Cartoonists With Attitude

From John Scalzi:

“The Poor Suffer the Most�?

Used, for example, in this news header today in a story about food shortages: “As a brutal convergence of events hits an unprepared global market, and grain prices go sky high, the world’s poor suffer most.�?

Really? The poor suffering the most? It’s hard to imagine. Because, you know, usually when there’s a major global crisis of any sort, it’s the poor sitting there on the sidelines, going whew, dodged that bullet. How strange that the people the least economically, socially and educationally able to deal with wrenching change should suffer the most. How odd that the rich should so often be able to shield themselves from the ravages of events. It’s almost as if they have some advantage over poor people, although off the top of my head what it might be escapes me.

Read more.

Most administration officials retire into cushy lobbying jobs for missile makers or a spot on the board of Conglomo Corp. General Tommy Franks has joined the Board of Directors for Chuck E. Cheese’s. I’m not sure if that’s moving up or down in the world. Richard Frank, CEC CEO:

“General Franks’ experience of managing operations and developing strategy will be invaluable to our board and company…General Franks’ international background and relationships will complement our efforts to grow our business and increase shareholder value.”

Running the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq are certainly interesting bullet points to have on one’s resume, though I do wonder how they translate to running a pizza joint where some unfortunate shlup sweats it out in a rat costume for $7 an hour. I guess they figure if he survived Iraq he can handle their hellish franchise. Let’s hope thousands of children don’t die this time.

My local paper does me proud.

In the article, the writer wonders about the end-of-the-book list of search terms people have used to find my website. I assure you every single one is real. Even the one about Janice and her pubic hairs.

For several days before Stumptown I was feeling nervousness and dread, and I was convinced that no one would buy “Hereville.” On the drive to Stumptown Saturday I felt so anxious about that, I worried I might vomit.

So things went better than I expected.

I sold 65 copies of Hereville at Stumptown, which was enough to cover the costs of printing. In fact, between Stumptown sales and some other sales, the first printing of 100 copies is nearly sold out. (!) (But — I feel obligated to mention — you can still buy them here, if you want.)

Saturday night, Hereville won one of Stumptown’s treasured Trophy Awards, for “outstanding art.” (The winners are determined by a vote of Stumptown attendees.) That made me very happy. My friend Erika received three well-deserved awards for her excellent, funny, sweet, but adults-only strip Dar! The Trophy Awards are great, because the con organizers buy used trophies and relabel them. Mine is a female bowler with — get this — a cross on the pedestal! As you can see, it’s gone straight to my head mantle:

(On the Hereville webpage, which I don’t want to use for non-relevant political debates, I blurred out the Nader button. But I’m putting the unblurred pic here on “Alas” because I think it might amuse people.)

I also met some neat new people and saw some old friends, although less than I would have liked. (Onyxrising has a funny LJ entry about seeing me at Stumptown.) I didn’t get much of a chance to see the convention, because I spent almost all my time at my table pitching Hereville, but I really enjoyed it.

I also got to be a total mooch on my friends, who I relied upon for a lot of free labor. So thank you Jake Squid (ride to the con, day 1, plus setting up), Chris Baldwin (ride home), Kevin Moore (ride to the con, day 2), Jake Richmond, Katie Moody, & Ivy McCloud (sitting in for me when I was away), Charles Seaton (ride home, plus breaking down), and Kip Manley (more rides). (Can you tell I don’t have a driver’s license?)

And I have to shout out to the awesome Rachel Edidin, of the also awesome org Girl Wonder, because several people bought Hereville because she told them to! (She also told me she’ll be reviewing Hereville on her blog sometime soon.) Plus, there’s the knitting… but I think that will be a post of its own, when the time comes.

Finally, I have to sincerely thank the folks whose tables were next to mine — the McCloud family, Larry Marder, and especially Jen Sorenson — for restraining themselves from strangling me after hearing my Hereville pitch hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. (Jen and I were joking that when she went home, she’d bewilder her husband by mumbling “it’s about an 11 year old Orthodox Jewish girl” in her sleep.)

(And one more thank you — Photo of me by Jenn Manley Lee!)

Shorter Andrew Sullivan: Barack Obama’s refusal to offer to project a broad hatred of so-called radical black religious figures dangerously threatens my imaginary support for his candidacy and could seriously reduce his turnout of racists in the November election.

Shorter Ben Smith: Can you believe we’re paid to do this?

Shorter Andrew Sullivan: Barack Obama’s refusal to offer to project a broad hatred of so-called radical black religious figures dangerously threatens my imaginary support for his candidacy and could seriously reduce his turnout of racists in the November election.

Shorter Ben Smith: Can you believe we’re paid to do this?

John McCain is never wrong, ever.

John McCain is never wrong, ever.

(note: stylistic inspiration from Steven Cloud’s “Boy on a Stick and Slither”)

In the Minimum Security comic from 4/29, it’s not worth it. Click on the fragment below for the full cartoon at comics.com:

The more you click on my cartoons at comics.com, the better the chances they’ll appear in daily city papers, possibly starting in the fall of 2008. If you like Minimum Security, please see a new cartoon each weekday!

I should note that I am currently in Seattle, and will be doing my slideshow thang Tuesday night, the 29th, at the University Bookstore @7pm. I know I have a bunch of readers in the Seattle area, so now’s your chance to get me to doodle in your copy of One Nation, Oh My God!

If you do not find yourself in the vicinity of the Puget Sound, you should avoid schmuckdom by getting my book if you haven’t yet.