February 18 2009

Just a little reminder about the over-the-top job that Ger did on this Great Wall series for me, and a note to followers of Aartvark that mid-February means it's time for one of the regularly scheduled excursions behind the Great Firewall, where getting to blogger is hit or miss... well, mostly miss. In the next two and a half weeks we'll be visiting 3 cities, giving talks at 7 or 8 universities, and interviewing about 120 prospective graduate students (and eating like emperors, seeing cool sights, and generally having fun).

再见, y'all

February 17 2009 "We request the honour of your..."

eBay item no. 360129945424
Seller: comicinterlude
Buyer: alchemist57
Price: $89.88

February 16 2009

eBay item no. 230324764268
Seller: fantasycomics2595
Buyer: alchemist57
Price: $404.04

February 8 2009 Cerebus & Yoda

From the text of the auction:

"This is the second version of this drawing. Dave only drew these characters together twice, both for me! There's a story to that: commissioned in March of 2007, the first drawing (which is different in several subtle and a couple fundemental ways... making this second sketch every bit as unique as the first) was lost by CanadaPost. Really lost: they couldn't track let alone even find it, having lost all the tracking and Customs numbers from their own system! Oh, Canada... Weeks after I'd completely freaked out about it and Dave had graciously drawn a replacement sketch (this one at auction reads 'to Mark-take two' in the upper right corner), CanadaPost delivered the original, sans any sort of postal markings at all... it had gone nowhere, and been invisible for almost three months! I got to know and talk to Dave Sim a bit during that time, and for that reason am sincerely grateful to CP for the screw-up!

"This sketch will post with photocopies of all letters that came to me from Dave at Aardvark/Vanaheim, and the winner's identity will be forwarded to Dave for his records. He has given his 'blessing' to this sale, and is likely to answer a letter with same from the auction winner, confirming this story and the sketch origin. This is an absolutely unique and rare piece of original illustrative work; featuring the pairing of two true brothers in arms in a WAY behind the scenes look at life as a comic celebrity."

January 31, 2009
eBay item no. 250362682378
Seller: swanson841
Buyer: alchemist57
Price: $290.00



The first edition, from http://www.cerebusart.com/Commissions/Yoda.htm

February 7 2009

The third "drawn sword" drawing to come up in a month!

January 20, 2009
eBay item no. 160309900378
Seller: tomjk
Buyer: some pirate
Price: $127.50

February 5, 2009

Something fell.

February 2 2009

That guy in the Starbucks reminded me that there is always someone out there will a story, if you pause a moment to listen.

Did I ever post that story of the guy I sat next to on a flight from Detroit to San Francisco who had just gotten back the (negative) results from a paternity test that he had taken (including the secret swabbing of the infant)? He was in a chatty mood. Heh. And, to top it off, it was Father's Day weekend.

Remind me to tell you the rest of that story sometime.

January 25, 2009
eBay item no. 190281414526
Seller:sheltone
Buyer: alchemist57
Price: $877.77

Reportedly published in one of Phil Seuling’s Annual 4th of July Convention Program Books, ca. 1978-79.

February 1 2009

I'm sitting in Starbucks the other day and I cannot help overhearing this guy on his mobile phone. He's flipping through a notebook, dialing numbers, and has a serious tone.

"Hi, my name is Sam Schlock," he begins. "I was walking past your property at 1516 Widmore Lane and I noticed that you were out of compliance with the city ordinance about having your sidewalk clear of all snow before noon. I'm sure you know that all it takes is one person to slip and fall and the city will have a lawsuit on its hands that it will just settle."

[Invariably followed by pause, and given the replies that followed, one imagines questions...]

"Sam Schlock. S.C.L.O...."

"No, not the city... just a concerned citizen..."

"Yeah, 1516 Widmore, I'm working off my notes so I'm not sure exactly but it is a business. No, just a concerned citizen..."

"Oh, I know it's tough. Some people just go out and spread salt, but the regulations say it really needs to be scraped down to the bare sidewalk in front of commercial properties."

"I represent a small business, and we help bring folks into compliance."

"Haha. Well, in reality, it's me and my steel square head shovel I'm talking about."

[Alright, then. You've got this guy figured out. And there are any number of choices he might make in order to accomplish his goal. Would you lean over and give him some advice about the bad choices he's made?]

[I really thought about leaning over and offering a few suggestions. "Dude. You are really taking the wrong approach to this. You should have taken your steel square head shovel with you when you were walking around, cleared the sidewalk of people whom you wanted to impress, left a nicely designed note explaining who you are, what you've done, your contact info, and that you would be following up... ending it all with 'have a great day.'" This principle is so simple: show rather than tell, and give'm the first one for free. I guess another principle trumped that morning: mind your own business.]

January 31, 2009
eBay item no. 400025913663
Seller: zerbutz
Buyer: alchemist57
Price: $454.87