Being my first full Summer teaching cartooning Summer camps to kids, I'm beginning to appreciate Sub-Human more and more.  I'm sure some of the humor is lost on me for now, but I'm confident that many of the scenarios Justin illustrates will ring painfully true for me before too long. 

I salute Justin for doing this strip as a daily, although I wonder if it's all he can do to keep himself sane, as at least I get to teach kids that want to be in my class for the most part.

If you have a friend that's a teacher, do them a favor and forward them a link to Sub-Human.  It may be just what they need to keep them from committing suicide.  Of course, if you tell them about a "Bukkake webcomic" in your e-mail, and the school district spies catch it, they might also get fired.  So, also e-mail it to enemies that are teachers.

By which I mean to say "Justin Maudslien's Sub-Human is a brilliant comic. It really is. Justin has a mastery of comedy that is enviable, coupled with unparalleled delivery and spot-on characterization. It makes for a neat package, and one that should definately be looked into. And once you do...oh man, you are going to get hooked.

I'm going to take a minute here, and talk about panel arrangement. And honey, if that aint your bag, then maybe you ought to just walk on by to the next section. Now that we've lost the stragglers...Justin's pages are both formulaic and instantly recognizable. Thick black gutters give the comic a claustrophobic feel, fueling the atmosphere of impending dread instantly associated with a theme of public school education. Further, each page setup is identical. The five panels are always the same size, always lined up accordingly. I imagine pages and pages of blank panels staring at Justin like the Children of the fucking Damned, while he valiantly stands with pen in hand crafting each one into something new and unique and goddamn hilarious.

Shocking, biting wit and a plethora of pop-culture references ranging from Red Dawn to World of Warcraft to the musical stylings of Bon Jovi abound as page after page, Justin takes us on a wild ride through the life of a substitute teacher frantically trying to maintain a fragile grip on his own sanity.

And man...I don't ever want this ride to end."

It's a metaphor, kids. Try to keep up.