Insert 'package' pun here.

Yesterday, Tom Tomorrow blogged about the latest plagiarism scandal and book packaging companies. Today, he linked to a Times article on the subject.

From the second page (emphasis mine):

Packagers have been around for decades, dating at least as far back as the Stratemeyer Syndicate, creators of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery series. Today, packagers work not just in the teenage market, but on all kinds of titles, from illustrated coffee-table books and toddler series to self-help tomes and graphic novels.

I can't even begin to guess which graphic novels could have been "packaged" like Nancy Drew or Sweet Valley High books. Is there some parallel comics market that I'm completely unaware of? Could they be referring to some manga titles? The upcoming Dark Tower books from Marvel (which have some similarities to that method, I gotta say)? Any American comics that have editors? Do any of you smart people know what they mean?

I'm not dead yet.

Just as I've nearly finished with my massive pile of books, Johnny Ryan's brilliant Shouldn't You Be Working? parody strips have been removed from his site pending publication. I was hoping to link to the Epileptic and Persepolis strips, if I could remember enough about what I've read to make some sort of attempt at an entry.


I've been listening to the Kings of Leon a lot, thanks to my obsession with British TV. Their second album was mentioned in the last episode of The Mighty Boosh, so I had to get it. It's no My Humps, sure, but it's quite good nonetheless.

I've also been watching Nathan Barley, Big Train, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Boys Will Be Girls, It's Not Easy Being Green, and what may be the best, most enjoyable series I've ever watched, QI [1]. I've grinned and laughed through the first 26 episodes, pausing only to wonder what's up with all the racism.

Soon I'll finish watching these things and have more time for comics. Or I'll continue to look for episodes of '80s TV series in which John Cameron Mitchell [2] appeared, that I might marvel over how little he's aged in the past 20 years.

Finally, for you filthy Americans, Target apparently considers Starburst jelly beans to be Easter candy and has marked them 90% off. That's 16 cents per bag. Take advantage of this if you want. Or tell me how disgusting they are so I can ignore any opinion you might have in the future.
_________
[1] Bill Bailey is a frequent guest, and he of course played Bilbo, the owner of the comic shop, on Spaced. Nyah.

[2] Sook-Yin Lee is in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Mitchell's upcoming Shortbus. She had a "thing" with Chester Brown. I can bring anything back to comics.

Overheard in New Dork

Comic Shop Guy (talking to another customer): There were three, and Impulse, sort of. He never took the Flash name.
My Brain: Well, he took a Flash name. I mean, it was his last name. He'd be Mr. Flash as sure as Marvin Lee Aday is Mr. Loaf now. I should go remind him that— Hey, knock that shit off! Find your happy place! It's over there in the Fantagraphics section, under A.
My Wallet: *whimper*

--Midtown Comics Grand Central

Comics can be educational!

There's a comic-like thing about musicians that appears in my Sunday paper every week. I usually only look at it to laugh at the Greg {Horn,Land}-esque photoreferenced pictures of Will Smith or Paula Abdul, but this week's was somewhat more interesting:

(click to enlarge)

"Found dead," you say? That's it? "A different musical direction?" "More influential?"

I certainly learned a few things.

The bestest kitty in the whole wide world!

Hello and welcome to my "blog"!

I'd like you to meet the cutest little fuzzy man in all the world, my precious little Elliot! (That's why it's The House of El! El is short for Elliot! LOL!)

Here he is trying to fit in a box:


He's too big for the box! LOL! And he's winking at me! Isn't that the cutest?

I caught him napping!


I better not make him get up! I bet he'd be really mad!


Oh no! I made him mad!

Maybe if I vacuum a little, he'll feel better...


He hid under the sofa! ROFL! But at least he looks happy!

Thank you for looking at my "blog". I hope we can chat again!