Blind Alley Comics

11/28/2025

Part 3 of my "Deer" comic series: skinning! Skinning your deer (or other animal) seems intimidating, but once you get started it's not super-difficult - it just requires a lot of upper-body strength and a bit of anatomical knowledge.

I'm a big proponent of "using every part of the animal" - too often, animal parts are wasted by hunters with no time, skill, or interest in anything except meat and antlers (and usually just antlers). I believe we need to respect the animal, at least as a sentient being, if not a person. The physical body is sacred, even if we can't figure out an immediate use for a certain part. For instance, in this comic I call the face and leg skin "not very useful" - but that's just my ignorance! If you know a good use for these pieces of hide, please let me know.

If you do have to discard animal parts, please please please DON'T PUT THEM IN THE GARBAGE. Place them back in the land, with an apology to the animal. If you're worried about raccoons and coyotes and such, dig a hole at least 2' deep and bury them. Landfills are horrible places that stop decomposition and rob the land of the nutrients from animals. Call me a hippie if you want, but I'm determined to have a deeper relationship with the land and its creatures, and part of that involves giving back the parts you don't use.

As always: do your own research, and get a knowledgeable friend to help you! The methods detailed here aren't the only way to do it, and you'll likely discover a better way. I'm not an expert, just a guy who sometimes does cool stuff and makes comics about it. I only make these comics if I've actually done the activity myself. Good luck, find joy, and happy hunting!

11/24/2025

Blind Alley Comics supports the Fallen Angels GiveButter Campaign!

Fallen Angels is a homeless camp on private property behind Dietrich Park in Lansing; I've been keeping up with their status and doing what I can to spread the word and assist. Right now the camp is in legal limbo, as a judge has ordered the camp cleared within 90 days, but the residents are still struggling to access services that would help them find housing. The City, of course, is doing all it can to portray them as dangerous human garbage that needs to be swept away. We cannot allow this to happen to our homeless neighbors and friends! Punks With Lunch, The Homeless Union, and The Rent is Too Damn High are among the many grassroots organizations fighting to keep these residents alive and healthy and help them access the programs that will find them housing.

You can help the cause! By donating to the Fallen Angels GiveButter campaign, you help purchase blankets, tents, heating equipment, food, medical supplies, and hygiene supplies for extremely vulnerable people who live out in the elements. You can give a one-time lump sum, or turn your contribution into a monthly donation. Every little bit helps. Thank you so much for your support, and God bless during the holiday season.

Protect the Unhoused! Homeless Liberation Now!

https://givebutter.com/j8cnGZ

Fallen Angels Camp in Lansing, MI needs urgent aid. The city sued landowners sheltering unhoused residents, forcing them to fund toilets, water, and safety. Donate now to provide sanitation, clean water, and fire safety while residents await housing.

11/15/2025

Happy Opening Day! I'll be heading out later. In the meantime, enjoy this comic covering what to do after you kill (sorry, "harvest") your deer.

Michigan law requires you to report your deer; the DNR will check it for diseases including CWD and bovine TB. This helps track the health of the herd, which is extremely overpopulated due to lack of natural predators. Like it or not, human hunters (and cars) are the premier predators keeping deer numbers in check to prevent environmental damage.

As always, I'm no expert; please do your own research, check dnr.org for regulations, and rely on the expertise of real live experienced hunters. Each hunter has their own unique rituals and techniques, and many have *extremely* strong opinions! Get as many opinions as you can. Happy hunting, stay safe, and good luck!

11/10/2025

I'm still making comics! I've been doing a series called "Build Skills" about various life/outdoor skills. This one is the first in a series about deer hunting, butchering, hide preparation, cooking, and utilizing as much of the deer as possible.

09/07/2025

I'll be at the Fledge today from 1-6:30pm for the Weekly Nourishment event! I myself will be leading a little workshop where the participants create a 2-page comic to take home. Come on down if you can make it; help support the Fledge, the Unhoused, and some local artists!

07/09/2025

I'll be at the Capital City Comic Con this Friday through Sunday! Come see me at Booth 2208...times are:
Friday 7/11: 3-8pm
Saturday 7/12: 10am-6pm
Sunday 7/13: 10am-5pm

06/21/2025

Hello friends and fans, this is Rick with some very important news about Blind Alley Comics operations going forward.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Joe Haines won't be associating with Blind Alley Comics any longer; he has decided to step down as President and focus on his own projects. I wish him all the best in his endeavors.

The departure was sudden, but not completely unexpected; we'd been experiencing personality clashes behind the scenes, and differing opinions about the direction our company was headed. All artistic partnerships are subject to this kind of tension, and a calculation must be made as to whether the partnership will continue or not. After 15 years, I think we were just tired of each other. It was time for a change.

I didn't intend to be the sole proprietor of BAC, but now find myself thrust into the position of President/Owner/What have you. Going solo is a bit daunting, and I'm still grieving the end of the partnership; at the same time, there's a lot of freedom in having no one to answer to. I get to set my own agenda; decide what projects I'm going to focus on; and run the business as I see fit.

Going forward, I'm going to trim down BAC's inventory to my solo projects, as I find it uncomfortable to profit off of collaborative publications when my collaborator is no longer involved. My first priority is to move my back issues of The Human Cannonball and others, so expect some great deals on "starter packs" of issues 1-5, and amazing deals on the entire back catalogue (issues 1-11). I'm also going to start collecting THC into trade paperbacks, which are a lot easier to move.

Secondly, I'm going to be moving BAC in some new directions: I have a huge stack of short-form comics that I'd like to collect into anthologies. Many of these stories are much stranger and darker than BAC's usual fare up to this point, and if possible I want to reach out to other creators and see if they're up for contributing. I also have a lot of zine work and political cartoons I'd like to collect, which have an Anarchist bent. While I don't want BAC to be completely taken over by political content, I do feel the need to "plant my flag", so to speak, on the side of social justice and antifascism, so I will be making more posts to reflect this.

I will be appearing at the Capital City Comic Con in Lansing this year, and Grand Rapids Con in November. As far as conventions going forward, I'll be reducing my involvement in an attempt to streamline my finances (I'm not in dire straits, just trying to pay off the mortgage!) I will be shutting down the Mustard Brothers website - it's simply an extra expense at this point, and it's not generating interest or revenue.

I want to thank you all for the love and interest you've had in Blind Alley Comics, and I hope I can continue to provide cool, interesting, and thought-provoking content for years to come. Stay tuned for great deals on my Storenvy page in the coming month!

05/01/2025

"Book of Fuel #1: Motel at Howling Void" is available on Storenvy! For the low low price of 4.99 human dollars, you too can experience the eerie vault of memory inside the mind of Joe Haines. Supplies are limited, so get yours today!
https://blindalleycomics.storenvy.com/products/36922603-book-of-fuel-1

05/01/2025

Not sure when Rick Schlaack whipped out this lil gem but I came across it last night & I love it!!

04/26/2025

Views from the Con...the joint is jumpin'...all the cool-freaky art folx are here...

04/26/2025

Just got set up at SPACE 2025! After a harrowing journey down the untamed freeways of Ohio, battling hunger, fatigue, and an endless barrage of Buckeyes propaganda, I finally made it into SPACE. Still about an hour till we open to the public, so if you are within a sixty mile radius, be sure to mosey on down to the Ohio Expo Center and check it out - it's shaping up to be a good one!

Saturday: 10-6
Sunday: 10-5

04/16/2025

Much needed and whole hearted shoutout to Reedis Thomas, founder & driving force of Michigan Cos-abilities! What these folks do is provide a safe place for differently abled individuals to hang out & have fun at comic conventions! Some of these cons can be pretty over-whelming, even traumatizing to some of us! (ie Joe/Rick) Now these kids can be whatever superhero (or villain) or whatever! And role play & have Magic tournaments and so on.
He did this all himself! It's gaining traction, celebrity endorsements, and popularity!

I've known him a few years & it's so great to see this thing taking off! Almost as notably, he also made 2nd Lt of Starfleet!

I don't care how many fake Batmans were at the Expo Center, Reedis is our hero! Direct quote: "Some people want it for JUST this group or JUST that group, I say NO! I'm doin it for everybody!" At which point my heart burst.

It's my core belief that everyone has a right to have fun (or indeed, PARRRRTYYY) and Reedis Thomas is making it so. I'm so proud of you man and so excited for what you're doing & what you'll be doing hopefully for a very long time.
Godspeed from Blind Alley Comics!!