Toon: Hipster Hobbies of Tomorrow

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I don't actually know if anyone really knits from human back hair, though there are books available about how to knit from spun dog and cat hair.

I'm not hating on crafts or DIY culture, by the way--quite the opposite. I'm obsessed with making things--I love to knit and sew, and I obsessively read Craft and Readymade and a whole host of sewing, knitting and crafting blogs. I love that there is a resurgence of interest among youngerish people (i.e. 20s, 30s and younger) in knitting and sewing stylish and modern garments and accessories. I love browsing on Etsy and going to the Renegade Craft Fair and the Bust Craftacular and I love the Stitch & Bitch knitting books.

What I AM poking gentle fun at is how many weird hoops some craftsters jump through to give crafts with a fuddy-duddy reputation an "edgy" or "subversive" makeover. Like knitting skulls onto things or making fauxhawk hats. This often results in a sea of lookalike "subversive" projects all made from the same exact pattern.

But whatever. That's still better than purchasing a mass-produced skull-adorned product at the mall. And if a knitted skull is what it takes to get someone to pick up some yarn, then more power to them.

The real point here is that I just wanted to do a cartoon about crafting because I'm sick of the elections.

Marriage Equality Victory in Caliornia!

The California Supreme Court has ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional!

Toon: Americans Go Splurge-Crazy With Their Stimulus Checks!

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Of course, I'm lactose intolerant and I don't own a car--so I'm buying an extra quart of rice milk!

But seriously--these stimulus checks are such a joke, especially the idea that we should spend them on crap we don't need, like fancy appliances or big-screen TVs. Considering rising food and gas prices and the housing crisis and rising unemployment and health care costs and stagnant wages, the amount of debts so many Americans are in, that one-time check is going to evaporate real fast.

A one-time stimulus check worth $600-$1,200 isn't going to do much for folks facing foreclosure--it probably won't cover even one missed mortgage payment. Though with the average American family in something like $9,000 worth of credit card debt, it could be a nice start towards becoming debt-free.

I'm planning to give some as-yet-undetermined portion of mine to a deserving charity (probably one helping with the global food crisis, like Oxfam America). The rest will go to savings or the hungry open maw that is the cost of attending cartooning conventions.

Clinton equates "white" with "hard-working"

I know I said I was totally over the primaries, but now I'm even more disgusted and fed up. Barry has the details and a commentary roundup.

Toon: City Bike Safety Essentials

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Riding bikes in Manhattan (or Brooklyn) for that matter is too damn dangerous, because cars just don't respect bikes, whether in or out of lanes. In a city trying to go green, bikes should take priority. I pretty much stick to riding my bike to Prospect Park (so I can ride around within the park) because I'm just too damn scared. Sigh...

Random Harold and Kumar Love

I don't care what the critics say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Harold and Kumar, and I don't think the second movie was any less funny than the first. That is all. It's pretty much the only movie out that I've seen recently, as I can't really see myself watching that Sarah Marshall thing or that Baby Mama nonsense. And I'm sorry, but I have no interest in Iron Man (Dark Knight is another story, but only because of Heath Ledger).

How's that for a nuanced cinematic analysis? Clearly I need to stick to cartooning.

Toon: Again. And Again. And Again... (Sean Bell)

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This is a followup to my post about the families of the victims of police brutality killings forming a sad fraternity. The New York Times reported that at Sean Bell's wake, the mother of Patrick Dorismond was heard crying out: “Again? Again? Again?”

There were some protests throughout the city today, but the detectives are still off the hook. And it's hard to believe the story will ever change.

My previous cartoon about the Sean Bell case (with a very similar theme) is here.

R.I.P., Mildred Loving

You've probably all heard about this already, but Mildred Loving (of the famous Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage) died last Friday. Here's a snippet from a much-quoted recent statement by Ms. Loving, "Loving for All", made on the 40th anniversary of her landmark case:

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.