Fur & N3rdy

I'd like to issue a big thank you to all who read this comic. To new readers, welcome as well. To old readers, thank you for sticking around. This story has been an experiment in moving from a one-shot format to a longer, narrative-driven format for the comic. Oh, I still plan to have one-shot, "gag-a-day" comics about all things geeky, but they'll be mostly filler between the longer stories. There will also be shorter two-part or three-part stories around a theme, but the overall emphasis will shift toward telling stories.

Writing this story made me realize how much I've missed storytelling. I do have my D & D group, and we tell stories collectively, but when I first started drawing web comics, I wanted to do something simple with a bit of humor that poked fun at myself and at the things I loved. There's nothing wrong with that, but at the same time, I really love stories. My research revolves around the stories people tell that have meaning for their lives. I love hearing people's stories, reading people's stories, and telling stories to people. I think that's a fundamental aspect of being human.

So, from this point forward, Fur & N3rdy will blend long narratives, short narratives/thematic series, and one-shot "gag-a-day" comics. I'll also be experimenting with different presentation formats for different types of comics and stories. I'm thinking comic book page style for some, comic strip style for some, black & white newspaper cartoon style for some. I may even do a single-panel comic if something strikes me as  single-panel comic material.

As always, I do welcome feedback and suggestions. If there's something you'd like me to address in a story, or if you have a funny nerd story to tell, just let me know either through a Twitter DM or through an email.

Well, here in Louisiana, it's Mardi Gras. Our version of the old Carnival tradition that precedes the fasting and spiritual growth (in theory) of the Lenten season. However, most people sadly use this as an excuse to get sloppy drunk and do things they wouldn't "normally" do in public in exchange for beads, coconuts, and other throws. In the spirit of the season, our own Robin Fox, who after ranting about the perception of women in video games, has agreed to flash the public.  Click the thumbnail to to see the full picture.

Ha! She didn't actually show anything, but she did offer a very strong suggestion for something to do. Why mention Breast Cancer research today? Well, for us here in Baton Rouge, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is the 10th of March. The Komen For the Cure group does a lot of good work to raise awareness of and fund research to fight and cure breast cancer. That work benefited my grandmother when she was diagnosed, and as such I support their misison personally. I encourage all of you to support through your time, through your talents, and (if you so desire), through giving. And yes, there are other foundations and advocacy groups that deserve your support as well, so if this one isn't for you, please pick one and support it. Financial gifts are great and needed, but informed, passionate, dedicated volunteers are the most needed resource.

On Thursday, I start a five-strip series called "Open Mic Night." The plan is to have each of the five friends (Jack, Robin, Schrodi, Rux, and TK) sing a song or tell a poem about one of their interests/passions/obsessions. The five strips will have a slight neo-beatnik feel to them, even if the poetry/songs aren't beatnik in style or tone. And there's also a slight homage to the really bad karaoke bars some friends of mine repeatedly drag me to when they perform.  It's also the belated kickoff of the minor stylistic reboot that I've started a few weeks ago. To break up the monotony of (bad) song routines, I've got an intermission planned for Valentine's Day week.