As you determine where to spend your hard earned monies this holiday season, might I suggest these fine establishments?
- The HijiNKS ENSUE Store: Books, Prints, Posters, T-Shirts and more by yours truly!
- Sharksplode: Geeky T-Shirts by me and Wil Wheaton, made to order!
- Science & Fiction: My wife’s Etsy shop full of fantastically geeky jewelry!
- Emily Watson Photography: Give a loved one a beautifully restored photo to remind them of how live used to not be so burned, torn and sepia toned.
If you want to support HijiNKS ENSUE for the holidays, but hate capitalism then perhaps you would enjoy GIVING A DONATION or purchasing sometime on my Amazon Wishlist? All of those ideas sound terrible? Then how about a digital highfive via Twitter or email?
STILL WAITING ON A FANCY DIGITAL SKETCH?: I am still plowing through them. You will have yours in the calendar year of 2013. This I vow! If yours was a time sensitive gift for someone, please email me right away and I will move you to the front of the line.
I’m still recovering/playing catch up from Webcomic Rampage, which was this weekend in Austin, TX [Hence the temporary sketchyness of the comic above. Though it seems a non-zero number of your enjoy the pencils better than the inks/colors. Bunch’a weirdos.]
UPDATE: Inks and colors are done, but you can still see the sketchy version on my Tumblr.
This comic is somewhat inspired by a story I wrote on my Tumblr earlier this year about a father and son I saw at San Diego Comicon. I feel like any self proclaimed geek would do well to adopt “We’re having so much fun, and EVERYONE is invited,” as a personal motto. Better to be a geek ambassador than a geek gatekeeper.
We came home Monday night to the aftermath of DALLAS ICEFUCK 2013. Kiddo thought it was snow that had completely entombed our home, cars, yard, cats, etc. and wanted to go play in it. My initial reaction was, “No, it’s just ice and there’s no way to play on ice without hurting yourself,” to which my wife offered the counterpoint, “Eh, fuck it. Let her go have fun.” She did a bit of running and sliding on her knees, and a bit of falling over on her head just to pop up a quick “thumbs up” to let us know the injuries weren’t fatal. She threw chunk of ice at our fence and watched them explode into powdery crystal puffs with a very satisfying “PFATT!” sound. She stomped holes in the ice that covered the ground to reveal the grass underneath and pried large ice chunks off her swing set then piled them high wherever she saw fit. She frolicked (this is the most literal and perfect demonstration of what it means to FROLIC that I have ever witnessed) for a good hour before bed. She was grinning and laughing and completely enthralled in the simple act of running around and falling down in the ice and I almost deprived her of that joy because it seemed messy or slightly dangerous. I want to learn how to adopt, “Eh, fuck it. Let her have fun,” as more of a mantra in the coming year.
COMMENTERS: As a child or a parent has the idea of “Eh, fuck it. Let ’em have fun,” every led to any long lasting memories… or injuries?
Comments (32)
That is so awesome, in so many ways. This is why your new direction is the perfect way to go. You prove that no one needs to rely on pop culture references as a crutch for their comics. Just let the story unfold, and everything flows perfectly.
ThePhysicist · 79 weeks ago
When my now-14yr-old twin boys were 4, they each took a side of a chocolate cake pan and snuck it to their bedroom. I found them nestled on the bottom bunk, elbow-deep in chocolatey goodness and wide-eyed at having been caught. Couldn’t get more than a few words into my best “no-no” speech before breaking. I wiped the laugh-tears from my eyes, climbed in beside them, and grabbed a fistful of cake.p.s. Shout out from Carrollton. Proud to that you’re local! -Chas
Hah! I used to live in Carrollton right behind that big green belt next to target.
Richter12x2 · 79 weeks ago
I used to live in the other apartment complex, just a little further down on the opposite side of the road – not the one with the fountain, but the one where the police used to like to sit and catch speeders.I was actually in an old neighborhood, not an apartment. We were the youngest people on the street by like 25 years.I completely agree with the alt text. That, to me, is the only Batman.
FSilvermane · 79 weeks ago
I was like 9 and we went to GA to see my Grandparents. It was the year they had like 5 inches in Savannah, GA. I had never been in snow so when it snowed overnight I wanted to go out and explore. Grandma was dead set against it since their house was a 100 year old structure and all the furniture in it except the TV room and soem appliances int he kitchen was antique. Grandpa [the Sicilian]looked at her smiled and said “Feh,… let him have fun,.. whats the worse that can happen”. I immediately ran outside to explore,..Grandpa put on a coat and sat on the porch to watch me. All was well for about an hr till I waled into the field next to the house, forgot the ditch was like 8 feet deep and stepped off into thin air [the grass was cut at same level as the field and snow had covered it all]. I was unhurt but found a whole new fun place under the arch of snow covered grass.You keep making these beautiful half-finished comics and I’m going to start demanding a geeky Take On Me music video.You are on a roll here with your comic, Joel. Can I live with you guys so I can be surrounded by the awesome 24/7? I’ll just basically be like the Ben Grimm of the family, except I have better skin (but my dick is also orange and bumpy).I was cleaning out the guest room until that last sentence.
seriously · 79 weeks ago
@ furyoffirestorm78Either stop eating Cheetos, or wash your hands better before masturbating.
Wesley · 79 weeks ago
We used to jump off a rooftop into a (concrete) sand box for fun, inspired by a “no smoking”-campaign that was intended to warn against the effects of smoking rather than promote jumping off rooftops. One time I was feeling insecure about my jump – we were doing some silly pitching game and our material had run out and I had to go and get it below – and after a slight hesitation decided to take the jump anyway.I slipped and instead of jumping into the sandbox, fell onto the concrete border on the first week of the summer holidays. I spent the rest of that summer recuperating from several sprains that left me unable to walk decently for a while.
Unrelated to the comment-theme established – Kid needs to be protected from the Bloodwolves, man! The BLOODWOLVES! MAAAAN!Without any prior swimming lessons, at the age of 6 and upwards, my parents would let me play in a lake (A full fledged LAKE) without supervision.Weirdly enough to this day I don’t know how to swim. But I can dog paddle wearing rubber boots.
bubujin_2 · 79 weeks ago
Being a guy who has raised two boys with a high level of play in anything they do, everything has pretty much been “oh f–k it, let ’em have fun.” Fortunately nothing’s been so wild that it ever resulted in a season-ending injury.
grneyedgoddess · 79 weeks ago
One year – when my kids were 6 and 7 – it snowed just after they had fallen asleep. We were packing for a move and I was sad because we were leaving a great yard and the snow would be gone by the time they got up. My husband found an old package of sparklers and we both looked at each other, then at the kids door. We jumped up, woke the kids, wrapped them in robes and boots, and took them outside to play with sparklers in the snow. It was one of our best decisions ever. They still remember it (at 17 and 18) and we have some wonderful photos that we will always treasure.I love literally everything about this strip Joel.YOU’RE GIVING ME FEEL-THINGS
I’ve had it where I’ve put off studying to goof around with friends. It’s helped a lot sometimes.
Paul · 79 weeks ago
Two words that anyone who grew up during the 80s/90s in NYC suburbs of NY/NJ/PA/CT know that relate to this: Traction ParkHah! I watched the trailer for that doc recently. Seems terrifying.Sliding on thin patches of ice on the sidewalk with well worn shoes and running fast.There were four of us kids so our parents just said the heck with it, if we didn’t get the picture that you will hurt yourself after seeing your siblings fall down on their butts multiple times and whine in pain then it’s your own darn fault. I still have the scar on my head from tripping and sliding into a cinderblock wall…
Debs · 79 weeks ago
My dad was the king of “ah F it, let them have fun.” He was the inventor of tackle red light, green light, the game that never ended without tears. He let us ride on the bumper of the truck on our dirt road until I fell off the bumper and tore up my elbow. The greatest thing he ever configured for fun was a fiberglass half pipe for skate boarding reinvented as a water slide. It was the greatest thing ever, but I think I still have fiberglass slivers in my thighs thirty years later.
Fren · 79 weeks ago
I can only agree. Nerd/geek culture is the best culture because it’s INCLUSIVE. We’d never make fun of you for not knowing something! We’d just explain it to you … at length … verbosely … with footnotes.…and side digressions. And we’re not afraid of ellipses, either!
Leigh · 79 weeks ago
I took my daughter to her first sdcc at about 3. we had to stop at all the booths with transformers. she’s 13 now, and spent most of the day in the anime film festival last con. we live in SD, so its our home con. I usually only get day passes and hit the exhibit floor, and hug all my friends. there are plenty of times when we’ve mixed up a batch of cookie dough, & eaten half or more raw. the time I let the two teenaged girls hike/float alone 2 miles down the big sur river is the one that left me worried. then they called from the campsite down river and asked for a ride back.
Kat · 79 weeks ago
We didn’t have any hills to speak of where I grew up so my dad passed down a tradition from his. He hooked up a couple of sleds to the back of his pickup and pulled us up and down the street. My mom was horrified but let us go. After a couple of runs the other neighbor kids were at the end of their driveways holding sleds wearing their best puppy eyes. By the end there was a train of eight or nine sleds behind his truck.
noteventhesameguy · 79 weeks ago
As I sit here in Denton watching MST3K with my eldest daughter before she goes back to her Pokemon Yellow game (we’ve already watched all the Netflix episodes of Doctor Who), I kinda love ya for posting these last few comics.
LMcCJ · 78 weeks ago
We always start with, “yes” then add conditions afterward. Walking into nursery school one day, there was a massive mud puddle. My daughter had a twinkle in her eyes and I said, “After school, not before.” I picked her up later and, with sufficient clearance from other , let her stomp away. She was filthy, my car seat got a little dirty but she was happy and the envy from the other students… It’s astounding how many parents won’t let their children jump in puddles.When my now 15 yo daughter was 3, we went camping with her best friend’s (also3) family. I had brought a large amount of finger paint for the girls to paint rocks. One the last day, we put the girls in my tent to play, while I helped her friend’s mother pack up her tent. All of a sudden, we realized the girls were being too quiet. (You know that feeling, I’m sure) We looked over and the girls had gotten out of the tent and into my bin with the paints. They had by this point open every paint container and emptied them by painting each other head to toe. My first reaction was to be upset, but the other mother’s first reaction was to laugh and grab her camera. Because of her reaction, I was able to see the humor in it and in future situations. I also have the most awesome picture of the two girls that I can torment them with forever!
When my now-14yr-old twin boys were 4, they each took a side of a chocolate cake pan and snuck it to their bedroom. I found them nestled on the bottom bunk, elbow-deep in chocolatey goodness and wide-eyed at having been caught. Couldn’t get more than a few words into my best “no-no” speech before breaking. I wiped the laugh-tears from my eyes, climbed in beside them, and grabbed a fistful of cake.
p.s. Shout out from Carrollton. Proud to that you’re local! -Chas
When my now 15 yo daughter was 3, we went camping with her best friend's (also3) family. I had brought a large amount of finger paint for the girls to paint rocks. One the last day, we put the girls in my tent to play, while I helped her friend's mother pack up her tent. All of a sudden, we realized the girls were being too quiet. (You know that feeling, I'm sure) We looked over and the girls had gotten out of the tent and into my bin with the paints. They had by this point open every paint container and emptied them by painting each other head to toe. My first reaction was to be upset, but the other mother's first reaction was to laugh and grab her camera. Because of her reaction, I was able to see the humor in it and in future situations. I also have the most awesome picture of the two girls that I can torment them with forever!