War Games - Part 16

Due to time constraints, you won't be seeing what happens between this strip and the next, but

it involves a musical montage where Aiden Mickey Mouse-walks back down the hall, flag tucked under his arm, smiling broadly as he passes the still-stuck and infuriated Raine, while the song croons "everything's going my way."

There's only three more strips until the end of Chapter 4!  So that's two next week, and one on Tuesday the week after that.  Then, the following Thursday, I'll post the (probably) last Walters File!  Of whom, you ask?  Actually, that's a surprise!

Remember I'm going on hiatus after Chapter 4 to focus on creating the next book and some new merch (and so I can stop totally neglecting my kid for two days a week while she's on summer break).

So if you need to stay updated as to when the comic resumes and other stuff, you can subscribe by e-mail with the tab below, or follow me on Google+ or Twitter @Super_Uwebcomic.

One last thing, during the hiatus, it'll be a really good time for you guys to send commissions my way.  If anyone's interested, I can set up a payment box right here on the site.

War Games - Part 12

While I did manage to get this one done in time, I realize it is going to be even more difficult than I initially imagined to work on the comic while my kid's on summer break.  It's not her fault; no, she was an absolute trooper yesterday while I totally neglected her.  It's my own guilt, and my responsibility to her as a parent to not let her occupy herself with the television for hours on end while daddy stares at the computer screen.  I'm going to make it up to her today.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to continue the comic after this chapter ends, but I am sure, now, that once it wraps up in a few weeks, I'll be taking a hiatus at least until summer break is over.

During that time, as I mentioned before, I'll be compiling the next book, and possibly putting together some new merch.

Next week: Aiden vs. Raine!

War Games - Part 11

I wanted to talk about this one (and some other things) at length, but I was up way too late working on this last night and I've got way too much going on today to spend time blogging.

Truth be told, my deadlines are going to get a little hairy after today.  My daughter graduated from kindergarten today, which means that it's now summer break, which means my quiet days of working on the comic in peace are gone for a while.  Still, I'll endeavor to get this chapter wrapped up before I take a break, I just want to warn you that I may be posting a strip very late in the day sometimes, or at the worst, a day late.

War Games - Part 3

If you're new to Super U., you may be wondering why suddenly I'm using photos as background instead of drawing it out.  You may be thinking I'm lazy.  In fact, you'd be right, but moreover, I use photos as background during the "Dangerous Room" sequences, when the students are participating in holographic simulations in Combat Education class.

Teams have been chosen.  Roles are being assigned.  On Thursday, you'll get a glimpse of Team Frost and Team Ex doing the same... and then the fur is gonna fly.

Nostalgia

I'm posting this one early because tomorrow morning I'm taking the Saturn in for car repairs.  Joy.  Not only is there a recall on the ignition switch (apparently it likes to turn off while you're driving), but I'm having mysterious engine overheating issues that can only mean one thing: all my money.

Regardless (or irregardless?), I'm happy with how this strip turned out.  The Commander is a blast to write for.  Now I'm thinking someday, down the road, Vampire Lenin and RoboMussolini might have to make a comeback.

So, hey, if you feel inclined to help me keep my POS car running for a couple more years, I'll direct your attention to my book for sale, and also my merchandise.  As always, if there's some merch you'd like to see, let me know, and I can probably whip it up for you.

Also, I'd love some feedback on this strip, so feel free to comment.

Aftermath - Part 2

It's fun, sometimes, when dialogue isn't necessary.

Back when I used to party (and when I had friends), usually I was the one who woke up around dawn on the bathroom floor.  It's just so nice and cold there, you know?

There's a trend in comics (and sometimes even webcomics) to have superheroes that are outside of the social "norm" (and I use that term as loosely as possible), and by that I mean Muslim superheroes, gay superheroes and so on.  The part that amuses me is, generally, when a gay superhero shows up in comics, she's a lesbian.  Right, because we're supposed to believe that you're featuring a lesbian superhero because you're standing up for the rights of lesbians, and not at all because you're catering to your male-dominated audience who wants to see pictures of girls kissing.  Compare the ratio of gay female characters to gay male characters.

What's more, generally when a male superhero comes out, it tends to be a character most readers could care less about.  Northstar, anybody?

I'm not claiming to be breaking any new ground here, of course.  Just an observation.  There are a few exceptions, of course.  And, to be fair, especially in the past year or two, comic writers finally seem to be getting wise to the lopsided representation of homosexual supers, and we're starting to see a lot more male couples.  I just read that, in X-Factor, Shatterstar and Rictor have gotten together.  Coincidentally, I also heard the title was cancelled this year.

I have / had a homophobic friend who's favorite character was Shatterstar.  I wonder if I should tell him? :-)

The Walters Files: El Pequeño

Hey, I finally figured out how to type an "ñ!"  

El Pequeño is one of those "background characters."  I don't really have any plans for him; I just liked the idea of a guy who looks kind of like Robin, only with his outfit the colors of the Mexican flag.

Someday I'll have to tackle the issue of whether he actual has magical shrinking powers, or if he's just completely delusional.

El Pequeño comes from the RPG I ran that began all of this.  If I remember correctly, in that game he actually became one of the PC's sidekicks, and together after graduation they ended up being a part of the new Fantastic Four (or maybe it was Five, I don't recall).

Super U. Strip #71: Roommates

Roommates

This is how much of a geek I am: I have a list of who is a roommate with whom.  "Whom," right? Or just "who?"  I don't remember.  It's almost 3:00 AM and I just finished this, and I'm definitely not thinking straight.  There was probably going to be some dialogue in this one, but I forgot what it was.  Something to the effect of Bobby Rocket vowing to hunt them all down and kill them one-by-one, I think.

There's a lot characters in this one I haven't used in a while... and some not much at all, really.  Bobby was a last-minute edition to the list of students; I needed somebody to balance out the Combat Education teams.  He's heavily-based off of an old role-playing character of mine who was sort of like a 50's greaser meets a pyromaniac.  

I have too many damn characters.

I had to go with something a little "light-hearted" for this week, because starting next week, shit gets real.  Pretty much.

There's still one strip before the end of Chapter 2 that I have no idea what I'm going to do with.  Maybe that one will be less real.

Hail To The King

You know what's the most exciting part about Florida?  The insects.  You'll never have the same painful reaction from a bite twice.

It was cool, though, getting to see much of the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot.  We missed the actual festival due to my being crippled with pain and a having leg swollen like a tree trunk from a few fly-bites, but I was able to walk again by the day after it ended, and fortunately for us they hadn't taken away all the flowers yet.

This comic is a quick interlude that I wasn't sure where to interject, so it found its way here.  We'll return to the madcap hijinx of Team Dick-Punch next week.

Click It Up and Click It Out!  Click-a-dee-doo-da!