So, there you have it. The end of Act One. If it helps you at all, today’s comic is a call back to the end of Charlie and Jimmy’s first arc back in 2009. So there you go.

I know that this comic is grossly overdue and I am sorry. I don’t really have an excuse other than exhaustion caught up with me after getting back from C2E2. I had to get my house back in order, spend time with my kids and wife and there just wasn’t time for anything else last week.

Of course, like a dummy, I had to go ahead and make this comic double-sized. Like I didn’t have enough on my plate.

I’ve never worked with a buffer and that has usually been to my detriment. However, it’s only bitten me on the rear end a couple of times. This was one of those times. I feel bad enough about it, but what’s done is done. Time to move on.

A quick recap: From April 13 – 15, I was exhibiting at C2E2 in Chicago and had a great time. Oddly, it was probably one of the most profitable shows I’ve ever been to. Which, of course, is great. I had a lot of people come up to me just like they did at Emerald City Comic Con and tell me that they were sorry to hear the comic was ending. I was really touched.

Most amazingly, at one point while drawing sketches, I had a line of people waiting to talk to me. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, folks. Sometimes I’ll be talking to one person and there will be another person off to the side looking at my Spoiler t-shirt. But a line? People who came to see me and then waited? That was a first. It actually made me wonder if I should be ending the comic at all!

But, alas. The comic is ending and this is the end cap of all the dramatic stuff.

I took a little bit of criticism for the comic a couple of weeks ago for heaping on the melodrama. Bad melodrama.

Hey, I get it. Some of you want jokes about Cabin in the Woods. Me, too. But those aren’t the comics I’m making right now. I have to wrap this up the way I feel is best. And, yeah, maybe drama isn’t my strong suit. But it’s something I wanted to try before I closed up shop. Charlie and Jimmy specifically were characters whose involvement I felt should be resolved before moving forward.

That said, you’ll be pleased to know that there will be plenty of Avengers action starting next week. And, as I’m sure you know, Iron Man is in the Avengers. And where Iron Man goes, CARDBOARD IRON MAN is sure to follow.

I consider it kind of serendipitous that there would be an opportunity for another Cardboard Iron Man story arc in the last year of the comic. Although I somewhat bemoan the fact that Theater Hopper won’t be here for Iron Man 3.

BUT LET’S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES, SHALL WE? Next week. Avengers. Cardboard Iron Man. JOKES. Everyone wins. Something to look forward to.

Incidentally, there was an experience that I had at C2E2 that I kind of left out of my (brief) recap. That was intentional because I plan to specifically reference it in the comic this week.

To (hopefully) make it up to you, I’m going to do another comic this week detailing my experience. Keep and eye on the site. It’ll be worth it.

That’s it for now. Thanks for your patience and I’ll see you soon!