Sequel: Earth to Me

Generation Why Bother

Can't Stop, Don't Stop, Won't Stop

The following Saturday morning was…different. Devastating. It was an upset to the routine that Tegan and I had built for ourselves over the years since 2005, and when we first learned the reason why, both of our hearts dropped down into our stomachs.

It all started when I drove down to the bookstore that morning like I always did, searching for the latest issue of Johnny Cool and the Dudes, eager as usual to peel open the pages and bask in the colorful antics and dynamic compositions that inspired me like nothing else. But when I got there, looking for the popular comic…the only issue that was in stock was the previous week’s.

I asked the clerk lady if she knew anything about it.

She shrugged and shook her head and said, “Sorry honey, we just haven’t gotten it in yet. They haven’t even shipped it. Might want to check the Internet.”

I thanked her anyway and phoned Tegan. She had to be awake. It was tradition. We even took Saturdays off from morning jogs because we were so in-tune with our weekly routine. Like I expected, she answered – but not with the tone of voice or news I wanted to hear.

“Johnny Cool is on hiatus,” she said flatly instead of a friendly “hello” or “good morning.”

“Wait…what?” I whimpered. She couldn’t have been serious. Well…that’s what I told myself, anyway.

“Just come over! There’s a thing on the website that’ll explain it better than I could,” she grumbled, sounding genuinely pissed off.

Even though I knew I didn’t cause her disgruntlement, I didn’t want to make this situation any worse than it already was. I told her I’d be over as quick as possible, I called my dad and said I’d be hanging at her house for at least the morning, and I sped over there in my dinky smelly car, my mind racing at all the possibilities of what could possibly be going on.

Tegan answered the door before I even knocked and grabbed my arm, leading me into her room with a panicked look on both of our faces. The tab was open on her computer – the website that hosted Johnny Cool and the Dudes, but instead of a new strip, the only thing I could see was text.

It was a lengthy paragraph. If not out of place for replacing Johnny’s usual shenanigans, it was certainly out of place for Anchor, his silent creator.

I took her computer chair while she sat on the bed, and I read every last word.

“Hey guys. It’s Anchor here. I’ve got an announcement that I know is gonna make a lot of you angry and it’s probably gonna be at least a little sad, but I’ll get right to it: Johnny Cool and the Dudes is gonna be on hiatus for now. I don’t know when this will be lifted. It just depends on how long it takes for me to sort out some problems that have come into my personal life. I never divulge on that kind of stuff because I don’t want anybody to take it and run, which is also why I have never given my real name on here. I’ll just say that there are a lot of other events happening that are cutting into my time and affecting my ability to spend as much effort on the comic as I would like. The strips you see on this site are made months in advance for the purpose of having a buffer just in case I run into trouble, and in the past few months, I have. I haven’t drawn anything worthwhile for this comic in some time and I feel that that’s because of those issues. I’d rather not create anything at all than create something that doesn’t fit in with Johnny’s world, and that’s why I’m announcing this hiatus. I can’t say when it will end, but I know it will eventually. I’ve invested too much in this comic and its characters and all of its fans. If anybody is wondering, the issues that are causing the hiatus only have to do with me, and that’s all I will say about the nature of my problems. Anyways, I hope to see you all soon again, and I hope you all understand. Johnny’s not gone forever.

- ANCHOR”

I had to pause for a few minutes to gather my thoughts on the matter at hand. Sometimes I truly forgot that Anchor was an actual person in the world and not just a comic-making machine who was brilliant at what he did, and for that, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for having one of those many emotions flying through my head be anger. How could I be angry at someone who had basically given me my dream of making cartoons?

Though I can’t say I understood everything – it was impossible to, since he didn’t give any details of his exact situation – I tried my best to empathize.

Tegan was staring at me before she whispered, “…Well, we can always reread it starting from the first issue…”

“I’ve been meaning to do that, actually,” I said quietly.

“But man, this sucks,” she groaned, tugging at her hair. “I really needed a pick-me-up with all of this superhero crap going on in our lives, you know? I gotta get a feel for what it’s like to have a power once I get mine…”

Not wanting to talk about the end of an era, I jumped on the bandwagon. “I can’t wait to find out what mine is gonna be. I’m just hoping I don’t have to go through some kind of dire situation like Chance and Mick.”

“I’ll bet it comes out when you feel a really strong emotion or when you’re really surprised,” she speculated. “I wonder if those dudes down in Florida have found out their powers yet.”

Chuck and Riley? The folks who wanted nothing to do with this ordeal and probably were gonna be the death of us? “They’d cry to us if it happened. Or they’d at least do something about it,” I laughed.

“Knowing how rude they were to Andy, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them ends up killing some stranger because of it. That Riley kid would probably get mad at somebody for sneezing at him and then boom! They’re dead,” she sighed as she laid down. “And that reminds me – speaking of overdramatic people, I hope Andy and Anthony work stuff out with them soon.”

We hadn’t gotten many updates on their situation in a while, so we weren’t sure what was going on with them. “Mick said it happens a lot, so I’m guessing they must at least get past it a lot,” I shrugged. “I hope this isn’t an exception though.”

She propped herself up on her elbow and smirked. “Being friends with you makes me forget that there are some friends out there who hate each other’s guts and fight all the time. I’m just glad we, like, never fight. It’s nice.”

“Well, we never have a reason to fight,” I told her, mindlessly scrolling up and down on that webpage announcing the horrid hiatus.

“Or you really do get mad sometimes and just bottle it up like I know you do,” she teased.

“Whatever.”

“See? Like that.” She pointed at me and narrowed her eyes. “I know you just wanted to tell me to shut up. But you’re too nice to do that.”

“Or I want to be polite,” I bargained.

“You’re too nice.”

“Would you rather me scream at you all the time?”

“No, but I think arguing would spice things up a bit more,” she chuckled, folding her hands across her stomach. “Quick! Let’s find something petty and blow it out of proportion!”

“We’d fit in with the others more, that’s for sure,” I laughed, feeling a little guilty for saying something like that behind their backs. “But I think no matter how you slice it, we’re all in it for life with each other. Like how Andy and Anthony knew each other since junior high and how we were playmates when we were in diapers.”

“Some people just get off on arguing. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Well, not when you put it like that…but maybe they’re just more prone to that kinda stuff as people, you know? And they just argue with people in general and screw up and hurt each other,” I rambled, trying to figure out what I was saying as I went along. “But then when they make up, it kinda deepens their bond, like when me and you find something we have in common.”

“Oshie’s getting all deep on me,” Tegan snickered.

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Just trying to understand the other side of the fence.”

“What you’re saying makes a lot of sense, though. Even if you did just overanalyze everything.” She reached over and poked me in the rib. “Smarty pants. I bet if you over-thought stuff in English class like you just did, you’d have an A and not that high C you so desperately want raised.”

“Shut up.”

“Ah, I finally did it! I got Oshie to be rude!” she gloated, punching the air in some sort of weird victory dance.

Leaning against her computer desk, I looked over at her and smiled. I was just happy she didn’t bring up the fact that I shed tears when she fell from that balcony mere days before – I don’t think I could handle the awkward explanations I’d have to do that would be far mushier than anything I’d ever said before. What was left unsaid was better left silent at that point. Plus it was just something that didn’t need an explanation. If someone’s your best friend, stretches of silence don’t matter. It just means you’re comfortable enough with them that you just enjoy their company. That goes for all kinds of relationships. Even the turbulent kinds.
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A few days ago, out of sheer curiosity I decided to see if the Tumblr url generationwhybother was taken. It wasn't.
Long story short, here's a little somethin'-somethin'.
I don't know if I'll ever do anything with it, but if you guys are interested in me posting some sketches or asking certain characters a few things, feel free to shoot me a message on there, or holla here, it don't matter! Otherwise it'll probably just sit there. I've never hoarded a url before. I think the power is getting to my head. (Also, my icon is Andy, haha.)

Anyways, I hope you all are having a good school year! (Or a nice fall, or whatever season you're in, or a nice month if you're not in school.) Regardless, I hope you have a good night at the very least. :)