And thus, with a double-sized episode, we end our foray into storytelling! It’s actually been an interesting exercise. Sure this all started because I wanted to show off a spectacular piece of fan art, but I’ve learned a few things along the way…

1. I enjoy telling stories. I enjoy an endless series of one-off gags as well, but I find that I do enjoy trying to spin a narrative, and you may see one crop up from time to time.
2. I am WAY too influenced by Kevin Smith. Not in the potty humor sense, but rather than when I tell a story, I don’t focus much on action, but rather on dialogue. In fact I really seem to enjoy what would otherwise be a very simple course of action and breaking down each perceptible facet of that action and making it its own episode. The original concept of this storyline stretched on for the rest of the month in just this manner. However…
3. …if I’m going to put effort into telling a story, I’d really rather not expend that effort on a storyline that relies too heavily on the classic crutches of the webcomic world. I mean, I don’t mind breaking the fourth wall or doing a retcon parody, but these are things that tend to annoy the readers and fellow creators and are best saved for a one-off gag.
4. I really need to learn to draw people better.
5. I really, really need to learn to draw people better!

Okay, so the News Guy is healthy, and everything is right with the world. Just one more thing before I go, though. For those of you participating in the laptop bag contest, let me drop a little daily wisdom on you. The code is there. It really is, you just have to look everywhere for it. Otherwise, it might get swept up in the details.

Okay, so now we know who he is and that his intentions are good, but what is he planning to do, exactly. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I’m off to bed, but did I mention this? Old school News Guy cameo! Always a beautiful thing…

Figures. The News Guy destroys all life in Ann Arbor and then what does he do? Heads down to my favorite city to muck things up there as well. It’s just not right, I tell you.

Sorry about the sudden onset of continuity in an otherwise gag-a-day strip, but when the undead walk among us, and one of them is the News Guy. Well, that story will take a few installments to tell.

We’ll have to wait till Thursday to see what’s up with our handsome new stranger.

Special thanks to Zed the zombie of Ted & Zed fame for stopping by the Studio today. For those that have never been, Ted and Zed is my all-time favorite Zombie comic. Sure, he’s a Zombie, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a bosom buddy, right. I highly recommend you all stop by for a dig through the archive.

So, I know what you’re all thinking. "Dave, why is the News Guy a Zombie?!?" Well, he’s crossed over to the dark side in honor of the coolest freakin’ piece of fan art I’ve ever received. I opened the mail box the other day to find a note:

It occurs to me that we haven’t seen much of our friendly neighborhood News Guy in a while. And how much do we really know about how and where he spent his recent sabbatical. A lot can happen down the Rabbit Hole…

Happy Birthday! Of course, it isn’t enough to make the News Guy or a Zombie – It has to be the News Guy Zombie.

Accompanying the note:

How cool is that? Now, full disclosure… I’ve known the sender for years, so it’s more a "friend" art than a "fan" art, but I like it either way!!!

Of course, this leaves the News Guy is in a bit of a pickle…