I think this page is cursed. The first time I tried to upload it, Page 015 kept displaying. After breaking out a really sharp knife and holding it to the laptop monitor, the computer finally gave in. But I’m still not turning my back to it anytime soon.

True story: I owned a shirt just like the one James is wearing in high school. So yeah, that means I’m outfitting characters in my hand-me-downs. Sue me.

True story: Principal Praglin is based in full — name, appearance, attitude — on my fifth grade math teacher, Richard Praglin. He was an evil bastard who once, when I asked to use the bathroom during class, told me to “tie a rope around it.” Payback’s a bitch, Praglin.

Déjà vu? Is that foreshadowing we smell? Hmmm?

Man, is that a great sound effect, or what?

I’ve been waiting months to do that scoreboard effect. I hope you appreciate it.

Just a heads’ up: Next week’s episode could be three pages … or it could be one. I’ve been trying to keep the pacing at two pages a week (both for my own sanity and easy digestion), but the next “scene” is kind of split, and I’m wondering now if it would be better rearranged. Um, it’ll make more sense next week. Check back then.

I must be getting more comfortable with this strip, because I actually broke out of the white gutter, grid panel layouts we’ve seen since the start of The Utopian. I normally don’t like the floating-panel-on-black-background style, but for this page depicting various students listening to James’ speech all at once, I think it worked. No?

You have no idea how excited I was to finally get to draw James in his makeshift costume. And totally rip off Batman poses. Actually, a little behind-the-scenes moment for you: The pose design for James in the last panel was adapted from an entry into the Project: Rooftop Batman costume re-imagining contest I never submitted. Maybe one day I’ll post those sketches just for the heck of it. Anyway, yeah.

So begins Part 002 of The Utopian. Things are going to start happening hard and fast. OK, not really, the pace is going to stay about the same. But things will happen! I mean, they are. But I swear, if I have to draw another crowd scene or football game, I’m going to scream. You have to wonder why I would write these scenes in the first place, right? Ah, well, I suppose the end justifies the means. So, enjoy, and as usual, I want your feedback! So comment or whatever.