Just Say No

I went to see writer Sean Howe talk about his new book tonight, over in Echo Park. I thought it would be a record of the magazine HIGH TIMES but the book is about its enigmatic founder, Thomas King Forcade, who was a radical in the seventies, or possibly a grifter, who can really say? Anyway, it reminded me how in the seventies there would be smoke-ins on the national mall, and how pot was everywhere in those days and was nearly legalized under the Carter years. This isn't a book about pot, though, that's just part of the story.

Of course, the Reagan era was coming and the world was about to change a whole lot. Anyway, the book sounded great so I was fortunate enough to buy the last copy at the bookstore and get Sean to sign it.

But you know what makes this book extra-special? Cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz! (Sean let me have one of the posters.)

At Least It's This Century

My mom sent me this photo of me and my sister. I bought that shirt in the UK so I'd have something to wear on the QE2 in 2001, so this photo is pretty old. 

What, Should We Sleepwalk?

It's been five years already since writer Mark Russell and I attended a staged reading of Snagglepuss at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown. It was incredible, a highlight of my time in comics (others being the theme park opening in Kuwait, and stealing back the office in Cairo).

I was grateful to my then-bosses for indulging me by covering my costs to allow me to attend, as well as for how strongly they supported and advocated for Mark's vision of Snagglepuss, and before that, The Flintstones (with Steve Pugh) and Prez (with Ben Caldwell).

I remember when one of our most legendary artists came into my office and said "I heard this was the most woke comic out there" about The Flintstones and I hadn't heard the phrase "woke" yet. I laughed and laughed. What a ridiculous and belittling term for people doing relevant and smart work. (Spoiler: Usage of the term only got more belittling over time.)

But then I remember the same sneering in college years with the term "PC." Same shit, different terms. I don't have the energy for culture wars. We all do the best we can, and I've worked on a lot of good and bad comics, then sometimes we get to do something like Exit Stage Left.

Powerless

The Jersey City house cleaners clicked off the power strip to my router a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to remotely spy on the raccoons and opossums since.

I had no idea how much I depended on this.

I Might Be Slower

I have no idea how Meta chooses what books to put into their AI training. I wonder who will write my next book first, me or this software.

(Obviously, I did not give permission but having been on social media since 2008, I might have been compromised long before they noticed Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik.)

I Didn't Even Know She Was Kinky

I'm told Typhoid the comic is in an LA museum!

Eco Horror

I took my empty supermarket plastic clamshells to the farmers market, and filled them with berries. I got away with acquiring no new plastic! But I did get strawberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, and apples.

But I drove my car instead of taking the bus. Can’t win.

Fist Full of Dinars

I got my visa for Algeria! Woo!

Everyone else: "We didn't know you were applying for an Algerian visa."

True. The idea is I am going to Stockholm Con in early November, so I'll fly to Europe a week early and go see some Roman ruins and stuff.

I'm not going south, don't worry. Perfectly safe. I'll fly LAX-LHR Wed-Thurs, then stay overnight by the airport, then fly to Algiers on Friday morning, returning from Constantine to Marseille.

Pottery Fail

Win some, lose some.

Backyard Drama

I keep an eye on the yard cam to see how often Bernie the tuxedo cat stops by…no Bernie tonight but plenty of other action!