New Interview on The Heroic Voice

My interview with Dennis Mallonee on his Heroic Voice YouTube channel just dropped! It's a crisp 30-minute conversation where I talk about my series, my so-called comics career, and what's upcoming—including a way overdue third volume compilation that collects issues 9-12. Thanks to Dennis for a great conversation!

Double Secret Probation!

In Remembrance of Jules Feiffer

Mood

Bill Mauldin (1963)

Jack Kirby and Joe Simon (1941)

Pacific Palisades Fire 2

Yesterday morning, I took the photo at right, taken on the 405 North in West L.A., about 4 miles from my home, with smoke from the Palisades Fire rising from the other side of the Santa Monica mountains. By the evening, the fire had made it to the other side, forcing the evacuation of the neighborhoods on both sides of the freeway up further in the photo. That area is about 9 miles north of me up the freeway.

We never got an alert and the fire today appears to have continued northwest, away from us. Despite all this, last night was the first time I experienced some anxiety about this and actually gave some thought to what I would pack if it came to that. Fortunately, it appears we continue to be safe, but I can only imagine the stress felt by those who have been told to evacuate.

In addition to the firefighters, police and other officials, I have to also give credit to the local news people. This being L.A. with several local television news stations, all of them have been providing nearly all-day coverage, some 24/7 (about three to four stations or so). This has been from the news room, up in the air and on the ground—some reporters have covered their own neighborhoods, evacuating their own families first. 

The fact that it has been going this many days with about only 11% contained—and so far burning an area 2-1/2 times the size of Manhattan—should give people an idea of the sheer size and unprecedented scope of this disaster. With so much of it tearing through undeveloped land (like mountain terrain) where it can be only fought with water drops from aircraft, it's difficult to contain from the ground until it approaches homes and developed areas.

Pacific Palisades Fires

Today, I drove home to Los Angeles from Northern California and, shortly after entering the L.A. area, spotted the Pacific Palisades fire a few hours after it had begun. (I did not learn the details of the fire until I returned home, discovering it had become a national news story.)

The photo at right was taken on the 405 South freeway entering into West L.A. where I live, from the San Fernando Valley. The photo is around the Getty Museum that I visited just a few weeks ago (in fact, I believe that's the Getty nestled in the mountain to the left). This photo is probably 5-8 miles away from the fire.

I initially began this post to note that, on this drive, I broke my personal record for the 313 mile drive, making it in 4 hours and 10 minutes! Over the past couple years, I have made this round trip drive a few times a year now that my son attends college up there—I also have family in the area, which helps break up the drive over a few days. 

For decades, I accepted the fact that the wall for this drive was 4.5 hours, but this past year, I broke it a few times at 4 hours and 15 minutes. Over the course of today's trip, I watched GoogleMaps gradually shave my arrival time by more than 45 minutes.

Indeed, in addition to the fire, this trip was more fraught than usual. During my drive, I encountered high winds up in the mountains that jerked my car sideways a couple times—winds that likely helped fuel the fire's spread. I even saw several tumbleweeds roll across the freeway lanes in front of me! On the trip, I also had to swerve around a detached SUV bumper in the carpool lane I was in and, this afternoon, a huge piece of truck tread in the middle of the freeway. 

Oh, well, at least I made it home safe and sound. As I write this, the fires continue to spread—all my good wishes go to everyone affected by the disaster.

Remembering January 6

What a peaceful transfer of power in a democracy is supposed to look like...

...versus four years ago.. 

Never forget.