A black and white vertical format comic.
Panel 1. A crudely drawn character throws confetti, exclaiming "It's my birthday"
Panel 2. The character claps his hands together with a serious but conversational expression. "What a year, jesus christ. Sometimes it's really hard to not get angry that the world keeps spinning. But I have a lot of people to thank for making it worth it. I've loved so many people since my last birthday. I'm so grateful, so happy to get the opportunity. A lot has happened, a lot is still happening. To me and to others."
Panel 3. The figure lists off various things in his life, got out of a relationship, artistic and personal growth, pain and joy, etc. until
Panel 4. The figure shoves the previous panel out of the way and points at the viewer. "But forget all that"
Panel 5. The figure grabs the viewer's face and pulls them close with frenetic enthusiasm. "I have had an Epiphany."
Panel 6. The figure draws with a pensive expression. "I found myself straining against something whenever I'd draw commissions, or just art I thought of as important. If I wanted it to be beautiful, I wanted it to look like it wasn't mine. I tried to erase traces of myself. I thought maybe I was just unsatisfied with my art. But I realized I was just unsatisfied because it looked like I made it at all. Something in my brain said that the residue I left behind on the things I created made them inherently worse, lesser. And in the end, even after I tried my hardest to scrub myself from what I created, I still wasn't happy."
Panel 7. The Panel border slowly disolves from around the figure, who gives a sheepish smile. "But I don't want to feel like that anymore. I'm not going to do that anymore."
Panel 8. The borders on the panel shift into a free-flowing, curving line. The figure smiles calmly as it looks down at a lumpy orb floating in his hands.
"I want to leave my fingerprints on the art that I create. I want it to be unquestionably mine. And I want to be proud of that."
Panel 9. The figure holds up a scraggly little chibi drawing in a clenched fist, looking pleased. A very cute wide-eyed cat sits just within frame, watching him. "I have also started drawing this fucking thing again." "Thank you to the people who have kept me alive this year. Not just surviving, living. Watch Gachiakuta btw. Unrelated to everything else."
Semi-yearly birthday comic time! Yippee!
