New Short Comic - Swamp Ape

I'm so incredibly sensitive about human and animal welfare. That's not a brag. Frequent public weeping isn't exactly a superpower. I become overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness when I see animals hurting.

But. I've recently discovered I can sometimes write my way out of the melancholy, like a lobster scooting backwards out of a trap. When I saw a particularly moving story about abandoned orangutans, I decided to write them a guardian.

Here's our backstory for a famous photo...

Story: Yours Truly
Art: Javi Laparra

Lettering: Justin Birch

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Please consider donating a dollar to International Animal Rescue's Borneo Orangutan project. Unfortunately, nobody can help the orangutans except us humans. So, pony up. 

Writing Prompt

How about you? If you could re-write a wrong, what would it be?

Disclaimer Town

I have work to do when it comes to clarity. Everyone who reads this has to ask me questions about it. Which is bad. But I'm learning. I think this script is better than Author. I can feel myself getting a better handle on how to harness the turn of the page or the natural way the eye reads left to right and up to down for the benefit of reveals. You would think a lifetime of reading comics would make an initial attempt at writing them less clumsy. 

Alas...a clumsy effort is an effort nonetheless.

New Short Comic - Author

I'm still learning this format. It's hard. I'm obviously struggling with clarity. But the artist (Javi Laparra) and letterer (Justin Birch) I'm working with are tremendous. I don't want their work to go unseen just because I'm a perfectionist Debbie Downer.

I have three more scripts I'm currently redrafting that are better. Prey, Sunk, and Mothers. But this was my first attempt at a short comic. Two pages only. The concept has been knocking around my brain since college.

Obviously, the idea was fresher back in 2003. It's been done to death now. Back then, I was still really obsessed with Shane Black's The Long Kiss Goodnight. I thought about how funny it would be if an ordinary woman just thought...well, you'll see...

Story: Yours Truly
Art: Javi Laparra
Lettering: Justin Birch

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These were Patreon exclusives for a few months. A two page short comic costs me about $400 to create. If you want to chip in to help me continue creating short comics, essays, or anything else, consider becoming a Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/audreybrownwrites or sending a one-time donation to: https://www.paypal.me/AudreyMarieBrown

I'm so intensely thankful to the people who support me. I also take requests and commissions! This month, I'm writing a creative nonfiction essay about my grandma for Liz Tippy!