Chapters: HijiNKS ENSUE Classic

Give Me Something To Bitch About

Sorry for the late comic. I was preparing for, then participating in an actual job interview for an actual job. The Experiment isn’t over, just evolving. More on that as things develop.

Re: The background of this comic – I asked Twitter what my background color scheme should be and Josh suggested (rather CHALLENGED) “dopefish3d @hijinksensue no no no, houndstooth, alternating between mauve and periwinkle.” Far be it form me to back down once the gauntlet has been thrown, so there you go. I don’t really like it, but I still win.

I’ve really been relying on the “I would totally buy form iTunes if not for all the DRM sadness” crutch for years. Now I have nothing to justify my thevery.

The iTunes Music Store is a brilliant piece of technology. I know people who aren’t normally susceptible to traditional ads and upsales that MARVEL at how ITMS gets them to fall for “you just bought this song… your playlist would be twice as awesome if you added these other 3 songs… i bet some hot chick would totally do you if you played those 4 songs for her and burned some incense and got all suave talkin’ with lotions and oils and shit… click here to buy some incense…” But is it really “getting you to fall for it” if it is actually helpful and you enjoy the shopping experience? Their marketing genius can’t be denied, but you are welcome to debate the true nature of their intent. Is Apple the next RIAA or are they the harbingers of fair and just digital distribution?

I don’t have these questions about Bit Torrent. It’s like paying cash for RAM in China Town. It’s cheaper than retail, comes in a paper sandwich bag that said “RAMS” in Sharpie marker, and I know before I buy that if anything goes wrong the people that provided the goods would sooner drug me and steal my organs than help me out.

For more DRM comics, click up on THIS!

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Who’s On Eleventh?

I feel so much pressure from the geek community to partake in the misadventures of The Good Doctor, but as of yet I haven’t partook… partaked… partaken. I think I’m saving it for one of those rainy days when I crave British accents and time travel (usually a Wednesday).

Seeing as how I don’t have a proper frame of reference, I can’t comment on Matt Smith being cast as the eleventh Doctor Who. If you are blessed with an opinion on this matter, feel free to share it in the comments.

Re: “Who’s On First” – I know it’s a lame joke and I’m sure someone else has already used to to poke fun at Doctor Who, but it made me smile. Having never seen an episoded of Doctor Who, I can’t very well make a subtle reference to some obscure faneurysm like I would normally do.

If you know the classic “Who’s On First” routine, might I suggest “Who’s On Stage“?

Also, if you enjoyed THE TASTEY ADVENTURES OF BACON MAN or currently enjoy pining for your favorite cancelled show, you’ll be happy to know that HE-Friend-Comic “Save Hiatus” is back.

Ka-Kaw!

Too soon?

James O’Barr lives here in Dallas. I used to work with a guy who’s best friend was his handler… err… assistant. Regardless, the story depicted in the pixels above is actually mine, not Josh’s (but someone had to die and it wasn’t going to be me). “The Crow” really was a pivotal milestone in my young geek development. It was this confluence of comic books, violence, darkness, depression, grunge music, counter culture and anti hero that simultaneously fired off every synapse in my 13 year old boy-brain. I know it’s not a cinematic master piece. “Right place, right time, right emotionally withdrawn kid” is all I’m saying.

Add to the various levels of awkward, outcast kid appeal the fact that the star, Brandon Lee, died during filming when a stage gun was accidentally loaded with live ammo and you have added a layer of all-too-real tragedy, martyrdom and general spookitude. Not to be disrespectful to Brandon Lee (his performance was fantastic), but he died tragically playing a guy that died tragically. Teen angst feeds off that kind of stuff.

I discovered, and latched on to the movie LONG before I ever even saw the actual comic. I knew it was out there but at the time we were all too young to buy it (spoiler: it contains bewbs). When I finally read it in my latter teens, I was certainly impressed with the beutiful artwork and (can I use this word again?) TRAGIC love story, but the shift in style from Kurt Cobain to David Bowie caught me off guard. Now that I’m older, I wish they had actually let Bowie star in it. It would have been “Labrynth 2: Jareth’s Rock and Roll Revenge.”

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…Like It’s 10 Years After 1999

I am actually late for Eli’s New Year’s party, so I will have to update this post in the new year. After my fridge exploded today (true story) I was just glad to get the comic posted before 2009.

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Post your New Years plans or best/worst New Years stories in the comments. Be safe, be happy, have fun and kiss someone REALLY HARD!

(Anyone that makes real Josh Juice, drinks it AND can prove it gets a prize.)

I’m A Snowflake On The Wind

Bill Watterson and “Calvin and Hobbes” are two of the primary reasons I started making comics. Those of you who donate or subscribe to The Vault, have seen my earlier attempts to emulate his work (“it’s like Calvin and Hobbes but with a robot instead of a tiger!”).

I don’t know of a cartoonist that doesn’t list Watterson in his top three influences, so I won’t bore you with my treatise on how his work sparked my young imagination and ignited a lifelong love of comic strips and cartooning. I bet he wouldn’t be too thrilled with me aping his style to make a Joss Whedon/Serenity reference, nor would I be shocked if he didn’t get said reference.

I always looked forward to his snowman strips because they straddled a line between childlike innocence and subversion. I guess that same can be said for the whole of “Calvin and Hobbes,” but those particular strips (along with Spaceman Spiff) resonated loudly with me. My favorite was the snowmen looking on in horror after another snowman had been hit by Dad’s car.

Calvin’s Dad was a patent attorney. “The More You Knoooow!”