Today in 3 Panels, by Dean Mang-Wooley

Dean sees a newspaper on a table. Dean says: "Hmm?" The newspaper headline reads: "Angry kids may suffer defiance disorder." Dean gets angry and slams their fist down on the table, saying: "Oh, what the HELL?"

Defiance

Aug 5, 2008

Dean's family is eating dinner together. Dean's dad says: "Dad had a stroke..." Having not heard him, Dean's mom says to Jordan: "Could I have some of your gravy, Jord?" Dean's dad looks down at the table and says: "Never mind."

Stroke

Sep 12, 2008

Panel one: Dean's brother Jordan belches loudly, making a grotesque face. Panel two: Jordan makes a face and says: "ugh." Panel three: Jordan says: "I've been belching non-stop ever since I ate that sausage sandwich." Text at the bottom explains what a sausage sandwich is: "2 full sausages between 2 slices of bread."

Sausage sandwich

Aug 19, 2008

Panel 1 image: a cricket in a sink, near the drain. Panel 1 text: There was a cricket in the studio sink. Panel 2 image: Dean, with their hands clasped in front of them, looking concerned. Panel 2 text: I scooped it up in my wet hands and headed outside. Panel 3: A close-up image of the cricket lying on its side on the ground. Panel 3 text: It died before I reached the door.

Cricket

Sep 26, 2008

Panel 1 image: The sun, larger than usual, framed by trees. Panel 1 text: I can't stop looking at the bright red sun, magnified by ash. Panel 2 image: a wildfire consumes a forest. Panel 2 text: Wildfires aren't supposed to choke out whole provinces. Panel 3 image: A prize wheel wherein each segment contains an image of some kind of natural disaster, A flood, a drought, and a hurricane are depicted. Panel 3 text: I wonder what next summer will bring.

Wildfire

Jul 6, 2015

Dean is sitting in a restaurant with their friends Sam and Lailah. Sam says: "I'm advising everyone I know to get a tattoo. The pain builds and builds, and then it just drops off and everything feels beautiful." Lailah says to Sam: "You'd make a terrible torture victim."

Tattoos

Sep 1, 2008

Panel 1 image: Dean is staring at a blank sketchbook with a pencil in their hand. Panel 1 text: Trying to think of something--anything--to draw about.... Panel 2 image: close up of actor Hugh Laurie's face. Panel 2 text: But all I can think about is Hugh Laurie in 'Blackadder.' Panel 3 image: Dean smiles dreamily, resting their chin in their hands. Panel 3 text: Damn that British funnyman and his wide horsey smile.

Distraction

Sep 2, 2008

Dean is talking to their coworker, who is also named Dean. Dean says: "Hi Dean." Dean responds with: "Hi Dean." A third coworker joins them and says: "Hi Deans."

The Dean Team

Aug 18, 2018

Dean and Naz are sitting on a couch together. Dean asks Naz: "How...are you?" Naz replies: "I'm good. I'm tired. Grief is exhausting. But I'm good."

Check in

Aug 15, 2016

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 and Jordan are sitting at the kitchen table, each holding a jalapeno pepper. Dean sniffs the pepper in their hand and says: "It smells like apple B.O. Like, if apples had B.O., this is what it would smell like." Jordan sniffs the jalapeno in his hand.

Fresh jalapeños

Sep 14, 2008

Dean is on a city bus, reading a book. Text reads: As I was reading 'Heart of Darkness' on the bus, I started listening to two women talk about the life they left behind in Botswana. Everything I do is trivial.

Microcosm

Sep 23, 2008