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.

Breakin’ the law…

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Clint

And here we have another egregious example of writer exaggeration in effect. This isn’t about bank robbery, or public nuisance, or even parking at an expired meter, I’m talking more about the nebulous laws of storytelling, especially one in particular: show, don’t tell.

In this week’s comic, I broke that law. Through the unwitting assistance of a fictional executive assistant, I quickly summarized a few “not pictured” outcomes of three episodes’ worth of chaos and conflict. Brett’s alive. The zeds are (mostly) contained. Popcorn the Zombie Horse will ride again.

Will we be showing these things eventually? Of course, but with the end of this episode and our Summer vacation looming, I turned things over in my head and came to the conclusion that these were not elements I intended to keep people in suspense with while they awaited the resumption of the narrative. I had actually wanted to show Popcorn getting up and out of the way after briefly teasing his end, but artistically it didn’t work out with the flow of the pages. Ditto for Brett, there didn’t seem to be any pressing need to bring him and/or Lacey back into an already crowded climax (and I can once again hear the chorus of “Who are Brett and Lacey?!”… which I believe supports my point).

But there may have been some people wondering about them. Certainly I know there were people in suspense regarding Popcorn, and I felt like extending some mercy after all the weeks of emotional wringers I’ve been throwing out. Now should be the time for the readers, as well as us, to be able to relax and catch a breath.

So I have indulged in what could certainly be considered a cheap shortcut, although out of the best of intentions. I know of course that good intentions are what the road to Hell is purported to be paved with, but there are enough other existing mysteries to chew over (*cough*Zeke*cough*) that I figured I could afford to sweep a couple into the “done” pile and make a bit of room for more.

I broke the law. But heck, the TV Tropes entry does state “it’s not an ironclad rule, and knowing when to break it to quickly explain minor details is a major aspect of learning to write.”

Did the end result justify the nefarious means? Hell if I know, I’m still learning. Then again, every writer is always learning. Every “law” of writing, every rule, has been broken by fiction authors more than once. Fiction writers are an unruly bunch, ready to flaunt tradition at a moment’s notice if they feel it best suits their purpose. I suppose in that sense… whether I succeeded or failed, whatever hot-footed road I might be traveling… I can count on some decent company.