SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: This week, I’m releasing a new memoir, Shortbox. It’s told in short vignettes from various points in my life, tied to over 100 comics. Three of them are Guilded Age stories (our first volume, our last chapter, and our first Axemas special) and I have never shared them on this site. The ebook’s normal price is $7.99, but go to Amazon before Sunday to get it for an insanely low $2.99.

The fact that Scarlett prays to Gigundus even in a relatively unguarded moment will say some interesting things about her psychology later, when Gigundus’ current nature is revealed.

I think Phil picked the Nordic name “Åkerfeldt” for Frigg to go with her first name, which I pulled from the Venn overlap of “Norse goddesses” and “things that sound like cursing.” We’d get less use out of it than “Deserthammer” or (of course) “Best,” but more than we’d get out of “Hackenslasher” or any of the later Peacemakers’ surnames.

The end sequence here evolved out of all our ideas. Phil tightened up my basic concept and argued me out of an unnecessary flashback. Erica added some panels of Syr’Nj waking and (snrk) the birds on her butt.