Last week I was sick as a D-O-G & in Chicago for the Chicago Zine Fest, where I debuted a new, raspy rendition of Sk8er Boi at Karaoke.
Here are some photos from my trip:
I had the weirdest breakfast at a placed called Flying Saucer in Chicago. It was called a sweet potato kale & tofu hash, which technically I guess it was, but let me tell you the weird part- the ingredients were each going it solo, not blending with each-other. It was tiny pieces of half-done sweet potato, half-cooked unspiced kale, and strangest of all, strips of plain Age tofu. Age tofu is that spongey tofu you get from the asian market or in a Vietnamese restaurant. You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, all of those things, but each on its own and each bland in its own way. Very weird breakfast.
The best part of my breakfast? Spiced apples! It felt very old fashioned to get a side of warm, soft, cinnamon-y apples alongside my savories.
I tell you what, I did not speak up or send this breakfast back from whence it came. I was so Cold-begotten by this point in the trip that I felt bad enough sitting in public as a walking Contagion. I didn't want to then croak out some polite but awkward directives to the kitchen, so I used some ketchup and let it lay. I even took it home, fully intending on heating everything up with a few spices or a dash of Braggs.
I'd also like to note that the service was really great.
The waiter was attentive and completely competent and efficient. My coffee cup never wanted for more, as he zipped through and topped it off every few minutes. I love people who are good at their jobs. Any job. Love it. Also, the orange juice was nice. Oh- and we got a vegan brownie that was delightful.
As I was sick this week, I ordered mostly the weirdest things whilst in Chicago. Primarily, plain vegetable soup from every Asian restaurant we visited. Thai, Chinese, Sushi Fusion, all of them.
Something special about the Chicago Zine Fest (besides everything happening inside the building) was a food cart they coordinated with to pull up out front & sell vegan lunch to everybody. It was not any food cart, it was a SOUL VEG food truck!
Soul Vegetarian is outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS! It is delicious and healthy and I was happy to spend my meager fortune on some macaroni & cheese & wings. They are famous for creating fake chicken wings atop a sugar cane "bone". When you're done eating your wing, you can chew on the bone and it is delicious. Very dog-like, this bone chewing. Okay.
This is the part that you don't care about, but I'm on a roll- I was excited to find that my table neighbor from the Kentucky anarchist table strongly disliked the coconut water she'd purchased from Soul Veg, and gave it to me! Small victories. I had two giant coconut waters, which was a highlight to my trip and yes I'm writing this in lieu of telling you about great zines, performances and human beings or anything related to comics.
Two Coconut waters! Wow! Thanks, table neighbor!
Other things that happened: I ran into Dave Roche, whom I toured with in 2005 when the first Invincible Summer book came out. He has a fantastic travel zine about visiting Australia & Malaysia.
I reunited with my dear friend Cristy Road,
and I got my photo taken in front of "Steak & Egger" with Marissa Falco, who I heard received high honors at the Zinester Olympics the night before.
SPEAKING OF THE ZINESTER OLYMPICS....
I accepted the Long Armed Stapler Award in the place of Dylan Williams and Sparkplug Comics. I was honored to do so.
Dylan was a champion of independent comics, and while his passing has left a huge hole in our hearts, his publishing company Sparkplug is kept alive in the capable hands of Emily Nilsson, Virginia Paine, and Tom Neely.
Which is nice.
Dylan taught with me at the Independent Publishing Resource Center, where I have worked, volunteered & taught for the past twelve years. The IPRC is moving, and Blue from Stumptown Underground held a nice going away party on the last night we still had the space. I'm going to miss climbing the stairs of 917 SW Oak, the smell of Thai food that permeates the space, and the ritual of touching the door before the door handle so I don't get shocked from the carpeted halls of the second floor. Hmm.
Here's a photo from our last night in the space, including the elusive CLUTCH, aka Greg , whom I am standing back to back with in an Amazing Race Team Photo style.
The IPRC has been searching for a larger space for years (like seven?) and found a very grand & massive one in inner Southeast. Come check it out when they reopen.
I was on OPB the other week. Right before I got sick.
I was on Think Out Loud with Sarah Mirk and a lovely lady from the Oregon Historical Society, talking about historical comics.
Here is the link to listen to our talk:Think Out Loud .
Oh Jeez- here are two more things.
This first batch has some typos, for which I apologize.
AND!!!! I have been turned into a playing card by comic genius Liz Prince!
She got to choose a musician for a deck of Feminist Playing Cards that is being created, and she chose me, which was such a nice thing for her to do.
If you'd like to support the project and see who else is in there, check out the kickstarter page.
Okay, I think that's it for real.
I will see you soon at CAKE in Chicago, and at Stumptown Comics Festin the meantime.
Take Care!
n.g.
