Tindering.

Originally, I was going to publish this on Valentine’s Day, but I was too preoccupied eating heart-shaped pizza and donuts alone in my apartment. Nonetheless, here’s Nigel, Verona Red, and appropriately Oakley Cupid messing around on Tinder. In case you don’t know what Tinder is, it’s a mobile dating app that allows you to like or reject prospective dates with a swipe of a finger. It’s all really based on physical looks (though it pulls data from your Facebook account), and if you ask me it’s a pretty superficial way to meet someone. Despite that, it’s a pretty interesting game to play with a group of friends.

“How’d you and Daddy meet?”

“We hooked up on Tinder.”

Third Eye Unblind.

Part 28 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

So after a 5-year hiatus, Sausage-Fest is back… but as Ghost Potato. Now you may be asking yourself (although, in reality, I doubt you care), “what happened?” Since the last real comic update, I’ve moved from Chicago to New York, went to graduate school for design, and have had my share of professional freelance and full-time jobs. With school done and the utter craziness that doing a thesis entails now over, I’ve found myself with a little more free time to work on my personal projects. Well, making comics has always had a little place in my heart. As such, I’m continuing from where I last left off: in the midst of the “Occupational Hazards” storyline.

In case you didn’t notice, I totally redesigned the site. The majority of the pages are complete and all the comics from the old site have been imported, and by utilizing what I’ve learned in grad school, my work experiences, and the sheer evolution of the internet, I’ve expanded the comic to some other social media platforms: you can find Ghost Potato material on Facebook and Instagram now. You know, I think you should follow those pages — but that’s just my suggestion.

I’ll update weekly, every Friday. I’ve finished a few during the course of the past five years, and releasing a comic a week allows me to draw more as a hobby while still maintaining some kind of income.

As far as the story and character development are concerned, I wanted to introduce Failure and Fortune’s super cool superpowers: they both can foresee the future; it’s just that Fortune can only see success and general good stuff, while Failure can only predict horrible outcomes and plain shittiness (hence their namesakes). Today’s comic only serves as a foreshadowing of things to come, and as you can see, Failure and Fortune’s design (including the general theme of today’s comic) has been heavily influenced by pagan and occult imagery — but without going so far as calling myself a Satanist. With such foreshadowing in mind, the “Occupational Hazards” storyline is all planned out, with a slew of new characters and plot developments. Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

This Charming Lady.

Part 27 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Here’s a brief history of Verona Red. The guy chained in Hell is supposed to be Pat Doran of the comic, “The Way Life Should Be,” and I haven’t decided yet whether the other demons will be featured in future comics. Lastly, the title is a reference to The Smiths’ song, “This Charming Man.”

Stay tuned soon: 2008 Holiday Cards. Expect them this Friday.

Verona Red.

Part 26 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

Three new characters in a brand new comic: Failure, Fortune, and Nigel’s occupational replacement to Randy, Verona Red. I figured I should add more angel/demon type characters (especially the latter).

So Verona Red, like the missing Randy, is a devil. She functions the same as Randy in the sense that both are meant to tempt humans and balance the universe between good and evil. Verona Red, however, has some feline-like characteristics to her look (like cat ears and whiskers). In terms of personality, she’s supposed to be sultry and somewhat seductive but, generally, with a good heart. If I can relate her to any celebrity, maybe Angelina Jolie or Madonna (how cliched is that?). And if I can give her a voice, she’d be portrayed by Kathleen Turner or Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the voice actress of Julia in “Cowboy Bebop” or the lead role in “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”) — Verona Red would have a deep, breathy voice, like a porn star or phone sex operator.

Yup, Verona Red, Failure, and Fortune have been in development for a long time. I’ve even made a plushie of Verona Red for Renegade: