It's Like Driving a Runaway Hearse
I Can't Stop, I Just Make Things Worse
Hello from the gutters of Charlotte, North Carolina, which are filled with styrofoam Chick-fil-A cups, Bojangles Cajun Filet wrappers, crushed craft beer cans, and empty packs of American Spirit cigarettes.
On May 12, Patrick Dean passed away. He was a wonderful soul, a brilliant cartoonist, and a dear friend — just one of the kindest, most generous people. Afflicted by ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) for the past three years, Patrick continued to draw even as he gradually lost the use of his hands, utilizing "eye gaze" technology controlled by the movement of his eyes. ALS beat his body, but it never broke his spirit. Speaking of spirits, Patrick believed in ghosts so who knows, maybe he’ll haunt me sometime. That’d be nice. I miss him terribly.
Patrick worked at the Trader’s Joes in Athens, Georgia, where he would paint these incredible signs for displays. I wrote the following as a little tribute to the spooky signage he would create for Halloween promotions.
Halloween at the Athens Trader Joe’s
Sophisticated Dracula and Straight Edge Wolf Man meet at the Athens Trader Joe's, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. In the aisle next to them, Gill-Man peers inquisitively into The Mummy's shopping cart, overflowing with bags of Giant Peruvian Inca Corn and boxes of Cheddar Rocket Crackers. Over at the floral arrangements, Frankenstein and his Bride admire the fresh-cut flowers.
Bedsheet Ghost haunts the Dark Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels while The Phantom of Opera and The Invisible Man argue about the perfect wine to pair with the Old Amsterdam Premium Aged Gouda. Peg Leg Pirate's arms are filled with bags of Aged White Cheddar Cheese Puffs. A pair of Scarecrows with Jack-O-Lantern heads fight over the last box of Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts. A raven-haired Mistress of the Dark samples Spiced Cider from a tiny orange-and-black paper cup.
Amidst the monster mash, a gaggle of green-skinned ghouls storms in, snatching up Triple Ginger Snaps and Honeycrisp Apples (great for pies or bobbing!). A Bat Baby squeaks "Trick-or-treat!" while flapping her wings in the checkout line. In the parking lot, the children of the night, in their ripped jeans and leather jackets, bay at the Autumn Moon. It's Halloween at the Athens Trader Joe's, and all is right with the world.
For Patrick.
Come on and Take the Wheel From Me
I recently stumbled upon the punk rock Band Iron Chic on Spotify. From Long Island, New York, the band is all about the DIY ethic, meaning they self-produce their albums, create their own artwork, and self-distribute their records and merchandise. They’ve got three albums, Not Like This (2010), The Constant One (2013), and You Can't Stay Here (2017) and they’re all fantastic. It’s pulsating, melodic punk rock with lyrics that scream out of the speakers directly into my soul.
Check out “Time Keeps on Slipping Into the (Cosmic) Future” and “My Best Friend (Is a Nihilist)”, which you can also watch a music video for:
Movies & Streaming Series Recommendations
Here’s a list of some things I’ve enjoyed recently.
Movies:
Series:
18th Century Cooking
I leave you with one of my recent obsessions, the Townsends YouTube channel, which is dedicated to exploring the 18th Century lifestyle. There’s something calming and comforting about watching Jon Townsend’s videos. He makes the 1700s look like a peaceful respite from the never-ending shitshow that is 2021.
In this video, Townsend explores the magic of morel mushrooms. In Appalachia, we call ‘em “miracles” because, well, it’s a miracle if you find a handful of them. Growing up, these were an absolute delicacy. I haven’t had one in quite some time though, and this video has me jonesing bad for some. If you’re reading this and you happen to have a big ol’ bag of morels you want to send my way, don’t hesitate to contact me.
🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕
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