Today’s guest strip comes from illustator extraordinaire and creator of Silent Kimbly, Ryan Sias!



I’ve been a big fan of Ryan’s ever since I stumbled upon his now defunct journal comic Urban Observations. Not only because it was a journal comic, which I’m always a sucker for. But because it captured a quintessential persepective about living in New York City and parsing it through a very upbeat and child-like fantasy filter. I thought it was totally unique and it really made me think differently about what it meant to live in Gotham.



You know how it is; New York is portrayed in very specific ways. Either gritty and crime-ridden or the fantastic magical playground of the affluent. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who could translate the New York experience in very relatable terms.



Ryan has carried his unique vision into all sorts of projects. Illustration, creating and pitching his own children’s television program and doing storyboards for movies like Robots and Bowling for Columbine. It’s an impressive resume!



His most recent foray back into web comics is Silent Kimbly which, by evidence of today’s comic, is more adorable than words. I think within the web comics "scene," it’s really easy to get caught up in what’s trendy or dubious. But then comes a comic like Silent Kimbly that silently excutes its purpose with extreme precision. It entertains. It makes you smile. It’s not pretentious about itself. It honestly aims to please. And that is *SO* refreshing.



With that in mind, I was honored that Ryan wanted to contribute a guest strip and I think this one is excellent. He totally got Tom’s "voice" down and I thought the punchline was especially poignant.



So a tip of the hat to Ryan. Thanks. And be sure to check out Silent Kimbly!

I just wanted to say something really quickly about the book pre-orders before I talk about today’s guest strip.



Tomorrow Cami and I are going on vacation. It’s a long one. We won’t be back until May 30. When we get back, we have less than two weeks to really drive home pre-orders to meet the minimum requirement we need to be able to pay the printer. The deadline in June 11.



You guys were really great about placing your orders last week when I mentioned the deadline, so I want to mention it again. I’ve also posted a new graphic to the right of the comic that outlines EXACTLY what we need to make this a success.



If you’re thinking about buying the book, please do so now. How awesome would it be if Cami and I came back from vacation and found 225 pre-orders in my mailbox? That would be pretty flipping sweet!



So, once again, I stress that I need your help. You know the reasons why. Time is running out.



For those of you who have already placed your orders, you guys are awesome and I really appreciate your support. The time is drawing near. It won’t be long now until you get your copy delivered to your hot little hands!