The Official K Chronicles and (Th)ink Website

*SPX 2005 WRAP-UP
yee-gads… spx 2005 was my most successful small press event of the year!! it was the premiere of “the beginner’s guide to community based art” and i wasn’t really sure how people would react to it..since it ain’t the usual collection of ha/ha funny comics…but folks were loving it!! i shared a table with mikhaela reid and was across the way from harvey pekar.

i hosted the the 2005 ignatz awards and man..it got ugly. i had them set up a bottle of tequila on the podium. i poured shots for the presenters and the winners..whoever didn’t drink, i would drink it for them. i did a lot of shots.

here is a link to some photos of the shot-takin’:
http://209.198.111.165/thebeat/archives/2005/09/saucy_spx_actio.html

the next day, warren bernard (spx publicity guy and possessor of one of the finest comix libraries in the world) took me to the red sox/orioles game at camden yards in downtown baltimore. beautiful stadium. beautiful sausages out in front. and 80% red sox fans. (it’s actually cheaper and easier to buy orioles/red sox tix and fly down or take the train from boston) score: sox: 9 o’s: 3..

then..warren took me to this little dive on the way to the airport for some real, honest-to-goodness crabcakes!! after biting into one of these, i realized i ain’t never had a real crabcake before!! unbelievable!!

*THE MIDWEST TOUR IS COMING TOGETHER:
here’s what i got so far:
tues. oct. 18th chicago TBA
weds oct. 19th ann arbor TBA
thurs oct. 20th detroit TBA
fri. oct. 21st cleveland TBA
sat. oct. 22nd 2pm cincinnati public library
mon. oct. 24th 7pm notre dame
tues. oct. 25th milwaukee TBA
weds. oct. 26th 2pm st. paul high school for the recording arts/minneapolis TBA
thurs. oct. 27th champaign/urbana TBA
fri. oct. 28th chicago TBA

*EMAILS OF THE WEEK..
Concerning the (th)ink vatican/homosexual strip:

I just wanted to comment on your cartoon that was featured on Blacknews.com.
It was about the Vatican catching homosexuals, and there was a child in the
box. Well, I want to make sure you realize that being homosexual does not
mean you are a pedophile. That’s a myth. As a lesbian, I struggle every
day for acceptance in the African-American community and it is not
happening. The struggle continues because there are myths and those myths
are perpetuated by the media. Maybe you could do a cartoon or two or three
highlighting the fact that the African-American community needs to step up
and accept that homosexuality is not a disease or a choice. Maybe then they
can get past their fear and ignorance.
Just wanted to be sure you understand that homosexuality and being a
pedophile are not the same thing.

T.L.

(kk: i was trying to illustrate how misguided the vatican is…they SHOULD be trying to weed out pedophiles, but instead, they’re on the lookout for homosexuals)

Regarding the “seems like old times” strip:

dear keith,
even as a swoony teenager i never was much for fan letters, but after reading this week’s strip in the pacific sun, ‘seems like old times’, i had to let you know how much i depend on you every week.
now that i’ve visited your website for the first time today, i won’t have to run around on wednesdays looking for the sun just so i can
get my keef reality, and humor, check. i’ll just add you to my favorites.
thank you so much for consistently saying what must be said and without a trace of the smugness seen in so many so-called progressive columnists and cartoonists. and this week’s cartoon, as always, cut right through all the hand-wringing and bullshit of the last couple of weeks to describe exactly, precisely what’s really going on.
it’s a great and glorious gift you have. artists like you really do change the world, you know.
on a strictly personal level, thank you for helping me feel less alone in the current climate in america, for giving me the strength and sense of humor to continue my life-long efforts in community work without despairing at the rigidity and sanctimoniousness of many of my progressive brothers and sisters, and, among many other things, for bringing in the european/worldwide perspective.
and, lastly, i know that you have deep ties to new orleans and its people and can only imagine how hard the effects of katrina must have hit you. i am very sorry for your losses.

sincerely,
b.l.

Dear Cartoon Dude,

Love your stuff. Bought one (two?) of your books. Today’s feature at Salon.com explains so much it should be immediately sent to the Library of Congress and put on display. Or something even better than that if I could think of it.

You’ve got it all: great pen work, dead on satire, great concepts– man, keep up the good work. America needs all the excellent cartoonists it can get.

Peace and Love,

F.