Dead Piro Days

Dead Piro Days (or, more commonly, DPDs) are a type of non-story strip. The first instance of a DPD appearing in the comic is strip 22, but the first instance of the strip type actually being called a DPD doesn't occur until strip 27. In 2013 Fred started to use Piro Bad Artwork Day (or PBAD) as an alternative term.

DPDs are usually unplanned interruptions in the comic. They appear when Fred just can't meet the comic deadline, for whatever reason, which is typically personal illness or writer's and/or artist's block. Occasionally, Fred will plan a DPD ahead of time when he knows he'll be out of town, but the primary purpose of the DPD is to give the readers something to look at in place of the strip he's having trouble creating.

One particular series of pictures is the in search of lost wings series.

After 73 DPDs, Fred stopped counting them and began labeling each one with a random message instead. They were later renumbered.

List of strips

Date	Strip	Title (strip list)	Title (in the strip)	Notes
2 Oct 2000	22	Bad Art Day	DPD:01
13 Oct 2000	27	Dead Piro Day	DPD:02
19 Mar 2001	95	dead piro preview #1	DPD:03
23 Mar 2001	97	dead piro preview #2	DPD:04
11 May 2001	118	Art Day 001 - Kimiko	DPD:05
16 May 2001	120	Art Day 002 - little wings	DPD:06
28 Jul 2001	152	Piro Art Day - 002	DPD:07
13 Aug 2001	158	Pirogoeth	DPD:08	(notes)
15 Aug 2001	159	MegaTokyo Memorial	DPD:09
3 Oct 2001	176	dead piro day - seraphim & boo	DPD:10
8 Oct 2001	178	'warmth' - non-MT art day	DPD:11
12 Nov 2001	193	omake: lazy piro and his laptop	DPD:12
16 Nov 2001	195	omake: just a kimiko sketch	DPD:13
7 Dec 2001	203	c2-dead piro day #1 - 'left behind'	DPD:14
12 Dec 2001	205	can't find dom day - 'the death star'	DPD:15
2 Jan 2002	210	Capture the Bear	DPD:16
8 Feb 2002	222	DPD: kotone from 'sight'	DPD:17
25 Feb 2002	229	DPD: MegaWinter Nights - Endgames	DPD:18
22 Mar 2002	239	DPD: Endgames 2	DPD:19
8 Apr 2002	246	DPD: Piro's Sketchbook #1	DPD:20
1 May 2002	253	DPD: All this sorrow becomes me	DPD:21
22 May 2002	262	DPD: a girl of nothing but greys	DPD:22
5 Jun 2002	268	DPD: feild cleaning (1 of 4)	DPD:23
7 Jun 2002	269	DPD: Yuzo Takada Tribute	DPD:24
10 Jun 2002	270	DPD: Dance of the Evils	DPD:25
12 Jun 2002	271	DPD: but my wings are only small wings	DPD:26
19 Jun 2002	274	DPD: no data can fill the empty spaces	DPD:27
5 Jul 2002	281	DPD: Endgames Standing	DPD:28
19 Jul 2002	287	evil has many guises	DPD:29
26 Jul 2002	290	DPD: Waiting for the Show	DPD:30
2 Aug 2002	292	DPD: Discarded Frames	DPD:31
28 Aug 2002	303	DPD: Brownfields, Greyfields	DPD:33	(actually DPD #32)
14 Oct 2002	322	DPD: book prep 1 - coverarts	DPD:33
17 Oct 2002	323	DPD: book prep 2 - resolution	DPD:34
17 Oct 2002	324	DPD: book prep 3 - art is like that	DPD:35
23 Oct 2002	326	DPD: book prep 4 - closer cover stuff	DPD:36
26 Oct 2002	327	DPD: Fail Condition	DPD:37
13 Nov 2002	335	DPD: book prep 5 - color day	DPD:38
9 Dec 2002	346	DPD: broken miho	DPD:39
27 Jan 2002	365	DPD: Grey Erika	DPD:40
7 Feb 2003	370	DPD: Kimiko	DPD:41
12 Mar 2003	383	DPD: b4k4.md4	DPD:42
31 Mar 2003	391	DPD: Broken Miho color preview	DPD:43
25 Apr 2003	401	DPD: small feathers	DPD:43	(actually DPD #44)
7 May 2003	407	DPD: Ping & Makoto	DPD:44	(actually DPD #45)
16 May 2003	410	DPD: l33t F0ld1ng skillz	DPD:46
4 Jul 2003	431	DPD: glancing upwards	DPD:47
23 Jul 2003	439	DPD: Megadustrial:r3m1x	DPD:48
8 Aug 2003	446	DPD: Motion Stopped	DPD:49
22 Aug 2003	452	DPD: A Small Summer Break	DPD:50
3 Oct 2003	469	DPD: Artifact no. 1	DPD:51
10 Nov 2003	483	DPD: Bleah Example Worksheet Day	DPD:52
28 Nov 2003	491	DPD: take all the color away	DPD:53
8 Dec 2003	495	DPD: Presence Detail	DPD:54
15 Dec 2003	498	DPD: Miho timesinking	DPD:55
24 Dec 2003	502	Christmas Cosplay	DPD:56
17 Jan 2004	508	DPD: Japan Invasion	DPD:57
21 Jan 2004	510	DPD: Artifacts - Pirojunk japan 2004	DPD:58
16 Feb 2004	521	DPD: we got married :)	DPD:59
1 Jun 2004	565	DPD - picnicking darkly	DPD:60
7 Jun 2004	568	DPD: Darkwoods Pirogoeth	DPD:61
25 Aug 2004	600	Upabove Station - LvP	DPD:62
20 Oct 2004	624	DPD: Hmph.	DPD:63
3 Nov 2004	630	DPD: Sad Kimiko @ Takaido Station	DPD:64
12 Nov 2004	634	DPD: Endgames preview - sparklebunny burning	DPD:65
26 Nov 2004	640	DPD: Endgames preview - Fougoureth	DPD:66
5 Jan 2005	656	DPD: Photoblog :: Kumakuma	DPD:67
4 Feb 2005	669	DPD: Junpei	DPD:68
23 Feb 2005	677	DPD: Sick Piro Day Art Lesson #1	DPD:69
9 May 2005	708	DPD: Pirogoeth - Queen of Kuith	DPD:70
6 Jun 2005	719	DPD: finding yuki	DPD:(whatever)
4 Jul 2005	730	DPD: painting in grays	DPD:72
17 Aug 2005	748	DPD: Sonoda Yuki (Otakon2005)	DPD:73
29 Aug 2005	753	DPD: Sloppy Backgrounds - Chapter 7 In-Service day
20 Oct 2005	775	DPD: we're back...	DPD:bleah
21 Oct 2005	776	DPD random: Kimiko	DPD:notsobleh
24 Nov 2005	790	DPD: b4k4.md7 reload	DPD:ishouldcountthese
23 Jan 2006	812	YANRDPD: 5|<00|_ D4yz	DPD:idontreallycareandneithershouldyou
13 Feb 2006	820	DPD: cutting losses	DPD:somanyitsembarrasing
3 Mar 2006	828	DPD: such cute little bandaids	DPD:illpopacapinyouifyouask
20 Mar 2006	835	two weeks DPD1: broken blades	TW:1of4
22 Mar 2006	836	two weeks DPD2: tilting windmills	TW:2of4
29 Mar 2006	839	two weeks DPD3: movement of air	TW:3of4
31 Mar 2006	840	two weeks DPD4: stillness	TW:4of4
17 Apr 2006	846	DPD: Circuity:Rewound - work in progress	DPD:myheadisspinning	(notes)
22 May 2006	860	DPD: not quite right	DPD:scenechangeright?
23 Jun 2006	873	in service DPD: chapter 7 - stuff not seen	DPD:writingnotcountinstupiddpds
19 Jul 2006	884	DPD: pol3sitting	DPD:donttouchanywires	(joint work with Hawk)
7 Aug 2006	890b	DPD:hurtslessthanaSGDhuh		Replaced with "SGD: Is This the Real Life?"
6 Sep 2006	904	DPD: serious		(notes)
15 Sep 2006	907	DPD: Piroko Sheepdog and Largo Wolf	DPD:pirokosheepdog+largowolf
16 Oct 2006	919	DPD: Largo, Legionnaire of Reaht	DPD:canttellyouwhytodayisadpdyet:)
25 Dec 2006	948	DPD: Happy Holidays! (Christmas 2006)	DPD:merrychristmas2006
26 Feb 2007	970	DPD: (disturbingly) cute Piroko	DPD:lotsandlotsofem	Guest Art by Hawk
28 Feb 2007	971	DPD: the last 3.75%	DPD:gettingthere
26 May 2007	1004	DPD: megatokyo.ni73z	pre-tripDPD:megatokyo.ni73z (new poster design)	(joint work with Hawk)
17 Oct 2007	1056	DPD: Day of the Bad Scaries in Shinjuku		(notes)
29 Oct 2007	1059	DPD: Endames : Commandeered Transport	DPD:98	(notes)
27 Dec 2007	1075	DPD: moving out	DPD:99
25 Mar 2008	1103	DPD: Tohya Miho - Figur3 Study	DPD:100
14 May 2008	1120	DPD: a quiet schoolgirl with...	DPD:101	(notes)
21 Jun 2008	1133	DPD: Es lässt sich nicht lesen.	DPD:102 "It does not permit itself to be read."	(notes)
22 Jul 2008	1143	DPD: Y s0 s3ns1t1v3?	DPD:103	(notes)
25 Jul 2008	1145	DPD: downlook	DPD:104	(notes)
28 Jul 2008	1146	next comic PREVIEW	[IN PROGRESS]	(notes)
4 Aug 2008	1147	NSDPD... what i've been working on	DPD:105	(notes)
2 Oct 2008	1161	next comic PREVIEW: t3h Aw3sum	[prelim]	(notes)
31 Dec 2008	1177	DPD: mgkgrl.yki [prelim]	DPD:108	(notes)
29 Jan 2009	1184	DPD: Dead Miho Day	DPD:109	(notes)
16 Mar 2009	1194	DPD: MTv1 Cover, Kodansha Remix	DPD:110	(notes)
30 Sep 2009	1233	DPD: MT volume 6 prelim cover	DPD:111	(notes)
30 Nov 2009	1244	DPD: aggregat3	DPD:112	(notes)
11 Dec 2009	1246	DPD - Megatokyo Volume 6 (almost) final cover	DPD:113	(notes)
3 Jun 2010	1269	A.F.K. [END] D.P.D.	DPD:114	(notes)
20 Oct 2010	1288	DPD: blown_covrrr	DPD:115	(notes)
21 Dec 2010	1293	DPD: Pirokotsuki	DPD:116	(notes)
27 Nov 2011	1322	DPD: Something Old and Unopened (color)	DPD:117	(notes)
11 Dec 2011	1323	DPD: 12 character illustrations done	DPD:118	(notes)
13 Feb 2011	1328	[un]dead piro [rising] day: t3h b34ch	DPD: t3h b34ch	(notes)
12 Sep 2012	1349	DPD: 1337 N1NJ4 R1D3	DPD:120
10 Mar 2013	1357	BPAD: bad piro art days, what i'm callin them now	DPD:121
25 Apr 2013	1360	PBAD-Kimiko at a Summer Festival	DPD/PBAD:121
6 May 2013	1361	PBAD-Frustrations of a FoxGirl Biology Teacher	DPD/PBAD:122	Image wrongly shows date as 25 Apr 2013
6 May 2013	1364	DPD: Visual Novel Story Path Chaos!
26 Sep 2014	1412	DPD: The Tower of Kartage, Endgames Book 01
4 Mar 2015	1419	DPD: Captain Mugi and Science Officer Spock meet in a bar...	DPD: 128
12 Mar 2015	1420	DPD: "Warmth" full color preview	Sample preview: "warmth" - work in progress
14 Mar 2015	1421	DPD: Dire Water, Endgames Book 02	dead piro day - special light novel promotion
15 Apr 2015	1423	DPD-CS01: Komugiko, Catch and Release	Sawatari Komugiko - Catch and Release
18 Apr 2015	1424	DPD-CS02: Ping, PWRup	Ping-chan - Pwr Up
29 Apr 2015	1425	DPD-CS03: Nanasawa Kimiko, rain	Nanasawa Kimiko - Rain
5 May 2015	1426	DPD-CS04: Hayasaka Erika, Towerclimbing	Hayasaka Erika - Towerclimbing
27 May 2015	1427	DPD-CS05: Aoi Mumu's Awesome Radio Show	Aoi Mumu's Radio Show
24 Jul 2015	1429	A serious family related AFK & Unnecessary Explosions
19 Aug 2015	1430	DPD: m0ar Unnecessary Explosions
20 Sep 2015	1431	In Memory of Moofie… Moofie & Kimiko	DPD:138
7 Oct 2015	1432	DPD: Fire Fox, Endgames Book 03	dead piro day - special light novel promotion
18 Oct 2015	1433	DPD: Sad Girl in Snow Blanket V2
20 Jan 2015	1439	Shameless Buy Stuff or Kimiko will Cry Dead Piro Day - Art Prints!
16 Jun 2016	1451	DPD: Comfy!