*HAPPY HALLOWEEN
I will celebrate my first Halloween in Los Angeles with the Wifey in West Hollywood, which I hear it's like San Francisco's Castro ('cept without all the violence and shootings and stuff).

Anyhoo. Below is my top three scary movie list for all y'all to peruse. Starting with number three: (By the way, see the UNCUT versions of these movies. Not the watered down crap)

3.Suspiria- I never saw this one for years simply because of the trailer. It had a woman with her back to the camera, combing her hair. Saying "la-la-la-la-la-laaa" She turns and it's a skull face with hair on it and "Suspiria" appears across the screen. That was enough for me.
Anyway, Rene Murray in my 6th grade class would always mention "the maggots on the ceiling" but the knife blade sticking in the beating heart was what gets me. There ain't no story here. Just weird colors, 70s film stock, dwarves in cloaks and women dying. Rough-ass movie.

2.The Exorcist- I don't care that you can see the strings when she's floating above the bed. This was another film I was afraid to see for years because of the people I've met whose parents took them to see it in the movies when they were 10. Junkies, reprobates, pedophiles. Don't see the cut T.V. version. In fact, don't see this movie at home. It should be seen in the theatre in the dark where you cannot pause it to answer the phone, or go to the fridge. Part of what is scary about it is you wonder why Linda Blair's parents let her do dirty things with a cross screaming "Eff me Jesus". But that's the 70's for you. See the latest cut where the kid "crabwalks" down the stairs, but wear a diaper, cuz you will soil it.

1.The Wizard of Oz- Straight up the scariest movie I've ever seen. Probably because they advertise it as a kids film so you end up seeing it when you were small. And they don't take out any scenes even when they play it on network T.V. Everything is scary about this movie.
Judy Garland. The tornado. The feet stickin' out of the bottom of the house. The munchkins. The sets. The effects. The songs. The trees. The Flying Monkeys. The dudes shes meets along the way. Both witches. It's lasting effect is obvious when you see Garland doing her pill-poppin' freak-out singing routine decades later. And her daughter Liza Minneli? Why do you think she married that weird dude? The most traumatizing movie of all time.

*LETTERS OF THE WEEK:

RE: Jena K Chronicles

Ok, so I wrote you ages and ages ago to tell you about a push poll call against then US Senate Candidate Ron Kirk, who would have been the first African American US Senator from Texas, when he was running against John Cornyn back in 2000, and how "someone" called elderly white FDR Democrats in Central and West Texas and said "this is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance calling to remind you to vote for Ron Kirk for US Senate - Ron will help us get gay marriage - so remember, vote for Ron Kirk." Needless to say, nobody from the Kirk campaign, nor any known GLTB group commissioned those calls. I don't know if that alone cost Ron Kirk the election, but I do know it had to freak out that category of Democrats, who were already a little wiggy about voting for a person of color, but completely would flip about gay marriage. I was working for a Democratic Congressional campaign at the time, and the only reason we knew about it was one of the calls went out to the San Saba County
Democratic Party Chair's mother's answering machine.

I guess I go into that because anybody with eyes from Texas or any other Southern state knows that racism is alive and well in our part of the world. But sometimes I wonder why it ferments so in small towns, which in other ways are good places to live - people notice if you don't come into town or miss church (are you sick? is everything ok?) people literally plow each others fields in times of sickness or hardship - and often you see people who otherwise would be completely intolerant of so-called social misbehaviors accepting of the social misfits because they are local - part of our tribe, so to speak, so while we may not approve, we still accept them. For example, when I was in college I had several friends from one small town in South Texas who were very intolerant of any illegal drugs, though you could drink yourself into having your stomach pumped once a week, except for their one screw-up friend, who they felt if he was only doing pot it was a big improvement from
when he was snorting tons of coke and whatever else he could find back in the day.

So I have about decided it is because those that could and would make changes, that would negate the racism and narrow-mindedness all leave - both black and white - they go on to college and big cities and take their brains and commonsense with them and sit around with their city friends and try to explain their backward hometown and go home at Christmas and shake their heads but get in their car afterward and head back to Shreveport, or Dallas or Atlanta and leave those behind to continue to simmer in their pot of poor economic development and ignorance. Which leads us to your cartoon, which has so much truth in it that it sickens - all those protesters boosting Jena's economy more than anything that has happened since the sawmills closed. Economic development based on hate and teenage idiots.

So I guess this rant has no real point to it, except keep up the good work.

Thanks,

A.

RE: Life's Little Victories:

Hello Keith! Just a quick note to say how much I enjoy "Life's Little Victories" and your other presentations over the years in Funny Times. Your work in particular helps pull me up out of the doldrums when things get tough! Keep on keepin' on -- PLEASE! Thanks, C.

(Look for another full color Little Vics in the Dec. ish of the Funny Times.-kk)

RE: Throwin Tomatoes K Chronicles:

Hey Keith--

Now, that's a great story (and cartoon, as usual). Good idea too, about car
horns. (Now, if we can just think of an incentive for car-makers to do that...).

I once planned to stand at the intersection near my house -- where I'd nearly
been taken off umpteen times, by jackasses sailing merrily through *red lights*
-- with several water balloons, the water dyed red. Waiting.

I was stopped only by the fear of getting punched out. Maybe a justified fear,
too, as I'd found a few years before. I was peacably riding my bike through
another intersection -- green light in my favour, mark you -- and was nearly
greased by some oncoming dolt pulling a screeching left-hand turn, all of a
foot-and-a-half behind my rear wheel, and without benefit of signals. Almost
automatically I flipped him off, whereupon he pulled a screeching U-turn, came
after me, and... well, I'll just say that the ensuing exchange of views was
ugly. From my point of view, leastways.

Ah, well. Glory days. Speaking of which: Go Sox!

best,

B.
Vancouver

RE: Tax the Rich K Chronicles

Keef, I haven't written in a while, but first of all,

HI! Hope you and the missuz are doing great.

Second of all, your comic this week is such a big DUH...it is pretty slick how this very simple concept is lost on so many. Oh wait - maybe it's not, but the fact that it's rich people that have most of the power means that it doesn't matter how obvious this is.

By the way, as a straight white upper-middle class male, the Bush Era has been really good to me...so why am I so pissed, ashamed and sad?

Peace, and continuing to care about poor women of color (even though it's against my best interests),

E.
San Jose

*CAN YOU DIG IT?
Ahhhh...Another Sox celebration had. Congrats to the team and those of us who have followed them through think and thin. The new empire? Ha! Boston spends money on decent players who fit in (barring Gag-ne with a Spoon and a few others), and have plenty of great prospects that were grown through the org (Pap, Pedroia, Ellsbury). The Sox are gonna be set for years to come.
Pats got next. Celts got after next.

*IF YOU WERE TO RENAME THE K CHRONICLES (NOT THAT I'M GONNA), WHICH NAME WOULD YOU PICK:

1. "The Knight Life"

2. "For Keef's Sake"

3."K by Me"

Send me an email with your vote at keef@kchronicles.com

Labels: halloween, letters of the week, scary movies, the Castro, West Hollywood

 
*FEMA FAKES A NEWS CONFERENCE..
Geez..Even when they don't eff up they eff up. Instead of having just one fake reporter asking questions like Bush did, FEMA goes a few steps further. Very, very sad and just another embarrassing display courtesy of the U.S. government.

*THE JOY OF SOX..
Mike Lowell: M.V.P. Pap-ajima perfection. Plus the preposterous pick-off play. All while Boston College pulls out a win in the last two minutes, and the Bruins beat the hell out of Chicago.
Boston sports is CRAZY right now. Even the soccer team is in the playoffs.

*AND FINALLY..
After spending two years in jail, they've finally released Genarlow Wilson, the Georgia teen who was sent up the river for 10 years without parole for CONSENSUAL oral copulation with a 15 year old, when he himself was 17 . I hope he sues everybody involved.

Labels: Boston sports, FEMA, red sox/yankees

 
*WHOA *COUGH*...
Greetings from southern California...Where the sky is brownish-gray with ash as the place burns to the ground. Those of us in the cities are far from the flames, but we're all breathing in air that is even more toxic than it usually is.

The wifey and I walked to the top of our local Trader Joe's parking garage to watch the blood red sun set this evening. Eerie stuff.

HopE firefighters can get control of all these fires (there are plenty). And I hope folks directly and indirectly affected can make it through this really difficult time.

It will be interesting to see how our federal government and all the moronic talking heads react to these events (bravo to the state of California and local folks for handling things exceptionally well). There's no way you cannot think about New Orleans and Katrina. Who will get rebuilt first: San Diego or New Orleans? Even with N.O.'s two-year head-start, I'm bettin' on San Diego.

*HOW 'BOUT THEM FREAKIN' RED SOX!!
BOW DOWN!! Man, oh man!! I have to tell ya..I've given up on the Sox several times this year and yet they keep on surprising me. They had no business winning that Cleveland series with all the double plays they hit into. I'm loving this team, even though I believe Julio Lugo and Eric "Gag ne with a Spoon" are spies paid off by Yankees GM Brian Cashman.

Colorado's dangerous. They're so young, they don't realize they shouldn't be winning 21 out of 22 games. But they've had 8 days off. Enough to cool them. Sox in six. And then Papelbon will dance.

*MY EVIL TWIN SISTER UP IN SEATTLE..
..is opening up a second T(ea) Gallery!! Tomorrow (Wednesday), 7:30am-3:30pm , 700 5th Ave, the Seattle Municipal Tower in downtown Seattle. So get on down there and pick up some great tea. And say hello. Here's her website.

*ART SHOW IN LAS VEGAS..
I just got a call from my man Andy Taylor in Las Vegas. He asked me for some art for a comics show he's putting together for Las Vegas First Fridays on November 2nd. I won't bew there in person, but you should be. I will be out there for Thanksgiving, though. Mebbe I'll set up a signing to kick off the Holla-day Season.

Labels: art show, evil twin sis, Las Vegas, red sox/yankees, so-cal fires, t(ea) gallery

 
*SPX WRAP-UP..
I like SPX because it's in a town that doesn't have a whole lot going on (unlike MoCCA and APE), so it always has good attendance, and I find myself hanging out with fellow cartoonists a lot more at this show. There aren't 37 parties, events, art openings and keg parties like there are in San Francisco and New York City.

I drove down with fellow CWAer Ted Rall. Ted is not only dangerous with a pen and piece of paper, he is dangerous behind the wheel. I went through three diapers.

This was my first time at the Expo in it's current location: The Marriott in North Bethesda. I like it. It's bigger. Fancier. And easily accessible by subway. I didn't make as much $$$ as in the past, but I forgot my freakin' canvas bags and didn't have a new book to sell. Oh well. Me and many of my fellow Cartoonist With Attitude members crashed at comics historian and collector Warren Bernard's house, much like we did this past summer for the AAEC's 50th anniversary convention in D.C. Good fun.

Also sat on a panel with Zippy the Pinhead creator Bill Griffith, Perry Bible Fellowship and fellow Harvey winner Nicholas Gurewitch, and stunt driver Ted Rall. Nicholas had the book of the show, but the way. His new Dark Horse collection is the cat's bottom. Also pick up Julia Wertz's first collection of the Fart Party. You will not be disappointed. Good stuff.

I'm looking forward to going back next year with my--

*TWO NEW BOOKS FOR 2008!!
What?!! Two new books for 2008? Ya damn right. Things ain't totally figured out yet, but there will be a new K Chronicles collection (#5) out for the 2008 convention season. And coming in June 2008 is the book many have been waiting for: A 500 PAGE K CHRONICLES OMNIBUS COLLECTION!! Featuring every strip contained in the four (mostly out-of-print) K Chronicles collections in a much larger format. With commentary, sketches, foolishness and more!!

*THE NEW KCHRONICLES.COM...
..will be coming very soon. I want to hear your feedback about it . Keep an eye out. It's going to kick bottom.

*ANOTHER INTERVIEW..DONE THIS PAST SUMMER..
http://freynosowrites.blogspot.com/

*OH, BY THE WAY..
THE ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO HAS BEEN MOVED TO NOVEMBER 1ST AND 2ND OF 2008!! I kinda like the idea of a move to the fall, but NOT the day after Halloween. People are gonna be hungover and not wanting to go to something during the day. I say it should be the second week in November. The closer to the Holidays, the better. People will be wanting to shop for presents.

*AND YEAH..THE K CHRONICLES ABOUT THROWING TOMATOES AT CARS..
..is a repeat. I threw tomatoes in San Francisco. Wouldn't dare throw 'em in L.A. Everybody's packin' heat down here.

Labels: APE, Cartoonists with Attitude, interview, new books, spx 2007

 
*WHERE THE HELL AM I RIGHT NOW?
I'm in an internet cafe somewhere in New York City where there' a lot of Japanese restaurants. Cool!! I'm in town for some very special neatness that will be revealed to you all soon enough. But in the meantime, let us hope and pray that the Yankees go down in flames (but not without a fight...Gotta tire out Cleveland for the series with the Red Sox)

*AIN'T IT A PLEASURE TO BE BOSTON SPORTS FAN RIGHT NOW?
Sox. Patriots. Heck..the Celtics?!! I got friends back east complaining because their kids are growing up spoiled with all these good teams now. Whaddaya expect? Boston fans gotta complain about something.

*YES, YES, Y'ALL AND YA DON'T STOP (SPX THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND..)
I expect to see many faces at the wondrous SPX 2007 at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel this weekend. I always enjoy SPX because there ain't a lotta distractions to take away from the event. It's just creators and comix fans. I always have a good time at it. Look for me right next to my Cartoonist with Attitude Brethren and Sistren near one of the doors and against the wall..

And come see our CWA slideshow at the Barnes and Noble in Bethesda this thursday at 7pm.

*WILL I BE HOSTING THE IGNATZ THIS YEAR?
Some of you may recall that I was a last minute replacement as host of the Ignatz awards that take place at SPX. After making fun of most of the audience and special honored guest Harvey Pekar, I made the winners and presenters drink shots of tequila and left the stage in a drunken stupor. Why haven't they asked me to host again?

*WEST HOLLYWOOD BOOKFAIR WRAP-UP...
Thanks to all who came by to say hello at the WHBF. It was a swell time and a good opportunity to meet my L.A. readers. I also got to hang out with some really cool local cartoonists, Christian and Llyn. Of course, I am spacing on their last names now so I can't link to them at the moment.

*HAVE YOU READ MY COMICS JOURNAL INTERVIEW YET?
Pretty snazzy!! Thank you Andrew Farago for the inquiries. This ish of the Journal is one of the neatest I've seen in a while. I just wish they used a bit more of my recent K Chronicles. A lot of the strips were taken from my first book, Dances with Sheep.

Ciao!!

Labels: ignatz awards, New York, red sox/yankees, spx 2007, West Hollywood Book Fair signing