1. Mouthfail, p. 11
2. Review: Battlefield Earth
The fact that you have to explain yourself for attempting to watch, read, or look at something is truly indicative of a peculiarly stupid aspect of the human condition, and yet here I am about to explain myself.
Let me start by saying: Ayn Rand. I only ever heard of her through one of Adam Curtis' video essay things (probably ALL WATCHED OVER BY MACHINES OF LOVING GRACE) and only then did I discover she was apparently a big deal with multiple generations worth of resounding influence despite some clearly problematic aspects in her philosophy/worldview. It was then that I decided to watch a never-talked-about 1949 film adaptation of her novel THE FOUNTAINHEAD, which made visible a distillation of what you might call the strange attractor element in Rand's outlook, along with the nasty which she surprisingly didn't see as nasty.
3. Restricted Radar
American Alternative Comics, 1980-2000: “Raw”, “Weirdo”, and "beyond — McMullen Museum, Boston.
Wish I were in Boston to see this. I hear much original art is on display from the likes of Spiegelman, Ware, Clowes, Burns, Crumb, Panter, Baker, and Bechdel!2,700+ pages of declassified CIA docs on UFOs
Willing to bet that much of it is pointless, but I also imagine there might be a glorious nugget or two in there for anyone with the will and inclination to take a deep dive.Somewhat related: So When, Exactly, Did Conspiracy Culture Stop Being Fun? — Rani Baker
The Ideological Evolution of Horst Mahler: The Far Left-Extreme Right Synthesis — George Michael
Horst Mahler is the true embodiment of a very particular phenomenon I’m rather fascinated by, one that is more common than most people think: the turn from far left to extreme right, and what that really says about the inherent commonalities between the two warring ideologies.
21% into inks on the latest THE SOLAR GRID, for which I’ve been experimenting with fountain pens. A habit I picked up during my work on MOUTHFAIL as a result of traveling a bunch while working on it. I’ve also been working on kicking the rather rusty writerly side of my brain back into gear. I used to frequent a particular cafe' once a week back in my Denver days armed with nothing but pen and paper just for that specific purpose. Will attempt to reignite the ritual once again this week (but of course must find “the right” cafe, ha!). It’s been a while since I blogged too. It’s as if time were finite or something.
Take care,
Ganzeer