Noman's Land - Archive




Welcome to the Noman's Land archive.  Noman's Land was a comic strip I created in the late 90's, when I thought it would be much easier to become a professional cartoonist than a professional writer.  I know, I don't understand why I would think that either.  Probably too much exposure to glue sticks in my formative years. Anyway, I decided to post the entire collection of Noman's Land strips (43 in all)  here for your enjoyment and/or ridicule.  

In 1998 I had completed enough sample strips to prepare a submission package, which I sent to all the major syndicates (Syndicates! Don’t get me started.  Maybe I'll blog about them someday – if they’re still relevant), and attracted some interest from the Vice-President and Editorial Director at Universal Press Syndicate, Lee Salem, who was kind enough to initiate a discussion about the strip and its potential for syndication.  Thanks Lee! I still appreciate the time you gave me and the kind words about my work. 

Ultimately, the demise of the strip lay with my lack of artistic talent.  The strips were so time-consuming to produce (although you'd never know it by looking at them!), that I couldn't maintain the momentum once I returned to full-time work. And in the end, I came to realize that it was really just another distraction keeping me from facing the true question I needed to face:  am I a writer or not? It would be 13 years and two more "careers" before I summoned the courage to do that.

Cast of Characters
Lyle Noman 
Lyle is the main character of the strip. He's shy, socially awkward, and academically average.  He doesn’t fit in with any of the typical cliques at Chester A. Arthur High School;  the jocks, the in-crowd, even the geeks pick on him.  Tends to overanalyze situations and is generally guilty of thinking too much, which causes him endless problems. Even though he perpetually comes up short in life, he somehow clings to the hope that someday things will eventually work out for him.


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Monty Shrug
Monty is Lyle’s cynical, wise-cracking best friend.  Monty is characterized by a complete lack of ambition, and is widely known as a slacker par-excellence.  He doesn’t understand the others’ obsessions with things as trivial as social status, popularity, and grades.  Enjoys antagonizing the others, and knocking the high and mighty from their lofty positions.  Lyle idolizes Monty for his free-wheeling attitude on life, and his courage to say whatever he wants.


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Connie Connors
Connie is the main antagonist in the strip.  She is convinced of her own innate superiority, and wants to make sure everyone else acknowledges it as well.  She is the first to criticize others, or to point out their shortcomings, but the last to recognize her own.  She is opinionated, judgmental and downright nosy.  Because of her inflated sense of self-importance, she and Monty are natural enemies, but Lyle finds himself inexplicably attracted to her.


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Xerxes ‘Zerks’ Malone
Zerks is the ultimate professional student.  No one works harder on his education, studies more intensely, or takes more pride in his success at school.  His most cherished achievement is his “perfect academic record,” and he works tirelessly to maintain it.  He puts tremendous pressure on himself to perform at the highest level, and is prone to feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Needless to say, Zerks is a very serious person who has a hard time seeing the lighter side of life.

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Zinnia Malone
Zinnia is Zerks’ little sister.  Even though she is three years younger than her older brother, she is a naturally gifted math wiz.  Her ability to effortlessly handle the toughest algebra or calculus equation causes Zerks no end of frustration, since he has to put so much time and energy into mastering the same material.  Zinnia loves science and nature.  Her favorite place to be is outdoors, searching for insects with her ever-present magnifying glass. 


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Jesse Lira

Jesse is a bit of a schemer.  Although he is very clever and extremely resourceful, he uses these abilities in his unending quest to find the quickest way to acquire obscene amounts of wealth and power.  Always looking for the shortcuts in life, Jesse has no qualms about manipulating others to get what he wants.  He assumes everyone else is as selfish as he is, which makes him suspicious, jealous, and determined to strike first. Obviously, Jesse’s personality makes it difficult for him to make, or keep, friends.     


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Leftovers


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3 comments:

  1. So happy to see you putting these out there!

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  2. Whoa, these Lyle Noman comic strips look like ones I would expect to see in the news paper. Did you ever get any of these released with Arizona Republic? They remind me of Calvin & Hobbes. If you haven't yet I'd recommend you send this artistic/funny comic to them immediately.

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  3. jamesdavis92: thanks for the compliments about the comic strip. I didn't know you were a fan of Calvin & Hobbes. If I had known that, we wouldn't have gotten any work done in class at all! For the record, Calvin & Hobbes is my second all-time favorite strip, behind Peanuts, and my third is a strip from the 80's called Bloom County.

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