Two Friends Discuss Catholocism (+bonus model sheets)

Chuck Palahnuik's short story Guts opens with the following instruction to the reader:

Take in as much air as you can. This story should last about as long as you can hold your breath, and then just a little bit longer. So listen as fast as you can.

which is an interesting, experimental narrative technique, which not only gives a sense of the story's length, but contributes to the intense feeling of fear and panic that the story attempts to instill in the reader. During public readings, there were numerous cases of people doing as instructed, and actually passing out in public before the story was completed. 

In the header of page 1 I considered giving the reader this same instructions, for no narrative reason, other than that I thought it would be really funny. I chickened out. This comic was originally published as part of this anthology, and the organizers requested I tone down some of the language (restored here in its full glory), so I imagine they probably wouldn't have ben thrilled with the breath-holding idea, either. But who knows? No such thing as bad press, etc. Per our agreement, I've been allowed to upload it publicly now, after the time period of exclusivity has passed. 

The two friends received a redesign here, since it is a flashback episode, and I attached the model sheet I had sent to Snoozincopter, who did the cover, in case anyone wants to see it. 

This comic was run by my catholic friend, who okay-ed all the historical and dogmatic stuff for accuracy (see the editor's note on page 3) but who wasn't super thrilled about the joke in the second-to last panel, which maybe isn't super clear and he might've missed on the first read through. (We squashed the beef, though.) During my initial pitch of the comic idea to him, he memorably described Cornelius Jansen as "The worst heretic ever" which is pretty funny-- citing the fact that "the whole forgiveness thing is kind of a big part of Christianity" (or something to that effect)

I offered to include his name on the final product out of politeness, knowing he would decline, for obvious reasons.