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.

“How ya doin’?”

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Clint

I’m a member of a few different webcomic communities, and it seems like not a week goes by that someone will speak up about feeling how they’re feeling depressed with the state of their creative efforts. Sometimes it’s tied in with asking for advice on how they can get more readers, or more exposure, or somehow make some money off of this thing they’ve been pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into. Sometimes it’s just a cry for help and commiseration, seeking solace from fellow travelers who might understand the craziness of spending week after week, month after month, even year after year hurling a story out into the blind void of the Internet. “How do you keep going?”, comes the refrain, and no matter how many times it’s asked, the question is answered with compassion and patience. I suspect this is because we know we might be wailing that question ourselves before long, even if we don’t necessarily post it on Facebook. If we’ve already thought it through and answered it for someone else, then that answer will be there, echoing back to us, when we need it most.

Oddly enough, this is similar to a technique used by professional psychiatric counselors. “Doc,” the patient will say, “I feel my sibling is overstepping their boundaries with me when they put their hands in my pockets, tear out my phone, wallet, and keys, and throw them into the swimming pool, but I feel bad confronting them about it.” Now the doctor could just tell them what a damn wuss they’re being, but they’re already in a bit of a sensitive state— plus also paying for the session. So instead the doctor will ask something akin to, “What advice would you give to someone that was happening to?” Whereupon the patient answers, “Oh. Hmm. Well doc, I reckon I’d tell them to choke out that sibling like Anderson Silva on fight night.”

I don’t know if there’s any specific sociological or psychiatric term for this phenomenon, but it doesn’t seem like rocket science to observe that people are far more able to comment on and analyze situations that they’re not hip deep in the middle of. You know that bad relationship your friend is in, and you and all your other friends can totally see it but they can’t? Perhaps you’ve been that friend in the relationship? Remember when things finally fell apart and everything was a house of cards and you wondered why no one ever told you, and then you realized that all the signs were there and your friends had tried to warn you but you just ignored everything until it was too late?

Where was I? Oh yes. Basically what I’m getting at is that sooner or later everyone making a webcomic is going to experience that existential time of frustration and depression where they wonder what it’s all about and whether they should keep going, and when it hits, you’d best believe digging yourself out of that hole isn’t just a matter of turning on the “positive thinkin'” switch, because the positive thoughts are going to be hard to come by. Unless those thoughts are already out there, waiting to bounce back to you. If you’ve helped others, if you recognize that what you’re going through is not unique, you may be better equipped to step back and ask yourself “How ya doin’?”, and give a more honest accounting of that than you would otherwise.

Or if you’re really lucky(?), you could be The Tick.

The Tick (seeing a giant statue of himself) Whoa! What is that?
Tick’s Mind: Oh, sure. Now you wanna know. Tick, this is your self-image.
The Tick: Hey, I look pretty good.
Tick’s Mind: You can ask it only one question.
The Tick: Uh, what question?
Tick’s Mind: The “why are we here” question!
The Tick: Oh, right. (to statue How ya doin’?
(statue gives a thumbs-up)
Tick’s Mind: That’s your big question?
The Tick: Hey, thumbs up! We’re doin’ good!

I’d leave it at that, though, or little blue men might jump out to hit you with fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3lPhq0Ky_M