Hitting The Links: 10/1/23
Hubristic dispatch from CXC
Intro
I’m in Columbus, OH for Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), an annual comics festival co-founded by my late friend Tom Spurgeon. Last year, I came here at the last minute, under emotional duress, never having properly mourned Tom. That’s a story I still need to craft and share with you; the upshot is I’m in a better state of mind this time around.
I got to make some new comics-pals, catch up with friends, reminisce, and record a couple of podcasts (one yesterday, one coming this morning) this weekend. And last night, eating barbecue by myself outside at 9:30 p.m. before dropping in on a comics reception at a karaoke bar, I gazed vacantly down Main St. and said, “I miss you, Tom.”
I didn't sing at karaoke, and the 20-something kids at the reception kept picking songs I never heard of.
And now, let’s hit the links!
Links & Such
Recent Virtual Memories Show podcasts: Patrick McDonnell • Keith Knight • Brett Martin • Peter Rostovsky • Bill Griffith • Jerome Charyn • Ron Rosenbaum
RIP Michael Gambon . . . RIP David McCallum . . . RIP Brooks Robinson . . . RIP Gerry Shamray . . . RIP Ed Fancher . . . RIP Dianne Feinstein . . .
And speaking of death, here’s the video of the memorial service for the great Ed Koren, and a big Comics Journal roundup-tribute for Joe Matt. You should scroll down to the part from Seth, because it’s an excruciatingly honest take on how difficult their relationship was.
I liked this Warren Ellis piece about keeping blogs but not bothering with promoting them on social media. So much so that I may launch a secret blog off of one of my sites.
Too much coffee? Man. . . (Apologies to Shannon Wheeler.)
Fred Kaplan asked an AI about his books, and things did not go well.
Mark Dery wrote a review of MONICA, the astonishing new book from yesterday’s pod-guest, Daniel Clowes.
I posted Sebastian Smee’s review of the Manet/Degas show at the Met last week, but just wanted to include this paragraph from it, “Why did Degas gather so many works by his old, long-dead friend? Because he missed him. He was in mourning, and mourning is always messy because we can never be sure what it is we are grieving: the absent one or our former, more lovable selves?”
Clowes & I talked a little about how grief & loss fuels art. You’ll hear that episode in a week or two.
You should also read Sebastian’s latest Great Works, In Focus piece, which begins with the lede “If, like me, you love odd, ugly, small-scale art that has a cracked and thwarted look, is radically antisocial, and radiates hidden agendas, you’re probably a fan of Albert Pinkham Ryder.”
Current/Recent Reading
Mason & Dixon - Thomas Pynchon
John Le Carré: The Biography - Adam Sisman
MONICA - Daniel Clowes
Time Under Tension - M.S. Harkness
Sound Body, Fractured Mind
Last week I doubled up workouts (weights in the morning, yoga in the afternoon) on Sunday, since Yom Kippur Monday meant no exercise, and did my weights on Tuesday, so technically I pulled off my 5-day workout cycle. I got in weights this Friday afternoon at the hotel fitness center; the place was abandoned. On Saturday, I eschewed yoga, not having a mat with me and being unwilling to use a towel on my hotel room floor or the “clean” mats in the fitness center. Instead, I did 2.75mi on the treadmill in the evening, despite a late lunch + ice cream (hence only going 2.75mi.). We’ll see if I get in some weights this morning before recording another podcast, packing up, and flying home, but at least I’m managing to keep up exercise on the road, so yay.
Until Next Time
Thanks for reading this far! I’ll be back Wednesday with a new podcast, some art, & who knows maybe a little profundity or something, and Sunday with more great links, current reading, and this broken down ol’ body of mine.
I live in hotels, tear out the walls / I have accountants pay for it all,
—Gil Roth
Virtual Memories
Bluesky • Instagram • Flickr • YouTube • Linktr.ee