Home Sweet Home, Comic by Dan Smallegange

 

Comic by Dan Smallegange, all rights reserved, copyright 2023.

Some Computer Generated Art from photos of Me by Me.

Which is your fave?
 

DAN (This is on the shelf by my stairs :)

 

There She Was, Dancing in the Moonlight

There she was and standing tall

Dancing under the pine trees

In the moonlight

The night was cold and brisk and clear

And my glasses were fogging

I wiped my brow and squinted low

Rose to my full height

And realized now

I'd forgotten my dance shoes

But still with a will and desire less brave than foolish

I moved forwards the light

The damned moonlight

Clearing my throat

My sweater felt bunchy and awkward

But there I was and there was she

Dancing under the pine trees

Why are you dancing, I asked

And to what tune?

I dance to save myself and others, she said

The tune is on the wind

Oh, I said

Oh oh, said she

My glasses I removed and used my sweater to unfog

Though this was not recommended, the wool you see can scratch

But what was one to do

Besides I thought it looked cool

And then she paused in her dance

And gazed upon me

Under the pine trees

In the moonlight

Want to grab a bite, I said

I could eat, said she

And so off we went

Away from the pine trees

And the damned moonlight

To an all night diner on 32nd street

By Daniel Smallegange, copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No AI used ever!

Photo of the author, along the Thames, early 2000s.

Is it Okay For Me to Love You, I said.

 Is it okay for me

To love you, I said

No, she said, straight away

Without even thinking or flinching

It isn't now, nor ever shall be

Okay for you to love anyone

Let alone me

What gives you the right

To even be rejected?

You who are so low

And beneath my gaze

Be gone and

Get away away

Stay the hell

Away away

From me you low born beast

And my future, hopes and dreams

Stay away you scoundrel, you hopeless fool

What gives you the right

To love me anyways?

She said all that

And then she laughed

Her laugh was musical

Beautiful

Cruel

A cure to what ailed me

In the end

By Daniel Smallegange, copyright 2025, all rights reserved.

Pic of the author, circa 2020 approx, Ontario, Canada.

On Dealing with Zombies from the Society for Evil, Debauchery and Kitten Appreciation (by Daniel Smallegange)

'So, I was dating this girl, but she had a one track mind. Like, all she could think about was 'Brains, brains...... BRAINS.' At first I thought I wasn't smart enough. But then I realized she was a zombie.'

Does this remind you of you? Don't feel self conscious friend. We've all been there. Everyone in a secret evil society bent on world domination at one point or another tries to develop some terrible serum that will raise the dead or convert the living into unstoppable, if smelly, killing machines to further a ~ you guessed it ~ quest for world domination. That or you happen to go on a blind date with one. Either way, when they turn on you things can get a little tricky. So, that's why, here at the Society for Evil, Debauchery and Kitten Appreciation, we've developed a helpful little list of helpful hints in order to help you help yourself out on that annoying day when you've been over-run by pesky plagues of brain hungry undead zombie killers.

Oh, and before you get all self righteous and mightier than thou and bleat on and on in an annoyingly whiny voice about how 'blah, blah, blah, it's morally wrong to raise the dead' and 'blah, blah, this is what happens when you play with God's immaculate creation' and 'you should have built a proper containment facility', well, you can just take a naked flying leap ass first in the general direction of an oversized meat grinder that has not even been disinfected in nary a week and get off our cases already please and thank you very much!

It is vital to not get caught up in any blame games when it comes to the 'Grrrr, grrr, brains, brains' clique (especially if you are to blame). Just keep reminding everyone of that and get out there and kill some zombies already.

(This is a pic of me from a zombie photo shoot by my friend Blake Morrow for the cover of a Walking Dead book.)

Therefore and with much ado The Society for Evil, Debauchery and Kitten Appreciation Presents:

The Helpful Hints Guide at Helping People Help Themselves Get the Zombies Fucking off 'Em and Out of Their Back Gardens at Least Anyways.

1) First of all deal with the people blaming you for unleashing hell on earth into an otherwise normal shopping mall, suburb or whatever. This can be done easily enough by locking them in a room with some new acquaintances. Namely the zombies. That will shut them up in a hurry! You are happy, zombies are happy, everyone wins.

2) What to do when you meet a zombie?
Pretend to make friends with it by offering a drawing of a brain as a nice present. Then when it's licking the paper or otherwise admiring it smash its fucking brains in with a shovel. Note: It is important you do not eat the zombie's brains in one of those 'Huh, how do you like it, eh? Not so much when I do it to you, eh, asshole zombie?' moments as you will likely get infected and become a zombie yourself. That happened to Roger last Thursday. He will be missed. But it was fun smashing his skull in with a shovel. And good exercise!

3) Also, if you are on a date and the person keeps lamenting a lack of brains on the menu and orders and extra raw steak and keeps admiring the size of your brain-pan you might be in zombie country. If they ask if they can 'give you a quick brain massage from behind in the lavatory or perhaps your car' you may indeed want to call it an early night and head home or indeed, out of state. Especially if their arm falls off before the entree arrives, or their eyes begin to run down their face during coffee.

4) What to do when a loved one gets bitten by a zombie?
Get a shovel and smash their fucking brains in and find someone else. You didn't like them that much anyways, let's be honest. And with the world overrun by zombies any remaining humans you now meet will be much more attractive. Just don't let them know you're to blame and they'll likely be happy to do their duty and help you repopulate the earth.

5) What to do when your doubles partner turns up all zombied out?
Smash their fucking brain with your tennis racquet. Actually, this goes for all zombies you come across in most situations. You don't necessarily need to use a tennis racquet however, just whatever's on hand. Preferably something sharp and heavy to smash their brainstems. In fact, you can get away with doing this to normal people who you find annoying and/or have attractive partners as well. Just ask them to go for a nice walk, just the two of you, and later tell their husband/wife, 'oh, yeah, them zombies got (insert name here). Nasty business. Can I perhaps comfort you at all? How about a nice bath pour deux'. Just make sure you clean any of their loved one's blood off of you and wipe that smile away before you present the 'awful news'.

6) What to do when zombies are wrecking your garden?
A zombie scarecrow was recently tried out, but didn't really have much of an impact. The zombies just tried to make friends with it and were happy to have another person to groan to. However, the zombies themselves do do a wonderful job at scaring away crows and raccoons and such. Positives in everything, right. But, if you really don't like the undead hanging out and decomposing on and around your vegetable patch or prize winning Gardenias then we suggest sending the person you least like in your group out to lure them away. This can be done by waiting for them to fall asleep and then shoving them out the door. If they're quick enough they'll lead the zombies a merry chase away and then everyone's happy. Just make sure you lock the door after you shove them out.

7) When would be a good time to visit my mother's grave during a zombie epidemic?
DO NOT visit any graves or graveyards during a zombie epidemic.

8) How do I protect myself when having sex with a zombie?
Don't have sex with a zombie you sick, sick, sick bastard! God, you make us so sick! You sick sicko!

Sincerely,
The evil MGMT.x

Written by: Daniel Smallegange, copyright 2015, all rights reserved. NO AI USED EVER! :)

Framed on my Wall, Souvenirs From Some of the Films I have Worked on as Prop Buyer.

Framed on my wall. Some souvenirs and pics from some of the cooler features I have worked on as Prop Buyer. Recognize a couple directors with me in there? Also a certain pal and me and in a short comedy film, far right. Guillermo del Toro, director of both Nightmare Alley and Frankenstein and Andy Muschietti, director of It Chapter 2.