The Late Live Show

This Saturday at midnight I'll be over at Second City's de Maat theater, taking the stage with hosts Joe Kwaczala and C.J. Toledano for the second installment of the The Late Live Show, a live-on-stage-in-front-of-live-people talk show. We'll talk about... well, I have no clue what we'll talk about, but I can guarantee I'll make a poop joke somewhere in there. That's my promise of quality.

The first show sold out and people had to be turned away at the door. Not too shabby for a non-network show. Let's just hope Jay Leno doesn't decide he wants in on the action.

According to the show's blog:

Tickets are free on a first come, first served basis at the box office. The only way to guarantee a seat is to make sure you buy your ticket ahead of time for only $5 by clicking here.

This Week's Shirt (6.24.10)

This week at the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop: everyone's favorite tearful hilarity in an easy to laugh/scowl at logo. Sport the lettering for the inaugural issue of the upcoming Forlorn Funnies series as well as the disembodied skulls of EveryNed (the red-lipped fellow) and the pants pissing, money-drenched dandy from True Luxury (see this previous post for some panels of these two in action).

Lazer Ghosts 2: Return to Laser Cove

I don't know what's better: every single seconds of this, or the fact that every single second of this adds up to a nine minute and nineteen second long trailer.

(Thanks to PK for showing me the way of the laser.)

The Mysterious Origins of Belief in The Mysterious

An interesting dissection from Michael Shermer on the origins of our beliefs, which directly relates to the theory of the Hyperactive Agency Detection Device and its role in the foundations of religion. I've been reading quite a few bits and pieces about this lately and I thought this video (save the softball-ish jokey clip at the end which I thought undermined the talk slightly) did a nice job of rolling those pieces into a palatable whole.

The Writer Who Couldn't Read

A cutely animated video from NPR about a seemingly impossible state of being. Fertile ground for metaphors and fiction.

Sampson Warrior

For my money, Johnny Sampson is one of the best artists in Chicago. His pop culture blender of a mind barfs out movie posters for nonexistent films and album covers for music the world never got to hear.

Johnny's been working on a new painting, involving the gangs from The Warriors, and his step-by-step progress report is as enthralling as the end result. Warning: shirts come off and city fires are lit. But what else would you expect?

Franken Justice

I realize this speech Al Franken gave to The American Constitution Society probably represents more time than the average person affords themselves for watching videos at lunch or work or wherever you're reading this, but if you have a chance to listen to the audio of this speech (which I did while inking a day or two ago), it will make you want to be an honorary Minnesotan.

Here's the audio for the speech.

If the government was filled with people speaking this plainly and factually, it boggles the mind to think of the progress we could make in lieu of the quagmire of contrariness we're in.

This Week's Shirt (6.17.10), Last Day of Sale

This week at the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop: it's time for a more determined melancholy, a muscled punch of sadness.

This design was cobbled together from a promotional postcard for a show at Fantagraphics' Book Store, a print done for a gallery show in Portland, and another t-shirt for a project I can't discuss yet. Gathered from so many like parts, It's the Voltron of world-weariness. Something like that.

In other shirt news: it's worth noting that the latest shirt I did for woot is still available here for a short time and all the shirts at the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop are still marked down in price. I'll be running that sale for another twenty-four hours, but after that, all the shirts (other than this weeks) will be marked back up. Adorn yourself promptly!

Nancy, Interpreted

I was happy to stumble across this collection of Nancy drawings by various artists (and was surprised to find out I had contributed to it, having no recollection of doing the drawing). Zack Soto's Sluggo is a favorite, and Kevin Huizenga's drawing is oddly disturbing. Have a look at – as Jeffrey Brown's drawing points out – everyone's favorite man-girl.

David Mamet Supreme Court Comedy Porn

There are works of art that I would bet against ever being made, but am thankful nonetheless for their fruition. And this certainly falls into that category. Ed O'Neill as a stoically mannered Chief Justice in a grainy non-porn comedy directed by David Mamet? Thanks, don't mind if I do.

This Week's Shirt (6.10.10)

This week at the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop: I don't get it either, it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

Some background: this shirt was inspired by a shirt I've had for years that says "kua," the meaning of which no one has been able to tell me. I like the idea of proudly wearing an excited bit of nonsense. But I have to admit that when thinking about this shirt and trying to come up with an equally nonsensical word, the word that seemed the best candidate turned out to be a rather specialized sexual practice (thanks, internet!). I went through several more presumably nonsensical words only to find that they were also out-there sexual practices. So I apologize in advancing if "Murp!" refers to anything involving a donkey and some Crisco. I also apologize if I've been falsely advertising my intentions strutting around with "kua" on my chest.

I should also mention that if you missed yesterday's woot shirt, you can still pick that up here. And while that shirt is being sold, almost all items in the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop will be marked down in price. Garb yourself abundantly.

Shirt on Woot, Shirt Shop Sale

Today through midnight, I have a shirt on sale at shirts.woot, which you can pick up for the meager price of $10. The shirt will continue to be on sale afterward, but the price goes up, so if you want a visual for pac-man's death rattle, complete with metallic grill: have at it.

For the length of the sale on woot, I'm also offering the shirts on the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop at a reduced price: almost all items in the shop are $15 (including the designs below). Afterward all the shirts go back up to the regular price ($20 in most cases), so clothe yourself in a hurry.

And of course, check back on Thursday for the weekly t-shirt. So many shirts! Put them all on at once and collapse of heat exhaustion!

Prego, and The Two Other Italian Words I Know

If you're in the mood for boning up on your rusty Italian (which sounds like a disgusting sexual practice), Andrea Queirolo of Conversazioni sul Fumetto asked me some questions via e-mail and someone translated it into a pack of words I can't understand. O joyous ignorance! But the english is included below the translation, for you cheaters out there.

Part one of the interview is here and part two is here.

This Week's Shirt (6.3.10)

This week at the Forlorn Funnies Shirt Shop: it's time for a public service announcement from Cartoons and Comics. And because I apparently hate sleeping, I've put this one together in both a full-color and one-color design and added some hoodies to the mix.

This was originally produced as a signed, limited edition four screen print from Desert Island in Brooklyn. According to their site, there's only one left, so pick it up if you need to chastise the outdoors on both your chest and your wall.