Skulls and Paper

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I'm still furiously plugging away at getting Smithee ready for print! Garvin had the idea of making a variant limited edition cover, so I made that. I made the actual How-To-Spin-Yarn instructions that will ONLY be found in the print edition. I figured out how to layout the pages in the correct order for printing. Plus, throw in a couple traumatic (to me) dental appointments involving a double root canal to make for unproductive days recovering, and here we are.

I just happened to pick up a free comic day reprint of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the quarter drawer and was reading the saga of in the intro of how that came to be and got ramped up all over again to be publishing my little survival tome. In my book, I want not only to appeal to Zombie fans in general, but also to those looking for real life information that could theoretically be used in the event of needing to know this stuff.

 Speaking of real life - and diatomaceous earth - I have a new theory as to why it messed up my dog. In studying bladder stones in dogs, it seems that when the urine PH becomes alkaline, it promotes stones. And wouldn't you know it, that stuff alkalizes the PH of urine. Plus, part of her home-made diet was sweet potatoes -which are high in Oxalate's (stone forming material), not to mention a home-made diet rich in vegetables can also be alkalizing. Little did I know! To compensate, I give her vitamin C and Cranberry pills to tip the balance back towards acidic.

Diatomaceous Earth - what you need to know!

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I thought I would impart an update on my using Diatomaceous Earth. As it turns out, if you google the side effects of using Silica suppliments (Diatomaceous Earth is Silica), you will find side effect warnings all the advocates of Diatomaceous Earth never seem to mention.
Here are some results of my search:
Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for silica
Vital Health Zone
Some of the possible side effects are

Silica can lower your blood sugar levels, which can be particularly dangerous if you have diabetes.

Silica acts as a diuretic, so you shouldn't take it if you take water pills. Combining silica with other diuretics can lead to dehydration and dangerously low levels of potassium.

Taking silica with chromium supplements or herbs that contain chromium, such as brewer's yeast and bilberry, can increase your risk of chromium poisoning.

Long-term use or very high doses of horsetail (or silica) supplements have caused irreversible kidney damage, especially in people with existing kidney or heart disease. People with eodema should also not take silica (or horsetail) supplements.
I bring this up because my dog developed a uriniary tract infection as a result of getting DE. For that reason I wanted to get some of this information out because you generally won't find these cautions when you read about the wonders of DE. I didn't realize what was going on with my dog at first. In retrospect I wished I had heeded the signs sooner. But you know, denial is alot more fun!

That Special Ingrediant!

 

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Well, Billy goes ballistic. Being an ex-mercenary, you just don't lock those kind of people in a cage and expect them to be quiet about it! But Smithee has a plan. A Special Ingredient in his Home-Brew soda. Smithee is quiet, but he does what has to be done.

This very well be the concluding panel in Issue #1 of the ware-wolf story. I am going to think about it.

Now I gotta focus on getting Issue #1 to print. I tell ya what, a year ago I woulda never thought I would be dealing with comic convention deadlines, or ever dream of tabling at a comic convention. There is one principle I am beginning to see in doing comics, and that is persistence. Not giving up even though your not as good as you want to be. Just having the guts to put yourself out there in itself more of an accomplishment than you would think.
On a personal note, got a toothache, darn it! I hate going to doctors.

Billy's in the dog house now!

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And back into the story we go. The last post about the nuclear survival handbook was in keeping with part of my mission for making Smithee - that is to give real world survival information.
Well, folks, I'm getting closer to wrapping up this issue. But as I begin to think about that, a whole new bunch of issues rise up. I figured out the only way to format these comics in a book is in landscape format.Won't that be unique? Also, I have learned alot about comic writing since I began Smithee and see things I want to improve.
Like I want to insert some panels where need be, add a Zombie character in issue 1, a splash page, etc. But, it is emotionally challenging to take those extra steps. I wanted this to be easier. But, I'm just a naive newbie and I have to suck it up and do it right. Growth doesn't always feel good. It's humbling to look at what you have poured so much of yourself into for months and gasp when you now realize "I coulda done it so much better" - had I known.

Don't shoot!

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]Don't push Billy's buttons, or your liable to see his dark side. Of course Billy has good reason to be so testy, as we shall see. Everyone has thier limits you know, and Billy certainly had his pushed in the last 24 hours!
And let me introduce Rex - the dog. Rex ended up here to provide a beat between cells and balance things out. Also, Rex has to be in this comic since it is about fur- yarn-making, etc. The duo has to have a source of fur after all, don't they? Believe me, there are worse places to get your fur from...
I'm not posting from the comfort of my own home because my ISP provider is being uncooperative. Perhaps all the Solar Erruptions lately disrupted things? Speaking of which, when I can do this from home again, I'm thinking of putting up some usefull links to survivalist related info like SpaceWeather. For now, posting from the computer center of the Apt complex will have to do. But as in all survival situations, you have to remain calm and utilize what is at hand.

Smile!

Here is my adoring dog as an etching.
It was a rough day, and I needed to draw something I care about. Her smile brings cheer to my gloom.
This is an etching done on a plastic plate - and then hand printed onto paper using classic etch printing techniques with my hand made press and water based ink.
She looks so nice, but you 'ought to see her chase them Zombies! She doesn't know which she likes to harass better, an unsuspecting cat, or a Zombie hopping walk on one leg, or even better, a Zombie Cat missing a leg!

Happy Puppy

She looks so happy, doesn't she? A dog's unconditional love is a joy to be around!