Wow, I’ve been busy haven’t I eh? Yes siree. Forgot about the blog for a minute … OK I didn’t but I’ve taken a few more days than normal to get round to writing anything. First-time visitors to the blog would be forgiven for thinking I’m talking total bollocks right now and have no idea where this meandering prose is going?! Hahahaha, ahhh, youth.Yeah, no, I have no idea where this is going, sure.
But I thought I should give a comic update because (1) comics are cool, and (2) updates are nice. Still no idea OH WAIT let’s talk about self harmy stuff eh? Seems like many people in society are learning new lessons about trauma and grace and kindness and self-care and fiascos right about now, and yearning for more, asking for more, begging for some depth to their relationships well looky what we have here, eh? Bloody marvelous humans learning bloody marvelous life lessons, eh wot wot? Super duper says me! Keep going keep going yessss!! Perhaps the seeking is part of the finding, wotwot.
When I asked people what their favourite metaphor was on the recent comic, the VAST majority said either anger-is-broken-glass, or PTSD-is-cheese-everywhere. Iiiiinnterestingggg. The proper, grown-up, real-life-issues metaphors, there.
Anyway, after hundreds and hundreds of comments (thanks everyone), here are a few of my faves:
- … Skyler’s description of trauma, though difficult to parse at first read, really resonated with me. As someone who’s been dealing with post traumatic stress for a very long time [disabled veteran], I don’t think I’ve ever heard it explained in such a simple and relatable way. [Ahh, that’s good. Yes I wondered how to explain it for a long while, that one. People often think of PTSD as something only soldiers can suffer, but it’s a very common, normal thing to go through and our societal understanding is sadly not very advanced. I only wrote about the topic because of my own experience with it, and it seems part of the exploration of difficult stuff is getting to that stage of sharing the story, no matter how much we have denied and belittled it in the past. A good thing to discuss.]
- I feel like reading your comics makes me, all around, a better person. [Yay! I feel like writing them is helping me to work some stuff out too, so it’s all good :)]
- While you may never win a Nobel prize (unless you already have, who knows?), what you’re doing has genuine importance. [Plus it has boobies! No Nobel prize yet, but if I win one for these comics it’s going to be one hell of an awkward ceremony.]
- … bit by bit you’re taking this genre, this concept and dismantling it to build something with value that lingers in the mind long after the eyes have rolled back, things have been wiped and curtains re-opened. [Perhaps it will have some impact on the genre … perhaps not, but at least it may have some effect on the brilliant humans who read the comics. I figure people are going to absorb porn anyway, might as well be personally affected by it]
- You do amazing stuff for the good of humanity. [I mean I also do it for the good of my own fapping, so I can’t quite take the high road on that one haha!]
- I think “You punch like Mozart” is my new favourite insult. [Same]
- I don’t understand why theres a Jacuzzi in the armory, but I will accept it. [Hahaha!]
- When I asked my son about self harming, he gave exactly the same answer as Charlie in your Lithium comic. I admire what you’re doing. [Ahh, that sounds like a tough conversation to have, I’m sorry. It’s a very human thing, trying to balance ourselves and dealing with mismanaged turmoil. In some ways I still do it myself. Some people self harm by buying eighty pairs of shoes, some people do it by eating a kilo of jam. The question is what are we covering? Too often we simply don’t know, and it’s our subconscious that’s suffering. A profoundly difficult but wonderful topic to try and discuss openly.]
- Every time i read your works, I find that there’s a huge level of both self awareness and also good research and understanding of how people act, believe, behave and work to both heal each other and harm each other (and themselves). [Thanks. In a way the thing I’m doing is really very simple – just being honest about how I personally act, believe, behave and heal and harm myself and others. It’s a bit of a humbling process …]
- … in a way it seems he (Bob) has drawn a shockingly violent end for his crew. I don’t like the prospect of having to face this. Please be gentle with the ladies on board of that RV. [don’t worry, I will certainly be gentle. Bob’s point of view is not absolute; you’ll enjoy Lithium #9 🙂 ]
- OMG! OOOMMMMGGGG!!!!!!! STfw, One human, the Lithium Comic….THEY’RE ALLL CONNECTED!!!!!!!! It’s one big f’n story!!!!! This is SO COOL!!!!!!! You’ve got your own little “MCU” going on! Mind BLOWN!!!! [Hehehh. And ‘Telepathic Hentai TSRST9000’, too, don’t forget that one.]
- OMG Tony Blair!!! [Haha! And Michael Portillo! Mmmmm, nineties pinups …]
- I haven’t read a smart, witty porn comic like this for like …. forever. [Happy to help]
… aaanyway, I know the comics aren’t perfect really, and I don’t want to focus entirely on their ‘worthiness’, because let’s face it the real reason I make them isn’t out of some righteousness or sense of doing things ‘for the good of humanity’, the real reason I do them is because I like my mind to wander away with the fairies, and I like to read stories that are sexxxxyyyyyy AF. So … you know … might as well write and create the stories I wanna read, right? Right! But I’m glad other humans appreciate my little stories too, that’s always nice 🙂
So yeah … if you managed to read this far: Lithium #9: halfway done and includes a cheeky bath scene 🙂
