Summer is over. It technically lasts until September 22, but around these parts summer ends when the windows stay open all day and night. No AC and no heater for as long as we can stand it. Sweater weather is the best weather and I’m here for every bit of it.
The following is a riff on and continuation of a comic by
published recently in his own newsletter. You should read it first.
Breakfast Sandwiches (cont’d)
At the end of Mitchell’s piece there is a long list of comics to read and a short explanation of why comics are of particular interest to him. There’s a lot in that little essay that I can relate to. Apparently enough to provide the kick in the pants I needed to make something resembling an actual comic.
These last 2 seasons have very unproductive. In an attempt to turn that around I have been trying to read a lot (input) in order to write more (output). Here are some of the books I’ve been reading:
City Of Glass - Paul Auster, Paul Karasik, and David Mazzuchelli | Kodi - Jared Cullum | What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami | In the Miso Soup - Ryu Murakami | Make It Till You Make It -
| The Witches - Roald Dahl | Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life - Amy Krouse Rosenthal | Ducks - Kate Beaton | This Is Water - David Foster Wallace | Atomic! - Henry Kuttner | At the Mountains of Madness - H. P. Lovecraft | The Mysteries - Bill Watterson | Killing Commendatore - Haruki MurakamiIt was nice to break out the comics kit again this week and flex some long atrophied muscles. Appreciate the inspiration.
Here's one for the "things that make me go hmmm" file. Yesterday I found the Auster/Karasik/Mazzucchelli book in a Little Free Library. I started reading it last night & this morning I read this post
Wow Mark I'm blown away by this! I love everything you've done. That poor overworked (and probably underpaid) chicken. Thanks for giving it a second life. Happy to provide a kick in the pants.
Also... making a collaborative comic like this would be really fun/challenging. Passing it back and forth, adding onto the story... Like very slow improv.