There’s a reason they call it the graveyard shift, Sean.

Story Notes: In case you were wondering, yes, the dolls are actually talking. In the last panel, Sean is asking the girl from panel 3 (not the doll) who she is.

Art Notes: This page took forever to draw. Lots of stuff to draw, my skills evaporate every time I get to a page that I consider fairly important, and there were several cases of hands to be drawn here (which are the most frustrating thing in the world to draw).

I have decided that when I become King of the World, everybody’s hands will be replaced by soft mittens. Problem solved.

Incidentally, the button eyes were NOT inspired by Coraline. I loved the movie, but that’s not where I got it. I have been pondering button-eyed girls for several years.

The hand in panels 4 and 6 belong to the girl in panel 3. She is playing with the dolls.

Note in hindsight: I think that this page was rather too on-the-nose in depicting the story behind these characters.  I don’t regret making it about something so serious, but it could probably stand more subtlety.  The next page, on the other hand, might be too subtle a response…