Hey It's My Birthday!
July 28, 2007
Here's a pertinent comic strip from my current favorite cartoonist on earth over at the Perry Bible Fellowship:
Labels: comics, humor
posted by Shag at 9:29 AM
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R.I.P Kurt Vonnegut 1922-2007
April 12, 2007
So it goes.
There's nothing I can say that can accurately convey the sense of loss I feel over one of the 20th Century's most important authors, except that his writing had an amazing way of putting everything -- our actions, our mere existence, the universe itself -- into perspective. Vonnegut was a man who broke down the hugeness of our planet, and the monstrousness of our species, into childlike concepts. I will never forget seeing him on a tv interview, advocating a new and much-needed Cabinet position: "Secretary of the Future".
Here's a pretty comprehensive summing-up of his life.
(Although they left out the part where he wonders aloud how long he was going to have to wait before the damn cigarettes finally did their job and killed him already.)
One more thing: Kurt Vonnegut, a cynical, curmudgeony genius, would no doubt appreciate the minimal media coverage (or lack thereof) concerning his death, and what it ultimately says about our culture and its fascination with "celebrities" vs. "actual important topics 1 through infinity". After browsing through several other blogs and message boards, it was difficult to keep from crying when I read the messages of grief and loss from his readers. Unfortunately, we have no problem focusing our attention on (for example) Anna-Nicole Smith and her death, her fortune, the lineage of her child -- for WEEKS on end. But the passing of a brilliant mind like Vonnegut's will surely receive only the most cursory mentions on tonight's news broadcasts. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
Note: I just checked Google News. Anna Nicole Smith is at the top of the quick-links list for today's news, with over 2,100 related articles. Kurt Vonnegut's death is listed about 3/4 of the way down the page, with about 800.Labels: books, heroes, humor, smoking
posted by Shag at 8:57 AM
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Groundhog Day
February 2, 2007
Is it "Groundhog" or "Groundhog's" day? I never really knew for sure.
Anyway, this day is kind of a bizarre and pointless tradition, but this year ol' Phil has predicted an early Spring for the first time I can remember. I wonder if this has anything to do with global warming?
Ok well, it may be a silly day and a silly tradition, but the movie of the same name is one of my all-time favorites. Here's a politicized spoof by Tom Tomorrow. Enjoy!Labels: comics, humor, movies
posted by Shag at 2:51 PM
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Why I Gave Up On Comic Strips
January 20, 2007
 When I was at SU, I had a comic strip in the Daily Orange that ran two days a week, called "Welcome To My World". It was poorly drawn, but I was more focused on the humor at the time. Probably my biggest inspiration at the time (1998-2000) was a little strip from Canada called Space Moose. If you've never seen it, there's really no way to do it justice with a simple explanation (warning - it's NOT for kids.)
In recent months, I've been considering starting up a new series of comic strips, because at least once a day I have an idea that I think would be pretty funny. The only problem is, there are already so many strips out there on the Web that are amazing and hilarious, that it's actually kind of discouraging. I'm fairly certain that nothing I can come up with will ever be as good as some of the genius I've seen out there. I'm sure you have felt the same way about something before, be it music, art, writing, or whatever.
Anyway, I still may end up doing a strip if I can force myself to work hard enough on it. But for now, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. If you're planning to read any of these while you're at work, at church, or while someone is taking a nap in the other room, I strongly advise against it, because it's guaranteed that some of these will make you laugh WAY out loud. Check it:
- "Get Your War On" - A highly political strip that I assume evolved from the author's prior series, "My New Filing Technique is Unstoppable". Both are absolutely insane and fantastic commentaries on the state of business, world politics, and clip art.
- "The Perry Bible Fellowship" - Hilarious and disturbing at the same time. The author is an SU grad (just like me!) who used to have a strip in the Daily Orange (just like me!). One way in which he is not just like me is that his comics are an equal blend of witty dark humor and fantastic craftsmanship.
- "This Modern World" - You may recognize Tom Tomorrow's work from my links page. His comics are hosted on Salon.com and WorkingForChange.com, as well as in many newspapers across the nation.
Go check these comics out, but be sure to heed my warnings. Otherwise, you might get in trouble for uncontrollable laughter. Labels: artists, comics, humor
posted by Shag at 6:08 PM
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