The Official K Chronicles and (Th)ink Website

*EAST COAST TOUR WRAP-UP…
Man..It was only a coupla gigs but quite the adventure…

The Wifey and I flew into JFK in NYC, rented a car and drove up to Boston…just beating the rain by minutes. And after a whirlwind day and a half of visiting family I headed to Harvard Square for a signing at Million Year Picnic on Thurs. June 8th.

Million Year Picnic is my favorite comic book shop in the Boston area. It’s tiny, but chock full of good stuff and they always have a butt-load of my krappe for sale. Plus they had these great, homemade posters announcing my signing. ( I love when other folks draw my stuff for posters..They always have that “bootleg” quality about them).

The first person I recognized when I was approaching the shop was my little cousin Lee who I had not seen in years. She’s twenty and in college and suddenly I aged about ten years. It was cool to see her, but then she disappeared!! Lee: What happened? Email yer cousin!!

It was a nice steady stream right from the beginning. Folks who read my strip in the Dig, or Salon.com, or the Funny Times came through. A guy who came to my comics class at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco came through. And then all my college, high school, and ex-bandmates started to come through. It was great!!

But the biggest surprise was Lisa D., who I’ve known since KINDERGARTEN!! She stopped in. Folks, this was my first “girlfriend” (not in kindergarten). It was great to see her and introduce her to the Wifey.

After the signing, we went over to Shay’s Pub and got blotto. T’was a great time as always. Big ups to Million Year Tony for always coming through with a great event.

The next day, we headed back to NYC, but we stopped just outside of New Haven, Conn. to catch the first match of the World Cup, which featured the Wifey’s home team of Germany playing the first match. We rushed into the bar of a Holiday Inn and I asked the hostess if we could sit in the booth that was right in front of the big screen TV. She said, “You’re not the couple who gets busy in the booth every time they come here, are ya?” Ha!! Good stuff!!

After the German win, we rolled into NYC, dropped off our stuff at my bud Jamie’s (owner of the apt. 6 flights up featured in a past K Chronicles strip). We got rid of the car and picked up our MOCCA fest passes.

The MOCCA-fest kicked some serious bottom. I guess my work is getting around a bit more in NYC, cuz a lot of folks came by. The biggest surprise was selling out all of my copies of “the Beginner’s Guide to Community-Based Arts” It’s a $20 book, so I didn’t expect folks who generally drop $3-$5 a comic to pick up there serious book…but I was oh-so-wrong. I’m gonna be bringing a butt-load to San Diego so folks who missed out late Sat. and Sun can go home with a copy next month.

Anyhoo..It was great to see all the East Coast peeps and have a few beers with ’em. A party highlight occured at the Fantagraphics party, where the Wifey and I took out team (Brett) Warnock on the Foosball table in the bar. The Ghana win over the Czech Republic was the only World Cup game that came close to matching the intensity and fervor we displayed that fateful evening.

Also whilst in New York, I had a chance to hook up with the folks at ESPN the magazine to watch the U.S. get they’re ass handed to them in their first World Cup match. It was neat to scurry around the offices of the magazine. Shout-outs to Gary B. and Brendan O. for taking me out to lunch on Disney’s dime..

I also hit the brand-spanking new offices of Mad Magazine. Since I am now a *ahem* regular contributor to the magazine, they let me draw on the wall my Mad characters Father O’Flannity, Choir-boy Timmy, and a brand-new character coming soon called “the Bully-Baby”. (I swear they sanctioned the wall drawing, I swear!!) Shout outs to Jon B., Sam V. and Ryan F.

And to finish it off, I met up with my old editor from Africana.com, Ken G., who now works for A.O.L./Black Voices. We met for coffee and he spun delightful tales of New York City parties and tasty hip-hop gossip. It was good to see him, and who knows? Mebbe we’ll be working together again soon…

After the usual consumption of have-to-have East Coast type of foods (you know by now what they are) and shopping (always buy clothes in cities you’re visiting, only buy sox and undies at home), we boarded a JetBlue flight home. (Cable T.V…Whee!!) Flying Jetblue cross country is the only time you can ever sit next to your spouse and not talk to them for six hours straight.

Oh..But I did manage to leave my booth display stuff on the platform in the Subway at E.4th St. When we arrivewd home, there was message from “Tony” saying he had my bag. Ha!!

*I’M OFF TO NEW ORLEANS ON WEDS…
Hope you Crescent City folks are able to read my interview in the current issue of Anti-Gravity magazine.. I also did the cover.
Remember: World-Famous slideshow this Friday at Handsome Willy’s!

Stay posted!! I’ve got a coupla things brewing for late August and it’s gonna be wild!!

Cheers!!

Keef