[[Closeup of a crossword puzzle. 21 Down and 39 Across are incomplete, showing _ERE__ and EAE_EA, respectively.]]

[[The clue for 21 Down is “?? Glorp.”]]

[[The clue for 39 Across is “Spda., e.g.”]]

[[XERXES studies the puzzle and clues long and hard.]]

[[Same as first panel, except the empty boxes are filled in with a Q, and X and a Z. 21 Down is now QEREXZ and 39 Across is now EAEXEA.]]

{{Header: do your best at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: The worst part is that the solution doesn’t make any more sense than that does.}}

[[Closeup of a crossword puzzle. 21 Down and 39 Across are incomplete, showing _ERE__ and EAE_EA, respectively.]]

[[The clue for 21 Down is “?? Glorp.”]]

[[The clue for 39 Across is “Spda., e.g.”]]

[[XERXES studies the puzzle and clues long and hard.]]

[[Same as first panel, except the empty boxes are filled in with a Q, and X and a Z. 21 Down is now QEREXZ and 39 Across is now EAEXEA.]]

{{Header: do your best at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: The worst part is that the solution doesn’t make any more sense than that does.}}

[[Closeup of a crossword puzzle. 21 Down and 39 Across are incomplete, showing _ERE__ and EAE_EA, respectively.]]

[[The clue for 21 Down is "?? Glorp."]]

[[The clue for 39 Across is "Spda., e.g."]]

[[XERXES studies the puzzle and clues long and hard.]]

[[Same as first panel, except the empty boxes are filled in with a Q, and X and a Z. 21 Down is now QEREXZ and 39 Across is now EAEXEA.]]

{{Header: do your best at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: The worst part is that the solution doesn't make any more sense than that does.}}

The worst part is that the solution doesn't make any more sense than that does.

#526; In which it Hardly Matters

[ Tags: annoyances, trivial pursuits, visual ] Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/526/

20 years ago (in photocomic form)

June 9, 2026 by David Malki !

The computers tell me it was 20 years ago, June 9, 2006, that I arrived in New York for my first-ever comic convention as an exhibitor, MoCCA.

It was an important trip for me, a milestone in what would go on to become my career.

I wrote a little reminiscence on Patreon (free/unlocked) — including a first-since-then reprint of the photocomics I made at the time, documenting the trip!