Behind the Comic:
Crazy for You

This Valentine’s Day comic was inspired by a fun exercise I learned from watching TikTok. If you have a question for the universe, ask it and then shuffle a playlist or listen to the radio. The first three songs will have a message for you:

  • One song will describe what’s going on currently in your life.
  • One song will give you an action plan.
  • One song will be your answer.

You will have to decide which song is which, as they could come out in any order. I tried this a few times with different questions to which I knew the answers and it seemed to work well. At the very least, you’ll be putting those constructive thinking and analysis skills to the test.

In Shouty’s case, he’s not doing this exercise but a different one where you ask a question and get an immediate answer, which is why it’s funny that he has, in fact, rigged it by using his love playlist. Poor Shouty….

Crazy For You comic

IMAGE ALT:
Shouty shows Leonard his mobile phone screen while exclaiming, “I told you she liked me. She’s CRAZY for me! Look!” The next panel shows a close up of Shouty’s phone while he continues to talk, “You ask a question and then shuffle your playlist. First song to play is the answer!” His phone shows a playlist titled “Shouty’s Love Mix” and has “Crazy For You” by Madonna playing. Other songs in the playlist include “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” by UB40, “Beginning Middle End” by Leah Nobel, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, and “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder. In the last panel of the comic, Leonard looks bewildered and tells Shouty, “But you can’t rig it using your love mix! You oughtta put ‘What A Fool Believes’ on that list!” Shouty puts his head on his fist and looks defeated.

Behind the Comic:
Spiritual Awakening

Today’s comic juxtaposes the deeper meaning of life and who we are with the pageantry of America’s favorite sports event. The comic makes me uncomfortable–ending with Shouty sitting awkwardly and Leonard continuing to watch the game obliviously–and that’s by design. It’s easy to talk about sports and much harder to talk about spiritual experiences. It’s easier to give our focus and attention almost everywhere but to ourselves and what’s going on inside. I used to be someone who had her calendar booked at all times, never having a moment to really evaluate what I was feeling or what I wanted or needed. And if my calendar wasn’t booked, then my attention went to another person or a television program.

About half of what Shouty goes through is from my own life and this is one of those times. I could write a book about the last three years, but in a sentence, it was the most painful, yet important, three years of my life. Filled with health challenges, loss, and heartbreak, there were some dark times where I didn’t know if I would make it.

Thankfully, I’m still here, like Shouty, growing and learning.

I want to see how the story ends. 🙂

Spiritual Awakening

IMAGE ALT:
Shouty peeks out from behind the comic, as if coming from a different dimension. Leonard asks, “Where have you been?” Shouty comes into view in front of him and says, “I had a profound spiritual awakening.” Leonard snaps, “Dude, you’re blocking the Super Bowl.” Shouty sits down on the couch dismayed as Leonard continues to watch the game.

Best Shouty® Comics of 2019

These are the top comics by engagement for the year on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and reddit. (There wasn’t enough engagement on Tumblr to include it this year.)

Top 5 on Facebook (Follow Shouty on Facebook)
1. Season of Giving
Season of Giving Comic by Shouty
2. Remembering
Remembering Comic By Shouty
3. Dream Come True
Dream Come True Comic by Shouty
4. Genetic Test
Genetic Test Comic By Shouty
5. Vegan Thanksgiving
Vegan Thanksgiving Comic by Shouty

Top 5 on Instagram (Follow Shouty on Instagram)
1. Do Not Try This at Home
Cats and Fear Comic by Shouty
2. Puzzle Solving
Puzzle Solving Comic by Shouty
3. Grammar Tips
Grammar Tips Comic by Shouty
4. Productivity’s Up
Productivity's Up Comic by Shouty
5. Brush and Floss
Brush and Floss Comic by Shouty

Top 5 on Twitter (Follow Shouty on Twitter)
1. National Shower with a Friend Day
National Shower with a Friend Day Comic by Shouty
2. Let Me Know
Let Me Know Comic by Shouty
3. Vegan Thanksgiving (see Facebook’s list above for comic)
4. Dream Come True (see Facebook’s list above for comic)
5. Merging in Bumper to Bumper Traffic
Merging Comic By Shouty

Top 5 on reddit (Follow Shouty on reddit)
1. Worry (Part I)
Worry Part I Comic by Shouty
2. National Shower with a Friend Day (see Twitter’s list above for comic)
3. Email: Draft vs. Sent
Draft vs. Sent Comic by Shouty
4. Sore
Sore Comic by Shouty
5. Fingernails
Fingernails Comic by Shouty

Three of my personal top five of 2019 are already included above (Dream Come True, Brush and Floss, and Genetic Test) and I’d add these two:
1. Annual Checkup
Annual Checkup Comic by Shouty
2. Snow Day
Snow Day Comic by Shouty

Based on the data, the all time best Shouty comic of 2019 is Dream Come True!

Let’s make 2020 awesome!

Best Shouty® Comics of 2018

These are the top comics by engagement for the year on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, reddit, Tumblr, and Google+.

Top 5 on Facebook (Follow Shouty on Facebook)
1. Perception
All about appearances
2. Unfulfilled Potential: The Slice
Unfulfilled Potential: The Slice Comic by Shouty
3. Day of Unplugging
Day of Unplugging
4. Sober Six Pack
Sober Six Pack Comic by Shouty
5. Starving
No food in the house.

Top 5 on Instagram (Follow Shouty on Instagram)
1. Inside the Shoe
Toes Talking
2. Index Finger
Index Finger
3. National Best Friends Day
BFF
4. The Dip
Da Dip
5. Lady Liberty
Peaceful Protest Civil Disobedience

Top 5 on Twitter (Follow Shouty on Twitter)
1. Early Start
Early Start Comic by Shouty
2. Exercise Tracking
Exercise Tracking Comic by Shouty
3. #LogOutFacebook
#LogOutFacebook Comic by Shouty
4. National Donut Day
National Donut Day
5. Gift from the Heart
Gift from the Heart

Top 5 on reddit (Follow Shouty on reddit)
1. Hair Growth
Hair Growth Comic by Shouty
2. Save Yourself
The sad life of toilet paper
3. Ridge-cut
Potato chip technology
4. Inside the Shoe (see Instagram’s list above for comic)
5. Faking It
Virtual Reality Weight Loss

Top 5 on Tumblr (Follow Shouty on Tumblr)
1. Priorities
My Priorities Include
2. Ribs
Ribs Comic by Shouty
3. Store Samples
Store Samples
4. Internet Shopping
The Evolution of Internet Shopping
5. Read Across America
Read Across America

Top 5 on Google+ (Follow Shouty on Google+)
1. Clever Cats
Clever Cats
2. National Pet Week
Phonetic Alphabet
3. Transformation Tuesday: Fruit Edition
Transformation Tuesday Fruit Edition
4. Sleep Prescription
World Sleep Day
5. Veggie Pizza
Veggie Pizza Comic by Shouty

And here are my personal top five favorites of the year:
1. Selfie Match
Google Arts & Culture Selfie Match
2. Where’s the lie tho?
Reading an hour a day
3. Priorities (see Tumblr’s list above for comic)
4. Motorcycle
Motorcycle Comic by Shouty
5. Missing
The Disappearance of Adverbs

Based on the data, the all time best Shouty comic of 2018 is Priorities!

Let’s make 2019 awesome!

Best Shouty® Comics of 2017

These are the top comics by engagement for the ~year~ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, reddit, and Tumblr. (I didn’t include Google+ b/c there isn’t an analytics section where I can easily access this data.)

Top 5 on Facebook (Follow Shouty on Facebook)
1. Soap
New versus old soap
2. A Fart’s Journey
A Fart's Journey
3. Passive Aggressive
Passive Aggressive
4. Just Roll with It
A Tree's Life
5. Inauguration Day
Inauguration Day

Top 5 on Instagram (Follow Shouty on Instagram)
1. Soap (see Facebook’s list above for comic)
2. A Fart’s Journey (see Facebook’s list above for comic)
3. Seed of Photon
General Sod
4. Teefus Perfectus
Teefus Perfectus
5. Whatever Works…
On phone before bed habit

Top 5 on Twitter (Follow Shouty on Twitter)
1. Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality
2. Representation
Representation Matters
3. Pi
Using pi in real life
4. National French Toast Day Hacks
National French Toast Day Hacks
5. Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger

Top 5 on reddit (Follow Shouty on reddit)
1. Pi (see Twitter’s list above for comic)
2. Soap (see Facebook’s list above for comic)
3. Delivery
Drone Delivery
4. Cinnamon Roll
The Truth about Cinnamon Rolls
5. Unconditional Love / Shouty & his cat
Shouty and cats

Top 5 on Tumblr (Follow Shouty on Tumblr)
1. Where is the lie?
Shouty's Shamrock Shake
2. World Smile Day
A smile shared between friends
3. Carnival
Dopamine and Computers
4. Fine Print
Read the Fine Print
5. Feline Immunity
Cat Contagious Yawning

And here are my personal top five favorites of 2017:
1. Patient #1126
Orthodontist's Office
2. Stomach PSI
Stomach PSI
3. Reality
Is this a simulation?
4. Her Name is Sleep
Sleep the Savage Seducer
5. Where is the lie? (see Tumblr’s list above for comic)

And personal faves of 2016:
1. Glory Days
Shouty in college swimsuit

  1. Perfect Fit
    Friendship

  2. Unconditional Love / Shouty & his cat (see reddit’s list above for comic)

  3. One Man’s Trash
    Regifting Fruitcake

  4. Gingerbread House
    Gingerbread house

Based on the data, the all time best Shouty comic of 2017 is Soap!

Let’s make 2018 awesome!

Playing around with drawing styles

different drawing style

So…most of the time I sketch with paper and then start the comics, but this time I also decided to draw a draft without being bound by any brand or style guidelines. I appreciated this freedom and the time savings. I do like the black and white look, so I might adopt this in the future at some time. If not for Shouty, then maybe for when I start my own blog. How do you think it compares with the official version?