Entities-R-Us Ghost Hunter Comic

The Complete Approach & Guest Draws

Today’s cartoon includes the recent book by Barry FitzGerald and Dustin Pari of Ghost Hunters International TV show, The Complete Approach. It’s a comprehensive guide to the paranormal and how to investigate it. I’ve read it and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the subject, including those who have been investigating for a long time. You can nab this jewel here: http://www.completeapproachbook.com/

Also, I’d like to alert the media that Shannon Sylvia, paranormal investigator, TAPS member and Ghost Hunters International personality has agreed to Guest Draw again. This one was in honor of her birthday back in December… Which, the rate I go, I never get my cards out on time, so here it is! Look for it tomorrow! Coming soon is Britt Griffith, Brandy Green and a host of others.

Provocative Cartooning… Freedom of Sketch

On Twitter, I hooked up with Liza Donnelly, New Yorker cartoonist. She posted a link to an article she had written about the freedom of cartooning “speech” (sketch? <my term…). I am providing that link here:

http://dscriber.com/home/980-a-few-thoughts-on-provocative-cartoons-from-a-cartoonist.html

She discusses the issue of Kirk Westergarrd, the Danish cartoonist who created quite a stir with a series of cartoons about Mohammad that offended the heck out of the Muslim community. (That’s easy to do, I’ve gotten myself into some hot water – innocently, I might add. Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale and my Muslim friends stood by me snickering…) The question is, should we cartoonists continue to tackle such dicey issues?

My opinion is “who wants sanitized cartoons?!” Personally, I prefer to be respectful with my pen. That is why I communicate with someone over a “Guest Draw” to get their approval. I prefer to honor those I write about. That doesn’t mean I won’t set fire to a hot issue… My responsibility as a cartoonist is to point things out and hopefully get folks to see the irony or humor in it.

Liza puts it well,

“My feeling is there is a better middle ground: a way to bring to light issues such as extremist wrongs, anti-immigration sentiments, and censorship, without being in-your-face about it. Cartoons can impart difficult messages, and should. That’s the beauty of cartoons — their graphic strength can communicate uncomfortable ideas to different cultures in a breath.”

Random Thoughts, Things… thoughts are things!

Wine Review!

I haven’t done a wine review in quite some time. Since I just discovered a wonderful inexpensive wine find, I’ll share. My goal when I wine shop is to find something palatable for a good price… and hopefully a really cool and amusing label. Yes, I often shop for a label for it often adds a bit of conversation to a gathering on top of a fine vino experience. This next wine was unexpected and exceptional (and has an attractive label, though a non-funny one).

CUVÉE de PEÑA 2006
red wine: 48% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 22% Syrah
Vin de Pays des Pyrenées Orientales

This lovely wine hails from the Cooperative winery in Cases de Pene, a small village in Southern France and is actually under $10! It is a blend of some wonderful grapes. Blends are underestimated. Often they are far richer and more interesting than a single grape wine.

This particular experience sends you to the villa in So-France looking out over acres of gnarly vines from a balcony where you share the smokey tannins with platter of well aged assorted cheeses from the region. The sensation of blackberries crosses your palate… Does it form from the bushes that are berry laden on the edges of the vineyard? Or is it the essence implanted by very juxtaposition of vines and berries in the growing of the grapes themselves?

Take those thoughts with you when you try this one.

 I was going to insert more random thoughts, but they are so random one might consider me appropriate for loony bin containment.

So, this is it for now!

Eat Cookies, Hunt Ghosts, all with a good wine!

Tj