Clean Thoughts

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about compulsive cleaning as a sort of therapy. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing, but in some ways, if you think about it, it’s kind of like what monks do. Chores… constant chores, almost as a meditation. So yeah, despite my cynicism, maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all.

I actually do kind of enjoy vacuuming. It’s very before – after. Also weeding. That’s 100% my favorite chore. How bout you?

Variant Gift Guide

This week’s new Dustinland comic is inspired by yet another variant, the oddly pronounced Omicron. I feel like it should have an N in it — Omnicron. But I guess that would make it some sort of ultimate variant and not just the next letter in the Greek alphabet.

But yeah, like the comic said, I am exhausted. Not so much by the virus, which is stupid and annoying and dangerous yet not terrifying. No, I am exhausted by humanity. We just suck. That’s what this virus has brought out more than anything, more than Trump, more than war, more than terrorism. Just seeing the way we are all dealing with this, it’s just sad and pathetic. So much anger, rage, selfishness, lunacy… I mean, if you had any hope for the future of mankind, this has to just completely wipe that out. Or not. Who knows. I give up.

Jokes!

Purpose

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about purpose, and it’s a very New Yorkery style strip. Partially because I was busy, partially because I was too depressed to spend serious energy drawing an 8-10 panel strip this week. But I did draw you three new Birdys, so at least there’s that!

As for the strip, just in case you need it explained — which you don’t, but I’m going to anyway — the joke is that most people are soul searching for purpose in their lives, while I am telling a therapist I actually have too much purpose. Which is probably not true, I’m likely just substituting responsibility for purpose, but either way I don’t go to therapy, and nothing matters.

Happy Monday!

Normal

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about how normal is no longer going to be sitting back and relaxing and ignoring politics while someone else takes care of it. But to be honest, that’s what got us here in the first place. To a degree, at least.

Also I’ve had to do a few short comics because I’ve been working on some other soon to be revealed stuff… so stay tuned!

Bohemian Crapsody

This new Dustinland comic is obviously set to the lyrics of a song we all know and probably love, or at least find amusing. But not the part most people focus on. I don’t know how it happened, but these lyrics came to mind as just a perfect illustration of how I’ve been feeling lately.

Of course the next logical step would be to follow with a panel that replaces “Mama!” with “MAGA!” but I like that I ended it on this mental health note, which is essentially saying we all need to step away from everything and just briefly say “I don’t care.” It doesn’t mean to actually not care or to give up and not try. It just means you can’t let it be your entire life, you can’t keep doom strolling. Turn it off, unplug, and just BE.

This Land

This week’s new Dustinland comic is a rewording of the famous folk song, This Land Is Your Land. Trying to keep some similarities with the phrasing and wording of the original, I updated it to speak to the anxious and divided country America has become. Not that we were ever some perfect nation of peace and love, but at least in my lifetime, things have never been this bad.

I guess I should give people some words of hope and encouragement now, but things are looking pretty grim to me. But… prove me wrong! How about that. When things turn out just fine because of your actions, you can laugh at the stupidest negative cartoonist. Does that inspire you to make a difference? Because that’s all I’ve got right now.

Escape

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about escaping. Literally and physically. Physically, leaving the city, or even your own cramped four walls you’ve been seeing over and over for so long. Mentally, escaping the same confines but in a different way… but also escaping what’s in your mind — Covid, Trump, all of it. But it seems that no matter what you do, something follows you. You can’t fully escape. You can’t just leave the world’s problems to everyone else. But how do you find the balance? How do you do what it takes to stay sane, but stay involved enough to make a difference?

Nation Without A Care

This week’s new Dustinland comic pretty much says all I have to say about the matter. I mean, I don’t think EVERYONE in the U.S. is like this, but enough people are to ruin everything for the rest of us. I don’t think it’s necessarily their fault — even the idea of something being anyone’s fault is a whole other philosophical wormhole. It’s really more about human nature combined with the American experiment leading to this current state of ignorant nightmare. Good times.

Cracks

This week’s new Dustinland comic is obviously about the stress caused by months of quarantine. For me personally, it’s less about the fear of getting sick and more about dealing with the monotony and frustrations of day to day existence right now. In particular, balancing work and parenting. Of course I am grateful for my awesome life etc… it’s just that right now there’s a lot of bullshit going on and it’s hard to not let it slowly get to you. This past week I really noticed it creeping in.

As for the absurdist ending, that’s not meant to be something negative, but most people take it that way. Really it just means that life is meaningless is silly, so why stress over it. Just laugh and go with the flow and try to enjoy it, or at least “enjoy” it. Kind of like a dark version of eastern philosophy, but without the enlightenment or reincarnation parts.

Negative Outbreak

This new Dustinland comicis about how optimistic and pessimistic outlooks affect how you’re doing during times of crisis. Namely, this huge global pandemic that is absolutely fucking everyone’s shit up right now. Fun times!