Hold Still Episode 32 – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

Hold Still Episode 32

1. Kim lies down on the foot of her bed. She is on her stomach, resting on her elbows. Her head is tilted slightly to the side and she leans her cheek on her hands. She is wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, dark pants, and socks. She smiles softly. One of her dogs rests their head on her back. “July 8. Class in Naples. Bought ‘Sacred Economics’ to read on our trip.”
2. Tony stands over the kitchen counter, looking down at a bag of chip and smaller clear bag of snacks. There is a plant propagating in a water-filled glass to his left. “July 9. Worked until 6 p.m. Tony packed snacks for plane ride.”
3. Enzo sits at a small outdoor cafe-style table. His chair is pushed back and he bends down, resting his elbows on his legs and looking at something on his thighs, perhaps his phone. The scene appears to be enclosed by a green-house style structure, a clear tent-like building that reveals bushes and a tree in the background. “July 10. Flew into Lexington, KY to visit Mom. Went to a cafe surrounded by woods (with Sam, David, and Mom). Made coconut curry.”
4. An almost aerial shot of Tony standing on a set of stairs inside a cave. He looks up at the reader/camera-person and smiles. He is wearing a jacket over a shirt and pants. He is surrounded by stone formations. “July 11. Went to a cave in KY with Mom, Sam, David, Tony and Enzo.”
5. From behind, we see two people - likely Kim or Kim’s mom and Enzo - riding a ski lift. They are up in the air, surrounded by foliage. “July 12. Zip-lining, then skybridge with a ski lift. Hiked a trail. Thai for dinner. Saw Odetta the opossum.”
6. Tony sits at a window-side cafe table across from a woman who resembles Kim with longer hair, perhaps her mom. They are both wearing face masks for Covid. Tony also has on a baseball cap. He is wearing a black graphic tee, dark pants, and boots. The woman is wearing a long-sleeve shirt, dark pants, and sandals. The window is floor to ceiling; outside are close-by trees and a building off in the distance. “July 13. Hung around Lexington all day. Went to vintage/record store, public library, Middle Eastern grocery and a walk in the woods. Ate ramen for dinner.”

Published On: January 3, 2024

1. Rory sits in the corner of a large sectional couch, holding her phone close to her face. She is covered in pillows. “August 9. Worked. I had planned on meeting Mom and Rory at the pool after but it was closed. Told my work I’ll need Mondays off (class).”

Close up of Lorraine's hand aggressively crushing her cigarette in her blue ash tray, surrounded by dramatic lighting and jagged lines.

Jasper sits on the foot of Derek's bed, elbow-deep in a bag of popcorn, which he munches on. He stares ahead blankly while chewing.

1. From behind, we see Kim sitting at a desk in a swivel office chair. She is bare foot. She sits in front of a keyboard using a computer mouse. A dog stands behind her, looking to the side. A dark, round table takes up the left foreground, balancing out the panel. “August 2. Worked. Went to UTC Mall after class to get school clothes for Enzo. August 3. Class down in Naples. Finished my journals at 7p.m. Sammi and Carlye took Enzo to registration at school.”

Young Lynn, in full color, looks at herself in an oval-shaped mirror, smoking a cigarette. Her head is tilted slightly to the side and she is smiling with her lips puffed out a bit. She thinks to herself, "I look so cool."

Derek is lying in bed, completely covered by his comforter and the pillow on top of his head. He huffs a “(muffled) SIGH” (drawn in big block letters). From off panel, one of his kids calls, “Dad?”

1. A man, who is only visible by the torso, holds a black and white kitten in his arms like he’s cradling a baby. The kitten’s head is smaller than his hand. He is petting the cat’s head with one finger. “July 27. Class in Naples, more food forest install. Met up with Tony on campus and had a meeting with my advisor. Then we went to the FGCU FF. Tony’s parents got a new kitten.”

1. A close-up view of two mushrooms with umbrella-like caps and long stems. The mushrooms are surrounded by twigs on the ground and a saw palmetto frond above them. “July 20.”

Derek is tucked in bed, lying down on his back with his head on his pillow and blankets pulled up to his neck. He yawns loudly (drawn in block letters). A light is shining on him and chatter comes from off panel.

1. An opossum stands chest to the ground in a spot of light; the rest of the background is dark. Their mouth is open so they look like they are almost smiling. Kim points to the opossum and labels them “Odetta” with a heart. “July 14. Last day in KY. Flew home after a delay involving landing gear. Unpacked, turned the compost pile. It’s good to be home.”

1. Kim lies down on the foot of her bed. She is on her stomach, resting on her elbows. Her head is tilted slightly to the side and she leans her cheek on her hands. She is wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, dark pants, and socks. She smiles softly. One of her dogs rests their head on her back. “July 8. Class in Naples. Bought ‘Sacred Economics’ to read on our trip.”

Two young women sit on the floor in front of a door. The one on the left has long, dark, wavy hair. It is worn down, past the shoulders, except for a bun on top. She is wearing glasses, a short sleeve shirt, and dark pants. The one on the right has long dark straight hair worn in a ponytail with a scrunchy. She is holding up a cat in her arms and kissing their chest. "July 2"

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.”

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