Dress For The Job You Want

I drew this comic on an airplane to New York, after having slept 3 hours the night before. I colored it in an apartment/hotel in Manhattan. After finishing it around 4:30am, I realized that due to extreme sleep deprivation (going on 48 hours awake right about now) that I had forgotten to actually write… anything.

I started with a basic idea, then got zombified tunnel vision and just started drawing. I focused on the art and nothing else. At no point did I say, “Will this make sense when I’m done?” The answer was, “No. No it will not make sense. You are very VERY tired and should go to sleep immediately.” Luckily I was able to ALMOST get it back to my original idea by redrawing a small bit and by using the text in the last panel. Almost.

I’ve been working from home for the last 5-6 years. A while back I started to make a distinction between “getting dressed” and “putting on some clothes.” More often than not, I opt for the latter. If I know I’m not going to be leaving the house or encountering anyone besides my wife and daughter, I just can’t justify “full dress.” I mean, you wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to mow your lawn, right? You wouldn’t wear a gorilla suit to a wake, would you? A wake for a respected harbor porpoise? Obviously not. Also obviously my point is as irrefutable as my sleep deprived state of mind is questionable.

COMMENTERS: Given its short and shaky history, please replace the dialog in the last panel with your own, and let’s see who can come up with a better, weirder or more non sequitur ending.

I have a new store NEW STORE new store NEW STORE!!!

The new HE store is live at explosm! There are new signed prints and posters (previously only available at conventions), and for the first time I’m offering signed books! More info HERE.

hijinks ensue nycc 2013 blog image

I will be at New York Comic Con  this weekend (10/10 – 10/13) with Cyanide and Happiness at booth 2247! More info HERE.

UPDATE ON THE FANCY DIGITAL SKETCH DRIVE: If you are still waiting on your Fancy Digital Sketch, I am SUPER BACKLOGGED on these. I am very sorry it’s taking so long. Doing 50+ original pieces of finished art always sounds easy, until you agree to do it and take money for it. I am working through them, but if you need yours urgently, feel free to let me know via email.

Have you seen my wife’s Etsy store, “Science and Fiction?” Check out her Starfleet pips choker! 

Star Trek Starfleet Pips choker Necklace Etsy

 

Comments (48)

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nenslo's avatar

nenslo · 88 weeks ago

“Hmm… not enough taco stains.”
zaphod717's avatar

zaphod717 · 88 weeks ago

“Do these stains make me look fat?”
Pete_Bone's avatar - Go to profile

Pete_Bone· 88 weeks ago

If I had to vote, this is the mostest, bestest.
hijinksensue's avatar - Go to profile

hijinksensue· 88 weeks ago

I puts the dirty shirt in the hamper. It puts the dirty shirt in the hamper or it gets the hose again.
Dethran's avatar

Dethran · 88 weeks ago

“Damn, it feels good to be gangsta…”
Paul's avatar

Paul · 88 weeks ago

“Still overdressed for the meth RV.”
TheaterGirl's avatar

TheaterGirl · 88 weeks ago

Hi Joel!
Slightly off topic:
I understand (from your internet updates) that you are a very busy man traveling and making art and generally living your life, but it has been two days (!) since the third episode of S.H.I.E.L.D. and (as a diehard follower) I need to know what your thoughts are at this point in the series. Please respond as soon as you are conscious enough to do so. (Or before, whatever works for you.)

And keep doing all that artist stuff too! As someone who works in the “not a real job” industry of theater (or so my parents continually remind me), I appreciate and admire your success!

2 replies · active 88 weeks ago

hijinksensue's avatar - Go to profile

hijinksensue· 88 weeks ago

I have a bunch of opinions and I’ve put most of them in the post for the SHIELD Lofi comic I did recently. We’re also talking about it a lot on the Facebook group. People seem to generally enjoy it but right now I don’t care if I ever see another episode. It’s not for me. At least not yet.
TheaterGirl's avatar

TheaterGirl · 88 weeks ago

Yeah, that’s about where I am with it as well.

I just recently discovered and watched both seasons of Dollhouse, and I loved Firefly and Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. So being a pretty firm Whedonite, I wanted that, and whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. is, it is not that.

I agreed with everything you said about Grant’s character. It doesn’t help that his and Skye’s bonding arc felt forced and unnatural as well (to me).

I watch most of the shows I watch because of compelling characters, and the focus of S.H.I.E.L.D. so far is not on the characters I care most about.

Thanks! Here’s hoping S.H.I.E.L.D. gets better, but I’m not too optimistic.

Bruceski's avatar

Bruceski · 88 weeks ago

“Hmm, I’d better save this shirt for Date Night.”
Drew Kime's avatar - Go to profile

Drew Kime· 88 weeks ago

“What kind of hipster bullshit company sells pre-stained wife beaters?”

2 replies · active 87 weeks ago

hijinksensue's avatar - Go to profile

hijinksensue· 88 weeks ago

Funny until it’s actually a thing.
Drew Kime's avatar - Go to profile

Drew Kime· 87 weeks ago

I claim copyright on the idea!
Kath's avatar

Kath · 88 weeks ago

“Disheveled is the new orange.”
Vinny's avatar - Go to profile

Vinny· 88 weeks ago

To steal from American Splendor: “There’s a reliable disappointment.”
FastEddie's avatar

FastEddie · 88 weeks ago

Singing Styx in the shower is imperative!

2 replies · active 88 weeks ago

Bruceski's avatar

Bruceski · 88 weeks ago

Or Queen. Shower acoustics is the only time it’s possible to reach Freddy Mercury notes without sounding COMPLETELY horrid.
FastEddie's avatar

FastEddie · 88 weeks ago

Come Sail Away is outstanding. The only Queen song I have a chance of singing is “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Anything else takes a really unwanted self-inflicted punch to the groin.
Jerron Spencer's avatar

Jerron Spencer · 88 weeks ago

[With BREAKING BAD off the air, there really was no reason for Joel to pretend at life any longer. It was finally time to accept that boxers and a wife beater are ALL the clothing a man would ever need…]
gabepuratekuta's avatar - Go to profile

gabepuratekuta· 88 weeks ago

“I wonder if I can fit my entire thumb in my belly button”
“Can farts really make flowers wither?”
“Would anyone notice if I replace every other word from now on with ‘Bitch’?”
“Well, time to start my rap career”
S.Vescott's avatar

S.Vescott · 88 weeks ago

“Wait…am I waking up…or going to bed…?”

2 replies · active 86 weeks ago

hijinksensue's avatar - Go to profile

hijinksensue· 88 weeks ago

You aren’t supposed to have this much insight into my private thoughts. Are you a wizard?
S.Vescott's avatar

S.Vescott · 86 weeks ago

I found the file. I access the Shell.
Adam D.'s avatar

Adam D. · 88 weeks ago

“When my drunken, abusive alcoholic dad told me wife beaters were sexy… I never believed him. Until now.”
FSilvermane's avatar

FSilvermane · 88 weeks ago

Hey if Einstein could do the whole “same type of clothes each day as to not have to waste time thinking thing” why can’t I
James's avatar

James · 88 weeks ago

“The difference between you and me is, I make this look good”
skoby's avatar

skoby · 88 weeks ago

“I can afford nice clothes and laundry or taco night and this… I made the right choice”
w00hoo's avatar

w00hoo · 88 weeks ago

“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talking… you talking to me? Well I’m the only one here.”
FuryOfFirestorm's avatar - Go to profile

FuryOfFirestorm· 88 weeks ago

“If people in the Star Trek Mirror Universe have facial hair, and I already have facial hair, does Mirror Universe me have an Ultra-Beard, like the cast of Duck Dynasty?”
's avatar - Go to profile

Bill Murphy · 88 weeks ago

The final line is perfect. I wouldn’t change it. I completely relate. 🙂
DuckAmuck's avatar

DuckAmuck · 88 weeks ago

I do have “going to work” clothes. Which are an awful lot like my “going to a wedding” or “going to a funeral” clothes. My “what I want to wear” clothes – the only difference between staying home and going out is “do I need a bra?”

So my own caption for the last panel:
“Do I need a bra today?”

Erin's avatar

Erin · 88 weeks ago

“I wish this $(^*ing alien parasite would pop out already so I can fit in my jeans again”
Sam Dealey's avatar - Go to profile

Sam Dealey· 88 weeks ago

“I’m just one wife-beater away from that red-neck of the year award.”
akadias's avatar - Go to profile

akadias· 88 weeks ago

I have what is, by web-comic artist standards, what is probably a fairly normal job. I can still relate to this so well. I’m a college professor. That means two or three days each week I work in snappy dress clothes. I don’t have to wear a tie, but I have to wear clothes that would look right with a tie if I added one. The rest of the time I’m doing research on my computer at home and boxer shorts is about as far as I get.

2 replies · active 87 weeks ago

akadias's avatar - Go to profile

akadias· 88 weeks ago

Actually now that I see what you asked for I guess my version of the text at the end would be “Oh crap, today is Wednesdy, I have to change.”
lou's avatar

lou · 87 weeks ago

Do you wear a bowtie? Wear one. Bowties are cool.
hijinksensue's avatar - Go to profile

hijinksensue· 86 weeks ago

I love yestermonth. That’s golden.
nah's avatar

nah · 88 weeks ago

Number 1. Make it so.
Pandelon's avatar

Pandelon · 88 weeks ago

My wife is sooo lucky!
lou's avatar

lou · 87 weeks ago

“Hmm, maybe if I suck in my gut…”
Mystix's avatar

Mystix · 87 weeks ago

Wil Wheaton wished he looked have this good
This Guy's avatar

This Guy · 87 weeks ago

Very nice job drawing Emily.
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