*GLORY BE!! A FULL-BLOWN KEITH KNIGHT CARTOON CONTROVERSY!!
Whoa!! Turn out the strip I did a week ago ("Stories from the Campaign Trail") has sparked protests and calls for an editor's head on a platter at a college in New Jersey. You can read the news story here.

Fun Fact: The strip is based on a real incident.

I just got an email from said editor, asking me if I want to respond. I will be sending back a statement over the next coupla daze.

Interesting. Cuz I haven't heard from anywhere else.

But it's nice to know I'm in New Jersey. I keep asking the college syndication service where my strip's running, and I never get an answer. I now know of one place where it runs.

They should bring me out there for a slideshow!!

*APE IN SAN FRANCISCO THIS WEEKEND...
I hope you'll join me, Stephen Notley and a whole bunch more of the most exciting indie comic creators in the U.S. of A., for the West Coast's biggest event of its kind: the Alternative Press Expo.

I'll be right up front as usual in my Halloween costume, cooking up fresh comics for you. Along with books, original cartoon art, bags and oh-so-much more.

Go here for the pertinent details.

*LETTERS OF THE WEEK....

Hi Keith, I'm not a spammer. To make a long story short- you might have a little $$ coming from the state of CAlif. (google "UCP CA" & follow the links). Or, first check list below..

Name Address City ID Number Type
KNIGHT KEITH 25366 DAPHNE WY #A WILLITS CA 95490- 005599229
KNIGHT KEITH 459 GATEWAY DR PACIFICA CA 94044-1675 003319126
KNIGHT KEITH 185 RIVO ALTO CANAL LONG BEACH CA 90803- 002057524
KNIGHT KEITH 185 RIVO ALTO CANAL LONG BEACH CA 90803- 002057523
KNIGHT KEITH 1536 W 25TH ST APT 134 SAN PEDRO CA 90732-4402 015231520
KNIGHT KEITH A PO BOX 191549 LOS ANGELES CA 90019-8549 Details
KNIGHT KEITH A 500 WHITE LANE #29 004403120

My 4th graders are inventing a sort of "pay it forward" semi-altruistic, (inspired by Obama) community activist type project..whereby we try to connect languishing state-stored bucks with rightful owners in nearby low-income neighborhoods. To make it more fun we're also data base searching cartoonists by name & see if they might have $$ coming to them too. Which is why I'm writing you. You're one of our first test cases. Please let us know if it helps you out. We're big fans of your cartoons.

Take care.

R.

(Unfortunately, none of these Keith's are me (or my Dad!). But mebbe these another Keef out there who happens upon this post and makes some $$$!!-kk)
---

My Life's Little Victory:

You page through a recent edition of Funny Times with increasing despondence because it looks like this month they've left out The K Chronicles....

...only to find it on the very last page twice normal size AND in color!

It's always the very first thing I look for when my Funny Times arrives. You should be in every paper in the country. Keep up the good work!

-- J.
----

Keef,

I've been reading your work on Salon.com for years now and have to say your
recent string of new parent/LA life comics are top notch. This weeks
especially. Keep it up, man. You're on a roll. The look on your face while
you take pennies had me laughing out loud.

A.
Athens, Greece
-----
Any plans to start selling stuff with your strip The Knight Life on
comics.com? I would kill for the Obama/Phelps silhouette comic from Tuesday
on a mug.

G.
---------
Hey,
Just a quick note... finally got caught up on the strip. Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed the last week or so, especially the alphabet "k" ones and the Phelps/obama one. To me, your best Knight Life yet. Kudos!

- B. from Boston


*(th)ink cartoon by Keith Knight

Labels: (th)ink strip, APE, controversy, Emails of the week, letters of the week, the kchronicles commentary

 
*EMAILS/LETTERS OF THE WEEK...

Keef, my good brother:

I want to share something with you.

In June I had cancer surgery. And in those beginning days of my recovery, one of the things that gave me comfort and helped me to relax, was your latest book, "I Left My Arse in San Francisco."
Your delightful (if warped) sense of humor helped pull me through the fog of medication and pain. And while I have always enjoyed your work, this was something special.

Thanks, my brother. And by the way, I'm feeling stronger every day.

Peace,

W.
------
Re: the Knight Life

Loved today's "Knight Life" about vet mentoring.

I'm a veteran myself. A few years ago I was at the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City and I was shocked to learn that a lot of the other vets in the hospital with me were homeless and that after they were discharged they were either going to homeless shelters or just back on the street. I did some research and learned, at the time, that 20% of all homeless people in the US were veterans. That number has risen to 25%. It's tragic. For all the talk from the Bush administration about "supporting our troops," it pisses me off that veterans just don't matter to them. The government makes a big show about raising the budget for the VA every year but then after the fiscal year gets started, the president calls the secretary of veterans affairs and says, "you need to cut your spending so we can pay for the war." It seems that in this country, we like our heroes in only two forms: In a uniform or in a grave. Anyone else is just a veteran and they don't count.

Keep up the great work.

-J.
-----


Hi Keef,

I just came back from a conference in San Diego - Optics & Photonics,
not comics - so I was in SoCal too. I had the best possible reading
material on the long flight from Toronto: The Complete K Chronicles!
Man, what a hefty volume! It's a testament to my appreciation for your
art that I trucked that brick all the way there and back. All these
pages for under $25 is the best value you can get (although I didn't
remember that you had such a thing for Canada; glad you changed your
opinion).

Now for the Little Victory that goes with it:

I was in my comic book shop, despondent over the small haul of my
regular monthlies...when my eyes fell upon The Complete K Chronicles!
(YES!!!)

[...]

I just checked that you hadn't done it yet - I seemed to remember
something - and found that it is somewhat similar to #6174 from 18 June
2008. Oh well. I still wanted to convey my appreciation and
encouragement.

Here's another one that happened on this trip:

I got to the San Diego Airport early yesterday and managed to take an
earlier flight to San Francisco (Yes!), which enabled me get a further
earlier transfer to Toronto, thereby getting home several hours earlier
(double YES!!!), in time to catch Michael Phelps' 7th medal swim (triple
YES!!!).


Tough to cram into two panels, but I enjoyed living it.


Keep it up!

M.

(a father of two, who understand all the Li'l Gravy adventures through
which you're both going)

Oakville, ON

----

Re:K Chronicles/Fortune Teller strip

Saw this strip where you see the fortune teller.

Nicely done.

J.

p.s. Is there any way that this evil Canadian can become an American citizen (like, real
quick) - *JUST* so I can vote for Barack in the next election - preferably in a red
state?

----

Hi, Keef---
Attached, in Word, is my "review" of (or reaction to) your new strip. "Best thing since Calvin and Hobbes," I say.
Warm best,
Bob
RC_Harvey@Q.com
For comics news and reviews, profusely dosed with cartooning history and lore, beam up to www.RCHarvey.com, where our online magazine, Rants & Raves, is posted every two weeks or so.


(for those of you who don't know, R.C. Harvey is one of the most respected comics journalists in the biz!! WOW!!-k.k.)

*I KNOW THIS IS SOOOO LAST MINUTE..
..but 826LA is having their annual Fundraising Comedy Night on Wed. Sept. 10th, here in Los Angeles. I suggest you buy a few tix--even if you cannot make it. But if you can, you laff at the humor provided by Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo, Tim & Eric, Jimmy Pardo, Bill Burr, Al Madrigal, and Bob Moore's Amazing Mongrels, along with surprise guests.

Purchase yo tix here.

Labels: 826la, Emails of the week, letters of the week

 
*BIG FAT BOOK RELEASE PARTY THIS SATURDAY!!
Cartoon Art Museum. 6pm. 655 Mission St. San Francisco. Be there!!

*EMAILS/LETTERS OF THE WEEK...

re: Meat Street Breakdown!!

Hi Keef,
Loved your strip about the LA taco trucks.

Perhaps you know of the Taco Bandini, whose mission is to review every taco truck in LA?
http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/

Crazy! But tasty...

Cheers,
J. R.

----------------------(excellent website!!-kk)

Hi Keith!

I love your comic, I read it regularly at salon.com. Actually, my dad's name
is Keith, my middle name is Keith, and I'm married to a German woman (well,
Czech/German), so I can always relate! ; )

I had to write after today's comic about "street meat," hahahaha. I love it
too, I've had blood sausages in Korea, meatballs in Hong Kong, various
kebabs in Germany, Denmark, and Cyprus, sausages and hot dogs in NY and
Chicago, etc., etc. But I found the best hot dogs in the world here in
Copenhagen--YES, bacon wrapped, and they come with ketchup, 2 kinds of
mustard, mayo sauce, fried onions, chopped onions, and thin-sliced pickles
on the top! Of course, the city is FILLED with these pølser carts and they
are open late for post-drinking dining.

So I want to encourage you to give in and try a bacon wrapped hot dog, if
not in Copenhagen then at least in LA. They are really, really tasty. You DO
want to go there!

Cheers,
J.

---(the bacon-wrapped dog sounds a LOT different over there than here..but I'll take the plunge soon enough.-kk)

Keith,

This didn't qualify as street food, but easily the most bizarre vendor food I had was one
morning at a bluegrass festival -- someone had set up a cart where they were selling

a) breakfast sausage on a stick
b) that had been dipped in blueberry pancake batter
c) and then deep-fried in some sort of maple-syrup oil

I called it "the breakfast log" for lack of a better moniker. I won't admit to how many
of them I had. :o

Congrats on the upcoming l'il gravy!

Mighty

-----(sounds like street-meat to me!!-kk)

Keef,

Here in Arizona, we have street vendors that sell
Sonoran-style hot dogs.

Wrap the dog in bacon before cooking, then add
mayonnaise, tomato, onion, pinto beans, guacamole,
tomatillo salsa, jalapeños, mushrooms, and cheddar and
Cotija cheeses.

It's a delicious nightmare.

Love your comic! It's the bright spot to my Wednesday
workday.

--(the cheese and mayo with jalapenos makes my butt quiver at the thought of it-kk)

Hey Keef,

I used to work at Planet Records in Kenmore Square back in the 80's/90's. Every year we waited for the Red Sox opening day because Pizza Pad would set up a sausage cart on the sidewalk. There always seemed to be a cart outside The Channel after a show got out. Good stuff.

M.

(i had to get a bostonian in there seeing as my sox started there season over in japan. they'll be coming back through l.a. for a coupla games with the dodgers. but i'll miss 'em cuz i'll be up in san francisco this weekend)

*AL SHARPTON OUTFOXES FOX..
Watch this.

Labels: al sharpton, Emails of the week, letters of the week, red sox/yankees, San Francisco

 
*EMAILS OF THE WEEK...

Re: Kerstin's knocked up!!

Hi Keith!

I've never written before, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your
upcoming fatherhood!

(I'm assuming the implied pregnancy in this week's K Chronicles was not,
like the woman giving birth in front of a Bel Air mansion, a fake story.
Come on, who fakes their wife's pregnancy for laughs?!)

If your wife isn't pregnant, please ignore the rest of this email.

I'm a recent father, myself, and I'd like to welcome you to the ancient
and noble Fraternal Order of Dads! To a progressive, sensitive, socially
aware guy like yourself, there will be no greater life-changing event.

No, seriously, dude.

Your life will change in ways that you will not expect, and cannot be
described. Your priorities, will ... not change, exactly, but be entirely
different. What was once a big deal, will become trivial. What was once
trivial, will become all-important.

If your wife is like the majority of women who give birth, you will see in
her emotions that you did not know existed. One minute, you will be the
sweetest, kindest man for getting her a glass of water. Fifteen (yes,
I've timed it) minutes later, you will be worthless, insensitive scum for
not offering her a second glass of water before leaving the room.

And watching the slimey lizard alien that comes out of her grow from a
mewling blob into a person is just ... well, I can't describe it very
well. You'll just have to experience it yourself.

I'm a longtime fan of both (Th)ink and the K Chronicles - you're one of my
favorite cartoonists. BTW, did you by any chance used to run a strip in
the Daily Cal at UC Berkeley?

Anyway, congratulations, again. For your own safety, keep your hands
inside the vehicle, and hang on tightly.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Eid Al-Adha, Kwanza, Lohri, Yule,
and Winter Solstice.

Peace,
R.M.

***********

Keith & Kerstin,
Congratulations. I hope you're looking forward to new and adventures (and
new little victories).
How about an on-line baby shower? It would be all the fun of getting baby
stuff without having to play all those silly baby shower games (which I've
only heard about since I dodge baby showers).
Anyway... Don't worry about how your "lives are over." It's just a new
life. The new life will probably include fewer Stevie Wonder concert and
less sleep. However, there will be many, many fine new small wonders in your
day (and lots of poop jokes for the strip).
--
K. C.

**********
Hi Keith,

I read your strip faithfully here in Madrid, Spain, courtesy of salon.com. It often picks me up on tough days! I am a nun and I prayed for you and your daughter/son in our group prayers the other night... "and for Keith, who is awaiting a child..." so you are being prayed for by nuns! Surprise! And thanks for the "life's little victories" which remind me not to be so grouchy on Monday mornings.

J., aci

(Nice!!-k.k.)

**********
Hi Keef -

Just wanted to let you know that my husband LOVED
LOVED LOVED the calendar. I think it was his favorite
- beat out the day at the chocolate factory!

thanks for all your help making it extra special!

L.

(Another satisfied recipient of the 2008 Little Vics/Mega-Mix Calendar!! Remember: I'll sketch a little drawing on the birthdate of your choice if you email me along with the order..-k.k.)

Labels: 2008 calendar, Emails of the week, kerstin's pregnancy

 
*EMAILS OF THE WEEK..

(Re: This week's K Chronicles (about Confession) )

Keef,

Classic. Of course, we'll lose half our advertisers, but I think we'll
run it anyway.


T.

(Ha!!  This is from my editor at the Sitting Duck up in Olympia.-k.k.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Re: The last Life's Little Victories strip (which was all about the Boston area)

Hello, Keith


I am a huge fan of the your work. I'm also a proud fellow Maldonian. In

fact, I once took (wait for it) break dancing lessons from you at the Malden

Studio of Dance on Highland Ave. back in my Girls Catholic High School days.


The steps you taught me came in very handy at Dance Factory (rip) and The

Palace (rip) back in the day. Today, I occasionally amaze my friends when I

bust a move to "Rockit."


Anyway - your Life's Little Victories are my faves and your reference to the

Squire in today's strip was FUGGINAWESOME. It reminded me of the old, skinny

black-haired Squire stripper who was a regular customer at Mal's. Thanks so

much.


Go Tornadoes,

K.

(Man!! She's really reachin' back!! This is back to my Michael Jackson impersonator days!!-k.k.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith,

It's wonderful to find out how far a state education can go!

Congratulations on your success, and I can benefit by telling my kids I know
someone famous.

My name is K. and I attended Salem State college from 87-92. I remember
you in Bowditch Hall and around the commons.

I think you were there also, but if I'm wrong make a cartoon of a stranger
claiming to know you.

-K.

(hmmm..a lot of Boston folk comin' out of the woodwork..-k.k.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(RE: The Purple and Green people strip)

Keith,

I'm not prone to send fan-mail of any sort, but your cartoon "Who the heck
are all these green and purple folks white people are always talking about?"
really struck a chord with me. I'm a professor of Political Science who
occasionally teaches Ethnic Conflict (and I'm white, too!). I've been
overheard frequently while asking rhetorical questions of my students or
pontificating on some larger point saying something along the lines of your
recent cartoon. Needless to say, your work had the effect of holding up a
mirror, confronting me with the absurdity of my statements. My first
reaction was to LOL, but then quickly gave way to a momentary wave of
embarrassment. Touche! And, kudos!

But, while driving my daughter to the store this afternoon, I think I
figured out why white people talk so much about the green and purple folks
so much. Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" came on the radio and
I felt compelled to share with you where I think the origins of liberal,
white, misplaced-rainbow silliness reside:

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha - we got to live together
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag l'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair
For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha-we got to live together
There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one
And different strokes for different folks
Anyhow, keep up the good work. I've read your strip religiously for years
and don't plan on stopping anytime soon (although I may think twice about
lecturing on Skittle-colored people in the future).

Best,

C.

(I wrote back to him and said the Sly excuse doesn't fly cuz he wuz on drugs when he wrote the above tune. And you DO see purple people when you are on drugs...not that I'd know.-k.k.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*NEXT APPEARANCES ARE SET..

Sun. Sept. 30- West Hollywood Book Fair, West Hollywood, CA. 9am-6pm (Tabling)

Thurs. Oct. 11- Barnes and Noble, Bethesda MD. 7:30pm (Slideshow with CWA)

Fri./Sat. Oct.12/13-SPX in Bethesda, MD. 2pm-8pm Fri- 10am-7pm Sat. (Tabling plus a comic strip panel)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*THE IN-LAWS HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING *sniff*
The wifey's parents headed back to Deutschland after a 3 and a half week stay. We rocked it on both coasts and had a great time. Now it's time to grind out a butt-load of comics and gear up for my favorite time of the year: Autumn. Sure, leaves don't change in Los Angeles. But at least it ain't 105 in the shade anymore...

Stuff I'm working on:
*the new K Chronicles collection
*a super-secret project that will be announced soon
*a graphic novel proposal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*WHERE TO FIND ME THIS MONTH..
I've got a most swanky interview in the Comics Journal this month (issue #285)

I've also got a new Bully Baby strip in this month's ish of MAD magazine (issue #482)

Labels: Emails of the week, spx 2007, West Hollywood Book Fair signing

 
*YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A FEW CHANGES..
..happening to the site. We're gonna be adding message boards and archives of my various strips. And a bunch of info on many overlooked African-American cartoonists. I'd love to hear feedback and input about these new changes, so email me at keef@kchronicles.com.

*EMAILS OF THE WEEK...

(RE: K Chronicles: Impulse strip)

You wondered in your latest strip about whether the military guys want to curse the President. Well, I can't speak to that directly, but when I was in the Navy, I was about two feet away from the CNO (Chief of Naval Operations the #1 Admiral in the Navy) and was able to ask a question. Yes, the impulse was DEFINITELY there! 'Course, we were spending our third month at anchor off of Mogadishu, Somalia, so a court-martial actually seemed like a kinda-sorta good thing, if it would just get me back home...

Naturally, I didn't act on the impulse, but it was SO there.
Regards,
B.
------------------------------------
Keith,

Long time fan of your comic. About 10 years ago I asked my
brother (a psychiatrist) the following question:

"Whenever I'm in a high place I think about jumping, is that normal?"
his reply was
"What else would you think about?"

Best,

J.
Rockville, MD
---------------------------------------
Keith;

Caught your latest K Chronicles. The impulse that I'm always surprised
at in myself is whenever I see an empty light socket that I know is
plugged in. I think it's the idea that you're _that_close_ to something
that could kill you, guaranteed, and an ounce of effort in the wrong
direction would do it.

Keep up the good work,

Sincerely,
A.
Iowa
-----------------------------------------------------
(Re: K Chronicles "One Black Kid" strip)

Keef!

How did you know my life story? Your strip really hit home for me and I'd love to have a print of it to hang in my home. Wish you were digging t-shirts, because I would wear one with that strip on it practically every day. How do I order a print of that strip? Tell me where to send the cash and I'll get it to you.

Your comics are one of the true joys of the internet. Keep telling and drawing it like it truly is.

From a big Keef fan,

T.
Detroit, Michigan

**(You can order a print of the One Black Kid strip or any other K Chronicles or (th)ink strip for $50..email me at keef@kchronicles.com-k.k.)
---------------------------------------------------
Greetings Keith,

I just wanted to send you some positive energy and express how much I
love you work! I'll keep checking your site/calendar for your South
Florida (Ft. Lauderdale area specifically) tour. Keep doing what you
do:-) We as a society-hell, a WORLD need you!


Peaceful journeys always,

D.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear cartoonist who wouldn't know me if we met on the street........
I donated, now go cheat your brains out!

Sincerely,

Afton
a looooooooooooooooooooooong time reader, first time writer

(please read above with the humurous undertone intended.....but still! I did donate!)

**(YA, HEY..This is the last chance to donate to my Mini-Golf Team: Dimpled Balls. We've gotten donations from all across the country (including Alaska!!) ..If you want to help me cheat AND raise money for the children, sponsor me here.-k.k.)

*I'LL BE HEADING TO BOSTON AT THE END OF THE MONTH..
..for a signing at Million Year Picnic in Harvard Square. Probably Sat. Aug. 25th. I'll let you know when it's set.

*ALSO..LOOK FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH ME BY THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM'S ANDREW FARAGO IN THE AUGUST ISH OF THE COMICS JOURNAL.

Eff the Purple People...

Cheers,

Keef

Labels: Emails of the week, mini-golf for cheaters, reprints

 
*PUSSY vs. WUSS..
I must be getting old. I sent the latest comic in and wake up the next morning feeling guilty about putting the word "pussy" in it. So I sent out another version with it changed to "wuss". So some of you will see it one way and others will see it the other.

*L.A.FESTIVAL OF BOOKS WRAP-UP..
Super awesome extra-special thanks to McSweeney's for allowing me to share a sliver of their table. I didn't know what to expect seeing it was my first foray selling books in my new hometown. But to my surprise, a decent amount of folks recognized my work. Some local cartoonists and animators came by...Even someone I went to college with 2o years ago (of course, I couldn't remember her, due to my somewhat questionable behavior as a 3rd year sophomore). And in additon to ye olde McSweeney pals, San Francisco lit legends Jon Longhi and Jen "Manic D" Joseph were right around the corner.

Overall, a great two days was had. A most enjoyable weekend.
Shout outs to Leigh Rubin, Mike and Kersti!

*LOOKING FORWARD..
..to the trip to Philadelphia for ECBACC this month. Not only because "the K Chronicles" and "(th)ink" are again nominated for the Glyph award for Outstanding Comic ("the K Chronicles" won last year), but also because Bernadette Stanis, a.k.a. Thelma from "Good Times", will be in the house!!

*EMAILS OF THE WEEK...
Hi, Keith

Your cartoon of April 4 about Jackie Robinson touched a lot of us
here in St. Louis. I work with Beth Louis, Branch Rickey's
granddaughter, and gave a copy of your cartoon to her. She in turn
mailed and e-mailed copies to all the Rickey cousins. Thanks for a
fine tribute.

G.

(Branch Rickey is the man who broke baseball's color barrier by signing Robinson. Great stuff!! -kk)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Keef-er,

(Please stand by whilst I hold in a joke about you now
being Keef-er Suth-er-land, now that you moved down to
LA.) (Hmm, I don't think that quite qualifies as
holding it in.)

Point of interest: I think we have taken vaguely
opposite journeys. I see that you say your skateboard
is from Revere, you used to live in SF and now in LA.
I grew up in LA (Malibu, dooood! - BTW, it was wayyy
more rustic then, but I'm glad to see that the Feed
Bin is still there at Topanga/PCH!), went to UC
Berkeley, and now live in Winthrop, MA! (I also went
to Berklee out here, just to confuse people.)

ANYWAY, been a fan for a while and was looking at this
week's strip and just had to make sure I am seeing
this correctly. In the square where you are in the
hospital after a skating mishap, it appears that you
have a cast on your, um, johnson. Of course, you only
put casts on broken bones, so you must have been
skating while turgid (ie, sportin' a boner)! You perv!
(Yes, I'm joking around, I know email doesn't always
convey that...)

Keep up the fine work (and keep your skating clean!),
M.
--------------------------------------------------------

Dear Keef,

First off, congrats on your move to L.A. and good luck with all your
projects there.

Second, I've written to you a few times before on the subject of
race. To refresh, I'm a white girl married to a muslim Asian man (so
we get it from all sides). Anyhoo, not to make light of the student
massacre at Virginia Tech, but I've noticed that the unfortunate
event suddenly elevated Asian men from being seen as submissive,
impotent nerds to seething timebombs of virility to be feared by the
white man....at least one could come to this conclusion by reading
the racist barbs that often pepper the comments section of any and
all places where anonymous commentary is allowed (even on the most
innocuous YouTube clip). In other words, yellow is the new
black. My husband wasn't sure whether to take this as a step up or a
step down. In any event, this all seems like perfect fodder for your
toons. I'm sure you get tons of people telling you what to draw so
I'm sorry in advance if this annoys/offends. You can take it or
leave it, I just had to share it.

Sincerely,
G.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I just discovered your strip today with the Jackie Robinson reference on
Salon. You are a riot.

You need to be nationally syndicated, really funny stuff. I don't mind
that it is very localized either.

Thanks, I wasted a good hour backtracking while working. I'll have to make
it up but it was worth it.

R.
Ft. Snelling, MN
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Keef,

I've got a life's little victory for you. It may not be pithy enough for a
comic strip, but I just had to brag about it.

I was riding my bike when I saw someone toss some trash (a half-full
McDonalds sauce container) out of the window of a car. Fortunately, the car
was stopped at a stoplight, so I stopped my bike, picked up the trash,
handed it back to the guy in the car through his still-open window, looked
him right in the eye, and said "Excuse me, but I think you dropped this."
The fathead (literally) just looked at me dumbly and said "okay..." After
one last scornful glance, I hopped back on my bike and sped off, slightly
worried that the litterbug was going to chuck the trash at the back of my
head, but nothing of the sort happened. I like to think my confrontation
left him too dumbfounded to retaliate.

I've wanted to do that for so long, and I finally got my chance! Yes!

Labels: Emails of the week, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, pussy