So today feels much more like the first day of the holidays. Maybe its because I’ve managed to visit the barbers and had a decent haircut, and maybe it’s because I’m sitting in the Boston Tea Party with my large decaf house, pondering all kinds of maybes and what ifs… or maybe it’s just the sun is shining. Yesterday was frankly strange, a kind of false start or a false ending, I’m not sure which. I lay on the sofa once more and read comics and Mac magazines and watched Le Tour and again felt guilty for not riding but really I was just so drained from the past few weeks that I couldn’t face doing anything more strenuous than climb the stairs to the Geek Lair.

Speaking of comics, I’ve been reading The Nocturnals recently. I mean I just love Dan Brereton’s paintings, they are so great with their Pulp influences and all, so I’m kind of willing to forgive the slightly shaky writing. But whatever, what I really wanted to say was how I laughed aloud yesterday when I saw he had two cop characters called Goodis and Willeford. Those kinds of little details really matter. Similarly, I laughed the other day when walking to town, past the Bowling Green (scene of epic summer holiday pool tournaments with Marino in years gone by), and there on the window was a poster for a gig by a group called Abdoujaparov. Cycling fans will of course spot the reference. I was almost tempted to go along until I spotted they are the new band of one of the old Carter USM bods (and hence Jamie Wednesday, which I am more inclined to forgive). So I wont bother after all.

I need to write something about my recent comics consumption. David’s Tangents article made me want to talk about it, and really there are a lot of things to share there. Ditto my on-going obsession with photography books, a bundle of which arrived this morning. I flicked through Burhan Dogancay's Walls of The World before heading out the door: it looks awesome and I am very jealous because it’s exactly the kind of book I want to do. Oh well. Also got A J Wilkinson's English Candies with texts by Jon Savage and John Robb, and I’m keen to investigate that in detail. Also I really need to think about my own photographs, and to consider just what the hell I’m doing with them. I seem to have lost my way somewhat, am missing the discipline of the daily diary project, or indeed any project to guide me. This is what I need to consider: what do these photographs MEAN? Or what do I mean by taking them? And do I mean anything at all? And if not why not and does it really matter?

At least yesterday I managed to finish off that Animals That Swim review for Plan B and Tangents. In the end I was quite pleased with it and I’m glad I ditched all that stupid Art School Wank. Which reminds me, did I ever tell you about the great Art School Wank badges I got at 50p Badges? I didn’t? Well they are great. I wanted to put one on my schoolbag but C said not to. She also said I should take off the ‘twee fucker’ one. Sigh. I DID keep on the one of Johnny Cash giving the finger, though. I’m a rebel, me.

So yeah, I really like the idea of boxes, and a boxed 7” set would be so cool. I need to give this some thought. Also needing thought would be another (i wish i was) Unpopular fanzine. I should get some photocopy prices when I’m in town, because I cant afford to do it all on my laser printer… the price of new toner cartridges is insane! It’s almost as cheap to buy a whole new printer as it is to replace all the carts. Crazy. It would be good if there was another ‘zine fair type thing at the Cavern sometime, even though I know I would sell hardly anything again. Dunno if Izzy is around at the moment to ask though, as her blog has not been updated for a while. And in fact I kind of feel like visiting the Cavern again anyway, to see what’s going on… to feel old and lost again. Ha ha ha.

I think we are going to see The Playwrights in Bristol next Friday (July 30th). This is the day the singles are meant to arrive, so the plan is to go up with a bunch to sell at the show. Hope it all goes according to plan. I also thought maybe I would take a couple of cameras along and film them, then do something with that… we shall see. I have these drawings I did from the train on the way to London earlier in the year, I was thinking of doing some kind of animation with them… maybe I could combine the live footage with that idea. It’s a thought. But do I have the time? Sigh, it’s always that same question.

Okay, so I wonder what’s on at the museum? And I should go and buy some frames for those lovely Craig Thompson posters I got from Top Shelf some months ago…

Comments

[David O MacGowan]

I'd ask you to write a piece on your photography reading with some accompanying scans, but I don't want you to fall foul of breaking copyright laws.... (isn't there some bylaw or sublaw or something that says things can be scanned for review purposes? Don't quote me!!)

I went to my local museum recently. The Egyptology section rocks.