Update -- New Year's Eve

Hello everyone,

I'm afraid I don't have a strip for Thunderstruck this month, not even filler. It seems I'm in the market for a new job. Sounds True, my former employer, initiated a round of layoffs at the close of 2023, and my position was eliminated.This came as something of a surprise, and certainly a disruption. After 20 years working for the same company, it's rather jarring to find oneself adrift. 

With the end of one phase of my life comes the beginning of another. While I don't know what that will look like, I have reasons to be optimistic. Rest assured I have no notions of abandoning Thunderstruck. I did need a month off, though.

2024 promises to be interesting, at least. I wish all of you the best in the coming year, and look forward to sharing more of Sharon and Gail's adventures with you in the months to come.

-Grayson

Comic 807 -- Jude's Story, Part 5

It's not just Jude's story at this point...

So... possible disruption coming. December has a lot of uncertainties in it all of a sudden for me. I'm hoping to stay on schedule, but I'll let you know if that isn't going to work out as soon as I know.

Comic 806 -- Jude's Story, Part 4

The audience starts to contribute...

Everybody's pitching in!

Comic 805 1/2 -- The Gospels of Jude

 Well... sometimes, filler happens.

September got away from me. Between travel, work, and a new novel in the making, I ended up out of time. Here's a little "director's cut" scene for you as I work on the next actual installment.

Comic 805 -- Jude's Story, Part 3

Continuing our story from a bygone age...

I don't suppose all my shadowing will be able to disguise the identity of that figure in Panel 4 from long-term Thunderstruck readers. 

Keep going, Jude. It's a pretty strange story.

Comic 804 -- Jude's Story, Part 2

Jude continues his version of the gospels...

... I mean, some things are the same as the official version, right? Plus we have a kaiju-scale god battle in there, so that's a plus.

Comic 803 -- Jude's Story, Part 1

 Time for a trip to the past...

More to come...

Comic 802 -- Second and First

 Gail finally says it out loud...

So now, we reach a part of Thunderstruck I have been alternately looking forward to and dreading in roughly equal measure. I had actually hoped to put this off a little longer and tell Jude's story later in the chapter, but the sisters weren't having it. And thus, here we go.

Comic 801 -- What Do They Want With You?

 Sharon is not thrilled by Gail's news...

There are some things Gail is going to find difficult to explain in the upcoming pages.

This month, I'm visiting New Orleans. It's been a very long time since my first visit, but as readers of the comic might guess, the city made a deep impression on me. I'm curious to see what it's like so many years later... and if I meet a tall man wearing broken shackles, I expect I should just bow politely and walk on by.

Comic 800 - All Pretty Bad

Gail has a big report to give...

And this is the 800th installment! Holy crap.

Looking through the archives, it's clear that a lot of the old code on this site is outdated... and I must face the fact that I really could use an update. With 800 pages (plus extras), that feels like a kind of massive task. Still, it's probably about time.

Comic 799 -- Only One Law, Redux

 Okay, finally!

This brings us to the end of this interlude. Next up: Gail is stuck with Jude, and Sharon is stuck without a destination...

Comic Delay...

Sorry, everyone. I am going to be a few days late with the comic, owing to a kind of perfect storm of colliding tasks. I should have an update no later than this weekend.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in some new reading material, you might check out Electric Spec. This is a short story magazine for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and all the genres in between. I'm one of the editors, and here's the stories that we're publishing this issue:

• "What the Buck!" by Zoë Blaylock--Discover what happens when the only thing worse than being abducted by aliens is not being abducted by aliens.
• "Hecesiiteihii" by Jim Genia--A young warrior encounters a legend from the pre-colonial past of North America in the modern world.
• "The Willingham Bay Witches" by Sarah Jackson--What's more dangerous than being a detective? Trying to solve mysteries in a town full of witches.
• "Duet for a Soloist" by Jameyanne Fuller--Music and magic intertwine as the rivalry between two sisters reaches its crescendo.
• "Galatea at the Circus" by Ana Gardner--When a virtual being enters a circus of the imagination, her freedom is on the line. 

 I'll update the comic as soon as I can. Thanks for hanging in there...

Comic 798 -- Psyche Gets the News

 Sax finally gets where he wishes to go...

... but it's the baggage, man. Always with the baggage.

 Been a while since we've seen Psyche, hasn't it?

Comic 797 -- About Sacrifice

 Sax finally reunites with his sister...

... or does he?

Happy New Year, everyone. I'm hoping that starting off with a case of Covid doesn't set the tone for the whole year.

Comic Delay — My Luck Ran Out

 So, I finally got smacked down by Covid. It was a good run, but Omicron proved too wily in the end. 

I’ll get the next comic up as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I am going back to sleep.