About April 2024

Jul04
by on July 4, 2025 at 12:58 pm

ON MOVES A four panel comic, rendered in various two toned color combinations, all representing time. In the first panel, Emily and Em walk through a museum, laughing together. The narration begins: "Before we were roommates, we described our friendship as adventurers meeting in a tavern after separate journ on the road, sharing our stories." In the second panel, Emily and Em chat behind a convention table, as Em helps Emily set up. The narration continues: "And when I asked 'what do you think about Chicago,' you didn't think I was crazy." In the third panel, Emily and Em stand in the kitchen, chatting with each other as Em stirs a pot and Emily holds a cocktail shaker. The narration continues: "And after four years, a pandemic, a move from the suburbs to the city, four years I'm not sure I would've survived here without you--we go on separate roads again." In the four panel, Emily and Em embrace, surrounded by Em's moving boxes. The narration concludes: "And I am just so grateful for the moments we've had, and the adventures we'll share in the future." -- ON ANTICIPATORY GRIEF An eight panel comic, rendered in pink and green. In the first panel, Emily's parents lean over a table as Emily sits in the foreground, and her phone sits in front on speaker. Both her mom and her dad look pained and concerned as her mom talks. The narration begins: "Our parents tell us about our uncle while visiting me in Chicago." In the second panel, we see Emily with her mom now in the foreground. Emily's expression is one of sad shock. The narration continues: "That he decided to stop dialysis and go home from the hospital. That now it's just a matter of time." In the third panel, we zoom in on Emily as she looks down, weary and starting to cry. The narration continues: "In truth--the thought had haunted me since I drove back from Ohio at Easter." In the fourth panel, Emily takes her glasses off to wipe tears away from her eyes. The narration concludes, "That the next time I'd be there, it'd be for a funeral." In the fifth panel, Emily sits across from her mom, who she reaches out to. They are both softly crying. The narration begins: "I ask if I should visit, and I know that the hesitation is clear in the waver of my voice, but my mom says no--his condition has already deteriorated so much that it may be more painful for him if I try." In the sixth panel, a very young Emily stands next to her mom: a flashback. The narration continues: "and perhaps, selfishly, I want to remember him as I always have." In the seventh panel, her uncle produces a small dish of chocolates, which Emily reacts to with a wide grin. The narration continues: "His wry amusement at the restlessness of a child while my mom visited her sister, a conspiratorial wink, a stash of Hershey Miniatures." In the eighth panel, a single Krackle miniature chocolate is in frame. The narration concludes: "A maker of one of the first safe places beyond home." -- ON HESITATE An eight panel comic, rendered in pink and green. In the first panel, Emily stands in a coffee shop, a bustle around her in the background, looking nervous. The narration begins: "In the moment of hesitation (too long, but at least just a moment)" In the second panel, the scene pans over to reveal John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) standing 6 feet apart from Emily, also waiting for coffee. He looks idly at his phone. A barista yells from off panel "latte for Sarah!" The narration continues: "I can't help but think about how I used to react to situations like this." In the third panel, we see a scene from 2018: Emily shakes with anxiety while LiZz, her friend, attempts to reassure her. The narration continues: "My anxiety would increase to a point where I'd be physically ill, convinced that my sheer presence was awful to others." In the scene, Emily says "I should go," while LiZz insists "c'mon Emily! You've MET Justin and Sydnee before!" Emily just replies "Yeah but my stomach." In the fourth panel, we are back in the present moment. Emily looks toward the ceiling, clearly panicking a bit. The narration continues, "And granted, I'm by no means perfectly cool as a cucumber now--" Emily thinks "oh JD ABSOLUTELY knows that I know that he knows. Ok be normal be normal be normal." In the fifth panel, Emily, back to the camera, stands next to John Darnielle, who continues to look at his phone. Emily lets out a small sigh. The narration picks up from the previous panel, "But the flinch is simply that--a thing that passes. No pit in my stomach. No promise of tearing an interaction apart later as a self-punishment for daring to take up space." In the sixth panel, Emily looks off to the side, an inward kind of glance, as she starts to smile softly. The narration continues: "And I can't help but realize how far I've come, all of the growth suddenly set in sharp relief, like the first beams of sunlight in the morning." In the seventh panel, the narration continues: "And in that glow, I find my voice--" Emily shyly approaches John, saying "um, hi, John?" to which he replies, "yes?" She continues with, "I'm Emily, I just wanted to say I love your work!" He replies with "oh thank you!" In the eighth panel, their conversation continues: John continues with "You know, I saw your patches and was like, 'is she gonna say something, orrrr,'" to which Emily laughingly responds "I just didn't want to bother you!" The narration concludes: "And I am so grateful for its sound." -- ON AZO TLE NELLI IN TLALTICPAC A ten panel comic, rendered in pink and green. All of the narration of the comic consists of lyrics from "Azo Tle Nelli In Tlalticpac?" by the Mountain Goats. In the first panel, Emily sits next to Jane outside of a venue, the two chatting and working on respective projects. The narration begins: "I was sitting in the street." In the second panel, JD walks by, asking the two if they've seen Emerald. Emily replies that she'll message her, while Jane nods her head in agreement. The narration continues, "I don't believe I've made it clear what exactly I mean by that." In the third panel, Emerald and Kyle arrive; Emily waves her hands from her seated spot in line. The narration continues, "I was sitting in the middle of the street." In the fourth panel, Emerald pulls out a bundle of temporary tattoos, to which Emily reacts with excitement. The narration continues: "Dust made its way into my legs even though my shirt was tucked in." In the fifth panel, hands exchange a wet paper towel. The narration continues "And I saw the colors forming in the west." In the sixth panel, a hand peels off a temporary tattoo, revealing the Jenny from Thebes themed design on a forearm. The narration continues: "Saw the bright feathers reflected in the sky now." In the seventh panel, we see Isa Rae playing the fiddle, on stage. The narration continues: "good news." In the eighth panel, we see Matt Douglas playing saxophone. The narration continues: "good news." In the ninth panel, John Darnielle and Peter Hughes play guitar and bass back to back, as Jon Wurster plays the drums in the background. The narration continues: "good news." In the tenth and last panel, we see the Gothic Theater from the outside. The stars are shining brightly in the sky, and a glow emits from the marquee and the street lights below. "The Mountain Goats" are visible on the marquee, and the "G" is out in "Gothic." The narration concludes: "good news."

Thanks as always for reading. See you next week.

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