There’s something so majestic and magical about guest comics to me. As a reader, it’s exceptionally entertaining to see some of my favorite characters from different series interacting in the same panel or strip.

That’s a big deal to me because you don’t see that occur very often in “the real world” (better known to some as “The Print World”).

In the world of printing, creators have to contend with publishing company executives, lawyers, marketing experts, yes men, and countless others who must coordinate, draft special contracts, and unanimously agree long before you get to see your favorite characters sharing the same space.

In the webcomic world, however, it can be just as simple a matter as emailing or tweeting your fellow creator and asking if you can use their character in your comic. Most of us, myself included, are flattered and totally honored that you would even consider using our little character somewhere in your own artistic endeavor. I’ve created plenty of guest comics throughout the years, and lots of my creator friends have created guest comics for me. It’s a trade-off that we don’t mind obligating ourselves to.

There are various reasons why we make these guest comics. Some creators simply need a break, but don’t want to lose their audience by not having any new material appear until their return.

Now there goes a Bear Man-iac.

Sometimes, an emergency will pop up and a creator just doesn’t have anything to post at the moment. Maintaining a strong readership means keeping your promise to have material ready when you say you will.

A well-crafted guest comic comes in handy to fill that spot. A lot of creators need an adequate amount of time to build (or rebuild) their buffer of comics up, and a nice supply of guest comics can buy them enough time to get ahead and stay ahead.

Usually, I host Guest Strip Week once a year here on ADDANAC CITY. I had just moved to California and I desperately needed extra time to buy new computer equipment and supplies and to also get acclimated to drawing and creating new stuff in a strange, easily-distracting, new place. I sent the word out, and my fellow creators honored me by blessing me with over two weeks worth of comics (and I posted daily at the time, weekends included).

Those guys and gals saved my life! The following year, I was drained from working on a five-month epic where Hank went back in time. I needed a break, so I called on my webcomic warriors to go to the front line for me again. These awesome artists did not fail me this time either.

This year, I didn’t take the time to sponsor a Guest Strip Week. I had a pretty good handle on things. My buffer was increasing nicely and I didn’t wanna bother anyone to come slide by my site to do anything more than just read some cool comics.

I was lucky that a few webcomickers sent me some unsolicited guest strips that really came in handy. You can’t beat that friendship anywhere. I totally love seeing how other artists draw my little lineup of characters, and I missed that this year. I decided to try something new.

Creating a guest comic can be fun. But it can also be difficult, especially if you’re busy working on your own series, or you just can’t think of a decent enough strip idea to use. If that’s the case, trying to pitch in for someone else can be quite daunting.

My idea was “What if I write the comic myself, and just get another creator to do the artwork?” That’s simple, right? I sent out a couple of feelers to see if any comic creators may be interested in tackling this concept.

The first person I heard back from was Bearman. I can always count on Bearman doing whatever he can if he has the time. In fact, he’s such a trooper that even if it’s stretching himself thin, he’ll still try to come thru for you. I respect that outta Bearman and I will do most anything for him if he requests it.

I think this is a funny strip and I love what Bearman’s art adds to the overall funniness of it. I wish I could wokr with him more in the future. Click his banner below and catch up on the comedy of current events on his own blog which posts Sundays and Wednesday. The bevy of down-to-earth commenters is just as entertaining as the posts themselves. You’ll be glad you stopped by.

Click banner to visit Bearman's comedic website!

If any other webcomic creators would like to draw a guest strip that I write, feel free to email me at addanaccity@gmail.com telling me the names of the characters you’d like to work with most, and I’ll get you a strip written with a template as soon as I can. You’ll get credit and all the plugs I can throw your way. And Binky has chocolate for you too, I’m sure.

For the beginning of this particular story arc, start here.
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When I first decided to attempt propelling ADDANAC CITY from a moderate regional sensation into a worldwide phenomenon, I ….hahaha…hee-hee….whooo….sorry, it was hard to type that sentence without bursting out laughing….

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is…when I decided to cast my dice into the arena and enter the wonderful world of webcomics, I knew virtually nothing about the field. Sure, I knew how to make comic strips, but for me, a computer was just a fancy cross between a calculator and a video game. I’m always the last to jump on a bandwagon, so I tend to get left out a lot.

Since I was a newbie, I sought out others who were also new. I discovered a few webcomic creators who began right around the time I did and I tried to form some kind of support group for ourselves so that we could grow and learn as a team.

In my first few months, I watched webcomic titles drop like flies and disappear altogether. My peers were giving up instead of progressing. I decided that I may have to go it alone and just see what happens by myself.

I like comments (who doesn’t?), and I tried to get as many as I could by reciprocating. One guy in particular would stop by my AC site and say a few words. This dude had such an acid tongue and sarcastic wit that I couldn’t tell if he was patting me on the back or kicking me in the @$$.

I backtracked this gentleman to his own site and took the requisite look around, “opening drawers and fiddling thru his stuff”. He did indeed have a sarcastic way about him, and sometimes you weren’t too sure if he was being literal or figurative, but the guy had talent, he really did. I saw so much potential from this homeboy.

I also noticed that the majority of everything he said had a sarcastic slant. This dude may truly enjoy your company, but he was gonna give you heck while you were there visiting. That’s the kinda modicum I respect. We can have all the fun in the world, but just be real with me. Don’t sugar-coat a whole lot. I want it raw, and I want it now.

That’s the only way Bearman knows how to serve it to you, and you get a nice-sized helping.

Bearman and I have playfully bickered, poked fun at, teased, supported, and defended one another throughout the almost-three years my ADDANAC CITY website was been in existence. I value his opinion and I’m envious of the ease in which he can get along with others in the internet world.

Everywhere I go, I see Bearman. If I feel like I’ve discovered a new webcomic or blog, all I have to do is check the comments section, and Bearman has more than likely already planted his flag there and has his feet resting on that blogger’s coffee table. The man gets around like the clap Santa Claus.

We’ve teamed up in many instances on certain postings and we’ve made fun of each other during other opportunities. I don’t take his jabs personally and most of the time, he’s a pretty funny guy. He’s gotten me good several times in the past few months, but like I tend to say at most of my preliminary hearings and bail adjudication sessions, “Revenge is a dish best served cold!”

Within the past few weeks, I’ve kept quiet and prepared my freezer.

I had been plotting the details of today’s comic for awhile and it was all I could do to not say a word to anyone (including Bearman) that this was gonna come up. I can keep your secrets, but it’s hard to keep my own.

So here we are. I’m not saying that Bearman is a mob boss or anything, but he is a boss who seems to be omnipotent when it comes to the goings on of the world. I felt it would be fitting to have him be the know-it-all kingpin in this scenario. But, “bear” in mind, that this Bearman is just playing his role in the conspiracy, and apparently he’s not the highest player on the totem pole.

He’s just doing his part in hopes of reaping his share of some untold reward. We’ll have to continue accompanying Jack along the path to destruction in order to find out what everyone hopes to gain.

So I hope everyone (including you, Bearman) enjoys today’s comic. If you would like to learn more about the blogging phenomenon that is Bearman, please be sure to check out his website at Bearman Cartoons.

To get the lowdown on how you can shake some dollars loose from his iron-clad grip, click here to read his rules and regulations. Let’s all do our part to help out by spending Bearman‘s moola!

Bearman wrote about recently gaining his 1,000th Twitter follower. To commemorate that triumphant event, he rewarded his esteemed follower with an exclusive, personal, caricature sketch. I was undoubtedly impressed (as I am regarding most of Bearman’s astounding creations), and I cried and whined spoke heartily about how I wished I had a Bearman original.

Well, the angels must have decided to smile upon me because, a few days ago, I received an email from the Duke of Doodling himself! After scrutinizing the email for viruses and proceeding to smear it in Blue Star Ointment for further testing, I discovered that what was attached was an awesome black-and-white drawing of me that was rendered by Bearman using ArtStudio for iPad. He was just messing around with the feature (or so he says), but I really like it!

I decided to take it one step further and play around with coloring it myself and throwing in a lil’ background. So, lady and gentleman, here is the final result. I think it looks like me mostly! Thank you, Bearman! I’ll be looking for my iPad 2 in the mail as well.

Lloyd’s gonna squirm his way thru any loophole he can find apparently. I wonder how long he’s gonna work here before the last of the patron’s refuse to come back?

This comic is also dedicated to my dear friend, Bearman, who was kind enough to star me in one of his blog posts from a few years months back about Yearbook Yourself. He’s been waiting for me to get him back show my appreciation, but I informed him that I like to eat my revenge with a nice icy coating, hence it took awhile. Until next time, Bearman, be kind to your half-nekkid employees, and watch out for grease splatters from the deep fryer. Ouch!

NEWS AND SUCH: Check out my latest blog about the night my wife and I met world-famous comedian Charlie Murphy at the Improv in Ontario, CA!

Some of my younger readers may not entirely get the joke in today’s guest strip, but Bearman and I felt that we needed to give you a lil’ background so you can appreciate it (don’t you just love that?).

Waaaaaay back in the early, early 1980′s, there was a miraculous diet aid that was invented that tasted remarkably just like milk chocolate. What? You can lose weight and still eat chocolate? Well, according to this company, their chocolate appetite-depressant would do exactly that. One important side effect, however, was the irresistible and insatiable need to go potty, thus shedding a pound or two along the way.

This product flew off the shelves. The customers came in droves, including my mom and Bearman’s mom as well, I believe. Stores couldn’t keep this diet aid stocked at all.

Well, the product sold briskly, making its inventors multi-millionaires. It sold extremely well until….it was outshone by another lil’ something called AIDS. With the prevalence of AIDS and the negative connotations that were revealed with a thunderous roar all throughout the ’80′s, the AYDS Diet Candy suffered big-time. No one wanted to go to the store and ask for AYDS. No one wanted to brag that the reason they were losing so much weight was due to AYDS. The company’s stock tumbled and they eventually changed the name, but the damage was already done.

So, my good friend Bearman decided to shake the dust off of AYDS and bring it back for the 21st Century. If you need more information regarding this past fast-selling product, or just wanna slight giggle, check out the YouTube video below.

I’d like to thank Bearman for contributing this guest strip. He’s an awesome guy, a great cartoonist, and he possesses a sarcasm that you can only respect and enjoy. I’d advise you to go check his cartoon site out, but I have a strong feeling that you already do. If not, tell him his hack friend, George, sent ya!

I really miss my old elementary school cafeteria. Those lunch ladies could whip up an incredible, stick-to-your-ribs, fit-for-a-king meal without the slightest regard toward low-fat, no-carbs, or any other healthy principles.

Oh, how I yearn for those days again.

And since today’s comic deals with food as well as time-travel, I’ve included one of my favorite songs from 1990. Hope you have a good flashback and enjoy!

And be sure not to miss tomorrow’s double-sized comic!

NEWS ITEM: I don’t know if you’ve seen it or not, but I was featured in a recent Bearman Cartoons post about how I was such a dedicated “BearManiac”. I think I was poked fun at, but I couldn’t feel it thru all the chest hair. Check it out!

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If you’re new to this storyline, start here and click NEXT to progress forward.

Sometimes (a lot of times, actually), I’ll start scripting a comic without having the slightest clue what the punchline is gonna be. This was one of those, but when I finished writing the second panel….BAM! It hit me. I hope you like it. If any of you have a better (or just comedically different) punchline, let ‘er rip.

NEWS ITEM: Check out the this comic Bearman and I collaborated on in the latest Bearman Cartoons.

Y'know Hank's gonna need a presidential pardon one day.

Hank’s really getting around these days. I’ve been enjoying viewing all of his various appearance throughout the internet. Here are just a few places you can catch a cameo or glimpse of Hank:

~ Hank made a surprise guest-appearance here in Matt Stout’s Big Sandy Gilmore comic.

~ Hank also got a chance to be in Phil Oliveira’s Canned Ham comic in this strip.

~ You can even see Hank in this Bearman’s Beartoons comic.

~ Michelle Billingsley’s JOE comic had a couple of guest-spots by Hank here and here.

There were also some cool write-ups and articles about Hank and ADDANAC CITY on a few blogs. If you get a chance, check out Hmm, Sweet Splendid Wisdom and Joe’s Heebie Jeebies Blog.

So, please, visit these fine folks and show them some good ol’ Addanac City love. I know they’ll be glad you came by!

Bearman was one of the first cartoonists to befriend me when I started doing ADDANAC CITY as a webcomic. He left me a few comments and we just hit it off. We’re always challenging each other as well his picking at our own foibles. Regardless of how self-deprecating he appears to be, Bearman is a more-than-talented cartoonist. This guy draws some of the funniest political and social commentary cartoons on the web.

Check out his website at Bearman Cartoons.

He did a guest strip for me a few months ago, but I really wanted him to stop back by for an encore presentation. I think he did a bang-up job with Hank. So go show Bearman some love on his site. You’ll get a kick out of it.

And don’t forget about Bearman’s great charity drive in which he donates money to a worthy cause based on what YOU do.

TOMORROW’S GUEST STRIP by: Michelle Billingsley of “Joe!”