Comic Transcripts

[[SCHMORDY chats with the sitting LOWENDA.]]

SCHMORDY:  I think the KEY to breaking bad habits is to remember that your brain is a PHYSICAL thing.  Neural connections are real.  So rather than try to WISH myself into eating better or spending less time on the internet, I’m attempting CHEMISTRY.

LOWENDA: I’ve told you for years, I have PLENTY of drugs if you want to try WHATEVER.

SCHMORDY: Kind of you to offer, but no…
SCHMORDY: I think it’s all about coming up with systems that work WITH they way your body NATURALLY FUNCTIONS, you know?  That really is the only way to make a lasting change.

LOWENDA: So the key is to figure out how to trick your body into releasing dopamine when you DON’T eat junk food, or when you DON’T lose hours in scrolling.

SCHMORDY: That’s it precisely!  A way to give my body an advantage over the harmful habit!

CAPTION: MEANWHILE, AT THE SNACK-FOODS-AND-SOCIAL-MEDIA CONVENTION:

[[A snack food/social media executive stands at a lectern, addressing a crowd.]]

EXECUTIVE: YEEAHHH…We’ve collectively spent TRILLIONS inventing industries solely devoted to figuring out extremely effective ways to make our products hit your dopamine buttons.  So good luck with that

{{header: stand up to WONDERMARK.COM}}

#1394; In which a Brain is hacked transcribed by in

[[SCHMORDY chats with the sitting LOWENDA.]]

SCHMORDY:  I think the KEY to breaking bad habits is to remember that your brain is a PHYSICAL thing.  Neural connections are real.  So rather than try to WISH myself into eating better or spending less time on the internet, I'm attempting CHEMISTRY.

LOWENDA: I've told you for years, I have PLENTY of drugs if you want to try WHATEVER.

SCHMORDY: Kind of you to offer, but no...
SCHMORDY: I think it's all about coming up with systems that work WITH they way your body NATURALLY FUNCTIONS, you know?  That really is the only way to make a lasting change.

LOWENDA: So the key is to figure out how to trick your body into releasing dopamine when you DON'T eat junk food, or when you DON'T lose hours in scrolling.

SCHMORDY: That's it precisely!  A way to give my body an advantage over the harmful habit!

CAPTION: MEANWHILE, AT THE SNACK-FOODS-AND-SOCIAL-MEDIA CONVENTION:

[[A snack food/social media executive stands at a lectern, addressing a crowd.]]

EXECUTIVE: YEEAHHH...We've collectively spent TRILLIONS inventing industries solely devoted to figuring out extremely effective ways to make our products hit your dopamine buttons.  So good luck with that

{{header: stand up to WONDERMARK.COM}}

''triggering your dopamine response'' just means ''making you feel good'', but then again ''helping you lose weight'' can also mean ''stealing your kidneys''

#1394; In which a Brain is hacked

  — April 24th, 2018

[ Tags: , ]       Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/1394/

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.


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