Comic for Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Posted: 6:25 am, Wednesday, February 11th

I can't believe how much time a wordless strip took to draw. I read one time that the graphic novel is the highest ratio of time-spent-producing to time-spent-consuming out of any storytelling medium. I guess that's discounting paintings hanging in a museum, and it's discounting the work of Grady Tripp, but I thought of that line a few times while I was drawing this one the other day. Meh, it was a lot of fun, though. Friday's installment - unless I am severely swayed from the plot sketches I have - will serve much more to advance things than these last two. I'm not letting all the major plotlines hang untied ad infinitum, don't worry.

Speaking of Latin! Some freakshow translated Zelda II: The One I Play Now and Can't Fucking Believe I Somehow Beat When I Was Twelve into Latin. In case you were wondering, "Errator sum."

I am about midway through my first listen to Madame Allen's latest, and while it is wildly different from Alright, Still, I am enjoying it quite a bit. I had my laptop in school last week and two of my kids were flicking through my iTunes (under my strict observation) and they were shocked that I had 5,996 songs. There is a handy side effect to having no short-term memory or attention span, and it is that you can get the iPod with the least amount of memory. Although one of these kids asked me yesterday if I knew America's "Horse With No Name." The other one told me I was old - this is the first time they have realized that I am not actually 21. And now I'm telling long, boring school stories. My conversation absolutely fucking blows these days. Sorry.

Speaking of lady rockers, I won't pretend to have any idea what the fuck is the deal with the Sri Lankan civil war (now in its year), but I have to say, MIA is awesome for that Grammys thing the other night. (And fuck you, Radiohead, fuck you for performing with the USC Marching Band. Kid A was nonsensical shit and Amnesiac was a cheap re-heating of said nonsensical shit.)

Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow (if I did my math right from a little countdown on the MLB channel last night)(that's right, I'm the asshole watching the MLB channel in still-kind-of early February), and Ichiro would like to remind you that there is nothing he and his amazing Japanese coolness powers cannot do much, much, much better than you.

Seriously, there is no better logo than the old Brewers one. I have a soft spot for the Brew Crew in spite of Bud Selig because of that logo, and the city's undying devotion to bratwurst.

Last baseball thing, Joe Torre is having a tremendous off-season. First he jumpstarts the A-Rod's a douche season by having someone tell ... wow, dude who I love and whom's name is escaping me right now... that they called the dude "AFraud", and now he's cool with gay ballplayers. I know it seems completely 18th-century of me to take a pro-gay stance in this space (I don't know what I'm trying to say there - that everyone reading this site has likely been down with the gays for over 200 years now, I think - ignore me, it's late, and I should really hit the hay, but I just found a Hold Steady rarity I've been looking for forever and I need to digest it), but it's an issue that has come up a lot lately because of the kids I teach and their rampant, virulent, cultural and religious homophobia. I've got a few I think I can work with to eventually become normalized members of society, but right now I can't even recommend Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List. (Not that I think I could, anyway - the first 35 pages or so are really good, and then it's about 190 pages of meh with a nice little payoff at the end, but I only read the end because I keep forgetting my other YA book in my room)(Fantastic cover design, though, although a little flawed based upon the one - very central - piece of gum in the story.)(Verducci, Tom Verducci.)

(Alright, Condom band aside, Kid A was awesome, I can't even pretend to think otherwise. Amnesiac I was less big on.) (Also, great movie, Grammys, for pulling your performance videos off of YouTube and not putting them on your own Goddamn site. Brilliant way to be relevant.)

bullfrog

Bullfrog -- Wednesday, February 11 2009, 06:22 am

As I am a 25-45 year-old male who loves horror films and didn't date much (at all) in high school, I am contractually obligated to post anything involving Bruce the Chin Campbell.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/bruce-campbell,23651/

What is up with Lissa taking the 1 train over by Lincoln Center? She lives on the UES, right?? These are the answers I want!

Loving this arc. You're doing a great job with it.

The Chin rules. I'm not getting the one sheet for Army of Darkness tattooed on my back, but he's great at what he does - being a cheesy actor in weird flicks. Bubba Ho-tep is a bizarre, wonderful little flick.

Zero

Shoot, that's the sort of problem that bothers me. She's at 68th/Hunter on the 6. I actually replaced the yellow-red-orange seats for six-train accurate gray benches, too.

This computer sucks, so pardon any strange double-posts from your humble host.

Love that Pete is (re?)reading HALF-BLOOD PRINCE in the last frame.

Jeez Mista Frog, I didn't know you were a similar Mass Transit dork like myself. I am quite happy with this.

I've been reading for a couple of years and not commenting, but THIS--! I admit I didn't see it coming and yet it makes a lot of sense. Except Ron disappearing seemed out of character for a pretty decent guy. Hmm, what is he thinking? Today really prolonged the agony. It sure works as storytelling though. Lissa seems stunned and we needed to feel how long it lasts. Nothing beats wordless panels.

I hope he's out buying flowers, just in time for Valentine's Day.

(Although I was also excited about the possibility of something with Jen, back in the day. -- the fickle hopeless romantic)

Yay, new commentors! Thanks, Joe B, that really makes my day. And I hope not to disappoint with Ron's whereabouts, ktbb.

I'm really glad everyone's enjoying this so far - I was really wrestling with this decision right up 'til go-time. It's an organic growth, and it kind of changes the entire focus of the strip, but I'm really feeling reinvigorated by it, and I'm excited for the possibilities. So it's really gratifying to know that folks are down with it.

And spam! Whoo!

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I think you got it right on the 4-5-6 train. 68th is definitely a stop up there and you gave the interior the modern-car look. I also like the angry guy reading the book next to her. That's just about every hipster on every train.

Also digging this story arc a lot.