So… beautiful…ly awkward. This is why dudes don’t hug that much. Because in certain cases, you just don’t want to let go. It’s like that with Lar. Every time I see that dude, he gets a hug and that’s just the way it is. Having only met Scott Kurtz twice, I’ve never hugged him. But I feel confident in saying that my hugs are superior. Should he disagree though, I fully accept any hug challenge that may be laid down.

I don’t know if it is where you are, but here in the Northlands, it’s a magical time called The Long Weekend. Most folks (even me!) have this Monday off to celebrate… something… to do with the Queen… or the band Queen… or something. It’s a day off. I plan to head north and take with me the stack of books that I picked up at last weekend’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I have to read (in no particular order):

Phonogram – A story of a world where pop music is manifested as ghosts. Very cool, very English.

’08 – A “graphic documentary” about the 2008 Presidential campaign. It sounds dry, but my friend Dan Goldman did the art, and it POPs! I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.

Freddie & Me – A coming of age tale about a boy in Brooklyn, and his love of Freddie Mercury and Queen. When I was growing up, I wore out my Best of Queen CDs, so I can relate.

The Sounds of Your Name – An anthology of the work of Nate Powell. He is a cartoonist from Memphis who noticed my Lucero t-shirt at TCAF. He’s a friend of the bands, and explained his book as “stories about growing up in Punk Rock, and coming to terms with being an adult in Punk.” Again, I can relate.

So that’s my weekend. Rest, relaxation, reading, and most importantly, removing myself from the world for a couple days. If you have anything to say to me, better get it in soon. The phone goes off at Noon on Saturday, and I’m free! Free! FREEEEEEEEEE!