(Originally posted April 30, 2010)

This was the only possible way that I could introduce Clayton and Scatter (the iguana).

As some of you already know, most of the characters in this story are borrowed from comics I wrote in middle school and high school (although I like to think that the drawings have improved). Clayton, Cassidy, Vincent, and several others were taken from my eight-page graphic novel “Small Town Showdown.” One of the most memorable scenes (according to my friends) was Clayton trying to hide a dozen various animals in a hotel room for safekeeping. I decided to revisit this scene for my new audience.

Speaking of which, some of my relatives have been asking me if I plan on re-releasing my old comics on the website. Someday, I may put the old comics up in the Art Gallery so that everyone can see where these ideas grew from. Or I may re-draw new comics from the old scripts, giving the stories the benefit of my improved drawing and storyboard skills. I had considered re-drawing the old comics and making adjustments to the script so that they tie in to the new stories. This idea was rejected for being “too George Lucas.” I think most cartoonists who borrow from their student works end up weaving a lot of their old ideas into the new stories, without trying to replicate them exactly. Right now, that sounds like a pretty good idea, but I’ll let you get to know they characters a little better before I bludgeon you with back-story.

Anyway, if you remember the original comics then you probably have some idea of what we will find on the other side of the door next week. If not, you can probably guess.

-Marj