Comic Transcripts

MATT [speaking to his reflection in a mirror]: You can’t do it. You’re not good enough. You’re not talented. You’re entirely pedestrian.

MATT: I’m tired of being told I can do anything I can put my mind to. Don’t really want the pressure anymore.

LOLA: So you’re just giving up?
MATT: Not giving up. Carving a way OUT. If I tell myself “YOU CAN DO IT!” then I’m just inviting guilt when I inevitably don’t. But if I say “You CAN’T do it” then I create the opportunity to prove myself WRONG.

MATT: My psyche is liable to push me into success. Simply to SPITE itself.

{{header: do what works at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: I’ll either succeed, or I’ll be vindicated! WIN-WIN}}

#699; Conquering the Only Enemy transcribed by in

MATT [speaking to his reflection in a mirror]: You can’t do it. You’re not good enough. You’re not talented. You’re entirely pedestrian.

MATT: I’m tired of being told I can do anything I can put my mind to. Don’t really want the pressure anymore.

LOLA: So you’re just giving up?
MATT: Not giving up. Carving a way OUT. If I tell myself “YOU CAN DO IT!” then I’m just inviting guilt when I inevitably don’t. But if I say “You CAN’T do it” then I create the opportunity to prove myself WRONG.

MATT: My psyche is liable to push me into success. Simply to SPITE itself.

{{header: do what works at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: I’ll either succeed, or I’ll be vindicated! WIN-WIN}}

#699; Conquering the Only Enemy transcribed by in

MATT [speaking to his reflection in a mirror]: You can't do it. You're not good enough. You're not talented. You're entirely pedestrian.

MATT: I'm tired of being told I can do anything I can put my mind to. Don't really want the pressure anymore.

LOLA: So you're just giving up?
MATT: Not giving up. Carving a way OUT. If I tell myself "YOU CAN DO IT!" then I'm just inviting guilt when I inevitably don't. But if I say "You CAN'T do it" then I create the opportunity to prove myself WRONG.

MATT: My psyche is liable to push me into success. Simply to SPITE itself.

{{header: do what works at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: I'll either succeed, or I'll be vindicated! WIN-WIN}}

I'll either succeed, or be vindicated! WIN-WIN

#699; Conquering the Only Enemy

  — February 4th, 2011

[ Tags: , , ]       Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/699/

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20 years ago (in photocomic form)

June 9, 2026 by David Malki !
A young David Malki !, Steve Carey, and Ryan North, June 2006.

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!

Read the rest here: [ 20 Years Ago (In Photocomic Form) ]


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