Dr. Seuss Necktie

Picked this up at Goodwill and wore it to work. I like it because it blends my librarian and cartoonist selves. Dr. Seuss has been one of my art heroes since childhood.

The reverse side has a quote:

"The more you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

-from I Can read With My Eyes Shut, by Dr. Seuss.

The Comics Journal Reading List

I was asked to contribute to The Comics Journal Reading List for three years in a row, 1990-1992, and for three years in a row I was a smartass jerk about it. Then they stopped asking me. I wonder why?

City Limits Gazette # dead porcupine icebox (Oct. 1991)

The Bil Keane Watch with input from Bob Richart, Mark Campos, and Ted Bolman, Bruce Chrislip gives a nice report on Shary Flenniken's talk to Cartoonists Northwest in Seattle, we say goodbye to the great Dr. Seuss, bad cover versions of Hey Jude.

State of Beings # 2. Alaska came with this one.

Snake Skin

1st edition, 1994, presented as a print-on-demand comic, regular digest size. I would guess there are anywhere between 50 to 100 copies out there.

This was originally drawn as a contribution for Iron Moose # 3 in 1984.

Although I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog I thought this tale was influenced by Dr. Seuss' Yertle the Turtle, I cannot deny it is also reflection of my years of working in traditional bureaucratic hierarchies.

Retreads 5

1st edition, 1985, Pullman, Washington, 50 copies, goldenrod cover, enlarged digest size. Not released until 1986.

2nd edition, February 1986, 30 copies, salmon cover, enlarged digest size. This is the edition posted here.

1st Danger Room Reprint edition, July 2005, 5 copies, blue cover, enlarged digest size.

Trivia:

Pages 3-7, 23-end was my response to living in a Christian Republican stronghold during the high tide of Reaganism, an era of socialism for the rich and corporations, resulting in the national debt skyrocketing to new heights. Sarah Palin and the Tea Baggers are evidence that all of Ron the Con's massive cuts to education in the 1980s have managed to benefit the Republicans in the long run. So these comix, unfortunately, remain relevant today. I would like it better if these comix were seen as period pieces, charming reminders of when America went temporarily crazy.

Pages 11-15 gave me an opportunity to play straight man to Bruce Chrislip in one of the more unusual formats in comixland.

Pages 16-17 was a jam with Chrislip and Michael Dowers at the former's place near Lake Union in Seattle, December 18, 1984. As I recall, a significant amount of alcohol had been consumed. It was during this visit we all learned of the death of the great underground comix artist (and at that time formerly a recent Seattle resident) Greg Irons, who was one of my favorites of that genre. I always thought Irons had a touch of Durer in his work.

Pages 18-21: Obviously influenced by the Dr. Seuss book, Yertle the Turtle.