Greetings all, it is that time again — for the biggest comic and pop culture convention in Texas: Wizard World Texas!

Yours truly will be appearing Friday, Saturday and Sunday, (November 7-9) doing sketches, selling books, prints, etc. and most importantly, I’ve got some new stickers printed up, as you can see below! So check it out, this is a great show to come to, there’s lots of incredible artists there, and some cool special guests.  It’s over in Arlington, just across the street from the Ballpark. For more information, click here to go to the offical website.

If you’ve never been to a comic show, this is a great place to start. If you’ve been before, this is the biggest show of the year in Texas, so come say hi, pick up a sketch and have a great weekend! See ya there!

I had some fun coming up with what Chuck would be watching in today’s first panel, that he would be so angry about getting interrupted. Of course, it’s “Attack of the Show,” the nerd show for nerds, by nerds. I once was hanging out with an old friend of mine, and I started talking about something I saw on AOTS, and he just stares at me, holds out his hands and goes, “woooaaah, woah woah woah–” and I was all like, “dude?” Then he just looks at me and goes, “You watch G4? That is low. Man, nerds make fun of nerds who watch G4.”

And of course, he’s right. Although I preferred the days of AOTS before they got a bigger budget, and before that burnette chick (my heart belongs to that punky blonde–I think Sarah was her name? help me out here…) it’s still ultimate geek TV, which gives it a special place in my heart… even if I can’t stand half of what I see on there. I mean, seriously–you show ‘Cops’? What true nerd wants to see that? Stop trying to be Spike TV Junior, and give me my videogames and comic segments, peppered with a bit of Star Trek.

On an unrelated note, Gina Carano is real, undefeated (last I checked) and Frizz is right to show her to the world. Seeing her beat the tar outta some other dame is a cathartic experience. In this way, I have a lot in common with ‘Wash’ from ‘Firefly.’ I love a woman who can destroy me with her pinky. Also, I like the Hawiian shirts.

Don’t forget about Wizard World this weekend — come have a great time and say hi!

When you’re making a webcomic like this one, I think possibly the hardest thing to do is to stay consistently funny–or rather, consistently be in a mood to be funny. Lets face it, if you’re a human, chances are, your life is not that great. I know mine gets rough sometimes, and it’s hard to stay upbeat, hard to continue making jokes in the face of some of the problems that flood our lives, whether it be troubles at the office, romantic rejections, or the Star Trek movie being delayed to next summer.

As a way of dealing with this, I’ve got a few things I can always fall back on that help me stay in a good mood, and able to keep the jokes coming to you, the constant reader. So today I present to you:
Mike’s 3 Things To Keep You Happy When Everything Sucks:

1) Webcomics. Duh. I have a list of about 10 webcomics I go through every single morning, so I start my day off with a chuckle. Then, I’ve got bookmarks of a dozen or so more that I can turn to as a backup if my day starts going bad. I hope Dorm Dorks will be one of those places where you guys came get a laugh to start your day. It’s the reason I do it!

2) Ska Ska Ska. The music I listen to has a huge influence on my mood. That’s why I keep myself stocked full of Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Toasters, the Aquabats, Five Iron Frenzy, Streetlight Manifesto, etc. Nothing makes you laugh instead of cry at how miserable life is like a Reel Big Fish song. And the great thing about the Toasters is that they can make you feel angry at the world, and still happy about being alive at the same time. Check out “Talk is Cheap” if you don’t believe me. The magic of ska in a minor key, ladies and gentlemen.

3) Transference. By far the best way to feel good about life in the face of adversity is a technique I call “Transference.” The meaning is simple. If you’re feeling down, find someone you know whose life is much worse than yours, and just completely make fun of them for it. I mean, really lay into them and make them miserable. In this way, your hatred for your own existence is transferred instantly to them (its like declaring emotional bankruptcy) and then they go on to do the same to another, even less fortunate soul. Its the circle of pain, folks, take advantage of it!

Of course, I suppose the fourth technique might be to drink until you don’t feel feelings anymore, but I don’t recommend trying that if you’re under 21, or Irish.