The Shape of Comics to Come Episode 6 – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

The Shape of Comics to Come Episode 6

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. He sniffs, then sings, "Smells like money. Tomorrow is payday!" In the background are elements of urban scenery. Two men walk by Derek near the dumpster. They are by a street sign reading "Dauphin." A bird sits on top of the sign. One man has dark curly hair and wears a long-sleeved shirt. His hands are in his front pants pockets. The other has afro-style hair and a goatee; he wears an apron over a short-sleeved shirt and pants. A pencil sticks out of his hair. This man, hands on hips and standing tall, calls out to the curly-haired man, "Look who's back from art school. You just up and quit?" The curly haired man sighs, slouching over and not turning to face him, and responds, "Ya." His sigh is drawn in large block letters. While throwing the trash bag into the dumpster, "CHUK," Derek looks over at them and calls out, "Whoa, Lloyd!" A rat scurries down the dumpster wall: "Squee." A car in the background honks. Derek says, "You sound glum, chum. Don't fret. I got you." He ahems, and tries to light a blunt (or cigar or fat joint). The lighter is struggling: "click! click-click." The man with the afro laughs in the background, hands on hips: "LOL." Lloyd looks a bit more relaxed and says, "Oh, OK."

All three of them are sitting now: Lloyd on the ground, Derek and the other man on stumps or boxes. Derek crosses one leg over the other and leans back; he looks to his side, holding the joint by his face dramatically. He is frowning, mouth open. The man with the afro scratches, or rests his hand on, his head and says, "Y'all wanna see this manga I'm drawing?" Lloyd, from the ground, looks up towards the other two and says, "Damn, I overdosed on dumb asses at art school. We barely did any drawing at all!" A car brakes from off-panel: "SCREEEECH." Lloyd looks at his sketchbook, which he holds up to his face with one hand, and grabs the joint that Derek passes to him with the other. He continues, "I mean, it was hard to work at Target the same time I was in school, but TBH my conscience got to me." Traffic continues off panel: "HONK! VROOOM!" It's now clear that Lloyd sits on a parking block by the sidewalk. He holds his joint low to the ground and flicks its ash. He goes on, "It didn't really affect most of the other people there. Their dads were like surgeons or lawyers. But my mama took out a loan so I could go. She's an LPN."

The background has disappeared, and now we just see Lloyd. He breathes out a puff of smoke. He gestures with his hands, the joint still in one of them, as he explains, "She had to work extra to pay the loan. Pulling on those heavy folks in beds. Basically, I was doing physical harm to my mama by staying in art school." Lloyd wears a backpack now and continues, "I tried talking to the teachers, but they were like some weird aliens." A man with a mustache and his hair pulled back in a bun wears a long-sleeved shirt with horizontal stripes over a collared shirt with vertical stripes. He also wears a chunky beaded necklace. He crosses his arms and cocks one eyebrow while his eyes are closed, arrogantly. He stands by a lecture hall podium. He says, "My work is published in adbusters. Hmph. That's right. You heard me. I said adbusters."

In another flashback to art school, Lloyd sits by a pile of papers, a pencil, and a "Juxtapoz" magazine, topped with a large bottle of glue. In the background, another Lloyd looks back at the pile and a lightbulb goes off. The main Lloyd slams a bottle of glue down. It is labeled with a sticker that reads "Milk." From within the flashback, Lloyd continues talking to the others, "Like, I couldn't tell if art school was a scam, or I was just being negative. Guilty about the money my mama was spending. So, the night before finals I had an idea. A test. I printed a sticker that said "Milk," put it on a bottle of glue, & wrote the dumbest essay to go with it. Dumb as hell. I used words like agitprops, consumerism, and mental environmentalism LOL." Back in the present, joint in hand, Lloyd says, "When I presented it to the class they gave me a standing ovation. My teacher gave me an A-plus. I withdrew from art school the next day." Derek rests his hand on his head, looking vexed by the story, and replies, "Dam." The other man is sketching with his pencil, crouched close to his sketchbook, and says, "Y'all ever heard of Suehiro Maruo?"

Published On: December 6, 2023

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!”

Outside on a winding sidewalk path, a man with floppy hair and a dark parted pencil mustache approaches Derek. The man wears a shirt with a large collar and three large buttons, and pinstriped pants. He snaps he fingers with one hand and holds his other up with a limp wrist. He shouts out, "There he is! [in big block letters:] World's Greatest Dad!" Derek looks over at the man, smiles, and replies, "Haha, Sunny!" He looks relaxed, shoulders back and hands in his jean pockets. He wears a tight-fitting t-shirt with a large number one in the center.

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