*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

 
*WHOA!! KERSTIN'S KNOCKED UP!!
If you haven't read already, Kerstin and I just found out there will be an heir to the K Chronicles/(th)ink Cartoon Empire. Yikes!!

Thanks to everyone sending well-wishes and how our lives are over. BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS CASH. So make sure you order many of the fine products on the website. Or have me come do a slideshow at your college, high school, art school, museum, university or living room.

Upcoming slideshow in Feb: University of Florida

I'll be posting some email reactions from the strip soon. S'funny how some people still didn't get that it was a baby, even after saying the extraction is scheduled for 9 months from now.

*MOST EXCELLENT WEEKEND WAS HAD...
..With the opening party of 826LA's new Time Travel Store in Echo Park. The party was Saturday evening and it was packed. With music and food and drink in this swanky space a coupla storefronts over from the Time Travel Store.

The event was co-hosted by 826 founder Dave Eggers and most swanky director Spike Jonze (who are working on a film adaption of Where the Wild Things Are). Plenty of movie stahs in the house including Edward Norton and Princess Amidala.

It was great, but Kerstin and I cut out early cuz we had STEVIE WONDER tickets!! Yes!! I missed his tour stop at the Greek Theater in September, but it turns out he has a special fundraising show every Xmas here in Los Angeles. It was a cheaper ticket than the tour show, and from all accounts, he played a lot of the same stuff as the show at the Greek.

It was amazing. He ran through a buttload o' hits with a full band and a trio of background singers that included his daughter. This being a Stevie Wonder "and friends" show, a few guests came out to play their own hits and jam with Stevie. Two Johns.

John Mayer and John Legend.

T'was a good night. AND we saved $20 by parking two blocks away and NOT in them damn garages.

*A FEW MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE BILL WATTERSON DOC..
This is a small personal project being made by a guy who is a big fan. It's not a huge studio movie. He's just interested in hearing from folks in different walks of life who were touched by Watterson's work. I'll forward you're email to him. If you haven't heard from me, please be patient.

Happy Holidaze!!

Keef

Labels: 826la, baby, K Chronicles, Stevie Wonder show

 
*THANKS FOR ALL THE HOLIDAY ORDERS...
I just got a fresh supply of "Strange" in from the Top Shelf fellas. So all orders are being filled over the next coupla daze.

*S'FUNNY HOW FOLKS THOUGHT THIS WEEK'S K CHRONICLES WAS TRUE..
No, there aren't real women giving birth in the front yard of a Bel Air mansion's Christmas display. But thanks for asking. Wanna buy a bridge? Or name a star after somebody?

*LOOKING TO DONATE TO A GOOD CAUSE THIS HOLLA-DAY SEASON?
It's a tax write-off! ! It makes ya fell good!! It'll come back to you two-fold!!
-826la
-826Valencia
-Cartoon Art Museum
-Just Think Foundation
-Planned Parenthood
-ACLU
-Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

*OHMIGOSH!! SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS!! LOOKIT ALL THE BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO'VE DONE STEROIDS!!
I remember coming home from San Francisco in '91-'92, and seeing a few of the fellas in my 'hood who were a year or two younger than me and my buds. They're bodies had ballooned to completely abnormal sizes of muscle. They had Popeye arms. Necks the size of elephant calves. It was insane.

So if those guys were on steroids that far back, YOU KNOW the pros were on 'em even earlier than that.

Kovak! I told you Clemens was on 'roids years ago.

Labels: donate, holiday orders, K Chronicles, steroids

 
*HAVEN'T POSTED FOR A BIT..
First off..To those of you who subscribed to the K Chronicles and (th)ink on the go.comics/Uclick website, my contract with them was up in September, and I didn't renew. That's why there hasn't been a new comic posted since mid-Sept.

Apologies for the confusion, but the strips will be up on a new subscriber-site soon.

*BEEN WORKING ON A SUPER-SERIOUS PROJECT..
..that will be making its debut in early 2008. What is it? Well, let's just say I'll have to change one of the FAQs on the website. Stay-tuned for more details.

*I'M SICK THIS WEEK..
..So a K Chronicles Klassic is being run this week. From 1996!!

*IN THE MEANTIME..
The calendars are flying out the door...And for those of you interested in a personalized Life's Little Victories original piece of art, for yourself or a loved one for the holiday, act now. I'm gonna take as many orders as I think I can fill, & then I'll take some New Year's orders.

*MORE LOS ANGELES NEWS..
I was drawing in my local cafe when I struck up a conversation with an elderly man about a big influence, Jules Feiffer. Another guy approached and told me his friend was doing a documentary on the influence of Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, another huge influence. He invited me to be interviewed for the film.

This project just started and the filmmaker is looking for more folks to talk to. If you love Calvin and Hobbes and want to be interviewed, this guy may be coming to your town. Email me and I'll put you in touch.

Cheers!!

Keef