Kate Beaton's Blog, page 4

Hark, A Vagrant: Katherine Sui Fun Cheung

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I read this quote, from an interview with Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, and the interviewer asked about why she was a pilot and all that, and she just said "I wanted to fly, so I did." And I thought MAN! I can't even figure out what to eat for breakfast, never mind sailing through a load of barriers just because I think I want to give something a shot. "Flying? Whatever, I'll just Do It."



Another quote? "What's the point of flying a plane if you can't have fun doing it?" I love her!



Look at her! We all want to be her.




I love early aviatrices - Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham, etc - they were like "oh is there a brand new job on the face of the earth? Think I'll invite myself to do it before anyone says I can't."




Not too much time goes by before Top Gun washes up once again on these shores.

Hark, A Vagrant: Achilles

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Achilles maybe needs some counselling, like, it's not as though I come to your house and fill it with slaughtered Trojans, why would you do that to mine? You know? Common courtesy.



Achilles/Patroclus: friends/boyfriends/brothers/lovers/comrades? YOU DECIDE



(it's all of them)

Hark, A Vagrant: Founding Fathers in a mall

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Before you read this comic I want you to know that my favorite part of the tv show Sleepy Hollow is when Ichabod Crane has no idea what a tv or an iphone or a light switch is, and is confused. As hard hitting films such as Bill and Ted or perhaps Encino Manhave taught us, historical figures out of place do not know who the Burger King really is. But do any of us really know who the Burger King really is? A question we must all ask.



I'm just kidding about "before you read this," of course you read the comic first.



PS, have you seen 1776 The Musical? If you've been around here for two seconds, you know I have. Referenceeeesssss ho ho

Hark, A Vagrant: Monturiol

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Narcis Monturiol i Estarriol, he of great ideas and great sideburns. I love this guy! He might not have been the first person to think up a submarine, but he was the first to put a lot of things together to make it work. The working man's inventor! Alas, the idea did not take off in his lifetime. But here is a link or two for you. Or three:

one

two
three




And I mean, come on, how cute is the Ictineo I? So cute.



come with me

under the sea

drive my fat baby around

Hark, A Vagrant: Tom Longboat

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Tom Longboat, Onondaga champion and a cool guy, by all accounts. Here's a short read that will give you a sense of him. Here is a case for Tom Longboat Day in the Ontario Legislature. Since you find his name often put next to phrases like "deserves more recognition," Tom Longboat Day was officially passed for June 4th, mark your calendars.



Both links carry this story, which I also liked:


It's a story that was told somewhere in France during the Great War. A British general being led to the front by a dispatch runner grew irritated with the pace set by the man and ordered him to slow down. "For God's sake," he complained, "who do you think I am, Tom Longboat?" The dispatch runner, a tall man in his late twenties, slowed and answered, "No, sir; that's me."



That's like if someone told you "oh yeah I can give you directions, follow me" but it was Usain Bolt.



And here is an interesting looking book about the 1908 Olympics that is a world I don't know much about!


There is something so visually pleasing about sports uniforms and clothes and hair and all that in the early 1900s, don't you agree? Google image a name like Tom Longboat or rival Alfie Schrubb or look up "Olympic uniforms 1908," it's all gold stuff.

Hark, A Vagrant: New Books for 2015

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It's been a little while, but I've got TWO NEW BOOKS headed your way this year! I'm so thrilled!



Coming in June with Scholastic, The Princess and the Pony is a picture book featuring one of the most enduring characters I have ever drawn, that roly-poly pony. Here's an interview I did about it with Wired, ages ago when I started working on it. Good for kids, good for ponies, good for pony lovers (everybody)!



Coming in September with Drawn and quarterly, Step Aside, Pops is a new comics collection in the vein of 2011's Hark! A Vagrant book! Finally! I can't believe it's been such a while. Here is an interview with the LA Times about it. Make a lil' room in that bookshelf!



I'm going to keep the preorder links up there because those sales are good for everyone! For the publishers to have confidence in me, and for a book to appear like a surprise in your mailbox in a few months. I always say I'm going to try and be a better businessperson and this time I'm really going to do it gol dang it! LINKS IT IS!



There are lots of places to order, here's a handy list of booksellers!





Amazon, for Step Aside Pops



Amazon, for Princess and the Pony



Barnes and Noble



Chapters/Indigo



Powell's



You can also pre-order from your local comics shop, and we sure love local comic shops here at Hark A Vagrant.

Hark, A Vagrant: Lady's Favor

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It's always Stupid Medieval Type Joke Day here at Hark A Vagrant




Topatoco's holiday shipping deadlines approach, so get it while it's hot/available!



Clicking on the image will take you to the store. Hooray!!

Hark, A Vagrant: Broadside Ballads - Turtle Party

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You know, turtles have a habit of showing up here, don't they? Listen y'all I'm just a lady who loves a good turtle joke.



I feel like there is also a frog on that table but I like to think that it is a very small turtle.



Again from our friends at the Bodleian Library, here is an image from The Scolding Wife





Topatoco's holiday shipping deadlines approach, so get it while it's hot/available!



Clicking on the image will take you to the store. Hooray!!

Hark, A Vagrant: Invasion of Canada

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In Canada, we learn that the Irish American raids of the 1870s provided us with a high horse we like to use even today! Why is America always picking on us? Those guys are jerks, stop invading us with bad plans to trade us for Ireland. Maybe we don't like to be treated that way, you ever think of that? How RUDE.



And for anyone wondering, the gent with the Van Dyke beard would be General John O'Neill, veteran of the American civil war, like many of the volunteers.



wikipedia


online exhibit from Villanova University






Edit to this:



I decided to change the name of comic #364, I'll just give you a brief explanation.



In North America, events of the 1860s/70s wherein Irish Americans invaded Canada are called the Fenian Raids.



Like so.



It's in the textbooks. You get a history book sometime in high school and open it up and there it is, "Fenian raids." And that's the only time you ever hear the word Fenian over here, if people say it, they're talking about some very specific people in the 1860s/70s who called themselves that. Can't say it comes up in conversation much.



Across the ocean, the word means something more, and worse, which I didn't really get the full understanding of until the comic went up - then, of course, people will point things out to you. Still I left it, because I figured maybe it was complex enough to embody a bunch of meanings, including the one I knew. But that doesn't really matter, does it? I don't think so. Who cares if people in North America are unoffended if other people are? That's basic decency math. Anyway I really should have done it sooner, I'm sorry I didn't do it right away.







The store has updated with lots of exciting new things! Were you looking at my Wee The People drawings on tumblr? I was trying to come up with something fun to put in the store. And along with a few other items, here we are! And Josephine Baker shirts are in stock too!



Clicking on the image will take you to the store. Hooray!!

Hark, A Vagrant: Broadside Ballads 2

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These broadside images come to you courtesy of the hard working history folks at the University of California's English Broadside Ballad Archives!



In order:





A Godly Warning for All Maidens

Anne Wallen's Lamentation

The Husbandman's Delight

A New Merry Ballad

An Excellent Song

A True Sense of Sorrow






And of course, the merchandise plug! We have new whiteboards, hot off the press@



The store has updated with lots of exciting new things! Including Wee The People drawings.



Clicking on the image will take you to the store. Hooray!!