While I was in Virginia, I went back to my childhood home and ransacked a lot of the artwork I still had stored there. My room is a shrine consisting of not much more than comic books, “real” books, toys, and lots and lots of drawings. I’ve got artwork going back to 1976 (when I was three years old).

Throughout all of the things I reminisced over, I found the one piece I had been searching for: the very first ADDANAC CITY comic strip!

The first-ever ADDANAC CITY comic strip from early 1992

I created Hank and the gang way back in the summer of 1992 while I was a sophomore in college at Virginia State University. This drawing was created entirely by hand using Expresso felt-tip pens and Sharpie markers. I even hand-lettered the strip. As you can evidently see, I am so glad that I have a computer to do my lettering now. It’s no fun trying to be a left-handed inker.

So, I hope you dig this early look at Addanac City. Hank sure started out looking differently in those days. I think I like his hair better now. Mr. and Mrs. A have gone through some subtle transformations through the years too.

What do you guys think?

Well, sort of. AC will be posting all seven days a week, but Saturdays and Sundays will be reserved for classic ADDANAC CITY comic strips that have appeared before. Unless, you’ve pored through the series’ 550+ comic archive, there may have been a few oldie but goodies that you have missed out on.

I’ll keep creating brand-new comics Monday thru Friday, but I hope this new schedule will allow you to reminisce over some of your favorite AC moments. Let me know what you think of this new set-up.

I have a guest-strip posted on Jynksie’s “How Sweet It Is” site! “How Sweet It Is” is the story of a married couple and their dealings with life, love, and laughter. The husband, Hodge, is hilarious and his viewpoints will certainly make you chuckle.

Check out my contribution to this comic strip’s wonderful mythos! And, please, be sure to let Jynksie know what you think of his side-splitting comic series.

Last year, when I moved out here to sunny Southern California, I really needed some help keeping ADDANAC CITY afloat until I got acclimated to my new surroundings. I had to unpack my art equipment, my computer, scanner, and other electronic necessities, and turn my internet back on. I was definitely in a bind.

I sent out a call to all of my fellow webcomic friends, peers, and associates, and a vast majority of them answered my whiny plea. I was blessed with more than enough guest-comics to help me get back on my feet.

Well, I enjoyed receiving and reading the different interpretations of Hank and the gang from many talented and diverse cartoonists, that I wanna do it again.

It’s time to put a call out for The 2nd Annual Addanac City Guest Strip Weeks Extravaganza!

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve contributed a guest-strip before or not. I love what all of you do and it would be an honor to see your take on my characters. I’ve met many new cartoonists over the past year, and I can’t wait to see if they’ll bless me with something divine.

The Many Faces of Hank Addanac by last year's guests

But, first, there are a few minor lil’ rules:

1) The Guest-Strip must feature at least one Addanac City character. You can try your hand at more than that (feel free), but in order to be an AC guest comic, it must have an AC citizen somewhere in the strip.

2) Feel free to use your flagship character in the comic too. I love a good crossover, and it may make you feel more comfortable while creating an Addanac City comic.

3) The guest-comic you send to me must be no larger than 850 pixels wide if it’s in strip format, and no larger than 500 pixels wide if it’s in page format. And try to make sure the panels fit within screen-view so readers won’t have to do too much scrolling, please.

4) The guest-comic must be sent as a jpeg.

5) The strip must be somewhat funny. Also, keep in mind, that I stretch the envelope of taste around here, but I try not to destroy the package. I normally keep it somewhere around PG in these parts.

6) I’m gonna start running the strips I receive somewhere around the beginning of June, so you have time (although not too much). Most likely, I’ll run them in the order I get them, so you early birds can get started now.

Email your finished strip to me at addanaccity@gmail.com

If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to contact me via email or in a comment, and I’ll be happy to reply to your query. Thanks again to all who will participate this year!