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I pulled my copy of Broken Pencil out of the mailbox, glancing it's fairly creepy cover, thinking "Ah yes, the magazine that comes with the Canzine entry fee". Then I remembered how tedious Canzine was this year and how, in a desperate moment of trying to feel like I hadn't wasted a hungover day, I had handed over some of my zines for review when a fellow came by bellowing for submissions. I checked and lo and behold their it was a review of Fisticuffs Hulaboo. Read the review here, or at the bottom.

It's pretty accurate, it points out the obvious flaws (it's unpolished-ness, the well-worn subject matter, etc) but to my disappointment the reviewer ended up cheaping out and making a tedious comparisent to Enid in Ghost World, which since the release of the film adaptation 2001 as been the go-to reference for all things female, sassy, somewhat nerdy, and the least bit sardonic (please see Veronica Mars' jab at this type of reference, in season 2, straight out of the mouth of Dick Casablancas). And yes, comparing one comic to another comic makes sense, but Clowes' Enid, the epitome of female post-adolescent angst, is a character that takes herself far too seriously and, in perceiving herself rejected by a culture she already rejects, becomes sardonic, bitter, and reculsive. My character is, at least to me, a parody of hedonistic, goofy, and slap-stick cartoon characters. Yes they are both white, female, sardonic, with dark hair and snazzy clothes but it's there that there comparision ends for me. I also must note that when drawing this comic I have never once thought about the fact that I am drawing a female character. I draw it to look like me lest anyone I know think that the jerk behaviour I depict in the comics is referencing their own shitty behaviour.

As for the well-worn subject matter, I thought it was fairly obvious that my whole schtick is trampling over the well-worn comic cliches (coffee, mooondays, uh-ohs) and by the response I get from most people, they understand that too.

Mike doesn't get it.