Episode 459: Consequences

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Dave

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Zombie Cliche Lookout: Forcing My Hand

A lot of people don’t like to take responsibility for their actions, and in the zombie apocalypse, they’ll have plenty of actions for which they’ll want to shift responsibility. It’s painful, especially when they look back on things with mixed feelings, or even regret. That’s why they starting coming up with different coping mechanisms, and they’ve got quite a lot to choose from. We’re going to focus on just one today though, and that’s transferring the blame from themselves to someone else, usually the victim. It’s not their fault, because someone else forced your hand. They made you do it. Yeah, it’s a complete cop out, and you know that if you look at the situation logically, but who uses logic in an emotionally charged situation?

About this Episode:

I usually like to mix up my angles a lot so that each panel is at least somewhat visually interesting. I still varied things a bit, but I kept things fairly static because I wanted to keep Abe’s body in every single shot. What Sam just did is a big deal. Yes, Abe was something of a bad guy, but he was still a human being, and Sam just took a life. Sam may never know what Abe’s motivations were, which will haunt him as he looks back on his actions.

Other News:

I want to expand my photography abilities for the comic, particularly when it comes to producing larger scenes. I’m currently using a small lightbox that I built myself. It works okay; but I’m extremely limited in the size of the build I can use. What I would like to do is buy an actual lighting kit that I could setup to cover however big of an area I would need. The problem is, lighting kits are pricey.

That’s where you guys come in. I’m wondering if any of you would be willing to donate a bit to this endeavor. And, if you are, what I can do to recognize it. I was thinking that I could dedicate comics to a person, or include a person as a one-off guest (who probably gets eaten by zombies). If you have ideas here, let me know.

Discussion Question: Coping with Regret

Here’s a nice and simply one for you: how do you cope with things in your past that you regret?

28 thoughts on “Episode 459: Consequences”

  1. I feel sad for Sam… I hope he doesn’t have a new giant trauma on his hands now. It might have been the right thing… The voice of the intelligence is extinguished by the roar of anger and being blind with anger he will never know if missed something and what that something was.

    • I think he’s going to have another trauma to deal with, although he might feel like he was forced into this. Hard to say.

  2. If Sam doesn’t hurry up, there’ll be an addendum to the “About this Episode”, namely that Abe got back up and started to chase after Sam after he turned into a zombie! 😀

    • Hah, we’ll have to see how that plays out.

      • You just know it’ll play out pretty darn well! 😀 Unless Sam magically finds the only exit out of here that doesn’t have him running into Abe’s friends, he’s going to be stuck pretty quickly between the proverbial rock and a hard place, and a zombiefied Abe is going to be the rock, with his friends being the hard place! 😀

  3. I think the Sam we know since the beginning is back…

    With rage gone, I’m curious to see how he will handle the things to come. Abe’s mates, Abe turning, finding a way out… That is a lot of things to plan and he’ll need all his mind and forces to execute them.

    • Cool theories here.

  4. To begin with you act like you don’t have emotions for as long as you are in danger. Then get out, then have yourself a cry later when people aren’t going to rip through you with their own firearms.

    • As for coping with regret? I kind of just accept what I’ve done as a mistake if I ever regret it, and hope that I’ve learned completely from the mistake.

      • Once again; that seems like a pretty healthy way to approach the problem, Calicade.

  5. Right after being super busy, then super sick, then super busy – I am now back for comments!

    Gutted right now, though Sam had turned a corner and things had clicked for him. They say a leopard can’t change its spots….

    On a side note Dave, I love the the use of the red transparent splodge. I really need to get one of those!

    • Glad to have you back, Mark!

      The blood splatter is pretty cool. I wish they made one without a hole in the middle for use on non-studded ground.

  6. Dont write off the new Sam just yet. Sure hes got some regrets, making something dead is a big deal. I have been in the unfortunate position of watching a person die (I was not responsible for their death mind you) and I can tell you its NOT a small thing. What you see in a viewing in a funeral home is not what a dead person actually looks like. Pulling a trigger and watching what had been a live and self-aware human being transform into a slack jawed, blank eyed sack of meat before your eyes would be as traumatic as hell. (although better then watching them re-transform into a shambling cannibalistic corpse I imagine)

    How do I deal with regret, in a word poorly. I will admit that I still wake up in the middle of the night obsessing over relatively minor bad decisions and missed opportunities from 30years ago.

    • Sounds like there’s a pretty painful story there, Damage.

      • All emotional and psychological pain is relative to ones life experiences. The situation sucked I will grant you that, but it was a long time ago and all you have to do is log onto CNN and realize that there are a lot of people going though a whole lot worse every day. Kind of puts things in perspective.

        I was just trying to make the point that just because Sam is expressing regret and shock doesn’t mean he back to being “old” Sam.

        • You’re certainly right; there’s no shortage of tragedy in the world.

  7. I like how the camera is shooting “through” the wall that Abe was dying against. It gives a neat, outsider prospective.

    • Thanks Kim. I try build my sets with easily removable or fold-able walls to allow for more shot angles.

  8. it must be hared to shoot ABE twice

    • That it would.

      • next episode you should make ABE’s frends com in and try.
        to get back at SAM for killing there leader.

  9. Thus we begin the decent either into madness or the gov’s how to be the bad guy book chapter 1.

    • Man THAT would be a plot twist. Sam replaces Abe as the leader of this group and becomes even more ruthless and manipulative.

      • That would indeed be a heck of a twist.

    • Hah

      • Bows with a slightly evil hinting grin and walks off screen.

  10. OK, I’m back after a long period of mock-exams, great to see the return of the comic again after the hiatus!

    I’m looking to get into a college soon that teaches Police and Armed Forces training tactics. Sports are highly encouraged, which brings round the question what sports are the best when it comes to preparedness. We have to consider a sport that involves…
    -Running to the thing
    -Grabbing the thing
    -Running away with the thing from about 15 people
    -Trying to not get jumped
    I would definitely say Rugby. Not one of my favourites in the past, but I’m sure It’ll be enjoyed at this new college.

    • Rugby does spring to mind as do a lot of ball based team sports. What about paintball? Playing capture the flag type games would be perfect, with the added issue of the opposition being able to get you from range as well.