Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Fit Three, Page 22, Panel 1 … Art is long, life short; judgment difficult, Boojums transient




"It is this, it is this — " "We have had that before!"
The Bellman indignantly said.
And the Baker replied "Let me say it once more.
It is this, it is this that I dread!

Gosh! This Baker-cum-Lewis-Carroll-wallah really does go on and on about Boojums. Of course, we all know how unwelcome they are and what havoc they can wreak on priceless family heirlooms like forks and hope, but methinks the Baker doth protest too much!

Yes, yes, yes, we’ve heard all of this before, a Boojum is a dreadful thing to contemplate, a Boojum fluoridated my drinking water and a Boojum tampered with my automobile’s brakes … but has the Baker ever gone mano a mano with a teenage daughter? Has the Baker any idea what it is to roll up one’s sleeves and decervellage an American atheist? Has the Baker never crossed swords with a sharp-witted Englishman forced to squander his life and considerable talents as a mere maths tutor whilst blathering absolute nonsense to his young, boojum-like charges?

As for me, pshaw to all that! Yeah, mister, I’m a tough guy! I snap my inky fingers at ‘em, these pesky Boojums, they are but a trifle compared to coming up with some nice, snappy copy for each and every line of The Hunting of the Snark … week after week … year after year … stanza after stanza … panel after panel … oh, god, it is this, it is this that I dread!

4 comments:

  1. Dude this is the MOST AMAZING thing i have seen in a while and I'm sure your graphic novel about the poem is going to kick some major butt. Keep up the good work sir, and give my best to the snark.

    Fitfully yours,
    Suraj.

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  2. Thanks for your enthusiastic response to the Snark. I see that you're from Chandigarh and I would encourage everyone with an interest in hunting Snarks to visit Chandigarh … Mr Nek Chand has created an exact simulation of the Snark's habitat in his amazing Garden!

    very best!

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  3. So I read the book last night and was pleasantly reminded of many a surrealist artists, the one panel with the melting clocks in the frying pan obviously reminded me of Dali. But most of all, I was reminded of Edward Gorey, even though he can hardly be labeled a surrealist or a dadaist. I don't know much about art or artists though, if I had the money, I'd pay you to illustrate the entire works of Kafka.

    Oh, and do you mind if I convert the book into a more "approachable" format? Like a .CBR or a .CBZ? Reading books with graphics on PDF is ugh...not enjoyable.

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  4. CBR or CBZ, whatever suits your reading habits! I agree, reading as a PDF is cumbersome, I always print out onto paper when reading any text closely.

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