So.

The boys are finally back in Canada where, to be honest, they probably belong. And this means a bit of a major shift in what you see in “Doc and Raider” from here forward. But before we get to that, let’s anticipate a few questions:

— Are they ever coming back to the US? At this point, probably not. But remember that things are sometimes loosey-goosey in the DnR universe, so anything truly can happen.

— What about Mik and Kai and Al? They’re still part of the cast, dont worry. Those are great characters, and I have lots of plans for them. They’re my strip’s anchor babies.

— And Eddie as well? Eddie? Are you kidding? He’s one of my favourite characters. If anything, that guy might spiral off to his own strip, but we’ll see.

— Will you still be commenting on American issues? As long as the US continues to provide as much drama over gay marriage as it has in the past decade, you bet I will. And let’s face it: no country has quite the politicians with as much showmanship as the US. So yes, we will be taking target shots there on a regular basis.
Now, having said that, some of the focus will also move to more Canada-specific issues. While we’ve certainly addressed issues like gay marriage, we Canucks still have our own bevy of brain-dead politicos and pundits, and I dont see that changing anytime before the next federal election in 2015 (if not, hopefully, sooner). And I know you will find them just as wondrously bizarre as we do. Ask any Canadian about Bev Oda’s $16 glass of orange juice, and you’ll see what I mean.

— So why are you sending them back? Because Canada is their home, just as it’s mine. The boys got their start in Vancouver and rose to real stardom in Toronto. I dont expect lightning to strike twice on that front, but they have always been Canadians first and foremost, and I felt it was time to return to that.

Attendant to that, I’m going to move it away from a word-heavy comic into something akin to straight text accompanied by illustrations, as I did with the little novella “The Steps”. The comic strip format will show up from time to time if it feels like things should be expressed in a pithy little exchange, but I intend to make this more about writing-with-visuals and less about “comic books”. And there will of course be the occasional single-panel, because the caption contests are turning out to be more fun than I dared hope.

We’re gonna take a day or two’s breather from this, so I can get the Brothers Voltaire up and running and get Raymond and François back on track after what’s been a woeful lapse of time. The next time you see all of us, I hope you’ll enjoy it.

/Sean