Today in 3 Panels, by Dean Mang-Wooley

Dean and their friends are playing Pictionary. Dean is drawing a picture and their friend Joelle is guessing what it is. Dean draws a picture of a baby, a plus sign, a downward-facing arrow, and a person with a prominent butt sitting down. Joelle guesses: "Baby butt? Baby...bum? Baby...Ass baby?" Dean looks at Joelle and says: "ASS BABY?"

Pictionary

Oct 12, 2008

Dean is looking at a news story on the CBC website. The headline reads: BC minimum wage now the lowest in Canada. Dean thinks to themself: "God. Why am I quitting my job?"

Minimum wage

Apr 5, 2016

Dean's friend Alison is standing in the back of a parked U-Haul truck, covering one eye. Alison's brother Liam is lying on the ground beside the truck. Alison's dad approaches the scene and says: "What happened?" Alison says: "He elbowed me in the eye!" Liam says: "She eyed me in the elbow!"

Assigning blame

Aug 23, 2008

Dean is lying in bed, awake. Suddenly, they think about the art commission that they have to finish soon. They say to themself: "I'm dead."

Dread

Sep 4, 2008

Dean is standing a the kitchen sink and 5:00 am, holding a bowl of food in one hand and a spoon in the other. They look down at the bowl of food and think: "Why did I just push all the food to one side?" Then they look at the spoon and think: "and where did I get this spoon?"

5 in the morning

Sep 16, 2008

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: Dean is taking a shower. Panel 2: Dean is out of the shower, putting on their clothes. They think to themself: My clothes smell like sour dandruff. Panel 3: Dean looks up, sniffing the air. They think: The whole house smells like sour dandruff.

Reek II

Sep 25, 2008

Panel 1: Dean walks down the alley near their house and looks at the graffiti on their neighbours' garages. They think: So many vandalized garages. Panel 2: Dean puts a piece of paper in a neighbour's mailbox. They think: "I'll offer to paint over it and give them my information! Panel 3: Dean is at home, looking at the phone with a very worried expression, thinking: crap crap crap crap...

Vandalism

Oct 6, 2008

Dean's mom and dad are stting together at the kitchen table. Dean's mom is sweating, and is putting a cold pack on her head. She says to Dean's dad: "This feels really good." Dean's dad replies: "It looks very good too. Mrs. Gumby."

Hot flash

Sep 22, 2008

Dean is sleeping face-down in their bed. Jordan comes into their room and says: "Hey Rita! It's 3 o'clock!" Dean looks up and says: "That's ridiculous!"

3 in the afternoon

Oct 14, 2008

Panel 1 image: a dead bumblebee on a sidewalk. Panel 1 text: I've seen dead bees on the sidewalks since June. Panel 2 image: a live bumblebee stumbling on the ground, flapping its wings. Panel 2 text: Most of the live ones I see don't fly, but hobble around like they've had a stroke. Panel 3 text (no image): I am terrified of what this might mean.

Bees

Sep 5, 2008

Panel 1 image: Dean stands between 2 anonymous people, holding the strap of their shoulder bag with both hands. Panel 1 text: I stick out like a sore thumb here with my blue jeans and ratty shoulder-bag.... Panel 2 image: 3 people sit together at a table and talk. There is food in front of them, and table settings that include many utensils. Panel 2 text: Surrounded by important people who know which fork to use for which course. Panel 3 image: Dean sits alone, looking uncomfortable. Panel 3 text: Funny that I feel so alone and out of place at a lecture on identity.

Class (self) consciousness

Oct 3, 2008