Kate Beaton's Blog, page 12

Hark, a Vagrant: Chopin and Liszt

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Chopin! Liszt!





I wanted to get back into the world of composers because let's face it, they are Grade A comic material. Too bad I know relatively little about most of them. I went on a reading spree and came out with Chopin and Liszt, who were friends according to some and not friends according to others. Interesting fellows, never all that any one assessment claims they are. Chopin was not always a Delicate Flower and Liszt was not always some approximation of Jerry Lee Lewis playing Great Balls of Fire. But hey, sometimes they were!




How could I have left out Lisztomania or George Sand you ask? Well maybe you are asking. Comics for another time, my friends.





I made a little list of links down below, that's new! I probably should have done it ages ago.




My studio mates and I are doing a comics reading this Saturday, the 19th, in Brooklyn! We are looking forward to it, maybe we will see you there!





So, it is St Patrick's Day! Comics friend MK Reed wrote to me to tell you all about the launch of her new comic, which is very fitting for the day! Tain Bo Cuailnge is about Celtic warriors from Iron Age Ireland going to war over some cows. It updates a chapter a month.

Hark, a Vagrant: Super Lady

Well, if I can't make a good old fashioned comic update, I don't like leaving the site for too long without some kind of update! You know what that means, sketch comics time!




I saw Fargo for the first time the other day (I know right) and became totally enthralled by Marge Gunderson. I figure, you know, with all this Sheen nonsense going on these days there is only one person who can really sort it out.




Heck I even drew fan art while I watched the film. Oh Margie!











Say, did you know that today is International Women's Day? I'm going to pass a link on to you because there is no way I am updating on International Womens Day only with a comic featuring Charlie Sheen. So:



My favorite charity, Women for Women International, have a program where you can sponsor a woman in a war torn area for a year and help her rebuild her life. Now that's what I call celebrating! Meredith and I decided to sign up last month, and we should be getting more information really soon, and I tell you: I am pretty excited to see 27 dollars debited from my bank account every month.



hurrah!

Hark, a Vagrant: Bess at Tilbury

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Gonna get to the comic in a sec, but first, say, would you guys do me a favor? Just a vote, a moment of your time if you like! Two good friends of mine have entered a contest looking for "The Coldest Canadian," (ha!) and the winner gets a very nice trip to New Zealand! Caleb and Larissa have lived up in Igoolik, Nunavut for quite some time, and they put together a super cute submission video.


You can view it here!


They sure do love it up there, we can't get them to come back, but all the same, it's cooollddd in Igoolik! They're the loveliest folks and they just got engaged, so I really hope they get to celebrate with this. Take a look (it closes one day!), and vote if you agree! I should have linked to this ages ago, some friend I am. A couple thousand votes to win, mes amis? Anyway, thanks very much, what are internet powers but for helpin' good folks out?




comic time!



So! Happy 300th update! It doesn't really mean anything because not all the things in the archives are even comics. But anyway! Prints of this comic won't be sold with the bonus sketchies at the end.





Comic updates will continue to be at a slower pace while I work on my book. Me and my schedule woes, where are the violins? For lame occasions? It's not in the yellow pages.





I have a strange cast of reoccurring characters, and Good Queen Bess is one of them. Heck, in one of the earliest ones, she's already at Tilbury! I remember in the course of my being raised Catholic and Scottish and all (somewhere between the tartans and the endless mass, I recall) there was a distinct notion that Mary Queen of Scots rules and Elizabeth drools but who were we kidding? Elizabeth was terrifying and amazing and also especially terrifying (which is great). Anyway who can stay mad at a face like that?




A face caked with lead paint featuring an impossibly high hairline and black teeth. Why I feel a sonnet comin' on!







And now here are some feral looking ladies I drew. I like them! They were lawyers, in my head. I hope I find a comic for them.

Hark, a Vagrant: Nancy-tines

Happy Valentines Day, from my sketchbook and from Crazy Nancy.

Hark, a Vagrant: Young Ada Lovelace

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Poor young Ada. The vices of poetry were all around, and within her very blood! If I were the Lady Isabella and had to deal with Lord Bryon swinging dark moods around the house and swinging what was in his pants around every human female I might have a bad opinion of "the Arts" as well. Isabella was a bit of of a whiz with a protractor herself anyway, we are told.







Later of course, Ada became famous for doing some computery things with Charles Babbage, the mechanics of their work on the Analytical Engine being something I still don't completely grasp, probably because my parents seemed not to mind if I read a poem now and then. Thus, no doubt: my mathematical ruin.



So it all worked out for the best in a way, especially if someone turning to you and saying "did you know the first computer programmer was totally hot??" is your idea of "in a way." Ada Lovelace: first computer programmer, hot, questionable taste in headwear.




I've updated the "About" section with some more detail and FAQ's.




some more things:



I cannot mention Lovelace and Babbage without linking to Sydney's wonderful comic, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage.



If you're not reading Three Word Phrase, you oughta be.



Because of Jules Verne's birthday, and this link being on Drawn, I have been forwarded this several times! (I follow Drawn too). But still, these Verne illustrations are so worth a look.



To one-up you, because it's sort of Verne-esque, Steve Wolfhard showed me this the other day, a collection of art by Newfoundland artist David Blackwood. Stunning, haunting, very very beautiful.



One more: Pete wanted you to know the names of the students who wrote these charmers. A group of 5 girls did all the comics, their self-chosen English names are Gloria, Jenny, Harry, Tomboy and Goldfish. Thanks guys! And credit where credit is due, folks!

Hark, a Vagrant: 1980's Business Woman

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I think these comics are mostly the product of my childhood understanding of business ladies. You see, I was born in the 1980's, when images of boxy shouldered, helmet haired, red lipstick wearing women were striding across magazines and tv shows in giant heels, and I guess they inserted themselves to the pantheon of jobs you one day figured you could have. You know, Nurse, Princess, Teacher, Businesswoman. The following is what I gathered from the images I was familiar with. That these women:



1- Did business All The Time


2- If they were not doing business they were probably exercising.



Pretty fierce, but also, it kind of rules. Anyway you may remember from the archives that I have a ...healthy interest in this sort of thing.





Some items:



The people from Line of Best Fit dropped me a note to say that if you liked that free Christmas album download I linked to a few weeks ago, you will probably enjoy this new free album download! I know I did. My friend Fred has a song in there too. A bonus!



I recently read Julie Klausner's book I Don't Care About Your Band. I really liked it, you may also! You should look into it!




Last update, I linked to my tumblr, and you should know that my friend who set it up for me has a tumblr also. And what a tumblr. The Number One Tumblr, if you will (I will).

Hark, a Vagrant: Comics by Korean Children

Hark! A Vagrant! by ..Korean Children:



My friend Pete is teaching English in Korea, and for one of his classes, he had his students fill in some comics. They are much too enjoyable for me not to post. Hey Pete! The best part is how most of them basically pass as my comics anyway. These kids have my number.



At any rate they have a future in the business! Too cute.

Hark, a Vagrant: Sexy Batman

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Everyone makes Batman comics sometime. And I said not long ago, because of this, "you will never see me do a Batman comic."



But, dear readers, a fact: Batman is fun. Batman is so much fun, and that is why everyone makes comics about him. Case closed, everyone make Batman comics and feel good about it. Plus, is this not where you go for cartoon butt drawings? A marriage of two fine things, like wine and more wine.



Now, Sexy Batman came from a particular place, an NYC visit from Olly
and Mike, and old friends Scott, Meredith and Nathan. I won't take all the credit for Sexy Batman, I shan't. PS: enjoy those links won't you? There are many fine things within.




Related, I met some of the fine folks of Tumblr on the weekend, and what nice ladies and gents they are! It reminded me, did you know I have a tumblr feed?



I do. It's quite bare bones but it is mine, my tumblr baby.




Now here is some exciting news. I'm going to be published in the fall by Drawn and Quarterly. D&Q makes beautiful books, and I am very happy to be with them. I'll be working on extra material for the next while, so updates will probably remain about once a week here as before. But for a worthy cause my friends, as you will see, in the fall!





I've said it before, I'll say it again, John Allison is the funniest.

Hark, a Vagrant: Lester Pearson

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I remember very distinctly the first time I really paid attention to anything at all concerning Lester B. Pearson. It was in a survey class taught by Dr. Penny Bryden, and she was telling the story of how Pearson came to earn the nickname, "Mike." I didn't expect to be laughing in History class, but there you have it. I used Bryden's name a few comics back when I needed a fill-in for a teacher's name, and I believe the memory of Pearson came with it (she later had a big poster on her door with his big head on it, a gift from CBC's "the Greatest Canadian" series I think). I was lucky to have her as a prof, I say in all earnestness that her lectures had a part in how I think about history and approach it will an enthusiastic humor. May we all be so lucky as to be inspired by gifted educators.






I find reading about Pearson to be incredibly fascinating, it was a time of fascinating leaders - Diefenbaker, Pearson, Trudeau, and maybe you've heard of some Kennedy man on the other side of the border. Perhaps what's most interesting about him is that there is no one word to describe him as there seems to be for others, no easy summary. He's a puzzle. He gave a lot to Canada which we - correctly or not - like to claim as proof of some national character, and yet he was full of paradoxes. And he's an intriguing study in leadership and character, especially in between the leaders that flanked him.





I really enjoyed this website on Pearson's role in the Suez Crisis, his most well known diplomatic affair.





I also read this very excellent collection of essays, called Pearson: the Unlikely Gladiator - which has quite an extensive preview on google books. For anyone interested!

Hark, a Vagrant: Nancy Drew 3

Nancy Nancy Nancy




I've just come back from a lovely wedding, congrats to my cousin Jolene and my new cousin-in-law Joel!