Fun_NobodyKnows

It is with great pride and joy I officially announce:

Nobody Knows Who The Funk Reuxben Is.
Advance copies are OUT NOW for people on the reserve list from the class of 2010 only, since it's a more time-sensitive case to get them their books. So if you are 2010, you should be getting your book soon. Just be sure--if you haven't already--to email or call with details on how/when/where to make the delivery! And preferably don't be in a crowded place for the delivery, I get sheepish(er) like that.

Anyway, this was a huge undertaking and I literally lived in the JE computer lab for a couple of weeks hurrying to get this and my other final Yale projects wrapped. When the proofs came in Wednesday, that was the first night in a good while that I slept in my room and on a bed, rather than at my library desk or on two library chairs facing each other.

There are still some unreserved copies left for anyone who wants them and you are certainly still welcome to write me for your free copy, but the volumes that are in at present are kinda limited to just 2010s, unless it's a spontaneous sorta thing, or if you will not be here in the fall. The non-2010 copies will be in on Monday and while I can deliver them until Tuesday, after the 25th you can pick up your copy at the JE Dean's office starting this fall.

Special thanks to the great and powerful Loide for her help with the book design. And thank you for helping make this possible! And ironic!

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.Lame

 

You get what you pay for, I guess.

[Update: Final art up top.]
Zero Like Me #109:
Zero Romance #22:
Lame
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 22 on sleeve.

Fun Facts: More than being extremely exhausted from marathoning these YDN assignments plus the regular one over the previous 48 hours, I was also in a huge amount of pain. My arm was absolutely shot. I've even got a blister, so I was drawing literally at blistering speed! So I understood there was no way to get this comic to its full completion in time for press, so I tried to think of creative alternatives, including just having the dialogue bubbles, but no pictures...anyway, this is the result, the final Herald comic of my life.

Baa: I really wanted to feel something turning in this final comic, but I didn't and that weirds me the poop out. I remember really feeling it when I turned in the final installment of Darling Find. But this one's a special case for a couple reasons. First I was physically and mentally exhausted from being up for a couple days drawing, so my capacity to really be conscious of myself was a bit deprived (I don't drink but I get "drunk" when I'm short on sleep, so I relax out considerably). Second, the series isn't done, still got Monday and Thursday. The third reason, I believe might be because the comic doesn't feel finished since it's basically still a thumbnail sketch. But I know I will start feeling it Thursday when I realize that the screaming voice in my head is gone forever, never again to shout "It's Herald Day, get moving!"

Anyway, you didn't hear it from me, but jack kelly got a little choked up (only briefly) doing his finale, a two parter(!) called "representation," found here:

And "thanks," which looks like this:

So there you have it. Herald's done forever. (Final Art Coming Soon, though...?)

Finally, this semester's Thanks section: Emily and Jinjin, for their tolerance and/or help.
And then Special Thanks across the years: Mr. Kato, Mr. Chittenden, Mr. Kanter, Laura Y., Laura B., Cassandra, A. Kaufman, Bonner, Kirk, Joe, the random people who talk to me in the streets who's names I don't even know, and all the people I've inconvenienced at 305 Crown.

In other news...I'm Sudlering a book collection of my comics. They're only printing 50, and about 25+ are already reserved, so if you want one for sure, Ishmael me or get to the JE gallery show they're making me do. If you don't know what I look like, I will be the only one there, and I will be trying to avoid eye contact with my reflection by staring at things on the ground. Further details coming extremely soon.

My dining hall bucket list is about to conclude Saturday: Trumbull dinner/drawing sesh. What an achievement!

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.FakeTales

And yeah,
I'd love to tell you
all my problem.

Zero Like Me #105:
Zero Romance #21:
Fake Tales of New Haven
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 21 in Tale 3. A wacky haircut and Motion City in Tale 1. A Wii and Triforce in Tale 2.

Fun Facts: Tale 1's setting is the OC. Tale 3's setting is based on Fair Haven Elementary School. Garry is proud to live in New Haven for some reason...

This comic came about because I have too many scripts but not enough time...so we are literally cramming it all in there, aren't we? Curtain closes forever next week, on the Herald theatre at least.
They say he changes when the sun goes down...

And I can't get it started on my own.
When are you arriving?
The Herald version actually came out pretty all right.

I wanted to do more with music in my comic. I had this musical character named Justin, but since I was running out of opportunities for comics, I didn't think I'd get to use him again.

But then I thought to do multiple comics in one, like that incredible episode of Avatar, "The Tales of Ba Sing Se," so I lifted that script and plugged it in as the headliner.

It also gave me a chance to say goodbye to my first supporting character, Garry McGruder, someone who I really wanted to use more...the worst part about comicsing during college is you can concretely see what you didn't accomplish in your "life."

Baa: I've been trying to revisit every dining hall for the full dinner shift before I bite the bullet, but I'm running out of time...

TD's Saturday night, SY next Friday night, TC next Saturday, and PC...squeezed in next Wednesday? Anything to complete the world tour, even endure...ugh...college dining halls...

Gosh.

In more upbeat news, that wise latino Gerardo Manera returns in his groundbreaking Herald series, Kill All Your Friends, to salsa and sombrero his way into your heart, with another avant garbage piece, arguably not even a comic, which he entitles, "River," for some strange reason:

Quite frankly...

That hombre really creeps me out.

Or for our Canadian visitors:

That guy really creeps me oot.

Eh?

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.HisWords

Based on a true story.
Zero Like Me #101:
Zero Romance #20:
His Words Destroyed My Planet
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 20 on shirt. jack kelly is even worse than Jack Wills.

Fun Facts: Today's setting is jolly old JE, where many tragedies occur. Today's target is based on a composite of people.

Baa: In commemoration of the event that triggered this comic, every year around this time I update my status to say I'm "Cute Without the E," which is an obvious reference to being Cut From the Team. So this comic goes out not to any one person in particular.

Man, the Herald version isn't too flashy (I knew from the get go I was going to be pressed for time...)

Anyway, back to behind the scenes stuff... I was so thrilled when Motion City Soundtrack did a song called "Her Words Destroyed My Planet." I think I was in WLH waiting for Harold Bloom's class to start when they unveiled it on their website, actually. The reason I love that song is because it perfectly articulated what I've been struggling with for the past few years. So I was determined to do a comic after finally, clearly understanding the concept beyond an instinctual level.

If it weren't for certain happenings, I would not have had this push to do comics, and I have no idea what would have happened to me if I didn't have this outlet in the thick of it.

So although I may come off as a cynical turd, I'm actually pretty optimistic, and can see the bright side (and dark side) of most situations. For creative reasons I dwell on the parenthetical latter, but at heart I'm all about the former.

Anyway, to help celebrate the 100th/101st Zero Like Mes, I rallied up a lily-livered little fart named jack kelly to bust out some Herald action.

Hilariously, the little dork got cut because we needed another ad in the paper, but what makes me more furious than seeing him in print is seeing him online against his will.

So despite jack kelly's insistence that I not publish his comic on my site, just to tick him off, here is his comic, a Removal online exclusive called "conan twins," which looks like this:

Wow, wasn't that hilarious?

I didn't think so. Now beat it, kid, you bother me.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.NinjaYouCrazy

Everybody get down.
Zero Like Me #97:
Zero Romance #19:
Ninja, You Crazy!
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 6. Romance 19 in panel 2. Ibuki style. Umezawa's Jitte. Dan's Squareman! Cobra Kai never die. 1988.

Fun Facts: Today's setting is the Wimmin's Taybull area of Cross Campus. More importantly, this is how the Herald does April Fools, fools. We were trying to figure out what to do this year and I mentioned I was planning a comic about ninja, and then it ended up being our team theme--this is the first year we've had a unified theme.

I am thrilled we've been able to continue the April Fools specials I started at both the YDN (2nd year) and the Herald (3rd year)--I wasn't sure the Herald would be on board this year, but we ended up getting it together literally at the last minute! I'm also happy that all the YDN regulars joined in, too.

The keen eye can spot a jack kellyian getting murdered, as right he should be, but the keener eye can spot a Squareman, the signature character from my original Herald Comics editor, Dan. He was the first one to print a comic by me and was really encouraging, and thus remains a crucial human being in my existence.

The other key player, Mr. Chittenden, is still involved with comics. He was my Herald editor after Dan, and he helped teach me the basics of incorporating computers into my work--including helping teach me how to make the first Herald Fools Special possible, techniques I used again this year.

Baa: Freshman Year, I met this black guy who loved rap but hated the N-word--predicament! But the kid said rather than N-bomb, he uses the word "ninja," and that nugget of trivia has been bouncing around in my head ever since.

I also drew a ninja for Zach's comic, which is visible here.

The character on the get-up says Rei, which is Japanese for "Zero" and the pose is Ralph Macchio.

I was in Japan when I saw a Zero fighter, the Pearl-Harboring kamikaze plane, in a naval museum. I was planning my next Herald series at the time, so I wrote "Zero" down as a cool possible villain's name.

But then I ended up creating a YDN comic, and I needed a name for a severely depressed guy. And I thought Zero was perfect for multiple reasons, one of which is it's about valuelessness, but also the kamikaze connotation.

I wasn't sure how the color might get screwed up on this (as it tends to whenever I use color for printed comics), so I went overboard with precautions, including using CMKY and stuff, which kinda really impaired the lines.

Coloring can be fun...but lines are so much more interesting...

So basically, what I'm trying to say is I wanna be just like you.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.Etiquettes

[Update: Final art]

Smoke 'em if you got 'em. But preferably don't.
Zero Like Me #93:
Zero Romance #18:
Etiquettes
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 18 in panel 1. "Howell" and "TSGA" also in panel 1.

Fun Facts: Today's setting is the bus stop I use to get to the school I volunteer at. I inadvertently wrote this comic in an email with the lead singer of the Sandy Gill Affair, while doing research for this comic.

Baa: Rock music is the best, and rap is only good if you're either joking around or...this.

Yeah. Although I really enjoyed the "Art of Freestyle" documentary at the Whitney Humanities Center. And speaking of cool rap documentaries, you cannot go wrong wiff diss, son.

Start conversations with strangers.

Final art coming soon.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.ShirtShow

What kind of idiotic name is "football" for this "sport," anyway?
Zero Like Me #88
Zero Romance #17:
Shirt Show
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 17 on building, curious Post-It note on wall. Some city elements inspired by the profile photo of The Ivy League, a great band that broke up.

Fun Facts: They were talking about soccer jerseys in my Icons and Material Culture class Tuesday, coincidentally, but this comic was inspired when I saw someone wearing an AIG United outfit on Beinecke Plaza and I just started laughing when I thought of Z's lines.

I often break out laughing based on hypothetical conversations and adventures I have with people I see on the street (before I turn those hypos into comics) so needless to say, I have difficulty remaining serious around certain people.

Baa: I got a little excited about soccer when I caught a couple games on TV during the last Global Glass, but it's just too much Oh! So close! moments with hardly anything actually happening. And there's hardly any drama: you know a team's not making a miraculous comeback at a certain point.

My favorite memory is when this Chilean dude who lived across from me Freshman Year was in our suite one day raving about a game he saw where one team "slaughtered" the other. Unimpressed, I asked, "Really? What was the score?" His spirits dropped in defeat, "1-0." Pwnd.

Soccer sucks. It's all about baseball, what what?

USA! USA! USA!

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.Warebitland

Can I get some help now?
Zero Like Me #82
Zero Romance #16:
Little Zero in Warebitland
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance XVI in trees. The whole thing's a tribute to Chris Ware and Windsor "Silas" McCay. Actual dialogue from Nemo and Rarebit in the final panel, plus a Shakespeare ref, even!

Fun Facts: This was a lot of fun to research--I happened to have the complete Nemo and Rarebit Fiend laying around my room cuz I'm supposedly using them for my senior thesis, and I also had a Chris Ware Quimby the Mouse book sitting on deck, too, so I finally figured out how to unite 'em all. I've been wanting to do a McCay tribute since I started Zero Romance, and a Chris Ware tribute since even earlier, so I can now scratch two things off my bucket list.

I love how Chris Ware just goes for the throat, so I tried to go there, too, drawing from some nice little memories I store up for just such occasions.

Baa: I took a course on graphic novels, where I discovered Chris Ware. It blew my mind when I realized you can actually read his comics in multiple ways depending on which panel order you choose, so in my attempt to mimic him, I tried to make this comic as interactive as possible, so you can play around with it--you can read the comic in three or four different ways.

I've mentioned Chris Ware in every paragraph it seems...well he's really that amazing. Ugh, I got so close to getting him for a Master's Tea, but like a wild Suicune, he fled just when I got my hopes up!

Anyway, this comic goes out to you-know-who...

Hey Chris, Final Art Coming Soon,

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.PrettySneakySis

Never let the walls down, never let them in.
Zero Like Me #78
Zero Romance #15:
Pretty. Sneaky. Sis.
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 15 in panel 1 of row 2. Sorta J. H. Williams III style (the center of the comic roughly forms a giant outline of Nyao) Jada Pinkett Smith's Oscar gowns plus Anastasia Romanov (animated) inspired Alexis Blight's evening wear. Callback to that tape recorder.

Fun Facts: Scarletto's is based on where I had the greatest meal of my life.

Baa: I don't know what people wear on dates, so I just went for Oscar wear. It sucks that male fashion doesn't really exist. Isn't that weird?

They apparently scheduled Rise and Return on the same night as the Yale-Harvard basketball game again, but I was totally out of the loop so I missed the mini-Game (the only interesting Yale sport, actually) and it was close too, dangit, down to the wire.

Go back to FB01 and chant "do you remember?" to get your fix of depression. Works like a harm.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.DeathBeforeDisco

Don't believe the hype!
Zero Like Me #74
Zero Romance #14:
Ransom Dan Pt.3: Death Before Disco
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: Romance 14 in panel 1, Jane, shoutout to third of three YDN EICs this week (completing my collection), new challenger named after the OGs. 1933 counts, right?

Fun Facts: Today's setting is loosely based on just outside the Silliman Master's house (creepy dark skinned guy wearing all black snapping photos of your house...check!). This is based on a writing exercise I did, a fake news article about Ransom Dan's implosion (hence the heavy text).

I had this reporter character stored away in my notes and felt this was the best time to pop him out. He wears rabbit ears to get better reception because he's a TV newsman and he uses a carrot instead of a mike so he can have a snack after covering his story while remaining in theme. I thought it was a nice Eiichiro Oda sort of bizarre touch.

Baa: From what I gather, Lady Gaga is a fashion dynamo and her outrageous style is pretty neat. The Crayon had a show where they warmed the crowd up by having us sing a Lady Gaga song, and I was like the only person in the room who had no idea what was going on. Pretty ridiculous.

One of the biggest motivations to do this comic was because I love puns and I noticed that I could make a RuPaul reference, but also I wanted to try this weird news format since I wanted to kill Ransom Dan. A lot of improvised nonsense thrown in for good measure, too. I want to make higher concept comics, like how Gerard Way runs the Umbrella Academy with such high fiction. Above is the banner I ran all week leading up to the Ransom Dan World Tour, with the following dates:

Jan 30 Jonathan Edwards (Secret Basement Show), Encore - Woolsey Hall :: Feb 5 Timothy Dwight :: Feb 6 Pierson :: Feb 12 Davenport :: Feb 13 Berkeley :: Feb 19 Ezra Stiles :: Feb 20 Branford :: Feb 26 Calhoun :: Feb 27 Silliman :: Mar 5 Trumbull :: Mar 6 Saybrook

So that was a fun concept to start with.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.MyZeroRomance

Do I have to give my classmate's dad a check now?

Zero Like Me #70
Zero Romance #13:
Ransom Dan Pt.2: My Zero Romance
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
Easter Eggs: Romance 13, sombrero man, Pringles man, and Pink Floyd man, and special shout out in final panel; Late Night with Conan's logo in Panel 1; ?uestlove afro pick drum style, Justin Pierre layer style, Order Made Radwimps style, 3 Cheers style, Alex Turner yawn style, Mikey Way style, Pansy style, The Subways' bassist style, Tony Thaxton kit style; Shawn Harris leap style; I'm Not Okay (I Promise) and Back to the Future refs.

Fun Facts: My gosh, this was insanely fun to write, draw, and research. So much fun just getting as ridikalus as possible.

Baa: It feels like I haven't Heralded in forever...man, I miss it. What a way to get back in it, though. Wish it was always this fun.

Toldja I was starting a band! EP coming soon offa my label, Deathreux Records. It's gonna be hot like Ebola, kid.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.UpInSmoke

It's like there's a nuke in my mouth and everybody's invited.

Zero Like Me #59
Zero Romance #12:
Up In Smoke
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
Easter Eggs: Romance 12 on fallout sign. Mr. K refs two people. The first is one of my elementary school teachers who really did get arrested, but for something entirely different from drug use. The second is one of, if not the first Yale people I met beyond my FroCo(s) and my suitemates Freshman Year. Pretty much since my second week at Yale, he's been so welcoming and supportive personally, even before the comics, and especially this year, but it is a horrid fact that he is weeks from graduation. Also, ref'd a freakishly stylish lad; 98% of the time during class, I couldn't understand a word he was saying, although he seems to like comics, so beyond his killer style, he's all aces.

Fun Facts: I'm considering quitting the Herald, and I was just about convinced to stay on until I met a fan in the JE lab while scanning this, who says that although he rarely reads the YDN even he knows my comics, but only from there, meaning (all jokes aside), people really don't read the Herald. So it seems like a wise business move to blitz the YDN, but the Herald is finally becoming the haven for comics I always knew it was and could be again, so aside from pure loyalty, I feel I should stick around since it is more comics-friendly. I hate to be so upfront, but if you have any input, please give me some advice on what to do and where you read my comics, either by voting in the poll in the top right, or by emailing or something.

Obviously there's the bias that since you've found this site, that means you know I'm at both papers, but I'm interested in that majority who only read me in print. The YDN and the Herald do not put comics online competently if at all, so the only real way to gauge my comics is through my site(s), which I do not actively promote. And way more people read me in print than online, so this site only offers me a sliver of the picture, so I cannot know how valuable the Herald is. I suspect a significant amount only know/read my YDN stuff and I'm wasting my time at the Herald, but I do know there are people who really like the Herald so I'm at a stalemate and I need to make a decision soon.

Baa: It weirds me out when aesthetically powerful people talk to me, and it also weirds me out when people I've never formally been introduced to address me by name, so imagine my panic attack when the smoker chap from today's comic started a quick conversation with me in the YDN office.

Okay, it's time for my semesterly thank-yous.

Thanks: Rachel, Joe and the nice Heralders, Claire, Takeshi Obata, Kim Young-Oh, Garry Trudeau, Aaron McGruder.

Special Thanks: Kirk, Mr. Kanter.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.AirportRomantics

Kids say the jackedest things.

Zero Like Me #56
Zero Romance #11:
Airport Romantics
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
Easter Eggs: Romance 11 in plant, Arthur's mom, subtle reference to another plot.

Fun Facts: I imagine all kinds of really mean, awful conversations in my head, distill them, and then make them into comics for all you pretty people.

Baa: I met this guy, Sal, in an airport who just completely freaked out on me: "Wait, do you really go to Yale?! That's like...for geniuses! It's in, like New York right? Or is that Harvard? Man, you guys are so smart!"

The Herald publishes a day early the week before breaks, so this came out Thursday, not Friday, actually.

Overheard Cantab: "Anybody know how to get to TD House?"

Also, at the Purple Crayon slash Immediate Gradification Players show, no Harvardians got the reference to "The Dead Shall Be Raised." They must have been really confused by the huge laughs the line got. Beautiful.

I'm pretty lucky. This year I'm going on to The Game with four people! FOUR! That's four times the usual amount! There's jack kelly as always, but also this new guy Gerardo Manera, and my good friends Zero and Nyao.

Sweet!

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.TheYooshz

Monotony ensues.

Zero Like Me #53
Zero Romance #10:
The Yooshz
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
If you want to see a polished comic today, check out this STEAMY COMIC too hot for the YDN. Or was it just asking too much of you as a reader? Anyway, it's for grade-A geniuses only. For their own protection, no stupid people are allowed to read it because they will not understand it. It is too difficult to understand, you see. Therefore, if you are stupid, do not read this comic. If you do, you will feel stupider for not being able to understand the comic. I am warning you for your own protection: you will not be able to understand this comic, and in fact, I have it on very good authority that you will not be able understand it. Likely because statistically, you are too stupid to understand it. So don't even try, as again, it will only prove that you are stupid.

Easter Eggs: [Loading...]

Fun Facts: [Loading...]

Baa: [Loading...]

Final Art and full update coming soon; until then, check the Herald Comics Site.

But there is also that yellow stinking rat, jack kelly. I bet he puts in a lot of hours into his comics...

First up from that corny ogre is "complain" which may or may not look like this:

And the foul villain has the gall to insult people who wish people well who have weblogs--he should be grateful for all the people saying unwittingly to his face things like "I LOVE jack kelly!" Ugh...

A sack of feces if ever there was one.

Ok, final art and update coming soon.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.BigBuns

If I ever start a Movement for Peace, I'll propose a merger so that we will become the Movement for PB&J.

Zero Like Me #50
Zero Romance #9:
With Beauty And Justice For All Pt.3 -
Big Buns
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
Easter Eggs: Romance 9 and "Yale" in plants. Team Rocket and E Stone society style outfits (from Ono's Pikachu Shocks Back), Snuggie, pentagrammy happy face, Yale SOBs, Kool-Aid (not this kind).

Fun Facts: In my Beauty and Justice, a cult dedicated to happiness with a hint of evil, different costumes stand for different ranks: neophytes wear Snuggies, regulars wear gowns, and the Big Buns wear Team Rocket styled gear, and only they do not wear bunny caps, but otherwise each cap is uniquely styled for its wearer.

Baa: I wish I was in a band. Not necessarily musicians, but I mean, I just wish I had a group of people who would reliably walk in slow motion with me. That would be awesome.

Final artwork coming soon (man, just look at that Herald version...yikes. What a way to celebrate the big 5-0). Until then, don't drink the water.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.Trick

We put the Boo! in "boo-hoo."

Zero Like Me #47
Zero Romance #8:
Trick
<- Previous...Next->
-First-
Easter Eggs: Today's setting is outside Woolsey/Commons, and the references are to some Yale secret societies. The captions come from Mad Max movie posters and stuff.

Fun Facts: November 7, 2011, posted from Japan, this comic has finally been updated. Not my best work, but man, I was in one heck of a bind when I drew this (see the original post's text below for more). Alexis Blight is representing Skull and Bones and her design seemed to have gone over best.

Baa: I never wanted Skull and Bones, just Scroll and Key. But no dice. Ugh.

[update: final art, updated text, at top.]
Technically still haven't missed a deadline...right? And if this Frankensteinian comic isn't a horror, then what is? I hate you too.

They pushed my deadline up even earlier since a couple of them had a field trip to the New York Times early Friday morning, so I had a sinking suspicion I wasn't getting this comic done in time.

Knowing it was likely not going to be ready for print, as Herald Comics Editor, I got so depressed I wanted to cut myself. But then jack kelly showed up and figured out how I could make it to print after all.

Stupid midterm garbage is making it impossible to breathe/draw so I can't even finish pencils, but the real comic will appear prolly Thanksgiving week, so this failure will remain here until then...

Did I mention I hate you?

Reuxben