Okay, that's better. Whoo!...So, as Brittany Spears would say, "Oops, Favre did it again!" And I only mention her because I hold them both in equal esteem. The best part is that for the past 2 years my big argument against Favre's "irreplaceability," that some Packer fans always argued (my older brother included, ad nauseam), was his always, ALWAYS "Favreing" up the game in the last seconds...always making that patented Favre interception when the team needed him most and when the team was poised, POISED to win the game! What the Favre, Favre??? And right before that last interception, when the Vikings were poised to win the game, I muttered softly--not really actually believing it possible--that "if Favre were still a Packer he'd throw an interception right now." AND THEN HE DOES!!!

What the!???...HOW THE!???...HOW--HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE THAT HE CONTINUES TO DO THIS!!!??? I mean, really, you'd think the law of averages would demand that in one of these playoffs he wouldn't Favre it up like this, wouldn't you?

Unbelievable. Well, not really. But REALLY!

So yeah, I'm happy that Favre and the Vikings fell flat again. I loved Favre as a Packer even though his "reckless gunslinger" act grew very, very old (see above "Favre ups" mentioned). And we all know of his tiresome off-season acts, and that's when I became a "Favre despiser." Hey, I love a good waffle (especially with strawberries, whipped cream and warm maple syrup), but I hater a waffler.

And I hate the Vikings. And their fans. So seeing them flop after, seemingly, another brilliant run towards the Superbowl was extremely gratifying. I shudder at the thought of having had to hear them incessantly brag for the next year (or 50) about having the "perennial Packer" finally bring them to the promised land--like they all did all regular season, my older brother Paul included. Ahhh...I can already hear the beautiful silence emanating from that side of the Mighty Mississippi and it's just delightful.

Yep, you got him Vikings fans...you landed the "perrenial Packer"...the "first ballot Hall-of Famer"..the record-breaking, touchdown throwing, longest consecutive games played streak, most touchdowns, most retirements and coming out of retirements, most interceptions and the biggest Favreing choker to ever play the game!

And so, in a very petty way, I will end this blog as it began by saying, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

Ohhhh...so sweet.

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Pictured here is my daughter Stella's Christmas card for 2009. Entirely designed by her with just a few assists in Photoshop by pops. The star in the photo is Stella's cat, Cutie! I thought it was pretty darn clever, myself, and hope you all enjoy it.

We're going to celebrate today by going to see the new Princess & The Frog movie and then tomorrow we're going to follow up with taking Stella to see Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakel! It's just the three of us now that we've moved 2,300 miles away from our families so we're going to be laid back and non-committed and just r-e-l-a-x...

It should be pretty "drama-free" this year...ahhh, serenity now.

Word!

R & S

So, been down-and-out for awhile now but looking forward to my recovery cuz I've got some cool things in store for 2010, the least of which the new graphic novel, BB WOLF AND THE 3 LPS which is now 99% completed and almost ready to roll.

I'll keep you posted on that. And have some kick ass pics up soon to pimp it.

A'ight, thassit for now as I feel the need to hit the couch again for, I don't know, the 1,000th time in the past 3 weeks.

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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE has to be one of the biggest disappointments we've ever experienced as a family. The two 7-year-old girls we took were not only traumatized by the dismal, depressing and disturbing tone but just plain flat-out bored by the movie as a whole. And the violent climax literally brought one to tears and my daughter Stella was so shocked she jumped out of her seat. After the film was over poor Jasmine was shaking as the tears rolled down her cheeks and Stella summarized this turd of a film with this review, "The director must have had a concussion when he made this film!"

Dark not only describes the tone but the visuals as well. It was dark. The few moments they filmed in daylight were a relief to the sensations. The score was dark as well. No joy. Ominous to a fault. Every single character had a psychosis--be it manic depression, paranoia, suicidal tendencies or "Tony Soprano" like murderous rage! I guess that's why they cast James Gandolfini as Caroll. Um...this was a children's story, right? Not exaggerating, folks, there was some serious psychosis going on here and it wasn't only disturbing and depressing but it was kind of dull.

We kept waiting for the tome to lighten but it never did. Started sad, stayed ad and ended sad. Catherine Keener summed it up perfectly when the movie ended with her and Max at the dinner table silently and slowly (painfully) while Max ate his dinner--she drifted off to sleep. Yep. Felt the same way, Catherine.

We left sad. Sad that the movie stunk, sad that we traumatized two little girls and sad that we're out $50 bucks!!! I am so sick of going to "Kids movies" that reviewers often give decent reviews to and end up walking out feeling sick to my stomach because I just forked over a hefty chunk of my hard-earned money. Word to these reviewers who I feel have a responsibility to the viewers who put their trust in them...Don't give a movie a pass just because it's a "kid's film" based on a "masterpiece" directed by a "genius." All-too-often this seems to happen (anyone remember THE PIANO!??). It seems as if they convince themselves that a film like this, adapted from certain source material just "must be good!" Step back and really give an honest review and consider the people going to see it. I was pissed when I went to some review sites and read so few reviews saying that this was not appropriate for young children. We rely on your reviews for this information! Maybe some reviewers don't have kids but are they that removed from reality that they can't figure out what's inappropriate for them?

Thank you to those responsible reviewers who DID point this out. I'm just sorry I didn't find those review until AFTER we all saw this travesty.

And, no, I'm not alone. Maybe the silent majority, but NOT alone. Immediately after seeing the film I spoke with another parent who has heard of other families disappointment and cases where they actually had to leave halfway through the film.

All that being said, I love Maurice Sendak, I love Spike Jonze, we all love the book, but this movie sorely missed the mark on ALL levels.

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R

Stella's added remarks:

Hi, I'm Stella, Rich's daughter. I saw a movie today with my friend Jasmine. It was called WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Me and my friend Jasmine thought it was the worst movie we've ever seen. Especially the part where one of the monsters ripped off one of the other monster's arm. To me and Jasmine it made Jasmine shake and cry to death and my legs started to ache! And if any of you have already seen it and like it you're crazy. But if you haven't seen it DON'T SEE IT! Bye.

Been way too long since my last entry but I have a decent excuse...I think. After many years of debating, discussing and deliberating we have finally made the move from Wisconsin to California. Just couldn't face the thought of another dismal winter. 41 years is way to many for any human being. And so we are here now in lovely Aptos, Ca (right next to sunny Santa Cruz) and settling in quite nicely. The weather's fantastic! Mild, cool in the mornings and evenings with nice clear sunny skies throughout the mid-day.

Stella's adjusted quickly and loves her new school, making many new friends right away. This was our biggest concern with the move and we had MANY a sleepless night worrying about her acclimating. Should've known better. If there's one thing Stella's always been it's an outgoing kid who easily makes friends. Within minutes she had a couple nice friends and within days the playdates were lining up! A HUGE relief for me and Sandy. H-U-G-E.

Already been up, down and across the area and are constantly discovering wonderful new things the area provides.

This will also put me near several area comic conventions that'll be more easily traveled to. I'll be at the APE show in San Francisco Oct 17th-18th (whatever that weekend is) and plan on being a regular at WonderCon now as well.

We're also living near my friend and BB Wolf collaborator, J.D. Arnold. "Johnnie" owns a fantastic comic shop in Santa Cruz with his business partner Troy called COMICOPOLIS! And a fine shop it is! If you're ever in the area make sure to swing in.

Well, that's it for now. Am still exhausted from the big move and catching up on much-needed sleep so I'll cut this short. But I'll have some more updates sooner and more frequently. I also have some very exciting news that I've had to hold my tongue for over 3 years to share!

How's that for a teaser?

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I'm hoping to play on an interim basis when I come back for summer visits as the team has vowed to continue in my absence. Maybe get back for 3-4 games each year.

Anyway, another sad reminder that my time here is quickly coming to an end. Three more days and we're out. The nervousness, stress, sadness, excitement, mounts...I knew it'd be like this but it's tough. Just had dinner with our dear friends Tim (Big Tim that is) and Mary Lyons at our favorite pizza/lasagna joint and it was yet another door shutting in our lives--not completely as, again, we will come back for visits, but still a door closing nonetheless and it makes us sad.

But, for Stella's sake, we only show her the happy side of everything. As a 7-year-old she can't see us getting weepy or she'll freak out. So we smile and tell her about all the great things we have to look forward to and just lie awake every night staring at the ceiling freaking out ourselves.

So, yeah, we're sad and freaking out but we know the move's for the best. Bottom line is we cannot stand the weather here and it ain't gonna change and we ain't getting any younger. Can't move when Stella's a teenager or she'll hate our guts. Gotta go now or never.

But I will miss those goons at Softball on Wednesday nights.

We'll also be just a hop skip and a jump away from San Francisco, Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, Big Sur National Park and add a few more hops, skips and jumps and we're in Tahoe or LA or San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego I guess I should give a quick Comic-Con summary. It was jam-packed again, I got too drunk every night again, did a ton of sketches, walked many miles, got extremely sore feet and saw a few celebs including Wesley Snipes who was far shorter than I'd ever have guessed. And weighed about a buck sixty-five! I could kick his ass!

Sales were definitely down for myself and those around me so people were keeping the purse strings cinched and trolling for the freebees. Let's hope the economy picks up for next year's show when the new book's out--YES BB Wolf is going to be out in 2010-Top Shelf has assured us there will be no more scheduling delays...if there are keep your eyes peeled on the obituaries for certain Georgia publishers. JK, Chris, you know I love you (just watch your back).

As I write this my back demands some medicinal supplication from me and the rest of my body demands some well-deserved sleep. My feet just flat out hate my guts--nothing I can do to placate them so I've just given up and learned to deal with their hatred for me. sigh.

So I shall take an Aleve (or Oxycodone if I want those fun dreams) and retire for the evening. The next time you hear from me the message shall be streaming from California cyberspace not Wisconsin cyberspace. So it might be more mellow, laid back, serene, and definitely drunk on some good Napa Valley wine!

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R

Alright, I guess I'll go ahead and chime in on the death of Michael Jackson...While never a huge fan of his music I did enjoy many of his songs. Particularly the old Jackson 5 hits and more recently I thought Man In The Mirror was fantastic. And, yeah, like 20 kazillion other people I had a copy of Thriller--and I loved it.

And I did actually have a face-to-face (so to speak) with Michael Jackson once! Bizarre but true story here folks...I was at the Mall Of America up in Minnesota doing a book signing at a children's bookstore, signing copies of the "Milo" books I illustrated, when in walks this person with the surgical mask, scarf over their head and some very ornate clothing. At first I think "be discreet, it's obviously a burn victim." And then they get three feet away and we make eye contact. It's frikkin' Michael Jackson! The eyes! It's his eyes! I quickly look around the store as the possibility of it being him races through my mind at light speed! Then I see them!--The bodyguards standing at the entrance of the store and I know that I'm right! I must have reacted because he immediately recognized that I recognized and he picked up his pace, did a quick browse through the store and headed out before he thought I'd blurt out his name or something. I wouldn't have, but I'm guessing it happened to the guy a lot. So I quickly babble to my partner, Craig Ploetz, that I just saw Michael Jackson and we slyly shuffle off behind him and watch as he and his small entourage move away through the crowd.

Was kinda cool.

So when I heard that Michael died suddenly last Thursday I, like may others, was stunned. Not shocked, mind you, but stunned. I mean, honestly, did any of us expect Michael to die of old age-- a comfortable, peaceful passing at the age of 97? I don't think you'll find too many people who'll honestly say, yes to that. This is a sad, tragic, expected outcome in a very sad, tragic life.

Did I know the guy? How can I say that he was sad? I think that's a fairly obvious statement. Obviously Michael had issues. Insecurities. And I'm one of the many who doesn't buy that he molested any kids. I mean he may have, I don't know for sure, but I think he was more likely just an easy target because of his weirdness and a few greedy golddiggers went after him. Yep, he was kooky, he was a bit crazy, and he definitely made his share of mistakes--the baby dangling makes me cringe every time I see it--THAT was his coup de grace as far as the mistakes the guy made.

But he was also a genius. I think his body of work makes that statement undeniable.

Like Elvis, his death will only make him an even bigger pop icon. Bigger in death than in life. No doubt about it.

And we're only 6 days in folks...the circus surrounding his death is just getting started. Wait'll the vultures start descending on the estate. And those poor kids. Yeesh, it's going to get U-G-L-Y!!!

Farrah Fawcett's death was sadly overshadowed when MJ passed away mere hours later. Again, never a huge fan but I did watch Charlie's Angles as a young lad and every time I went to K-Mart I'd go over and flip through those posters and take a good long pause looking at that one of Farrah! Yeah...you know what I'm talking about. Shazam!

A sexy lady. No doubt. And I admire the way she held her dignity while all the tabloids and "comedians" made their insensitive comments. The lady deserved a better send off that's for sure.

Billy Mays. Sheesh. A bad week for entertainers. Poor guy apparently had heart disease. Although he was also apparently hit on the head earlier that day when a plane he was traveling on had a somewhat rough landing and one of the overhead doors struck him on the head. Don't know if that's related to his passing but don't mess around with head injuries folks. Take it from a dude who's had several concussions--go see your doctor asap.

Any time...it can grab you at any time. Death. So the lesson I take from all of this is to hug my daughter extra each day and take even more time to play with her than I usually do--and trust me, she wasn't getting cheated before. Problem is i get so verklemfpt every time something like this happens pretty soon I'm not gonna get ANY work done at all.

Eh, money or Stella time? Easy decision, folks...I guess there won't be any vultures descending on my estate.

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R

Heat an' blue sky...

And a road that goes forever...

I'm goin' to Texas!"

Chris Rea, Road To Hell album (buy it! unbelievable album)

Just got back from a 10 day vacation to good ole Austin, Texas. Went down for my cousin's daughter's wedding where Stella was the beautiful flower girl in a dress that mama made for her. Stayed with our good friends Wayne Beamer and his wonderful wife Sandy Travis where they did their very best to uphold the fine southern tradition of hospitality. Not only did Wayne-o act as our own private chaufeur and drive us all around Austin but he also "cowboyed up" when it was time to put on the feed bag!

One week before leaving on our trip Sandy (my wife Sandy not Wayne-o's) and I were up late watching tv and I came across the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food program. I asked Sandy if she'd ever seen it. Nope. I said it was a good show and showcased a lot of restaurants that I myself would love to eat at. So what city do they highlight on this particular episode on this particular night? Yep, you guessed it...Austin, Texas! Serendipity!

So we watched and drooled as the "man" took on the finest cuisines and we also took notes determined to get to at least one of these places they highlighted. And yes we did my friends.

Yes we did.

The Salt Lick. One of the world's most famous barbeque joints that features one of the only open woodfire bbq pits left in Texas (if not the only). You walk into the most amazing smell and the first thing you see is the meat on the pit sizzling and popping away. Instantaneous mouth-watering begins. My stomach actually lurched with anticipation. I was giddy! I was happy! I frantically searched for the waiter to find us a freakin' seat!

We quickly ordered up our food with me and Wayne-o and cousin-in-law Dave ordering the all-you-can-eat option.

The beef brisket is evil. I ate about 1 1/2 pounds of that alone. And as the host of Man vs Food suggested I ordered the "burnt ends" of the brisket where the flavor is at its most concentrated. And just like he did on the show when he bit into it I had "a moment."

Best brisket I've ever had. Period. It made me cry.

The sausage was also outstanding and this is coming from a guy whose dad is a World Champion German Sausage Maker, folks! I ate about 3/4 of a pound of that. Nice smooth smokey flavor. Robust but not overly so. Juicy but not greasy. Very nice.

The ribs were good. Not great but very good. A couple pieces were a little on the dry side but I'm sure they were downgraded in my opinion after being so overwhelmed by the brisket. If I probably only had the ribs not knowing how delicious the brisket was I'd've probably been very pleased.

The BBQ sauce is a family recipe and very unique. It gave the meat a nice carmalized glaze that was a bit sweet, a bit hearty and just a wee bit vinegary almost...but vinegary in a good way, trust me.

We pretty much ignored the filler...the potato salad, cole slaw, bread, etc. I mean really, what's the point? I nibbled on those items just to clear the palate between meats.

Best BBQ experience I ever had. And the severe weather that rolled in almost killed the trip. Man, when Wayne-o gave us the weather report the night before I was bummed. I actually could not get to sleep I was so disappointed. This was to be the highlight of the trip (aside from the wedding of course.) and now he was telling us it might not happen as the roads literally get flooded out during severe rainstorms and become unpassable! But it worked out. We fed. And fed. And fed. I was home. Oh god, here I go...I'm crying again...

The Bat Bridge is also a highlight of Austin. Unreal. 1.5 million bats fly out every night from under a downtown bridge where they nest. You get there with the throngs of other onlookers just before dusk and you wait as you start to hear the chirping get louder and louder. Then you start to see them drop. One by one they start dropping. then dozens. Then hundreds. Then you witness a stream of thousands and thousands of bats just pour out in a line out into the southern sky. And it goes on for 20+ solid minutes! It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Wedding was great. Margaux and Aaron had a beautiful wedding, reception and dinner. Great fun was had by all.

We also got to stay with my older sister Karin up in Chico for a few days before the wedding so getting to visit her and her kids also made the trip an all-around wonderful experience.

And Oh Yeah! If you're ever down in Austin you'll also want to visit AUSTIN BOOKS & COMICS on 5002 N. Lamar Blvd. Owner Brad Bankston has one of the most impressive stores I've ever set foot in. Loaded with comics and one of the largest selections of TPBs and graphic novels I've ever seen. I wish I could have spent hours, nay, DAYS looking through every rack but, alas, time was not on our side. Austin Books & Comics also had a nice selection of my own books. I happily signed up the copies they had, bought a hefty stack of books, and vowed to one day return to that store!

And so we're back in WI. We knew we were officially back when our teeth started rattling. No, not from the cold (although it was cold when we got back), from the friggin' freeway! We have the worst roads in America. Bar none. The whole drive was smooth other than in Wisconsin. And yeah I realize our severe weather fluctuations cause the damage but come on, they're constantly repairing and repaving these damn roads. You'd think by now they'd come up with a better pavement, right? Methinks they have such a pavement but choose not to use it.

And I kid you not, we were but a mile across the border of Illinois and the big orange construction cones started! Yep, they're gearing up for another road construction season. Yippee!! Three years from now they'll be out there on that same stretch repaving it again.

I may be Goin' To Texas again soon. Chris Rea forgot to mention in his song that those roads that go forever were also pretty darn smooth.

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R

It is with great delight that I now pimp my bro-in-law's band SPIRAL TRANCE's new cd release, "All In Due Time." Paul's band has been bangin' away for over a decade now and I can't begin to tell you have proud I am with, not only their tenacity, but how they've continued to improve and improve over the years and have become one of the most polished, tight rock bands around. They're so good that Summerfest, the "World's Biggest Music Festival" invites them back every year (for well over 5 years now) to be one of the featured acts on the famous Rock Stage! They've also been nominated and won numerous industry awards. If you dig good old ass-kickin' head-banging rock you will love their stuff.

And right now they've got a Pre-Order promotion running for the new release "All In Due Time" for only $9.99. And they're also offering 2 other packages that include signed posters and their rare 6 song EP. Here's the link which also has some samples of their music... www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/spiraltrance

In other news...

I am just so tickled that the Yankees and one Mr CC Sabathia lost their first game today. And that Mr Sabathia in particular really STUNK IT UP after his $160,000,000.00 signing. Yep, in case you live on the moon and didn't know, I have the correct amount of zeroes there.

They Yankees continue to make me vomit with their unfair spending sprees and CC cashing in is understandable but, is it just me or doesn't it make everyone sick when these guys never just come out and admit when they're asked why they signed with the Yankees that it was because they dumped sick boatloads of cash in their money-grubbing laps! Come on! Everyone knows that's why you friggin' signed with them. Don't give us the old "It was the right fit for me" "I felt signing with them gave me the best chance to win a championship" blah blah blah...Ya know, just like the steroid cheaters, if they'd just come right out and tell the truth I'd respect them a lot more. Well, at least a little bit anyway. Well, at least for admitting to that one particular thing. I'd still despise them with every fiber of me being.

Okay, thassit for this week. 'S all I got.

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R