Comic Transcripts

[[Two inventors stand next to a smoking wreck – some sort of vehicle turned on its side, a pool of oil beneath. A body can be seen in the vehicle.]]
Pessimist: ARGH! THIS was a disaster.
Pessimist: Well, now we know what NOT to do for next time.
Optimist: How many problems did we AVOID, though? RIGHT?

Optimist: There are, EVERY DAY, things that we do RIGHT.
Optimist: There are NEXT TIMES that, when encountered, we KNEW what not to do, and DID NOT DO.
Optimist: But we EXPECT success! So we treat correct choices as ROTE. As the MINIMUM STANDARD.

Optimist: NO, man! Let’s TAKE a second! We only GOT as far as our mistakes because we ACED the PREVIOUS steps!
Optimist: Let’s acknowledge what we’ve LEARNED and PUT INTO PRACTICE and PROGRESSED THANKS TO!

[[A third friend appears.]]
Pragmatist: Henderson’s dead.

Pragmatist: Our failure has had real consequences vis-a-vis HENDERSON’S SKULL.
Optimist: See YOUR take on that is VERY negative whereas I am inclined to frame the whole matter as an opportunity to LEARN

{{header: an attempt at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: “Anything that doesn’t kill me” makes for a pretty low bar. “The best that can be said of the experience is that it did not literally end my life.”}}

#1116; The Many Invisible Victories transcribed by in

[[Two inventors stand next to a smoking wreck – some sort of vehicle turned on its side, a pool of oil beneath. A body can be seen in the vehicle.]]
Pessimist: ARGH! THIS was a disaster.
Pessimist: Well, now we know what NOT to do for next time.
Optimist: How many problems did we AVOID, though? RIGHT?

Optimist: There are, EVERY DAY, things that we do RIGHT.
Optimist: There are NEXT TIMES that, when encountered, we KNEW what not to do, and DID NOT DO.
Optimist: But we EXPECT success! So we treat correct choices as ROTE. As the MINIMUM STANDARD.

Optimist: NO, man! Let’s TAKE a second! We only GOT as far as our mistakes because we ACED the PREVIOUS steps!
Optimist: Let’s acknowledge what we’ve LEARNED and PUT INTO PRACTICE and PROGRESSED THANKS TO!

[[A third friend appears.]]
Pragmatist: Henderson’s dead.

Pragmatist: Our failure has had real consequences vis-a-vis HENDERSON’S SKULL.
Optimist: See YOUR take on that is VERY negative whereas I am inclined to frame the whole matter as an opportunity to LEARN

{{header: an attempt at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: “Anything that doesn’t kill me” makes for a pretty low bar. “The best that can be said of the experience is that it did not literally end my life.”}}

#1116; The Many Invisible Victories transcribed by in

[[Two inventors stand next to a smoking wreck - some sort of vehicle turned on its side, a pool of oil beneath. A body can be seen in the vehicle.]]
Pessimist: ARGH! THIS was a disaster.
Pessimist: Well, now we know what NOT to do for next time.
Optimist: How many problems did we AVOID, though? RIGHT?

Optimist: There are, EVERY DAY, things that we do RIGHT.
Optimist: There are NEXT TIMES that, when encountered, we KNEW what not to do, and DID NOT DO.
Optimist: But we EXPECT success! So we treat correct choices as ROTE. As the MINIMUM STANDARD.

Optimist: NO, man! Let's TAKE a second! We only GOT as far as our mistakes because we ACED the PREVIOUS steps!
Optimist: Let's acknowledge what we've LEARNED and PUT INTO PRACTICE and PROGRESSED THANKS TO!

[[A third friend appears.]]
Pragmatist: Henderson's dead.

Pragmatist: Our failure has had real consequences vis-a-vis HENDERSON'S SKULL.
Optimist: See YOUR take on that is VERY negative whereas I am inclined to frame the whole matter as an opportunity to LEARN

{{header: an attempt at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: "Anything that doesn't kill me" makes for a pretty low bar. "The best that can be said of the experience is that it did not literally end my life."}}

''Anything that doesn't kill me'' makes for a pretty low bar. ''The best that can be said of the experience is that it did not literally end my life.''

#1116; The Many Invisible Victories

  — April 13th, 2015

[ Tags: , ]       Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/1116/

Buy a Print

New ways to get Bolted!

July 24, 2026 by David Malki !

In addition to buying things directly from me, the normal way, my game Bolted! is also now available on Amazon dot com.

On that famous website, you can also get the Creature-Crafting Magnets Set, which is made of the same artwork from the game, but is just a weird little trinket (not a playable game).

My kiddo made the elaborate version below to show off just how many magnets you get in the set (it’s 150 pieces in all — this isn’t even all of them).

Also now on Amazon is my set of Multi-Purpose Greeting Cards — a full dozen cards with envelopes in a fancy, unbranded, foil-stamped box!

Event alert!

I’ll also be showing off Bolted! at Greenwood Games, an event in Seattle this Saturday:

Greenwood Games is a free, all-ages community game event that invites players to spend the afternoon walking Greenwood Avenue from 65th to 80th, collecting clues, cracking puzzles, and discovering games made right here in Washington.

Think of it as Pride Hop, ArtWalk, and the Gumshoe all rolled into one,  except the whole thing is built around games and puzzles.​

Local game designers will be set up at different places along Greenwood Avenue in Phinney Ridge (near Ballard). My specific spot will be the “Holy Mountain Phinney Ridge Taproom”. All the information about all the different games & venues is on the website!

(If you’re in Seattle generally but not free tomorrow, Bolted! is also stocked at Blue Highway Games in Queen Anne.)

Next week, I’ll be at Gen Con! I personally will be hanging with my buddy Sam Logan at BFE Webcomics, booth #1217… but I have it on good authority that copies of Bolted! will be available at the CRWN Studios booth, #2549.

Visit one booth! Then the other! The order…is up to you.


Recent blog posts