Consider this a prologue to the new chapter. I’ll throw the title page up on Wednesday, but just so you know, it’s called “Up a Tree.”

One of my goals for this series is to start managing white space a little more. In the past, I would’ve felt pressured to fill the background in panels 1 and 2 — blue sky, puffy clouds, beige dirt road, all that jazz — but I think a minimalist approach might come across better sometimes. I’m gonna try to be selective with how much color goes where, show a little restraint. It’s a technique that shows up in all my favorite comic strips.

Also, I’m trying a new approach with the writing: less plot points, more stand-alone strips that earn a laugh or provoke a thought even when viewed out of context. Hopefully that works, too.