Just for the sake of reference, for those of you who saw this early on, when I woke up this morning I noticed a MAJOR error in perspective that I just had to correct.  I also noticed that the speech bubbles were confusing and so I decided to ape a technique from Jason Brubaker (I don’t think he minds) and introduce colored speech bubbles.  It was such an effective method he employed, and I think it works well.  And as this whole thing is just my comics experiment anyway, I have few qualms about making changes like this.  I retconned the technique to the start of the chapter, by the way.  So, you know.  Oh, and here’s a handy banner if you feel like voting:

To everyone in the United States, strange as it is to say it for such a solemn day, Happy Memorial Day.  Gosh, it seems odd to say “happy” on a day that commemorates all the soldiers and citizens who have fallen in the cause of the Revolution and the Republic.  But in that typical and incongruous American way we have, we’re all celebrating by relaxing, going to the beach and eating hamburgers.  Well, whatever.

Here’s the next page, though!  It’s the first “official” appearance of the UNA Heavy Battlesuit, which is technically the GPzKpZ Ausf. H, designed in Germany, redesigned in the United States, manufactured in Mexico, and here worn by two Ukrainian exiles.  I like the design a lot, and it has a rather more clunky look than the typical UNA suit, more like a deep-sea diving rig, which goes with it being a radiation-resistant design.  The medic also has a portable “Jaws of Life” which I added at the last minute because it just seemed to tie his suit’s design together.  The silhouetted vehicles in the background are Howler-PC’s, hover personnel carriers whose general idea is an homage to Ogre, but which are themselves a totally different design that has more in common with a low-flying helicopter than a genuine hovercraft.  You’ll see more of them later.

So anyhow, met me say that a three-day weekend could not possibly have come at a better time for me, as I’ve gotten really burnt out the last few weeks and I really needed the time off.  I’ll likely spend most of tomorrow doing nothing, though I hope to jump-start the next two-page spread: I already have a really groovy layout in mind.

And of course, as I frequently do, I have placed the full spread for these two pages at your disposal – it is a mere vote away over at topwebcomics.com!  Or on my deviantart page, if you feel like seeing it but not voting for me.  But I really wish you would, anyway, as silly as it may seem.

And on the subject of the long-vaunted merchandise: it’s here, and it looks really great!  I am still not telling what it is, though, as I can’t make it available JUST yet.  For one thing, I have some logistics to work out vis-a-vis how safely to deliver it to people, as that will in large measure determine what I have to set as the price.  And also I happen to live in a state that has rather byzantine commerce laws, so I have to determine what exactly I need to do in order to be ALLOWED to sell them.  But I promise I will make the price very reasonable, and delivery very prompt.  And I do think that they’re pretty cool.  So more on that soon, but soon is even sooner than it’s ever been before!

So until next week, folks, be well and keep on doing whatever it is you do!