This actually happened to me. Me and this dude were ready to rip each others’ heads off, until we had a mutual hatred to unite us. Maybe I should’ve tried something more unique but I was too annoyed to think of it.

Hope you are enjoying the new comics! I know I’m enjoying making ’em.

Got any great stories from arguing during your commute? Share them below!

It’s been, jeez, three and a half years since I last did one of these recap comics. And over nine years since I started The System. If you don’t know what I’m talking about when I say “recap comics”, every 100 comics (like numbers 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200 and 100) we take a step back and review what we’ve learned. To say that three and a half years ago feels like an eternity feels like an understatement. Here’s some updates from the world here at System HQ:

• 5 years ago I started a design firm. 3.5 years ago there were three of us. Now there’s seven.
• A relationship didn’t work out. You may have picked up on some subtext about that.
• There was a bout with anxiety and depression.
• I moved! Twice. From that one-bedroom to a studio, and that studio to a house.
• Oh yeah! I live in a house now! And that house also has an amazing girlfriend in it.
• That house has a very nice bike commute to work.
• And of course, it has felt oftentimes like the world is going to hell.

I have debated calling the comic quits here at comic number 800. As it is, I can take every 200 comics and catch up on publishing books, and it will make for a nice four-book set. They can each be color-coded as C-M-Y-K (the first was yellow, the second is going to be cyan, we’re going a little out of order but we can get there). Truthfully though, I don’t want to put a giant period at the end of this project. As much as it sucks to have it lingering, when I do find the time to put one of these comics together it still means a great deal to me, and I’ve heard from some of you it means a great deal to you as well.

So for now, consider the project moving at a colossally slow rate for the time being. Book 2 is actually all designed and ready to go, and as soon as I find some time I’ll be putting together a Kickstarter for it so y’all can order your own copies. Hopefully the last two books will follow, and with them more comics.

Also, if you are a convention-going type, I still am hitting up the convention circuit with shirts, books, prints, and touring with the Super Art Fight gang.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep posting comics until morale improves.

—Rosscott

To the jerkwad with the umbrella: I saw you.

Oh, and also some bikes actually got to use it.

Good, now I’ve drawn what a dumpster fire looks like.

Have you ever found words flying out of your mouth that you never thought you’d use? I’m not talking racist or asinine, just stupid? Well, that’s what happened to me. I missed a turn on my bike ride to my doctor’s office, and “Aw, poopturds!” flew out of my mouth. This raised a multitude of questions:

• What’s a poopturd?
• Where did my brain come up with that?
• What ELSE will my brain come up with?
• Wait wait wait. I really did miss that turn. Shitfiddles, I gotta take the next left…

If you have your own stories, add them in the comments, Systemics!

He totally said that.

I think this is my masterpiece. It has coffee, bikes, computers, cats, and poop. I should stop now.

Or, how my bike got stolen and how I stole it back.

Quick note: This story originally was posted as-it-happened on Tumblr, but here’s the whole thing compiled together. It was then a Medium post, but here it is on my site.

Part 1: Monday. Well, this is ridiculous.

First, take a look at my bike. Looks like a normal bike, right?

A picture of my bike from months ago. This is known as “The Georgetown Bike Rack”.

On Friday night, amidst trying to walk a dog and get a sick girlfriend home, I locked my bike outside my apartment to a small fence outside the building instead of lugging it into the bike room in my building (which has been largely blocked by maintenance people’s stuff).

Some time between Saturday and Sunday, the bike was stolen. I was upset. In fact, I still am upset. There’s the money, sure. But moreover, it was stolen from outside where I live. There is theft in my neighborhood, and apparently locking up a bike isn’t enough.

My girlfriend Kristen was kind enough to help me start to get things in order, and on Monday put in a police report for the bike, and I mentally tried to move on. It was kinda working.

But here’s where it gets infinitely more interesting. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

It’s true, my bike was stolen.

Sure, there’s being out the cost of the bike. But the real sting is knowing that someone stole something important from you. That hurts.

Now my bike is off somewhere, (hopefully) getting ridden by someone. I’m sure they don’t appreciate all the little details. The new pedals that I picked out which are a solid piece of metal (and supposed to last much longer). The new spokes I put on the wheels. The scratches on the frame from locking it to parking signs. The new handlebars that made getting up hills much more comfortable. The bike seat that a friend gave me when my old one got infested with ants (yep, really). You get the idea.

So if you ever liked the bike comics I’ve put on this site, that means you liked my bike too. Because every time there was a black icon representing a bicycle, it was Chester, my 2010 Jamis Coda Comp, seen here (this is what I call “Georgetown Parking” because the only place to lock up in Georgetown in Washington, DC is onto trash cans).

UPDATE: I’ve had a few people posting to “keep on the lookout for the bike” and link to this post, so here’s a little more info:

• 2010 Jamis Coda Comp
• Had a “City Bikes” sticker on it (was bought at City Bikes)
• Note the Oury black rubber handlebars
• There was a lot of scratches on the top bar of the bike from locking it to various surfaces
• The U-lock mount was on the top bar, which wore down the paint. Even if that’s been detached, there is probably a lot of wear to the paint/frame in that spot (near the seat post on the top bar)
• From this photo, I changed out the pedals to black ones with no toe clips

UPDATE 2: Big update. The bike has turned up, but isn’t mine again yet. It’s locked up outside near my work/office (remember, I lost it at my home 1.5 miles away from work). There’s been 2 rounds of cops and some scrambling to find registration. Read the whole ordeal here:

http://rosscott.tumblr.com/post/95164110171/bike-theft-and-crazy-coincidences