I bet it's nice to get a rebate...

So supposedly the stimulus tax rebate checks came out this week. I wouldn’t know as I make far too little to be considered worthy, but I’m sure the rest of you hardworking Americans have received or will receive yours in due time.

I do like that the Bush Administration has finally resorted to giving you money. If that won’t improve his opinion polls, then I don’t know what will! Oh.

Today’s cartoon was a blast to do; The idea came fast, it was fun to draw, and it still makes me smile no matter how many times I’ve looked at it. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to somebody who’s immersed in a strip for hours on end, to come out not hating it is a miracle.

I actually own a Blu-Ray player, the Panasonic DMP-BD30. Those press releases and studios that try to shove down your throat aren’t kidding; You really haven’t seen anything until you see it in high-definition. I should warn you though that if you don’t have an HDTV, don’t bother. You need that widescreen TV to see the true glory of “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.” (This is where my paycheck goes, folks.)


I mentioned this in a previous blogpost, but sunglasses are a reoccurring theme in my work. Whenever somebody needs to be overconfident and cool, they have to wear sunglasses. Expect more sunglasses in the future.


“Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” features one of my favorite aspects of bad titles: pointless colon use. What in God’s name does “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” mean? If you’d never heard of the “Alien” or “Predator” series, then that’s the most nonsensical title since “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.”


My favorite example of pointless colon is “Step Up 2: The Streets.” You can add “The Streets” to any movie title, and the title is automatically better.

Fun Fact #42: The joke, “I was, but then I didn’t,” strikes me as a very Simpsonsesque line, particularly one written by John Swartzwelder. Swartzwelder is something of a legend in comedy circles as he has not only written 59 episodes of “The Simpsons” but he is also incredibly eccentric. His episodes are noted for crazy, bizarre humor, even by the show’s standards, and feature numerous references to old-timey Americana, such as hobos, bindles, chain gangs and the like. He lives as a recluse and during his tenure on “The Simpsons” he would drive up to the offices, toss his script at the window to a production assistant and leave. Swartzwelder is also a staunch libertarian and “anti-environmentalist.” For fun, “The Simpsons” writers often assign him environmentally conscious episodes to make sure the ensuing script isn’t sentimental. One trademark of Swartzwelder’s is having a character perform a negative action and then immediately deny it or calmly admit to it, which is the type of joke I used here. Swartzwelder is not currently on staff of “The Simpsons” (though he was a writer on the movie and showed up to work everyday). He is a novelist, and his newest book, “Dead Men Scare Me Stupid,” just came out.

John Swartzwelder is not paying me to plug his book (Panasonic is, though). I just think everybody deserves to read his own peculiar brand of madness.