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.

Getting confrontational

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Clint

On the comments for last week’s comic, an interesting point was brought up. Can’t all this potential violence be solved by just handing Zeke (or technically, the zombie-formerly-known-as-Zeke) over?

Possibly. Seems like it could work. Will it be tried? That’s for me to know, and you to find out. Right now, it seems like Suzie and Muriel are hell bent on sizing each other up, and that’s not leaving much room for logic.

But hey, that speaks to me. Most of the confrontations I’ve gotten into in my life are not really a matter of destiny, so much as an interaction that spirals out of control, often without any warning. One or both of you has had a bad day, and suddenly your hearts are thudding away and you’re screaming horrible things, with the blood buzzing in your ears drowning out all sense except your need for Fight or Flight.

Of course there’s certainly something to be said for the epic clash of legendary figures, foretold in prophecy to decide whether the land will survive, or fall to everlasting darkness. But I think movies like Unforgiven or various Coen brothers offerings show an equally compelling vision of the kind of conflict we’re more familiar with… the ones that spring not from starkly defined avatars of good and evil, but from unfortunate coincidences, bad timing, and tempers in the heat of the moment.

Regardless of which type you’re going for, writing a believable confrontation shares a common element, whether it’s a staredown between cosmic beings deciding the fate of the multiverse, or two middle-aged moms spying the last available Christmas toy their child had their hearts set on. I heard it expressed best by Bob Goodwin, who sat next to me on the “Violence in Storytelling” panel at CombatCon last year, and while I can’t supply an exact quote, this is basically what he said:

When you have a confrontation going on between characters, imagine they’re in a room, and behind each is a door. If they turn around and leave through that door, they’re free. The confrontation is over.

Why don’t they use that door?

Greed? Revenge? Pride? Honor? Protecting others? Or even, as noted above, the simple fight or flight decision of a tense moment unraveling beyond reason, causing a fist to be thrown instead of unclenched?

If, as a writer, you don’t have an answer as to why the characters in your staredown don’t just leave/give ground, then any subsequent conflict may ring a little hollow.

In subsequent weeks, I suppose we’ll be finding out how well I can practice what I preach. For now, though, as I write this it’s Valentine’s Day in the States, and I promised I’d put my meager cooking skills to the test tonight in whipping up a meal for Dawn and myself. See you next time!