Shared Universe(s)

 Lately, I've been shoring up a bunch of my non-superhero comics into one universe.

Sorta.

Mostly, it was by accident. Part of it has to do with the weird comicking OCD I have had for the last twenty years wherein I hardly ever truly drop a character or concept completely once it's been created and cemented a certain way in my head... or I've destroyed them ON PAGE.

Also, if i do drop a character or concept only to bring it back in another project later, it will still have some lingering continuity or shared backstory to some of the old stuff which winds up blending that into the new.

Listing my comics I came to the realization that my projects Wonderland Hates You, Rose Tinted World, Tales From the Spiffee Burger and others all take place in the same universe. Some of that is by design by way of my fictional city of Saint Murphy, Missouri.

Chip of Rose Tinted World's mom is the mayor. Spiffee Burger location #347 is located downtown. The bakery where Cookie Bellingham's future boyfriend works is owned by the local crazy rich guy who was once an employee of Maddie Crenshaw's (among other things).

This month, over at ComicFury, the 30 Days of Characters event wherein we participants create new characters and/or update old ones for our projects is underway. I have updated 20 out of 26 days so far. (I may go back and shoehorn a few in before the end of the month.) And of the twenty (sometimes groups of) characters thus fare created/posted, 10 updates have been characters for various "St. Murphy" Comics.

Including comics old, current and those in production but unfinished, there are 17 'St. Murphy' projects going on right now. A good number of them are on ComicFury. Two of the others that haven't premiered yet are going straight to my Patreon. I haven't worked all the bugs out of the second project, but the first one I tentatively call 'Marshamallow Peeps'. It'll be a normal slice of life sit-com style comic. The protagonists are BBW girls. I plan to basically make it the OPPOSITE if 'Cathy'.

Instead of being office workers, approaching middle age, obsessing over their weight and trying to catch a man to please a nitpicky biddy of a mom, they are going to be happy, confident and have each others' backs - which means that I am going to have to find fun adventures to put them in and give them positive personalities. Anything but the same old tired fat jokes, overeating and whining.about self esteem and body image issues. Besideswhich, they will be in an 'adult' comic on Patreon drawn by a cartoonist who LIKES big women, so I will admit that a lot of the silly, dumb comedy (and nudity) is going to be focused largely on one thing.

Make that "TWO".

Who knows, maybe later in the year - 'round Thanksgiving or Christmas time, I will concentrate on short vignettes for each property. Maybe 2 to 4 pages each and make a "St. Murphy" graphic novel or something.

For now - on with the show!