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
Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Make everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It’s easy to see without looking too far
That not much is really sacred
While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have to stand naked
Bob Dylan
Yes, I'm quoting the Bard of Hibbing again, with an excerpt from his 1964 composition, "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)."
These lyrics from a record released sixty years ago are still relevant, probably more than when they were originally committed to tape.
I can't add anything to such righteous poetry, so I'll close out this intro to the Labor Day weekend post to express 1) appreciation for all the workers who are the foundation of our economy, and 2) hope that it doesn't crash around us because of the actions of needy, greedy accumulators of obscene, unearned wealth who never engaged in honest work.
Bizarro reader Scot G. of Upland, CA, sent today's atmospheric pipe pic, which he shot earlier this year.
Scot's notes from the field:
I was in Miami Beach a week ago to see my favorite band, moe, play at the outdoor arena known as the Band Shell just off the beach. While watching the band perform, the percussionist, who is known for vaping during a concert, pulled out the famous Wayno symbol. Despite my attempts to take the perfect picture, the best I could do was a foggy image of percussionist Jim Loughlin. Even if you never use this picture, I thought you would enjoy the intersection.
How could I not use this image, Scot? I love its unretouched rawness. It certainly has the feel of being at a live show.
We'll never get rich making comics, but we're going to keep doing it as long as we're able, because the connection to our community of readers is a reward we treasure.
Drawing the antlers (mutantlers?) was an oddly relaxing experience. I first drew them using a wide highlighter to maintain a relatively consistent thickness, then inked around the guideline.
Drawing anything by hand is a healthy activity for the brain. You should do it too, even if you never show your drawings to anyone.
I couldn't resist the idea of doing a gag about a nineteenth-century French novelist as a child. Unsurprisingly, online comments were divided. Take these two, for example:
1) A modern internet joke without historical basis. Too erudite for me.
2) I frequently learn new things when reading Bizarro!
As a cartoonist, I'm grateful for readers who pay attention and care enough to have opinions.
A wise pig can see parallels in the lives of others.
Your obsessive artist experienced much satisfaction drawing and coloring the damaged picture frame in the background of this panel.
Surely there must be one nearby.
That's the latest from Bizarro Studios North. See you in September.
Bonus Track
The Coasters: "I'm a Hog For You"
Atco Records 45, 1959
There was so much more to the Coasters than "Yakety Yak." This song was the B-side of their "Poison Ivy" single. Both sides were written by Lieber & Stoller, who found a perfect vehicle for their compositions in the Coasters.
Much More Bizarro Mayhem
If you like what we do and appreciate that it's free, we encourage you to explore the following links.
I think you published this article a little early. Spoiler alert for this week's comics
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