Saturday, March 01, 2025

In Like a Literary Lion

This is the weekly dispatch from Bizarro Studios North, where I have been writing and drawing the Monday through Saturday Bizarro comics since 2018. My partner and friend Dan Piraro created Bizarro in the late twentieth century and continues to do the Sunday comic from Rancho Bizarro in Mexico.

Wayno

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.
Ray Bradbury

March is designated National Reading Month. It was started in 1994 in honor of Dr. Seuss, who was born on March 2, 1904.

In this age of renewed book banning and suppression, encouraging people of all ages to read for pleasure is more important than ever. Reading has many benefits beyond straightforward enjoyment, and those who would limit the availability of literature are never the good guys.

Our kitchen window is in the front of the house, and every afternoon, we see one of the kids from the street absorbed in a book as she walks home. It's an encouraging sight.

I'm halfway through James Kaplan's Three Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool. The book places the recording of Davis's landmark album Kind of Blue and the assembly of musicians who made it at the center of a golden age of jazz, and the author makes a pretty good case for his thesis.

I thank Nate D., A loyal Bizarro reader, for recommending Three Shades. It's a solid book that also includes a groovy future pipe pic.

I like to read a variety of material, with biographies of musicians being a mainstay. I also recently finished Seeing MAD, a massive volume of essays on MAD magazine's humor, history, and legacy. It's a serious, scholarly collection of writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What have you enjoyed reading so far this year? Please add your recommendations to the comments.


Today's pipe pic was suggested by Bizarro reader and music connoisseur Dan M. It's the March 14, 2020 Macanudo comic strip, by my colleague Liniers.


Mister M. has a kindly neighbor who saves the printed comic pages from the local paper and delivers a pile of reading material every month.

Macanudo is a most unusual comic, and Liniers is a terrific cartoonist and a sweet human. I highly recommend his work.

We finally met in September 2023 at King Features HQ in New York. Here we are: two mononymic cartoonists sporting chunky eyewear and making each other laugh.

Thanks to Dan M. for spotting the excellent Magritte reference, and to Liniers for allowing me to share his work with you.

Again, I heartily recommend Macanudo. Once you start reading it, you may shout, "Olga!" at random moments. It's a perfectly normal reaction.


A cartoonist is part author and part illustrator, but I won't claim that the following material counts as literature.


Stereotypical beauty standards are deeply ingrained in Fairytale Forest.


Tuesday's panel is a scene from an imaginary early draft of Interview with the Vampire.

Wait till you see the new issue of The Spectacular Spork.


Imagine an afterlife where you have to return to a job you hated for all eternity.

Who knows what will make the list for 2025?

Last Saturday's panel featured a croissant and a chocolate cupcake, and today's has two pretzels. I must have been hungry when I wrote these gags.

That's the latest from my Little Shop of Humor. Thanks for visiting. Don't forget to comment with your recommended reading.

Pacific Northwest Jazz Pickle


Today's Bizarro fashion plate is Danielle A., from the great state of Washington.

Danielle tells us:
This t-shirt is SUPER soft, I love the fabric. The design is unique, my son in law approves. I collect all things bunnies so this is perfect!
Bizarro tees are available from the Comics Kingdom Bizarro Shop.

If you'd like to show off your Bizarro fashion sense, send your t-shirt picture, along with a comment, to WaynoCartoons(at)gmail(dot)com.


Fine print: By sending your photo, you permit us to share it online. Readers will be identified by first name only. We truly appreciate your purchase of Bizarrowear!


Bonus Track

XTC: "Books Are Burning"
from The Late Show 
BBC2, June 9, 1992


Books are burning in the main square
And I saw there the fire eating the text
Books are burning in the still air
And you know where they burn books, people are next

I believe the printed word should be forgiven
Doesn't matter what it said
Wisdom hotline from the dead back to the living
Key to the larder for your heart and your head, hmm

Books are burning in our own town
Watch us turn 'round and cast our glances elsewhere
Books are burning in the playground
Smell of burnt book is not unlike human hair

'Cause I believe the printed word is more than sacred
Beyond the gauge of good or bad
The human right to let your soul fly free and naked
Above the violence of the fearful and sad, hmm

The church of matches (the church of matches)
Anoints in ignorance with gasoline
The church of matches (the church of matches)
Grows fat by breathing in the smoke of dreams
It's quite obscene

Books are burning more each day now
And I pray now you boys will tire of these games
Books are burning, I hope somehow
This will allow a phoenix up from the flames

Composer: Andy Partridge
© Bmg Rights Management (UK) Limited

Other Bizarro Oddities

If you like what we do and appreciate that it's free of charge, we encourage you to explore the following links.

Copyright© 2025 by Wayno®    

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Saturday, February 22, 2025

A Joyful Noise

This is the weekly dispatch from Bizarro Studios North, where I have been writing and drawing the Monday through Saturday Bizarro comics since 2018. My partner and friend Dan Piraro created Bizarro in the late twentieth century and continues to do the Sunday comic from Rancho Bizarro in Mexico.

Wayno

I'm not sure, but I'm almost positive that all music came from New Orleans.
Ernie K-Doe

Ernie "Emperor of New Orleans" K-Doe (1936 - 2001) was only slightly hyperbolic when he made that bold statement.

New Orleans can indeed lay claim as the birthplace of jazz, and its musical history is as international as its food culture and especially its people. Musicians in the city draw upon various genres, creating new and exciting hybrids. On any given day, you can hear blues, traditional cajun, zydeco, all manner of Caribbean styles, rock, funk, opera, rap, hip-hop, bounce, reggae, traditional jazz, country, and more.

NOLA is a city I dearly love, and it was on my mind Tuesday as we braved near-zero temperatures (on a weeknight!) for an evening of live music at our favorite locally-owned venue. The headliners were The Hot 8 Brass Band, Crescent City mainstays whose energy and love are contagious. They play plenty of original material and also bring a joyful twist to familiar songs like Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," and even Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

Hot 8 tearing it up at the Original Pittsburgh Winery

Their US tour continues through March 9, when they perform at their home base, The Howlin' Wolf, before heading off to the U.K., Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy. Knowing we have such excellent musical ambassadors representing the US is comforting.

My big surprise of the evening was Pittsburgh trio Big Blitz. They create chaotic yet precise, irresistibly danceable instrumentals using two saxophones, drums, and synth. They were the perfect opener for the Hot 8 and gave me hope for the up-and-coming generation.

Music can help us through whatever's going on personally or in the world at large.

I'm grateful for the Hot 8 Brass Band and Big Blitz this week.


Today's pipe pic was delivered to us by mi amigo Dan Piraro.


Dan explained how it came to his attention:
A sweet lady named Greta L. visited the Manchester Art Gallery and snapped these photos for us. I helped her take them from phone to email and send them to me. The whole exchange was kind of cute and funny. I told her I'd send them to you.

Here's the informational sign that accompanied the painting:


I tip my favorite porkpie hat to Greta L. for adding some culture to the blog. Thanks, Greta!


In contrast to van Ostade's high art, the latest Bizarro gags take us to the other end of the spectrum.


"Can I at least wear long pants?"


All would've been well if Arthur had said to make a table shaped like the Earth.

The treatment is effective if the patient can last through the setup.


I apologize for making anyone squeamish with this avian gag.

Here's a look inside the business of miracles.

The week wrapped up with this carbohydrate conflict, another appreciation of the high and the low.

Thanks for dropping by once again. See you next week with more of this sort of stuff.
 

Copyright© 2025 by Wayno®    

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Saturday, February 15, 2025

That's MISTER Fresh to you!

This is the weekly dispatch from Bizarro Studios North, where I have been writing and drawing the Monday through Saturday Bizarro comics since 2018. My partner and friend Dan Piraro created Bizarro in the late twentieth century and continues to do the Sunday comic from Rancho Bizarro in Mexico.

Wayno

The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.
Hannah Arendt

Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of chatting with three fellow cartoonists on their PenciltoPencil video podcast. (I guess that's the correct term—it's streamed live and archived on their YouTube channel.)

We spoke about many aspects of the business and craft of being a cartoonist and touched on how we deal with negative internet comments and "hate mail" (using that term jokingly.)

I've learned to ignore or laugh at most online comments, which are probably dashed off semi-thoughtlessly. However, I pay closer attention when someone emails me. Unless the message is extreme, abusive, or vulgar, I take it seriously and reply sincerely. Some things I've written can be read as having a different tone than I intended, so I remind myself to give others the benefit of the doubt.

People read, see, or hear tons of material daily, and it's easy to forget that a human being is behind it. Come to think of it, in some cases, there isn't a human being behind it.

When a reader considers a cartoon incorrect or objectionable, I consider what they say and respond as directly and honestly as possible. When I disagree, I do so respectfully. In almost every case, the person writes back in a friendlier manner and thanks me for the response. At that point, we both feel better about the exchange. Also, I've learned some things from letters of complaint, even if they aren't elegantly written.

I'm not always as thoughtful when responding to in-person criticism, but I'm working on that. 

In a December blog post, mi amigo Dan Piraro summarized Dickens's A Christmas Carol with the fortune-cookie-worthy line, "Being a hateful asshole ruins no one's life more than your own."

Empathy is a commodity whose supply is dwindling. Any that we can give is more valuable and necessary than ever. 


This week's charming pipe pic came from faithful Bizarro reader Ron K.


The photo shows a young Paul McCartney (left) with his father, James Paul, and brother Mike. 

Mike McCartney is also a musician and photographer who went professionally by the name Mike McGear because he didn't want to appear to be exploiting the family name.

He was a member of the bands The Scaffold and GRIMMS and released some outstanding solo records.

Thanks to Ron for the delightful photo.


If any of this week's gags make you angry, feel free to write, but please take a few deep breaths first.


This panel depicts a pivotal moment in publishing history, or at least one I imagined.


I sketched two variations of the "hip replacement" idea and was happily surprised when Dan suggested I run with them on consecutive days. I prefer the surgery version, which leaves the image of the patient to the reader.

A few people wondered if I was doing another "theme week," but it was just these two. A whole week might have prompted some hate mail.

This panel is less a prediction than a comment on a sad reality. It started with AutoTune and went downhill.


That's a drawing of your cartoonist's hand in the background. Fortunately, I draw right-handed.

Here, we see the lesser-known deity Nerf Eros.

We ended the week with a silly marsupial caption.

For those of you who observe, Happy Valentine's Day, Valloween, Lupercalia, and anything else I may be missing. Be nice to yourself and to each other.
 

Bonus Track

Advertising: "Ich Lieber Dich"
From Jingles
EMI Records, 1978


In the spirit of romance, here's a song from Advertising's one and only album.

A Bountiful Bouquet of Bizarro

If you like what we do and appreciate that it's free of charge, we encourage you to explore the following links.

Copyright© 2025 by Wayno®    

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