Hey there! A couple recommendations:

  1. Go to your nearest independent comic shop, or visit Fantagraphics online, and pick up Dan Clowes’ Ghost World, a compilation of stories about two teenage girls that have appeared in his brilliant Eightball series.
  2. Then go see the movie he co-wrote with director Terry Zwigoff, of Crumb fame. Ghost World the movie was, well, worth the wait.
  3. Wow, and on the Ghost World movie site (Flash), check out Steve Buscemi‘s selected filmography. What a great, underrated actor. I especially love his work with the Coen brothers. [Sheesh, that’s a whole lotta links.]

I saw the movie Friday night with Amber, who originally introduced me to Eightball. It was nice to see it with someone else who could really appreciate it.

Anyway, comics can be art. They can contain interesting and incisive social commentary. Clowes’ work—amusing, affectionately mean-spirited, and sardonic as hell—satisfies both conditions. Funny thing is, of course, only now that Ghost World has become a movie does Clowes get the publicity he’s always deserved.

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This is great: competitive Photoshopping, or Photoshop TennisTM, by Coudal Partners, Inc. and company. Very clever stuff.

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Happy 13th anniversary, Mom and Rich! Hope it was a good one.