A friend and Over reader recently asked for my advice on a question regarding a gift from an ex:

My boyfriend and I broke up about five months ago.  When we were together, he gave me several pairs of very expensive earrings.  When we broke up, he made a big deal about wanting me to keep them, that the gifts he gave me were in fact gifts.  The thing is, the earrings are UGLY.  I’ll never wear them.  And even if I did, they’d just remind me of him.  So, they’ve just been sitting in my underwear drawer, and I’m starting to hate looking at them whenever I come across them.   What should I do with them?

From her question, I got the sense that she was questioning whether it was moral or ethical to sell them or give them away or what have you?  What do you guys think?  Chime in:

Here is another Over #1 Artist’s Edition sketches.  This one was done for my pal Javier Hernandez, fellow cartoonist and host of the JAVILAND podcast.  Jav’s a big Howard the Duck fan, so I decided to give him a sketch within a sketch for his one-of-a-kind version of “Over.”

These Artist’s Editions have been capped at 100…once they’re gone…they are gone, and I expect I’ll blow through them during this year’s con season.  So, if you’d like to get your hands on one while you still can, here’s a link:

Over #1- Artist’s Edition

The Artist’s Edition of the first chapter of “Over!”

• A signed edition, limited to 100 copies!
• Original , one-of-a-kind sketch by Tyler James drawn in the book!
• Delicious color toned pages!
• Cardstock cover!

After being dumped by the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with, indy comic book creator Felix Hughes makes a graphic novel recounting every painful detail of the failed relationship.  Convinced he’s written a work of romantic brilliance, Felix is shocked when his publisher trashes it- literally.  And when his ex discovers the graphic novel, things go from bad to worse.

Collects the first act of “Over” the romantic comedy online graphic novel by Tyler James.

36 pages, color, 5 x 7.5″

Best Deal!  Save 16%

$12.00 $10.00 + $1.50 shipping (US)

Check out an Over #1: Artist Edition sketch I did for a reader recently.  He’s a big fan of Jinx, so I sketched him up in the back of his copy of the book.

And, truth be told, it was working on this sketch that I came up with the Jinx sign that was featured on Page 89.

You can still get your copy of a Over #1 Artist Edition while supplies last.  These are a limited run item (capped at only 100) and each contains an original Over sketch.  With con season looming, I expect to blow through my stock of these fairly quickly.  So, if you’d like to get your hands on one while you still can, here’s a link:

Over #1- Artist’s Edition

The Artist’s Edition of the first chapter of “Over!”

• A signed edition, limited to 100 copies!
• Original , one-of-a-kind sketch by Tyler James drawn in the book!
• Delicious color toned pages!
• Cardstock cover!

After being dumped by the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with, indy comic book creator Felix Hughes makes a graphic novel recounting every painful detail of the failed relationship.  Convinced he’s written a work of romantic brilliance, Felix is shocked when his publisher trashes it- literally.  And when his ex discovers the graphic novel, things go from bad to worse.

Collects the first act of “Over” the romantic comedy online graphic novel by Tyler James.

36 pages, color, 5 x 7.5″

Best Deal!  Save 16%

$12.00 $10.00 + $1.50 shipping (US)

I was recently turned on to a Reddit thread that blew up this past week.  Head on over to  REDDIT, I Have Proof She Cheated On Me and Need a Revenge Plan — Is This Too Cruel? but I’ll recap the gist of it here:

A guy in his twenties caught his girlfriend with another guy, and did so without her knowing.  In such shock at her betrayal, he did nothing at the time, and spent the next few days stewing.  Finally, he decided to turn not to his friends, relatives, or therapist for advice, but instead, to the internet.  Determined to get revenge or retribution but unsure the best way to do so, he decided to call upon the wisdom of crowds (aka the Reddit community) for help.  And sure enough, more than 200 people chimed in with advice on what he should do.

Some gems from the peanut gallery:

Remove the glass from her lightbulb, attach a firecracker to the fuse. Place a bag of dog shit over it. When she flips the lightswitch, the bag will explode showering her and her room in shit.  There’s a start.

Tell her you’ve got AIDS.

Sleep with her Dad. She’ll NEVER see that one coming.

Pepper spray her dildo.

But far and away, the most popular strategy (the one most “upvoted” by Reddit users) was this one:

If you really want to make her insane, just go for complete, eternal silence. If you live together, move out, or pack her shit and leave it outside. If there are lease and money issues that complicate this, get a friend to deal with all of that for you. Don’t speak to her, don’t answer calls or texts. SHE DOESN’T EXIST. This will drive her insane. She will know that you know- but she will never know how you found out. She will be desperate to know, but it will always be a mystery. Best of all, you look cool. Not crazy or angry or heartbroken, but fucking cool as hell.

A whole lot of people agreed.  The deafening silence, the lack of closure…yeah, that could be maddening.

Well, the jilted gentleman who started the thread chimed in several times after posting, and resolved to get his revenge on Valentine’s Day.  He decided to ignore the silent exit strategy.  No, instead he chose a full on assault which included:

- Refilling her expensive facial cream with a donation of his own.

- Pre-breakup spite sex.

- Deleted his number from her cell-phone and changed the number of the guy she cheated on to his number (then later texted as the other guy, saying he was done with her, too.)

- Took her to a wonderful Valentine’s dinner acting as if everything was perfect, only to confront her on a walk by the lake afterwards.

- And finally, pull out a jewelry box, saying it was the ring he bought her, and tossed it in the lake.  (It was really a $15 plastic ring.)

(Oh, and I think he mentioned something about a possible STD, too.)  Well, clearly the high road was not taken there.

But in this case, that was his choice…not the internet’s.

New research shows the area of the brain associated with addiction is triggered during breakups.

My Take: Interesting stuff, and not all that surprising.  We all know break ups can make us go a little crazy.  (If Felix was the only one this happened too, I don’t think I’d have any readers.)  While some turn to booze, or self help tricks, or try to get on the rebound train, and engage in self-destructive, addictive behaviors, others take a different path.

I know plenty of people who transferred their break up madness into insane focus at the gym or in other positive areas of their life.  So maybe those addiction triggers break ups cause can be harnessed for good.

(When your not sobbing, still in your pjs at 3pm in the afternoon listening to Ray Lamontagne or James Blunt on loop, of course.)

Hey guys!  Thanks again to those of you who participating in the Jinx’s Sign Contest last week.  I had a good laugh with it, and I know readers did, too.  Postcards have been dropped in the mailbox to all of you who submitted entires and sent me a mailing address.  (Email tylerjamescomics@gmail.com to receive one.)  Here’s a Flickr slide show…check em all out one last time!

I’d also like to congratulate Janine F. as the grand prize winner of the contest.  Janine’s name was picked at random from all of the other entries.  So, in addition to her postcard, she’ll be receiving a print copy of Over Chapter 1 and a copy of the Tyler James Comics Sketchbook Vol. #1, with an original, one of a kind, Over sketch cover.  Check it out here:

If you’d like a copy of this sketchbook, which is a great value at just $20 plus shipping, please order one up.  Here are the details:

Tyler James Comics Sketchbook #1

Get an ORIGINAL FULL CHARACTER SKETCH COVER to the Tyler James Sketchbook, Vol. 1. Have the character of your choice adorn an original cover to my first 32 page sketchbook of great pinups, cover designs, and sketches from the past five years.

Sketches include a mix of mainstream comic characters (DC, Marvel, Image) and my own creations and concept art from Super Seed, Over, ICE and more.

Sketch Covers come fully inked, and colored with grey-toned markers.

32 pages, B&W

$20.00 + 1.50 shipping

Hey guys, our last entry comes from Melissa in Slummerville

Her creativity obviously couldn’t be contained to just one sign.  Thanks Melissa!

And, I’ve got to admit, running this contest had the ideas flowing for me too.  So, just because I love you guys…here’s one more sign.  This one from me!  (I’m a sick puppy.)

I want to thank everyone for playing!  If you submitted an entry and would like an “Over” postcard but you haven’t emailed me your mailing address, please send it along to tylerjamescomics@gmail.com.  I’ll be dropping them in the mailbox over the weekend.

And I’ll be announcing the big winner of the grand prize on Tuesday!

In other news, Chapter 4 starts next Monday.  See you then!

The Jinx sign flood continues…

From Frank Dipps, who correctly suggests that Jinx is a ladies man.  Thanks again, Big Frank!

Anthony Ferrante sent in this entry via Twitter.   Make sure you check out Anthony’s comic “The Rejects” when you get a chance.

And last up today is Stone from Laredo.  Hmm?  I wonder if Jinx does a webcomic?  Much appreciated, Stone!

Will finish up the last of our Jinx signs tomorrow!  So if you’ve been holding back an entry, get it in!