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PANEL 1: The EMPEROR stands at a blood-splattered computer consul, hands flat, eyes wide, looking shocked.
EMPEROR: M-Madrid?!?
GRUN, from the speaker: HAR HAR HAR

PANEL 2: From space, the SPARK OF THOUGHT is getting blasted with m-waves. The ship is damanged but not beyond repair at this point.
GRUN, from inside the ship: I told our ship to shoot yer capital when we got here, BUT IT DIDN’T KNOW NUTHIN’ ABOUT YER CITIES. Ain’t never been to Tierra before.

PANEL 3: GRUN, the very large tesskan with an eye patch and rope wrapped around one of his horns, points at a computer consul, next to another Tesskan who hovers his hand over the light.
GRUN: But I guess it’s been lookin’ at power lines ’n traffic patterns ’n a buncha nonsense to figure it out. And it done it!

PANEL 4: Close up on GRUN, as he yells.
GRUN: So guess what? Just like you took our cities away from us, we gon’ take yer capital away from you.

PANEL 5: Close up on the EMPEROR, as he holds hands out defensively.
EMPEROR: no-no-no-wait. WAIT. Talk to me! What do you want? TESSKINL? You can have Tesskil back.

PANEL 6: Close up on GRUN.
GRUN: Oh we ‘bout to get EVER’THING back. We gon’ take out the city that’s caused ev’ry misery we ever known.

PANEL 7: Very close up on the Emperor, as be begs.
EMPEROR: Please. MADRID. The Jewel of the Empire. I BEG YOU!

PANEL 8: The camera has backed away from the Emperor a little as he continues to beg.
EMPEROR: I’ll give you anything you want.

PANEL 9: Even further away from the Emperor, as tears well up in his eyes.
EMPEROR: Just don’t hit Madrid. I…

PANEL 10: The EMPEROR stands alone against a dark background, a spotlight on him.
EMPEROR: I surrender.

——
Want to read the full story? Join us at Patreon.com/drive for the *FULL* Tales of the Drive archives, art giveaways, fun community, and more! DRIVE copyright Dave Kellett. Colors by Beth Reidmiller

PANEL 1: The EMPEROR stands at a blood-splattered computer consul, hands flat, eyes wide, looking shocked.
EMPEROR: M-Madrid?!?
GRUN, from the speaker: HAR HAR HAR

PANEL 2: From space, the SPARK OF THOUGHT is getting blasted with m-waves. The ship is damanged but not beyond repair at this point.
GRUN, from inside the ship: I told our ship to shoot yer capital when we got here, BUT IT DIDN’T KNOW NUTHIN’ ABOUT YER CITIES. Ain’t never been to Tierra before.

PANEL 3: GRUN, the very large tesskan with an eye patch and rope wrapped around one of his horns, points at a computer consul, next to another Tesskan who hovers his hand over the light.
GRUN: But I guess it’s been lookin’ at power lines ’n traffic patterns ’n a buncha nonsense to figure it out. And it done it!

PANEL 4: Close up on GRUN, as he yells.
GRUN: So guess what? Just like you took our cities away from us, we gon’ take yer capital away from you.

PANEL 5: Close up on the EMPEROR, as he holds hands out defensively.
EMPEROR: no-no-no-wait. WAIT. Talk to me! What do you want? TESSKINL? You can have Tesskil back.

PANEL 6: Close up on GRUN.
GRUN: Oh we ‘bout to get EVER’THING back. We gon’ take out the city that’s caused ev’ry misery we ever known.

PANEL 7: Very close up on the Emperor, as be begs.
EMPEROR: Please. MADRID. The Jewel of the Empire. I BEG YOU!

PANEL 8: The camera has backed away from the Emperor a little as he continues to beg.
EMPEROR: I’ll give you anything you want.

PANEL 9: Even further away from the Emperor, as tears well up in his eyes.
EMPEROR: Just don’t hit Madrid. I…

PANEL 10: The EMPEROR stands alone against a dark background, a spotlight on him.
EMPEROR: I surrender.

——
Want to read the full story? Join us at Patreon.com/drive for the *FULL* Tales of the Drive archives, art giveaways, fun community, and more! DRIVE copyright Dave Kellett. Colors by Beth Reidmiller
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Act 5. Pg 188

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Dave’s Livestreaming Today, 1-2PM PT / 4-5PM ET!

Sheldon pals! If you’re free this afternoon, swing by! I’ll be livestreaming today from 1-2PM PT / 4-5PM ET, taking questions with my pal Brad Guigar about Sheldon, Drive, ComicLab, and cartooning in general!

It’s part of our new tradition where we livestream the last hour of our Kickstarter campaigns, to celebrate and goof around. Join us with questions, here: https://riverside.com/studio/comiclabs-studio?t=3bd3569dd305a30483da

And here’s the link for the Kickstarter, if you haven’t yet jumped in! Just a few hours left! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smallfish/double-dog-dare?ref=8z4y6m


🏆THE HUGO NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

Pals! The nominations for sci-fi’s biggest award — the HUGOS — are officially OPEN! If you’re a past/present member of WorldCon, you got an email today [from “LA V Virtual Convention Team” / [email protected]] asking you to activate your WorldCon account and make your nominations. And gang, it would mean the world to me if you considered these two lil’ sweethearts among your nominations:

  • FOR BEST GRAPHIC STORY OR COMIC:
    DRIVE (
    DriveComic.com) | Artist: Dave Kellett | Publisher: Small Fish Studios
  • FOR BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST:
    DAVE KELLETT  |  Example of their Work:
    DriveComic.com

(NOTE: The “Drive Act 4” book had a copyright of 2024, so that book doesn’t qualify. But the two above do qualify!)

Drive has never been nominated for a Hugo — and I think it would be tremendous fun! Especially since I’LL BE THERE for the first time in a decade! That’s right: With WorldCon being in Anaheim this year — I’ll be at the show, handing out high-fives LIKE THEY’RE GOING OUT OF STYLE!

But honestly, there’s no shortage of amazing sci-fi stories in 2025 — so be generous with your nominations!

Thanks, pals!
– Dave






This week’s ComicLab Podcast is live!

Pals! Every week my cartooning pal Brad Guigar and I fire up the mics to talk about comics. It’s half shop talk, half how-to, and half friendship. That’s right: WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It’s tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro!

———

TITLE: Why don’t you do MORE?!?

comiclabpodcast.com

Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/pmzb68x

Spotify: https://buff.ly/OShfHX4

Are Brad and Dave not doing enough? A listener question sparks a candid conversation about creative bandwidth, sustainability, and why “doing more” isn’t always the smart — or sustainable — choice. The episode then dives into one of the hardest challenges in humor writing: How to judge your own work when readers don’t get the joke. How much confusion is normal, when feedback matters, and how to balance ego with humility without losing your voice.



3 DAYS, 3 DEALS: ANATOMY SET, 50%-OFF!

For ONE DAY ONLY (today!), the complete 4-book ANATOMY hardcover set is 50% off! It’s every ridiculous deep-dive into dogs, dinos, authors and animals — bundled into four gloriously silly volumes. If you’ve been eyeing the set (or need the perfect gift for someone who loves smart, goofy humor), this is the moment to pounce. When the discount disappears, it’s gone like a dog who heard the cheese drawer open — so grab the full set while it’s half off! Get the bundle here!

(NOTE: The discount will only apply on the 4 book bundle, it won’t apply if you add the books separately.)


3 DAYS, 3 DEALS: DRIVE SET, 50%-OFF!

For ONE DAY ONLY (today!), the 4-book DRIVE hardcover set is 50% off!  We’ve never had a price that low! It’s all the empires, secret histories, spacefaring misfits, and sci-fi goodness packed into four beautiful volumes. If you’ve been waiting to dive into the series (or want to introduce a fellow sci-fi nerd to the DELIGHT), this is your moment. This deal is ONLY FOR ONE DAY (today!) — so it’s going faster than doughnuts at a Veetan gathering! Buy the 4 pack here!

(NOTE: The discount will only apply on the 4 book bundle, it won’t apply if you add the books separately.)



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