February 19, 2002 - Cloaked in Tragedy

February 19, 2002 - click to embiggen

Barry was so much more fun to write than I ever thought he’d be. He just loves to barrel through life even though he seems to know it will only cause him pain.

February 12, 2002 - It Cannot Be Fathomed

February 12, 2002 - click to embiggen

I’ve long been removed from the dating scene, but there were times I was sure it had to be a super-power.

February 5, 2002 - Dumbfounded

February 5, 2002 - click to embiggen

This was originally a lame throwaway strip to round out a “book” I had put together for family and friends. But still, the sympathy for Q at the end came as a surprise. A fun part of the process was how the characters did seem to take on a life of their own.

January 29, 2002 - Desecration

January 29, 2002 - click to embiggen

My guilt over using Calvin’s image in the earlier strip (coupled with my personal pet peeve about unlicensed Calvin & Hobbes stuff) inspired this one. Is Jake speaking as a comic creator or a comic character? Hmmmm.

January 22, 2002 - Not Made in the Shade

January 22, 2002 - click to embiggen

I so badly wanted to do a wordless strip! It is very difficult to write one when you feel people don’t know the characters well enough. Hence the safe animal-behavior choice.

January 15, 2002 - Self-Evaluation

January 15, 2002 - click to embiggen

It was time to put the focus back on Jake for a while. This was me every time I made one of these.

January 8, 2002 - "I know people."

January 8, 2002 - click to embiggen

Instrumental in the way the girl would come to view Jake, Maybel also provided some light tension. A love triangle is born!

January 1, 2002 - Good for the Goose

January 1, 2002 - click to embiggen

A new year! And a reciprocal strip from three weeks earlier! I never really found out back then if people were “getting it.”