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    <title>Brawl in the Family Comic Updates</title>
    <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com</link>
    <description>The very latest and occasionally funny comic updates from BrawlintheFamily.com!</description>
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    <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:17:10 -0800</pubDate>
    <lastBuildDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:17:10 -0800</lastBuildDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 119 - New Year</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com</link>
      <description><![CDATA[When trying to think of something New Year related, the Party Ball connection was too clear to pass up.

And so ends the first year of Brawl in the Family, with 119 comics!  See you in 2009!]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 118 - Giver</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic118.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[MAN, it feels good to get back to the blue-and-white!  This comic literally took about 1/30th of the time the last strip did.

As stated before, I do love to keep people guessing, but the heart of the strip is indeed in Nintendo-style simplicity, so I never want to stray from that for TOO long.

This one was actually sort of a joint effort between a conversation between a couple friends and I, so I'd like to toss some of the credit to 'em for today's.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 117 - How the King Stole Christmas (Part 4)</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic117.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[So that ends this story arc.  Hopefully you didn't find it too sentimental...but if you did, it's Christmas, ya crusty curmudgeon!

I didn't want to reprise the same ending of the Grinch, and I didn't want the story too be too cynical (or too saccharine) either.  This made this final part pretty tricky to write.

Anyhoo, that's it for me this week.  I'm taking Friday off, on account of it being Christmas and because this story arc nearly killed me.  Hopefully you enjoyed it!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 116 - How the King Stole Christmas (Part 3)</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic116.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Check back on Christmas Eve for the BREATH-TAKING FINALE.

Or some silly doodles of Kirby eating something, I dunno.

Dedede has always felt like the "loser" of Nintendo's villains to me.  Ganondorf is far more evil, Bowser is far more intimidating, and Wario is far more successful.  So with that in mind, I liked the idea of the other villains serving up some karma here.  As for where the story will go, you'll just have to wait and see.

I'm thrilled that so many people enjoyed the song, by the way!

Oh, and happy birthday Dad!]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 115 - How the King Stole Christmas (Part 2)</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Sorry for the massive delay--it took way longer than I expected.

I wanted to do this musical-style montage from the moment I thought of the Grinch story, and I couldn't resist making a complete parody song to go with a bunch of visual gags.  Due to this mainly being inspired by the animated Grinch movie, the art style in this strip is more along the lines of cartoony cel animation (while the next part will be back to the look of comic 114).

About the song, I wanted to record it from scratch to really go all out, and include some Nintendo musical references as well (and raise the tempo).  I did have some help from site designer Chris, who did a nice job providing the non-keyboard percussion parts!

There was a lot cut for time as well.  I had another stanza bashing Ubi Soft's support of the Wii, as well as several other visual gags (like Dedede stealing the Master Sword from its pedestal and aging quickly as a result) that couldn't make the cut either.

It's different, anyway.  And the coloring took way, way longer than I anticipated due to the absolutely massive number of panels (although it's a fast-paced comic, considering).  I think more than any, this strip really displays my love of animation and cartoons considering it's essentially a giant, colored storyboard.

I hope you enjoyed this musical silliness today, but if not...well, at least there won't be any more fruity singin' for the rest of the story arc!]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 114 - How the King Stole Christmas (Part 1)</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic114.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Ho^3 to you, fellow readers!  Here we have a classic holiday tale, and a classic case of me possibly biting off more than I can chew!  If this all goes according to plan, expect an update of at least this magnitude two more times this week.

This is my first attempt at making a multi-part comic--a bit tricky since I need to tell a grander story than usual while still attempting to keep humor in it.  But Dedede--with his Santa-like outfi--fits right into the Grinch role, so I couldn't resist.

Be sure to keep checking the site, as the next update will do something that has never been done before in Brawl in the Family (and possibly any comic)!

Assuming I can get it out on time, that is.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 113 - Prodigal Son</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic113.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Heh, I can almost hear the collective head-scratching.

This is one of those "current event" comics--on Wednesday, Square-Enix announced that Dragon Quest X would be on the Wii.  Thus...the Slime is finally coming back to Nintendo!  Granted, this had technically been confirmed with DQIX on the DS, but there's something huge about a home console version, you know?

So welcome home, Slime!  It's good to have you back.

Now then...where have Kirby, Dedede, and the others gone off to lately?  Tune in Monday for the answer, and the most ambitious Brawl in the Family undertaking thus far!

What could it be?  Here's a little teaser...

http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/images/hint.jpg]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 112 - Wingmates</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic112.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Falco makes his first appearance in this rare look at home life for the Star Fox team!

AND WOW THESE REFERENCES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE SUBTLE.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 111 - Clog</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic111.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[It's a good point, really--who DOES Bowser call when the pipes aren't working right?  I had fun designing his toilet.  Notice the extra space for his shell.

And by the way, in my Yellow Pages, "Plywood" actually does follow "Plumbing."]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 110 - Town Folk</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic110.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Time for something different for today!  With this comic, I wanted to explore what happens when you leave behind your towns in older Animal Crossing games.  They pretty much turn into a mess--people move out, weeds grow, roaches are everywhere, and you don't give a second thought to it!  So, I had fun going for something more atmospheric this time around, although due to me not wanting it to be even longer, I had to cut some of Twiggy's monologue (like his line, "Remember when you got my opulent rug back from Pudge?").  It's about nostalgia, reliving the past, and all that good stuff.  Also, I wanted to change a few lines during the eleventh hour but this STUPID program completely messed up on me and now I can't save anything.

Sooner or later, I had to call it finished.  And while I'm frustrated by all the compromises I had to make on the way there such as text restrictions (I'm thinking next time I do something with a lot of dialogue, I'm going for text so I can fit what I want in there) and size restrictions that block out a lot of the detail, I still enjoyed making this and I hope--if nothing else--it shows that BitF can be more than a doodle-style Kirby turnin' into something.

The final frame here isn't really as jokey as usual...I was going more for atmosphere and reflection (like in the Mother 3 strip or comic 060).

And I hope that all you villagers out there don't forget your roots while you spend your time in the big city!  Oh, and sorry for the lateness of this comic.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 109 - Aged</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic109.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[So after seven long years (or days or somethin') of no BitF, we're back!  Hopefully you threw out that old Lon Lon Milk though.

This comic is relevant in two ways--I liked the awakening after the site's hiatus, and Ocarina of Time (my personal favorite game) celebrated its 10th anniversary last month!

It's amusing how many EarthBound references were apparently tucked away in comics 80 - 90, according to you readers!  But the ones I had put in were in comics 83 and 84, where a beloved character outline was hidden in the scenery (in both cases).

Also, I've got something pretty ambitious planned for later this month.  Stay tuned.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 108 - Thanksgiving</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic108.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I'm going on vacation to a place where computers are scarce: Florida.
We'll be back on Monday, December 1st.  Don't forget to check around the site if you missed the latest strips!

Given the season, I'd like to thank you friendly readers for the support over the months, as well as the occasional donation!  Chris and I have been discussing ways to revamp certain areas of the site to make everything a little neater and more streamlined.  Hopefully we can get a semi-redesign going before the end of this year.

If you're bored for the next week, try this: some readers commented on finding Giygas in comic 075.  What NOBODY found, though, were the two other, more subtle visual EarthBound references in comics around that time too.  So, in two comics somewhere between 80 and 90, are a couple of very hidden EarthBound nods (and no, comics 82 and 85 don't count!  Those aren't hidden).  Find 'em to win a pat on the back from yourself.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving week.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 107 - Pikmin Abuse</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic107.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In Brawl-related strips, I typically come up with the opponent at the last minute, while drawing the comic.  I liked the idea of Olimar getting revenge from earlier, so I settled on Snake--revenge being the main theme here, of course, since the poor red Pikmin finally gets the upper hand for once.  Those little guys have it rough!

So that's it until Monday, December 1st.  But before I go, check the home page for a Thanksgiving image...]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 106 - Chomp</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic106.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[For some reason, I think Kirby looks adorable in the third panel.  Not so much in the fifth, though.

Semi-important announcement: I will be going on vacation next week!  Due to not being in close proximity to any sort of computer (let alone my art tablet), Kirby and the rest of the BitF cast will be taking a little break as well.  There'll still be a comic this Friday, of course, but none next week!  Sorry!

I'm sure you'll get by, though.  You guys are real troopers.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 105 - Life Share</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic105.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Poor Luigi.  I sort of couldn't decide between the current ending and a different one for the final panel.  This one is the "jokier" one, while the other would've been more reflective for our favorite Second Fiddle.

Some of you may be wondering about Animal Crossing, considering the new Wii game comes out this month..  I came up with an idea for one late in the game, but definitely had no time to get it done with any level of quality.  So expect it for the next colored comic (110).]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 104 - Cardboard Box</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic104.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Welcome to the world of imagination...

Brawl in the Family has a recurring theme of things backfiring or not quite working the way they should (often with unfortunate results for our heroes).  So I enjoy making the occasional simple comic like this about characters just having fun.  Hopefully Snake was stealthy enough to make sure no one was watching.

Next up, scientific progress goes "boink" as Snake uses the box to clone himself!

*spoiler removed*]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 103 - Dededoo</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic103.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I love jokes like this because they make very little sense the second time you read them!

I just like to think this Dededoo fellow is an eccentric kind of guy.  But he does a nice job with the clock-cleaning, regardless.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 102 - Arwing</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic102.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mechanical objects like Arwings and Samus's Power Suit are not among my favorites to draw, but I still had a blast with this ridiculous scenario.  I sort of had two final panel punchlines in mind--the other was Fox on the ground, fixing the wing by hand the vicious dogfighting continued in the background.

Observe the increasing fire and check out where the gas can is headed in the final panel.

Also--the site has been updated.  You may notice an extra link at the bottom: Donate!  Yes, the site does cost money and a lot of work to run, so if you feel like supporting us, I won't complain!  Anything at all is greatly appreciated.

Secondly, the archive has been updated with a couple of miscellaneous images: a ridiculous bonus comic I scribbled up a couple months ago, and an image I made for a contest a couple years ago absolutely overflowing with Nintendo characters and references.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 101 - Forsaken Fortress</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic101.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming.

Today, Toon Link gets in on the action for the first time!  I've been meaning to spotlight the little guy for awhile, since The Wind Waker is one of my all-time favorite games.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 100 - The Very Hungry Kirby</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic100.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[TODAY IS A MONUMENTAL DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

...Because it's the 100th comic of Brawl in the Family, of course!

Today's comic is my own little nod to one of my favorite children's books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  In early August, while thinking up BitF ideas during a class on teaching (I still doodle, regardless of the class), I ended up sketching ideas that eventually became the Groceries and Phendrana comics (as well as Meta Knight's Black Mage costume in Trick or Treat).  During break, I came across the caterpillar book in the school's library and instantly wanted to put a Kirby twist on the story.

It's thrilling to reach this new milestone!  To celebrate, have a new image:

http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/images/100ComicsSmall.jpg

Or smother your computer in comics with the WALLPAPER!
Or smother your computer with even more comics with the WIDESCREEN WALLPAPER!

Thanks to all the readers for their continued support, including the lively members of the forums (including the moderators), and of course, Chris's continued maintenance and unleadedmugen.com's hosting.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 099 - Fishin&apos; Lakitu</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic099.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The one that got away.

Hey, almost to 100...]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 098 - Trick or Treat</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic098.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Happy Brawloween, everyone!  Hopefully you can recognize everybody's rather appropriately in-character costumes, but if not...

Adeleine: Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)
Meta Knight: Black Mage (Final Fantasy)
King Dedede: Eric Cartman (South Park)

And as always, Kirby is what he eats.  Good luck with your own inevitable troubles with costumes and candy tonight.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 097 - Epic Battle</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic097.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Simple, silly li'l gag today.  Kinda tricky hiding the racquets in the first panels.

This one works best if you automatically think of the Ocarina of Time battle in the first two frames, and NOT think of tennis.  So in other words, people completely unfamiliar with Nintendo won't even be aware there's a joke here.

Then again, I guess that applies to about 95% of these strips, eh?]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 096 - Captain Falcon Plays Poker</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic096.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA["Show me your hand!"  Poor guy.

Some of you may have noticed I haven't uploaded a bonus comic in awhile--sadly, I've just been pretty busy over the past couple of months with everything.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 095 - Phendrana</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic095.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Ice Beams are fair game in snowball fights.

Check out Dedede's "halo."

I'm sort of experimenting with some different coloring techniques.  This semi-sloppy shading look is meant to give a simpler feel to the comic (since that's how it started out).
Also, while I love the Metroid series, I don't find Samus particularly fun to draw or color.  That's the main reason why she's taken so long to show up.  She still doesn't look quite right.  But you know what?

You can just deal with it.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 094 - Furniture</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic094.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The moral?  Never clean your house in Animal Crossing during Autumn!

The AC villager is quite the pack rat.  See if you can spot anything recognizable in the first and third frames.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 093 - Timer</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic093.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Yet another gaming mystery solved thanks to Brawl in the Family.

I got a little carried away with all the little details of this picture--ever since I was a kid, I loved drawing the enemies and levels from the Mario games.  But enough reminiscing like an old coot.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 092 - Deport</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic092.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This one's a bit different than the usual fare.  Both because the emphasis isn't as much on the gag itself this time (and on more of a sort of current events statement), and because this strip is even more obscure than usual.  Ideally, everyone would know of EarthBound's sequel, Mother 3, and how it never got translated into English despite tens of thousands of dedicated fans clamoring for it.

Well, nothing's changed on Nintendo of America's front, but I'd like to draw your attention to a wonderful fan-project that's been going on for nearly two years: the Mother 3 English translation patch.  I'm normally opposed to emulation, but this is such a unique scenario that I have to give Tomato and his team some appreciation for their hard work.  You can finally play Mother 3 in English in just a couple days, and today's comic is sort of my own little way of celebrating.

Believe me, the game is worth playing.  I have the Japanese copy and it's nothing short of amazing.  And after you finish it, you'll be able to recognize who all those Kirby characters are dressed as!  How's that for incentive?

Well, not much, I know, but the point is, PLAY MOTHER 3.

(Man, that was wordy.  I need to work on my brevity.)]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 091 - Old Sonic</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic091.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Definitely among the most frustrating moments in Sonic games for me: losing ALL your rings after hit.  You might also have noticed that I prefer the world and style of the older pre-Dreamcast Sonic games.

I'm thrilled to be presented with the opportunity to draw argyle socks.  Sonic really ought to wear those in future games.

And remember kids, if someone tries to touch you in a place or a way that makes you feel uncomfortable...that's no good.]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 090 - Love</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic090.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Continuity (yes, that is the flower Kirby gave Jigglypuff way back in comic 09)!

I like the way the colors came out on this one.  It was a somewhat tricky process to eliminate all the outlines, but the soft, storybook look works well for the subject matter this time.

I'd like to clear something up though--Kirby is NOT aware that he's carving into Whispy Woods.  The gag is that his sweet display of affection is inadvertently causing another pain.  If he knew the ramifications of his actions...well, that'd just be mean of him!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 089 - Hammer Bros Suit</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic089.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA["I am Hammer Mario...no more."

Yes, I do get that excited when I can finally don the Hammer Bros Suit in Mario 3.  And why wouldn't I?  You're essentially throwing portable Starmen!  Of course, even that isn't reason enough for ol' Mario today, despite how much fun I had making him as obnoxious as possible in the first few frames.  I do wonder now if there actually IS a female Hammer Bro...or would that be Hammer Sis?

Also, as I'm sure many of you know, the site hit a snag recently and was down for almost two days.  Turns out that it's attracting more traffic than anticipated, which I suppose is good news.  But either way, we're up and running again, so check Wednesday's comic if you missed it.]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 088 - Buried Prize</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic088.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[One of my cool things I've discovered about doing a comic about both Brawl and actual Nintendo games is that I can pull a switcheroo like this; it starts off in the guise of a comic about the Pikmin games, then suddenly brings us back into the world of Smash.

Also, this is Snake's first appearance in BitF.  Welcome, Snake!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 087 - Barrage</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic087.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Woo, party at Kirby's!

Gah, I can't draw Waddle Dee to save my life.

With today's comic comes a new milestone and image!  In case you haven't had enough of Kirby taking Dedede's money, check below!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 086 - Pranksters</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic086.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA["Dude, how 'bout we go egg old man Bowser's house tonight?"

"Yoshi!"]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 085 - Runaway Dog</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic085.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[After 84 comics, Ness finally appears!

This is one of those comics where I start to worry if the punchline is too vague or unclear or whatever to those that aren't as familiar with the game (or possibly through a fault of my own.  I did have to make compromises in the last frame--I wanted the guy in the foreground to have a shocked expression, but human anatomy said that wasn't possible).

My annoying insecurities aside, EarthBound is an amazing, outstanding game.  It's artistic, it's fun, it's touching, it's extremely memorable (I could go on for pages but this is long enough)...and it still isn't on the Virtual Console.  So get with the program already, Nintendo!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 084 - Team Battle</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic084.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Just give it up, Dedede--you'll never get a real fight from Kirby.  I quite like the Kirby/Diddy friendship that's sort of come along.

Wait a minute...know what today is?

...It's site designer Chris's birthday!  Yes, twenty-three years ago, a baby with a big ol' fat pudgy head entered this world, ready to start a band, watch Firefly, and play Myth 2.  Little did that drooling infant know that he'd eventually be contributing a great deal to BitF maintenance and general problem-solving.  Thanks for the dedication, Chris!  Now enjoy your smelly birthday.]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 083 - Shake It</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic083.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This has been a good week for 2-D platformers, and being a 2-D platformer fan, I figured, what better way to celebrate than by dedicating a comic to each of the three big Nintendo games this week?

So here's ol' Wario, shaking the heck out of anything and everything he can get his grubby hands on.  Hopefully you guys know what an Etch-A-Sketch is, or else I'm gonna feel really old...]]></description>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comic 082 - Super Star</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic082.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Kirby Super Star Ultra is the DS remake of THE BEST KIRBY GAME THERE WILL EVER BE, and it hits shelves today.  So in celebration of KSS's multiple-games-on-one, here's a fat wad o' comics based on each one (save for Gourmet Race, which already had a strip)!  Unlike this series of comics, though, all the games in Kirby Super Star are worth checking out. ;)

So yeah, if you've never played Super Star, the DS remake is a must-buy.

Now that I've expired roughly three weeks of material in one strip, I'm feeling overworked, so farewell until Friday!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 081 - Weakness</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic081.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[IT'S MEGA MAN MONDAY!

The long-awaited, retro-stylish Mega Man 9 hits the Wii today, and to celebrate, the Blue Bomber gets his very own guest strip in Brawl in the Family.  As an old-school gamer, I can't help but get excited about this title that can be beaten in an hour, is ridiculously difficult, and yes, includes a female Robot Master for the first time in series' history.

Hopefully you guys don't find this strip too sexist, but diamonds ARE a girl's best friend.  So Mega Man gets a little more than he bargained for, but if Splash Woman actually DOES turn out to be weak to Jewel Man's Jewel Satellite, this comic will instantly become 70% less funny, since Capcom beat me to the punch (line).

You may also be wondering about a certain Kirby game releasing this week.  Don't worry, our spherical friend will get a mention of his own next time around.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Comic 080 - Owner&apos;s Guide</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic080.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Sorry 'bout the lateness!  This one took a bit longer than expected, but I really like the way it came out.  Almost looks professional.  Except for the whole poop thing.  I gotta stop going so crazy with every tenth comic.

You might have notice the site's URL at the bottom.  In the next several weeks (months?), I'm going to be adding that to the past comics, which will surely be a long and laborious process.  For those of you that don't have to get stuck with menial tasks, have a nice weekend!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 079 - Fish</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic079.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A Landmaster gag that doesn't involve its use by Fox/Falco/Wolf?  Regardless, Fox should've known better than summon a four-ton, heavily armored tank onto a wooden pirate ship.  I considered drawing Peach floating away harmlessly in the last frame, but decided against it, mainly because I thought it distracted from the punchline and...well, where would she be headed from the middle of the ocean?

Also, whoa, what's going on with the layout?  Well, I ended up foregoing the traditional four-panel look this time because when I shrunk it down to fit, it was hard to tell what was going on in this particular comic.  So I went with the square format (which I'm not really a huge fan of, so expect more horizontal business next time around).]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 078 - Landmaster</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic078.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A Landmaster gag that doesn't involve its use by Fox/Falco/Wolf?  Regardless, Fox should've known better than summon a four-ton, heavily armored tank onto a wooden pirate ship.  I considered drawing Peach floating away harmlessly in the last frame, but decided against it, mainly because I thought it distracted from the punchline and...well, where would she be headed from the middle of the ocean?

Also, whoa, what's going on with the layout?  Well, I ended up foregoing the traditional four-panel look this time because when I shrunk it down to fit, it was hard to tell what was going on in this particular comic.  So I went with the square format (which I'm not really a huge fan of, so expect more horizontal business next time around).]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 077 - No Sympathy</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic077.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[You didn't expect me to bypass a Hurricane Ike joke, did you?  The stupid guy woke me up at 3 AM today with his ridiculous winds, sideways rain, and overpowered forward smash.

Fun Fact: This is the first comic EVER that I thought up the same day I put it online.  Most comics are created weeks before they're uploaded.]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 076 - Disguises</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic076.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[One of the stranger BitF comics for sure!  Every now and then I enjoy reverting to the more oddball, semi-surreal humor of the first dozen strips of this comic.

As this strip goes on, I find myself occasionally dipping into more character-based humor with the central cast.  Of course, game-related humor is still central to, like, 95% of the strips, but it's nice to expand beyond that every now and then (like in this strip and in Groceries).

Also...three six-panelers in a row?  Is that a new record?]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 075 - Paintings</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic075.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Whew, finally back!  Sorry for the week break, but trees were falling and power outages were rampant, making comic updates impossible.  The important thing is that we're okay and I'm ready to continue with the updates again, so keep an eye on the site!

As for today's comic, it's dedicated to all the art students out there.  Poor Mario just wasn't ready for Edvard Munch's nightmarish world.

See if you can spot the EarthBound reference in today's strip!]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 074 - Groceries</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic074.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Hello, BitF readers.  This is actually Monday's comic, not a bonus.  The reason it's up so early is because I'm evacuating at midnight tonight to keep far away from big, scary, Hurricane Gustav.  Indeed, not only are the southern states low on game industry jobs, but they're vulnerable to large gusts of wind, so it's hard to say when the next update will be.  With any luck, the damage will be minimal and the power will still be on by the time Thursday or Friday rolls around.

For now, though, Brawl in the Family will probably need to take a break for a few days.  I'll try to get a good number of comics up upon returning, but I can't quite guarantee anything yet, so for now...]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 073 - Awakening</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic073.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[On the topic of obscure strips, I often get worried that the reference will be too far out there to catch.  I'm just hoping enough people played Link's Awakening (the BEST Game Boy game ever!).

Also, I'd love to have an alarm clock that played Ballad of the Wind Fish, myself...]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 072 - Boxart</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic072.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I don't like explaining jokes in the write-up, but I feel this one's a little obscure.  Try searching "Kirby American box" for a brief history lesson on Nintendo of America's...strange alterations on Kirby boxart over the years.

Naturally, this is the next step.]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 071 - Hidden Block</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic071.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Cruel irony.

I gotta say, I can't get enough simple Mario humor.  The NES games alone probably have enough available material to feed the comic for months.  And yes, I'm aware that the SMB1 1-ups don't actually say "1-up," but work with me here--sometimes I've gotta sacrifice accuracy for clarity.]]></description>
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      <title>Comic 070 - Summit</title>
      <link>http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic070.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nothing super-ambitious this time around, but I did spend a fair amount of time on the coloring and some of the blur effects.  Poor Dedede can never seem to get a real battle in with Kirby.]]></description>
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