May 25, 2007
The third season of Lost came to a close Wednesday night. Unlike a few million other viewers who dropped the show this year, I'm still enjoying life on the island. Things were slightly shaky the early part of the season and some things happened I wasn't too pleased with (I don't think I'll ever forgive them for killing Mr. Eko), but I think things got better as the season progressed and it ended with an excellent season finale. Like the last two season enders, here's some of my highlights (Spoilers alert!): 

*Rose telling Jack not to give another "Live together, die alone" speech or she'll punch his face.

*Rousseau and Alex's reunion and the way the crazy French lady smacked tree-tied Ben.

*Charlie's heroic death

* By the way, just want does it need to take to kill that one-eyed Russian? And is he related to the one in Pine Barrens?

*A "close but no banana" reunion between Desmond and Penny (Forget the Jack-Kate-Sawyer-Juliet quadrangle, this is the true romance of the show).

*The return of Walt (Wearing the same clothes, but now going through puberty)!

*The Losties reclaiming the beach with Hurley driving his magic bus (Fact: HURLEY RULES!!!).

*Sayid plays footsie with someone's neck

*Sawyer kills Mr. Friendly with the great line: "That's for taking the kid off the raft".

* The Losties finally winning against the Others, but why do I think their victory may be short lived? Something tells me being rescued may not be that great.

*Added bonus: Any episode that can make Jack the biggest loser in the world is a keeper in my book.

New questions: Who was Naomi working for? The Hanso Foundation? Old Man Widmore?

Who besides Jack and Kate made it back off the island? And who didn't? What lie is Jack tired of lying about and why doesn't it seem to bother Kate?

Who's in that coffin? (Judging by the size, I say not Hurley. By the way, HURLEY RULES!!!) Speaking of the dead, perhaps Dr. Christian Shepard isn't really one of them.

Where did Richard disappear to? Is he in the Temple?

Old Questions: What about the four toed statue? What the heck is Jacob? Where the heck did Libby go? Wasn't she supposed to play a big role in future flashbacks? Apparently not in this season, brother.

Yup, I'll be back in February. 

May 20, 2007

Dead, but Getting Better: If you have been following my little comic strip, you probably have noticed it has been invaded by zombies. Unfortunately, the zombie storyline has been moving as slowly as the dead and I want to offer my apologies about that. Despite the fact I'll be out of town on vacation in a couple weeks, I'm determined to get things back on track very soon. Until then, the zombies are here to stay at the moment and I hope you'll stick around as well!

That's Showbiz!: So I got home from work a couple of nights ago and I noticed I had a message on the answering machine. It was a guy from Rutter Communications, a local outfit that provides commercials for the cable system in Muncie. The guy was calling to see if I would be interested in appearing in a commercial. He saw me on stage at the Muncie Civic and thought I was the right type to appear in the spot. They were willing to pay me and, if I was interested, please call him back. Well, I was definitely interested so I called him the next day. A receptionist answered and I told her I wanted to speak to Mr. So and So. She put me on hold. Forty seconds of cheesy music later, she was back. She told me Mr. So and So no longer worked there and then asked if I was interested in talking to someone else. Slightly befuddled, I politely declined and wished her a nice day.

Apparently things move pretty quick at Rutter. One moment you're calling a fat cartoonist to cast him in your commercial and the next minute you're given the boot and escorted out of the building. It's always sad to see such things happen to people with good taste.

May 9, 2007
Likes: Vanilla Frosties, Harold and Maude, Seussical at The Muncie Civic, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, having breakfast with Tim and Emily

Dislikes: Being out of The Sopranos loop, getting sick at work, my job, certain people at my job, toothless jockeys at white tie state dinners, being a slow, lazy cartoonist

Hair Status: Early Sam Kinison (circa Back to School)

Confession: Whenever I stumble upon a Gilmore Girls episode, I find myself liking it a great deal.

Enjoying: The Fountains of Wayne's latest, Traffic and Weather

Question of The Day: Will Frank Oz be remembered more as a director or as a Muppeteer?

Namedropping: Flatbush Phil and Rosie with a Cigar

May 3, 2007
A couple of weekends ago, I journeyed to Columbus, Ohio for the big S.P.A.C.E. show with The Brothers Dalton (John and Eric) and I think I can safely say we all had a good time! The trip there and back seemed to race by with good conversation. We talked about public access television, microcinema, gaming, zines, and comic books. In other words, all of the important topics that truly matter in life!

Me and The Candid Cartoonist, Larned Justin

Once at the show, we encountered a giant room filled with a wide variety of creative folks and I quickly began to assemble a hardy bundle of swag that I'm still working my way through. It was great to see some of my small press friends (Larned Justin, Nik Havert) and to interact with some of my favorite cartoonists (Pam Bliss, Matt Feazell). 

Me and one of my heroes, Pam Bliss

My goal for the show was to pick up all of the new material from some of my favorite creators and to sample the work of people I wasn't too familiar with. Looking through the pile of goodness I had purchased, I think my mission was accomplished (No banner necessary)!

While at the show, I also handed out copies of a digest containing some of the best Funky Idiots strips to the unsuspecting public. If you're interested in picking up a copy, just click HERE!

My thanks to John and Eric for letting me tagalong on their trip! Oh, and thanks for the pictures, too, John!

April 11, 2007
Simple Fact: No one will take you seriously if you wear pajama bottoms to work.

Sad News: After just four episodes, NBC cancelled the promising Andy Barker PI.

Sadder News: Somebody at work proudly proclaimed "I'm all about Anna Nicole!" after breaking the earth shattering news about the dead model's baby's true father. Overhearing conversations like this makes me long to answer the ad in the job listings for stuffing envelopes at home.

The Number of Ketchup Packets I Received at Lunch Yesterday: Despite asking for some, I received zero. Thanks a lot, McEmployee!

April 1, 2007
Six years ago, Those Funky Idiots made their big splash on the web and they have remained a slightly obscure presence ever since! In honor of this anniversary, I hope everyone reading this will send me presents. Lots and lots and lots of presents!

Seriously.

March 27, 2007
Observation: If you ever find yourself working at Touchy Feely Fotos (And Odin help you if you do!), be prepared to share space with a bunch of people who never have anything to say, but they say it anyway.

Critical Mass: This past month I have experienced the diversity that the Muncie Civic Theater often provides. Early in March, I witnessed the Dust Bowl days of The Great Depression in The Grapes of Wrath, an American tragedy brought to life by a superb cast (Including the always great Judy and Jerry Cole!). Then last Saturday, Grandma and I enjoyed the goofy charms of a TV theme song cabaret that featured the charismatic talents of Jeff Shull, one of the kindest gents in regional theater. Bravo to the Civic for its wide range of programming and to all the talented folks who make it a reality!

Sad Realization: Though my comic strip has been running in The Star Press for nearly eight years, the classifieds gets more fan mail.

Mission Control:

Hey, it looks like I'm going to S.P.A.C.E. this year with screenwriter extraordinaire, John Oak Dalton. Yay!

Today's TV Quote: "Why don't we call it a day? It's pretty hot out and you're coughing stuff up." - Andy Barker (Andy Barker, PI)