may 20 - jun 3 2006

may.24.06

Educate yo'self!!

Daaaaaaaaaaay-um if you guys ain't responsive! Thanks for all the e-mails about the "drunk rant." You will likely never hear anything quite like that from me again, or at least not until I read a book or ten on American history. More on that in a moment.

But FIRST! FANART!! (By Rob King, professional Danielle Corsetto Ass-Kisser)

And forgive the filler strip, guys. I spent all night replying to a very long e-mail that I should have put off until tomorrow. (Oops, "today" - it's morning... ugh!) Keep your eye on this page throughout the afternoon!

Okay, a few important notes about the "drunk rant." First of all, I believe I said it in the rant once or twice, but I am by no means an expert on this stuff. I haven't had cable in 7 years, I read way too little about current events, and it's a miracle I passed my history classes. So please don't take my word on anything; however, feel free to form your own opinions based on what you read. You should do that with EVERYTHING you read/hear.

The one strongly argumentative e-mail I received said something that I found important to highlight:

"...your media rant was precisely the sort of bunk that creates such widespread ignorance in our society and allows government to stomp on our civil rights. Do you realize what you're advocating to your "few thousand people," many of which really might take this as some sort of proof that our media is not to be trusted as a source of information?"

Okay, to explain, he was talking about my comment questioning the trustworthiness of our news. The e-mail was from a journalist.

I won't take a side on this issue - whether our news media is trustworthy or not - because I have no proof one way or the other. And therein lies the issue: While I stressed those in the entertainment industry to watch what they say because their readers will be influenced, I may have influenced people myself without having the information to back it up.

So, please disregard the blatant bash on our news media. While some of them over-dramatise things, I can't say that for ALL of them.

I don't agree with everything this reader said in his e-mail, but I felt that point was especially important for me to clear up.

And now, something even more important...

Another pal wrote in with lists and lists of suggested reading. I thought I'd share.

Reading suggestions:

The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, which can be found here

The Federalist Papers, which can also be found here

Thomas Paine's Common Sense

Henry David Thoreau's Walden and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Howard Zinn's A Peoples History of the United States, 1492-Present

Power Surge (The Cato Institute)

Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey

edited by Karen Wilkin

On warrantless wiretapping:

Congressional Research Service (CRS, a nonpartisan arm of Congress) on Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information (BREATHE!), which was released a week before...

Legal Authorities Supporting the Activities of the National Security Agency Described by the President (BREATHE AGAIN!) from the Department of Justice (DOJ), requested by VP Cheney... compare to the above document.

Also, for those of you who don't know ('cause I never did!), NPR can be found somewhere between 87.9 to 91.9 FM.

One last note, and then I'll shut the hell up:

I've made a few additions/changes to the "rant" - they're all noted below that post. Scroll down and enjoy some really lovely quotes! (Thank you, Mark and Michael!)

So that's it. Topic switch: BOOOOOBIES!! And are you reading Bat Boy in The Weekly World News? You should be, 'cause if you're not, you're missing out on a lot of action right now!

Oh, and I have a surprise for you guys on Monday. But I'll remind you then. Stay tooned!

may.26.06

Surprise... NOT!

Okay, so I guess most of you know about Monday's "surprise." :) Paul's posting a week's worth of guest strips at Wapsi Square starting Monday, and mine's the first one to kick it off. If you're not reading Wapsi, what the hell are you still doing HERE??!

He's got a kick-ass lineup of guest strippers (um... comic strippers, that is) - and Ms. Greenfield is one of 'em!

So now for a REAL surprise: some of you may think you've missed my "$35 Sketch Blow-Out Sale" offer for the month of May. Well, you haven't. I'm extending it to June because I did such a crappy job of keeping up with those of you who were asking for $35 sketches. So it's not too late!

If you'd like a greyscale 9"x12" $35 sketch (very similar to the ones you see here), just e-mail me with your request!

This includes shipping & handling (in the States) and one greyscale character. Extra characters are $20 a pop, and a full color one-character is $60.

I'll be starting all sketches in early June after the drawings for the Dune book are finished. Because my body has this expensive requirement to eat, these prices will nearly double after June (yeah, I know, you guys probably don't believe me anymore... but I mean it this time!).

Thanks as always, y'all!

may.26.06

cont'd...

One last thing... a few people have been asking me about the quality of the strip lately. Thanks for asking, because I need the feedback. I'm trying out a lot of new techniques and supplies right now, so bear with me!

Recently I've been trying new pens, and I'm not sure how I feel about them yet. I'd been using Micron 01 (.25mm) pens on regular 9"x12" bristol until just recently.

As of strip #146, I've been drawing on 11"x15" watercolor paper with Pitt Artist pens (brush tips), which is what I use to sketch with at conventions. This is the format I use for my Bat Boy strips, so I thought I'd give it a shot on GWS for a little while, feel it out a bit.

I'm expecting a huge box of supplies from Dick Blick (THE artist's Internet shopping sanctuary), including a bunch of pens I bought just for the fun of it. So if you see something you like in GWS (or something you really don't like), please let me know!

may.27.06

ahh-CHOO!!

It's that time of year. The time when your beloved webcartoonist (no, not Jennie Breeden this time... I'm talking about me) starts sniffling and sneezing and rubbing her watery eyes as she ruthlessly pushes through allergy season to bring you your comic strips.

I wouldn't write it that way if it wasn't that bad. I get a MEAN case of pollen allergies every year, and today marked the first day of my symptoms for '06.

Normally, I get an allergy shot in my right ass cheek, and after about a week everything's a-OK. Well, I lost a little weight after my shot last year, and now there's a big, gaping..... y'know what? This is getting a little personal. Let's just say that I'm not getting the shot this year. You can ask me in person just what happened to my right ass cheek.

So anyway, this year I've decided to try something I'd been told about years ago: local honey.

The idea is, honeybees collect all that pollen you're most allergic to in your area, and consuming a few teaspoons a day will build up your immunity to those pollens.

Just thought I'd mention it, because I want to let those of you fellow allergy-sufferers (is that a word?!) know whether or not it works. I'm only one patient, and I'm sure results will vary from person to person, but at least it may give you an idea.

I'm sure you'll all be at the edges of your seats wondering if the honey works or not.

Welcome to the most exciting blog in the world.

may.29.06

Enjoy!

As promised, Paul's got a Danielle Corsetto guest strip up at his site today. Go check it out!

And anybody coming from Wapsi... welcome!

may.31.06

ka-POW!!

Quick note - a HUGE thunderstorm just came upon Shepherdstown! If you don't see a new strip up Wednesday, it'll be up later in the day.

I'm gonna go light some candles now. EEP!! *hiding under the covers!*

jun.02.06

Apology.

I am so, so sorry to anyone who has this song stuck in their head for the rest of the day.

jun.02.06

Tyler's cameo.

Hey!! Tyler was cameoed in today's Penny Arcade!!

jun.03.06

*GASP!*

Okay, my dreams have come true. Check it out.

HA! And they're practically in step with each other! The one on the left was done by Quinn Gillespie (THANK YOU QUINN!) and the one on the right was... well, a joint effort between myself (coloring) and my friend Mike (who has a pirated copy of Image Ready that actually WORKS, unlike my paid-for, VALID version, which does not... hisssssss!!!!).

My readers so rock. Thanks guys. :)