For most of last week, I was fighting with the 3D modeling program Poser, which I’ve been using since, hell, the early 2000s? Anyway, I use it sometimes to help layout complicated scenes, and especially any involving Luis, because his wheelchair is a complicated item to position and get “right” consistently (why do you think comic artists always find an excuse to draw wheelchair-bound characters in fancy, high-tech wheelchairs?). In particular, I’m working on setting up what will be the “set” for my next few dozen strips, which is the big Utopian Foundation gala referred to throughout this series.

Well, it turns out the version of Poser I owned (9) was no longer compatible with the new version of the Mac OS I’m using (another reason I HATE “upgrading” my OS and put it off until I absolutely have to). I found this out the hard way, from a very patient Smith Micro customer service representative, who also had to help me find my old serial number so I could purchase Poser 11 at a discounted rate. And then once the program was installed, it wouldn’t actually launch, and after going back and forth with the CS rep and consulting online forums, I FINALLY got the damn thing to work. Then, I had to consult more online help to figure out how to get all the new characters and elements to work in the new software…

Anyway, it’s functioning now, so I’ve been staging scenes for the new strips I’m working on that you’ll see a few months from now, and that, my friends, is my boring story for today. Enjoy the stimulating-slash-possibly-volatile conversation between Michelle and Kevin above.