Chapter 2, Page 25

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Sorry about skipping last week! I wasn’t planning on it but I’ve developed a mystery health issue and wasn’t able to move my hands, wrists, body etc for a good part of last week, haha (not really funny but whatever). This week has been not quite as debilitating painwise, so I’m pressing forwards. We’ll have another MI page later this week. The chapter is actually nearly over! I will shut up now, but cool stuff is near :]

A thing I have never received before… an MI fanmix by cannibalistic-husbands :O A fanmix is a bunch of themed songs? I guess? Either way, pretty neat!

In Patreon news, I opened up a few new commission tiers for upcoming December holidays. As a direct result we also hit our next update goal of 12x a month X[___] That’s kind of nuts. Up until now we’ve been at 10x updates a month, but now we’ll have guaranteed 3x Shingworks comics updates every week… good timing too since both webcomics are ramping up faster now. I think we’ll probably start on that schedule next week. This week is a 4x update week but 3x from here on out is pretty good too!
And, if you missed it, some dev stuff that I haven’t shared anywhere before, including a synopsis of the original story, which was broken down and reassembled.

Today’s bonus art: You know the drill

38 Comments

  • squidlifecrisis

    :c

  • Jojo

    Poor Mike.

  • Tindi

    I hope you’re feeling better!

    Poor Mike. “How fucked up is my head that this is what I’m hallucinating?”

  • poo

    you do you shing
    thoughts r with u

  • Ooorah

    Oh man, you couldn’t move? Obviously you need your own amorous thighfriend. Benefits include an 80% increase in mobility, happy flappy noises whenever you want, and your very own traveling potted plant.

    • shingworks

      You’re so right… I need to fall into a cavern stat

  • Boricua en la Luna

    Hmm….Has anyone else noticed that his eyes are not bloodshot red anymore? He also doesn’t look like he’s struggling much….is he getting used to the martian environment? Has he developed a symbiotic relationship with his thighfish? :)

    • Vert

      I think Thighfriend is filtering his blood, getting rid of the acidic components of the atmosphere as part of its own respiration. What I don’t understand is how that cleared up the conjunctival hemorrhage… those are like bruises, they *stain* the tissue, the marks last for weeks.

      I do think Mike is a little short on hemoglobin, though, maybe it’s just the blue light but even in the panels where he’s surrounded by red rock, he looks very pale (even accounting for Nordic heritage).

    • shingworks

      Part of that is the lighting (everything is blue tinted rn so the red shows as dark blue in the last panel on this page) and part of that is me forgetting on a panel or two in previous pages and not fixing it yet, haha…

    • Well leeches do clear up bruises so maybe thighfriend has some really effective anticoagulant doing the rounds in Mike’s system.

      Also goddamit what is with webcomics people and health issues. Are they cursed or something? If I start a webcomic will it trigger Lupus?

  • Adamwhistle

    Well, look at the bright side: he at least had the sense to have an existential, trauma-induced and psychological crisis where he is safe and can rest a bit. Maybe catch up with Tightfriend. Maybe they can trade life stories with one another and help cure each others’ wounds in their souls that was inflicted by the cruel, harsh world.

  • Corbie

    Ow! I hope you’re not only better but pain-free now, and can move normally again. Not being able to draw is horrific. :o

    • shingworks

      Yeah, I’ve been going to bed at 9pm for the last 2 weeks because I literally can’t move anything without pain in the evenings~ but I think it might be improving.

      • Vert

        Anything serious enough to literally render you incapable of movement is probably serious enough to warrant a specialist’s attention. I hope the ailment in question isn’t a mystery any longer.

        … what? I don’t CARE or anything! I… I just don’t want you to stop making comics!

        • shingworks

          It is still a mystery as of right now~ The thing I suspect it is can’t be detected at the moment via tests because it would be too early for the antibodies to form, so I’m just trying to minimize stupid behaviors. But it’s confirmed not lyme disease, which was my big worry, so that’s good at least!

          And don’t worry, I won’t stop making comics unless I literally can’t (in which case it’s time for Plan B: robot arms)

          • Vert

            Lyme disease is at least treatable. Mystery ailments are just… worrisome. Best of luck.

          • Asterai

            Why are robot arms everyone’s Plan B? I think robot arms deserve a higher spot on the planning hierarchy.

          • lazy

            glad your feeling a bit better! Just wondering which lyme test you used? If you go to most labs and don’t specify they will just give you get the ELIZA test which is very inaccurate; a lot of people get misdiagnosed that way. Did you ask for the western blot test?

          • shingworks

            I got some results back, it is not lyme, it is something else.

  • Neris

    I’m almost afraid to ask what he saw on the ceiling to make such a face. Almost.

    • Vert

      Bex. Hanging in a web of fungal slime like the morgue clerk in Men in Black.

    • Asterai

      I think the the things we’ve already seen are plenty to warrant the face he’s making.

  • Do take time to take care of you!! I hope you will be feeling better soon!

  • Jojo

    Feel better soon, Shing!

  • Kneefriend would like to remind you this is “us”, you aren’t alone here in this alien luminescent cave.

  • Draug

    Soot sprites! :3

  • Bob

    Your symptoms sound like a lot of different things, many of them curable. Except MS, which really really sucks and I hope you don’t have it. Get well soon!

    • shingworks

      Well, I didn’t list all my symptoms or medical history here, that would be kind of weird. I’m happy to let my doctor try and figure it out; I was just giving an explanation as to the post delay. Generally it takes a physical issue (health or computer failure) to stop me from updating. Either way I am feeling better today, just crossing fingers that this upward trend continues!

      • Jojo

        Good to hear you are feeling better! Praying the doctors find just whats going on and get you feeling back to normal.

  • Vert

    Hey Der-Shing, what’s it *sound* like in there? The first panel in particular evokes a feeling of space… Most caves are silent, but this isn’t most caves. I’m guessing water lapping gently, and every sound Mike makes echoing back at him half a second later, but is there anything else? Screeches? The splash of a jumping fungi-ichthyoid? The creaking gurgle of an inflating angleworm? My ears want to know!

  • Swampfox

    Poor Thigh Friend

    • shingworks

      He tired

    • Vert

      He does look pretty beat up, doesn’t he? Hope he’s okay… I don’t think Mike can survive without him.

  • sweet_gardenia

    Urk! I am so sorry to hear that I hope you will be feeling better soon. Working on the kickstarter now for those robot arms. Take it easy Shing

    Look at thighfriend there all chillin. Thighfriend’s like ” It’s ok buddy you’ve had a rough day. I’m here for ya..”

  • Kittenears

    Feel better soon. I’d rather wait for updates and know you are healthy, personally.

    Beautiful work, as always.

    Poor Mike. :(

  • that thing with the panel at the bonus art, or the lack of it, looks like a very different page from this one.
    thank you for the excellent work.
    (good luck with stuff.)

  • TheStratovarian

    Friend thighfish just doesn’t look the same without a good day of bio-luminescence. You gotta shake those feathers to keep in this kinda shape, when everythings on the menu!

  • That fanmix is the literally the best thing that’s happened to me today. How artfully done, and all enjoyable music! :)

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