Comic Transcripts

[[A banner at the top says: “CONVERTING EVERYTHING TO COAL POWER [How to do it terribly – expensively – and with great difficulty]”]]

[[Another banner states: “WONDERMARK’S” “Nominally-essential” “Tinkerer’s Handbook” “The magazine for people who cannot leave well enough alone”. A woman is shown operating some sort of water pump.]]

[[A badge reads: “TAKE IT APART”]]

[[Three pictures on the side state “CUT IT”, “HIT IT”, and “STUFF IT”, depicting a screwdriver of some sort, a hammer hitting a nail, and two hands grasping a piece of wood.]]

[[A newspaper-style block of text reads: “LET US MEDDLE.” A rallying cry for a generation.]]
Newspaper text: Such are the benefits afforded us all by the unending march of Progress, that each new dawn finds many a person safe, fed, clothed and sheltered. A citizen of our modern era rarely finds him- or herself in a deadly battle for survival, as was common for the first generations of Mankind. Thus do our bodies, evolved for and hardened by constant struggle, often find themselves idle; and without some constant whetting, thus swiftly begins the degenerative process of death.
Newspaper text: Some people have rebelled against this notion, and constantly keep on the move, busying themselves with the creation of novel problems and competing to find overly-elaborate ways to solve them. This magazine is our attempt to cash in on that demographic.

[[A banner at the bottom reads: “Over 2 projects inside”]]

{{alt-text: ‘We have taken a gamble as to whether people will pay 8.95 to feel like they are the sort who would invent something, given the time, and it seems to be paying off.’}}

The Tinkerer’s Handbook, Page 1 (of 8) transcribed by in

[[A banner at the top says: “CONVERTING EVERYTHING TO COAL POWER [How to do it terribly – expensively – and with great difficulty]”]]

[[Another banner states: “WONDERMARK’S” “Nominally-essential” “Tinkerer’s Handbook” “The magazine for people who cannot leave well enough alone”. A woman is shown operating some sort of water pump.]]

[[A badge reads: “TAKE IT APART”]]

[[Three pictures on the side state “CUT IT”, “HIT IT”, and “STUFF IT”, depicting a screwdriver of some sort, a hammer hitting a nail, and two hands grasping a piece of wood.]]

[[A newspaper-style block of text reads: “LET US MEDDLE.” A rallying cry for a generation.]]
Newspaper text: Such are the benefits afforded us all by the unending march of Progress, that each new dawn finds many a person safe, fed, clothed and sheltered. A citizen of our modern era rarely finds him- or herself in a deadly battle for survival, as was common for the first generations of Mankind. Thus do our bodies, evolved for and hardened by constant struggle, often find themselves idle; and without some constant whetting, thus swiftly begins the degenerative process of death.
Newspaper text: Some people have rebelled against this notion, and constantly keep on the move, busying themselves with the creation of novel problems and competing to find overly-elaborate ways to solve them. This magazine is our attempt to cash in on that demographic.

[[A banner at the bottom reads: “Over 2 projects inside”]]

{{alt-text: ‘We have taken a gamble as to whether people will pay 8.95 to feel like they are the sort who would invent something, given the time, and it seems to be paying off.’}}

The Tinkerer’s Handbook, Page 1 (of 8) transcribed by in

[[A banner at the top says: "CONVERTING EVERYTHING TO COAL POWER [How to do it terribly - expensively - and with great difficulty]"]]

[[Another banner states: "WONDERMARK'S" "Nominally-essential" "Tinkerer's Handbook" "The magazine for people who cannot leave well enough alone". A woman is shown operating some sort of water pump.]]

[[A badge reads: "TAKE IT APART"]]

[[Three pictures on the side state "CUT IT", "HIT IT", and "STUFF IT", depicting a screwdriver of some sort, a hammer hitting a nail, and two hands grasping a piece of wood.]]

[[A newspaper-style block of text reads: "LET US MEDDLE." A rallying cry for a generation.]]
Newspaper text: Such are the benefits afforded us all by the unending march of Progress, that each new dawn finds many a person safe, fed, clothed and sheltered. A citizen of our modern era rarely finds him- or herself in a deadly battle for survival, as was common for the first generations of Mankind. Thus do our bodies, evolved for and hardened by constant struggle, often find themselves idle; and without some constant whetting, thus swiftly begins the degenerative process of death.
Newspaper text: Some people have rebelled against this notion, and constantly keep on the move, busying themselves with the creation of novel problems and competing to find overly-elaborate ways to solve them. This magazine is our attempt to cash in on that demographic.

[[A banner at the bottom reads: "Over 2 projects inside"]]

{{alt-text: 'We have taken a gamble as to whether people will pay 8.95 to feel like they are the sort who would invent something, given the time, and it seems to be paying off.'}}

'We have taken a gamble as to whether people will pay 8.95 to feel like they are the sort who would invent something, given the time, and it seems to be paying off.'

The Tinkerer’s Handbook, Page 1 (of 8)

  — April 26th, 2011

[ Tags: , , ]       Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/tink1/

Today marks the first day of Year Nine of Wondermark. To celebrate, I present to you the Nominally-Essential Tinkerer’s Handbook, a magazine in eight parts, running this week and next.

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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