Kitchen-Table Issues

Six-panel comic strip. Panel 1 heading: the Sixth Great Extinction. Alma is sitting in her kitchen holding an open letter with the cat Mr. Smiggs on the counter. She says, “Mr. Smiggs, our rep is running for re-election. Says she'll focus on 'kitchen-table issues.” Mr. Smiggs replies, “I wonder if she can see the dearth of birds and insects from her kitchen table.” Outside the window, a bluebird at a bird feeder says “Where is everyone?”
Panel 2 heading: Abusive Immigration Enforcement. In a nice kitchen, a woman holds a baby with a child hiding behind her. A man cowers under the kitchen table. The door bows in with the force of pounding from outside BAM BAM BAM. Shouting: Open up! It's ICE! The woman says, “Don't hide under the table mi amor. We've got time to get out the back.” The man says “Sorry! I've been on edge so long. What if they take the kids!?” A small fluffy dog growls at the door.
Panel 3 heading: Health Care Crisis. In another kitchen, a middle-school boy comes home covered in spots. He's scratching at his arm. A woman lies on the kitchen table with her legs open and spread, with her head towards the viewer. Another woman stands between her knees, grimly holding a hanger. The boy says, “Mom! I got spots, just like Jimmy at school!” The standing woman says, “Oh, son! Hold on while I finish helping your aunt with family planning.” A cat rubs at Jimmy's legs. An embroidery says “Home Sweet Home” on the wall.
Panel 4 heading: Climate Emergency. A man, woman, and dog sit on an upside-down kitchen table which is floating down a flooded street past a stop sign. It's raining hard and the trees bend in the wind. The man says, “Glad our kitchen table floats! Didn't expect a hurricane so early in the season.”
Panel 5 heading: Genocide and War. View from the curb inside a nice suburban home. A family is gathered around the kitchen table, holding hands. The father says, “May we be grateful for this meal and for this kitchen table we gather around. May the people in Gaza and Ukraine and Iran have food and tables and safe homes.” Outside on the lawn, a dove holding an olive branch in its beak says, “As Maya Angelou said, 'No one of us can be free until everyone is free.'”
Panel 6 heading: Artificial Intelligence. Entrance to a factory. The sign says “Kitchen Tech Tables Inc. – Manufacturing the Future!” Images on the sign show a five-legged table with one leg in the center and an round table with one leg on the bottom and one on top. The factory door is has a sign saying “Closed to humans.” A spider weaves a web in the door's corner. On the lawn, a rat says, “I'd leave the ship, but the rats seem to be in charge!”
Comic date 9/11/2026 CC By-NC-ND 4.0 by Linda Watson OurTurning.com

New Voting Zine Available

Update 9/18/2026. Instead of a new Our Turning strip this week, I made a Neighborly Voting Zine. It’s specifically for Wake County, North Carolina, where Our Turning is set. Most of the art applies anywhere in the US. Feel free to use it if you can.

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