No Clever Title Needed | 12-26-2011

And I’m back. Alive. Just glad Christmas is over.

Yes, I have totally been Scrooge this year. Or maybe, better yet, Charlie Brown. I don’t know, something about getting older and Christmas doesn’t necessarily match up. I’m in that weird in between time, right now. I’m no longer a young kid, believing in Santa but neither do I have my own kids and seep enjoyment through their excitement. Instead, I’m the college kid who comes home to mom and dad and quickly realizes how much he likes living on his own.

And my parents. Shit. They’re at the point where their one and only kid has stopped believing in Santa, is in college and doesn’t exactly want to be home with them. It’s fucked up for everybody. And we don’t really get anything out of the whole religious angle, either.

But, yeah. My mom did made a nice dinner. That was enjoyable. Other than that, watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was my one source of pleasure on this holiday. I never realized how willing that special is to allow its narrative to wonder and float. Clearly there’s a tight plot for its 30-some minute run time, but Schultz let that thing drift a bit and sink in. Whether it’s with scenes spent walking through the snow or odd, off the wall spotlights on particular members of the Peanuts cast, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a very patient, atmospheric story. I kind of forgot how beautiful that special is.

Ah well. Links.

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Go listen to the new Splash Page Podcast. Tim Callahan and Chad Nevett chat for three hours on comics, writing, “blogspheres” and whatever else. Honestly, it’s a new Splash Page. Good enough reason, if you ask me. Only the best comics podcast ever.

Listen.

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I’ve fallen into the comics of John Porcellino after reading King-Cat #72 for a review assignment over at Spandexless.com. This dude is legit. Self-published, serialized comics about life and whatever else. Oddly enough, if I were to make a comic, King-Cat is what I would want to make. In some sense. Laugh if you want, but Porcellino demands my attention. Once I’ve caught up on the pile of books I already own and have the money, his catalog will be mine. For now, here’s an excerpt from my forth coming Spandexless review.

John Porcellino seems like one of those true, vagabond artist types. Whether it’s reading his blog or this issue of King-Cat, you gather the vibe he lives both the life of a romantic and a starving artist – traveling, living on whim and creating. And even though he portrays his life in this comic as sad, depraved and hungry, I actually want the life this guy has.

Also, the King-Cat website. Here. Porcellino’s blog. Here.

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Tucker Stone was interviewed by Tom Spurgeon. Read the interview. I don’t agree with everything, but it’s certainly one of the more entertaining interviews I’ve read in a while. I liked this bit the most.

Let me be absolutely clear: It is my choice to participate in these things — to read shitty web sites and get irritated by what people promote online and how they promote it — but the only alternative, the way I see it, would be to quit the job I currently have and have a consumer-only relationship with comics. If you write about this stuff — and I think you can take the modifier “certain kind of comic book” out of the equation, because art/alt comics people are as bad (if not actually worse) — you’re going to end up bumping into that part of the industry all of the time.

I’m just glad someone of Tucker’s caliber said that because it seems so easy to just flip off all mainstream comics anymore and praise the art scene. Tucker’s a respected dude in that scene, so it’s cool to see him not pander to it. Instead, he’s unbiased and real, throwing shit at everyone. I like it.

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Short week. I’m tired. Peace.