Random Thoughts

• You might notice that my "Moron" posts have disappeared... they haven't gone away forever, but they won't necessarily be every week anymore. I'm not gonna do 'em unless I have something interesting that I really want to talk about. I will be doing more posts on other topics, though...
  


• I've made my Archives front-page a little more user-friendly...
  


• Seeing Griffey back in the MLB playoffs brings back some fuzzy memories. I have a vague recollection of my hometown having a successful baseball team once. I can't be sure, though...
  


• I think if I don't talk about my favorite TV shows more often, they're going to suspend my blogging license...
  
  So anyway, if Fox cancels Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, I'm gonna be supremely pissed. I watched the pilot last year out of curiosity, fully expecting it to suck, and I've been totally hooked ever since. Lena Headey brings a really cool vibe to the title role...
  

Free Palin 'Toon!

After seeing the Katie Couric interview with Sarah Palin, it's becoming clear that this is a person who is totally out of her league. She has no idea what to say beyond campaign slogans and generic talking points, and she even panics a little when pressed to do some critical thinking on rather simple issues:

COURIC: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

PALIN: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie--that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

COURIC: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

PALIN: He's also known as the maverick though. Taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about--the need to reform government.

COURIC: I'm just going to ask you one more time, not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation?

PALIN: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.

Makes me think that this week's cartoon should have looked more like this:



In fact, let's do this: if you click on that image above, you'll get a high-resolution JPEG that should print up pretty nicely. I'll do this Trent Reznor-style and say "this one's on me"... feel free to print that up, and fill in the bubbles with anything (words? doodles? photos? loogies?) that you think best represents what the heck Sarah Palin is really trying to say. Put 'em up in your office to annoy your Republican co-workers who are trying desperately to convince themselves that she is actually qualified! Here's a few more to play with, including some in black & white and some with fewer bubbles:



If you make use of these, do me a favor and shoot me an e-mail at nomind (at) fightingwordscomics.com describing what you came up with (or even scan it and send me a copy)... I'd love to see them!

I'll leave these on my server through the election. I took the byline off, but left my copyright on... all I ask is that you not sell it (as in this Creative Commons license).

Enjoy!

Fighting Words News: Animated FW Parts...

So, continuing with my expansion from the ultra-lucrative world of print editorial cartoons into the ultra-ultra-lucrative world of animated editorial cartoons for the web (now there's some bitter sarcasm for you!), you may notice that I am now incorporating more Flash into my weekly cartoon. It's basically the same comic, but with some movin' parts and sound FX (if you can't see it, there's a link there to the static version). Hopefully, I'll be able to do a little something every week...

Anyway, this should give me some valuable extra practice with Flash... and maybe give y'all a little added enner-tainmint.

Testing

I opened up accounts on Twitter and Digg, so I'm trying a blog post to see if the little icons show up...

I also set up a page on Photobucket, and watch out for me on Flickr, Friendster, and any other silly social networking site I might come across. Frankly, I just don't see the point of most of these things.

However, if you're really into these sites... then me too! They're the coolest things ever!! If you want to "follow" me or "friend" me or "tweet" me or whatever, then do it, yo...

Website changes...

So I've been doing some sprucing up of the old website lately, including adding buttons for "Buy A Print" and "Make A Donation." I'm aware of some little problems on various types of browsers... I'll have to come back to it and iron those out next week.

However, if you see any major problems like the site doesn't come up at all or your computer explodes when you type in the address, let me know. Pretty sure it's not my fault though if your computer explodes...

Hopefully, these changes will hold me over until I can get around to a complete site redesign someday. But probably not... I'll probably continue to tinker with the damn thing.


UPDATE: I just looked at it on a smaller screen, and it's all outta whack... I got some work to do still. So consider it partially under construction at the moment...

New link

Fighting Words is appearing on ZNet now...

Sunshine Week...

"Sunshine Week" is March 16-22:

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.

I have a few cartoons up in the editorial cartoon section. Check em out.

More on MYSPACE, symbol of the vacuous 00's...

Yeah, that's right... in honor of my cartoon trashing MySpace and everyone who uses MySpace, I've started my very own evil MySpace page. Just because I'm a giant hypocrite. Or maybe I'm trying to be ironical or something, who knows...

I'm also incredibly vain, so if you'd like to be on my "friends list" then send me an add request...


UPDATE: I'm also now on the Facebook. I gotta admit, I don't quite get the point of this one...

Fighting Words News: I'm Web-Literate...

No "moron" post this week, as the cartoon was a repeat. Trying to head off at the pass some minor creative burnout...

However, after months of dabbling, I have finally become comfortable enough with Dreamweaver that I was able to overhaul the Store page all by my lonesome. I plan to devote a couple hours a week to getting better with this stuff, so be on the lookout for all kinds of developments on my site: ads, a donation button, this "MySpace" fad I've heard about, moving the blog to my server, and, hopefully, new products (including a book!). Most importantly, I can finally give my awesome friend and webmaster Jim a break, since he's been doing this stuff for me for free all this time.

How momentous is this development for me? Let me put it this way: I teach a kids' class in Aikido, and one of them was telling me the other day that he is fluent in Dreamweaver and has already created a few websites (confirmed by his dad). So, I have finally reached the level of computer expertise of a modern-day 10 year-old. I'm so proud of myself...

Fighting Words News: Who am I?!?!

So yeah, I've been lying to you this whole time. Actually, not really... my middle name really is Benjamin, I've just never gone by that name in real life. When I started this whole crazy cartoon project, I thought I wanted a pseudonym to provide a little "personal zone" to keep ME separate from MY WORK. I just wasn't creative enough to think of anything besides my middle name. I've been thinking about dropping it for a while, though, since it has occurred to me that unless I'm a secret agent or a porn star, it's really kinda stupid to have a fake name. Really, I just want to give Fighting Words a little "evolutionary kick-start," so to speak...

Sorry, I swear I'll never lie to you again. Damn, just did it again...

Brave New Designs

I contributed some designs to a T-Shirt contest being held by Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films, who make some great documentaries on important issues. Check out the designs here, and if you're so inclined, throw me a vote...

More Commercial Art...

I've updated my big Commercial Art post with a bunch of new entries to my portfolio, including more Democratic candidate designs (Nader and Biden), a company logo for a local cafe, a design for a gift shop in the Pike Place Market, a shirt design for an Aikido seminar this weekend, and a design I threw together for a shirt for next weekend's Hempfest in Seattle (hint: it's Dick Cheney smoking a doob):

chirp... chirp... chirp...

Those are the crickets on my end of the blog. Yeah, it's been a while... and, yeah, the last cartoon was a repeat... (here's my original Moron post for that cartoon). I swear, though, it's not my fault! Honest... I ran out of gas. I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!!

The AAEC 50th anniversary convention was outstanding. Shook hands with a hero of mine, Helen Thomas, and a guy who ain't gonna be president, Dennis Kucinich. Heard Dana Priest speak during lunch at the Washington Post, and listened to Mark Shields repeatedly praise the courage of Ronald Reagan, which made me want to barf up the crab cakes or whatever the hell we were eating at that meal. Most importantly, though, I feel like I gained a new appreciation for my chosen profession, which I hope will be evident in the growth of my work in the near future. I also gained a broader understanding of the challenges that we face as a group, which are formidable.

Also, our CWA booksigning crowd at the downtown D.C. Borders kicked serious ass. Mikhaela points to an attendee who scanned his autograph page and put it online.

Thanks a bunch to Warren, Matt, and Jim & Karen for giving me places to rest my head last week.

Here are some more upcoming events:

• July 26-29 @ 10am - 7pm | San Diego: Cartoonists with Attitude at San Diego Comic-Con Ted Rall, Keith Knight, Shannon Wheeler and more! (San Diego Convention Center)

• July 27-28 | San Diego: Shannon Wheeler's Too Much Coffee Man Opera Wheeler reprises his hit comic opera for the San Diego Comic-Con crowd. Fri. July 27 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.; Sat. July 28 at 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. Evening shows $20, day shows free to Comic-Con attendees.

• September 28 @ 7 pm | Boston: Cartoon Signing and Slideshow with Mikhaela Reid and Masheka Wood (exact location TBA)

• September 29-30 | Portland, OR: Stumptown Comics Fest featuring Ted Rall, Shannon Wheeler, Matt Bors, Stephanie McMillan, Ben Smith and more! (Lloyd Center Doubletree)

• October 12-13 | Bethesda, MD: SPX Ted Rall, Mikhaela Reid, Masheka Wood, Brian McFadden, Jen Sorensen, Stephanie McMillan, August Pollak, and more!

Plans For the Fourth?

The Cartoonists With Attitude gang storms the capital on July 7 with an edgy satirical cartoon slideshow and book signing!

• When: Saturday, July 7, 2 p.m.
  
• Where: Borders 18th & L Streets NW Washington, DC 20006 ( 202.466.4999)
  
• Price: Free!
  

Celebrate Independence Day weekend with a slideshow and signing with edgy, groundbreaking and controversial alternative cartoonists from around the country! Be there or the torturers, bombers, ex-gays and wire-tappers win! Meet:

• Ruben Bolling ("Tom the Dancing Bug")
  
• Matt Bors ("Idiot Box")
  
• Keith Knight ("The K Chronicles")
  
• Brian McFadden ("Big Fat Whale")
  
• Stephanie McMillan ("Minimum Security")
  
• August Pollak ("Some Guy With a Website")
  
• Ted Rall(Silk Road to Ruin)
  
• Mikhaela Reid ("The Boiling Point")
  
• Ben Smith ("Fighting Words")
  
• Jen Sorensen ("Slowpoke")
  
• Masheka Wood ("Not Just Knee Deep")
  

And in case you weren't aware, you should really read our group blog (also available as an RSS feed if you want to get all our blogs and most of our cartoons in one convenient place. We also have a not-so-frequently updated Cartoonists With Attitude MySpace page if you want to be our friend.

Fighting Words News: Commercial Art...

Personally, my output of actual artwork is a bit lower than some other cartoonists (they're machines, I tells ya!). However, I have been doing a bit of extra commercial artwork lately in an effort to make ends meet. Here's a sneak preview of some of my work (please excuse the watermarks):

• Here's a T-Shirt design I did for a coffee shop chain and maker of handmade chocolates in Seattle, Chocolati (owned by a friend of mine). Not sure when these are going to be available, but I believe all profits will be going to charity... also they make the best damn truffles on the planet:
  
  (Click on thumbnails)


• I did a couple of shirt designs for another coffee shop in Kingston, WA... not sure when these will be available either, but it's a cool little joint, if you ever find yourself in Kitsap County:
  
  
  Here's a company logo I did for Coastal:
  
  


• I'm doing a whole line of shirts for my pals at Not A Number in Seattle (1905 N. 45th) featuring some of the possible and confirmed Democratic candidates for President in '08. This may be a much bigger line (including some shirts making fun of Republicans), but it looks like we're going to start with a couple out of these:
  
  
  Here's another design for Not A Number, for Hempfest in Seattle:
  


• Here's a couple versions of a highly customized design I did for a gift shop in the Pike Place Market:
  


• I did a shirt design for a big summer seminar hosted by my Aikido dojo. Here are some different backs and fronts:
  


• Some designs I did for a contest held by Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films:
  



• Here's a logo and street sign design that I did for a new restaurant in Kingston, WA called "The Grub Hut":
  



• I'm doing Flash slideshows for clients of my dad, a wedding photographer. These shows are perfect for freelance photographers looking to add a new product or promotional item:
  
  


• MARCH 2009 -- I've moved my design work postings to my website... check them out here from now on!
  

Kill the People in Your TV

The new T-Shirts are in, and they kick all kinds of ass (thanks to Django at Seatthole). I've anointed this one with the above title, available in BLACK and NAVY... part of a new series of more general-interest T-Shirts that I've come up with. For now, this design will be only be available at SPX and Stumptown (along with new buttons, prints, and other stuff), so come see me at the shows! Afterwards, they'll all be going up on the website for everybody to purchase...

Fighting Words Appearances

...mostly as a reminder to myself to get my butt in gear and get ready for these events:

• WASHINGTON D.C., Oct 13-14, Small Press Expo: I'll be sitting at the table for Cartoonists With Attitude, a ragtag bunch of artists who have made contributions to the Attitude book series. Note on the CWA site that we'll also be doing a signing on the 12th at Politics & Prose!


• PORTLAND, OR, Oct 27-28, Stumptown Comics Fest: This small press show is growing every year... it's up to 120 tables this year!

For both events, I'll have some kick-ass new shirts and buttons, along with prints, copies of Attitude 3 ready to sign, and possibly other stuff as space will allow!

Letter

My inclination has been not to respond to criticism in letters unless the reader clearly makes an honest effort to make an argument and engage me in a dialogue. Eat the State! recently received this one on my Remember 9-11 cartoon:

I appreciate Ben Smith's sentiments in his cartoon "Remember 9/11"--except for his depiction, in the last frame, of the people being duped by the propaganda. The signs are unmistakable: bad haircuts, bad teeth, bad make-up, bad nutrition, and bad grammar all point to stereotypes of lower-class "rednecks" or "trailer trash."

Does Smith really believe that working class or poor people are less politically astute than people with middle-class haircuts and orthodontia? More, does he think the Left can rebuild a strong base through class snobbery? And what is this image doing in ETS!?

My answer to the person's two questions directed to me is "No" - as demonstrated by my depiction of poor and working class people in my "Who's the Most Screwed?" cartoon from a couple weeks ago. The people in the 9-11 cartoon represent people who prefer to be ignorant of the "broader context" on issues of consequence.

I've had a few unhappy responses to those characters, but I'm not really sure that rednecks as a "people" have a historical basis for being offended when they're stereotyped. And my caricatures are pretty mild compared to some others...

CWA!

Posts on the Fighting Words blog are now being cross-posted on the group blog for Cartoonists With Attitude (CWA), a cartooning supersite with contributions from Ted Rall, Jen Sorensen, Mikhaela Reid, Brian McFadden, Matt Bors, August Pollak, Masheka Wood, Stephanie McMillan, and yours truly. All of us will be at SPX in October, where we will be signing, selling, shaking hands, etc.

This is a very cool little project... and the site looks great (thanks to Brian).

Fighting Words News

I've been invited to join the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists! Check out my page here, as well as the pages of familiar names like Bors, McFadden, Rall, Reid, Sorensen... among many others.