Author: Maximilian

  • Veterans Day Presentation

    Veterans Day Presentation

    Those old OIF moto-videos really hit different. If you were in the Corps around that time, you were surely shown a variety of different motivational videos from Iraq to such great hits as “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” and Seether’s “Out of My Way,” at the School of Infantry (and maybe even boot camp).

    This comic is based on a true story… Well, partly. No, I didn’t show the kids any of these old LiveLeak classics, but my toddler goes to daycare and his teachers did ask me to come in for Veterans Day and talk to the pre-schoolers about my service.

    My favorite part was showing them a photo of some Iraqi children I took along the Syrian border back in 2009.

    “They’re at the beach!” they shouted out, seeing the surrounding sand.

    Not quite.

    This Veterans Day has been more melancholy than usual for me. For what it’s worth, I always felt like I did a good job of separating my personal life from my “work,” (which, because of Terminal Lance, happens to be very closely tied to my military service).

    As I was going through the photos from Iraq that I was going to show the class, I became overwhelmed with emotions that I think I had been avoiding for many years. It was a strange time in a strange land… We were all so young.

    Maybe I never actually found what I was looking for.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CzeWrbOJWyR/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Meanwhile, at the Birthday Ball…

    Meanwhile, at the Birthday Ball…

    As the Marine Corps celebrated its 248th birthday on Friday, Marines around the globe gathered for their battalion-mandated birthday balls and ate, drank, and drank some more. At every birthday ball, it is customary to include a cake-cutting ceremony where the youngest and oldest Marines present eat a piece of cake (symbolizing inappropriate fraternization relationships or something, idk).

    Age is an interesting phenomenon in the Corps. The youngest Marines always seem to get younger, and the oldest Marines are always way younger than they look.

    I attended the birthday ball as the Guest of Honor for 1st Distribution Support Battalion down in San Diego, where the youngest Marine there was born in 2005. It signified to me that we’re well-past the post 9/11 era and are entering something brand new.

    With everything going on in the world right now, who knows what we’ll end up calling it a few years from now. I do know that there’s only 4 short years left before Gen-Z is no longer up and coming, and Gen-Alpha will be the youngest Marines present at the ball.

    Either way, I had a good time.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CzLDqGYuaLV/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • The Reenlistment Ceremony

    The Reenlistment Ceremony

    It’s not unusual for Marines to be placed into some kind of miserable formation for a ceremony they’d rather not be at. Reenlistments are one of those, but with the added variable of being at any location of the reenlistee’s choosing. People can reenlist at home, overseas, on the sea, and even in the sea–the latter being a favorite among many that are stationed near a beach.

    As the person being honored, I’m sure there’s no greater feeling than making everyone around you even more depressed and uncomfortable than they already are as enlisted Marines.

    Personally, if I had reenlisted, I would have wanted my ceremony to be at a Buffalo Wild Wings, with the Uniform of the Day being rainbow PT gear and all-weather coats.

    This is a moot point, however, as that was never going to happen.

  • Ball Wash

    Ball Wash

    It’s ball season. You know what that means… Time for some hot, steamy, soapy, sudsy, Lance Corporal action. It’s the time of year you’ll see Marines around every Marine Corps base doing all manner of delectable fundraising in support of their upcoming unit Birthday Balls.

    November is always a busy time of year for military and veterans, with the Marine Corps Birthday and Veteran’s Day falling directly next to each other. It can lead to serious medical complications, so be mindful.

    In other news, in case you missed it, the official Terminal Lance Shop is now selling officially licensed Marine Corps merchandise! This week we’ve launched a series of Eagle, Globe & Anchor shirts designed by yours truly and available exclusively at the TL shop.

    Motivation is in. Buy here.

  • Arrive Alive

    Arrive Alive

    Alcohol-related incidents are a serious problem in the Marine Corps community. I suppose that’s naturally what happens when you have a high-stress environment and young men and women with already low-inhibitions and a built-in sense of invincibility (by design).

    Marines love to drink, so it’s important that the Corps address these challenges with practical solutions. It’s been scientifically proven that nothing kills the vibe faster than talking to a Staff NCO of any paygrade.

    Have you ever been enjoying yourself and been suddenly forced to interact with an E-7?

    It’s the worst.

    This new program is a modern solution to an age-old problem. Stay safe out there, Marines.

  • Alcohol-Induced Sobriety

    Alcohol-Induced Sobriety

    If you’re anything like me (who is?), you’ve maybe seen the Old Corps Pro-Tip of avoiding the dreaded “recall from liberty” text by responding that you’ve already began drinking.

    You see, your NCO’s and Staff NCO’s are powerless to rebuke this excuse, because they’re the ones that are always telling you not to drink and drive. You, then, become a paragon of virtue and responsible Marine Corps behavior, and will be lauded and excused from the nonsense and debauchery surely unfolding back on base.

    That is, of course, if you’re:

    1. Old enough to be drinking.
    2. Actually supposed to be off-duty.

    80 percent of the time, it works every time. If not, maybe you’ll end up at SACO and meet new friends. It’s important to stay positive.

  • Party with Arty

    Party with Arty

    Artillery Marines in the 08XX field like their big guns. They like them long and erect while firing hot loads on America’s enemies. When the enemy is playing hard to get, Arty is able to penetrate any defense from a distance with their massive cannons.

    Anyone joining an artillery battalion can be sure that whatever they may lack in the length or stature of their personal firepower, they’ll certainly make up for it with the big boom-booms they wield on the battlefield.

    Can you believe that in 13 years of making Terminal Lance comics, I’ve never once done anything about Arty? Hopefully it’s not too-little, too-late, as most of the Marine Corps’ artillery will be undergoing drastic force modernization and a slight shift away from the phallic glory we know and love.

    For now, though, they can stand tall and proud.

    Pro-tip: groom well and shave the base to make it look bigger.

  • Coloring for Marines

    Coloring for Marines

    GRAB YOUR CRAYONS, MARINES!*

    Coloring for Marines is available right now on Amazon!

    This coloring and activity book from Terminal Lance is sure to keep you entertained while you stand duty, stand post, or just stand by to stand by in your barracks room.

    Inside, you’ll find pictures and activities designed just for Marines!

    Coloring for Marines is available NOW on Amazon. Click here!

    *Crayons are for coloring, not eating.

  • You’re Hired

    You’re Hired

    As an infantry Marine veteran myself, I can’t recommend the Post 9/11 GI Bill enough. Many people enlist to gain practical skills that they might “transfer” over to the civilian workforce in the future.

    Not me.

    As an artist, I just wanted to do something difficult and shitty. The Marine Corps infantry was the only option for me.

    The great news? It actually doesn’t matter what you do as a Marine, because you’re granted a second life once you EAS. The GI Bill enables you to pick and choose your career path to literally anything you want. You’re not defined by your enlisted path in life.

    Go be a pilot. An engineer. A journalist.

    An artist.

  • Hurricane Hilary

    Hurricane Hilary

    Southern California faces an unusual weather event this weekend: Hurricane Hilary. While the hurricane is expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hits California, Marines are expected to embrace the Suck as the storm plows through Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms, and other military installations in the area.

    As they say: if it ain’t rainin, we ain’t training. Marines are supposed to be an amphibious force, no?

    Stay safe out there, Marines. I’ll be hunkered down in Los Angeles, myself.

    If you love TL, you can support Terminal Lance by subscribing to our Patreon: the Lance Corporal Underground. You’ll get an inside look at upcoming stuff, behind-the-scenes process drawings of every comic, and access to some exclusive other stuff like a special Discord role!