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Reason for Hiatus and a couple of other things

1. It's an open secret that Guy (our intrepid artist), has struggled with addiction for years, but aside from an occasional tooth brush stuck to the teeth, I really thought that he had his Paste Eating under control. I was wrong.

You see, unbeknownst to his friends and family, Guy's affliction had reached a level to where, rather than giving him the euphoric high that he had once come to expect, sucking down 5 bottles of Elmer's (his gateway glue of choice) every morning only served to now mask the withdrawal symptoms for a little while, and he was desperate to find something more powerful so that he could actually feel again.  And in that desperation, Guy was arrested last week for cornering private-school kids on their way to Harbor Country Day, and stealing all of their ultra-premium art supplies. 

Hitting rock bottom in this fashion has made Guy realize that he has a serious problem, and, as a result, he will be in rehab for at least the next two months. During this time of self-improvement, he will not be able to draw Hangmen, as any use of creative instruments (including colored pencils) is strictly forbidden, due to the high likelihood of negative associations vis-a-vis his sticky predilection.

I applaud Guy's effort to get help (court mandated or not), and his situation should serve as a reminder of how close we all are to falling off the edge.  So get well soon buddy, Hangmen will be here when you return, and I promise to use scotch tape from now on for all my adhesive needs.

2. The proceeds from this month's T-shirt will help offset some of the cost of Guy's treatment (Passages ain't cheap).

3. In this unexpected break from Hangmen, Hat and Tie will run every Monday and Thursday on the Home Page, as well as on all of our social media outlets.

Don't let your fingers get stuck on the keyboard of life,

M. Allen

Nostalgia

This clip reminds of that magical time in like 2007, when White America collectively discovered The Wire on Netflix and became briefly outraged with the state of race relations in this country: 

I would have totally written my congressman, but I ran out of stamps that week.

Omar's comin, 

M. Allen

3 Things (Redux)

1. Remember, Strip 13 is the second installment of a three-part series, which I'm sure will wrap up in a not disappointing way at all, next week 

2. For those of you who are still confused by the inclusion of an anthropomorphized Gold Bar in many of the strips, the Glossary now provides a detailed justification for its existence.  

3.  And if you have been underwhelmed by the row of garbage sacks that are masquerading as candidates, I give you our next president:

That's some good diplomacy,

M. Allen (writer)


This Week in Hangmen

1. Discerning readers will notice that one of the crowd members in the last panel of today's comic is actually wearing February's T-shirt of the Month.  And even though I have been warned that crossing streams in this manner is potentially world destroying (thanks grandma), I just couldn't pass up such an obvious co-branding opportunity.

2. Hopefully, Strip 12  illustrates that, aside from all of the cannibalism and religious fervor, Zorkanes are really just regular folk who enjoy discussing the historical significance of the textile industry in American Society as much as the rest of us do.

3. This week's installment is also the first of three related stories (Strips 12-14), because there is no such thing as a bad trilogy.

Jar Jar Binks was unfairly demonized,

M. Allen (writer)

New Glossary Section

In an effort to make the Hangmen Universe slightly more intelligible, a Glossary of important terms and characters will be updated as needed.  This week, we learn about the mysterious Zorkanes, who have appeared on the fringes of the story several times already, without being overtly recognized.

Additionally, the first glossary entry was included before Strip 11, because hopefully the additional information will slightly shift the focus of a joke that many of you have already seen during the Kickstarter phase of the project.

And lastly, we are sticking with the term Glossary over a perhaps more clever way to describe an informational index, because in my experience there is nothing quite as nostalgic/sensual as a used 5th grade social-studies text book.

You're all posers,

M. Allen (writer)

3 More Things Again

1. Strip 10 was part of a test run that we completed several months ago, but we have waited to publish it until now, due to overarching narrative continuity concerns. So rather than focusing on the perhaps incongruous art style, instead please enjoy what hipsters call the "authentic" Hangmen experience. 

2. February's T-Shirt of the Month commemorates the only holiday that is worth celebrating year-round (take that Veterans Day, you showy has-been).

3. Just what exactly is going on in Korea?

Zutter,

M. Allen (writer)

Format

We will continue to experiment with the format of the strips (single page, gallery, wide view), because:

A) the flow of each individual comic (based on content) can be optimized by utilizing different presentations; and

B) distracting my mind by varying patterns is the only way to keep my nihilistic tendencies in check.

Hopefully things still matter,

M. Allen (writer)

3 More Things

1. I hoped that Strip 8 would serve a good refresher/introduction to the comic, but inevitability it devolved into the same esoteric quagmire of labyrinthine madness that all the other strips are. So good job us, for staying on brand, I guess.

2. We maintain our fealty to the Coca Cola Corporation in this week's Costa Rican Photo Journal.

3. MLK Day: Overrated

Only the cool kids sit in the back of the bus,

M. Allen (writer)

Inside Look

I didn't consciously realize it when writing Strip 7 (Home Page), but seeing the comic in its completed form made it fairly obvious that deep down I am unhappy with with my family's current relationship dynamic. We don't hate each other, and no one has done anything malicious, but we are certainly not as close as we could be.

I suppose that its only natural for families to drift apart over the years as disappointments pile up, but it shouldn't be this way.  Why are we so quick to penalize the ones who we are supposed to love the most for their shortcomings or what they don't have? We should instead be championing their strengths and recognizing them for who they are as people.  This destructive pattern needs to change, and I need to try and change it.

So hopefully, I can start by forgiving the faults in my family, and perhaps more importantly, they can start forgiving the faults in me.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, the next time I see my brother, that 3-second hug is going to be replaced by a 5-second one (if you know what I mean).

It's the motion in the ocean,

M. Allen (writer)

New T-Shirt for the New Year

The turning of the new year historically and perhaps symbolically marks a time for self-improvement, be it in the forms of physical vitality, financial gain, or career ascension, just to name a few.

And while this type of goal-setting can certainly prove beneficial, I would caution against losing your true-self in the pursuit of aspiration.

Keeping that in mind, I hope January's T-Shirt of the Month will serve as a reminder of what is actually important, as you strive for greater success in 2016.

Wear it with pride and stay grounded,

M. Allen (writer)

New Sponsor

We have decided to proactively create a sponsorship relationship with Diet Coke, for both humanitarian and carbonation reasons alike. And in deference to this new symbiosis, Strip 4 is now being utilized as a tool to demonstrate our commitment to brand loyalty over all other concerns. 

But if for some reason Diet Coke objects to this unilateral agreement (becomes aware of its existence), they could either:

A) try to sever all ties with the Hangmen Universe through a long and arduous court battle where both sides are left bloody and beaten; or

B) just send a little hush money over this way to quench my thirst for good.

Your move Coca Cola Corporation,

M. Allen (writer)

3 Things

1. Strip 2 is now currently available on the Home page, which means that this comic has been allowed an internet presence (stupid FBI) for about one-and-a-half more strips than I originally expected.

2. If you haven't already, please like us on Facebook and help Mark Zuckerberg out with his traffic numbers a little bit. He's had a pretty tough life up to this point.

3. Paella: Underrated

We done,

M. Allen (writer)

 

 

 

 

Website Start

Greetings to those who need salvation!!! I am so happy that we have decided to take this journey into madness together. Here are just a few housekeeping details before we get started in earnest:

1. If you are new to the Hangmen universe (how dare you), I would suggest reading this overview of the comic first before moving on to the strips. You can do what you want of course, but I think that the content is experimental enough as it is, even with some context provided.

2. Each new strip will post on the Home page every Monday starting with today (11/30/2015). There was some consideration in regards to posting multiple strips a week, but despite appearances, the creation of each comic is very time consuming, and for sanity's sake you may be better served spacing out consumption a little bit. But if you are determined to binge (careful Icarus), all previous strips can be found in the archive.

3. This very blog will also be updated periodically with both practical information (yawn) and some super terrific auxiliary content (wahoo). Please check the annex for further details. Ooh, Costa Rican Photo Journal (so mysterious).

4. Additionally, please like us on Facebook for all comic updates as well as for some new panels that will be first revealed on the social media behemoth.

Happy Hunting,

M. Allen (writer)