3. Step, ball change (Part V) – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

3. Step, ball change (Part V)

Adam as a boy throws several rounds of punches in quick succession. They are drawn as disembodied fists circling out of spiral motion lines. He bares his teeth and scowls, shouting, "Punching machine!" We see that this image is a thought bubble from young Lynn, who lies on her side in bed, clutching a teddy bear named Smokey to her chest and looking wide-eyed in alarm. Lynn narrates, "Mom only sought the help of another adoptive mother with a troubled son. Her advice was to "Call your pediatrician." Mom didn't want Adam labeled, so she never made the call. Anything that threatened the fantasy of normal, no-different-than-blood kids was swept under the rug. We limped along. Such was the level of Mom's narcissism. Adam should've been diagnosed and treated. I wonder if Mom ever regretted her decision. This was the start of my insomnia and hyper-vigilance. Things only got worse as we got older."

Back on stage, Lynn in her pink dress, white tights, and black bow-tied tap shoes, poses for the crowd: she kneels on one knee, the other bent about perpendicular to the ground, and reaches her hands to the ceiling. She gives a small smile. In the background, music plays, "Oh, can't you see how happy life would be?" Lynn narrates, "I could drive myself nuts chewing on the whole nature/nurture/karma question on any given point of my personality. Why do I care? It stems from my bio-history being unknown for so long. For instance, I didn't have "the Olson nose" with its cute bulbous tip. Every time I heard a someone say 'she gets that from me' or 'it runs in the family' I'd get a splodgey lost feeling in my stomach. I might not care so much if it were only facial features or my past drug use bewildering me. Turns out I'm capable of disappearing on those I love most."

"Have I been step, ball changing my way through relationships until I hit a point where I give up? It's a terrible feeling when audience attention wanes." Lynn's parents cheer her on from the audience, clapping and beaming wide smiles. Lorraine wears a periwinkle sleeveless dress, chunky pearl necklace and bracelet, reddish-orange earrings, and another bracelet/wrist watch. Lynn's dad wears a brown suit jacket over a white button down and tie with brown and yellow diagonal stripes. In the car - a classic four-door sedan, someone says, "Let's get ice cream at Bridgeman's!" Lynn narrates, "Not to diminish the primal wound* unknowingly inflicted upon me at Booth, but it's probably true that nobody gets a perfect childhood. Even if mine had been hornet free, it's likely that Mom would've still numbed her pain with nightly cocktails. The source of her misery seeped out as the martinis flowedâ€”that she never had her own babies. Being an only child would have been a much smoother ride though, that's for sure." "*The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier (1993) explains the physical and psychological trauma involved (for both parties) when infants are permanently removed from their mothers. Well researched and highly recommended."

Published On: December 7, 2023

1. A close-up view of Kim holding a soursop in her hand. It is a fruit the size of a mango that looks similar to a pineapple, as if it’s covered in armor. Other fruits sit on the table. “June 26. Worked. It was busy. Tasted my first lil’ soursop.”

A cat stands on its hind legs and stretches with its front paws sticking into a large amp. Standing next to the amp and cat is a Japanese reissue of the Fender Mustang electric guitar. The image is in black and white.

Derek sits with his kid on the couch. His kid is putting their headphones on, not looking at him. Derek cocks his chin up and closes his eyes, gesturing snobbishly as he talks at his kid. He says, "I guess if you can afford to work for free you will get published. Hmph!"

Kim sits up straight at a desk, painting with an easel. She is wearing a sweater with the sleeves rolled up, and she has glasses on. The painting looks like the interior of a room. On the desk are tubes of paint, a glass of water with brushes, and a desk lamp. The wall in front of her has a painting or decoration of a tree, and to the right of Kim is a window. "June 20"

In black and white, adult Lynn stands in someone's doorway smiling wildly and holding an empty fishbowl in her hands. She is dressed for winter. She is speaking to someone in front of her.

A facebook post shows a picture of three people - Aman and two other men - standing at the Frew booth at a comics convention. They are all smiling with their arms crossed. Aman stands to the left and wears a blue sweater. The man in the middle is dressed up in full Phantom cosplay: purple cap, black eye mask, purple body suit, black striped underwear, and a belt with a skull in the center. The man on the right has curly red/brown hair and wears a blue and orange short-sleeve button-down. Above the picture is text that is slightly cut off: "Phans from across the country make an annual pilgrimage to the Frew comic publisher booth." Below the picture are the Facebook buttons, "Like Comment Share."

Four line drawings of the Phantom in different styles, over a brown watercolor wash. Each is labeled by the artist who drew him this way and the dates they were active: Wilson McCoy, 1943-1961; Bill Lignante, 1961-1969; Joan Boix, 1994-present; and Paul Ryan, 2001-2016.

Adult Lynn, in black and white, looks up above her, with a somber expression. Her hair and scarf blow in the wind. Snow is falling.

1. One of Kim’s dogs, with black fur, stretches in the backyard next to a garden plot. Inside the plot is what looks almost like a mini palm tree next to a larger tree with a short trunk and branches and leaves extending out to all sides. Next to the plot is a corner bench and in the background is a banana tree. “June 14. Worked. The tree we cut back has started growing back.”

1. A woman with long, dark hair worn down sits at a table. Her arms are rested on the table and she is using her phone. Next to her are a compact mirror and a pair of glasses. There is a mushroom poster on the wall behind her. “June 8. Class. Finished painting. Justin came by, then Ali for a hair trim.”

In a thought bubble, young Lynn makes a pancake using a Kenner Easy Bake Oven. She smiles sinisterly while pushing the tray in. Next to the batter bowl is an open box of Lucy's Rat Poison. In another thought bubble, Lynn serves the cooked pancake to Adam.

Adam as a boy throws several rounds of punches in quick succession. They are drawn as disembodied fists circling out of spiral motion lines. He bares his teeth and scowls, shouting, "Punching machine!"

In big block letters, the title: "Milk." Derek skips exuberantly while holding a leaking trash bag over his shoulder, on his way to the dumpster. Both of his feet are off the ground. Flies circle around the trash bag. He wears an apron over a t-shirt, pants, and loafers. His head is back, facing up towards the sky, and he smiles widely.

Enzo stands in the kitchen, working over a bowl in the sink. He is shirtless but wears an apron and joggers. There is a carton of eggs on the counter.

1. Someone with dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail climbs a tree. They are up in the branches, surrounded by rounded leaves. “May 27. Thursday. Forest class - we learned some irrigation, some pruning. Felt a little weird later, sickish.”

Lynn's brother Adam, as a boy, wears a red vest and black bowtie over a white button-down and black pants. He has on his signature thick, square glasses. He is attempting to tap dance. He looks off balance and awkward. He grimaces.

Sunny, Derek's acquaintance smiles while ringing a doorbell, "DING-DONG." The onomatopoeia is drawn in big block letters. Sunny wears a sweater over a turtleneck. His hair flows effortlessly.

Kim pets her dog on the back. The dog smiles widely at the viewer. "May 21. Did bills, homework in the morning. Worked, then picked mom up at the airport."

Lynn's mom Lorraine uses a handheld vintage film camera: "WRRRRRR."

In block letters, the title sits at the top of the page: "Priority." Derek sits on a stump outside. His knees are tucked close to his chest. He hunches over slightly. He holds his phone to his ear and hides part of his face with his other hand. He looks nervous as he talks to someone on a phone call.

From above, we see spread of fruits and vegetables - pomegranates, pea pods, a mango, a pepper, etc.

Adult Vanessa sits across from her therapist, a woman with a brown bob and bangs, glasses, and a blue suit. The therapist asks, "Is that a FEELING or a THOUGHT?" Vanessa crosses her arms and scowls. "Both!" she replies.

Young Vanessa, with short hair and glasses and a pink one piece swim suit, floats in a tube along a marshy spring. She is drifting into the marsh despite trying to steer with her hands flapping in the water. In a panic, she shouts out to her peers who have floated much farther past her, “Guys!! Wait!”

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