And that's pretty much how it went for all of us. So many people thought it would be no big deal to adjust to the Atlantic crossing; we are now in the same time zone as Stockholm, Budapest, and Tripoli.
And so people were talking about how they were going to "power through it" and just force themselves to stay up, and then by nightfall they'd be so tired they'd fall asleep instantly and w...
2024-11-15 17:00:13 +0000 UTC
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Some pictures of my current circumstances: KFOR, Kosovo Force. Above, the flag pole near the administrative center of Camp Bondsteel.
Our living conditions, called "seahuts". Each seahut has about 4 rooms, with a maximum of four people per room. I am in a room with two others, so I have a bit of ...
2024-11-13 17:00:12 +0000 UTC
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"You bes' not be having FUN, boah!"
Not a problem for this dude. He is NOT having fun. Is it upcoming holiday stress?
Deal with your inner demons before becoming problematic to others, dude.
<...
2024-11-11 16:59:01 +0000 UTC
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I have seen something like this play out over and over again: a unit is getting ready for a Big Event such as Annual Training or a deployment or other mobilization, and every time, they start taking it easy with the troops on some of the PT (Physical Training, ie, exercise and sports). No "roughhouse" PT, nothing that will risk a sprain, break, or other injury.
It makes sense, right? The ...
2024-11-08 17:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Well, lookit that. A work in progress! Almost like it is planned or something. Above, the crude pencils, as scanned into the weird office scanner I am using in the KFDOR TOC (Tactical Operations Center).
And the version that is still penciled but has the initial inks (applied digitally).
2024-11-06 17:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Hang in there... try to calm down... don't strangle that person, no matter how much they may deserve it...
I
I mean, imagine how much resiliency this person needs, right? I mean... SASQUATCH! And he's HUNGRY!
2024-11-04 16:59:00 +0000 UTC
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So, this is my first comic done 100% in Kosovo. I am working with a different scanner, and it is set for scanning basic black-and-white documents as Adobe .pdf files. There may be a setting to save as graphic-style .jpg, but I am hesitant to mess with the settings because everyone else in the office seems to need them set the way they are.
So I scan things to my work email as .pdf's, then...
2024-10-30 17:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Ready to get coked up on SUGAR!? Watch out for them Pixie Stix!
Ohhh, yes, that's... ummm... pretty scary. Clowns are still considered kinda scary, right?
But you're DRESSED as a Blobfish...! It's a...
2024-10-28 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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This is exactly what happened to me, and it does seem to dovetail nicely with Army logic. I've been in Kovoso for about 10 days now and it is has been noticeably colder, wetter, and foggier-- nothing at all like the conditions I was preparing in at Ft. Bliss.
The absurdity came to me as I was sitting in a hot, stuffy, humid warehouse, trying on thick, oversized and heavily insulated Danne...
2024-10-25 16:00:11 +0000 UTC
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This is the other story that came to me for Vox Noctem. I still don't know if I will ever be able to finish this project. If so, then this counts as a "work in progress" towards the building of the book, but if not... well, at least it gets shown somewhere.
Remember, the theme for this anthology is "Rescue", so whatever came to mind of the writers when they thought of that word was what ...
2024-10-23 16:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Dogs, dogs, dogs! Above: Good King Butter decrees... food for everyone, especially dogs!
His "Granddog", Princess Sweet Pea, agrees with this. Not that she's biased, of course.
There we go-- that's w...
2024-10-21 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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It happens from time to time!
So this last week I made it to Kosovo, and settled in. I've had some really weird sleeping hours and struggles to stay awake when I should be, and struggles to stay asleep when I should be. But it is evening out. In the meantime, though, I was able to make some progress on comics.
2024-10-18 18:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Would a Farm Dog eat "The Farmer's Dog" dog food? Or would that be cannibalism for him?
Life is always a party down on the farm.
Everyone gets a big hug!
2024-10-14 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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So yes, it is true-- JD Vance was also an NCO, as I mentioned in the Tim Walz cartoon. Vance was a member of the US Marine Corps, while Walz was in the US Army.
Vance was also a Corporal, which in the US military system is "pay grade Enlisted-4", or E-4. There is a sort of mystique about servicemembers of that grade. They seem to have a network of gossip and inside knowledge that feels li...
2024-10-11 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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A really big feature this time. Let's see where it takes us from the primitive pencils above. As an aside, this is the first comic I have done while mobilized for active duty.
This is an early version of the scanned-in pencils where I have just begun to do the inks, but I have not yet deleted th...
2024-10-09 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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What could it be?
Well, Cavemen weren't noted for their personal hygiene, but I don't think that's it.
Well, if he CAN'T do it, then he's not the problem.
2024-10-07 15:59:02 +0000 UTC
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Active Duty Army posts have barbers on them, and even a lot of the larger Reserve and National Guard posts do too. My home station in Boise, Idaho, is home to a brigade of National Guard, as well as an Air National Guard squadron, and some Reserve units as well as a few other government facilities. So even though it is mostly "weekenders", there is a sizeable full-time staff there, including a ...
2024-10-04 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Oh, wow; epic haircut, there, SSG Specter... Above: the initial rough, crude, pencils.
Initial inking after being scanned in.
Cleaned up inks, ready for color.
2024-10-02 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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You must have messed up bad, 'cause it's prison time.
Was it for this crime against humanity?
Even poor ol' Charlie Brown has to bite the pillow to get through this one.
2024-09-30 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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So I mentioned some time ago my plan to make an anthology comic book with the collaboration of some local artists and writers. The idea was going to be "Vox Noctem", which would mean either "night voice" or "voice in the night", depending on how you're doing your Latin.
The idea was, I would announce an overall theme, and people would come up with comic stories ...
2024-09-25 16:17:55 +0000 UTC
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I mean, if a pregnant lady punches you, it IS "two against one" and not fair.
"Anything interesting happen during deployment...?"
They did warn us that some of the biggest discipline issues they had to deal with at previous KFOR rotations was things like this, so... a dull deployment is a good...
2024-09-23 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Welcome new member Wayne as a Sergeant! Above are all the paid tier members, while below is a growing number of unpaid tier members! I'm glad to have you all along for the show!
I got my final authorization for deployment, so I will be leaving my home town somew...
2024-09-18 18:56:51 +0000 UTC
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DO whatever is medically necessary for them! Like... get some Ranch dip, maybe.
Yes, this constitutes an emergency.
Okay, that is NOT "medically necessary".
2024-09-16 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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The crew arrives at Ft. Cavasos in Texas, and of course what's the first thing they do? More of what they already did! Juni and Ken talk about the expectations facing them in this excerpt.
Coming together with some solid inks, now!
2024-09-11 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Before deploying, we had an uptick in alcohol-related incidents. So what does the Army do? More mandatory briefs on the dangers of alcohol consumption! Above: "ASAP" is the "Army Substance Abuse Program", and it is where people are referred to when they are alcoholics or on other substances.
It ...
2024-09-09 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Alright troopies, the weekend is coming up, so time for your safety brief.
If you drink, call a cab or rideshare.
Look both ways before crossing the street, even on one-way roads.
If you swim, swim with a buddy.
Let people know where you are going hiking, camping, or backpacking.
If you "love", use a "glove".
And of course, avoid distractions!
That is...
2024-09-06 15:59:00 +0000 UTC
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Juni is also spending some time on the flight talking with her NCOIC, Staff-Sergeant Specter. What could they be discussing? There will be a special guest star!
The initial "dirty" inks. Dirty, dirty inks!
2024-09-04 15:59:00 +0000 UTC
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They never stop! They just... never... stop...
How it feels... that slow, creeping loss of cognizance.
I think the 35F intel briefings are the best, but I am biased.
2024-09-02 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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So, Juni and Emma get on the plane to begin their big adventure. Where will it take them?
Well, the first stop is some crude-ass inks. Actually these didn't turn out so crudely; I had little clean-up to do beyond the panel borders. Am I getting better, or just lucky?
2024-08-28 15:59:00 +0000 UTC
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Just getting through the day, and.... arrrrgggh!
After a long, difficult, day, it can be best to unwind...
Or you can vent to someone, I suppose.
2024-08-26 15:59:01 +0000 UTC
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