I think you mentioned at one point that a surprising amount of people see a lot of themselves in Marigold. As one of those people, I wonder: does Marigold have ADHD? I have both ADHD and some form of anxiety (most likely OCD) and it seems like Marigold has a lot of the same tendencies that I do, namely hyperfocusing on her interests and forgetting to eat/sleep/bathe/etc.

Not as far as I know! She’s got a lot of social anxiety but I don’t know that it’s actually pathological.

Hey I am on an antidepressant and I can’t tell if it’s working. I THINK it’s working but I don’t feel an active effect like with Ritalin. Is it working?

If an antidepressant is working properly, you shouldn’t notice an active effect. They’re designed to pave over the potholes, so to speak, so as long as you aren’t experiencing massive mood swings or continued depression, it’s probably doing its job.

Will you write a post about your trip to New Zealand? I like hearing other peoples impressions of my country. (Yes mine, I own it.)

This is a good idea. Maybe this weekend.

If you won the lottery jackpot tomorrow for say… 220 million, would you still do the strip? Do you think it would make it less stressful since it wouldn’t be your sole source of income, or do you think it would make it less of a motivator to get strips done?

I would probably be MORE stressed out because winning the lottery tends to ruin people’s lives. They’ve actually done studies that show that the vast majority of lottery winners report being MORE unhappy after they won.

Personally, I don’t think I would be comfortable being wealthy due to lottery money. I’d probably get too guilty and give it all away to charity or something (after buying a fancy guitar, of course, let’s not be CRAZY).

Marigold wearing her xkcd shirt to space? You know you’re a perfect human, right?

If I were perfect I’d have tonight’s comic done by now. I’d also be about 50 pounds lighter.

A long time ago (a think it was you ,if not I apologize) you mentioned some sort of pen or something that was really great for inking. I vaguely recall you posting a picture you did with the pen or brush or brush pen or whatever it was…. What the heck was it?

I’m no inking pro, but I have a couple Pentel Pocket Brushes and they are really fun to play with.

Have you ever thought of splitting off some of the side characters and making a side project comic out of them? Maybe Padma’s adventures or something?

I don’t really see that happening. Doing what would effectively be two QCs, in terms of style and content, would just be exhausting and not very much fun. If/when I start a full-time side project, I expect it to be pretty different from QC.

Is there a pun between Marten’s last name and that he used to play a clarinet?

Not intended! But SURE YES I AM SO CLEVER

Is there going to be any 200-Mile High Club adventures in the upcoming comics?

why, why do people ask me what is going to happen in the comic

I am never going to answer this kind of question, ever

Dear Jeph, I have recently been diagnosed with a psychotic depression and I have been put on anti-psychotics. I have been on anti-depressants for circa 8 months. I decided to quit drinking two weeks ago and it’s really fucking hard. It’s what kept me going, it’s what I looked forward to. Do you have any suggestions on how I can take my thoughts off of alcohol? I have thought about trying alcohol free beer but I fear that might just be a slippery slope. I really admire your sobriety.

I’m in the same boat, brother. It’s hard, and I’ve slipped up a few times, which sucks. Although in my experience, that “it’s what I looked forward to” feeling fades over time, as you learn to fill your time with other rewards and other activities. I read a lot more, and play guitar, and draw, and pretty much just fill the time I used to waste drinking with different activities.

One thing I’ve noticed is that if I don’t let myself dwell on it, the urge to have a drink usually passes after a few minutes. If I can get past that initial impulse, I don’t actually WANT a drink anymore. So I just try to ride out that rough couple minutes and then it gets better.

Alcohol-free beer isn’t a band-aid. If you’re drinking it as a substitute for actual beer, it’ll just make you want a real beer more. Really, the best solution is to talk to a doctor about your support options. It sounds like you’re on some pretty heavy-duty medications so you probably shouldn’t be drinking at all ANYWAY. But I have faith that you can do it! It is a totally doable thing, givin’ up booze.