#becauseimdepressed

A seven-panel comic. Panel one: Ilda and Diego are standing in the back room of Byte Me, near a large shelving unit. Ilda has her arms crossed and is listening to Diego. Diego is leaning against a stack of boxes loaded on a pallet. He says, "And when you walked past me the other day, it was the first time I'd experienced that scent since Ada and I began courting over twenty years ago. I didn't want to lose that scent forever... and I took it a bit too far." Panel two: Ilda looks aside with a frown and says, "Well, now that you've taken the time to -explain- yourself..." Panel three: Ilda looks at Diego and smiles, continuing, "I think that's really sweet." Panel four: Ilda says, "You clearly love her a lot, even after all these years that she's been gone." Diego looks to the floor somberly and stutters, "Y-Yeah."

Panel five: Ilda begins walking away, saying, "I'll check the bottle when I get home, and I'll let you know the next time I bring in a shipment." Diego smiles warmly and responds, "-Thank you!- I really appreciate it!" Panel six: Ilda stops in place, raising her index finger declaratively and saying, "Oh, and one more thing." Panel seven: Ilda grabs Diego by the tie and leans over him with an angry scowl, saying, "Touch my hair again, and I'll stomp your face in so hard you'll be smelling nothing but -show polish- for the rest of your life." Diego, sweat dripping down his face, weakly replies, "Understood."

Because I'm Depressed #626: "On Scents, Pt. 6"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/626/

A thirteen-panel comic. Panel one: Ilda walks in front of a shelving unit in the back room of Byte Me, writing something on a tablet in her hand. The shelves behind her are loaded top-to-bottom with boxes of different sizes. Panel two: Ilda pauses in place, still writing on the tablet. One of the boxes behind her is pushed aside by Diego, who is lying flat on one of the shelves and wielding a pair of scissors. Panel three: With Ilda still distracted, Diego reaches out and grabs her ponytail, raising the scissors to it. Panel four: Ilda abruptly steps forward, yanking Diego forward. Ilda notices Diego holding her ponytail; Diego looks shocked.

Panel five: Ilda stares down at Diego with disbelief and dawning anger. Panel six: Diego looks up at Ilda, stunned and wide-eyed, with sweat dripping down his face. He’s still holding Ilda’s ponytail in one hand and the scissors in the other. Panel seven: Diego smiles awkwardly and says, “This, uhhhh… this looks bad, doesn’t it?” Panel eight: Ilda grimaces angrily as she snatches her ponytail from Diego and responds, “You’re -damn right- it does, little man.” Panel nine: Diego waves his hands with a panicked expression and explains, “I-I just wanted to snip a little piece off! B-Because I really like the way it -smells!-“ Panel ten: Ilda glares at Diego furiously.

Panel eleven: Diego awkwardly grins and says, “Th-that came out wrong. I just meant that you smell like my -dead wife!-“ Panel twelve: Ilda’s enraged expression melts into an utterly confused one. Panel thirteen: Diego slouches forward dejectedly and places his hand on his forehead, saying, “…Can I start over from the beginning?”

Because I'm Depressed #625: "On Scents, Pt. 5"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/625/

A six-panel comic. Panel one: Agatha approaches Diego, who is stepping out from behind a stack of boxes in the back room of Byte Me. Agatha says, “No dice… Sorry, Diego.” Frustrated, Diego replies, “Damn it… There -has- to be another way!” Panel two: Agatha gestures at Diego and tells him, “You’re making this harder than it needs to be. Why not just -ask her- directly? I’m sure she’d be willing to help you out if she knew the whole story.” Diego looks down at the floor, frowning, and says, “I can’t just -ask- her that!” Panel three: Agatha turns to walk alway, looking over her shoulder at Diego with a frown, and says, “I’m not sure what else to tell you. Either be honest and upfront with her, or let go of this whole thing.” Panel four: Agatha walks off. Diego unhappily watches her leave.

Panel five: Diego notices a tool cabinet next to him and leans over it, peering inside one of the open drawers. Panel six: Diego takes a pair of scissors from the drawer, stroking his chin with his other hand as he examines it thoughtfully. He says to himself, “Or… take a -third- option.”

Because I'm Depressed #624: "On Scents, Pt. 4"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/624/

A seven-panel comic. Panel one: Agatha and Ilda are standing near the loading dock in the back room of Byte Me. Behind them is a pallet with a bunch of boxes on it. Ilda hands Agatha a tablet with a smile and says, “Here’s the docket. You know the deal.” Agatha accepts the tablet and replies, “Of course, of course…” Panel two: As she signs the docket, Agatha cheerfully says, “I just -love- the way your hair smells, by the way!” Ilda responds, “Why, thank you.” In the background, Diego rises from behind the boxes. Panel three: Agatha smiles awkwardly and asks, “What -is- that? Lavender, maybe? Or jasmine, or..?” Ilda looks off into the distance in thought, replying, “Uhh… not sure. I don’t remember.” Diego watched the two from the distance. Panel four: Agatha frowns as she hands the tablet back to Ilda, asking, “Well… might I ask what -brand- it is?” Ilda glances at the tablet and says, “No clue. Something my niece bought for me.”

Panel five: Ilda smiles and begins to walk away, saying, “Okay, everything’s in order. See you next week!” Agatha watches her leave, responding, “Ah, yeah. Have a nice day!” Panel six: Agatha turns around to look at Diego, shrugging disappointedly. Panel seven: Diego glowers in frustration behind the boxes.

Because I'm Depressed #623: "On Scents, Pt. 3"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/623/

A six-panel comic. Panel one: Agatha, Faisal, and Diego are standing in the back room of Byte Me near a row of shelves loaded with boxes, a large pallet with boxes stacked on it, and a stock cart with boxes on it. Agatha steps towards Diego and asks, “Her -shampoo?-“ Faisal looks Diego and says, “What, are you in the market for a new brand?” Diego angrily throws his arms into the air and shouts, “No, you don’t -get it!-“ Panel two: Raising a hand to his forehead, Diego explains, “Whatever shampoo it is that she’s using… It’s the same kind that -Ada- used when we first started dating. I’m -certain- of it!” Panel three: Diego stares off into space, with visions of flowers and berries in the background behind him. He continues, “I caught just the slightest whiff of it… And I was transported back to those carefree summer afternoons before our sophomore year… That -sweet, flowery scent- wafting off of Ada’s beautiful, golden locks…” Panel four: Agatha scratches her chin in contemplation and says, “They -do- say that smell is the sense most closely linked to memory.” Diego shakes his fists in frustration and exclaims, “I -need- to know exactly what shampoo Ilda uses! I -can’t- lose this link to the past!!”

Panel five: Faisal, his arms crossed, says, “Well, I imagine she’ll be dropping off another shipment in a couple of days.” Diego grins and points at Agatha, saying, “Great! Agatha, -you- need to ask her for me!” Agatha is taken aback. Panel six: Flustered, Agatha gestures at herself and asks, “-Me?- Why me?” Diego dourly responds, “Because if -I- go up to her and tell her I like the way her hair smells, I’m going to end up in a sex offender registry.”

Because I'm Depressed #622: "On Scents, Pt. 2"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/622/

A ten-panel comic. Panel one: Faisal and a woman are standing in the back room of Byte Me. The woman, with her hair in a long, segmented ponytail, and wearing a baseball cap and a down jacket, hands Faisal a tablet and says, “That’s the whole load. Just sign here.” Faisal smiles and signs the tablet, saying, “Yep…” Panel two: Faisal returns the tablet to the woman with a big grin and says, “There ya go. Nice meeting you! Try not to work too hard the rest of the shift.” The woman gives a laid-back smile as she takes the tablet and replies, “Yeah, well, I’ve got six more stops to do today.” Panel three: The two walk off in different directions. Faisal waves goodbye and says, “Alright, peace out!” The woman responds, “Later.” Panel four: The woman walks off toward the exit door next to the loading dock. Diego appears from the other end of the room, walking towards her while absentmindedly looking down at his phone.

Panel five: Diego and the woman walk past each other without looking at each other. Panel six: Diego reacts with extreme shock as a flowery scent wafts past him. Panel seven: Stunned, he stops in place and whips around to look back at the woman.

Panel eight: The exit door slams shut. The woman has just left. Panel nine: Diego turns to Faisal and Agatha, who are loading boxes onto a stock cart. While pointing at the exit door with a startled expression, Diego shouts at his two coworkers, “-Who- was -that!?-“ Faisal placidly answers, “Her? That’s -Ilda-, the new driver.” Panel ten: Sweat dripping down his face, Diego gravely says, “-I need to find out what shampoo she uses.-“

Because I'm Depressed #621: "On Scents, Pt. 1"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/621/

A three-panel comic. Panel one: Ben and Chel are hanging out in Ben’s messy, poster-adorned bedroom. Ben is sitting on his bed, holding his guitar in his hands. He looks at Chel, who is sitting backwards on an office chair next to the bed, one arm lying on the backrest and the other propping up her head. With a weary expression, Chel says, “Civilization as we know it might end in our lifetimes… Isn’t that -terrifying?-“ Panel two: Ben strokes his chin in contemplation. Panel three: Ben smiles and responds, “Actually, it makes me feel a lot better about not settin’ up an I.R.A.” Chel looks at him, unimpressed.

Because I'm Depressed #620: "On the End of Civilization (Again)"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/620/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: Chel is sitting in a recliner with a sad expression, slouched back, her hands in her lap. Eve is pulling a book from a bookshelf next to the recliner, glancing down at Chel. Chel says, “We’re living through the end of civilization, aren’t we? There’s no point in even -trying- to fight it.” Panel two: Eve turns to face Chel, smiles warmly, and says, “I disagree. The world has been through worse than this before, and people still managed to pull it back from the brink. Things will get better, Chel. It’s just going to take a lot of -consistent-, -determined- work from good folks like us.” Panel three: Chel frowns and says, “Sighhh. I guess so.” Eve, looking perplexed, says, “You sound disappointed.” Panel four: Chel crosses her arms and answers, “I wanted an excuse to give up.”

Because I'm Depressed #619: "On the End of Civilization"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/619/

A two-panel comic. Panel one: Diego is sitting at the kitchen table, pouring himself a drink from a bottle into a shot glass. Ben approaches from behind and asks with a smile, “What’re ya drinkin’, bro?” Diego answers, “Medicine. For my health.” Panel two: Ben takes the bottle and examines it, saying, “…This is Irish cream.” Diego raises the shot glass to his mouth and continues, “My -mental health.”

Because I'm Depressed #618: "On Medicine"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/618/

A three-panel comic. Panel one: Chel and Ben are seated in the passenger and driver’s seats, respectively, of Ben’s car, as Ben drives them down the road. Chel looks at Ben and asks, “What’s the best thing to do when you’ve got a problem on your hands? Try and solve it right away, or think it over for a bit first?” Panel two: Ben responds, “Think it over, for sure. You should -always- think long and hard about a problem before tryin’ to fix it.” Panel three: Chel scratches her chin in contemplation and says, “Yeah… to make sure you go about fixing it in the right way.” Ben grins and replies, “Nah, to give it time to go away on its own.”

Because I'm Depressed #617: "Problems"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/617/

A three-panel comic. Panel one: Eve is sitting at the kitchen table, typing away at her laptop. Diego is standing behind her, leaning against the counter and looking down at his phone with a sad expression. Diego says, “It’s hard not to feel like a -failure- when most of our old classmates have gone on to achieve -so much-.” Panel two: Diego leans over Eve to show her his phone, which she turns to look at. Diego says anxiously, “Look at these careers! Can you imagine what your life would be like if you were an -executive- or an -ambassador- or a -published author-?” Panel three: Eve turns in her seat towards Diego and says with annoyance, “I -am- a published author.” Diego looks at her unimpressed and replies, “I meant a -popular- one.”

Because I'm Depressed #616: "On Achievements (Again)"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/616/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: Ben and Diego are sitting on the living room sofa. Ben is leaning back with his arm resting on the back of the sofa and looking at Diego, who is scrolling on his phone. Diego says, “I’ve been looking up people we went to high school with. Some of them have become doctors, actors, business leaders, professional athletes… One of them’s even a -state senator-!” Panel two: Diego gestures at his phone with an angry expression and continues, “It’s -maddening-! They’ve accomplished -so much- with their lives! And what the hell have -I- accomplished!?” Panel three: Diego stares at his phone, frowning sadly. Ben scratches his chin in thought. Panel four: Ben smiles and says to Diego, “You took the trash out this mornin’.”

Because I'm Depressed #615: "On Achievements"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/615/

A five-panel comic. Panel one: Diego is standing at the time clock near the break room at his workplace, wearily sliding his ID card through the scanner. Agatha approaches him with a smile and says, “Morning, Diego! Did you sleep well last night?” Diego replies, “No… I kept having these -nightmares-.” Panel two: Frowning, Diego explains, “I dreamed that all of my -hair- fell out. And then all of my -fingernails- and -toenails-. And then one by one, all of my -teeth-. Then my -eyeballs- slid out of their sockets, and my -tongue- flopped out of my mouth and onto the floor.” Panel three: Diego’s expression intensifies and he clenches his hands, continuing, “Next, my -skin- peeled off in its entirety. And then my -bare flesh- sloughed off of my skeleton, which then collapsed in on itself. In the end I was just a -writhing pile- of -organs-, -meat- and -bones-, unable to -move-, unable to -scream-, and yet fully -aware- and -conscious-. Panel four: Diego stands in silence, an intense look still on his face. Agatha looks at him with a stunned expression as she slides her card through the time clock. Panel five: Diego relaxes and looks around, saying, “Honestly, not as bad as having to wake up and come in to work today.”

Because I'm Depressed #614: "On Nightmares"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/614/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: Chel and Wren are hanging out in Chel’s bedroom. Wren is sitting on Chel’s bed, cutting into a sheet of paper to make a zine. Chel is sitting on a chair next to the bed, a pencil and sketchbook in hand. Chel looks up at Wren and thinks to herself, “Wren is so -cool-… Why do they even want to hang out with me?” Panel two: As Wren starts folding their zine with a smile, Chel continues to look at them, thinking, “Wren’s so clever, motivated, and outgoing… They’re more fun than I am, more artistically talented…” Panel three: Chel looks down at her sketchbook glumly and thinks, “Maybe they only stick around out of -pity- for me.” Panel four: Chel returns to drawing on her sketchbook. Meanwhile, Wren stops working on their zine and looks at Chel with a slight frown, thinking, “Chel is so -cool-… Why does she even want to hang out with me?”

Because I'm Depressed #613: "On Friends"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/613/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: A closeup of a smartphone, being held in Indrani’s hand. She points at a photo displayed on her phone’s screen, which shows her in casual clothing, kneeling on the ground and smiling with her arms around a medium-sized dog. Indrani says, “This is me and my dog. His name is -Bruno-, and he’s -such- a good boy!” Panel two: The phone is now displaying a photo of a refrigerator door, which is decorated with various magnets and photographs. In the center is a child’s drawing of the cartoon character Bluey. Indrani says, “And this is a drawing my granddaughter made for me. She’s only three years old! -So- talented!” Panel three: The phone is now displaying a photo of a spacious backyard, with trees and shrubs in the distance and a bird bath in the foreground. Indrani excitedly points to a trio of deer grazing in the photo and says, “Oh, and look at this! There were -deer- in my backyard the other day! Isn’t that -wonderful?-“ Panel four: Diego is sitting in a hospital examination room, looking disinterested as Indrani leans in to show him her phone. Diego says, “I didn’t come all the way out here just to see your camera roll.” Indrani replies, “I figured it’d be less depressing than going over your test results.”

Because I'm Depressed #612: "On Photos"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/612/

A digital illustration of the four main characters of “Because I’m Depressed” as Lotería cards. In the upper left is Ben as “El Mundo”, drinking from a plastic beverage cup while holding a large globe on his left shoulder. In the upper right is Eve as “La Diablita”, holding a red pitchfork and smiling mischievously. In the bottom left atop a stack of other cards is Chel as “El Corazón”, holding a human heart pierced by an arrow in her hands, with a melancholy look on her face. In the bottom right is Diego as “El Borracho”, inebriated and leaning against the border of the card, with a half-empty bottle of bourbon in one hand.

Because I'm Depressed #611: "Lotería"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/611/

A two-panel comic. Panel one: Diego and Eve are sitting next to each other on the living room sofa. Diego is holding a can of beer, while Eve has a martini glass in her hand. Diego asks, “Did you make any resolutions for the new year?” Eve replies, “Why bother?” Panel two: Eve smirks as she plucks the olive out of her drink and says, “I’m already perfect.”

Because I'm Depressed #610: "On New Year's Resolutions (Again)"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/610/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: Chel is sitting on the living room sofa, looking down at her phone. Ben’s wax replica is seated next to her. Panel two: Eve angrily approaches the sofa from behind, carrying a meat cleaver. Panel three: Eve swings the meat cleaver into Wax Ben’s head, where it lands with a *KA-CHUNK*, while furiously shouting, “I -warned- you about taking my hair dryer!!” Chel jumps in her seat, startled. Panel four: Chel looks at Ben’s wax figure, the cleaver embedded in its head, and says, “You killed Wax Ben.” Eve looks at Chel, confused, and asks, “‘Wax’?”

Because I'm Depressed #609: "On Silence, Pt. 5"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/609/

A three-panel comic: Panel one: Ben stands next to the living room sofa smiling and says, “I see you’ve met -Wax Ben!-“ Chel, flustered, gestures at the wax duplicate of Ben sitting next to her on the sofa and incredulously asks, “Is -that- what that thing is!?” Panel two: Ben grins and says, “Real lifelike, ain’t it? And it’s -entirely- wax, ‘cept for the hair and clothes! It cost me a -fortune-… but the chance to have a wax replica of myself was just -too cool- to pass up on!” Panel three: Chel looks up at Ben, unimpressed, and asks, “You spent a fortune on a wax sculpture because you thought it’d be -cool?-“ Ben matter-of-factly replies, “Well, also so I could drive in the carpool lane.”

Because I'm Depressed #608: "On Silence, Pt. 4"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/608/

An eight-panel comic. Panel one: Chel and Ben are sitting on the living room sofa, with Ben still resting his head on his hand in silence as in the previous two comics. Chel somberly asks, “Why are you ignoring me? Did I do something to make you mad?” Panel two: Ben is silent and motionless. Panel three: Chel lowers her head sadly and says, “Well, I’m sorry if I did.” Panel four: Chel glances up at Ben. Ben is silent and motionless.

Panel five: Chel frowns indignantly. Panel six: Chel crosses her arms and says, “You know what? -Forget it.- You’re being a -jerk.-“ Panel seven: Chel looks at Ben and continues, “If you’re not going to speak to me, then -I- won’t speak to you -either.-“ Chel doesn’t notice a second Ben approach from the kitchen, observing her. Panel eight: The second Ben stands behind Chel and nonchalantly says, “Hey Chel.” Chel jumps in her seat and shrieks.

Because I'm Depressed #607: "On Silence, Pt. 3"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/607/

A six-panel comic: Panel one: Chel and Ben are sitting on the living room sofa, with Ben still resting his head on his hand in silence as in the previous comic. Chel gestures toward the remote control on the arm of the sofa near Ben and asks, “Could you pass me the remote?” Panel two: Ben is silent and motionless. Panel three: Chel grins awkwardly and continues, “There’s this new series that I want to check out. It looks really funny!” Panel four: Ben is still silent and motionless.

Panel five: Chel frowns nervously, waiting for a response. Panel six: Chel pulls up her phone and uneasily says, “Orrr… I could just watch it on my phone.”

Because I'm Depressed #606: "On Silence, Pt. 2"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/606/

An eight-panel comic. Panel one: Chel walks in front of the living room sofa, looking down at her phone. Ben is sitting on the sofa, seemingly deep in thought, his head resting on his hand. Panel two: Chel sits down on the empty seat on the sofa next to Ben, smiling and asking, “This seat taken?” Panel three: Ben continues to sit silent and motionless. Chel glances at him, confused. Panel four: Chel explains, “That was a joke. I knew it wasn’t taken. Ha ha.”

Panel five: Ben does not acknowledge Chel. Panel six: Chel looks down at her phone, smiling awkwardly, and says, “Y-You’re right, I guess it wasn’t that funny.” Panel seven: Chel glances at Ben, who is still silent and motionless. Panel eight: Chel looks back down at her phone with a nervous frown.

Because I'm Depressed #605: "On Silence, Pt. 1"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/605/

A three-panel comic. Panel one: Ben and Diego are sitting on a bench at a park. Leaves litter the grass beneath the trees behind them, and in the distance a woman is walking her dog. Ben is sitting with his arms resting over the back of the bench, while Diego has his hands stuffed in his jacket and a cigarette hanging from his lips. Diego says, “I’ve been dwelling too much on the past, and worrying too much about the future. So now I’m trying to live in the -present- instead.” Panel two: Ben turns his head towards Diego and asks, “How’s the present?”

Panel three: Diego scowls and replies, “It fucking sucks.”

Because I'm Depressed #604: "On the Present"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/604/

A four-panel comic. Panel one: Chel and Eve are sitting next to each other on the living room sofa. Chel is reading a community college newsletter while Eve is on her phone. Chel says, “Latine Student Union… Photography Club… Robotics Team… Students for Environmental Action… I never joined any -clubs- in high school. I wonder if I should try it now that I’m in college.” Eve glances up from her phone and says, “Go for it! I think you’ll enjoy it.” Panel two: Chel asks, “Were you in any student clubs?” Eve replies, “Not many. I regret not joining more of them when I had the opportunity.” Panel three: Eve, smiling and gesturing towards herself proudly, continues, “But I -was- vice president of my high school’s official -fujoshi club.-“ Panel four: Chel asks incredulously, “Your high school had an official fujoshi club?” Eve, returning to her phone, says, “It did, until the principal learned what ‘fujoshi’ meant.”

Because I'm Depressed #603: "On Student Clubs"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/603/

A three-panel comic. Panel one: Eve and Ben are in the kitchen together. Eve is standing over the sink, rinsing off dishes and placing them inside the dishwasher. Ben is leaning against the counter, eating canned apricots straight from the can. Ben says, “Man… sometimes I worry that my life has no purpose.” Panel two: Ben continues, “I feel like I haven’t accomplished a single worthwhile thing this week… Heck, this -entire year.-“ Panel three: Eve turns to face Ben while wiping a cup, and says with a frown, “If you’re looking for -purpose-, you could start by helping me with these dishes.” Ben replies, “I mean. I don’t need a purpose -that- bad.”

Because I'm Depressed #602: "On Purpose"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/602/

A ten-panel comic. Panel one: Diego, Ben and Eve are standing in Chel’s bedroom, looking around. The walls of the room have been stripped bare. A number of boxes are stacked around the room, some taped shut and labeled, and others still open and only partially filled. Diego rubs the back of his neck and asks, “So, what’re we gonna do in here when Chel moves out?” Ben notes, “It’s a decent-sized room…” Panel two: Eve, making the “money gesture” with one hand, says, “I say we SUBLET it. Housing is expensive. We could squeeze A LOT of money out of some desperate schmuck!” Panel three: Diego, looking unimpressed, replies, “Do we really want another person living here? I can barely stand sharing a roof with YOU two.” Ben, with his hands on his hips and a big grin on his face, says, “I was thinkin’ we could turn this into a recordin’ studio.”

Panel four: Eve asks Ben, “Why on earth would you need a recording studio? You barely ever make music.” Ben responds, “YEAH, ‘cause I don’t have a RECORDIN’ STUDIO!” The three fail to notice as Chel walks into view in the hallway. Panel five: Eve, Diego and Ben turn their heads in surprise as they notice Chel standing in the doorway. Panel six: Chel, wearing a dull expression, says, “Change of plans. I’m not moving out.” Panel seven: Diego and Ben look at Chel with surprise. Diego says, “R-Really?” Eve, with a supportive smile, says, “Well, that’s great news! What made you—“

Panel eight: Diego, Eve, and Ben stumble into the hallway as Chel pushes them out of her room. Chel says, “I’ll tell you about it later. Please get out of my room.” Panel nine: The three turn to look back at the bedroom door as it slams shut. Panel ten: Diego smiles faintly. Eve smiles and shouts, “Glad we get to keep you around, Chel!” Ben lowers his head and pouts, “My recordin’ studio…”

Because I'm Depressed #601: "On Departures, Pt. 9"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/601/

A twelve-panel comic. Panel one: A bird’s eye perspective of a riverside park. Large trees and lampposts line a leaf-littered walkway with pedestrians and cyclists strolling about. Wren and Chel are sitting on a park bench on the side of the walkway. Wren is leaning back with their arm on the back of the bench. Chel is slouched back with her arms crossed. Chel sighs sadly and says, “What a MISERABLE 12 months it’s been.” Panel two: With a weary look on her face, Chel says, “First I find out that my mother took her own life when I was a baby… And tried to take ME with her…” Panel three: Lowering her head, Chel continues, “Then, my best friend since childhood moves to the other side of the country.”

Panel four: Wren, looking straight ahead, says, “…That’s pretty rough.” Chel sits in silence. Panel five: Wren turns to face Chel and puts their hand on her shoulder, saying, “But your OTHER best friend is still here.” Chel looks at Wren, smiles weakly and says, “Yeah…” Panel six: Wren grins and adds, “And we’re starting COLLEGE soon!” Chel sits forward, her smile widening, and says, “You’re right! A brand new chapter of our lives is dawning!” Panel seven: Chel smiles intently with a fist raised and continues, “And the best part is, I get to MOVE OUT of that apartment, and finally turn the page on this awful year! No… on my ENTIRE FUCKING CHILDHOOD!” Panel eight: Wren says, “HELLS YEAH! Where ya moving to, anyway?” Chel responds, “The dorms on campus, of course.”

Panel nine: Wren’s smile fades and they reply, “It’s a community college. There aren’t any dorms.” Chel, her smile now gone as well, asks, “Community colleges don’t have dorms..?” Wren answers, “I mean, maybe some do. But not ours.” Panel ten: Wren continues, “…The term begins next week. Did you not know this?” Chel, looking flustered and raising her hands, says, “I-I DON’T KNOW! I just ASSUMED that…” Panel eleven: Embarrassed, Chel puts her hand over her face. Panel twelve: Blushing, Chel lowers her hand and says, “I’ve never BEEN to college before, I don’t know how any of this works!!”

Because I'm Depressed #600: "On Departures, Pt. 8"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/600/

An eight panel comic. Panel one: Diego walks into the living room. He looks over and sees Chel entering the apartment, closing the front door behind her with a sullen look on her face. Panel two: Diego says, “Hey pumpkin. How’d it go?” Chel approaches, her head down, and replies, “It went well. I saw her off.” Panel three: Diego, looking concerned, begins to ask, “Are you..?” Chel, walking past him, says, “I’m fine. Just fine.”

Panel four: Diego places his hand on Chel’s shoulder, and she stops. Panel five: The two stand in silence. Chel is facing away from Diego, frowning. Panel six: The silence continues. Diego’s hand is still on Chel’s shoulder. Panel seven: Chel brushes Diego’s hand away. Panel eight: Chel walks away in silence, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Diego watches her leave, a sad look on his face.

Because I'm Depressed #599: "On Departures, Pt. 7"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/599/

A seven-panel comic. Panel one: Chel's car is at the drop-off area of the airport. Travelers can be seen ambling about with their luggage; in the distance a plane can be seen taking off. Yadira says, "Thank you so much for dropping me off, Chel." Chel replies, "Yeah, you're welcome. It's no problem at all." Panel two: Inside the car, Chel asks, "Need help with your luggage?" Yadira, unbuckling her seatbelt and smiling weakly, says, "No, I think I've got it." Panel three: Chel and Yadira sit in silence, frowning.

Panel four: The two look at each other somberly. Panel five: Yadira lunges out of her seat, hugging Chel tightly. Panel six: Yadira, tears in her eyes, says, "I'm gonna miss you so much." Panel seven: Chel, holding Yadira and looking at her sadly, replies, "...I'm gonna miss you too, Yadi."

Because I'm Depressed #598: "On Departures, Pt. 6"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/598/

A nine-panel comic. Panel one: Chel is standing beside Ben's car, parked on the street in front of Yadira's house. Chel watches silently as Yadira hugs her parents goodbye. Panel two: Yadira loads a large suitcase into the car's trunk, which already contains another suitcase, her backpack, and her purse. Panel three: Yadira puts on her seatbelt in the passenger seat of the car. Chel is sitting in the driver's seat, her hands on the wheel. The two smile at each other. Panel four: The car drives off down the suburban street. Panel five: Inside the car, Yadira looks down at the dashboard and asks, "Does this radio work?" Chel smiles and says, "Yeah, go for it." Panel six: Yadira reaches down and turns on the radio. It blares the lyrics, "If you leave me now, you'll take away the biggest part of me, ooh-ooh-hoo, no, baby, please don't go." Chel and Yadira's smiles fade away.

Panel seven: Yadira switches the station, and the song changes to, "Don't say goodbye, ‘cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight." Chel and Yadira frown. Panel eight: Yadira changes the station again. The lyrics become, "You didn't have to go, you didn't have to go, you didn't have to go-o, ohhh." Chel and Yadira's frowns deepen. Panel nine: The car drives down a busy highway towards the city; a road sign displays "City Center" and "Airport" alongside an arrow pointed forward and to the right. Inside the car, Chel opines, "You know, silence is good too." Yadira responds, "Agreed."

Because I'm Depressed #597: "On Departures, Pt. 5"
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bcdecomic.com/comics/597/