Today in 3 Panels, by Dean Mang-Wooley

The comic is laid out like an instructional pamphlet. Panel 1 image: Dean is standing in a neutral position, facing the viewer. Panel 1 text: 1. Make eye contact. Panel 2 image: Dean looks down, surprised. Panel 2 text: 2. Look down suddenly. Panel 3 image: Dean looks at their cellphone with a puzzled look on their face. There is an arrow pointing to the cellphone with the words: "not on." Panel 3 text: 3. "check" cellphone. Repeat.

How to approach strangers, the Mang-Wooley way

Sep 3, 2008

Dean, aka Rita, describes what they observe at a church service. Image text reads: Staring at what looks like malignant melanoma on the neck of the woman in front of me. Listening to a surprisingly beautiful rendition of Ave Maria on the trombone. Watching a flash of light dance in time to the music.

One Sunday in Melville

Aug 3, 2008

Dean and Jordan are talking to each other in their living room. Dean says: "imagine if cats had hands like ours." Jordan replies: "Ew." Dean says: "Or! Imagine if they had faces like ours, but everything else was the same." Jordan replies: "No!" Dean imagines a cat with a man's face and says: "Just imagine it for a second."

Cat hands

Aug 29, 2008

Dean is house sitting for their mom's coworker. They are in a storage room, looking at a photo album. Image text reads: "After a few minutes of snooping, I finally found what I was looking for...photos of my mom's workmate as a kid." There is a close up image of one of the photos, showing a child with the year 1953 printed above his head.

Invasion of privacy

Aug 9, 2008

Dean is volunteering at a one day camp for 9 to 13 year olds. They are standing near two children who are smiling and laughing. Dean thinks: "Man, these 9 to 13 year olds are awesome. Wait! When did I get so old? When did I get so boring?"

Peace camp, Calgary Unitarian Church

Aug 12, 2008

Dean's friend Alison is at a clothing store. She looks into a box of hats and sees a baseball cap with a large garish cross printed on it. She buys the hat at puts it on. She grins and gives a thumbs up.

Fate

Aug 14, 2008

Dean is in their back yard, using a hose to spray water onto a pile of dirt. Dean thinks: "My only goal right now is to turn this pile of dirt into a pile of mud." There is a close up image of the water hitting the pile of dirt, followed by a close up image of Dean's head. Dean's eyes are closed, and their mind is empty.

Pre-housesitting meditation

Aug 7, 2008

Dean is taking care of someone's dog. The dog breathes in Dean's face, making the sound effect: "PUGH!" Dean leans away, looking disgusted. Dean says to the dog: "somebody's breath smells like FECES! Is it YOURS?"

Adventures in dogsitting, part I

Aug 10, 2008

Panel 1 image: Dean as a child looking toward the right with an awed expression. Panel 1 text: When I was really young, I had a very strong emotional response to Rick Moranis. Panel 2 image: 3 portraits of actor Rick Moranis portraying Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors; Doug McKenzie on SCTV; and Wayne Szalinsky in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Panel 2 text: Seeing him evoked a feeling that was simultaneously positive and negative--a mixture of reverence, recognition, and embarrassment. Panel 3 image: a portrait that is half Dean as a child, half Rick Moranis. Panel 3 text: I felt like we were the same person, living two different stages of the same life.

Rick Moranis

May 5, 2018

Dean, aka Rita, describes what they observe at a church service. Image text reads: Staring at what looks like malignant melanoma on the neck of the woman in front of me. Listening to a surprisingly beautiful rendition of Ave Maria on the trombone. Watching a flash of light dance in time to the music.

One Sunday in Melville

Aug 3, 2008

Dean and their dad are talking to each other. Dean's dad says: "There's a...um..." Dean says: "There's a what?" Dean's dad replies: "Hm? Oh, I was just talking to myself in nonsense language."

Nonsense

Aug 20, 2008

Hannah is watching Dean play the game Earthworm Jim on the Super Nintendo. Hannah says: "I think Earthworm Jim is an ESFP. With seriously un-diagnosed ADHD."

Earthworm Jim

Sep 21, 2008