’t tell Bob, okay?”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Katie replied and giggled. Josh waved to her as he walked away.

1212: Something Something Golf

A couple weeks ago on Twitter, I posed a question asking if it was possible to stay off the grid. I asked this because it was a major plot point in this story I was writing. I was mainly asking if it was believable but also based on fact.

I knew this girl from almost ten years ago and she has a very small social footprint online. She has a Facebook, she has a MySpace and I'm pretty sure she has LinkedIn but doing a Google search on her turns up very little information. From what I can tell, she is also very rarely online so unless you have the means to contact her or want to wait for a response from her limited social media, there is no way you can get a hold of her. This is a very important plot point in "Vagabond Girl", a story that will be posting later today in Liberty #51.

I started writing "Vagabond Girl" because this girl who was talented, smart, funny and attractive but could never get a leg up in anything and neither my girlfriend at the time or myself could really see how it happened. She was always just a victim of circumstance it seemed. I also wanted to showcase the deplorable living standards this girl was subjected to due to being forced to move around all the time.

Instead of detailing, like I wanted to, a whole decade of this life, I chose to focus on just roughly one week but a lot happens in that week and it was the first story since "Riley & Tyler" that I really enjoyed doing. I need to do more stories like that, I know, but I also need to get the bad stories written too or they fester in my head.

"Vagabond Girl" is about Katie, a girl who works a minimum wage job and lives with her best friend, Michelle, who treats her like a child. Michelle threatens to bring in another roommate unless Katie can get her act together all the while Katie is getting closer with Michelle's boyfriend, Josh.

Liberty #51 posts at 2:00 CST.

Why is Gladys at the door? Didn't Brutus take his keys with him? Brutus just got back from playing golf so we can safely assume his arms still work. Does The Born Loser exist in some strange time anomaly where women wait dutifully by the door because they don't know what to do when their husband is gone and all the housework is done?

1211: In the Style

Over the weekend, my son and I took a tour of the Hidden Valley Girl Scout Camp located in the center of town. It's 40 acres of untouched woodland surrounded by development and two major five lane streets. It was willed to the Girl Scouts in 1956 by Alfred Bromelsick who willed his entire estate to youth groups in Lawrence. The land is owned by a non-profit not by the Girl Scouts but Girl Scouts are free to use it whenever and the camp can be reserved by other groups.

They only open the camp to the public for an hour every year for trail tours. I was finally able to go on one and took some pictures. It's the year of the 17-year cicadas so when we would walk by some trees, clouds of cicadas would just pour out covering us. It was really cool. It was also very wet and muddy from the 57 inches of rain we've had in the last two months.

 Flagpole Hill and a red elm tree near the entrance. The flagpole and tree are used by the Girl Scouts for opening ceremonies and other things.

 The Hidden Valley Friends Memorial Garden This garden, with a bench and brick patio, serves as a memorial to friends of Hidden Valley. It features many varieties of native flowers and plants.

 A stone stair walkway with a latrine at the top. The latrine is the last working one in the camp. The city has said that when the latrines get full or break, they cannot repair or replace them.

 One of the campgrounds.

Once a farm pond, this body of water was converted into wetland. Nearby are trees dedicated to Hidden Valley organizers Carolyn Blaas and Mariana Remple.

A primitive wooden bridge passing over a creek.

Another one of the many campgrounds. There are numerous campgrounds each offering their own uniqueness.

 Looking down at one of the creeks from one of the wooden bridges. With all the rains, the normally dry creeks were flowing heavily.

 A tree house, built around an Osage Orange tree, in another of the campground.

 A cottonwood tree covered in cicadas.

 We got to see a snapping turtle on the tour which was really cool.

 Another wooden bridge spanning a creek.

Another campground and the last one we saw in the tour.

"Maybe because I don't like berries, or yogurt, and I don't know what 'parfait' means but I'm pretty sure I won't like that either! Give me some apple pie with ice cream, dammit!"

1210: It's Good Advice, Sicky McGee

A Facebook friend got all upset at someone she ran into who couldn't believe that she had become a nurse. The someone's reasoning was that this friend was always a jokester and immature. A magician.

Okay, maybe not a magician.

Anyway, her rambling post almost became some kind of existential crisis as she began to believe that everyone she knew felt that she was some irresponsible, jokester idiot and then began wondering why people can't assume that because you are now in your 30s that you are not the same person you were in high school. I would assume that it's because except for the education you received and fairly respectable job, you are the same person in high school. You have the same friends, you're in a long-term but fairly non-committed relationship and you are just as comfortable going out to get drunk as you are staying home and watching TV. As far as I know, you even have the same likes and hobbies.

Van Wilder grew as a person more in 90 minutes than you have in
14 years.

Meanwhile, I can guarantee that she also assumes everyone she went to high school with has not grown at all. I do the same thing. We all do. Unless I remain in touch in someone, I assume everything I knew about them has remained the same unless I learn otherwise. The problem I had with her pity diatribe is that she equated "responibility" and "being adult" with "lame" and "boring" which is something she does. She makes fun of people who get married or have kids, she likes being untethered to things and people unless they are used to make her life look better. "Being adult" doesn't mean getting married, having kids, being lame or being boring. It's about contributing so society and doing more good than harm.

I think what that person was trying to say was that while, yes, in high school she was kind of immature, she was commenting on how adult she had become. "Back in high school, you were an immature little girl but now you are a nurse contributing something our world. Good for you." In other words, instead of getting offended and needing your Facebook friends to validate yourself, take it as a compliment that someone noticed, even backhandedly, that you have grown as a person. Or don't and be fine with knowing that you have grown and don't need validation from anyone to prove that.

Fight through it Wilberforce. Get out of that bed and go do something. Sometimes you just need to power through your illness. I give this advice to everyone--except cancer patients because they never seem to appreciate it.

1209: All Your Base Belong to Marmaduke

I starting to have a problem with people using crowdfunding as a way to do stuff. I believe that crowdfunding is a great way to create something but what I am having a problem with are people using crowdfunding to start a business. Again, it makes sense when you are creating something but I've seen it be used to start microbreweries, grocery stores, restaurants and you know what crowdfunding can't do? Keep your business open.

I've tried helping two things on crowdfunding sites--one succeeded, one failed--but both were things that were to be made and then sold briefly online. A local restaurant was started because of funding received from people on IndieGoGo. It was a fish and chips restaurant run by an actual British guy. It was something our city didn't have and was something that wasn't fast food, Mexican or pizza. It was delicious and seemingly popular but only lasted 15 months. Crowdfunding works the best when you want to create something. I don't believe crowdfunding can sustain a business. Now, pieces of art, a card game, graphic novel, action figures, a music album, a movie--all worthy of being crowdfunded.

But if you feel like you have something that could be crowdfunded, then I say go for it. I'm nobody so you probably shouldn't even listen to me. I never attempted to crowdfund anything but I have looked into and maybe someday I will. Anyway, onto the comics.

Girls might not be able to resist a warm chuckle but girls can resist a look that makes you look like a rapist.

Please hold the reunion at Montoni's. That would be the most depressing thing ever--even more depressing than holding it in the high school gym where you can't have alcohol. PLEASE have the reunion at Montoni's!!

For some weird reason, I have the need to obey Marmaduke and do everything that he demands. I don't know why...

Odd that the phone book publisher put Crankshaft's name roughly were it would be in the book if everybody else was listed in it.

"How's that going?" Mary asks, a strange taste in her mouth, a combination of battery acid and stomach bile. Even her love of pruning her rose bushes cannot satiate her hatred that it took Terry this long to come to her for advice.

Is this a real saying? I've heard of "a friend in need is a friend indeed" but that means that if a friend sticks around while you are in need, then they are a true friend. Either way, Veeblefester isn't a true friend to anyone--at least until his hired scientists figure out a way to anthropomorphize his money.

"I don't care that you are thinking of going to the store. You clearly haven't made up your mind, you haven't asked me to go with you and you're standing there acting like going to the grocery store is some sort of fantasy trip. It's five blocks from our house!"

True story: I learned to ride a bike at age 11. I grew out of my bike around age 15 and haven't ridden one since. I learned in a matter of a week or so because I was being threatened with having training wheels put on and what 11-year-old wants training wheels on their bike?

1208: Archie 666

I love endings. Whether it's a TV show, book, movie or comic book or comic strip, I love endings. I love seeing how the creators plan on wrapping up the storyline. I've seen good endings, bad endings and just...endings. Archie Andrews first debuted in Pep Comics #22 back in 1941 has been published continuously since then. His own title, Archie, began in 1942 and yesterday, came to an end after 666 issues. Archie Comics plans on relaunching the title next month with an all-new Archie #1. What I really loved about #666 were the variant covers featuring the cover dress of past titles from the Golden Age of Archie Comics. The six variant covers commemorated Archie (1942-2015, 666 issues), Blue Ribbon Comics (1939-1942, 22 issues), Top-Notch Comics (1939-1942, 27 issues), Pep Comics (1940-1987, 411 issues), Zip Comics (1940-1944, 47 issues) and Jackpot Comics (1941-1943, 9 issues).

But what about the story? Is the last Archie story a good ending, bad ending, or just an ending?

The story opens with Archie getting in trouble, as usual, from put-upon Riverdale High principal Mr. Weatherbee.

What follows is Weatherbee giving Archie his 666th detention and an order to repaint and repair the hallway on Saturday or face expulsion. The remainder of the story is Archie wondering what he's going to do while the other Riverdale students reminsense about how terrible Archie is but also how kind.

I love the nods to the Life With Archie series that featured Archie literally taking a bullet for Kevin and current zombie-filled series Afterlife With Archie.

What I kind of hoped for, when I realized what this issue would contain, was flashbacks directly from the series, showing Archie screwing up from the '40s to today with footnotes noting which issue the screw up was from. Maybe that's what they did but just didn't notate it because who's going to go back and find an Archie comic from 1954 just to read about Archie putting lead weights in one of Ms. Grundy's textbooks? Only one panel had a footnote and it was for a more recent issue. Is everything wrapped up in a nice, little package? Depends. All-in-all, Archie #666 is your typical Archie comic which is definitely not a bad thing. Archie Comics has lasted 70 years on this simple formula and it's classic, timeless and always receives a chuckle.

I don't know if the relaunch of the Archie titles will last or how it will all work out but as someone who has read Archie comics since learning how to read, I wish them well and hope they continue to be as influential.

When I was a kid, I used to call David Letterman "David Waterman". I don't know why and when my mom would bring it up, I was always confused as to why I did that. She didn't even know why so I guess I just misheard his name. Why I couldn't just read his name on the screen, I don't know but whatever.

I'm not a late night talk show fan so David Letterman retiring doesn't really bother me. As long as he doesn't lobby to get himself back on television, gets placed in a primetime slot and when that show fails finagles his way back into late night by usurping Stephen Colbert's gig. Wait, that would never happen because Letterman, despite his personality, is a class act.

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.