It’s Iimi! Seeking the Truth Behind the Stereotypes

People often think they know when, in reality, they only know stereotypes. That can lead people to misinterpret what’s out there. When Iimi, Cass, and Shakira follow a lead and visit the Rancheria of the South Delta Tribe, will they fall into that trap? Or will they start… Seeking the Truth Behind the Stereotypes

Pre-Comic Notes:

If you haven’t already read the two-part Issue 243, you might want to do that first. It contains the background that the Iscra family has with certain characters. Issue 227 also explains how Della knew one of the characters. If you haven’t read either, you might be lost.

Of course, you should read Issues 253-255 to remember the story's details so far.

Post-Comic Notes:

The cover image was one of the rare occasions where a piece of commercial art fit the story concept perfectly. At first glance, it looks like a stereotypical image of a Native American. But if you look at it closely, you’ll see things that don’t match the stereotype. I don’t know if that was the artist’s intention (he seems to do a lot of horror-themed material), but that was what inspired me.

Image Credits

The Tomahawks in the logo are © Rob Necronomicon.
The cover image is copyright © 2014 Bradley K McDevitt.
The image on page 13 is © Henrik_Karppinen.

Some images used in this comic were AI drafted by the author using NightCafe and then edited by the same. No copyrighted artist names (living or dead) were used in the prompts or for “AI training.”

It’s Iimi! The Paper (Trail) Chase

When Iimi and her group members try to discover what happened in the event suspected to have occurred between July 10^th and July 17^th, 1898, they keep running into the same block. It’s clear that something happened, but the event itself is hidden quite well. When they go to the History Department at Woodhill Community College, will they get the answers or… The Paper (Trail) Chase

Pre-Comic Notes:

It’s Inauguration Day today (so we should pray for the country and our President). However, given that the comic needed to be created before that date, the event is not addressed in this comic.

Post-Comic Notes:

Mrs. Garza’s story about a racial divide in the parish church was adapted from an account told to me by a long-time parishioner when I worked for a parish in Kentucky for a year. It's been modified to reflect the differences between California and Kentucky at that time.

When Father Peter Sheppard mentions ugly history forgotten by most, this was inspired by my research for the Tri-Cities. I was looking for real California towns of about the same population level to understand what level of services were plausible and the history of how they developed. One of them, about a hundred miles from where I live, turned out to have had a racial incident in the late 19^th century… something I had never heard of before.

That incident became the basis of the account the girls were told… and that they’re skeptical of. It reflects my skepticism of the account I read. It seemed a bit too benign for the time. It was also very contradictory.

Image Credits

The lockpicks on page 17 are © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.

 Some images used in this comic were AI drafted by the author using NightCafe and then edited by the same. No copyrighted artist names (living or dead) were used in the prompts or for “AI training.”

It’s Iimi! Damnatio Memoriae

It’s a whirlwind series of events (for someone like Iimi, anyway). The awkward arrival of a new pastor, club week, and then diving into records for their report can take its toll. However, a framework is being set up to allow them to examine the data and form a theory of who was targeted. But they discover something else. There seems to be little to show what happened in July 1898. Something Iimi calls Damnatio Memoriæ

Pre-Comic Notes:

Damnatio Memoriæ is a Latin term meaning “condemnation of memory.” It refers to erasing a person’s memory from official records, inscriptions, monuments, and other forms of historical documentation, particularly in Ancient Rome or Egypt. It can involve destroying depictions of the person (e.g., statues, portraits), removing names from inscriptions and documents, and rewriting history to exclude the person from official accounts.

Post-Comic Notes:

The cover is based on the principle of “quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur,” literally meaning ‘Anything said in Latin sounds profound.’ Or, in this case, menacing. Consider it a hat tip to the old Marvel and DC comics creating a cover that had nothing to do with the title, let alone the story. 

Much like Saul’s name, there is a theological pun in Beryl “Beri” Ayn’s name… but I’ll leave it to you to figure out.

Image Credits

Page 1, © Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Some images used in this comic were AI drafted by the author using NightCafe and then edited by the same. No copyrighted artist names (living or dead) were used in the prompts or for “AI training.”