Yes, this was technically the first comic.
So one day I try to mess with an art style inspired by a webcomic I enjoyed at the time and Matt Groening’s style. I liked the look, but had trouble recreating that character. After getting too frustrated to even draw it well by my skill level at the time, I went to bed. Next day I try again and it actually came out pretty good. So I gave him a friend. The first character I named Jake and the second Leroy. However, when I went to show it off I ended up calling the second guy Leon, decided that was better, and needed to figure out what to do with them. At the time I was having trouble coming up with new ways to introduce the weekly comic reviews, and decided to put them into a comic strip, usually inspired by whatever I picked up that week.
When the comic reviews went daily so I wasn’t using up my Sunday, Jake & Leon eventually took over the spot completely, after a compilation of what’s now the daily article link. More characters followed, and I’ve somehow worked on this comic for seventeen years…EDIT: eighteen years. Apparently I didn’t get my best of list right. Fixed the title, but can’t help the page URL being messed up. It’s allowed me to be creative, work on my comic skills, and eventually led to other comics and prose, both of which now has their own archive, and this year I was forced to redo this comic’s archive due to how many comics I had.
Before I start the new year’s worth of comics (this doesn’t go by calendar year), it’s time to look back through the previous year and see what were my favorite comics. Which ones had a gag I really liked, had me try something new artistically, or was a push in my storytelling skills? Let’s look back at the year that was for the rare moment when I let myself have an ego. I’m not the best comic creator out there, far from it. I have been improving though.
Plus your family. Dude even lost his goldfish because of this.
I forget which story specifically this was referring to. I have nothing against women being the hero, but when you’re replacing an existing male hero and making him worthless to do it, you aren’t making your hero girl a fan favorite. You don’t want the man taking the woman’s “agency”? Fine, though we could debate the specifics…like taking the man’s “agency” from him rather than working with them both.
Have you guessed who they are yet?
I’m proud of the whole arc, where Leon’s parents get to see what’s become of their son from the afterlife. It may just be me, what’s happened the past few years between losing my mom in 2013 and my dad having recently come out of the hospital when I came up with this story, but something about this one specifically gets to me. The pink is mom, the blue is dad, and the white is the angel showing them these things. At least they got to see what a good man Leon’s become…though they also learned how weird his life is.
Based on something I heard was a true story.
I finally used the monitor on the news set for an interview. It was one of the purposes for it. I think I also wanted an interview chair or couch on set, but I never used one and I don’t think it’s even in the template. We don’t get many guests in this studio.
I didn’t have reference for Damian’s current costume, but I like the traditional Robin look anyway.
In the world of these parody strips young Jon exists alongside his older counterpart and still has adventures with Damien. So why not have Alfred still alive as well? I might include his daughter replacement just so he has some backup as the Bat-Family’s…backup. But Alfred still lives in this continuity. Deal with it, DC! I have to fix your mistakes.
Technically the roof is clean now.
I like how I did the snow. That’s pretty much it, but I’ve just been through 16 years of this comic to update the archive and I’m not sure I would have done more than a white shape in the early years, so this is still progress.
Sure, it required adoption, cloning, and fourth-dimensional jerks…
Yes, I got fooled. The next issue apparently showed this wasn’t the real young Jon but the son of Ultraman, who isn’t supposed to be Kal-El necessarily, so the fact that his kid resembles Jon doesn’t make much sense. So he’s not actually canon…except in my comics. Just wanted to acknowledge that. It is nice that older Jon gets his own hero name. Still don’t like the mask.
If you’re wondering how she knows what “isekai” is…look who she works with.
Tell me I’m wrong. You can’t without lying.
No greater gift can be given than your life.
This might be my best Easter themed strip.
Admittedly I actually like the 1980s Supergirl movie in spite of the flaws.
Yes, I actually liked the 1980s Supergirl movie before James Gunn and his team ruined Kara. So I may not be the best judge.
I still can’t draw manga style.
It’s long overdue for that truck to be dealt with. Anime isn’t even pretending it’s a coincidence anymore. Somebody really hates trucks in the manga/anime industry.
Waiting for a movie that is just the three of them.
And the saga continues. Now with a new player.
Come on, Leon. You know he’s just going to buy more comics.
Continuity in my comic? Sure, why not.
Just when they need to pad out a couple of pages. Why rob jewelry stores when you can DESTROY THE UNIVERSE!?
I have a plot for another Herodude & Enemies, just not time to develop it.
I mean…one of them is a whole planet!
I like ideas that allow me to push what I’ve attempted to draw in the past. Wish I had drawn them better, but what else is new? Yes, that’s Mogo in the back, not a Green Lantern themed Pokéball.
So that’s my favorites. I’m still working the archive but what’s there now represents more of my life that I would have expected. I’m still improving and that’s a good thing.
