Midtoon City

What is Normal?

2011-08-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This long posting is an excerpt from the instroduction of my unpublished book YOU ARE NOT STUPID, which in addition to text contains a plethora of comics insterpersed throughout. If I ever publish it, you will be the first to know.

I don't understand people

If there is one thing I have learned from my day to day interactions with people is that I don’t understand them. No matter how much I want to make sense of the reasoning behind most of their actions, I always end up baffled and confused. Why do people do the things they do? What are they thinking?

I do not understand people. You should believe me when I say it, because it’s true and because it’s written. It is here, in front of you, in black and white in no uncertain terms. It would not be published on the Internet if it was not true, right? So my main premise is set: I don’t understand people.

With that out of the way, let’s begin to delve into the possible reasons for my lack of understanding. After a careful and detailed study of all the potential implications, causes and considerations of the problem, I developed a series of four potential scenarios that could cause the problem. Please note that I have simplified the complexity and generalized the specific in order to come to a workable number of scenarios. I will now proceed to present them in a list, basically because lists are popular, and then I will examine them one by one. After you see the four scenarios, you will agree to the undeniable fact that they are comprehensive, all encompassing or both.

Possible reasons for me not understanding people

Scenario 1 : I am STUPID; People are NORMAL

Scenario 2: I am a GENIUS; People are NORMAL

Scenario 3: I am NORMAL; People are STUPID

Scenario 4: I am NORMAL; People are GENIUSES

The following Scenarios, although they exist in the realm of possibility, do not satisfy the prime requirement, which is to explain the reason(s) for my lack of understanding of people.

Not Valid Scenario 1: I am a GENIUS; People are GENIUSES

Not Valid Scenario 2: I am NORMAL; People are NORMAL

The reason these scenarios are invalid is that if both of us were geniuses, it could be extrapolated that we would understand each other (unless we are both geniuses on diametrically opposed ways, but that is an entirely new subject, well outside of the scope of our current discussion) and if both of us conformed to the same norm, we should be able to understand each other as well. I will not delve into these scenarios any further.

The following scenario is also a possible solution to the problem but creates additional complications that we will probably try to address later in another article, if I remember to, so we are classifying it on its own category.

Questionable Scenario 1: I am STUPID; People are STUPID.

With the possible scenarios out of the way, we will now delve into the heart of the matter.

What is NORMAL?

Normal is a compound word of the roots “NOR” and “MAL”. We shall analyze each root separately before we really understand the word.

“Nor” is a conjunction that derives from the middle English ‘Nother’ and is used as a function word to introduce the second or last member or the second and each following member of a series of items each of which is negated

‘Mal’ means bad, badly, wrong, diseased or ill.

Your literal definition of normal, by root derivation would them be ‘neither bad’ which implies that there should be another element or elements in addition to bad. The truth is that the missing element is ‘good’ and a true definition of normal would be ‘neither bad nor good’, a definition that most people might find acceptable, but since I don’t understand people, I need to keep digging.

The first dictionary definition I found for the word normal was ‘not abnormal’. Obviously, I love this type of word games dictionaries play on you, so in order to understand it, we will have to dissect ‘abnormal’. We already dissected ‘normal’ so now I only have to dissect the remainder: ‘ab’.

Surprisingly, the prefix ‘ab’ does not refer to the midsection of muscle above your tummy, even though it may make perfect sense, because I cringed when I heard the definition of ‘normal’ and my abs –or I should say ‘ab’ because I only have one, a big round one - stiffens whenever I cringe. ‘Ab’ actually means ‘away, from, from off, down’. So abnormal means ‘away from normal’.

Great.

It didn’t help a thing, because what does “away from neither good nor bad” means? Yeah… That’s what I thought too. Thank you!

Now, back to ‘normal’. If normal means ‘neither good nor bad’ or in my own words ‘a deviation from the average or norm’ it follows that the majority of the people should be normal. For example, in a country where every wedding dress is magenta –no, this place doesn’t exist, regardless of how cool it would be – a bride who chooses to wear a parachute to her wedding would be abnormal.

Well, she would be abnormal here too, unless you want to be married while freefalling from 10,000 feet, in which case you would be normal. If you want to question my judgment, I have an extensive study conducted by an independent firm that determined that out of a representative sample of living women who had been married on free-fall weddings, 100% were wearing a parachute. The Midtoon HErald reported on this study back in 2009. To see the article CLICK HERE.

Now I am digressing. Stop distracting me. I don’t think I told you this before, but I have ADD. No, not ADHD, jut ADD, because as my wife would be happy to tell you, I could use a little more hyperactivity every now and then.

Okay, okay, let’s go back to the premise here. If normal is what most people do, then abnormal has to be what the least people do. Are you with me?

Good.

This, as long as you believe it, should take care of the following scenarios:

Scenario 3: I am NORMAL; People are STUPID

Scenario 4: I am NORMAL; People are GENIUSES

You see? It is impossible that people would be stupid or geniuses, because by definition, people have to be NORMAL.

Allow me to elaborate. Let’s imagine for a second that there is a machine that can give you a measure of a person’s intelligence. I am talking a real, exact and reliable measure, not a quotient obtained from a subjective and biased test, like the one they gave me in the eight grade. Now, if you took that machine and you measured people’s intelligence and your scores averaged, let’s say 50, then 50 would be normal. If you are a 40 year old Caucasian single male from a southern state and your intelligence level, as measured by the same machine was 60, then you could say that you are above average, ‘away from normal’ or abnormal. If you are a genius or not, is not that easy to determine at this point, so we are going to limit our current discussion to you being ‘more intelligent than normal’.

Now, imagine for a second that either due to medical advances, random genetic mutations, the implantation of nanoprocessors or cross-breeding with an alien civilization, human beings of superior intelligence appeared. Okay, this imagery is rich, so you may need more than a second. Imagine it for a minute or two.

As more and more people are born or developed with a higher intelligence level, the average over ten years may rise to 60. At this point, 60 would become normal and you would no longer be considered abnormal. For a while at least, you would feel at home in a world where being smart is cool and people respect you and understand you, even though you keep making obscure references to old TV shows and movies and snorting a bit of soda – I believe you’d call it pop – when you laugh. By now, you are a 50 year old man, generally healthy, except for that one little problem that you keep secret – don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone – and it’s easily controlled with that little pill you take. Oh, well, what the heck. You also have a round belly you have acquired from many hours of having chips and soda pops while playing computer games in your mother’s basement, but this doesn’t have anything to do with the case here, so we’ll just ignore it.

Now, unless you plan on dying at 50 because of your terrible diet, you will still be alive for another decade. Since we all know how the rate of improvement accelerates over time in an exponential way, in ten more years of interbreeding, genetic manipulation, reverse engineering of the human genome and even more advanced nanoprocessors, the average intelligence of the people is 90. Now that 90 is considered normal, where are you? With your low 60, you are a bitter old man trying to relive the days when you were considered intelligent by insulting technology, rejecting change and otherwise making a fool of yourself while spending more time trying to explain to your dog the reason why you are still single instead of building relationships with others. And let me tell you, if you have never tried to explain anything to a deaf dog before, it’s hard.

You should be ashamed of yourself. Your smart nephews and smarter grandnephews would do well to send you to the Geriatric Recycling and Reclamation Center for reuse reduce and recycle. What? There are no Geriatric Recycling & Reclamation Centers, you say? Aw, come on! Don’t you think a civilization that measures 90 in an intelligence test could not come out with smart ways to reuse all the material you have accumulated around your mid section over the years?

Don’t underestimate the power of the upcoming generation, my friend.

This article continues in the best-selling book “YOU ARE NOT STUPID” Stay tuned for future announcements.

NOTE: Since I have never sold a book before, a book that sells one copy will be my best selling book, so don’t question it.

Funny Find 6/20

2011-06-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Two men walk into a bar, and these are the signs they saw...

As seen on argville.com

Funny Find

2011-06-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

MIDTOON Funny Find of the Day for 6/17/2011. As seen on lee.org

They won't be sued if someone cuts their hand with the sharp sign...

CHARACTER DOSSIER: FRED

2011-06-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

MIDTOON, the comic strip that allows the reader to choose the story has asked whether Jennifer should accept Fred's advances. For those readers that are interested in knowing a little more about Fred before making a desicion as important as this one, the MIDTOON HERALD has prepared the following Character dossier, which includes every documented strip that has featured Fred up to the writing of this article.

Feel free to browse the comics (warning: ugly art in the earlier ones) If you want to go through the list, use the *back* function of your web browser to return to this list.

#39 Mabel first encounter with him
#94 He moved to the apartments across the street
#95 He met Jennifer
#99 He witnesses capture of a serial killer
#101 He appears in the Channel 5 News
#102 Mabel bakes him a cake
#103 Fred is sorry
#104 Jennifer offers Fred a place to stay
#105 Fred keeps a promise
#116 Fred visits john while he was in pseudo-coma
#117 Fred practices medicinal jealousy
#123 Jennifer kicks Fred out of her house
#132 Fred counsels with his inner devil
#150 Fred encounters Jennifer at Malwart
#151 Jennifer hurts Fred
#153 Fred saves Jennifer
#154 Fred offers Jennifer a ride home
#155 Mario sees Jennifer riding on Fred's red Porcini
#161 Fred pulls the "my card in your purse" trick
#162 Erik talks to Jennifer about Fred
#167 Fred does not concern himself... or does he?
#178 Fred arrives when Jennifer is fighting with Erik
#179 Fred offers to end Jennifer's problem...

There, we hope that you have learned something about Fred and can help Jennifer make an informed desicion.

VOTE NOW

RETURN TO THE COMIC STRIP

Yezika Scriptor Releases New Book

2011-05-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

THE MIDTOON HERALD, MAY 25 2011

Disassociated Press - Yezika Scriptor, the known relationships expert has released a new book for the woman who has everything but the attentions of a young and handsome romantic interest. The book is titled RAISING YOUR OWN HUSBAND: A GUIDE FOR COUGARS and is currently on sale only in the local Midtoon / Centerville metropolitan market. Plans for a wider release have not been announced.

We managed to get a hold of Scriptor in a book signing in Midtoon Mall and she graciously agreed to answer a few question to the Midtoon Herald.

MH: Greetings, Ms. Scriptor. Thank you for taking some time from your busy schedule to talk to us.

YS: Please, call me Yezika. It’s my pleasure. Besides, I'm not really busy. Women actually prefer to purchase my book online.

MH: Yezika, we received news of the release of your new book and wanted to see if you could give us a few bullet points about the contents.

YS: Well, the book is called RAISING YOUR OWN HUSBAND: A GUIDE FOR COUGARS and it’s exactly what the title implies. Not the first part, I mean, raising your own husband is a figure of speech. No one is really going to raise a husband, I hope, because that would be disgusting if you know what I mean, but the second part, you know, right here, a guide for cougars. The book is a guide for cougars.

MH: Can you please define “cougar” for those that are not familiar with the lingo?

YS: Of course. A cougar is generally speaking a woman who pursues younger, sometimes much younger men.

MH: How much younger are we talking about here, 20, 30 years younger?

YS: Well, that depends on the age of the cougar, doesn’t it? I mean, no decent cougar is going to look to a man who is not of legal age, right? So, if the minimum age of the prey, I mean, the boy is 18, subtracting that from the age of the cougar gives you the difference. It’s simple, really once you understand the math.

MH: So your book motivates women to prey on younger men?

YS: No, no, no. There is no need to do that. The woman who purchases my book has already decided that she wants a younger man in her life. All I do is give her some principles that will help her achieve her goals.

MH: Can you share a bit of advice with our readers?

YS: You want me to give you the book for free, don’t you?

MH: Of course not, Ms. Scriptor. We just thought that –

YS: I told you to call me Yezika, can’t you people listen to instructions?

MS: I’m sorry, Yezika, but –

YS: No, don’t come with excuses. All you reporters want is a free ride to fame and fortune, yet you deserve none. You know how much work goes into writing a book like mine? How many excruciating hours of painfully making up, I mean researching stories to illustrate your point of view?

MS: Yes, But –

YS: Don’t interrupt me! By Golly! Do you even know common manners? First you ask for free advice and now you insult me? Get out of here!

MS: Thank you for your time, Yezika.

YS: Ms. Scriptor for you, missy! You’re no friend of mine!

At this point, we had to stop the interview because a pair of police officers heard the commotion from the Sunbucks Café next door and came to investigate.

This reporter swears that she will find an electronic version of the book and load it for free in an illegal file-sharing site. Heck, if there is no electronic version available, This reporter will scan each and every page and post it online. Yezika Scriptor does not deserve a penny for her idiotic book.

THE MIDTOON HERALD, COPYRIGHT

MIDTOON IS BACK

2010-07-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, Friday, July 16, 2010

After a 4-month hiatus that many predicted would be the demise of the MIDTOON comic strip, Executive Producer Neftali Rivera anounced today that Midtoon is back.

"The Midtoon storyline is not over," said an enthusiastic Rivera to a large audience that consisted mostly of his relatives. "It would be a lack of respect to our 6 fans not to continue it to see where it leads."

The technical problems that plagued Midtoon in the past are not all resolved, Rivera admitted, but the company promised to "keep at it" trying to fix the bugs.

"There are quite a few technical issues with the software," Rivera added on an aside with this reporter. "However, we managed to resume publication and hopefuly wil be able to continue."

Upon being questioned about MIDTOON financial stability, the producer admitted that income has not been particularly good, and that the fact that the author has to keep his job with the government to pay his bills will cause a reduction in the publication frequency.

"We can't commit at this time to continue the previous schedule of 3 strips a week, however, we'll do what we can to keep the project alive. When we will publish? Whenever the strip is ready. The best way to keep track of it would be to visit the page, or to subscribe to receive it by email. Facebook and Twitter are still available for notifications."

This reporter is logging in to MIDTOON to see what happens next.

Dissassociated Press

Introducing the Hyper-Size

2010-02-22T00:14:00.000-08:00

MALWART Hyperstores has announced the availability of their new household products in Hyper-sizes. The line, which already included Mega-sizes, consist of a line of laundry detergents, general household cleaners and a special line of personal care products.

"I love the shampoo," said shopper Victoria Lassatter, as the fork-lift carried her newly bought bottle of shampoo to her rented truck. "With the new Hyper-size, I will never have to buy shampoo again in my life!"

Lyndon Carusso, from the Carusso Law firm was handing out business cards in front of the Midtoon Store.

"This Hyper-Size is a lawsuit waiting to happen," said Carusso. "And when it does, I want to be the one to deal with it. It's going to be a Hyper-lawsuit."

Peta representatives were protesting the introduction of the new bottle sizes, quoting from the MIDTOON TIMES, which for the sake of full disclosure is owned by the parent company of the Midtoon Herald, PETA claimed that a lady bought a bottle of shampoo for mildly damaged hair and such bottle broke while on her attic. The shampoo drained from the bottle, flooding the living room area and drowning the lady's one hundred and one dalmatians.

"There's no deadlier death than drowning in Shampoo," Said PETA. "You not only die, but your death is inhumane, because the shampoo was not mild enough to prevent eye irritation."

The Plastic Bottle Production Company of Midtoon, PBPCM, also protested the introduction of the new sized products because the production of such large bottles has been outsourced to San Marino, a small republic near the calf of Italy.

"This is an attack on our economy at a time when we can barely sustain it," said Romulus Kristoff, public relations specialist for PBPCM. "What are we going to do with the tons of toxic chemicals we acquired to manufacture plastic bottles if people stop using our plastics? It is not like we can dump them on the lake anymore!"

Regardless of the opposition arguments, customer were voting with their wallets, and the vote was an overwhelming approval of the products.

"I just took a loan to purchase a bottle of glass cleaner fluid," said Leandro Caro. "I plan to extract the ammonia to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices. Normally I'd do it with other sources, but a hyper deal such as this cannot be passed by."

This may be Malwart's most explosive event this year.

Study on Free-Fall Weddings Completed

2009-12-17T19:04:00.001-08:00

THE MIDTOON HERALD

December 17, 2009

A multi-year study of women who were married while free-falling from airplanes suggested a strong correlation between the ceremony and the habit of wearing a parachute. Robert Tang, second junior assistant to the vice president of management of the Midtoon Institute for the Preservation of Useless Facts (MIPUF) announced the surpsising results in a press conference attended by three citizens and this reporter this morning in front of the City Hall.

"We suspected that there would be a correlation," Tang explained. "But once we finished the first 240 interviews, we knew we had identified a causal pattern. There is no doubt in my mind that women who get married on a free-fall wedding have a tendency of wearing parachutes."

The discovery was lauded by the Mayor of Midtoon, who could not attend the press conference because he was at home, watching his plants grow. "We always knew that Professor Tang would eventually discover something, because he is always snooping around."

When questioned on the practical implications of his research, Dr. Tang explained that "women should definitely consider wearing a parachute if they want to get married while dropping off a plane."

The next project Dr. Tang will engage in is a follow up investigation on the grooms, with the intention of corroborating the theory expressed by some at the laboratories that the correlation is independent of gender.

"It would be very impressive indeed," expressed Dr. Tang, waving a 356-page report on his findings. "It would be very impresive if we could demonstrate that men who marry on free-fall, aso have the tendency to wear parachutes."

MIPUF has received a government grant of 36.2 million dollars to be used for further research.

This reporter is considering that her next wedding will be free-fall...

--Dissasociated Press

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2009-10-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

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High Profile Investigation in Murder Case

2009-09-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, September 9, 2009

Renowned serial Killer William "Sweet Tongue" Smithson was moved yesterday to The High Security Penitentiary in Centerville, sources close to the Police informed us. Smithson, who was found hiding here in Midtoon by the local police, had to be placed in solitary confinement for his own safety, said our source, because other inmates could desire to cause him harm.

"There is a code among inmates," said Roger Mendez, a retired public safety officer who used to work closely with the penal system. "They are all there for a reason, but they don't see each other as equals. Those who have committed the more heinous crimes are usually seen with disdain at the very least and with hatred in some other cases. The lowest form of crimes you can commit are those involving children, followed closely with violent crimes against innocents."

In this regard, "Sweet Tongue", who is suspected of at least 12 brutal murders around the greater Centerville Metropolitan area, which includes Midtoon, does not really have a chance of surviving among the general population of the penitentiary.

"They would kill him," continued Mendez. "They have to keep him isolated, even from the prison guards, if possible. No one, and I mean no one will try to protect him in there."

As the new prisoner was being transferred, the authorities commenced what promises to be a long and arduous investigation to put together their case. While at this moment the lips of the authorities are sealed, we have been able to gather that apparently some evidence has been uncovered in the hideout. The entire apartment has been cordoned off by the police as they search every inch of the secret basement for potential evidence.

This weekend, what has been dubbed "The March of the Blondes" a group of blondes will protest in front of the Centerville Penitentiary to demand that an archaic law that required the hanging of murderers be applied on this case.

"Omygosh! I am definitely going," said a cheerleader from Midtoon High who is usually known as 'Blondie'. "I am like getting a rope and everything to hang S.T. Smithson."

All public outrage aside, the state attorney said that the death penalty is likely one of the options on the table on this case.

"We don't want to jump to conclusions," she said. "But if our investigations confirm that the man we captured is in fact involved in the crimes that are attributed to him, the state will not
hesitate to seek the death penalty".

The Death Penalty exists in Midtoon since a referendum where the voters approved the measure with 57% of the popular vote.

This reporter is preparing to attend the March of the Blondes.

Serial Killer Captured!

2009-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, September 3, 2009

In what is already being called the arrest of the decade, two Officers from the Midtoon Police Department have captured known serial rapist/murderer William "Sweet Tongue" Smithson. The officers were responding to a call from a concerned citizen and thought at first that it would be even another false alarm, but something triggered MPD Officer Tina Mollison's investigative instincts and she proceeded to find the hidden trap-door that led to the secret basement that Smithson was using as a hideout.

"We have always trusted Officer Mollison's instincts," said the Chief of Police via telephone. "She comes from a long line of very dedicated law enforcement officers. When we assigned her to the case, we did not have any doubt that she would hold true to her word that she was going to find 'sweet tongue' Smithson."

The Chief declined to comment, however, on Mollison's recent suspension due to charges of police brutality.

According to eye-witness reports, since the press has not been allowed into the hidden basement yet, there was a message written on the wall in what appears to be either blood or pomegranate juice concentrate, that said 'John Tucker must die" an obvious reference to a bad movie of the same name. This message was accompanied with what appeared to be a shopping list of all the future victims of the murderer. All the names belonged to young blond females, which are the victims of choice for this sociopath.

Elvira Presley, a prominent psychoanalyst and writer has described Smithson as a "deeply perturbed individual who must have had some terrible experience or experiences with young blond females in the past."

One thing is certain, and is that tonight, very many young blond females will be able to sleep better. This reporter is one of them.

False alarms alarm the public.

2009-09-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

THE MIDTOON HERALD

September 1, 2009

False alarms are on the rise in Midtoon, according to the authorities, and that seems to alarm the public. Several calls to the police have been made from several locations, especially after news of a potential sighting of renowned criminal William "Sweet Tongue" Smithson in the area. William Smithson, probably a fake name, is known for the brutal murders of at least 12 young blonde females in the last 4 years.

"If Smithson is in the area," said MPD Officer Tina Mollison, who fortunately is not blonde. "There's no doubt that we will catch him. No one flirts with the law"

The number of calls have strained the police force and have already affected the business at Sunbucks, a perennial favorite with the MPD.

"We are asking the public to remain calm," announced the Mayor in a written statement. "There is no need to call the police because your kitty was trapped on the tree. You call the Fire Department for that..."

Regardless, phone calls to the Police are on the rise, and so far, 100% have been proven inaccurate, to say the least.

This reporter hopes they catch the killer soon.

Excerpt from Keeper's Apprentice

2009-08-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

The following is the beginning part of the first chapter of Keeper's Apprentice, a novel by Nef Rivers (Full Disclosure: Nef Rivers is the pen name for the Executive Producer of Midtoon) At this point the novel's first draft is finished.

KEEPER'S APPRENTICE

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER I

(FIRST DRAFT)

A sad sunset colored the sky the day Alasaris, apprentice to the Keeper of the Light, was called to attend a meeting of the Elder’s Council of Nassland for the first time.
“I don’t know why the Elders called me,” she told O’rayne, her younger sister, as they walked fast across the deserted courtyard. “The Light of Life is in no condition to be left unattended.”
“The Keeper said you were summoned,” responded O’rayne, struggling to keep up with Alasaris. “Your duties to the Keeper are sacred, but so is your allegiance to the Council.”
“I know,” said Alasaris. “I know the Keeper would not have asked me to come if it was not important, but what can be more important for the Keeper’s Apprentice than to help the Keeper?”
O’rayne did not answer. In fact, now that Alasaris came to think about it, O’rayne had been very quiet lately. Perhaps she should talk to her to see what was worrying her. Now, Alasaris had other concerns. Things were not as good in Nassland as she would like to think. Several things that Alasaris had always taken for granted were failing. The Light of Life, the small flame that kept the world of Nassland alive, was dying, and no effort of the Keeper, or her, seemed to help. Now the Elders wanted to talk to her. Why could they not leave her perform her duties as Keeper’s Apprentice? At a time like this, she should be in the Tower of the Light, Tending the fire with the Keeper and not attending a meeting with politicians and bureaucrats.
The streets were unusually empty for such a nice evening, but then, there were rumors of things coming out of the Void recently. Maybe no one wanted to be out at this time because of that. She did not know, because she had hardly been outdoors ever since the Light had started to fade and because she had no idea of what could be coming out of the Void.
Their footsteps echoed in the deserted street as they passed from one street to the other until she reached the central plaza where the council met. The Council Hall was a large ornate building made of carved granite. It stood at the center of the city of Nassland, but everyone knew that the true center of the world was four blocks away, in the Tower of the Light.
“Wait,” said O’rayne, using her fingers to arrange Alasaris’ long hair away from her face. “You have to let your hair down, Alasaris. You look terrible.”
Alasaris undid the ribbon that held her hair up and allowed it to fall down past her shoulders while her sister combed it into place. The Council was a very conservative body, and would frown at her appearance. Trust O’rayne to keep an eye on the details.
“Thank you,” she said to her sister. “I really appreciate you coming with me.”
O’rayne did not say anything, but her smile comforted Alasaris.
As the women climbed the steps to the great doors of the Council Hall, Alasaris heard a little voice beyond the corner. It sounded like a soft cry. Alasaris was about to ignore it, but when she extended her hand to the bronze knocker, she heard it again. Now she was sure, it was definitely a child crying.
“We don’t have time to lose,” said O’rayne as the Keeper’s Apprentice retraced her steps and walked to the corner. “The Elders await.”
“I will be there,” responded Alasaris. She was not going to leave a creature to suffer if she could do anything to prevent it.
Around the corner, hunched against the wall, a small child, probably six or seven years old, was sobbing bitterly.
“What is wrong, child?” Alasaris asked. “Why are you crying?”
The boy cleared his face. “I am not crying”, he hurried to say. “Men don’t cry”.
Alasaris tried hard not to smile at the boy’s effort to hide his feelings. The kid was bleeding from his knee.
“Why are you here all alone at this time? What happened to you?”
“I fell from there,” said the child, pointing at the stairs of the Council Hall. “My mother says I should not play on the stairs, and now she’s going to be very upset”.
Alasaris knelt beside the boy. O’rayne looked at her meaningfully. Yes, Alasaris knew that they would be late for the Council meeting, but she was not about to leave the boy face his tragedy alone.
“Your mother is probably very worried that you have not made it back home. I will help you if you promise to go straight home and tell your mother the truth”.
“Are you a Healer?”
“Come”, said Alasaris to the boy, extending him a hand. “Let’s do this inside, where we won’t be interrupted”.
The boy followed her happily. A bored Protector opened the doors when Alasaris knocked. They went in. During regular hours, the doors would be open and access to the Council Hall would be available to everyone, but this was a special meeting, and Protectors would be assigned to keep the building secure.
“Thank you,” said Alasaris to the Protector, who only grunted in return. The poor man probably wanted nothing more than going home to his family, instead of being in the lower level of the Council Hall, guarding a door. If there were a job that Alasaris would never enjoy, it would have to be the job of Protector.
“Let’s go there”, said Alasaris, pointing to an empty office to the left, by the door. During the day, Inquisitors, Adjudicators and Exponents would use the small offices on the lower level to hear the pleas of commoners, but at that time, they all stood empty. Alasaris pulled the old wooden chair and invited the boy to sit. O’rayne remained outside, crossing her arms and tapping her left foot on the floor.
“Now, don’t move”, Alasaris said, both to the boy and to her sister. “This will be done in no time”.
“Will it hurt?” The boy asked.
Alasaris reassured him and then placed her hands softly over the boy’s head. She could feel the greasy hair under her fingers as she started. She could have placed her hands over any body part. Other healers recommended placing the hands near the injury, supposedly to facilitate the healing, but Alasaris had always found it easier to do it as close to the head as possible. The center of a sentient being was on his head, and it was easier to find the person’s web from there.
Alasaris blocked all her senses, except the points of contact with the boy. She concentrated deeply on the tips of her fingers, until they were the only thing she could feel. She closed her eyes. As she had done many times, she found herself floating on empty space. Blackness surrounded her. It was frightening to most web healers to encounter themselves in that place, especially the first few times. For Alasaris, it was bliss. She inhaled the cool darkness and looked around her as thin lines of light took shape around her, strands of a spider web glowing under the morning’s sun. After some time, the strands became thicker and brighter.
Alasaris touched some of the strands with a hand she knew only existed in her mind. Seeing yourself as if you were outside of your own body was another unsettling thing about Web Healing. Alasaris always saw herself in Web space as a very attractive woman, wearing a dress of pure white brightness, and delicate jewels of silver and azure. It was thought that the image you saw of yourself when you entered a Web, represented some of your truest nature. If that was so, Alasaris was happy about the way she looked. The one thing she often wondered about when seeing herself from the outside was a strange character she could see tattooed on her forehead. It certainly looked like an ancient rune, but she could not guess the meaning of it. Oftentimes she had tried to draw it and bring it to the Recorders at the Library of Nasslands to het its interpretation, but she could never remember the character after returning to the physical world.
Bringing her attention back to the Web around her, Alasaris began her search for the injury. Web strands were so and frail, even the thicker ones, that there was always the danger of breaking them if one was not careful. Every strand represented a connection of the body and the soul. Each one represented a body part, but also a corresponding soul part. When she touched a strand, any strand, its meaning revealed itself to her. Reading a Web was like exploring the body from its innermost and most basic level.
The knee was easy to find; the injury was not. It was a tiny rip in the web, nothing serious. It looked like it had already begun to mend itself. She would help it a little. She extended her hand and touched the strand. She willed the strand back into shape until it was as whole and bright as were all the others around it. Alasaris smiled. She was good at doing that. She took pride in the fact that she, who was not officially a Web Healer, was better at it than most.
She let herself go. This was an uneasy part. Sometimes, a Web Healer would come back to the real world not knowing which way was up or down and collapse. That was one reason why Web Healers normally operated in pairs, or had a Nurse travel with them. This case had been easy, and Alasaris did not worry too much about getting hurt. It was still a little disconcerting when she opened her eyes, but she did not lose her balance.
The boy just sat there for a few seconds, rubbing his knee that now sported intact skin where the injury had been.
“That’s it”, said Alasaris. She was still holding to the back of the chair for support. “Remember to go home and tell your mother you are sorry you disobeyed”.
Alasaris smiled as the boy ran out of the room after thanking her effusively, but her smile froze when she saw, standing by the door, not her sister, but the Keeper of the Light herself.
“Keeper!” She bowed. “I didn’t know you were here”.

This is the beginning of the first draft of the book. The totality of it covers 246 pages right now.

I am currently working on revisions, so the final product may be diferent than what you see here. It has been a major undertaking, but it has been very interesting. Let me know if you want to see more and I will see what I can do.

The Moon is a spy satellite, study says...

2009-07-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

THE MIDTOON HERALD, July 16, 2009

A striking new study by the Department of physics of the Centerville University suggests that the moon may be a spy satellite created by "an advanced civilization that for some reason wants to monitor the activities on this planet". Oskar Katushenko, professor of advanced astrophysics in the mentioned department made the announcement to an astonished crowd gathered at the Homer Simpson amphitheater on campus.

"We have reason to believe," said Mr. Katushenko in his presentation. "That the moon is a spy satellite left behind by an ancient civilization that once inhabited the earth."

The purposes of the satellite are unknown as of this moment and more studies will be needed. Of course all that will be costly and we will need federal funds to be able to proceed to the next stage: Nuking the moon to crack it open so we can enter its control room and retrieve its black box.

How or why the scientists know that there is such room or that the moon actually has a black box, which is a common name to refer to a recording device that tracks flight and communications data on airplanes, was not explained, but rumors around campus point to the direction of the recent submarine expedition lead by the Underwater Civilizations Division of the Paleoanthropology Department that is rumored to have found the ancient city of Atlantis last November.

"The connection is clear," said a paleoantropologist who declined to be identified. "They found the plans for the construction of the moon in Atlantis and because they are written in ancient Atlantean, the translations are taking their time. Now they want to cut the moon in half in search of a new Rosetta Stone to learn the secrets of the people who build the pyramids, taught us language and agriculture and took to their great intergalactic ships and left as mysteriously as they had arrived."

The question we kept asking the whole time was: Why? We texted the question to Isaac Samad-Hallal, a Statistician from the Midtoon Unified Center for the Understanding of Science and he shed some light into the matter.

"The nation that finds the secrets of Atlantis will be able to develop weapons of such power that they will be able to obliterate the planet in 3.14 seconds, a cosmic diathermetrication of the time-math continuum. Obviously we want that technology in the capable hands of our intelligence community, not in the hands of some rogue state or group."

This reporter feels reassured.

75 Comic Strips and Counting!

2009-07-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, July 1, 2009

There was a party today in Midtoon due to the fact that the comic strip was celebrating 75 iterations.

"It seems like it was yesterday," said a person who declined to be named, probably under the influence of green mint leaves. "Today we are celebrating 75 strips, and 100 strips later we'll celebrate 175!"

Not everyone was happy. "I am 75," said a man sitting on a bench at the South end of the Park. "No one put that on a website, so why do they celebrate a #$%$# comic?"

This reporter is telling the grumpy old man sitting on a bench on the South end of the park that we just mentioned him on a website.

Look, we mentioned him again!

MIDTOON reaches 3000 Hits!

2009-06-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

THE MIDTOON HERALD, June 26, 2009

Neftali Rivera, Executive Producer of Midtoon, announced today that the MIDTOON Website has reached 3000 hits. "At the beginning of this project," said Rivera, clearing his throat. "Most of the page views of my site were caused by my own attempts to make everything work, but now, I only check my website about 100 times a day, so 3000 hits is very significant for us."

Not all Midtoon Residents agreed.

"We have had 3000 hits for the entire life of our strip," said Erik Campos, who appeared as if he had not slept well last night. "To put this in perspective, what we have achieved in 6 months is about .0027% of what [another webcomic whose name was removed by the Midtoon Censor Board] does in a day. Out next goal is to multiply that by the square root of all evil and then divide it by the fruits of our labor in order to achieve something more significant."

Javier Campos was more optimistic. "If he wanted numbers,"he said. "He could just sit there clicking refresh all day."

"Don't do that," said John, sitting by his wife Mabel. "We want the traffic counters to give us an idea of how many people actually visit us. If you keep clicking refresh, our traffic data will be skewed."

Skewed or not, Mr. Rivera said that he is going to celebrate this achievement "even if it's small"

This reporter is all for parties. Where are we going?

Mayor: Summer Dance was a success!

2009-06-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, June 25, 2009

The Mayor of Midtoon City declared in a press release that once again, the city of Midtoon has "risen to the occasion" and has celebrated another Summer Dance "in an orderly and peaceful manner."

The Midtoon Police Department has not yet released official numbers as to the incidence of student-led crime during the night of the dance, but Yacob Strokismoy, a statistician with the Department of Trivia and Other Useless Facts estimated that 0.9% of the city must have been covered with "the remnants and evidences of crime-related activity".

There were two locations where Police Officers were seen en force. The first one was Lover's Lane, where the officers knocked on car windows to assess the legal age and the level of intoxication of the drivers and passengers. There were three arrests made, although the minors were quickly returned to their parents when it turned out that one of the teens involved was actually the Mayor's daughter.

The other location were the police was spotted was the local Sunbucks Coffee Shop, where witnesses reported a dramatic shortage of donuts and coffee.

"We were prepared for Summer Night," said the franchise owner and operator of the local Sunbucks. "We were stocked high on donuts and coffee, but the level of activity of the police this year exceeded all expectations."

Officer Tina Mollison, who recently returned from a week long suspension due to alleged police brutality, was in charge of the 'coffee raids' as the multiple police visits to the store became known. There were two arrests associated with these raids. Two Sunbucks employees were arrested for denying service to the police. The charges were dismissed later when the judge determined on a hearing that "the employees did not deny service, they just claimed, correctly that the donuts and coffee were over."

This reporter is still looking for some coffee

Midtoon Releases Three Polls at One Time!

2009-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, 6/17/2009

In an unprecedented move, the Creators of the MIDTOON Reality Comic Strip are running three polls this week. One of the polls is about feminine preferences between Mario and Erik. We took to the streets to ask people what they thought.

"We don't know exactly where they are trying to go with this," said Matt Rubhard, from Lakeview Street. "Readers are suppossed to choose one of the boys, but the poll doesn't say what it is for, so I'm very hesitant to cast a vote."

"I am not going to lie," added a female who asked us to keep her name private. "My favorite is Erik. I see him every day and I think he's handsome. It is a pity he's like 10 years younger than me."

"I don't like any of them," said a young mother from Pacifica Drive. "Both of them are losers."

Well, it appears that people have strong opinions about the issue. It is still to be seen if the opinions translate into votes.

"We are having less votes than usual," admitted Midtoon Executive Producer, Neftali Rivera from his office in Westfield Road. "We wish that more people would become aware of the fact that the strip will take the direction that the votes imply, but we guess that it may take time for people to get used to the idea that their choices DIRECT the comic."

The other two polls available on the site are more of a preference survey as to what matters most in a comic strip. One of the polls gives people the opportunity to select various items that matter to them, while the next asks them to select only one.

It is interesting that the two factors that seem to be winning on the multiple choice question are nowhere near the top when people have to choose only one.

"The indication is very unclear," said Dr. Nicholas Wyland, from the Midtoon Institute of Statistics and other Useless Facts (MISUF). "It appears that a couple of factors are very common for people, but are not usually their most important factor. When Asked to choose several, various people mention them, but when choosing ONE, they choose something else."

MISUF has been following trends in Midtoon Polls for quite a while now, so they probably know what they are talking about.

This reporter is glad to be back from vacation, Midtoon is not the same without her.

Erik's Journal Now Online!

2009-05-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, May 29, 2009

Erik Campos, the main character of the Midtoon Comic strip has taken a new step towards greatness in creating a new blog called MIDTOON JOURNAL: ERIK. The new blog went online two days ago and can be found at http://midtoonjournal-erik.blogspot.com/.

According to a company spokesperson is "an attempt to chronicle the comings and goings of the most famous 16 year old boy in Midtoon."

The last statement was looked upon with skepticism by many, since they claim that there are not many 16 year old boys in Midtoon that we know about.

"Hey," said Erik in an exclusive. "It's not my fault that no one else in Midtoon stars in comic strip!"

Speculation began immediately about the new "Mario" comic strip, although others seemed more receptive to the idea of a "Javier" strip or even a "Jennifer" strip. This immediately brought up the attention of the Comic Strip Bureau, who stated that "Midtoon is such a small Town that we don't feel there's room for more strips."

"I'll move to Westoon," said an offended passerby. "I'm sure I can have a comic strip there."

This reporter would love to see more Midtoon, wouldn't you?"

Special Feature: Ask Erik

2009-05-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, May 20, 2009

QUESTION: Where is the dog? Why haven't you showed it?

ERIK ANSWERS:
The dog is at home. Javier plays with it a lot. We have not showed it because nothing really interesting is happening there right now. Knowing Javier, though, I have no doubt that we will see him (and his dog) soon.
QUESTION: What happened to New Guy? Officer Mollison?

ERIK ANSWERS:
Those reading the Midtoon Herald, know that Officer Mollison has been suspended without pay until the division of Internal Affairs of the MPD completes an administrative investigation in a police brutality allegation.
New Guy is waiting for the hearing where he will testify against Officer Mollison and to yet another investigation as to who was the anonymous caller that accused him. I guess we will have to wait for the investigation to continue before we'll know anything.

QUESTION: What is New Guy's name?

ERIK ANSWERS:
I don't know. Never asked him.

ASK ERIK is a recurring feature of the Midtoon Herald. Every once in a while, some of your questions are collected and presented to Erik for his answer. If we get enough material, we may include it in a special section of the website, but for now, it is just here.

Midtoon High Advances to Semi-Finals

2009-05-18T11:55:00.001-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, May 18, 2009

The wait was seven years long, but the fans forgot all the bitterness of the past few seasons yesterday when Midtoon High defeated Weston High in a dramatic game.

"I was hitting it well," said Christopher "Big Chris" Rollins, who turned out to be the most valuable player of the quarter finals in a very short interview. "The ball was going in, and I hit some really important baskets in the fourth quarter."

Midtoon had been lukewarm during the first three quarters, but managed to stay in the game due to a very aggressive defense.

"It was a life or death game," said the team mascot. "The guys came out really motivated, especially in the fourth quarter after the coach gave them a very peppy pep talk. He told them that they were playing awful. but the score was close. He challenged them to go out in the last quarter and finish them off."

The rest is history.

Basketball fans are really excited because it had been a while since the team had a player of the caliber of Big Chris.

"Big Chris is going to the NBA," said a rabid fan. "Mark my words, Big Chris will go NBA."

This reporter is wondering why Big Chris left the court running...

Copyright (C) 2009, Disassociated Press.

EXTRA!!! Midtoon Police Officer Suspended

2009-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, May 15, 2009

The public was shocked this afternoon when the Midtoon Police Department admitted that one of their own had been identified in a suit involving police brutality. The Chief of Police declared in front of the astonished reporters that a local police officer was allegedly involved in the case.

"An investigation is in progress," said the Chief. "So we can't disclose the identity of the officer or any additional details of the case.

Sources close to the Police Department identified the suspended officer as Tina Mollison, daughter of the late James Mollison, who used to be a police officer in Centerville, before accepting a post as Chief of Police in Westoon.

"Tina was born to a law enforcement family," said our source. "It is a pity that she allowed her personal life to interfere with her work."

According to our source, Officer Tina Mollison has had several instances of very violent incidents, especially when intervening with men. What brought this case to light is that the victim was an innocent man, falsely accused by an anonymous caller.

Apparently, when responding to investigate the case, Officer Mollison made use of "unapproved interrogation techniques". What those "techniques" were, is a matter of speculation right now, but they seem to have involved ropes and her baton.

Officer Mollison has been suspended without pay until the Internal Affairs Division of the MPD completes their investigation.

This reporter is wondering if Ms. Mollison would care to teach her some knots.

Copyright (C) 2009, Disassociated Press.

3 MILESTONES FOR MIDTOON

2009-04-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, May 1, 2009

In what seems a very convenient coincidence, the Midtoon Comic strip reached three milestones on the same day. The milestones are as follows:

1) 4 Months of continuous publication (January to April 2009)

2) 1600 Hits on Midtoon.com (from February 2 to April 29)

3) 50 Strips (May 1)

We tried to interview some of the characters, but most were not available for comments.

Jennifer Rhodes, walking from the market to her house, said that clearly, the success of Midtoon in due "in no small measure" to her good looks and "impeccable acting".

Erik Campos, who has not been seen on the strip for a while did not want to comment on the milestones, but told us in an aside that he will be "coming back" to his strip "soon enough" because he could not allow Javier to steal the strip.

Mabel Campos, who was busy writing her memories that will be published soon in printed form in a work titled MIDTOON LIFE STORIES: MABEL stopped to talk to us and confided that she does not know why people want to know about her, but they do, and "in Midtoon, when the people speak, we obey".

This reporter wishes all the characters of Midtoon great success, conflict and comedic situations in the next four months, 500 hits and 50 strips, but seriously doubt that the three milestones will come together again.

Copyright (C) 2009, Disassociated Press.

World of Peacecraft Released

2009-04-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 22, 2009

Snowstorm Software celebrated yesterday the release of their anticipated game World of Peacecraft. In the release ceremony, attended by three people, two of which were company executives and the third was this reporter, the company announced that the new game will be on the shelves today at 6:00 am.

World of Peacecraft is a Massive Multiplayer Online Game where the players can connect with others to discuss ways to keep the world in peace. It features an advanced option called Cold War, where the players take the roles of Hobbits and Draconians trying to dominate the world with politics.

"We expect that the servers will be really busy, with people vying to earn the awards of the most peaceful player, best political team and Conservative Playing Award. The winners of such honors will be mentioned in the World of Peacecraft Forums".

This reporter is going to play, because the company gave her a complimentary copy of the game and a 90-day game card, valued in $489.95

Pirated versions of the game and hacked infinite cards were available yesterday on yBay.

SPECIAL FEATURE: ASK ERIK

2009-04-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 20, 2009

Veronica, a six year-old from California submitted the following question to our ASK ERIK feature:

HOW COME JAVIER NEVER CHANGES HIS SHIRT? SHIRTS TEND TO GET DIRTY YOU KNOW?

ERIK ANSWERS:

Hi Veronica,

I'm glad you asked. I am going to give you two answers, the short one and the long one. Since you seem to be a very perceptive girl, and to force the rest of the readers to read through the entire article, I'm going to give you the long one first:

LONG ANSWER:

Midtoon is a Comic strip (duh!) and as such follows on the tradition of other (older) comic strips. Apparently, back in the day, comic strip authors did not think that readers would be sophisticated enough to recognize their characters unless they always looked the same, so you had characters that never changed their look for years and years. This of just how many plastic surgeries these poor characters must have undergone to keep their looks unaltered, some of them for 50 years!!!

In recent days, however, comic strip authors are a little bolder in making changes to their characters. Midtoon, a modern comic strip, allowed one of it's characters (Mabel) to change her looks recently, just because she was tired of her red hair. Others, like John (the dad) and the New Guy, whatever his name is, have been changing shirts for a while. I love to wear black, but the shirt I have been wearing recently (the one that says THINK) is not the same one I had before. Characters like Jennifer and Mr. Green have never changed their clothes. Javier wears a very characteristic T-Shirt and he loves it. Of course, you can expect that if he wears it every day, it will not last forever, will it? Soon he will have to change it, I guess.

SHORT ANSWER:

Because my little brother is a little pig.

Thanks again for your question, Veronica.

Your good friend, Erik

To ask questions to Erik, send your email to Author@Midtoon.com and write ASK ERIK in the subject line. If selected, your question could appear here

April 15 IRS Operation

2009-04-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 15, 2009

In what can only be called a catastrophe of major proportions, the IRS initiated a sting operation to rid Midtoon of tax evaders.

"All the town is in hiding," said the major from an undisclosed location. "Until we can figure out what is going on, we will have to suspend all public appearances."

What? No Midtoon this Wednesday?

This reporter was getting used to it.

Disassociated Press.

Contest: Become a Character of Midtoon

2009-04-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 5, 2009

Would you like to see your likeness become a resident of Midtoon? What about designing what YOUR character would look like, his or her personality, fears and relationships? How many people you know can say that a comic strip character was created by them? If this appeals to you, keep reading, for we are about to give you the opportunity to do just that.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

Take a picture of yourself, wearing an outfit appropriate to your character.
Make your picture available to us either by email, or by sending us a link to your picture online. We will be receiving entries until April 25.
In addition to the picture, we will need some information from you and your character. Please see below for needed information.
Depending on the number of characters received, a number will be included in a special web page and a special two-week poll (dates in May to be determined) will be conducted to let the readers decide who will become the new character of Midtoon.
After the special two-week poll is finished, the winning character will be announced. The winner will receive notification as well.
The character will appear in Midtoon. The date for this appearance will be a surprise. After the character appears, the individual who submitted the winning character will receive a link to a high resolution version of the first strip where the characters appears with a special dedication. The author will grant the rights to that particular strip (and only that one) to that person so they can print it, distribute it or do as they please with it.

REQUIRED INFORMATION:

Your picture or a functional link to it.
The name of your character
Any physical description that you think the picture does not show.
A brief description of your character's personality.
A list of two or three things your characters does well.
Two or three things your character does NOT do well. Fears or Phobias can be included here.
Proposed association to other Midtoon characters. (cousin to so-and-so, coworker, teacher, fellow student, friend, etc)

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION

You can send your information through email, to AUTHOR (AT) MIDTOON (DOT) COM, or you can post a comment on the blog entry that announces this contest by clicking the comments link below this article.

SPECIAL RULES (the fine print)

Pictures, or the sites you direct us to them must be family-friendly, any pages or pictures that contain adult material will not be reviewed.
Although reasonable effort will be made to evaluate all materials sent, we cannot be responsible for files that are corrupted or not compatible, if your link or page contains a virus, your material will not be considered.
The decision of which characters to include in the Special poll will depend on various factors, including, but no limited to the ability of the author to draw the character well, how well the character fits the Midtoon concept, how rich the character is etc. This will not be a random drawing, but a personal choice of the author.
Your submission to this contest does not grant you any rights or ownership over the character that looks like you. By submitting your picture to Midtoon, you acknowledge that the fictional character derived from it becomes the property of the author and will be used as the author and the readers through their votes deem proper for the story.
The Author reserves the right to suspend this contest at any time without previous notification to any participants. Although a reasonable effort will be made to conduct the contest, factors beyond our control may make it impossible for us to do so.

Seminar on Stupidity

2009-04-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 3, 2009

The famous philosopher Ilaften Arevir is going to be visiting Midtoon soon to teach a seminar on the subject of stupidity. The seminar, entitled "I am not stupid and so are you" after a soon to be published book, will take the listeners on a mystical trip though the philosophy of the author. I am not stupid recounts the life of Master Arevir as he grew up in the Himalayas until he immigrated to the US.

"It is basically a journey of self-discovery," said Arevir via telephone. "After the seminar, you will feel empowered to buy several copies of my book for your family and friends. You will totally understand stupidity in the greater scheme of things".

We asked Master Arevir to give us a preview of his seminar and he graciously complied.

"We will talk about several theories of Stupidity," he told us. "Only to give you an idea, some of them are the Theory of Relativistic Intelligence, The Theory of Oscillating Intelligence and the Mechanics of Ideas."

This reporter is feeling a sudden urge to purchase the book, but it has not been published yet...

Copyright (C) 2009, Disassociated Press.

New Movie Studio Announced

2009-03-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, April 1, 2009

The city of Midtoon rejoiced today, when Multiversal Pictures announced that the city has been selected as the site of their new movie-making facility. The Company acquired a large lot last year on the west side, near the Mal-Wart Super Center, but it was not until last week that the city council approved their building permits.

John Campos, Legal advisor to the Mayor, declared that "the zoning had to be revised, in order to allow for all the explosions, demolitions, bank robberies and alien invasions that movie-making will entail."

William Shatner visited the site and expressed his approval, but no one was listening, so we don't really know what he said.

Construction on the new site will begin as early as May, according to Multiversal executives.

Copyright (C) 2009, Disassociated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Midtoon Changes Format (Again)

2009-03-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 30, 2009

In what seems a sign of unclear management and mixed priorities, the Midtoon website has changed format yet again. Now it presents a new link system and a reorganized frame system. Rumor has it that two individuals complained that the previous design was "too cluttered" and that "the comic was lost between the ads and banners".

Erik Campos expressed his heartfelt thanks to the two individuals that provided feedback. "Our gratitude goes to Nixxxerman and Vany_vrg for their input," he said in a written statement. "Without their feedback, we don't know what we could do."

JJR_lol from California, was not entirely satisfied with the changes and complained that the "new system is confusing", but another fan responded that "we'll get used to it."

There seems to be no end to the controversy, and Crowd Control Teams from the Midtoon Police Department were dispatched to provide protection to the Campos Headquarters.

"This is very unfair," said a protester. "They not only keep changing the comic, but also the website. They won't make any friends with a new face very day."

"This people are crazy," said another, holding a fire Erik! sign "They say they are a democracy, but only listened to two individuals. Change the theme to 'the first dictatorship in the world of comic strips' or something like that."

This reporter is wondering what a dictatorship comic strip would be like...

Dissasociated Press

The City Can't, but Yes, You Can

2009-03-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 25, 2009

The Mayor of Midtoon has not been able to come up with a balanced budget in the last three sessions, but with newly released software from Apricot Tree (TM) you will not suffer from the same malady.

Apricot Tree is a user-friendly software that will help you conceptualize, prioritize, organize, categorize and amalgamize your home and small business finances in an ergonomic, organic and acrobatic way.

"I don't know how I would do my finances if it was not for Apricot Tree," said a celebrity Gecko that probably has never used the software but was paid a lot of money to say that. "Now every time I make a commercial for my insurance company, I know exactly where the money goes. My favorite feature is the graphic report, because I love to see the little bars that represent useless junk go up every time"

Apricot Tree Software will help you make the most of your time, because instead of running your business, you will be running software.

There you go, now, this reporter is waiting for a commission check.

Disassociated Press

All is well for Zell

2009-03-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 23, 2009

Riding the wave of free unlimited lifetime warranties that we reported on last week, Computer manufacturer Zell has announced that they made a profit last quarter.

Michael Zell, founder and CEO of Zell Computers, in a public statement worthy of Dr. Seuss, declared that "All is well for Zell," and "Zell sells well."

Roland McDonald, our senior business correspondent and in-house Business analyst, explained the phenomena the following way: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Asked to clarify, he explained that at times of financial unrest, customers tend to lean towards value propositions. With the addition of their free Unlimited Lifetime Warranties and their low-end offerings, Zell continues to offer perceived value to its customer. This is the reason why Mal-Wart Mega stores, Dupercuts and Dross, for example, continue to do well even on this down economy."

On other news, protesters flooded to the streets yesterday as Viotex announced that most of their Senior executives would be receiving performance bonuses by the millions.

"They cannot pay themselves bonuses with taxpayer money," said a disgruntled citizen. "Viotex has received billions of dollars in bailout money, how do you justify the bonuses?"

Viotex did not have any comments, but rumor has it that they plan to sue the government if their bailout money is taxed at a higher rate.

This reporter wants some bailout money too...

Disassociated Press

Free Offer from Zell

2009-03-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 20, 2009

Computer manufacturer Zell has announced a free offer to all Midtoon Residents. Zell will be giving away free unlimited lifetime warranties*

"I want a free unlimited lifetime warranty," said Reyna Marikit. "Everyone should have a free unlimited lifetime warranty and at this price, you can't beat it!"

Several other residents of Midtoon offered unsolicited testimonials but their emails were either lost or ignored, so no one will ever know what they wanted to say.

We encourage all readers to obtain their free unlimited lifetime warranty by sending a BLANK check to FREE UNLIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTIES, P.O. BOX NONE, MIDTOON, USA. We will take care of writing in the amount after checking the balance of your checking account.

Come, don't be the last person in your block to get a free unlimited lifetime warranty. At this price, they are not going to last!

*NOTE: Your free unlimited lifetime warranty has intrinsic limitations and can only cover one lifetime. Believers in reincarnation should call for an alternate offer. Void where prohibited by law, or where people don't have a sense of humor.

Disassociated Press

Mayor: Light at the end of the tunnel

2009-03-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 18, 2009

Good news finally from down town. The bad case of flu that was terrorizing Midtoon is finally rescinding. Midtoon Executive Producer is feeling "a bit better" according to sources. The Midtoon Herald reopened today and interviewed the Mayor.

"It is great to be back into business," he said coughing. "Midtoon depends on us being healthy enough to continue, so it is definitely good news when the citizens are healthy."

"It will probably take a few more days, but we can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel."

This reporter is also feeling better, thank you.

Disassociated Press

No Article Today

2009-03-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 16, 2009

This reporter is sick.

Disassociated Press

Flu Season in Full Swing

2009-03-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 13, 2009

Midtoon has been particularly hit by the flu this season. Two weeks ago, it was the stomach flu, now the regular flu is causing havoc.

"I'm totally wasted," said Neftali Rivera, Executive Producer of Midtoon. "Luckily I have an abundant supply of chicken soup."

When asked what brand of soup was his favorite, he simply replied: "Chicken Soup for the Producer's Soul."

The hospital has been getting more cases than usual this year. Luckily, the flu Virus that has been identified in Midtoon is not Bird Flu.

"It would be scary if it was Bird flu," said a spokesperson for City Hall. "We would be forced to call everyone to panic."

This reporter is going to the store right now to buy a can of Chicken soup for the Reporter's Soul.

Disassociated Press.

What happened to the colors?

2009-03-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 11, 2009

It appears that not only the format of Midtoon.com was changed, but now the colors of the strip look somehow, uh, 'different'. Although it is still too early to gauge the reactions of the fans, we gathered a few comic strip activists to ask them for their opinion.

There were some problems when we tried to do blind studies, because people could not see the comic without actually looking at it, but we managed to ask a couple people.

"I love it," said a fan who identified herself as the Executive Producer's wife. "It looks really cool."

Actually, no one else has reacted, so we will not be able to quote more, unless we make the quotes up, something that a serious journal like the Midtoon Herald would never do unless it was convenient.

Why? We asked the author to find out.

"The images look sharper, more defined and easier on the eyes. Not only that, but the files are also smaller. Another advantage is that I draw directly on the computer. There is no paper involved, so we are more environmentally friendly. Also, I think that eventually the comics will look better. It is only the first one I draw this way and it compares to the previous strips, so, from here, we can only hope for improvement."

Why was it not done like that from the beginning?

"Well, to be honest with you, I did not know how. I learned from a tutorial that was posted at the QUESTIONABLE CONTENT Comic Strip.

Do you think people will react favorably? we asked again.

"I surely hope they like it," he said crossing his fingers. "If they don't we might end up with a mutiny or a revolution or something."

By the way, Erik. Nice T-Shirt. It was about time you gave some rest to the other one.

Disassociated Press

New Format for Midtoon.com

2009-03-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 9, 2009

Thousands of Midtoon.com fans turned out to see the new look of the Midtoon.com website. Several changes marked what appears to be a new package of features, and reactions were numerous.

The first thing that comes to attention when you enter the new pages is the new header. It still displays the prominent Midtoon.com name, but now it adds the descriptor: "The First Democracy in the World of Comic Strips". The descriptor is not new, but it is now displayed prominently at the top of the page. Older pages will continue to exhibit the old header.

The second change is that Midtoon.com now has advertising. Contrary to previous pronouncements by the author and the Executive Producer, who had said in the past that they wanted to keep Midtoon.com free of Advertising (they call it 'adverteasing') the page now presents several small ads in different locations.

We had the opportunity to speak with Erik Campos regarding the changes and he shed some light regarding them.

"The first change was to improve the design of the page. We wanted to include the descriptor with the page name and we did it. Now, the thing I don't get is why the design includes my brother flying on a pterodactyl. I don't know, it must be one of his crazy ideas, but I only did what the Producer told me to do."

We also asked him about the addition of 'adverteasing'.

"We are looking for ways to keep Midtoon free for everyone. At the end of Season 1, we plan to sell the Year Book, a collection of all the comics of the year in higher resolution prints. At this time it is expected that the full-color version will sell for approximately $19.99, A black and white version is being considered but may or may not be published depending on public interest."

"Other types of Midtoon merchandise will be made available soon, but in the meantime, donations and advertising fees are our only means of helping offset the costs of running the web comic."

Disassociated Press

Electoral Fraud Plot?

2009-03-05T22:18:00.001-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 6, 2009

In what appears to be a desperate attempt to attract voters, City Hall was discussing the possibility of buying people's votes. This astounding revelation shook the fundamental values of Midtooners everywhere.

"I can't believe they were trying to buy my vote," said a concerned citizen, smiling. "This is totally stupid. Why would they want to buy it from me when I have always given it for free?"

Another individual told this reporter that he was "not surprised" to find out that the politicians were planning to buy his vote but was "seriously baffled" at the alleged price the City was assigning to each vote. "For five dollars," he said. "I will not get out of the house to vote."

This immediately triggered a reaction from the opposition. Political Strategist Roger Rogers, senior political correspondent for the Midtoon Herald told us that there was a potentially interesting reaction to the issue. "If the Mayor pays people to vote, but pays too little, perhaps the opposition could take advantage and sweeten the deal by adding a couple more dollars for them to stay home".

The allegations of potential vote buy-outs was denied by City Hall. In a written statement, the Mayor declared that "It is not and it has never been our intention to pay five dollars for people to vote for us. These allegations are absurd, because your votes are sacred, and as such, worth much more than that."

Perhaps if we remain silent, the Mayor will actually raise his offer...

Disassociated Press

Threats to the Midtoon Herald.

2009-03-03T23:13:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 4, 2009

The editors of the Midtoon Herald confirmed last night that a letter containing threatening language was received by the newspaper. The letter appeared to have been delivered by hand, since the stamps were not cancelled by the Postal Service.

"It is not unusual to receive hostile correspondence," stated Popeye Ringwood, Senior Editor for the newspaper, which is owned by the same parent company as Midtoon Cable News channel Five. "What is unusual is that the letter says that if we continue publishing unfavorable articles about the mayor, we will pay."

The Senior Editor declined to answer any additional questions due to the current investigation being conducted by the police.

"We will not tolerate threats to the press," said a spokesperson for the Midtoon Police Department. "what are we going to put in the bottom of the birdcages if the newspaper is suspended?"

This reporter confirmed with the Pet Shop and they did not like the idea either.

Disassociated Press

Nothing Happened, Some Say.

2009-03-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, March 2, 2009

Today, in a surprise move, the editors of the Midtoon Herald announced that nothing happened.

"We cannot believe this," said Popeye Ringwood, senior editor of the newspaper. "We are absolutely certain that nothing happened, because we called each and every reporter and asked them. Seriously, nothing happened."

These comments were denied by some of our best reporters, the ones that can spin anything into news. Two of them, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that "Actually something really important happened: nothing."

"This is the first time something like this happens," said the other. "And if this is something, then it cannot be nothing, can it?"

This reporter is confused, because if nothing happening is actually something, then nothing could not have happened to begin with...

What do you think?

Disassociated Press

Last Chance to get a Repli-Pet

2009-02-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 27, 2009

Repli-Pet, a company that specializes in breeding famous pet look-alikes, announced this afternoon that they will retire their pets from the market after a series of copyright violation cases.

"The cases are still open," said Michael Boll, a Geneticist-turned-lawyer from Repli-Pets. "We think there is a fair chance that we may prevail, but legal costs are astronomical and ate too much into our profits."

Repli-pets did not want to specify which company or companies are involved in the alleged copyright Infringement, but sources indicated that some of them include an animation studio, a comic strip syndicate, a dog with experience in management, a lazy cat and a hot-tempered duck.

At least 732 famous pets look-alikes are sold under the Repli-Pet brand in 45 countries. will now have a last chance to obtain the remnants of Repli-Pet's inventory. Overstock of pets will be sent to rescue centers in France.

"This is a beautiful humanitarian gesture," said the Mayor, in a pre-written statement. "Now kids all over the world will be able to own a piece of American art. This will bring good will to our nation, for who would not be happy to obtain a replica of Mickey Mouse, Roger Rabbit, Batman or Speedy Gonzalez?"

This reporter already ordered repli-Pets of Itchy and Scratchy

Disassociated Press

WX-Station Video Games sales tank

2009-02-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 25, 2009

Zany Computer Games of America, a subsidiary of Killtendosoft LTD. announced today that the sales of their video game console, the WX-Station have been lower than expected for this quarter and that their Chief Executive Officer, Roland McDouglas will not have his multi-million dollar contract extended for another season.

"With announcements like that, it is a wonder he has kept his job as long as he has," said Jane Miller, an accountant who also works at City Hall. "These corporate CEO's have a long history of getting away with these humongous contracts even though their companies are going down the drain."

There are new laws in place in Midtoon that prohibit CEO's from getting humongous bonuses if their companies flounder. The No More Humongous Bonuses for CEO's act of 2008, specifically forbids such a practice.

Hanna Montara, a spokesperson for Zany stated that "The company is in good hands, now that the CEO has been, well, discontinued, and we are confident that we will come out of this process a stronger and better company."

The company did not announce how many jobs will be lost during This process. Hopefully it will only be the CEO, Right?

Disassociated Press

Midtoon Mayor to Build New Roads

2009-02-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 23, 2009

In what seems an attempt to create new jobs by building infrastructure, the Mayor of Midtoon announced today that there will be major improvements to Hill Road, Lover's Lane and Lovelost Avenue.

Hill Road will be transformed into a four-Lane boulevard and both Lover's Lane and Lovelost Avenue will be repaved and new signage will be installed.

"We need new signs to tell people where to go and skaters where NOT to go," said Mayor's Advisor John Campos. "This improvements will create many jobs for our city, from road pavement crews, to security forces to keep teenagers out of Lover's Lane. The Mayor of Midtoon is working for the good of the people,"

These announcements were made in the wake of polls that showed that the residents of Midtoon were inclined to fire all the politicians. Later Today, the managers of Midtoon General Hospital announced that a new wing has been authorized to be built. This wing had been in the works for a couple of years, but the hospital had not been able to secure the loans needed for construction.

"The City is guaranteeing our loan," said Dr. Charles Grey, a representative of the medical community. "With this loan, we will begin construction soon."

It seems that the voters of Midtoon have more power than they realize, and the powers that be have listened. It is still to be seen the effect that these new infrastructure projects will have on the economic situation of the city, and some citizens worry that the projects will get Midtoon deeper into debt.

This reporter doesn't know how to solve the problem. Do you?

Disassociated Press

Voters Baffled by Economic Options

2009-02-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 20, 2009

For the first time since Midtoon's inception, few voters are participating in this week's poll. We took to the street and asked some residents what reasons could be behind the marked reduction in participation.

"Midtoon sucks," said Mario, a teenager from Midtoon High, who says he is Erik's best friend. "Look, let's be honest about it. They got it all wrong. Erik is not a suitable main character for this strip. I am."

When asked why, if he is Erik's best friend, he has yet to appear on the strip, he simply said that "Maybe Erik is waiting to introduce me at the right time, or perhaps he is afraid I will take the spotlight from him."

Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like Mario will be making an appearance any time soon, so we better get to the matter at hand.

"The people are burned out by this economic crisis," said Ann Lovely, and elementary school teacher. "They read comic strips to escape their harsh reality, at least for a few seconds. If the strip reminds them of their life problems, then it is not a real escape. What they have to do is make it less real."

Not everyone agreed with Ms. Lovely, though. Hashish Malik, an employee of City Hall, said that "If the story is not real, it does not resonate with the readers. The readers need to identify themselves with the characters, or they will go watch a movie or something instead of spending their precious time reading the strip. What they have to do is make it more realistic."

We took the liberty of presenting the suggestions to John Campos, who assured us that they will follow them. When asked which one they would follow, he responded "both of them. I do not see any contradiction in making the strip less realistic while making it more realistic. You see? It is so logical that it would make no sense to take time to explain it."

This reporter is also baffled... What do you think?

Disassociated Press

Multiple Midtoon Shirts

2009-02-17T18:06:00.001-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 18, 2009

How many Midtoon T-Shirts can a man have?

That is the question thousands of Midtoon subscribers are asking themselves these days. Well, maybe not 'thousands' yet, but you all get the idea.

The issue arises from the multiplicity of Midtoon T-Shirts that John Campos seems to have. We saw him wearing a yellow one January 26 and 30. On January 28 we saw him before he changed out of his work clothes, but on February 13, we saw him wearing a Green one with the initials M.T. (For Mid-Toon) in red. This morning, he was seen wearing a khaki T-Shirt with the word 'Midtoon' on it.

"Comic strip characters are supposed to wear the same clothes all the time", said one neighbor who did not want to be named. "It is to make it easy to the readers to recognize them. Mr. Campos is not following the rules".

Another person complained on the same lines and added that "Mabel and the children always wear the same clothes. Who does he think he is to be changing clothes every other day?"

Mr. Campos himself told this reporter via telephone that contrary to your usual comic strip character, he has a "strong body odor, and he cannot be wearing the same shirt forever." He denied accusations that he has been depriving his family of proper clothing while he indulges in purchasing Midtoon T-Shirts.

Mr. Neftali Rivera, Executive Producer of Midtoon, when asked if the continued use of Midtoon T-Shirts by John was an attempt to sell the same products online, scratched his bald head and said "That may be a good idea..."

If Midtoon.com starts selling t-Shirts, this reporter will ask for a commission...

Disassociated Press

The Mayor to close Lover's Lane

2009-02-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 16,

In a meeting this morning, the Mayor presented a proposal to close Lover's Lane.

This is the third time in three years that a similar project is presented after Valentine's Day. The Committee of Citizens for the closure of Lover's Lane usually protest during the Valentine's Day festivities, because of the large number of people who go to the high lookout place afterwards.

"We always have accidents", said Eleanor Smithers, spokesperson for the Committee. "This year, three separate car accidents resulted from the drivers going to and from Lover's Lane."

The accidents included the man whose proposal was rejected, the man whose proposal was accepted and the man whose girlfriend accepted his best friend's proposal. The Chief of police confirmed that the three accidents do not seem to be related. "It is proposal nigh, after all," he declared. "There are more chances of having a proposal-related incident on Valentine's day than in any other day of the year."

Yesterday morning, the Mayor of Midtoon City was considering the establishment of a special commission to study the risk incurred when driving to and from Lover's Lane. "The City will do all within its power," said John Campos, an advisor to the Mayor, in a press release. "We will not rest until every Midtooner is safe. If we have to close Lover's lane, we will"

The Consortium for the Preservation of Lover's Lane, immediately issued a threat letter to the Mayor stating that "If the city persists in trying to close our favorite hanging out spot," they declared. "We will be forced to find another spot, and they will not like it."

Sounds like a credible threat to me...

Disassociated Press

Valentine's Day Dance Tomorrow in Midtoon

2009-02-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 13, 2009

The only good news around Midtoon today is the celebration tomorrow of the Traditional Valentine's Dance in the L L Theatre at Lovelost Avenue. This dance has been taken place since the L L Theatre opened in 1969.

"I would love to go," said Jennifer Rhodes. "I just don't have a partner, and I find it very hard to dance with myself."

"We are going, definitely," said Mabel Campos. "If John doesn't take me, I may ask Erik and Javier to be my partners."

"We'll be there," said Reyna Marikit. "My daughter Anita will take care of the store."

At least for a day, Midtooners get to forget the economic crisis.

Disassociated Press

Nine-2-Five may close it's doors

2009-02-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 11, 2009

It's Confirmed. The economic turmoil the country finds itself in has reached Midtoon Main St. In an aside with the press, Reyna Marikit announced that the business is failing. "If it was not for my husband's side job, we would be closed already," said the proprietor. "Since we had to let go our three employees, Even my daughter Anita is working the store after school."

Lorenzo Gaitan, the husband of Reyna, runs 'Gaitan Greens', a vegetable delivery service around the Centerville greater area. He could not be reached for comment.

"The Nine-2-Five is an institution," said a police officer stopping for a 'Soft & Mellow' the house-brand of donuts the store sells. "Where else can Midtooners find these donuts and the giant Frosted Drinks?"

Oh! Brain Freeze!

Disassociated Press

Vandals break water fountain

2009-02-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

The Midtoon Herald, February 9, 2009

In what has to be categorized as one of the worst acts of vandalism is the last 10 years, an unknown group has destroyed the Liberty Fountain in Central Square.
"This is an outrage," said the Mayor, describing the incident. "we don't know who did this, but I have instructed the police to crush these vandals with all the weight of the law."
Some observers expressed the opinion that the vandals are protesting for the Mayor's early support of the war, but some contend that it is more of an unemployment issue. Recent news that unemployment levels have climbed once again, have much of the population of Midtoon tense and jittery .
"It doesn't matter if you are going through a hard time," said a police officer while carrying a huge roll of yellow tape and a towel. "There are ways to express your opinion or get help that do not involve the defacing of public property."
Sources in City Hall have confirmed that the vandals that destroyed the fountain may be the same ones that painted a moustache on the City Hall's painting of the Mayor last month.
That was a funny moustache, though...

Disassociated Press

Viotex Requesting Bailout $

2009-02-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

The MIDTOON HERALD, February 5, 2009

Biotechnology giant Viotex Corporation entered a plea to the City of Midtoon requesting money to pay the creditors, a spokesperson for the company said today. "We cannot survive another quarter without some influx of money", said the spokesperson, clearly affected by the news. "We have done all we can, including giving our senior executives the highest bonuses in the market, but the economic climate is just not there".

According to some animal rights groups, Viotex Corporation has been recently working in a secret project involving the cloning of animals, but the organization has not been able to obtain evidence. Cloning is not allowed in Midtoon as per Ordinance 312-23 L, subsection H-23 passed in 1996 right after a movie where Michael Keaton cloned himself. Eager to stop the possibility of being invaded by a multiplicity of Mr. Keatons, Voters elected to make cloning illegal.

The Company has not admitted or denied the charges, but has brought cloning twice to the courts, in what seems an attempt to justify their secret project. Gary Gordon, Executive Vice President of Secret Projects told us in a telephone interview that "Viotex Corporation is not working in any illegal projects here in Midtoon, and if we were, we obviously would not tell you".

Smart move, Mr. Gordon, but we will eventually get you...

Disassociated Press

Early results “not satisfactory”, says Erik Campos, but Midtoon to abide by the will of the people.

2009-02-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

With a strong show of emotion, Erik Campos, creator and main character of the Midtoon comic strip confided to this reporter that he is “disappointed with the early results of this week’s poll.”

As of this writing, Erik Campos had received no votes in the poll that would help decide which character will be followed in the next story arc. “I know people may want to see someone else,” he said. “But heck, I am the main character, and zero, nada, zip!”

Erik trails his younger brother Javier, his step mother Mabel, who runs second and even an undetermined character, loosely described as ‘another character’ in the polls.

These results were characterized as ‘surprising’ and ‘unusual’ by the author, who totally believes he should be a close runner up on this poll, if not the winner. “We will be conducting an audit of the automatic voting machines used in the polls,” said John Campos, who shares with Erik the dubious honor of being at the bottom of the list. “We will not rest until we get to the bottom of this.”

The Executive Producer of Midtoon, Neftali Rivera said in a press release that “even though Erik may be frustrated, we do not have any reason to suspect electoral fraud.” Rivera later added that “The polls are still open and the results are not yet final, but we assure you that after the people of Midtoon express their opinion with their votes, we will abide with it. This is one of the most important tenets of democracy, and we stand committed to respect the will of the people.”

Midtoon.com completes it's first month!

2009-02-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

Midtoon's Executive producer, Neftali Rivera, Jumped with joy when his comic strip, Midtoon, completed its first full month.

"I am happier than a dog with two tails," said the producer. "I have always wanted to be a cartoonist and now I have been one for a month! I can barely contain myself!"

Other members of the cast were happy as well. Erik Campos, the main character was not available, because he was grounded due to the issue with the telescope.

We want to thank all our readers and supporters. We hope to keep bringing Midtoon to you for many more months to come.

A Special Edition comic strip, only available to subscribers will be made to commemorate the 1-month of Midtoon. If you are following the strip, but have not subscribed, there is still time to do so for free.

Come, join the people of Midtoon, the first democracy in the world of Comic Strips.

ASK ERIK: How old is Mabel?

2009-01-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Question from Robert:

Mabel looks way too young to be married to John. Exactly how old is she?

Erik answers:

Mabel is 28, definitely too young to be my mother. She was only 12 when I was born. It is true that she is younger than my dad, who turns 48 this year, so at least for part of the year, my father is 20 years older than his wife.

Before you people ask, no, I don't have a problem with it. I think Mabel, being young, has an understanding of my problems that my father lacks sometimes. Besides, She's the coolest and better looking mom in our school.

I would go in deep about how Mabel and my dad got together, but that is the subject of a comic book that is in the works, and I don't want to spoil the storyline. The only thing I'm going to say is what I already said in an interview and what is on the website. Mabel met my father in 2002, in a College class. If you want to know all the details, wait until the comic book gets published. (Release date yet to be announced)

ASK ERIK will be a regular feature of this blog. To ask Erik a question, email Author@midtoon.com and write "ASK ERIK" in the subject line. If your question is selected for answering, your name will be entered in a contest for a minuscule chance to win something of minimal value and usefulness, (except the cool factor of getting your name in print).

Three Recent Reviews and a New Feature...

2009-01-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

I received the following reviews for Midtoon. I only identified them by initials, because I have not obtained permission to publish their names. You know, in this economy, and with my comic strip being distribute for free, I cannot risk a lawsuit, but the testimonials are real and I have two of them in writing.

"It doesn't look like you made it. It seems like it could have come from the pages of USA Today."
RMM- San Bruno, CA (verbally)

"I saw your creation and I loved it. Congratulations on it." MVF-San German, PR (on facebook)

"I was reviewing the Midtoon website. It is very interesting. I like the simplicity or the art and the creativity of your humor. The colors are bright and without too many shades, which is good, because it seems to me that it will not tire the eyes of your readers. I hope you have the success you ought to have. My sincere congratulations and of course, my admiration." FFT- San Francisco, CA (by email)

"Your comics are cool. When are you going to do more?" A Kid - Pacifica, CA (verbally)

Thank you all for your support and feedback. To leave your comments, email AUTHOR@MIDTOON.COM and to receive our comic in your mailbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, completely free, email SUBSCRIBE@MIDTOON.COM

COMING SOON: ASK ERIK, a feature where Erik Campos will be answering your questions. If you have questions for ERIK, email Author@midtoon .com and write ASK ERIK as the subject line. If your question is chosen to be answered by Erik, you may win a free subscription to Midtoon. Oh, wait, Midtoon is already free. Sorry!

MCR Interview with Erik Campos part 3

2009-01-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is The last part of Erik's Interview with MCR Radio.

Laurie Blog, the Host of the Laurie Blog Show presents Erik with questions from the audience

LB: Welcome back, this is Laurie Blog, and this is the last segment of the Laurie Blog Show here in Midtoon City Radio. 45 minutes after the hour. Erik Campos, from the Comic Strip, Midtoon is our guest today. We have had a fascinating discussion today, Erik.

EC: Thanks, Laurie.

LB: We want to devote this final segment of the show to answer some questions from our listeners. Since there seems to be a stalker on the lines, we have filtered the calls and collected the questions that the people of Midtoon want to ask you. Are you ready for some of them?

EC: Fire up.

LB: I think you may have answered this first question already, but here goes: What is your favorite Comic?

EC: The Simpsons

LB: Why are the edges of your comics wrinkled?

EC: We have a limited budget, so we collect our frames from Scott Adams' garbage. Most of them are already wrinkled when we get them. Think of it as frame recycling. Good for the environment, good for you."

LB: Is your comic making any money?

EC: The short answer is no

LB: I'm going to add something here, Erik. Do you expect to make any money out of it?

EC: Sure, but not yet. We have to sell people on the idea before we try to sell them anything else.

LB: Sounds reasonable. Let's continue with the questions: Are you in love?

EC: Am I in love? Well, no, not really.

LB: Come on Erik, you are 16. Isn't there anyone special?

EC: Well, there is this cheerleader from school, but I can't really say anything about it yet.

LB: Why?

EC: Well, three reasons. She doesn't know, I don't know what's going to happen and her boyfriend doesn't know.

LB: I thought that you could not say it because it would be a spoiler.

EC: Yes, that's is. I don't want to ruin the storyline.

LB: Isn't there anyone else?

EC: Well, this girl that lives in the apartments across the street, but she is too old for me, so no chance there, you know.

LB: A cheerleader with a boyfriend and a neighbor that is too old... Sounds like you like forbidden relationships, Erik.

EC: Perhaps I do. That may explain the fact that I still don't have a girlfriend.

LB: Do you see yourself with a girlfriend soon?

EC: Eventually, of course. Soon, I don't know.

LB: Well, let's continue here: Erik, I love your comic. How can I subscribe?

EC: Email me at subscribe@midtoon.com and I will add your name to the list.

LB: Any other way of contacting you?

EC: Yes, my blog, www.midtoon.blogspot.com and my website, www.midtoon.com

LB: How is the democracy part of your comic working?

EC: We still have too few votes. For a democracy to work and be vibrant, we need as many votes as possible. Otherwise, a small segment of society will rule the entirety of it. That would not be a democracy.

LB: where do you get your knowledge of political science?

EC: My father is a legal advisor.

LB: Next Question: Javier is so cute! Can I keep him?

EC: Nothing could make me happier. Just make sure you take him far, far away.

LB: Wow, such brotherly love, Erik...

EC: Perhaps I'm kidding, although sometimes I do wish he would not exist. I guess it's part of being brothers.

LB: Are there any other members of the family we have no seen?

EC: Not of the immediate family. It's just the four of us.

LB: how about extended family? Other relatives?

EC: My real mom lives in Puerto Rico. I don't remember most of the family there, because I was little the last time I saw them. I am friends in FaceSpace with a cople of my cousins, though. Dad has two brothers, one older and one younger than him, but no sisters. His parents are not with us anymore. Mabel has an older brother, an older sister and a younger sister about my age. Mabel's Mother and her younger sister live in Centerville.

LB: Are any of them going to appear in the comic?

EC: I don't know. We don't have enough budget to travel to Puerto Rico, and my dad doesn't really communicate too much with his siblings. Perhaps Mabel's mom and sister, since they live in nearby Centerville, may appear here.

LB: Well, Erik, we still have questions, but we need to take this program to a close. It has been a true pleasure talking to such a well-mannered and intelligent young man. We wish you success in your endeavors and good luck in your personal life. Any final comments?

EC: Thank you, Laurie. It has been a pleasure being with you today. I just want to thank all the fans and ask them to spread the voice around. Tell everyone that the first democracy in the world of comic strips is already here and that we need all the support we can get to make it a success. Thank you Everyone.

LB: Thank you as well, Erik. Well, folks, this has been the Laurie Blog Show in MCR Radio. We will see you all next week at the same time. Stay tuned for the Tasteless Music Show, with Abraham Cheeks, coming right after these messages.

(END OF TRANSCRIPT)

MCR Interview with Erik Campos Part 2 of 3

2008-12-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of a three part interview held December 27, 2008 for the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio (MCR)

LB: Welcome back, everyone. This is the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio, 35 minutes after the hour, and we are back with Erik Campos, creator, producer and main character of MidToon, the first democratic comic strip in the world. Welcome back, Erik.

EC: Thanks.

LB: In the first segment of the show you made some striking comments about the Peanuts comic strip, and you said, and I quote: “Don’t even get me started with Garfield”.

EC: I knew you would bring that up…

LB: Erik, what is your take on Garfield?

EC: I don’t like it.

LB: Can you elaborate?

EC: Sure. I think Garfield, with all due respect to the fans that I’m sure it has, has been exploiting the same joke for years. The cat sleeps, the cat eats, the cat plays practical jokes on the dog, Odie, the human, Jon, doesn’t have a clue, the cat sleeps, eats, you get the idea.

LB: But don’t you think it is funny? If you find a formula for success, is it wrong to stick to it?

EC: Sticking to a formula is all right with me, but sometimes you can take it to the extreme. Look, one thing I don’t like about comics is how they fire the actors when they become too old to play the character. I have seen the early Garfield, and he was meaner and bigger that the one we have today. Obviously at some point, they fired the old cat and hired a new one. And this is not only in Garfield. Archie, one of my favorite comics, has replaced the entire cast more than once. Recently, they fired all the actors, and hired new ones.

LB: Tell us about your comic, Erik. Are you saying that you are not going to replace your actors? What will you do when they grow old?

EC: Make old jokes, I guess. I think I will keep the comic based on Midtoon instead of me. Look, when I graduate from High School, why would I want to keep playing a high school student for the next 20 years? I want to go on, learn new things, move to my own place, hopefully get married to a nice girl, you know.

LB: What if you move out of Midtoon, let’s say to study? Will the comic follow you?

EC: That I can’t say now. The comic is a democracy, so it will be up to the voters.

LB: That’s interesting, and it brings me to the next point I wanted to discuss with you. Tell us a little about the democracy part of your comic. How does it work?

EC: My comic strip is more like a reality show than a sitcom. Up until now, you had a comic strip bringing you a fixed story. You would love it, hate it or love to hate it, but besides that, and sending hate mail to the editor, there was not much you could do to alter the course of the strip. I intend to change that. My intention is to have at least one poll, and sometimes more than on the blog and the results of the polls will help shape and define the strip.

LB: I am looking at the blog right now and there is a poll up. It’s about what facet of Midtoon we are more interested in. May I vote?

EC: Sure, as long as you vote before closing date.

LB: Okay, I’m interested in the love life of the characters. Okay, here we go. (pause) Oh, look the results are up. My choice is winning!

EC: Congratulations.

LB: Does this mean that your next comic will be about the love life?

EC: Not necessarily. Look, there are two things we have to keep in mind. The answers to the polls will have an effect in the direction of the comic, but that effect may not be immediately apparent. First, there is a delay from the time a comic is made and the time it is published, so what the polls may be asking will have bearing on events later on. Second, some polls will call for a direct answer, such as a yes or no question. When that happens, the answer may be clear. Some others, like the one up right now, are less specific and point to a general direction rather than a particular action. So, judging for the results as I see them right now (at the time of this interview the poll still had 12 days to close) people seem to be more interested in love life humor, but they also want to see social, school and home humor as well, so this tells me that we should follow all those, but put special emphasis on the love life.

LB: So, sometimes the answers will be more direct than others. What will you do if people say a character should do something but their dream is to do something else?

EC: We have to keep in mind that this is reality comics. There will be events that will unalterably be shaped by the voters, but let’s say that there may be cases when the characters may choose to act against the will of the people. I think this is one of the issues with democracies, isn’t it? We vote for someone to do something, but they may or may not do it. The good thing is that if a character is going against the will of the people, the people have a way of taking some action and “voting them out of office”.

LB: Even you, Erik? Can you be voted out of office?

EC: I would like to say no, but the comic is called MIDTOON, not ERIK, so I guess the possibility is there that if people don’t like me, I may be ousted.

LB: Let’s wish that does not happen.

EC: Of course.

LB: Well, Erik, it is time for our break again. When we come back, we will be taking some more phone calls from the public and answering some of their questions. This is the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio. More of our conversation with Erik Campos after these short messages.

End of part 2. Stay tuned for part three of the interview, coming soon

MCR Interview with Erik Campos

2008-12-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is part 1 of a three part interview held December 27, 2008 for the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio (MCR)

LB: Good Morning, everyone. This is the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio, 12 minutes after the hour, and oh boy, are the phone lines ringing! This is because we have a very special guest today. With us, is Erik Campos, creator, producer and main character of MidToon, the first democratic comic strip in the world. Good Morning, Erik.

EC: Good Morning, Ms. Blog, it is an honor to be here.

LB: Please call me Laurie. Erik, any words you would like to address to your fans before we open the lines for questions?

EC: What fans?

LB: Oh, how humble! Come on, Erik. We know that the phones are not ringing off the hook for nothing. You have an established fan base all across MidToon.

EC: You are too kind, Ms. Blog. I mean, Laurie.

LB: Erik, tell us a little bit about your venture. What gave you the idea to make a comic strip?

EC: Well, you know how sometimes something happens to you, or to someone you know and you say, gee, I think this should be in a comic strip?

LB: Not really, but continue.

EC: Well, in my family, it happened a lot. I found myself saying that over and over. You may say that I live in a funny family.

LB: Tell us about your family, Erik.

EC: Well, my father, John Campos, is a lawyer and works as a legal advisor to the mayor, so you have some political situations right there. After he divorced my mom, seven years ago, he married the former Mabel Snyders, who is now my step-mother, and you may say she is the smarter half of the couple. Then you have my brother, Javier. He's just 7 years old, but sometimes acts way below it. He suffers from Neurologic Unrestrained Thought Syndrome (NUTS) a very rare condition he inherited from our mother. Because of his condition, he sometimes has very, uh; let's say interesting thoughts and insights into situations. Because of Javier's condition, Mabel stays at home.

LB: Doesn't your brother attend school?

EC: He does. With therapy and medicine, he is able to function to a somewhat normal level. If his condition remains stable, Mabel has plans to go back to work.

LB: Well, good luck to you and Mabel. We hope your brother recovers from his NUTS.

EC: I kind of not.

LB: What?

EC: I wish my brother would not recover.

LB: Why would that be?

EC: Well, sometimes, when nothing funny happens and I need a quick situation to portray, I just hide his pills and that creates an instant-comic right there, because he is bound to do something funny.

LB: Isn't that a bad thing to do?

EC: Laurie, we ARE Comic Strip actors. That is what we do.

LB: Well, Erik. We have to break for adverteasing, but before we do, let's take a couple phone calls from our lines. Line 1 caller, from MidToon, you are on the air, welcome to the Laurie Blog Show.

Caller 1: Hello, Laurie, I love you.

LB: Thank you caller, I love you as well.

Caller 1: No, I'm serious. I want you to marry me.

LB: Not now, Frank. let’s go to line 2, from Boise, Idaho. Hello, welcome to the show.

Caller 2: Hello, Laurie. I have a question for your guest.

LB: Shoot.

Caller 2: Erik, with all the comic strips out there, what makes you think that yours has any chance? Isn't the market saturated already?

LB: Good question, Erik. What do you think of that? Is the market full of comics?

EC: There are two categories of strips out there, Laurie. The ones about my family and the ones that are not about my family. The second group is probably saturated, as the caller says, but the first category, that's where I think we can carve a niche.

LB: Thank you caller 2. Caller 3 calls from MidToon as well. Caller 3, welcome to the Laurie Blog Show.

Caller 3: I still love you Laurie...

LB: Someone do something about this freak! I'm sorry, Erik. Sometimes we have technical difficulties, that’s one of the problems of a live show.

EC: No problem. I wish I was as popular as you are, Laurie.

LB: Thanks. Our next caller, line 1 again, from San Francisco. Line 1, you are on the air.

Caller 1: Hello, Laurie, long time admirer.

LB: Thank you.

Caller 1: Mr. Campos, You have a peculiar style that I find a little hard to place. I have been wondering who your influences are.

EC: I grew up reading comic strips and for the most part learning how NOT to do them. There are a few jewels out there, though. I think that in the panel form, the Farside must be my all-time favorite. In the strip form I think Luann is hot, even though she doesn't always agree. I also like Candorville and Dilbert. In longer form, I like Archie, although I like the artwork more than the storyline sometimes. I have also been a huge fan of The Flintstones, the old ones, before Pebbles and Bam-bam came along, and The Simpsons, and even though they are not comic strips, their perception and their world view definitely influenced my work. I think Matt Groening and Scott Adams are geniuses.

LB: Let me add something here. What about Peanuts?

EC: I like the salty ones. Oh, and also peanut butter.

LB: I meant the Peanuts comic strip.

EC: Ah, sorry. The Peanuts comic strip is an institution. I respect the influence that it had in the medium, and although I personally don't like it, I recognize that I use some of the conventions that it helped create.

LB: You don't like Peanuts? But Snoopy is the cutest!

EC: I respect its legacy and influence but I think it belongs in a museum, or in collectable books, not in the pages of your daily newspapers. The daily newspapers should be about current, living comics, not re-runs.

LB: Do you realize that you are likely to alienate a large segment of the comic strip readership by your last statement?

EC: It is just my point of view. I understand that some people cannot live without their daily fix of Snoopy and the gang. It is just not something that I like.

LB: Well, Erik, we need to go on a break now, but why don't we take a call from Wichita, Kansas?

EC: Sure.

LB: Wichita, line 2, you are on the air.

Caller 2: Laurie, let me tell your pompous guest something. Sir, you are a and how can you say that you don't like Peanuts? Peanuts is the best comic strip ever!

LB: To say I told you so, would be an understatement. You are going to alienate some people.

EC: Yes, Snoopy is very popular. There are two kinds of people, those who like Peanuts and those who don’t. Now, don't even get me started with Garfield.

LB: We will have to leave our talk about Garfield for after the break. This is the Laurie Blog Show on MidToon City Radio. More of our conversation with Erik Campos after these short messages.

End of part 1. Stay tuned for part two of the interview, coming soon

Midtoon Getting Ready to Lauch!

2008-11-17T10:58:00.001-08:00

Finally, after much time, Midtoon is getting ready to launch!

2009 will be the first official year of Midtoon. The first e-mail only comic will be sent January 5, 2009. Not all of the services that Midtoon will offer will be available from day one, so we have come with a promotional offer to offset the lack of certain features; the first 50 individuals to move to Midtoon will receive free Citizenship and will get their Taxes paid for the first year, absolutely free.

Did I say Free?

Yes, free. Midtoon cannot be a democracy if there are no voters. The presence of at least 50 people at launch, will make the democracy part work. As a special 'thank you' for being there at the beginning, the Mayor of Midtoon will be issuing free Citizenship certificates. Take is now, while supplies last.

What can you expect on January 2nd?

Expect to receive an email with the first Midtoon Strip and links to this blog, and to other resources. The body of the message will also include special content, blatant self-promotion (although no adverteasing) and announcements as to when the next features of Midtoon will become available.

What Features am I talking about?

The launch of Midtoon.com, the opening of the online store, the publication of Midtoon Yearbooks (obviously, this won't happen until early 2010, after Midtoon: Year One, is completed) The availability of special, autographed editions, opportunities to pre-order, and much, much more.

What if I am not part of the 'first 50'?

To be absolutely honest, since I do not have an adverteasing budget, I don't expect that we will go too far beyond fifty before launch. If we do, it will be amazing. I don't feel that it will be fair to charge full-price for the residency and the citizenship. There will be discounted fees from the time we reach 50 Midtoon Citizens until the time Midtoon.com goes online. This date has not been determined yet, but during this period, becoming a resident will only cost a $1.00 tax for the entire year, while becoming a Midtoon Citizen will cost $6.00 tax for the entire year.

After Midtoon.com goes online, the tax increases will likely bring the Resident Tax to $3.00 and the Citizen Tax to $9.00 (Prices subject to change)

What is the diference between Residents and Citizens?

Good question (even if I made it myself). Midtoon Comics will be distributed for free to anyone who wants to suscribe. The person who enjoys this free suscription will be called a VISITOR and will be able to enjoy the storyline, shop in the local stores and very few other things.

Residents will enjoy the following added benefits:

Will be able to log on and comment of the Midtoon Blog postings.
Will be able to vote on General elections and Town Hall meetings, affecting the storyline.
Will be able to receive a resident discount on selected pre-order merchandise.*
Will be eligible for contests and giveaways.

Citizens will enjoy all the benefits of Residents plus:

Will be able to pre-order special autographed editions of yearbooks.
Will be able to pre-order merchandise at cost* (yep, you heard it, $0.00 mark-up)
Will be eligible for even more contests and giveaways.
Will be able to vote in all elections such as steering committees, etc.
Your likeness may play a Cameo in Midtoon. (Details of this to be determined).

* discounts can only be accessed by preorder because they will only be available to me via volume orders. I will be placing an order for all the pre-ordered items at launch time and getting discount price for them.

Why is the TAX so low?

I have to be honest about this. It is my belief that it will be easier to get 1 million individuals to give me $1.00 than to get one individual to give me one million dollars. By distributing the comic for free and charging a low tax for added services, I am hoping to reach a wider audience. Historically, no web-only comic has made any money, so most support themselves by selling other items such as will be available in Midtoon.com and the online stores. The Tax system is a kind of micro-financing, because a Citizen (at full price, after the launch of the Website) will be paying (possibly) $9.00 for a whooping 312 comic strips. If this was all the Midtoon Citizen would get, it would come up to a little over 2.8 cents per comic. For a Resident, the cost would be even lower, a little less than a cent per comic. Doing this, I am hoping to make Midtoon reach a wider audience and unleash the true potential of the 'first democratic comic strip in the industry'.

What if you have more question?

Keep coming to this blog. I plan to keep updating this with new information as it becomes available.

The First Reality Comic Strip

2008-03-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

MidToon, the first comic strip where readers can vote to determine the fate of an entire cast of characters is a "reality comic strip" It will be coming soon to www.midtoon.com No, don't go clicking on the link just yet. It will take you to a place holder page. The website is not ready yet. Since this is going to be a low budget operation, I am learning how to make the site myself. This will probably take some time, because I still have to maintain my day job to pay the bills.

When the population of MidToon reaches 100,000, I will probably take the plunge and retire from my day job and work full-time in my Reality Comic Strip to try and make it grow to 1,000,000.

Who wants to become the first Resident of MidToon? The MidToon Passport Office will open soon...

See you there!

A bad experience with Network Solutions

2008-02-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

Today I set up several things. I officially own the webpage www.Midtoon.com. Something bad happenned when I was trying to obtain the domain name. I was searching for information from various domain name providers to see wha the price was going to be. I searched the domain in Godaddy.com and 1&1.com, and the prices were very reasonable. I checked Network Solutions and it was more expensive, so I went back to purchase from GoDaddy, and something strange happened; the domain was already taken! By law, the domain name companies have to disclose who owns the site, so out of curiosity I checked, and the owner was no less than Network Solutions! They just went ahead and claimed it after I did the search. I ended up paying $35.00 for the name I wanted instead of the 9.99 for GoDaddy and the 6.99 from 1&1.com. I bought from them, but am not a very happy customer, and will not host with them, or renew my domain with them when the time comes...

Today I also set up my paypal account and my ebay account. I also set up a direct deposit account so my paypal operates on a separate card, because my regular checking account is being used by my wife for her business.

We'll see what else I can do this weekend.

NOTE: Please don't go looking at my website yet. It is still under construction and full of advertising for Network Solutions.

Democracy Comes to Comic Strips

2008-02-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

I want to publish a comic strip. Not like your regular daily funnies, but a new concept. You see? Up until now, you read comic strips, like them or hate them, but besides ranting to a newspaper editor or writing hate mail to the author, there has been little that you can do to influence the course of the comic strip's story-line. I propose to change that.

I propose that comic strips should become democratic, that is, that the readers of the strip should be empowered and educated and then vote on the principal issues that affect the characters of the strip. It is still unclear how the voting will take place, but it will probably have to be online, since I don't expect to have the resources to handle paper ballots, and can't put a voting machine in every precint. Of course, if I were to go the voting machine route, it would be subject to rigging and elections could be stolen. I still have not decided if there should be super-delegates or not, and how many electoral votes each state should get. I think that every citizen deserves the chance of getting their vote counted and recognized.

My idea is that there will be a website associated with the comic. For now, Midtoon.com seems to be available (please don't take it). All the comic s will be avaliable there for perusing, and there will be elections every week (several may be running at a time) the results of the electoral votes will be calculated and they will affect the life of the citizens of Midtoon, USA. In a future post I will talk about the main characters and the way they interact with each other.

How is this new Democratic Comic going to fund itself? Making a comic strip can be a lot of fun, but it is also hard work, and I expect that my efforts in bringing you a quality product should be remunerated. But how? That is a question that keeps me tossing and turning in my sleep, and that affects my day job (yes, until I become a millionarie web comic publisher, I will have to keep a day job). Am I going to impose a Tax to all residents and citizens of my comic world? Will it be donation supported? Will it sell itself to the corporate media and be funded by adverteasing? I know it is spelled advertising, just think adverteasing is more accurate. Will it plug and place products and try to license out to gather funds? Will we issue an IPO?

What seems more likely is that in order to vote in Midtoon elections, you must register, and to do so, you must be a resident of Midtoon. Becoming a resident of Midtoon will probably require some type of tax. The amount has not been determined yet, but it must be really really low, to allow for a million people to pay it. A million of you giving me one dollar a year? Far-fetched? I don't know, but I don't think it should be hard, especially if Midtoon is successful. There are likely to be sales of products, online auctions, a paypal donate button, a "citizen" tax (something way higher than the resident, maybe $5,00 that would give you access to the citizen's only events, a red white and blue Midtoon Citizen pin and a full year of bragging rights)

In keeping with my strong belief in freedom, Reading the comic online will not require payment of any type. Once a year, I plan to publish a Midtoon Yearbook; a professionally printed collection of a full year of Monday through Saturday comic strips and maybe some electoral information and political analysis of the happenings of Midtoon. My goal is to reach the 50K readers mark in three years. I think the Yearbook will be running around $12.00, but this is subject to change.

As far as adverteasing goes, no. I don't think that adverteasing should have a place in the first Comic World Democracy. Sure, there will be self-promotion and links to our own products (like framed art, pins, t-shirts, hats, etc) We will see if we can make the efforts worthwhile woith this financial scheme. I plant to accept political contributions, but Midtoon has very strict anti-lobbying laws, so don't expect that you will be able to influence the results of an election just because you make a campaign donation. Your vote will still count as one, unless you happen to be a super-delegate. I have not decided if the vote of the citizens will be worth more than the vote of the residents, or if there will be super-delegates at all. This is probably a principle that undermines the basic concept of a democracy, so I may not allow for that. We will see what the future brings along these lines.

There are many options available to us, but before we can decide how to fund this venture, I have to create the content. This is not the .com era when people were getting millions just on the idea of future income. Today, you need something real to offer. I will be talking about it in the next post. For now, I will go sign a deal with McDonald's to include a Midtoon character in their kid's meals and sell the movie rights to Miramax.

See you soon in Midtoon.