I think I’ll publish a second issue even though I swore I’d never do another legal-sized comic again (those things are expensive). This is causing some awkward rewriting but I think it’ll be worth it, as it’s more of the ethics and conflict chapter after the introduction. However! There won’t be a third issue, mainly because the first and second issues are taking a lot of things out of order and a third issue wouldn’t make any sense. Pro tip: don’t ever write slice-of-life comics with delicate, overwrought bell-curve narratives that sorely depend on delicate, overwrought senses of timing without clearly rendered chapter endings and then try to chop them up into self-publishable chunks. (Chances are you haven’t and won’t have this problem but just thought I’d share.) So I’m aiming for #2 to be done for Stumptown if not the Anarchist Book Fair in March! And if no one wants to publish the book then the continuation of the Great Recession into 2010 will have to be enough real-life first-person awful shit for you, I’m sorry.

Also, if you’ve ordered a copy of #1, I’m reprinting a new crop with a new hand-watercolored cover next week, along with a new This is What Concerns Me. I know I’ve been leading you on with promises of new comics these past weeks but they’re happening, they just haven’t become acquainted with my scanner just yet… Yet!

No, not actually for kids. Well, maybe. I don’t know. It’s Tuesday, give me a fucking break.

Researchers learned that ants that perform specific tasks are no more efficient than regular ants. “It turns out,” said scientist Anna Dornhaus, “that the ones that are specialized on a particular job are not particularly good at doing that job.” … Ann Coulter had her mouth wired shut. … Planned Parenthood of Indiana announced plans to offer holiday gift certificates that can be applied toward the cost of checkups, contraception, or abortions. “They deserve coal in their stockings,” said Sister Diane Carollo of the Indianapolis Archdiocese.

And on that whole Wal-Mart stampede thing:

“It was crazy,” said a worker in the electronics department. “The deals weren’t even that good.”

Whoa. I’m really hoping this person compiled this info from many unnamed sources and didn’t just make it up…

Circuit City closing 155 stores
Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine’s to close 150 store nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores, more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing all stores
J. Jill closing all stores
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores, more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing all stores
Levitz closing remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores, more after January
Home Depot closing 15 stores, 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)
Macys closing 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley closing all stores
Pacific Sunwear closing all stores
Pep Boys closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing 12 stores
Wilson Leather closing all stores
Sharper Image closing all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close some stores
Dillard’s to close some stores

Tiny Tim says “Fuck yeah!”

[via Kim]

Happy Saturday, America! Try to spend it doing something cheap. Like applying for jobs.

Love,
the New York Times

P.S. Dean also suggests moving to Brazil.