Ok... this story was actually based on a memory from my childhood. I had a pet newt. Green with orange spots just like "Newt". I kept him in a plastic pet dish with the fake island and a plastic palm tree in the center (just like I used in the first episode of this comic series!).

One day I went to feed it, and he looked as though he had a white rubber band stuck around his waist. He kept wiggling around and trying to push it further down using his fingers and toes. This went on for at least an hour...so I became bored with it and left. I came back to find the newt on one side of the pet dish, and a duplicate transparent newt on the other. I didn't know they shed their skin, but I was amazed at how every detail of the newt was there. The skin had full arms and fingers, and tail... it looked just like him, but was see through and off-white in colour. So, when I was writing out ideas for this series, I knew I had to have one story where Newt sheds his skin, and leaves his 'double' for John to find.

The comic was supposed to be one of the easy ones...because I knew that Newt wouldn't need a lot of posing for this episode... but I spent so much time on the background...only to find that all of the detail I put into the carpeting, doesn't really show up at web-resolution. Since the other rooms of Newt and John's place are more colourful, I thought I'd have the livingroom be a neutral colour... which allows the characters to stand out.

I also wrote more dialogue for this one, but had to edit some lines to keep the comic at 5 rows. Originally, I had John reading the newspaper, and then I thought it might be funny to show him poking the 'newt suit' in the eye...he needed a 'pokin' stick', so I gave him the pencil. I figured with a book of crossword puzzles, he'd be sitting there for a long time, just like if he were reading the paper.

Lastly, the name of this comic, changed many times... I don't like to give away the punchline, or twist in the story by making it obvious in the name. At the last minute, I decided to call this comic "Newt Suit"...even though there's a chance it might give the joke away, I thought it was vague enough....but also a suitable name for the comic when you're looking for it in the archive. I thought of many other names but they were less fun. Anyways... I figured I'd take my chances... with the more memorable title.

Come back for the next episode this Monday!