New comic for Supertalk 2

Here's the first page for my "Supertalk 2" anthology comic. It starts out nice and sweet, but don't worry. It takes a dark turn soon enough. I've left the grey areas very simplified because they will be converted into half-tones (those dotted patterns you see in newspapers that your eye blends into shades of grey). Anyhow, I'm pretty happy with it so far. The other comic I'm working on is set up on a pretty rigid grid of four panels per page, so it's nice to do something looser and more organic.

I'm not going to post the other pages in the hopes that you'll actually buy the comic when it comes out in early April. There's lots of other great contributors in there, just like the last issue, so cough up the five bucks and be happy about it.

Marsona Traveler 1220

The Marsona Traveler 1220 comes in a handsome cream & "false" wood-grain finish. It is the perfect size for the person-on-the-go and will easily tuck away into a modest sized duffel bag (seen here pictured with a Jarritos Lime Soda bottle for size reference). Select from "rain" or "waterfall" with full range of bass/treble to soothe even the fussiest of infants. Alternately, plug microphones or electric musical instruments into the 1/4" input jacks and let that baby wail!

Thailand comic journal

Loyal turncoats,

Sorry I have had radio silence for a while. I'm nearing the end of penciling the new chapter of "Losers Weepers", and I'm also working on a new three page comic for the upcoming "Supertalk 2" anthology. Plus, I'm readying the files for the new "Snakepit" book. All three will be available on April 10th at MoCCA here in NYC (or you can order them from www.birdcagebottombooks.com).

In the meantime, here's a couple of diary comics I drew in cars and planes on our honeymoon trip to Thailand. I kept a non-comic journal as well, and I've scanned it all in to send to a friend who is visiting Thailand soon. If any of you share my enthusiasm for monkeys, veganism and elephants and are planning a trip to Thailand, holler at me and I'll send you the journal so you'll have some good info (including how to order vegan meals in Thai!).

Review in Inkstuds

Thanks to Carrie Try Harder for her review of "Old Man Winter & OST" on the Inkstuds blog.

In between diaper changes, I'm keeping myself busy with the second chapter of "Losers Weepers" (just over half done with tight page sketches) and preparing "Snakepit 2009" for print.

On Monday, we went to the funeral service for David Levine, an old friend of Karen's family and an accomplished caricaturist and painter. You will undoubtedly recognize his work from regular publication in The New Yorker, Newsweek, Esquire, Playboy, The New York Review of Books, Rolling Stone, etc., etc. I never met him personally, but I've always admired his work. The service was in our neighborhood because he was born in Brooklyn and lived in Brooklyn Heights. From the many speeches given, I gather that he was a principled and loving man with a great affection for Brooklyn and the underappreciated blue collar worker. He will be missed!

Got Milk?

Ironically, as I started this post my little 6 week old baby was fussing to nurse.

People often ask me why I don't consume dairy. Most are generally aware of the cruelty involved in bringing chicken, beef and pork to the plate, but they still don't see how dairy farming could be harmful. Thanks to the undercover video footage below from Mercy For Animals, now you can see for yourself. Besides the fact that male calves born on dairy farms are usually sold to veal farms since they can't produce milk (and we all know the cruelty they will endure there), the cows that remain in these dairy facilities suffer tremendously.

Please take a few minutes to watch this video if you partake in dairy products. It's important to know where the food we ingest comes from. I used to think that once videos like these were released into the public that things would change. The dairy (or meat, or egg) industry would be held responsible. Sadly, as countless videos like these pile up, very little changes within the industry. Livestock are not protected by humane treatment laws the way cats and dogs are, although organizations like the Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary and the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary are working toward protecting these animals through legislation.

The best thing you can do to change these industries is to vote with your wallet. Become a vegetarian, or better yet, become a vegan. Don't support this kind of cruelty. Thanks!