Hold Still Episode 39 – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

Hold Still Episode 39

Kim stands among banana trees outside. She is looking down, where a rack of bananas lies at her feet. â€œAugust 21. Worked. Blue java rack fell prematurely.â€

We look down at a cat, Tonks, who is stretched out on top of an ovular desk. Tonks is sitting on a piece of paper, dangerously close to a cup of coffee, and reaching his front paws forward towards a couple other sheets of paper, playing with them as if they were prey. Also on the desk are a computer and keyboard, mug filled with pens and pencils, and packets of seeds. â€œAugust 22. Sunday. Repotted some plants. Started some seeds. Bath, then some reading for in-person class tomorrow (!).â€

A close-up shot of an open, blank spiral notebook topped with a pair of glasses and a mechanical pencil, all sitting on a school desk. Other desks are visible in the background; someone rests their elbow on theirs. â€œAugust 23. First in-person class (classroom).â€

Kim stands inside a room with a reflective floor, in front of a wall of windows. She is wearing an all-black outfit, including a black covid mask, along with her glasses. She is holding something, maybe an apple, in her hand, and looking right at the reader. Through the window, we see some kind of concrete pillar or pole. â€œAugust 24. Worked. Class. Potato soup.â€

A hand reaches out to feed a treat to Tonks, who is squatting on his back legs and holding his head back all the way to accept it. Tonks is on a table, along with a couple potted plants. â€œAugust 25. Little bit of a bad day. Had a dentist appointment with a new doctor, he is kind of shitty. Rushed to work. Had a crappy day there. Came home to Enzo (heart). Rory called to tell us sheâ€™s getting a sibling (heart).â€

Kim lounges in a comfortable-looking arm chair. She is lying back against the back cushion, holding a tablet in her hands against her legs. She is reading a pdf text. â€œAugust 26. Thursday. Off from work so I caught up on reading for civic engagement class (today). Tried a mango graft, my second attempt.â€

1. Kim stands among banana trees outside. She is looking down, where a rack of bananas lies at her feet. â€œAugust 21. Worked. Blue java rack fell prematurely.â€
2. We look down at a cat, Tonks, who is stretched out on top of an ovular desk. Tonks is sitting on a piece of paper, dangerously close to a cup of coffee, and reaching his front paws forward towards a couple other sheets of paper, playing with them as if they were prey. Also on the desk are a computer and keyboard, mug filled with pens and pencils, and packets of seeds. â€œAugust 22. Sunday. Repotted some plants. Started some seeds. Bath, then some reading for in-person class tomorrow (!).â€
3. A close-up shot of an open, blank spiral notebook topped with a pair of glasses and a mechanical pencil, all sitting on a school desk. Other desks are visible in the background; someone rests their elbow on theirs. â€œAugust 23. First in-person class (classroom).â€
4. Kim stands inside a room with a reflective floor, in front of a wall of windows. She is wearing an all-black outfit, including a black covid mask, along with her glasses. She is holding something, maybe an apple, in her hand, and looking right at the reader. Through the window, we see some kind of concrete pillar or pole. â€œAugust 24. Worked. Class. Potato soup.â€
5. A hand reaches out to feed a treat to Tonks, who is squatting on his back legs and holding his head back all the way to accept it. Tonks is on a table, along with a couple potted plants. â€œAugust 25. Little bit of a bad day. Had a dentist appointment with a new doctor, he is kind of shitty. Rushed to work. Had a crappy day there. Came home to Enzo (heart). Rory called to tell us sheâ€™s getting a sibling (heart).â€
6. Kim lounges in a comfortable-looking arm chair. She is lying back against the back cushion, holding a tablet in her hands against her legs. She is reading a pdf text. â€œAugust 26. Thursday. Off from work so I caught up on reading for civic engagement class (today). Tried a mango graft, my second attempt.â€

Published On: January 29, 2024

Two vultures are perched atop a branch running horizontally across the image, above the bolded text, "A Note From the Creator"

Kim sits at her desk, facing away from the reader, working on a painting by the light of a desk lamp. A board is standing upright in front of her, with a photo taped to it; paints and a cup of water sit on the desk to her right. “December 26.”

Kim’s hand holds a little flower; in front of her is a sheet of paper covered with other little flowers of different types. Next to it is a pair of small shears. “December 21. Collected flowers for Mom’s gift. Cleaned, worked, readied, cooked.”

Kim is crouching over the large pile of mulch, which is giving off steam. “December 14. Land remediation talk after work. Mulch pile is smoking :)”

Kim is sitting on one knee, other knee perpendicular to the ground, as rummages through a shelf of papers in front of her. She is dressed in all black, wearing glasses, and has on a neutral expression. “December 8. Worked. Not sleeping great, Mom picked up Enzo from school so I got to see her and Ali after work.”

Kim sits at her desk working on a landscape design. A wall clock and two potted plants decorate the background by the window. “December 2. Finished compost bumper sticker and worked on final design. Online class.”

Two people are lounging back on a couch, holding remote controllers and looking ahead, presumably at a TV or monitor. One of them has tattoos, gauges, a nose ring, and facial hair; the other has their hair tied back in a ponytail. Someone is in the background, possibly Kim or her mom, heading off-panel. “November 25. Friday. Worked on school assignments until 5 a.m. and David came over. We all went to mom’s (played Jackbox and ate Chinese).”

Kim is lying on her side, spooning her dog and smiling softly. “November 20. Worked. Enzo slept over Mom’s. She drove him to a party after.”

A close-up of a flowering orchid tree branch. “November 14. Sunday. The bees are buzzing all over the orchid tree. Beautiful weather.”

Kim is sweeping outside in front of a fenced enclosure, behind which two wolves prowl. There is a palm tree to their left behind the fence. Kim is wearing long sleeves and jeans. “November 8. Volunteered at the wolf sanctuary. Biochar workshop at class.”

Kim’s dog, Molly, is lifting her chin up while getting head scratches from someone off-panel. Kim notes with an arrow, “Molly was doing a weird lip thing.” “November 7. Sunday. Finished second draft in permaculture class. Ali came by. Time change. It was a rare cool day.”

Kim is squatting low to the floor in front of her mushroom monotubs, looking closely at the one directly in front of her. “October 27. Volunteered at the wolf sanctuary. Enzo went to Sammi’s powder puff game.”

Enzo is getting his hair cut; both he and the barber are wearing masks for Covid. Enzo is wearing a barber cape, jeans, and sneakers; the barber is wearing an apron over a t-shirt and pants. “October 21. Wrote a paper for civic engagement. Cleaned, had class. Enzo got a haircut.”

Kim is turned away from the reader, sitting on the floor with legs stretched out and working in front of an empty mushroom monotub. She is drilling a large hole in the side of the tub. This panel is much more minimal than most in the series, with just a white background. “October 15. Set up mushroom monotubs before work. Mixed oyster and wine cap spawn grain into substrate (separately). Worked until 6 p.m.”

Tony is standing out his house in a large pot meant for a planted tree. He is shoveling soil from a wheel barrow into the pot. There is a pile of dirt behind him, and an already potted tree off to his side. “October 9. Worked. Planted the Venus mango tree.”

Enzo is standing next to a bed and bending down to reach something on the ground. “October 3, Sunday.”

Kim is standing outside, using a fire extinguisher on what looks to be a bush in front of her. She looks calm. “September 26.”

A view of a classroom from Kim’s perspective. A man with a goatee wearing a button down shirt stands behind a podium with a desktop computer, speaking to the glass. There is a projector on a stool in front of him, displaying an image of a rocky formation and body of water on the screen on the back wall. Two men sit in the desks in front of Kim, leaning in and listening. “September 20. Our group had its first presentation today. I had dreaded it, but we did well and now it’s over with.”

Enzo is standing in the kitchen, holding Tonks the cat in his arms like a baby in a front-facing carrier. He is smiling softly. “September 14. Made turkey meatballs before work. Crappy work day. Class after with quiz.”

Kim is reading from a book opened to a page full of pictures of different kinds of mushrooms. She is lounging, wearing comfy pants and sitting with her knees up. “September 8. Ordered mushroom cultivating supplies after doing some research. Worked until 7 p.m.”

Kim tends to a rack of bananas hanging from a rod in her house. “September 7. Felt crappy again. Made a big wall calendar to help manage time. Had class today.”

A zoomed in view of hands holding a plant’s steam with a leaf attached. In the background are more leaves and plants. “August 27.”

Kim stands among banana trees outside. She is looking down, where a rack of bananas lies at her feet. “August 21. Worked. Blue java rack fell prematurely.”

From behind, we see Kim bend over as she steps into her bathtub. She is naked. “August 15. Sunday. Painted. Bath.”

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).”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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"

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.”

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.”

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."

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

A hand firmly holds a bunch of lemongrass. There are trees and a fence in the background.

Kim looks at her reflection in the mirror. She has pulled the her shirt sleeve off of her shoulder to examine it. She looks tense. "May 3. Monday. Pulled out a bunch of dead Areca balm branches. Came inside and about 20 minutes later noticed a big bug on my shoulder. Put it in a big jar with water, watched SAW workshop video and started sketching ideas. Sent picture of bug to Tony. He texted back, 'Yikes, it's a bot fly!' I looked it up and panicked, was I bitten? Made an appointment with dermatologist for tomorrow."

Enzo sits on the floor of his room shirtless, back turned to the reader. In front of him is a wall of floating shelves holding books and trinkets. Next to him is a clothes hamper. He is holding a book open. "April 27. Worked. Had an early work meeting. After work, chopped a bunch of Mexican sunflower to feed some plants in need. Enzo dug through his comic collection."

Enzo waits in a park for Kim to pick him up, on a strip of sidewalk surrounded by grass. He wears a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, all black or simply silhouetted. There are lamp posts and palm trees in the background. "April 20. Worked. Enz left school early, coughing a lot. Went to Mom's while Enz did mock trial. Picked him up from the park."

Kim sits at a desk but is turned to face the viewer. A PC, keyboard and mouse are on the desk, and there is a chair a couple feet away. She is wearing glasses and comfortable clothes. Her legs are crossed. She holds a pencil in one hand, and grabs her shoulder with the other. Her dog sits at her feet; his ear is turned inside out. She points out that he's worried. "April 14. Worked on final project for class all day. Neck hurt. Tony took this picture because Molly and I both looked a mess. Enzo got a bad report card yesterday so we laid out some repercussions."

A cat sits at a window sill, looking boldly at the reader. The fronds of a palm tree are reflected in the window. "April 8. Thursday. Worked. Tony had a union meeting, via Zoom. I had a call w/ team member from class. Enzo had mock trial."

"Rory runs in a field surrounded by palm trees and other foliage. Description: "April 2. Watched Rory. Worked."

Kim sits at a picnic table amongst trees and foliage. Caption: "March 26-27. Worked. Enzo's mock trial team won circuits. A co-worker bought me pho for my bday. I ate it at the park on break."

One thought on “Hold Still Episode 39”

donna
01/31/2024, 12:13 pm
- Reply
Love the style.

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