*A BIT MORE INFO ABOUT NEXT SATURDAY'S APE PARTY AT THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM..

--------------------
Cartoon Art Museum - Alternative Press Expo Party
Saturday, November 1, 2008, 8:00-11:00 pm
Sliding Scale: $2 - $20
655 Mission Street / San Francisco, CA 94105
415-CAR-TOON / www.cartoonart.org

Comics readings by Keith Knight, Jesse Reklaw, Trevor Alixopolous,
Julia Wertz, Hellen Jo, Olga Volozova, and David King. Book signing,
limited edition prints and posters, plus a raffle!

Food and beverages sponsored by Dark Horse Comics and
Sparkplug Comic Books.
--------------------
Here's a nice image of the poster:
http://www.slowwave.com/random/ape_cam_poster.jpg)

Labels: APE, cartoon art museum

 
*FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS WONDERING WHEN I'D BE TEACHING THAT CARTOONING SEMINAR AGAIN...

Cartoons Are Serious Business:
A Cartooning Workshop with Keith Knight,
Creator of the ?K¹ Chronicles, (th)ink and the Knight Life

Cartoon Art Museum Class: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 1:00 - 4:00pm
Cost per class: $100; $90 for CAM members


On Sunday, September 21, 2008, the Cartoon Art Museum is offering another
installment in its ongoing series of workshops for aspiring comic artists,
writers and fans of all ages. Each class is taught by a professional
cartoonist focusing on an area of his or her expertise, ranging from
character creation and story development to writing and drawing comic books
and strips.

Keith Knight, 2007 Harvey Award winner and creator of the syndicated comics
the 'K' Chronicles, the Knight Life and (th)ink, will conduct an intensive
three-hour workshop for aspiring cartoonists, entitled Cartoons Are Serious
Business. The cost of this class is $100 per student for the general
public, and $90 per student for members of the Cartoon Art Museum.

Mr. Knight will be drawing upon his 15 years as a self-syndicated cartoonist
for this intensive workshop, which is an advanced class for people looking
to make cartooning a viable money-making career. This workshop will focus
on the business side of comics, from marketing and promotions to dealing
with syndicates and negotiating publishing contracts. In the past decade,
Knight's work has appeared in self-published 'zines, major newspapers,
alternative newsweeklies, professional comic anthologies and major
nationally-distributed publications including ESPN: The Magazine and Mad,
he has promoted his work at more than 100 comic conventions and trade shows,
and he has delivered lectures on cartooning at colleges and universities
throughout the United States.

This is an encore presentation of a class Knight taught at the Cartoon Art
Museum in 2006. Since then, he has launched a daily comic strip with King
Features Syndicate, won numerous awards and signed a deal to produce a
200-page graphic novel. He has a lot more stuff to tell people.

Keith Knight is a Boston-born, Los Angeles-based cartoonist whose three
syndicated comics, the 'K 'Chronicles, the Knight Life and (th)ink, can be
found in newspapers, magazines and websites all across the country. He is
also a rapper with the semi-conscious hip-hop group, the Marginal Prophets.
For more information, please visit his website, www.kchronicles.com
<http://www.kchronicles.com>

Class size is limited, and each class is filled on a first-come,
first-served basis. Basic drawing materials will be provided, but students
are encouraged to purchase sketchbooks and their own drawing implements. To
register or for more information about the workshop, please contact Diane
Shapiro Sommerfield at (415) CAR-TOON, ext. 303, or via e-mail at
education@cartoonart.org.

]{[^]}[
Cartoon Art Museum ? 655 Mission Street ? San Francisco, CA 94105 ?
415-CAR-TOON ? www.cartoonart.org
Hours: Tues. - Sun. 11:00 - 5:00, Closed Monday
General Admission: $6.00 ? Student/Senior: $4.00 ? Children 6-12: $2.00 ?
Members & Children under 6: Free

The Cartoon Art Museum is a tax-exempt, non-profit, educational organization
dedicated to the collection,
preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms.

Labels: cartoon art museum, cartooning workshop

 
*LETTER/EMAIL OF THE WEEK..
Hey Keith,

Labels: cartoon art museum, email of the week, letter of the week

 
IN THIS ISSUE:
*WHO’S YO’ DADDY?!!
*500 PAGE DARK HORSE IN STORES NOW!!
*KEEF SLIDESHOW AT COMIC-CON
*KEEF EXHIBIT AT CARTOON ART MUSEUM
*KNIGHT LIFE BEING TESTED IN SAN FRAN, B’HAM
*KEEF NOMINATED FOR 2ND HARVEY
*KEEF CARTOON WORKSHOP AT HAMMER MUSEUM

Dearest K Chronicles/(th)ink/Knight Life reader,

Holy @#%!! I’M A FATHER!!
I won’t bother with the details, but wanted to let y’all know that the fetus formerly known as Lil Gravy entered the building last week. He’s a big boy, and will be kicking my ass in no time.

Due to a few complications, he remains in the hospital. But we hope to have him home soon.

If there EVER was a time to order stuff, now would be that time.

*THE 500-PAGE K CHRONICLES COLLECTION...
..arrived in stores the day my son was born!! (great timing, cuz the book is dedicated to him Dark Horse has collected the first four K Chronicles collections and reformatted them nice and big, I added notes and sketches, and Kyle Baker did the introduction. What it amounts to is the must-have book of 2008!!
You can order the book thru my site (http://www.kchronicles.com), but I won’t be selling it outta my crib like the other books. So if you want ‘em signed, hit me up at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con.

If you have the book already, please consider posting an online review at Amazon and all them other places.

Also keep in mind that the 500 page collection DOES NOT include the strips contained in the latest K Chronicles compendium “I Left My Arse in San Francisco”. So there.

*SLIDESHOW AT COMIC-CON (Thurs. July 24th Noon-1pm, rm 4)..
Not only will I be signing that big ol’ Dark Horse book at this year’s Comic Con, I’ll also be doing an all-new slideshow on Thursday, July 24th at noon (room 4). The panel’s called “FROM THE K CHRONICLES TO THE KNIGHT LIFE: KEITH KNIGHT” and .I’ll chronicle the development of all of my strips, present a preview of the Complete K Chronicles collection by Dark Horse, do a little drawing demo, and show some baby pics!!.

I'll also be doing horrible caricatures to raise money for the Cartoon Art Museum on Friday July 25th from Noon -1pm..

SEE YOU THERE!!
REMEMBER: COMIC-CON GOES FROM WEDS.,7/23-SUN 7/27. AND YOU CAN ONLY REGISTER FOR IT ONLINE.

*KEEF CARTOON ART MUSEUM EXHIBITION
From now until Nov. 9th, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is hosting a 40 piece exhibition of my work. Starting with stuff from high school, up until the launch of my daily strip.

I hope to make it up there for an official opening in August. In the meantime, go check out the show and email me about it. Also, can someone take photos?
(C.A.M. is located at 655 Mission St. in San Francisco…http://www.cartoonart.org)

*KNIGHT LIFE GEING TESTED IN S.F,. CHRONICLE/BIRMINGHAM/ MORE..
Can you take a minute out to vote my daily comic in at the following places?

San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/12/DDCOMICS12.DTL

Birmingham News:
http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/07/what_do_you_think_of_knight_li.html

Washington Post:
http://comicsurvey.washpost.com/survey.cfm

Raleigh News Observer:.:
http://share.triangle.com/node/3528?page=63

Orange County Register :
http://ocregister.upickem.net/engine/ApprovedSubmissions.aspx?contestid=1864

Baton Rouge Advocate:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/includes/comic-survey.html


Thanks!!

*K CHRONICLES NOMINTED FOR 2ND HARVEY AWARD!!
Nice!! The K Chronicles has again been nominated for Best Comic Strip in 2008. Industry professionals can download a ballot at http://www.harveyawards.org.
Let’s shock the industry one more time!!

*CARTOONING WORKSHOP AT THE HAMMER MUSEUM
On Sunday, July 20th, I’ll be conducting a cartooning workshop for kids aged 8-12 at the Hammer Museum here in Los Angeles, courtesy of 826la. The 2-hour class will cover the basics of doing a comic strip. Space is limited for the class, so act now!! Go to http://www.826la.org for more details and sign-up info.

IN MY MIX:
*Maconium
*Gigantic, milk-filled breasts
*DEADLINES

http://www.kchronicles.com
http://www.knightlifecomic.com

Labels: cartoon art museum, Knight Life daily, newsletter, san diego comic-con, signing

 
*K CHRONICLES NOMINATED FOR A 2008 HARVEY AWARD!!
Whoa!! I could really get used to this!! The K Chronicles has been nominated for Best Comic Strip for a third year in a row. The Harvey Awards are named after the late great Harvey Kurtzman, whose work was a big influence on the K Chronicles.

Lost the first year, won the second. But I hear the 3rd time is also the charm, so all you folks in the industry, please download and fill out a ballot here. Let's shock the world once again!!

*THANKS TO EVERYONE..
..who participated in the online Q & A at the Washington Post online last week. A lot of great questions, and a coupla weird ones. You can still check out the interview here.

*FROM THE K CHRONICLES TO THE KNIGHT LIFE: SPOTLIGHT ON KEITH KNIGHT..
..is the title of the panel Ill be doing at this year's San Diego Comic Con on Thursday, July 24th at 4:30pm. I'll be doing my world-famous slideshow that'll highlight work featured in my new Dark Horse 500 page collection, and a look into how I developed the Knight Life, my new daily blazing a trail across newspapers nationwide and beyond (including Honolulu and Trinidad!!)!!

*KEITH KNIGHT COMIC ART EXHIBITION AT THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM IS NOW OPEN FOR VIEWING..
..in glorious San Francisco from now until November 9th. If you go see it, take some pics and send em my way. I won't be up there for a while. For more info on it, go to http://www.cartoonart.org.

*LETTERS/EMAILS OF THE WEEK...

Keef,

Because I have been reading K Chronicles for thirty-five years, I feel I have an
understanding of your work.

It is obvious The Knight Life is a love letter to wifey and your family.

And for letting us read that,

Thank You

Yours,
J.
Denver

-----
(RE: Alien Abduction Knight Life Strip)

K,

Barney and Betty Hill, perhaps the first and most famous alien abductees, were an interracial couple. Their account of their abduction introduced several features that are now commonplace in abduction stories (fragile gray aliens, surgical probes).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Hill

--------

(RE: K Chronicles Vaccination strip)

Hey Keith!
I'm a devoted fan for your wit, wisdom, humor and slice-of-life
installments of The K Chronicles!
But, getting chicken pox as a kid was no big deal to me, fun to stay home
and miss school...at the time.
As an adult, I've become one of the 20% who suffer from SHINGLES, which is
no fun!
Medical science has learned that shingles is the SAME virus that is
responsible for chicken pox.
Read all about it at:
http://www.stopgettingsick.com/Condtemplate.cfm-1341-82-1

Also, be sure to check out Jenny McCarthy's info about "Green Our Vaccines"
and spacing out childhood immunization programs to avoid possible links to
AUTISM complications associated with multiple vaccine programs. Just
sayin'!!

Best Regards,
B. in SLC

Keith,

I've been a fan for a while now, but your recent articles have really hit close to home
since my wife is preggers with our first kid too!

After your most recent comic, I'm sure you're going to get a bunch of emails from
anti-vax folks telling you not to vaccinate your kid at all. Just wanted to temper that
a bit with some facts. Make your own decisions, but please inform yourself with the
science. Personally, I don't think there's any reason not to give all the vaccines to
your kid at once (they've been shown to be perfectly safe), but you're well within your
rights to space them out as makes you comfortable.

Don't listen to the anti-vax crowd. They completely ignore the sound research and divert
research dollars from where it should be going - to fund research into what actually
causes autism, and to finding a cure. Instead the NIH has wasted millions of dollars
appeasing these folks by funding study after study that tells us the same thing -
vaccines are safe. The "toxins" they claim to be in vaccines are not in there. The CDC
took the mercury out of childhood vaccines to appease these people, and there was no drop
in the autism rate (interestingly, the anti-vax crowd still claims that it's in there).
I can assure you that there is no anti-freeze or formaldehyde in any vaccine, they simply
do not understand the chemical nomenclature.

Alright, that's my rant.

best,
m.
----

(RE: K Chronicles Bucket List strip)

Mr. Knight,

We have a 6 month old, and while our lives are different (I?'m not used to be
up and sober at 4am), you?ll be amazed at what you can still do with kids.
Our daughter comes to happy hour (I call ahead to work it out with the
restaurant), formal dinners, goes on planes, buses, trolleys, and just took
a 3 ½ week cross country road trip with us. She loves new places, and is
actually far more flexible than we, the adults, are.

Good luck!

-E.
---
(Re: (th)ink U Miss. Pot strip)

Hi,

Saw your great comic in the chronicle this morning...Good stuff.

My husband is on the board of Norml and I know he'll get a great laugh. So thanks and in
October we are holding the Annual Conference in Berkeley if interested.

Take Care,
T.

------

Keith -

You got my vote in the WashPost survey. I've enjoyed your stuff in "Funny
Times" for years. Keep up the good work, and good luck with making it as a
regular in the "Post".

- A.

(folks can still put in a good word for my daily strip at the Post and a few other places:
go by their website and say something nice about the strip:

http://comicsurvey.washpost.com/survey.cfm

Another important paper testing the strip is in Raleigh, NC.:
http://share.triangle.com/node/3528?page=63

Also, the Orange County Register is taking a survey about what they should add to their paper:

http://ocregister.upickem.net/engine/ApprovedSubmissions.aspx?contestid=1864
thanks!! k.k.)

------

Keef,

I don't know if you remember me - I've E-mailed you a few times in the past asking for information in getting my own comic strip out there. (No luck yet, incidentally.)
Anyway, the topic this time is completely different - I'd like to bring up something that I think should be addressed in your strip. I know that you've got a lot to draw on in your own life at the moment, what with the upcoming baby and all (congrats, by the way), but I really think this is something that the more people know about, the better.
The topic I refer to is that of Zimbabwe. I don't know if you've been keeping abreast of the political situation over there at the moment, but let me tell you, it makes ours look like a cakewalk. Bush may be an idiot and a warmonger, but Robert Mugabe is an out-and-out MONSTER.
The reason I know about this is that my mom grew up in Zimbabwe, and she still has family and friends living there. They have been corroborating the news reports via E-mail, and adding to them. It's not just as bad as people have been saying - it's worse. The people are not only being starved, they're being beaten, bullied, killed, tortured and indoctrinated. Food is now seen by the government as a weapon - in a country that is dying of starvation, feeding someone is now a potential crime. Why? Because they might have voted for the MDC (the opposition party to Mugabe's ZANU-PF). Anyone who might have voted for the 'wrong side' is now automatically a target.
Keef, you have often addressed issues of racism and politics in your strip - and rightly so; as a black man in America, you've seen the discrimination that still exists in our society. What's happening in Zimbabwe is worse - far worse. It started with the reverse of what we're used to - blacks against whites - and has steadily snowballed into a nightmare. Racism is wrong, no matter who initiates it, and Zimbabwe is a prime example of how it can be used in the wrong hands.
Now, none of this affects me - I don't live in Zimbabwe, and neither do any of my immediate family or friends. But that changes nothing. What's happening there is wrong. It's wrong, it's horrifying, and something should be done about it. South Africa, Zimbabwe's neighbor to the south, has proved that something CAN be done about it - our protests helped lift Apartheid.
Is there any chance you could address this subject in one of your strips? Right now, Zimbabwe is just a blip on the news to most folks, but your strip has a pretty loyal following, and could help bring things into focus for a lot of people. At the very least, would you mind printing this letter on your site?
Thanks, either way. The 'K' Chronicles is still one of my favorites!

Sincerely,

D.

(thanks for this, d. is it a black on white thing in zimbabwe? or a black on everybody who oppses him thing? cause all i ever see in the news is black folks getting hacked up, beaten and killed-kk.)

--- -

Mr. K,

It just hit me today why I like your strip so much. [I read it in Salon] You're always so enthusiastic, and your illustrating style makes the excited. It's great to see so much un-abashed, un-ashamed, un-ironic enthusiasm in anything.

That's all I really wanted to say other than good luck with the kid, I love the restaurant review idea, and better luck in the next life with Linda Carter.

Keep up the good-
-C.

(thanks!! when we moved down here to l.a., my wife & i agreed that we can have one celeb sleep over if they would like to. and mine is lynda carter. -kk.)

Cheers!!

Labels: cartoon art museum, email of the week, Knight Life daily, letter of the week, new papers

 
*A CALL TO ACTION..
Folks..

Just got this message from a reader in Baton Rouge:

Greetings,

In today's issue of the Advocate here in Baton Rouge, there was no Knight Life! It turns out that the strip that the yours replaced in the Advocate (Doonesbury, or something) is just taking an extended vacation. In the mean time, the paper is going to be running several

different strips, and let readers vote on which one will become a permanent fixture of the

Advocate's comics page. We need to send people to http://www.2theadvocate.com/help/comments to tell the Advocate that we want the Knight Life to become that said fixture.



Sincerely,

J.

Charge!!

*JUNE 08 NEWSLETTER..

IN THIS ISSUE:
*KEEF AT MOCCA IN NEW YORK CITY
*KEEF RETROSPECTIVE AT CARTOON ART MUSEUM IN SF
*K CHRONICLES WINS 2008 GLYPH AWARD FOR BEST COMIC STRIP
*KNIGHT LIFE DAILY BEING TESTED IN WASHINGTON POST


Dearest K Chronicles, (th)ink and Knight Life reader,

Whoa...Things are getting a bit crazy up in here with the launch of the new daily. So
many great things have been happening, and I thank everybody for their endless support!!

*KEEF AT MOCCA IN NYC THS WEEKEND!!
I will be in the wondrous city of New York for the 2008 MoCCA Festival. This is one of
the best Indie Comix shows in the country. And it seems to be attracting a lot of daily
newspaper cartoonists as well. I will have a small number of my older books, but will
mainly be pushing the not-available-in-bookstores "I Left My Arse in San Francisco", the
latest K Chronicles collection.

I will also have ONE COPY of the new 500-page K Chronicles Collection from Dark Horse.
Ya gotta see this thing. It's HUGE!! Pre-order it here:

http://www.kchronicles.com/store/

The show is this Sat./Sun, June 7th/8th at the Puck Building in NYC. SEE YOU THERE!!

*KEEF RETROSPECTIVE AT CARTOON ART MUSEUM!!
Nice!! Starting June 17th, the Cartoon Art Museum wiill be hanging a big ol' exhibit
chronicling ME ME ME!! It's pretty all encompassing, covering stuff from my high school
days up until the present, with artwork featuring the K Chronicles, my MAD
work,(th)ink,my ESPN work, Marginal Prophets artwork and more, more more!!

The show runs through Nov.2nd.
For more info, go to http://www.cartoonart.org

*K CHRONICLES WINS 2008 GLYPH AWARD FOR BEST COMIC STRIP!!
Three years in a row!! Man!! I gotta tell ya I'm humbled. Special thanks to Rich
Watson for always lookin' out!!

*THE KNIGHT LIFE NEEDS YOUR HELP!!
I know I continue to ask this, but the first year of a daily strip is the toughest. And
the only way a new strip like mine can make it is if folks write in and say good stuff.

Right now, the biggest most important paper that runs comics is testing my new strip,
the Knight Life. If you planned on doing it but haven't gotten around to it, THIS IS THE
ONE PAPER TO DO IT WITH. It is the Washington Post and you can fill out a survey here:

The Wash, Post:
http://comicsurvey.washpost.com/survey.cfm
and/or email: comics@washpost.com
and/or call: (202)334-4775


But you should check out the strip first, so you can comment on it, so go here:

http://www.comics.com/comics/knightlife/index.html

Thanks!! See you in New York!!

Labels: cartoon art museum, Glyph, new papers, New York

 
*ANNOUNCING THE FIRST KEITH KNIGHT SOLO COMIC ART EXHIBITION!!

For Immediate Release: May 28, 2008
Contact: Keith Knight, keef@kchronicles.com
Images Available Upon Request



The Knight Life:
Bay Area Spotlight on Keith Knight
Cartoon Art Museum Exhibition: June 14 - November 9, 2008



The Cartoon Art Museum is honored to host the first comprehensive exhibition
of Harvey and Glyph Award-winning cartoonist Keith Knight, creator of the K
Chronicles, (th)ink and the new United Features syndicated daily comic strip
The Knight Life.

The exhibition, co-sponsored by Dark Horse, coincides with the release of
The Complete K Chronicles (Dark Horse/$24.95), the 500 page omnibus
collection that incorporates the first four K Chronicles compendiums (three
of which are out of print).

Keith Knight, a Bay Area institution whose move to Los Angeles left a gaping
whole in the S.F. reprobate and indie comics community, will dig deep into
his vast catalog of original artwork for this retrospective. The K
Chronicles, (th)ink, the brand new daily comic strip The Knight Life, his
work for Mad Magazine and ESPN: The Magazine, Marginal Prophets poster and
album art, plus some early high school and college work will be represented
in the exhibit.

Information regarding the official reception for this exhibition will be
announced shortly.

About Keith Knight

Keith Knight is an award-winning cartoonist whose two self-syndicated comic
strips, his humorous, autobiographical the K Chronicles and (th)ink, which
skewers politics and current events, can be found in over 35 alternative
weekly, college and daily newspapers and websites nationwide. He's also a
frequent contributor to Mad Magazine and ESPN: The Magazine. His new daily
comic strip, the Knight Life, has recently launched, courtesy of United
Features Syndicate. For more information or to schedule an interview with
Keith Knight, visit his website at
www.kchronicles.com, www.knightlifecomic.com or send an email to
keef@kchronicles.com.


]{[^]}[
Cartoon Art Museum ? 655 Mission Street ? San Francisco, CA 94105 ?
415-CAR-TOON ? www.cartoonart.org
Hours: Tues. - Sun. 11:00 - 5:00, Closed Monday
General Admission: $6.00 ? Student/Senior: $4.00 ? Children 6-12: $2.00 ?
Members & Children under 6: Free

*A PREVIEW COPY OF THE DARK HORSE BOOK IS HERE!!
And it looks FANTABULOUS!
It's HUGE!! Like a phone book!! Chock full of K Chronicles strips the way you wish papers would run it. BIG!! Kerstin was saying that she never noticed all the little things that I put in the strips because the collections were too small.

She also loves the notes that I put in below the strips. Little factoids and things about the work. I'm psyched!! And I'm looking to get a lot of publicity re: this book, so if you know where to send it to, tell me!!

You can pre-order the Dark Horse Book here.

*NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WRAP-UP..
Had a spectacular time in San Francisco and Santa Rosa last week. Thanks to the JCCSF for bringing me up there for their Serial Boxes panel. It was nice hangin' with fellow creators and comic fans alike.

I also rolled into a coupla old spots including the Edinburgh Castle, which still had a pinball machine in the back. I tossed a coupla quarters in the machine to see if I still had it.

40 million points, one free game and a "shoot again" later, I realized I did still have it. I walked away after just one ball, cuz I knew it wasn't gonna get any better than that. It'd make someone's night to find all that free stuff on a pinball machine...

I also hit one of my fave Haight St. foodspots, Askew, for a little pepper encrusted Ahi, but they jacked up the price on that thing BIG TiME. The gas crunch has seriously affected the menu (it was still delicious, though).

There was more food, booze and fun seein' as it was Bay to Breakers weekend, but I won't bore you with all the details. Let's just say that if you ain't spent any time in San Francisco, yer missin' out.

Special thanks to Greg and Jose at the HI SF Downtown Hostel for putting me up. I really enjoy coming into SF from a traveler's perspective.

*I ALSO DID A COUPLA SWELL INTERVIEWS .
One was with Chris Lanier for an upcoming ish of McSweeney's and the other you'll be able to find right here.

*INDIANA JONES REVIEW..
What can I say? If you like Indy, you'll see it. If you're looking for a good movie, don't bother.
Some good parts (the opening stuff, the college chase, the jeep and sword fight), some bad parts (swinging through the trees, THREE waterfalls?), and a sorta weird walk-on by Karen Allen (was she supposed to be acting?)..

T'was the weakest but still far better than any of the new Star Wars movies.

*I KNOW, I KNOW..JACKIE ROBINSON WAS A REPEAT..
..But it was a classic!! Being on the road, coupled with the news of Rory Root's passing threw me for a loop, so I hope you didn't mind the week off.

*LETTERS/EMAILS OF THE WEEK...
Hey Keef,

We've must've seen the same photo. Berra has the ball and misses the tag, Jackie slid towards the inside of the plate, and his toe catches the top corner. We are probably in the same boat as we were too young too have seen him play live. The image of Jackie dancing off the bag at third, and just messing with the pitcher's head, then taking off, arms flailing, the crowd does a collective gasp, somebody yelling, "there he goes!!!!!!!", just gives me the chills. The Original Bum Rush. Truer words have never been spoken.

Just wait until you tell your son about it.

Keef, I love your strip, and look forward to it every week.

J.
(a transplanted Bostonian)
----------
Hey Keef,

Don't know if you ever heard of Major Taylor, but he was one of the most famous, and well-paid, athletes of his day, from about 1895 to 1915. He was a bike racer, he was amazing, he was black, and like Jackie Robinson, he also faced a mountain of prejudice. What most people don't know, is that he ever existed. And he wasn't just famous in the U.S. either, he was world famous--cycling was a huge sport here and internationally in the days before the automobile screwed things up. Anyway, whenever I come across praise for Jackie, I feel the need to make sure Major Taylor gets his due.

Peace,

D.

(i actually did a strip about major taylor when i was contemplating doing a black history panel called "betcha didn't know"..i never pitched it, but if i find the taylor panel, i'll post it.-kk)
-------

Hi Keith,
I look forward to reading (th)ink every week in Boston's Weekly Dig, and just wanted to
write you a note to tell you that I really appreciate the strip. When I read your recent
comic about Mildred Loving, it caused me to look for more information about her - I
listened to the online NPR piece from last year. I realize that on top of entertaining
your audience, you're also informing them - art, commentary, and historical notes all
rolled into one. Nice work! Your strips that address interracial couples always catch my
eye, since I'm white and my girlfriend is asian-american - I often show my favorites to
her, especially the one I mentioned. I also enjoy Tak Toyoshima's "Secret Asian Man"
strip for similar reasons. Anyway, keep up the good work - I look forward to reading many
more of your comics in the future!
-D.

----------

Hi Keef:

I opened the mailbox today and found the book waiting for me. Thanks
for the personalized note on the inside cover. I hope all is well with
your's and your wife's impending parenthood.

I haven't found any local papers that carry you since Pacific Sun and
you parted ways. I'm curious if you're going to be writing anything
about the economy up in these parts.

By day I'm a hard working commercial real estate broker. I also have
three kids, two for whom I pay child support, one who I raised on my own
(his mother passed away). In 2006 I made a little over $117,000. I was
responsible with the money (I always pay my child support and bills) and
my only excursion was a seven day trip to Maui. After taxes and all, I
entered 2007 with a little under $70k in savings. And then the fucking
earth spun off her axis and the market dropped. I was worried, but I
kept the expenses in check and distracted myself with my night time
endeavor. But I kept watching irresponsible,
greedy bankers and lenders make unrealistic loans to small businesses
and investors who were fooled in to thinking that Bushenomics would
continue to expand. It's like thinking you can re-use a rubber:
eventually some spunk is going to be squeezed out and then the chain
reaction begins. In 2007 my income dribbled to less than $7,000. Now,
in late May 2008, I'm faced with eviction. Me! The guy who was never a
dead beat dad, the guy who works 10 hours a day, then comes home and
works some more. The guy who warned people, "Don't take those loan
terms....lock in a fixed rate...you pay a little more up front but you
won't be exposed to the impending melt-down". I'm 44 years old and
facing starting all over. How the f--k did that happen?

Obama in 08, Knight. He's not going to hand us a fix, but he's sure as
hell gonna hand them some pink slips. Let those irresponsible f--ks
face their sins against this nation without jobs for a while. As I sit
here wondering if I'm going to be sued for eviction, I stress out. I
have anxiety attacks and spend hours better invested sleeping staring at
the ceiling trying to figure, hope, pray for a way out of this mess. I
can only imagine how they might feel with the hope of them one night
laying awake wondering how they're going to fare in congressional
hearings.

Best Wishes,

Pi

-------

Whaddaya mean you didn't know I went daily?
http://www.knightlifecomic.com

Labels: cartoon art museum, dark horse collection, email of the week, Indiana Jones movie review, interview, letters of the week, San Francisco

 
*EXTRA!! EXTRA!!
Just got word that I'll be having a solo exhibit of my work at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco (woo hoo!!) from June- October of this year!!

Haven't worked out all the details, but it looks like approx. 40 pieces will adorn the walls in the back gallery California artist section.

The exhibit will include the K Chronicles, (th)ink, my MAD magazine work, my sports strip from ESPN the magazine, and a few choice strips from my new daily comic, the Knight Life!!

*THE KNIGHT LIFE LAUNCHES!!
Thanks for all the well-wishes concerning the launch of my new daily strip. They want to hear feedback in the Seattle Post Intelligencer and the Sacramento Bee, so please send positive emails telling them to keep it.

My evil twin sis sent contact info for the Seattle Paper:
TEST COMICS: We're running a month's worth of two new comics. Please e-mail us your
thoughts at picomics@seattlepi.com.

The Boston Herald hasn't started running it yet. I'll let you know when it does. Also, it recently got picked up in Denver, Albany , NY., and Provo, UT. Look for it to start up in those locations soon.

If you work for a paper, and you're interested in adding the new strip, contact me at syndication@knightlifecomic.com.

And the new website: http://www.knightlifecomic.com

*CHEAP-ASS MOVE OF THE WEEK..
We're shopping for Baby stuff for the upcoming arrival of "He-Who Cannot-Be-Named", and we've found that craigslist is ideal for picking up inexpensive, uppity baby stuff fer cheap.

The key is to limit your search to all the rich sections of town. We've found some incredible deals if we search for stuff in Santa Monica, Brentwood ..and all the other uppity places in L.A.

*WHAT IS UP WITH SOME OF THESE (TH)INK READERS?
I recently did a (th)ink for Earth Day where the Moon, looking like a doctor, tells the Earth that it is infested with "destructive parasites"...

I don't know if someone whined about it on talk radio, but I got a few emails of folks who were extremely bent out of shape. Here's a sample:

"What about all the doctors, musicians, artists, engineers, pilots, taxi drivers, teachers, mail carriers, fire-fighters..just parasites?

I'm a hard-working, honest citizen trying to earn a decent living for my family. I don't like being thought of as a destructive parasite. Should I tell my children they are destructive parasites too?"

Another person wrote; "What if I called African-Americans parasites? Not so funny now, is it?"

Geez Louise. Relax, will ya?

Labels: (th)ink, cartoon art museum, cheap-ass, Knight Life daily

 
*SETTLING IN TO OUR NEW PLACE..
..just three blocks away from our old one. I'm just starting to catch up on many of the book orders and correspondence. Thanks for your patience.

The wifey is coming along, and that's why she's the subject of this week's K Chronicles strip. I think she's just starting to move into the phase of the enjoyable part of pregnancy...we'll see.

*YES, THE PRICES GOT RAISED IN THE BOOKSTORE..
..after I took a few orders to mail out and saw that I grossly under-priced them when you factor "postage and handling" into it. Those who ordered early got a nice deal. The rest of you: FEH!!

*SAN FRANCISCO BOOK RELEASE PARTY BOOKED!!
It'll be at the world famous Cartoon Art Museum (655 Mission St. near 3rd in S.F.) on Sat. March 29th from 6-8pm. Nothing too crazy. A little wine, a little beer, some weirdos... I'll be spinning some of my favorite San Francisco tall tales, and also give some anecdotes about my first year in Los Angeles.

For more info on how to get there, go to http://www.cartoonart.org.

*WIZARD WORLD LOS ANGELES THIS WEEKEND...
I'll be attending my first Los Angeles convention this weekend. Wizard World LA is the little sister to the big Chicago convention, and I don't know what to expect. I'm hoping it'll be worth the three straight days I'll be sitting there in Artist's Alley. I'm sharing a table with David Malki and I'll have plenty o' copies of the latest book "I Left My Arse in San Francisco", so come on out of the sun and say hello.

LETTERS/EMAILS OF THE WEEK...

Mr. Knight-

I've been reading you on Salon for some time now, and I just wanted to write
to thank you for an excellent strip. I always enjoy reading your strips and
I like to think I even catch some of your in jokes ("Are you Aaron
Macgruder?"). As a longtime comic reader, your style and content are always
refreshing. I look forward to each strip, and I read Salon's comic page
just for you and Tom Tomorrow.

Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

B. K.

Greetings Keef,

I was just wondering if a guy already owned your first three books, if the new Dark Horse Omnibus held anything new for me?

Thanks,

J. B.
Baton Rouge, LA

(good question!! the dark horse collection comprises of the first four k chronicles books (sheep, marker, strange and passion), three of which are now out-of-print, in a lavish 8 and a half by 11 inch package with personal notes and anecdotes by yours truly about almost every strip, an introduction by Kyle Baker, and several pages of sketches. It is truly the cat's bottom and a must -have for every k chronicles reader!!-kk)

You can pre-order the Dark Horse collection right here.

Keith,

I lived in the City back in the late 80s and have been a fan of your work for a long time (bought a couple of your early books). Haven't checked out your strip in a while though, and in doing so today was surprised to discover you've moved to L.A. Your Jan. 2007 reminiscences on your blog about living in SF make me homesick all over again. Wish I could talk my husband into moving back there! Hope L.A. life is just as much fun. Keep up the good work!

best,

L.
Athens, GA 30612
(the state that chose Obama and Huckaby in its primary....)

Dear Keith,

Although we've never met, we've corresponded for years... just wanted to tell you that
your concept of Life's Small Victories has kept my spirits high through a shitrain of
karma.

Yesterday, I fixed my mom's kitchen faucet. It was a hundred-dollar Moen, salvaged from
my collection of hardware, and it leaked. So I replaced an O-ring. No luck. I
replaced another O-ring. No luck. And when I came to final O-ring, I prayed not to
the god of plumbing but to the idea of life's small victories -- success. All I
wanted was for the faucet NOT TO LEAK. And, it didn't.

So, never doubt that your Keeftoons change the world for the better. Yesterday, they got
me through. They guided me through the valley of the shadow of Doubt, and helped me
fix a simple plumbing problem that would have really hurt me, if I couldn't prevail. I
would have felt like an abject failure; instead, I won one of LSV. Thank you, Keith.

Toon on,

J.

(nice!!-kk)

Keef,

My 20 year old daughter is a student at Faculte Saint-Jean, the French campus, at the
University of Alberta. She and 8 other Residence Assistants have flown to New Orleans to
work with Habitat for Humanity in the town of Thibideau rebuilding. I just received this
email from her, thought you'd appreciate her views.

"We actually did go to the lower 9th ward today. I'm just so mad at this moment. You
seriously just drive over a bridge and then you just see all this leveled bare land. You
are in this lovely area that is rebuilt and touristy then you drive 5 minutes and there
are houses that look exactly the same as they did 2 years ago.
I'll give you a call tomorrow. I'm so mad at the United States."

So, here we have a 20 year-old white Canadian student, the daughter of an ex-pat
American, seeing the fruit of a policy that began over three hundred years on the shores
of Africa, the auction blocks of Charleston and the fields of countless plantations
rotting on the soil in one of the wealthiest nations ever. Sad.

Your friend,
D.

Dear Keith:
I am sitting here waiting for my teriyaki chicken and rice bowl and considering it a personal victory of restraint that I am leaving you and your wife in peace. I wanted to tell you how brilliant your strip is, but you already know that, right?

Of course, if I see you again, you will totally have to deal with some adulation. Sorry!

-D.

(the above email is a lie, for he came up to us as we were leaving the restaurant. oh, how i hate it when people come up to me and say nice things..;) -kk)

oh!! and the restaurant we were in is my favorite in all of the city of culver: tokyo 7-7 is so perfect, from the $2.35 breakfast specials before 11am, to the autographed photo of erik estrada on the wall, this spot is the coolest and hardest to find place in culver city!!

Keef~

I have a small favor to ask, would you consider please, sparing a few lines of space on your blog, to help get the word out about this site. It's called freerice.com, where you play a word game, for every word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. It's a really simple way for people who may feel like they don't have time to help others.

The site also explains how much each country is contributing to this program, we are at the bottom, and a form letter people can copy and send to their government, asking them to increase their participation. Anybody who has 5 minutes to spare on the internet, should be on this site. It's a quick and easy way to make a difference.

Thanks!
G.

(just cuz i posted this message above doesn't mean i'm gonna post a message about your pet cause...g. is a close personal friend of mine that i used to rob old ladies with, so i'm making an exception.-kk)

Labels: book release party, cartoon art museum, email of the week, letters of the week, wizard world la

 
*HAPPY TURKEY DAY...
Well. More like sad turkey day.

Concerning this week's K Chronicles. I always enjoy bringing back the Turkey character, and I liked having the opportunity to comment on capital punishment. For the record: I am a meat-eater, but I hope to grow out of it.

*CARTOON ART MUSEUM WRAP-UP
Thanks to all who came out to say hello at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. I was told it was the most popular Artist-in-Residency they've ever had since they started doing it in 2002. No doubt folks were excited about what's in store for me in the next few months. I will have an official announcement soon.

Go check out the CAM's Mary Blair show that's up right now. If you haven't heard her name before, you'll know her work. Beautiful.

Big shout-out to Andrew Farago for setting everything up.

*K CHRONICLES IN THE MOVIES!!
I was asked for K Chronicles krappe to hang in a booth at a faux comic-con set for the upcoming film SuperHero. It's being made by the Scary Movie folks and is a parody of all the superhero films (obviously). I think it's coming out in March, so make sure to illegally download it!

Labels: cartoon art museum, K Chronicles, movies

 
*LETTERS OF THE WEEK...
RE: K Chronicles "Shooting babies in the face"

Keef,

First, if you Americans really want to get rid of
the prez. he must be
found in bed, drinking French beer, (is there such
a thing?) with a 12
year old ... boy... and just before he !@#$, he
shouts, "Down with the
NRA!" Then he might be a goner. But then what do
you do with Cheney?
Something with a puppy, a blowtorch and a blender
maybe?

Life's Little Victories. This is for my daughter.
You discover the
mid-term exam you thought you hopelessly bombed
came back with a A.

D.
Somewhere in Alberta, Canada


KEEF!!

I've been reading your strip since it was published in HARPOON
MAGAZINE!!! Remember that one?
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that now that I'm
living in the armpit of Amerikkka (Lansing, Michigan), your
collections remind me of the good ol' Bay Area!
Thanks for keeping on!
D.
(BTW...you moved to L.A.???)

(Whoa!! Harpoon Magazine was the first magazine that ran my stuff regularly..Waaaaaay back in 1991-92!! Nice one!!-k.k.)

*NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER..
IN THIS ISSUE:

*KEEF AT SAN FRANCISCO'S CARTOON ART MUSEUM THIS SATURDAY
*NEW K CHRONICLES COMPENDIUM DUE FEB. 2008
*2008 LITTLE VICS/MEGA-MIX CALENDAR
*PERSONALIZED LITTLE VICS ORIGINAL ART

Greetings K Chronicles/(th)ink reader,

Happy Holla-daze from the burned out confines of Southern California. Many,many things are brewing here at K Chronicles Ink that will be revealed in the next coupla months, but if you'd like a sneak preview, come see me in S.F. this Saturday:

*ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY @ the CARTOON ART MUSEUM (655 Mission, San Francisco) SAT. NOV.17,2007 1pm-3pm
Watch me draw next week's strips!! I will reveal one super-duper secret as I sit at the C.A.M. drawing table, scribbling away and signing copies of the new 2008 Little Vics/Mega-Mix Monthly Calendar.

*THE NEW K CHRONICLES COMPENDIUM!!
Keep an eye out for the new K Chronicles Compendium (#5) "I Left My Art in San Francisco", scheduled to drop in Feb. 2008.

*2008 LITTLE VICS/MEGA-MIX MONTHLY CALENDAR!!
Get yer Hot-Keef-Injection all yer long with one of these quite spanky calendars. Chock full of Life's Little Victories, K Chronicles and (th)ink strips. When you order, let me know the birthday of the recipient, and I'll draw a personalized birthday message on the specific date. Available only at http://www.kchronicles.com
(Limited quantity, so get yours now!!_

*LIFE'S LITTLE VICTORIES ORIGINAL ARTWORK-
If you really want a unique gift to give, order up an original Life's Little Victory, hand-crafted from photos and a victory that YOU come up with. I will send the original art, ink on bristol, signed and dated, to you early enough to make it a damn fine holiday gift. $250. MUST ORDER BY DEC.6TH, 2007 FOR XMAS DELIVERY. It can be dirty, but I reserve the right to reject profoundly disturbing victories.

IN MY MIX:
*Best of Craigslist
*PJ Morton Band, live at the Temple Bar
*Sox/Pats/Revolution/Celtics Championships
*My evil twin sister's new T(ea) Gallery, 700 5th Ave. Downtown Seattle (http://www.myteagallery.com)

Cheers!!

Keef
"The K Chronicles"
2007 Harvey Award Winner for Best Comic Strip
http://www.kchronicles.com
Next signing: Sat.Nov.17th 1-3pm @ the Cartoon Art

Labels: 2008 calendar, cartoon art museum, letters of the week, signing

 
*EXTRA!! EXTRA!!
I'll be the Artist-in-Residence at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco on Saturday Nov. 17th from 1-3pm. I'll be signing copies of the new 2008 Little Vics/Mega-Mix Monthly Calendar and latest (th)ink collection. I'll also be dropping some SERIOUS, SERIOUS NEWS on anybody who shows up at the signing. The biggest K Chronicles news ever!!

The museum is located at 655 Mission St. in downtown San Francisco. Around the corner from MOCCA.

I'll also be hanging out with the crew of 826Valencia as a representative of 826LA, which has a new storefront opening up in Echo Park on Sat. DEc. 15th.

*HOB-NOBBIN' WITH THE STARS..
I went to my second "only-in-Los Angeles" star-studded event since moving down here. It was this great dinner event for the Children Defense Fund. The dinner celebrated these 5 young women that have gone through shite that would've broke 99% of the rest of us in the room. I saw even the most botoxed faces break down in tears listening to their stories.

Anyhoo, I got all decked out and took the bus to the Beverly Hills Hotel where I chowed down in the same room as Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams and the lady who played Malcolm in the Middle's mom.

I got introduced to upstanding citizen Cameron Crowe and panicked halfway through telling him what a great film "Almost Famous" was. For a second I thought "What if he didn't do that film?" so I got all weird and vague..But I'll see his ass again and set it straight. I also got to meet Lisa Kudrow. Very nice lady, indeed.

Then, in the scrum outside the hotel of incredibly rich people waiting for valets to bring their autos around, a man said "Wheelchair coming through!!" And lo and behold, Larry Flynt, publisher of children's mag Hustler, came rolling through more blinged out than I've ever seen any rapper. Turns out it was his birthday and they were having a party in one of the other function rooms.

Talk about balance.

Shout out to Sally W. for the invite!!

*TYPO OF THE WEEK..
I spelled "complacency" wrong in the K Chronicles this week. I sent out a corrected version, but it was too late in some places. Whoops.

IN MY MIX:
-Gym Class Heroes
-Okra
- Curt Schilling's blog

Labels: cartoon art museum, in my mix, Los Angeles, signing, typo

 
*EXTRA!! EXTRA!! KEEF INTERVIEW IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE COMICS JOURNAL!!
The premiere publication of the comics industry just dropped the latest issue. And it has an interview with me by Cartoon Art Museum gallery manager and all around good guy Andrew Farago. Here's an excerpt.

Labels: andrew farago, cartoon art museum, comics journal, interview