Michelle’s Stray Cats, At the End of Everything & Everyone Except Me

Henrique Couto opens by celebrating minor improvements: suction-cup storage has cleared his sink, and a bulk purchase should finally end the mystery of vanishing scissors and pens. The friends then pretend this prerecorded episode can report on a vacation Henrique has not taken yet, complete with a misunderstood lake monster, catch-and-release fish and a wholesome battle against imaginary polluters. The silliness creates a relaxed frame for an episode devoted to Michelle’s creative life.First, however, Michelle has to survive another home-improvement project. She painted different parts of her upper and lower kitchen cabinets blue, disliked the mismatch and spent days removing paint before starting again. Henrique is stunned to learn that her thumbnails served as the main scraping tools until she switched solvents. This is a comic account of a 2020 project, not painting, solvent, renovation or personal-protective-equipment guidance; acetone, damaged finishes and bare-hand exposure are discussed without endorsement.The real centerpiece is Michelle’s comics. She explains the post-apocalyptic Philadelphia world of Stray Cats and introduces At the End of Everything, a newer zombie story whose character Felix is trying to buy a house while society quietly unravels. The hosts discuss publishing webcomics, balancing two long-running projects, creative drought during the early pandemic and Michelle’s route from shōjo manga such as Fushigi Yûgi to favorites including Dorohedoro and One-Punch Man. Any platform or release status reflects the original recording.Henrique also turns the spotlight on Michelle’s music as Everyone Except Me. He remembers first hearing her CD, attending coffeehouse, record-store and house shows, briefly acting as her roadie and recognizing the strange, fearless performer who became his closest friend. Michelle resists every compliment, but Henrique makes the episode’s purpose explicit: the podcast exists partly so listeners can discover her songs, comics and point of view. Contains profanity, risky solvent and DIY discussion, animal-feeding anecdotes, depression and creative-block references, bullying humor and inserted casino advertisements.LinksEmail the hosts: [email protected]