Archive for Webcomics
Welcome to Friday! Today’s mailbox contained no envelopes, but two handwritten notes. The first note appears on paper yellowed with age in a rusty-brown colored ink.
Dear Mr. Grocer,
Please receive this, our list of monthly supply requests. I know it’s a little less than usual, but Smith Jr. is still under the Klondike and is not expected back for another three months. You know how teenagers get. Anyway…the list:
1 antelope side
4 cases of thrush
1 box of salted tuna fin
20 pounds of Caspian coffee
1 bar of Madagascar butter (frozen)
2 jars of Haxil’s Powder
2 jars of Haxil’s Ointment
1 jar of Haxil’s Flakes
1 bottle of Flavor of Egypt
2 oranges (seeded)
2 oranges (unseeded)
4 pints of orange juice (with seeds)
3 bottles of Mongoose sauce
3 Mongoose
In addition to the consumables, I’ll also need the usual monthly kitchen cutlery set, flour sifter, and coal bucket.
Oh, and some blackberry gum if you have any. If you’re out of blackberry, then forget the gum altogether.
Thank you. Delivery should be made at the usual place and the usual time–sunset at the Grievous Smith Caves. You’ll find the money en route in its usual spot under the gatekeeper’s tongue.
Thank you.
The Smith Family
Slipped within the folded yellow page is the expected note on rag paper with the expected crimson ink. It reads:
To Whom It May Concern:
We are thinking of ordering lunch. While we await your signal, we also await news on what you’d like.
We’re thinking Chinese
signed
(unsigned)
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Today’s link goes to the webcomic Least I Could Do. It’s a pretty fun webcomic. I’ve heard some accuse the authors of engaging in wish-fulfillment fantasy, but I take it more as a feel-good sort of comic where fun things happen to a guy who knows how to have fun and happens to be insanely lucky enough to be able to act on it. Be forewarned…some of the humor is risque–maybe even offensive to over-sensitive types, but there’s a lot that can be enjoyed by anyone.
There are several years worth of archives. The artwork does not start out great, but stick with it for the writing, and in a few years–particularly when Lars Sohmer takes up the pen–the art becomes quite good. This is the same team that brings us Looking For Group.
Checking it out is the least you could do.
Cheers!
Filed under: Blogosphere, Humor, Letters, Webcomics | |No Comments
Rumor has it…By tradition, when a new administration takes office in the White House, the first choice of furnishings and decorations go to the Vice President who, in turn, defers first choice to the President. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is the only one to have ever not followed tradition.
Rumor has it…The most popular girl’s name in the United States in 1850 was California. The most popular boy’s name was Golden.
Rumor has it…Former television personality Ed McMahon once worked as a bingo caller when he was 15. He also worked as a carnival barker, fortune-teller, weight-guesser, and as a pitchman for vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
Rumor has it…TV remotes send control signals via light waves when changing channels, and light particles when controlling volume.
Rumor has it…While a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Sheperd Fairey, perhaps best known for his iconic “Yes We Can” Barrack Obama campaign poster, was arrested for defacing a campaign billboard by replacing the head of former Providence mayer Vincent “Buddy” Cianci with an 18-foot portrait of professional wrestler Andre the Giant.
Rumor has it…The human brain performs nearly half a million functions per second, but never more than one at any single instance.A lobotomized brain, however, can perform two simultaneous functions so long as they occur in separate hemispheres.
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Lots to do today, so we’ll go straight on to the Link o’ the Day: Culture Pulp by Mike Russell. Some fun stuff here at this combination webcomic-commentary kind of site. It’s a little uneven in spots, but a waltz through the archives is a good time.
Enjoy!
Filed under: Blogosphere, Humor, Rumor, Webcomics | |Comments off
Today’s Ogre’s Pick will be a quick one… a quick celebration of the TV show Dexter. I admit that when I first tried watching it several months ago that it didn’t take. Sure, the premise of a serial killer who goes after serial killers wasn’t a bad one, but after a couple of episodes I said, “meh” and found something else. The character narration was annoying. I have zero interest in the city of Miami. I didn’t care enough about the characters.
I waited, then tried again. This time I got a bit more into it. Sure, Miami still fails, but the narration worked better for me this time, and the characters, while mostly still flat, had occasional sparks of interest. I suppose it was the overall story arch that finally got me hooked. It became a bit of a mystery to figure out the truth behind Dexter’s background and his connection to the season’s villain, The Ice Truck Killer. I figured out the killer’s identity pretty early, but I don’t think that was any mean feat; it was pretty obvious from the start. The real mystery was his connection to Dexter.
Anyway, the second time around, I started to really enjoy the season and started watching season 2 immediately after. While the 2nd season is definitely weaker than the first, it’s still worth watching. Mostly it’s because you suspect there’s going to be some good stuff for the 3rd season (which I’ve not yet watched).
So am I recommending Dexter? Sure, for some. It won’t be for everyone. It’s not the best thriller/drama ever made, but it’s not bad. There are no real standouts for actors, but it’s the story that sells it–especially the first season. If you watch no other Dexter at least watch the entire 1st season.
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We’ve been slowly moving stuff over to the new house. Setting stuff up. Moving boxes. Oi. The moving of the boxes. The whole thing is pretty daunting. It’s exciting, sure. And it’s all going to be worth it. But I just know I’m going to question the whole thing at one point and suggest giving everything away and go live in a yurt instead.
We’ve had bizarre random act of mischief inflicted upon the new homestead. We arrived the other day to discover someone had moved our welcome mat from the front door to the front gate–perfectly placed, along with a lawn ornament and a rose. Someone had also gone up to the back porch and moved my new lawn mower to the back yard, and stole a cheap folding chair. No malicious damage beyond the petty theft. We’re figuring it was kids. Maybe welcoming us to the neighborhood. In any case, we’re not going to be o’ertrusting just because it’s suburbia, and we’ve met one of our neighbors (a very nice lady) and gave her our number in case she sees anything suspicious.
Let the adventure of home ownership begin!
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Today’s link is to one of the most underrated and under-appreciated webcomics: Angst Technology by Barry Smith. This strip ran for a few years in the early 00s and focused on a small computer gaming company, its workers and their zany, wacky adventures. I’d put it right up there with PvP Online and was very disappointed when Smith went on hiatus and then seemed to abandon the strip alltogether. He’s a good cartoonist and had some decent characters and ideas. He’s actually done a few different strips, all of which are worth checking out, and all of which you should be able to find from the Angst Technology site.
Cheers!
Filed under: Blogosphere, Comics, Home ownership, Ogre's Pick, Webcomics | |No Comments
Rumor has it… Cartoonists Gary Larson and Bill Watterson have never been witnessed in the same room together. While most consider this evidence that the two are the same person and that Watterson’s moustache must be a fake, some also believe it is simply because they tend not to attend many public events.
Rumor has it… IRS agents are encouraged to take courses in divination–particularly water-dowsing. This practice dates back to the Depression era when tax cheats would often hide gold in wells. It is estimated that there is still over $2 billion in gold hidden in wells across the country.
Rumor has it… Of the 110 people who have held a seat on the US Supreme Court, three have had a sixth finger on their left hand.
Rumor has it… Late, great astronomer and science-populist Carl Sagan was born with a full set of adult teeth. This occurs in approximately 1 out of 550,000 births and those born with this condition often gravitate toward careers in science.
Rumor has it… A ‘jiffy’ is an actual unit of time equal to 1/100th of a second.
Rumor has it… A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge. A dime had the same number of grooves up until 1963 when one groove was removed to honor the memory of President Kennedy.
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I’ve used these posts in the past to pimp for Phil Foglio’s Buck Godot and Girl Genius series. Now it’s time to pimp out one of the reasons why I first became a Foglio fan back in the early 80s to begin with. What’s New (with Phil and Dixie). This started as a comic appearing in the back of Dragon magazine in 1981 where the comic goofed mostly on the world of tabletop RPGs–always promising to do a special on “Sex and D&D” but always getting stymied before they could deliver. It disappeared for a while, then re-emerged when Magic: The Gathering became a big hit. Eventually they got to theit “Sex and D&D” segment, and many other adventures. They’re available in print form, but you can read most of them at the website for free.
Warm up the wayback machine! (Look for the comic on computerized roleplaying games. It’s amusing.)
Cheers!
Filed under: Blogosphere, Comics, Rumor, Webcomics, Writing | |No Comments
Welcome to Friday, and if it’s Friday then it’s time to check the mail. First up is a flyer printed on a garish neon-green page in lettering that could be best described as the sort used in ransom notes. No points to these fellows for typography. It reads:
Take Advantage of Our Latest Specials!!!
Old Doc Shubin Jr.’s Miracle Foot Creme
Do you feet get tired and sore? Do they leave in the middle of the night, leaving you with nothing but stumps in the morning? Well fret no more as Old Doc Shubin Jr.’s Miracle Foot Creme comes to the rescue. Just slather on, and new feet grow in mere minutes. Use those minutes to consider also purchasing…
Witch Hexel’s Miracle Wrinkle Creme
Yes, with Witch Hexel’s Miracle Wrinkle Creme you can attain deep, craggy wrinkles seconds faster than other miracle wrinkle cremes. Your neighbors will be your astounded (and won’t your spouse be surprised!) when they discover they can barely see your face at all under a mass of miracle wrinkles. Don’t thank us yet, but consider another of our latest products…
Strange Uncle Harvey’s Miracle Hair Creme
Got hair? Now you don’t. Hair will never grow again–it’s like you’ve “salted the Earth”. Want hair? Now it’s growing faster than Rapunzel could say “Antidistestablishmentarianism” with no end in sight. Truly a miracle in hair science. (Not for pregnant women, children under five or over 12, or the Irish.) As you ponder this miracle, consider one more…
Hoppy Go Lucky’s Miracle Vanishing Creme
World gotcha down? Are you surrounded on all sides by the slings and arrows of oppression? Hitting the glass ceiling or suffering from agism? There’s often only one way out, and that way out is Hoppy Go Lucky’s Miracle Vanishing Creme. Be the talk of the town as you step out of your hovel a new man or woman, ready to take on the world. How does it work? No one knows. Does it work at all? Why would we lie? For real?
No..not really. To be honest, we don’t know. But we can say this… none of our customers have every filed a complaint!
To order one of our patent Miracle Cremes, please see the attached order sheet. Make sure to ask for our catalog with a selection of over a 100 other Miracle Cremes that can change your life!. Give us the names and addresses of your friends, your enemies, of strangers you meet on trains. Everyone should have this opportunity.
That’ll show ‘em!
In addition to the above reproduced flyer, was a short message on rag paper written in crimson ink. It reads:
To Whom It May Concern:
Five times five is thirty.
Thirty times thirty is forty-four
Forty-four times forty-four is six hundred and eight
Six hundred and eight times six hundred and eight is five.
This is all we have to say on the matter at this time. We await your signal.
(unsigned)
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Today’s link goes to my latest review column at ForcesOfGeek.com: Looking to Hire a Zapgun? Why Not Buck Godot? in which I celebrate the Phil Foglio creation Buck Godot and his wild adventures in the Gallimaufry universe. Action! Intrigue! Zapguns!
What’s not to love?
Filed under: Blogosphere, Comics, Letters, Reviews, Webcomics, Writing | |No Comments
In between bouts of work, I’ve been torturing myself with a full re-read of the archives of the Christopher Baldwin webcomic Bruno. I think this is the third time now that I’ve done this since I first came across it in 2004. It’s a heavy and dense strip–not many light moments–with a lot of deep subjects like philosophy, depression, angst, self-discovery, and more. Bruno is kind of like the ball in a pinball game, rocketing around (albeit leisurely) from one emotional bumper to another, heading for an inevitable conclusion. The question then becomes (to push the pinball analogy further) will she rack up enough points to get that extra ball?
Okay, maybe not my best metaphor.
She just returned from her European adventure, and is gearing up (if I recall correctly) to return to Seattle after visiting her home grounds at Northampton, MA. Having spent a week in Northampton, I feel I understand where she’s coming from a little better. The town is kinda like the Island of Lost Toys, but I admit that I could probably live in a town like that. (Who knows? Maybe West Warwick can become the Northampton of Rhode Island. Pardon as I spit coffee out my nose, hehe)
Anyway, I have around five more years of archives to get through before finishing my Bruno odyssey. It’s like reading Neitzche or Sartre. It’s a struggle sometimes to get through, but there’s something there worth struggling for.
I’d recommend it, but with caution. It’s not a light read. It’s not the zany madcap adventures of a bunch of slacker gamer types. It’s not Questionable Content (another webcomic based in Northampton). But it’s a thoughtful journey.
Maybe too thoughtful, but hey. If reading webcomics were easy, everyone would be doing it.
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Van Alexander’s book, From Harlem To Hollywood: My Life In Music is heading to the printer this very morning. Actually, as I write this, I the high-res PDF files are being made and will be then uploaded immediately to the printer’s ftp site. Another book out the door. Woot!
I spent most of yesterday working on TumbleTap projects. My two big projects aimed for the San Diego ComicCon are pretty much done. I just need to get finishing touches done like the pagination and the covers. I really want to be able to send both of these to the printer next week so we have time for printing and shipping for the show. In addition I am getting the more immediate paying jobs done and out.
So a busy week, but a good busy. Everything on a nice even keel and schedule. Good.
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Today’s link goes to the BBC page for a very odd, 10-minute show of which there were only 8 episodes, but will be played and replayed by public television stations forever…I give you, Posh Nosh. Join Simon and Minty Marchmont of the Quill & Tassel in which they bring “extraordinary food to ordinary people.” It’s a surreally entertaining spoof on cooking shows, and passive-aggressive wannabee snobbish boors.
Trust me, it’s worth a watch. Episodes can be found on Youtube.
Cheers!
Filed under: Book layouts, Comics, Publishing, TumbleTap, Webcomics | |No Comments
Rumor has it…famous rumor-debunking website Snopes.com was originally Snoop.com until a Washington state judge ruled that Microsoft’s claim to the URL took precedent.
Rumor has it…90 percent of commercial margarines include the same ingredients that are used to make packing styrofoam.
Rumor has it…Superman was originally conceived as having a pencil moustache and was based, visually, on a young Vincent Price.
Rumor has it…Mauritania does not print its own currency, but instead uses a combination of US dollar bills, Canadian coinage and the piyan.
Rumor has it…film director Stephen Speilberg maintained a suite of unused offices at Universal Studios for two years before anyone noticed that he was not actually an employee of Universal, nor connected to any particular film.
Rumor has it…Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom host Marlin Perkins was deathly afraid of reptiles, birds, and insects. Creative editing and occasional matte shots merely gave the impression that Perkins was present during show segments that featured snakes, crocodiles, cranes, spiders, scorpions, and army ants.
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Work continues. I finished up the July issue of the medical journal yesterday. Today I’m hoping to put the last touches of the SFWA Bulletin, do some work on a film book, some more work on the Gaynor/Raffell book, finish up the back of the Van Alexander cover, catch up on a column entry, and broker a truce between enlightened iPhone users and those bastards over at Blackberry.
I am a man of peace.
That last item aside, it sounds like more work than it is. It’ll keep me busy today, but I’m happy to say that everything is, as usual, on schedule. I love my little lists. So should my clients.
It’s not all work. I have a good book I’m working through.
Two, actually.
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Today’s link goes to a long-running classic in the webcomic world: Jennie Breeden’s The Devil’s Panties. No, it’s not satanic porn. It’s a semi-autobiographical comic based on its creator, Jennie and her friends, and Jennie’s life as a cartoonist and frequent convention attendee. The archives go back nearly eight years and its quite a journey. Highly recommended.
Thumbs up to Jennie who is one of the rare few who has managed to scrape a living out of webcomics. She’s always working on something and keeping busy. Good on her!
Cheers!
Filed under: Blogosphere, Layouts, Rumor, Webcomics, Writing | |No Comments
We continue on our path toward home ownership. The latest manifestation of that journey appeared last night in a meeting with the banker to sign a stack of forms so high we had to look around it to see each other. I was less concerned with the idea of signing my life to a standard 30 year mortgage than I was with the fact that my signature started to morph into something even I couldn’t recognize as my own. I comfort myself with the idea that this is a typical phenomenon and that the squad of bankers, lawyers, underwriters, bureaucratic demons, and inspectors will understand this.
But we’re that much closer. We’d have been finished by now if the house itself wasn’t a flip and current law requires 90 days between original purchase and sale. Despite all the horror stories about flipped houses that have been in the news lately, this doesn’t appear to be one of them. The home inspector gave the place a very good review, and what minor things still needed attending, the seller is taking care of prior to closing, and our avenging angel of a real estate angel is on this like a pitbull after a baby carriage. (Too far? Should I reel that one back in? Seriously, I need to know.)
So far…so good. Moving is still going to be a huge undertaking for us packrats. Still much purging to do. Still much packing. Switching utilities. Post office notifications. Etc. But in the end, we’ll have a little place to call our own and I’ll have an enclosed back porch I can sip coffee from in the wee hours of the morning before descending into my “man cave” to work.
It’s the American dream.
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Work seems to be progressing pretty well, and only a little bit behind schedule. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have taken Monday off like the rest of the country, but then again–I think I deserved it. If I keep nose to the grindstone today and maybe pull some extra work in over the weekend, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be sitting well come Monday. As it is, I’ve gotten some projects out the door. Character Kings officially went to the printer yesterday as expected. I also delivered to the printer the June issue of the medical journal, and today will likely be sending to the printer the 2nd edition of the Agatha Award winning book Private Eyelashes: Radio’s Lady Detectives by Jack French.
The Design Integrations book will go out on another proof this afternoon–most likely its last. The same with the Van Alexander book. The SFWA Bulletin will be getting closer to publication. Rogue Satellite Comics also. All today. Should be a good day.
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Today’s link goes to a now-defunct online comic by Christopher Baldwin called Bruno. There are several years worth of archives here telling the story of a young woman (Bruno) and her journey through life looking for philosphical answers and psychological peace with self. Bruno reminds me of several folks I knew back in college days, which may be why I have such a soft spot for it even tho she sometimes descends into a maddening inability to make any real decisions about things.
But it’s a “thinking person’s” comic, and a bit different from the typical webcomic of today. There is some talented writing and artwork here, and while Baldwin has done a number of other comic projects since Bruno, this still remains my favorite of his. It’s worth checking out.
Cheers!
Filed under: Home ownership, Layouts, Uncategorized, Webcomics | |No Comments
Some people get three-day weekends. Well, if those people work in Massachusetts and they get Patriots Day off. Pretty Maggie is one of them and I wish I had had the presence of mind years ago when she first encountered the holiday to try and convince her it was in celebration of the football team. Coming from the South where football is a religion, this might have worked for a short time, but maybe not. She’s much smarter than I am.
So she has a three day weekend, but I’m hitting the grindstone, being a good little freelancer and sticking to a schedule. Just the same, it’s a relatively light day and if things go well, mayhaps I’ll break later in the day and we’ll go bowling. Did a little Saturday and I did better than the last time, but it’s still pretty inconsistent on my part. Just means I need more practice. Last night I did my whole “playin’ choons” thing at Ward’s pub. ‘Twas a pretty good night although the fingers on my fretting hand are a little sore from over-practicing over the weekend. I’ve been trying to get down “Little Liza Jane” on the five-string banjo and “Swinging on the Gate” on the four-string. I made good progress, but I’m paying for it now.
We get incrementally closer to becoming homeowners. A lot depends on a phone call I’m expecting today, and then I visit my accountant later this week for some paperwork, then we hit the loan officer again for the official pre-approval. Once that happens, we tell our real estate agent that we’re kosher enough to make offers and we get to follow up on looking at some houses we’ve have our eye on this past month.
In an ideal world, we’d close by the end of May. Wish us luck. It really is time to get the hell out of Providence.
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A light-ish day. Mostly editing and uploading final files to the printer. I’ll be attending Comic Book Day at Sarge’s Comics in New London, CT on May 2. Hopefully I’ll have some TumbleTap items on hand, but at the very least it’ll be a fun day to meet and greet and check out what’s what. I’ll be tagging along with the Strange Eggs pair, Chris Reilly and Steve Ahlquist.
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Today’s link goes to one I think I’ve shared before, but as I’m currently enjoying the archives, I figured I’d share it again. Welcome to Least I Could Do, the webcomic. Made by the folks who give us Looking For Group, Messrs Sohmer and Desouza relate the comic misadventures of Rayne and his friends. It’s kind of like the TV show Friends only people actually have sex and are funny. Big warning though…it, at times, could be considered offensive to some. It kind of pushes the envelope when it comes to political incorrectness. Do not come crying to me if you don’t have a sense of humor. Otherwise, enjoy!
Cheers!
Filed under: Comics, Layouts, Music, Publishing, Webcomics | |No Comments
I’ve always been a fan of Kenneth Branagh’s version of Henry V since it first blew me away in theaters, 1989. It’s Shakespeare turned up to 11. It appeared this morning on cable and it’s been my morning viewing.
My favorite character? Not Robbie Coltrane’s Falstaff which is brilliant. Not Branagh’s Henry (I still call him Hal). But rather Brian Blessed’s intense portrayal of Kent. Does this guy have a setting less than 11? Less than 20? You probably know him best as Prince Vultan from the 1980 version of Flash Gordon (and his subsequent reprisal of the role on an episode of Family Guy or as Richard IV in Black Adder. If I had ever gone into acting when I was younger, I’d have cultivated a style similar to his–which would have been a failure on my part because a.) I suspect there can be only one, b.) there ain’t room for more than one, and c.) I just wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I can’t act, you see.
So I’ll just enjoyed Blessed’s performances when I can. (He was also Robin Hood’s dad in the Kevin Costner version.)
“Hawkmen! Dive!”
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I’m looking over a book on the British TV series The Professionals, but my main current project on the book front is putting together a book on the films of actor Ray Danton–one of those faces you recognize, but rarely put a name to. Pretty straightforward sort of book, but there are going to be a lot of photos to process and place.
TumbleTap work continues. I’m still waiting for the magic of the internet to route the URL to the right site, but other work continues. I’ve been asked, so I’ll answer.. yes, we should have Rogue Satellite Comics and Oz Squad available and on-hand at the San Diego ComicCon. I won’t be there, but Chris Reilly of Rogue Satellite will be there hawking it alongside his many creations at Slave Labor Graphics.
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Today’s link drops by a fun little webcomic called Joy of Tech available from the good folk at GeekCulture.com. In keeping with my recent reading of Jpod and my current reading of Microserfs it’s very much in mesh with that geek world. A good recommendation. Check it out.
Cheers!
Filed under: Movie review, Webcomics | Brian Blessed, Danton, Joy of Tech, Tumbletap|No Comments
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