First Date

An emotionally fraught little board I did last fall. I was going through a lot, and drawing out these feelings with animal characters (even while subverting that idea) seemed like a cozy way to do it. ©2026 Mike Pelensky.

Transcript

1. Scene 01 Panel A Page 1/180
2. Scene 01 Panel B Page 2/180
3. Scene 01 Panel C Page 3/180
4. Scene 02 Panel A Page 4/180
5. Scene 02 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: Thank [high note] you. Page 5/180
6. Scene 02 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: Thank [high note] you. Page 6/180
7. Scene 03 Panel A Page 7/180
8. Scene 03 Panel B Dialog Waiter: [nod-grunt] Page 8/180
9. Scene 03 Panel C Page 9/180
10. Scene 03 Panel D Page 10/180
11. Scene 03 Panel E Page 11/180
12. Scene 03 Panel F Page 12/180
13. Scene 03 Panel G Page 13/180
14. Scene 03 Panel H Page 14/180
15. Scene 04 Panel A Page 15/180
16. Scene 04 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: I canʼt thank you enough, Jamie, Page 16/180
17. Scene 05 Panel A Dialog Priyanka: or suggesting someplace with soups and salads. Page 17/180
18. Scene 05 Panel B Dialog Jamie: Youʼre lucky Iʼm a cat! Page 18/180
19. Scene 05 Panel C Dialog Jamie: Youʼre lucky Iʼm a cat! Page 19/180
20. Scene 05 Panel D Dialog Jamie: Youʼre lucky Iʼm a cat! Page 20/180
21. Scene 05 Panel E Dialog Jamie: Youʼre lucky Iʼm a cat! Page 21/180
22. Scene 05 Panel F Dialog Jamie: I donʼt have the stomach Page 22/180
23. Scene 06 Panel A Dialog Jamie: for more than a bowl of chicken soup. Page 23/180
24. Scene 06 Panel B Dialog Priyanka [mouth full]: No, believe me, itʼs a relief! Page 24/180
25. Scene 06 Panel C Page 25/180
26. Scene 06 Panel D Dialog Priyanka: [swallows] Page 26/180
27. Scene 06 Panel E Page 27/180
28. Scene 06 Panel F Dialog Priyanka: Do you know how many canines Iʼve gone out with Page 28/180
29. Scene 06 Panel G Dialog Priyanka: who just order steak? Page 29/180
30. Scene 06 Panel H Dialog Priyanka: Steak, Page 30/180
31. Scene 06 Panel I Dialog Priyanka: Steak, Page 31/180
32. Scene 06 Panel J Dialog Priyanka: steak, Page 32/180
33. Scene 06 Panel K Dialog Priyanka: steak, Page 33/180
34. Scene 06 Panel L Dialog Priyanka: steak. Page 34/180
35. Scene 06 Panel M Dialog Priyanka: steak. Page 35/180
36. Scene 06 Panel N Dialog Priyanka: Dudes aren't not gonna be able to catch a Page 36/180
37. Scene 06 Panel O Dialog Priyanka: frisbee in two years! Page 37/180
38. Scene 07 Panel A Dialog Jamie: [chuckle] Page 38/180
39. Scene 07 Panel B Page 39/180
40. Scene 08 Panel A Dialog Priyanka: [mock groan] Page 40/180
41. Scene 08 Panel B Page 41/180
42. Scene 08 Panel C Page 42/180
43. Scene 08 Panel D Page 43/180
44. Scene 08 Panel E Page 44/180
45. Scene 08 Panel F Dialog Priyanka: Growlr has been… Page 45/180
46. Scene 08 Panel G Page 46/180
47. Scene 08 Panel H Dialog Priyanka: ...a journey. Page 47/180
48. Scene 09 Panel A Page 48/180
49. Scene 09 Panel B Dialog Jamie: Believe me, cats on Growlr donʼt have it any easier. Page 49/180
50. Scene 09 Panel C Dialog Jamie: I must've gone out with, like... Page 50/180
51. Scene 09 Panel D Dialog Jamie: four girls in the past month. Page 51/180
52. Scene 09 Panel E Dialog Jamie: I could barely get a word out of any of 'em. Page 52/180
53. Scene 10 Panel A Page 53/180
54. Scene 10 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: ...I went through a spell like that, too. Page 54/180
55. Scene 10 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: Except my dates didn't know when to shut up. Page 55/180
56. Scene 11 Panel A Page 56/180
57. Scene 11 Panel B Dialog Jamie: Do I know when to shut up? Page 57/180
58. Scene 11 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: I hope not. Page 58/180
59. Scene 11 Panel D Dialog Priyanka: I like talking to you. Page 59/180
60. Scene 12 Panel A Page 60/180
61. Scene 12 Panel B Page 61/180
62. Scene 12 Panel C Page 62/180
63. Scene 12 Panel D Dialog Jamie: Priyanka… Page 63/180
64. Scene 12 Panel E Dialog Jamie: [inhale] Page 64/180
65. Scene 12 Panel F Dialog Jamie: can if I ask if you're okay with something? Page 65/180
66. Scene 13 Panel A Page 66/180
67. Scene 13 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: [a little concerned] ...yyyy- Page 67/180
68. Scene 13 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: [a little concerned] -yeah? Page 68/180
69. Scene 14 Panel A Page 69/180
70. Scene 14 Panel B Dialog Jamie: It's nothing weird, Page 70/180
71. Scene 14 Panel C Dialog Jamie: It's nothing weird, Page 71/180
72. Scene 14 Panel D Dialog Jamie: It's nothing weird, Page 72/180
73. Scene 14 Panel E Dialog Jamie: It's nothing weird, Page 73/180
74. Scene 15 Panel A Dialog Jamie [OS]: honest. Page 74/180
75. Scene 15 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: Oookay… Page 75/180
76. Scene 16 Panel A Dialog Jamie: Okay, okay... Page 76/180
77. Scene 16 Panel B Page 77/180
78. Scene 16 Panel C Page 78/180
79. Scene 16 Panel D Page 79/180
80. Scene 16 Panel E Page 80/180
81. Scene 16 Panel F Dialog Jamie: I was human Page 81/180
82. Scene 16 Panel G Dialog Jamie: until about two months ago. Page 82/180
83. Scene 17 Panel A Dialog Jamie: I went to one of those labs downtown. I've been turned. Page 83/180
84. Scene 17 Panel B Dialog Jamie: I went to one of those labs downtown. I've been turned. Page 84/180
85. Scene 17 Panel C Page 85/180
86. Scene 17 Panel D Page 86/180
87. Scene 18 Panel A Page 87/180
88. Scene 18 Panel B Page 88/180
89. Scene 18 Panel C Page 89/180
90. Scene 18 Panel D Page 90/180
91. Scene 18 Panel E Dialog Jamie: I shouldnʼt have said anything... Page 91/180
92. Scene 18 Panel F Dialog Priyanka: No, no... Page 92/180
93. Scene 18 Panel G Dialog Priyanka: No, no... Page 93/180
94. Scene 18 Panel H Dialog Priyanka: No, no... Page 94/180
95. Scene 18 Panel I Dialog Priyanka: No, no... Page 95/180
96. Scene 18 Panel J Dialog Priyanka: itʼs not that, Jamie. Page 96/180
97. Scene 19 Panel A Dialog Priyanka: Iʼm not judging you for it. Page 97/180
98. Scene 19 Panel B Page 98/180
99. Scene 19 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: [deep sigh] Page 99/180
100. Scene 19 Panel D Page 100/180
101. Scene 19 Panel E Dialog Priyanka: Can you give me a minute? Page 101/180
102. Scene 19 Panel F Page 102/180
103. Scene 19 Panel G Page 103/180
104. Scene 19 Panel H Page 104/180
105. Scene 19 Panel I Page 105/180
106. Scene 20 Panel A Page 106/180
107. Scene 20 Panel B Page 107/180
108. Scene 20 Panel C Page 108/180
109. Scene 20 Panel D Page 109/180
110. Scene 21 Panel A Page 110/180
111. Scene 21 Panel B Page 111/180
112. Scene 21 Panel C Page 112/180
113. Scene 21 Panel D Page 113/180
114. Scene 21 Panel E Page 114/180
115. Scene 22 Panel A Page 115/180
116. Scene 22 Panel B Page 116/180
117. Scene 22 Panel C Page 117/180
118. Scene 22 Panel D Page 118/180
119. Scene 22 Panel E Page 119/180
120. Scene 22 Panel F Page 120/180
121. Scene 23 Panel A Page 121/180
122. Scene 23 Panel B Page 122/180
123. Scene 23 Panel C Page 123/180
124. Scene 23 Panel D Page 124/180
125. Scene 24 Panel A Page 125/180
126. Scene 24 Panel B Dialog SFX: [phone blips] Page 126/180
127. Scene 24 Panel C Page 127/180
128. Scene 24 Panel D Page 128/180
129. Scene 25 Panel A Page 129/180
130. Scene 26 Panel A Page 130/180
131. Scene 26 Panel B Page 131/180
132. Scene 26 Panel C Page 132/180
133. Scene 27 Panel A Page 133/180
134. Scene 27 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: Sorry... Page 134/180
135. Scene 27 Panel C Dialog Jamie: Itʼs okay. Page 135/180
136. Scene 27 Panel D Dialog Jamie: Itʼs okay. Page 136/180
137. Scene 27 Panel E Dialog Jamie: Itʼs okay. Page 137/180
138. Scene 27 Panel F Dialog Jamie: I was just worried. Page 138/180
139. Scene 27 Panel G Page 139/180
140. Scene 27 Panel H Page 140/180
141. Scene 27 Panel I Page 141/180
142. Scene 28 Panel A Page 142/180
143. Scene 28 Panel B Page 143/180
144. Scene 28 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: Jamie, Iʼve been turned too. Page 144/180
145. Scene 29 Panel A Page 145/180
146. Scene 29 Panel B Page 146/180
147. Scene 29 Panel C Dialog Priyanka [OS]: Being with human men Page 147/180
148. Scene 30 Panel A Dialog Priyanka: has caused me a lot of pain. Page 148/180
149. Scene 30 Panel B Page 149/180
150. Scene 30 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: I wanted to try something different. Page 150/180
151. Scene 31 Panel A Page 151/180
152. Scene 31 Panel B Dialog Jamie: …Iʼm really sorry to hear that. Page 152/180
153. Scene 31 Panel C Page 153/180
154. Scene 31 Panel D Dialog Jamie: No one was noticing me very much when I was human. Page 154/180
155. Scene 31 Panel E Dialog Jamie: I thought maybe Iʼd fit in better Page 155/180
156. Scene 31 Panel F Dialog Jamie: with a new skin, Page 156/180
157. Scene 31 Panel G Dialog Jamie: in a new community. Page 157/180
158. Scene 32 Panel A Page 158/180
159. Scene 32 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: Has it worked? Page 159/180
160. Scene 33 Panel A Page 160/180
161. Scene 33 Panel B Page 161/180
162. Scene 33 Panel C Page 162/180
163. Scene 33 Panel D Page 163/180
164. Scene 34 Panel A Page 164/180
165. Scene 34 Panel B Dialog Jamie: Plus, I still suck at climbing trees. Page 165/180
166. Scene 34 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: [chuckles] Page 166/180
167. Scene 34 Panel D Page 167/180
168. Scene 34 Panel E Dialog Priyanka: Jamie, youʼve been so nice tonight. Page 168/180
169. Scene 34 Panel F Dialog Priyanka: I donʼt wanna let you down… Page 169/180
170. Scene 35 Panel A Page 170/180
171. Scene 35 Panel B Dialog Priyanka: but if weʼre both running from that kind of sadness, Page 171/180
172. Scene 35 Panel C Dialog Priyanka: how healthy can we really be? Page 172/180
173. Scene 35 Panel D Page 173/180
174. Scene 35 Panel E Page 174/180
175. Scene 35 Panel F Page 175/180
176. Scene 35 Panel G Page 176/180
177. Scene 36 Panel A Dialog Jamie: I don't know, Priyanka. Page 177/180
178. Scene 36 Panel B Page 178/180
179. Scene 36 Panel C Dialog Jamie: Iʼm willing to work through it if you want to. Page 179/180
180. Scene 36 Panel D Page 180/180