April

“April had spent an embarrassing number of hours in front of the mirror perfecting her ‘hat pop’, as she fondly thought of it. She planned to debut her move at the company Christmas party this year, but in a casual way, like she didn’t really think anyone would notice.”

…

 April had always considered herself to be an introvert, but her new hat just brought out a feeling of showmanship in her that she hadn’t known existed. She was excited for the upcoming holiday season’s fancy events where she could strut around amidst the party-goers, many of whom didn’t know her, and confidently make wisecracks and drink whiskey.

She felt like this might just be the turning point in her social life. In anticipation of this, she was working on a draft list of New Year’s resolutions that might fit with her new persona for 2018. She didn’t want to jump the gun, so she would finalize the list when she got home from her New Year’s Eve party (assuming she was invited to one.) She really had a good feeling about #34* though.

*Resolution #34: Take up miming as a hobby – look into night school options.

Sneak Preview!

Here’s one of our new comics! It will be available as part of our limited edition book, Shiftyville Comics Vol. 1.

“In a desperate attempt to revive her Swedish Ivy, Bobbi tried singing it some Abba. It actually appeared to be having a negative effect, but she knew a lot of songs and wasn’t ready to give up yet. She might have to take a quick break though because she was getting a bit parched from belting it out for so long. She always forgot to drink enough water.”

Gertie

“Gertie’s defiance of the “dress in layers” movement was once again calling into question her commitment to proving a point.”

…

The day that Gertie glanced out from the bus and saw the parka in the thrift store window was not a day she would soon forget. (In fact, it was only last week, so this was just a guess, really.) She had always wanted a coat with fur around the head and this one was purple and only $15!

She bought it right away and vowed to wear it for the rest of her life. Gertie often made big decisions, with little thought of the consequences, but also she got bored quickly and didn’t stick to them. No one really held it against her.

Her joie de vivre was what kept her friends coming back, not her reliability.

Mei and Mary-Anne

“Mei was easily upset, and while Mary-Anne knew this, she sometimes purposely said things to rile her up. She felt bad about it, but she still couldn’t quite wipe the smug look off her face because it was still fun after about 55 years, and Mei never seemed to catch on.”

…

Mei and Mary-Anne, or M&M, as they liked to be called, had been inseparable since they were kids. They grew up next door to each other, and then decided to become roommates when they moved to the big city after graduation.

It wasn’t really that they got along particularly well, or that they had a lot in common, they just felt it was easier to stick with what they were used to rather than try something new.

One time when Mary-Anne was running late, Mei was waiting in a coffee shop and she saw a group of ladies laughing and talking. They looked friendly and there was an extra chair at their table. She wondered idly what would happen if she went over and introduced herself, but then Mary-Anne came flying in the door, wearing that awful green coat that she knew Mei hated, and life just went on as usual.

 

Marge

 

“Marge only used her horn for political commentary, and so far it was serving her well.”

…

Until she was 37, Marge refused to get her driver’s license. Like with most things in her life, she was attempting to prove a point. In this case, about greenhouse gases.

When she met Jeffrey at an out of town farmer’s market, she decided right then and there that if fate wanted her to drive, she would.

After that, she became interested in Big Pharma and the myriad ways they were killing people for profit. Her level of interest grew to the point where she lost her job (again) and had to sell her hybrid and get a 1985 pick up truck to get out to Jerry’s every weekend for brunch.

Arnie

“Arnie felt compelled to focus more on free jazz these days, but his contract specifically prohibited this genre during happy hour. He decided to test the rules by playing an off-note once or twice every song, and based on the reaction, go from there.”

…

Arnie has really been struggling lately. He wants so much to just make art and be free, but he feels held by society’s ideals of having a “real job” and living in some kind of shelter that includes TVs and a steam shower.

In his down time, Arnie’s been reading blogs about tiny living and freecycling. He is secretly amassing used pallets. If he ends up getting fired from his current gig, he plans to build a fort where he can play his music all day and scavenge all night. He really feels that that would be living the dream.

Emerald

 “Emerald wasn’t going to deny that she’d lost her temper a bit, but that post had been worth a lot more likes and for sure a couple of shares. Obviously, it was no cat video, but it was pretty awesome for a smoothie recipe.”

…

Emerald is actually a very nice person. She knows that she sometimes takes things (and herself!) way too seriously, and she’s working on that.

A couple of her goals for this year are to eat healthier and get more exercise. Emerald is finding that the most difficult part of achieving these goals is her competitive nature getting in the way of her self-improvement. Instead of enjoying an evening walk, she often finds herself speeding around the track, cutting off old ladies while she plots her next meal.

She only posts smoothie recipes for the praise she gets, not really for others to enjoy. She’s working on that too.