John Oliver was great last night. If you missed him, the coronavirus part of his show is online here but if you can, catch one of the many rebroadcasts this week so you can see the other moments.
What strikes me every time I venture close to TV news coverage of what's happening is how much of it is devoted to Donald Trump and his obsessions with looking like he's a strong leader, not taking responsibilities for the many screw-ups and suggesting that the only real tragedy of this whole crisis would be if it hurt his chances of a second term. There are also genuine tragedies out there as well as real, life-threatening problems and tales of true heroism and selflessness…but somehow, no matter what channel I turn to, it's about Trump. So I turn it off.
It would be easy to just make this blog about all of that but this feels to me like a good time to be an alternative. If you want what's on the news channels, it's there on the news channels. Here, I'm more inclined to write about cats in my yard, comic book history and, of course, the unique experience we're all having.
The other day, I had a phone conversation with a lady who's 19 years old and she actually asked me, "Was it like this the last time this happened?" I had to explain to her that in my 68 years on this planet, nothing like this has ever happened before. And I hope we can go at least another 68 before it happens again.
Otherwise, it's fine here in solitary. I got a great restaurant delivery yesterday from a place I trust to do all the right things in food prep and handling. I don't have a huge appetite these days but around the middle of the afternoon, I suddenly thought I'd better place an order in case they're swamped when I do get hungry and it takes a few hours for the chow to arrive. I have food here I can prepare and eat but it just felt like time for someone else's cooking.
So I ordered at 3 PM and it was here by 3:30, left on my steps by a gent who, my doorbell cam showed me, was wearing gloves and a mask. And I got enough to last me several days. Things like that — coping with all the little concerns — makes you feel really good.
So do the calls from friends, including a few folks I haven't spoken to in years and one former lady friend who has decided this would be a good moment to make Naked Facetime calls. I have a lot of friends I'd like to hear from but a small, select group from who I would like Naked Facetime calls. Don't get any ideas, Sergio.
Working today on Volume 7 of Walt Kelly's Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips, which is still on target to be released officially in October and (this is not a promise:) unofficially a month or so earlier. It's called Pockets Full of Pie and it will present all the Pogo strips from 1961 and 1962 plus all out regular features and a foreword by Sergio Aragonés.
Lastly and speaking yet again of Sergio: Next on my "to do" list is the letter page for the first issue of the Groo Meets Tarzan mini-series, which was supposed to come out in July but now it probably won't…then. Still, I have to finish up the letter page so you still have time to send one in. All four issues of the series have been drawn and so have some further Groos so they will be published just as soon as there are supply lines to get them to you. Now, back to work…