UPDATING OCCASIONALLY (FOR NOW)

9 thoughts on “558 – Cotton Clad Calamity”

  1. Raznaak

    Yup, he’s a bastard XD

  2. Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)

    Are those pajamas available in XXXL in the gift shop?

  3. Otaku

    It’s been a while, so let me ask: Did we get a reason for him to WANT Susie dead? Not to backseat, but if we didn’t, I’m worried were about to move into “Stupid Evil” territory. Now, stupid happens, don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad storytelling for that to be the case here.

    You’ve just done a good job NOT having that be a driving factor, so the “Kill off the stars of my successful reality TV show.” seems shortsighted, otherwise. Oh, I guess I could be mistaken about the in-story reality TV show’s success. Like, if the company behind them is losing money, or they think a change in management at the ranch would make the whole thing more popular/profitable, then I can see the above scenario happening as well.

    I REALLY think I’m just forgetting something important, but that I don’t have time to deep dive to remind me of, hence the comment. >_<

    1. Deoxy

      It certainly has been stretched out over quite a while, but there have definitely been hints from quite near the beginning that whoever is running the reality TV show definitely wants her dead.

      But I certainly don’t recall any reason why.

      1. Clint

        Yeah it’s fair to not remember since it’s been a hot minute (many, many minutes) but if you feel like a refresher the most relevant bits would be the beginning of Episode 8 and the end of Episode 15. We haven’t explicitly spelled out exactly what The Exec means by his “side hustle” or who was on the other end of that phone call, though.

        I’m hoping that when the whole thing is eventually available it will make sense, or at least enough sense to have hung this narrative on.

        1. Otaku

          Thanks for the replies, Deoxy and Clint. Yeah, I’d totally forgotten about those things. Good to know!

  4. Evervigilant

    Seems about time for the two people who aren’t there to make a surprise entrance as the ace Susie didn’t even know she had.

  5. Scarsdale

    There’s still 3-5 people on her side that might be planning something. This guy is a megalomaniac with a god complex, so letting him think he’s the sharpest tool in the shed sets him up for a fall. Everything depends on those cameras, and I suspect their little stop over by the charging coffins had something to do with her actual plan, not the one the a-hole thinks it is.

  6. lyra

    Really enjoyed the opening of Zombie Ranch. I like the combination of the western setting with the zombie concept, it gives the story a really distinctive atmosphere. I’m a freelance illustrator and animator, and I’d be interested in seeing how some of these scenes could translate into motion, especially as a short animated teaser or character scene.

    If you’re ever interested in something like that, you can reach me here:

    IG: eve_verse_
    Email: [contact.lilaclines@gmail.com](mailto:contact.lilaclines@gmail.com)
    Discord: Lyralilac_

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558 – Cotton Clad Calamity
Posted on August 26, 2026 by Dawn

What would you call this? Armchair assassination? Merk-from-home?

Well, Suzie ain't dead (or undead) quite yet, so we'll just have to see if his gloating is justifiable.

A pithy post

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Clint

We don’t wear enough pith helmets these days.

I’m not advocating more Steampunk cosplay, though if that’s your thing, fine. But after two years in a row wearing my pith helmet to Wasteland Weekend, Disneyland and other outdoorsy locales, I must sing its praises. This thing is awesome.

pith1

 

Perhaps geeky and funny looking (the hat I mean… I know I’m a lost cause even without my Wasteland Weekend gear on) but I’d argue that’s because nowadays it’s so rare to see one worn. If you’re old enough you by now know the nostalgic embarrassment of looking back at the clothes and hairstyles that were popular when you were a teen. If you’re a teen? That day will come, I promise you. Coolness is in the eye of the beholder, and so in the end, an item of apparel must be rated on how well it performs its intended function.

In this sense, in the category of keeping one’s head protected from the sun and heat, the humble pith helmet (or appropriately enough, “sun helmet”) remains a masterpiece of design. It is lightweight, and fits to my head comfortably but because of its high crown leaves a spacious, ventilated interior that I just don’t get with a baseball cap or boonie hat. Heat beating on the outside does not transfer inside, and heat from my scalp disperses out. The wide brim shades face, neck, and ears. With the pith helmet on I find I don’t sweat as much as I would with any other headgear, or even no headgear at all. What sweat does occur tends to be swiftly absorbed with no nasty discolorations on the exterior.

That absorption effect actually brings up what is possibly the most interesting feature of the helmet, and one not generally known to today’s populace — the option of water cooling. You don’t want to try this with a cheap costume version, but a true pith helmet still retains an ability that was much appreciated by troops and civilians alike wearing them in the 19th and early 20th Century. Immerse it in water, let it soak, and as a trade off for a bit of extra weight you now have your own air conditioning system to carry around on top of your head. I experimented with this in the 100 degree heat of last year’s Wasteland Weekend and can confirm how nice that is. Hell, that interior I mentioned above had enough space I once even put ice cubes in it, re-donned the helmet and let them melt while I marched. None of this ended up staining or compromising the helmet in any way, which explains why it was so popular back in the day for not just enduring the sun but the hot rains of tropical climes.

There is one big admitted drawback to the helmet, which I suppose might explain why it has fallen out of fashion, and that is you can’t scrunch or collapse it. It’s much lighter than you might expect, but I ended up not taking it to Hawaii with me because of the bulk, which does not mix well with the baggage premiums of modern plane travel. Also despite its designation as a helmet and past military use, it was designed to stop weather and not bullets or swords… though I have twice been hit pretty hard while wearing it and while I felt the impact, the only damaging result was a dent that I easily popped back into place. Better that than my skull!

Now to close out this post, I’ll say that I originally bought my helmet because I do like how it looks and fits, and (as you may have noticed from past pictures) am not an overly fashion conscious individual. The practicality and functionality was a pleasant surprise. If you’re going to be outdoors in Sol’s embrace and are not afraid of a few funny looks, get one! They may laugh at first, but once the heat is on they will all be jealous of your quite literal coolness.

And just so I’m not too off topic this week — cowboy hats are awesome, too.