The vibe on WGN news has definitely been a bit of a bummer. It feels like the on-air talent are wondering who among them is next. The firings of the staff was a sign that news may not manner, but entertainment does.

I wake up every day and ask myself a simple question: What Fresh Hell Awaits! It preps you for the worst and you get progressively more delighted with life as the day progresses because it allows for a daily reset of stress and expectation.

Last I heard in Illinois, you need to prove residency to vote. When you do mail at home you need to verify in wet ink the address when you mail it in as well as the time you lived in the address. Seems like a good amount of steps for security.

I never thought humanity will get to a place where vaccinations are problematic, but nose candy on a toilet is sound medical advice.

Had my first cigar fo 2026. Turns out that I missed the calming ritual of the cigar experience.

Here is a thing that I have had an issue with AI, and it comes to a sci-fi comparison. People were hoping for Star Trek in the application, but it will eventually be a Terminator/Blade Runner world. William Gibson Cyberpunk would be nice, but folks gum the works up.

I try to look at the lighter side of life and realized that Swamp Thing 1989 will be a comic event I never thought would happen, but I am thrilled that I have lived to see the 80’s run to close out in the planned ending.

Good morning. It is cold in Chicago… How cold you ask? Well it is cold enough to delay emails.

I finally watched the entirety of the Righteous Gemstones. It had laughs, it did the gross, John Goodman was amazing. For a comedy about the confluence between crime and religion, it does a solid job of carrying characters around that are terrible people, but you root for their growth.

I am too busy living the you have died of dysentery state of my personal Oregon Trail. With that said, I am running out of ways to keep up with the news cycle.

A quick thought for men: please go to the doctor, and take the guidance they give you. That is what you pay them to do.

The way folks engage with the internet is trash because folks assume typing on a keyboard will automatically equal influence.

2026 is the year of the mobster world order.

We are the shithole nation. From Caracas to Greenland to Minneapolis, we are the problem in the world, we are the source of the tragedy, we are the affront to all human dignity. This is the United States now. We are the evil.

A Tuesday Tip from the archives -- #TuesdayTip #ComicBookDad #ComicBookEditors

I have spent a lot of my couch ridden plague season watching the Righteous Gemstones and there are parts that are hilarious and there are parts of it that are too horrifying to not be an everyday reality.

I have one regret for 2025 and that is that I ran out of time to read all of the comics I bought this year. My hope for 2026 is that comics continue to plow through the challenges of the new world. The big pain point I see might be what the public and school library spaces will look like.

Yes, I made it to a pub while I am in recovery from the cold on Wednesday night. It was an amusing time.

2025: you were a challenge. Here is to a calmer, less weird 2026. I am feeling too old for this sheeeeeeeiiiiiiit!

Cold is clearing out at the right time; before heading to work on Monday. Not ideal, but for the best.

I had to say that I am impressed that 2025 is roaring to a close with people remembering that Notepad exists on most computers.

Went to a party last night. I strangely had fun. Spouse came along. Jitters were lowered. G & T flowed, brylcreem was used. Only issue I have is the ankle is stiff. 8.2 out of 10. Will be back next year!

2025: the year where I finally felt truly like an old timer. I must say that is a good thing. I am not saying one should not experience new things, listen to new songs, read new stories, or watch new things. I am saying that age allows you to filter what to care about.

2025 was a year where if I was not off the religious way of life, I am convinced that any higher power that now exists has become a petty and hateful entity.

Absolute Martian Manhunter is truly brain pleasing comics. It has a vibe that feels rooted in healing. The art is Top tier storytelling. Took me a while to be in the right place to read, but I got there.

I was out on Friday, so therefore my emails had all the smoke. I blame this guy from Thursday.

No hot or cold thoughts about the Netflix/WBD scenario. Too early to tell. My hope is that the rubbing off the culture of WB might pivot Netflix to being more creator friendly environment. The question will be who will buy the cable channels?

I am starting the mental wrap up for 2025 and must say that the weird stuff has been sad weird, not fun weird.

Something tells me I may need to come into the office on scheduled vacation time because things are not moving in a manner I am happy with.

The thing that benefits maturity is that eventually you get a point where you leave the youthful outrage behind and just give stupidity a withering glance and go one with your day.

Trans people deserve to live freely, without political interference.

The weirdness of my emails it sublime in their pettiness.

I have read the Batman/Deadpool book. It had everything: Typewriters, comedy, callbacks, a page that explains the difference between DC and Marvel, hotdogs, and it also looked great too.

It is too early for a third cup of coffee, but we are in these types of times.

If there are components I judge a good place to eat, 1) they have to have good soup, 2) a delicious Mac and cheese/beans or the quality of a 3) a Hollandaise sauce. At least one of these things are needed for a good place to dine.

I’m off work for 2 days, and the world gets extra weird. Buckle up! It might be a wild ride.

The thing I enjoy with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction event is you get to remind yourself that things exist that bring joy. Here comes me playing Warren Zevon’s Lawyers, Guns and Money for a week.

He should have died in The Hague.

The thing that makes social media hell to navigate is that it is as intrusive with advertising as an average Sunday newspaper was in 1988. Not much stuff, lots of things to sell.

I have fallen through an EC comics rabbit hole in my appreciation of Wallace Wood’s art and in reading the new Wood Fantagraphics collection The Spawn of Venus, and there are some bangers in there, not in art, but some of the stories resonate today.

Have you ever had a sneaking suspicion that folks want to destroy Chicago for giggles?

What is it with bad dudes who have scat fetishes?

If there is a thing that I truly believe in comics retail is that the best way to show support is to buy print comics in the single issue. Why? A comic has production costs that need to be absorbed. Buying the single allows the trade to be gravy.

My spouse has a new Donor’s Choose for her school library. Additional information in the link. www.donorschoose.org/project/sort...

Folks who get in their big feelings about any protest is snitching on themselves. Have these folks thought about not being the subject or act in a manner that causes protests? There is a cause and effect element to all things.

I keep looking at the world as it is, and realized that I was super lucky to escape aspects of socioeconomic destiny and the moral brain rot that has cursed the American Caucasian male.

Manny’s part 2: corned beef hash on poached eggs with hash browns.

Never have been to Manny’s before in my 47 years as a Chicagoan. I have had the food for take out, but have never sat in the place until today.

I am not in New York, but one of my favorite cartoonists is doing a new Kickstarter. This was a good reminder that I have not tithed yet. (This has been rectified) Take a minute to look at Dean Haspiel’s new Kickstarter.

Comedy is always key in the darkest of times.