Rec. #894: Gourmet Hound

 

What: Gourmet Hound is an absolutely delightful web comic with a tv-miniseries-level premise --- Lucy uses her uncanny sense of taste and smell to track down a certain chef she knows only via their cooking.

Along the way, she gets caught up in the lingering tangles from the mass exodus of several chefs from a workplace gone wrong.

Comparable to: Do you adore how food is cherished in Studio Ghibli films? That same level of loving attention is given to it here as well. 

How to get it: All 166 episodes of Gourmet Hound are available for free online. Start here. 

List #95: Pop Culture Wish List, part 6

While we're in the zone of fulfilling my pop culture requests, I would like to put forward some additional items for consideration.

See Part 1 here.
See Part 2 here.
See Part 3 here.
See Part 4 here.

See Part 5 here.

Item 11: A surreal sketch show with Aparna Nancherla and Jo Firestone

Look. Both Aparna Nancherla and Jo Firestone are doing fine. They have successful comedy careers -- lots of gigs, Netflix stand-up specials, appearances on The Tonight Show, magazine profiles, a perpetually resurrected podcast ... the works.

But, still. They work so well together. I would like the two of them to write and host some kind of leaning-into-the-void absurdity. I'm thinking the fully committed surreality of Maria Bamford's Lady Dynamite. Hey! Have Maria Bamford as a recurring character!

Item 12: A miniseries adaptation of Widdershins

The webcomic Widdershins (Rec. #870) is funny and exciting and smart. It's structured around several small stories within one longer arc, which means it's perfectly set up to be a miniseries. Lots of memorable characters and big action sequences and sharp one-liners. Creator Kate Ashwin has even helpfully cast one of the leads --- Dev Patel as Sidney Malik.

Rec. #870: Widdershins

What: In the words of its creator, the web comic Widdershins is "a series of Victorian-era adventure stories, set in the fictional town of Widdershins, home to bounty hunters, failed wizards, stage magicians, and more."

It's de-light-ful.

Comparable to: Kate Ashwin's writing here reminds me, quite happily, of Sydney Padua's work in The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage (Rec. #269).

How to get it: Start reading Widdershins here. It began in 2011 and still has updates twice a week. Much content!

Connections to previous Wreckage: In addition to Kate Ashwin and Sydney Padua, other highly recommended web comic creators are

John Allison (Rec. #138, Rec. #658)
Kate Beaton (Rec. #95, List #60)
Allie Brosh (Rec. #7, Rec. #798, Rec. #799, Rec. #801)
Emily McGovern (Rec. #413, Rec. #794)
Ngozi Ukazu (Rec. #735, List #63)

Rec. #801: The Party

What: Allie Brosh's "The Party" is one of my favorite pieces of comedic writing ... ever. Many years later, just the word "parp" is enough to send me into a fit of giggles.

Representative quote: "... And that's how I got to go to a birthday party while very heavily sedated."

How to get it: This is from the book Hyperbole and a Half, but you can also read the whole thing on the original blog.

Connections to previous Wreckage: We've now covered five excerpts from the book Hyperbole and a Half - The Hot Sauce Debacle (Rec. #797), Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving (Rec. #798), Depression (Rec. #799), Dogs' Guide to Understanding Basic Concepts (Rec. #800), and The Party (this one). 

Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day -- what a good time to track down this book to enjoy all those stories and more!

Rec. #799: Depression, parts 1 and 2

What: It's not all dogs and childhood anecdotes. Hyperbole and a Half also covers author Allie Brosh's history of depression. The particular tone of both her words and images is ruthlessly effective in capturing her specific thought processes and also her feelings --- even during the points she can't feel them herself.

Also, not for nothing, "Depression, part 2" is an excellent primer in things that are not helpful to say to someone who is experiencing depression.

Representative quote: "It would be like having a bunch of dead fish, but no one around you will acknowledge that the fish are dead. Instead, they offer to help you look for the fish or try to help you figure out why they disappeared."

How to get it: Both posts/chapters on Depression are available in the book Hyperbole and a Half and also on the original blog (part 1, part 2).

Rec. #798: Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving

It's easy to forget how legs work when you've got booties on your feet

What: Allie Brosh's two dogs, referred to as "Simple Dog" and "Helper Dog," are recurring characters in Hyperbole and a Half. The story/post/chapter "Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving" details their struggles moving across state lines.

They don't handle it well, but their existential crises are our joy. This story/post/chapter is also a prime example of how Brosh's drawings in Paint somehow more accurately capture the essence of dogs than most photographs.

Representative quote: "When we started packing, the helper dog knew immediately that something was going on ... She started following me everywhere, pausing every so often to flop to the ground in an exaggeratedly morose fashion - because maybe that would make me realize how selfish I was being by continuing to pack despite her obvious emotional discomfort."

How to get it: This is from the book Hyperbole and a Half, but you can also read the whole thing on the original blog.

Rec. #794: Emily's Cartoons - On Writing an Email

What: That cartoon right up there. That's it. Probably feels familiar, doesn't it?

Comparable to: This cartoon is veering straight into the gut-punch-of-human-fragility humor territory of genius Allie Brosh and her masterpiece, Hyperbole and a Half.

How to get it: See more on Emily's Cartoons with Rec. #413.

List #71: Best of 2018

The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Most Positive TV Twist, Rec. #707

Burn, Burn, Burn: Best Road Trip, Rec. #723

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Captain Awkward: Best Advice on the Internet, Rec. #705

Check, Please: Best Webcomic Now in Print, Rec. #735

Chess: Best Live Musical Performance, Rec. #721

Colossal: Best I-Guess-It's-Technically-SciFi, Rec. #713

"DecaDance/Chicago": Best Live Dance Performance, Rec. #703

Dogs on Twitter: Best Reason Not to Rage-Quit the Internet, Rec. #747

Dr. Gameshow: Best Way to Keep Up with NYC Comedy When You're Not in NYC, Rec. #719

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Best Place to Discover New Sketch Comedy Duos, Rec. #749

An Emmy for Megan: Best Short Form Comedy Concept, Rec. #751

Flo & Joan: Best Musical Comedy Duo, Rec. #709

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Best Righteous Fury on the Screen, Rec. #739

Janeane Garofalo: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Giant Days: Best Continuing Comic Book Series, Rec. #711

Good and Mad: Best Righteous Fury on the Page, Rec. #737

The Good Place: Best Recent Evidence of the Genius of Allison Jones, Casting Director, Rec. #745

The Good Place: Most Deserving of Implicit Trust, Rec. #757

The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4): Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

The Guardian: Best Photography Curation, Rec. #729

Making It: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Only Connect and Victoria Coren Mitchell: Best Match of Host with Show, Rec. #755

Paddington 2: Best Movie Featuring Sally Hawkins Underwater, Rec. #701

Helen Rosner: Best Insight Into the Food World for Non-Foodies, Rec. #715

Schitt's Creek: Best Serenades, Rec. #733

The Spy Who Dumped Me: Best Buddy Comedy, Rec. #725

Taskmaster: Best Embrace of Meaninglessness, Rec. #731

Louis Virtel: Most Welcome Podcast Guest, Rec. #753

Visages Villages: Best Road Trip That Is Also a Buddy Comedy, Rec. #727

W1A: Best Faux Documentary, Rec. #741

You're on an Airplane: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Rec. #735: Best Webcomic Now in Print

***BEST OF 2018***

You might think that you don't care about fictional undergraduate hockey bros, but Check, Please and its pie-baking protagonist will prove you wrong.

The Kickstarter-record-breaking webcomic is now available in print as a graphic novel from First Second publishers.

(See also List #63)

Rec. #658: The Victorian Bat-Lady

What: The Victorian Bat-Lady is one of the very few superheroes I have any interest in at all. The canon for the character is pleasingly graspable, as this print is her only appearance.

I own it and display it proudly.

Representative text:
"BLAGGARDS TROUNCED"

Connections to previous Wreckage: The Victorian Bat-Lady is the invention of John Allison, whose other work includes Bad Machinery (Rec. #138) [including Bad Machinery merch (Gift Idea #8)] and Giant Days (Rec. #524). Allison himself was also featured way back in List #10: 4 Internet Crushes.

How to get it: You can buy this print from Topatoco.

Rec. #645: Revisiting List #60: Happy Birthday, Kate Beaton

[Originally posted September 8, 2016.]

 

Who: Cartoonist, children's book author, web comic artist, proud Canadian

Hark! A Vagrant, website

(Rec. #95)

(List #21)

Never Learn Anything from History, comic collection, 2009

Hark! A Vagrant, comic collection, 2011

(Rec. #186)

(Gift Idea #2)

Step Aside, Pops, comic collection, 2015

The Princess and the Pony, children's book, 2015

(List #57)

And! She has a new book coming out! King Baby is on its way, and Beaton is doing a tour for it.

Rec. #576: Revisiting List #63: People in the Media I Actually Liked in 2016, Part Two

[Originally posted January 11, 2017. I still feel pretty good about these people.]

See Part One here for #1-5.

6. Nadiya Hussain

Who: Baker, columnist, author, television presenter

Two of the whats: The Great British Bake Off (tv), Nadiya's Kitchen (book)

Where:
For The Great British Bake Off (series 6) - YouTube, intermittently
For Nadiya's Kitchen - library or bookseller of your choosing

Now also co-hosting The Big Family Cooking Showdown (Rec. #411), on Netflix

7. Daniel Levy

Who: Actor, writer, producer

One of the whats: Schitt's Creek (tv show) (List #59), (List #65)

Where: Amazon Prime, Netflix

8. Kate McKinnon

Who: Comedian, actor

Two of the whats: Singing "Hallelujah" on SNL as Hillary Clinton (tv), Ghostbusters (movie)

Where:
For "Hallelujah" performance - Hulu
For Ghostbusters - rent, buy, or borrow from the source of your choosing

9. Michael Schur

Who: Producer, writer

Three of the whats: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (List #37) (Rec. #537), The Good Place (Rec. #401), an A+++ Twitter

Where:
For Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Hulu
For The Good Place - Netflix, Hulu
For his Twitter - @KenTremendous

10. Ngozi Ukazu

Who: Web comic author/artist

One of the whats: Check, Please!
[you might think you don't care about fictional college hockey players ... you are so, so, so wrong]

Where: Start the comic here

Soon to be also a book! Pre-order here

Rec. #560: Alligator and Pumpkin

I love this cartoon so much that I'm just going to give you the whole thing. See the end for source info.

 

Rec. #492: Revisiting List #12 (Things That Are Good for Wallowing -- Part 1)

[originally posted November 16, 2011]



Really, all anyone wants to do right now is wallow. So here are some things that are good for wallowing. More to come.

1. Don't Point That Thing at Me, Kyril Bonfiglioli (Rec. #31): Channel that bitter, slightly violent streak you have been nurturing lately.

2. Northern Exposure, seasons 1 and 2 (Rec. #35 and Rec. #161): It is TV, which is restful, but it is fairly smart TV, so you don't have to feel guilty.

3. The Princess and the Warrior (Rec. #71): If you don't speak German, you can always tune out the subtitles and just enjoy the pretty pictures. Even if you do choose to pay attention, you won't have to work too hard. The pace is generally brisk, but the plot is not complex.

4. The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, Susan Orlean (Rec. #126): Are you sick of your own life? Here, have a look at some others.

5. Bad Machinery, John Allison (Rec. #138): It is a comic on the internet. You are practically reading it right now already.

Rec. #413: Emily's Cartoons

What: Many of web comics on the Emily's Cartoons Tumblr are part of a "My Life as a Background Slytherin/Hufflepuff/Gryffindor/Ravenclaw" series, which even the most casual HP fans will enjoy. 

There are also stand-alone autobiographical comics (like the one above), the beginnings of a pretty violent graphic novel, and one particular political cartoon that sometimes goes mildly viral.

Connections to previous Wreckage: Web comics can be so, so, so, so good. See also: Allie Brosh, Kate Beaton, John Allison, Sydney Padua

How to get it: In addition to her Tumblr, Emily McGovern also has an Etsy shop. You can also get additional bonus content via Patreon.

List #60: Happy Birthday, Kate Beaton

Who: Cartoonist, children's book author, web comic artist, proud Canadian

Hark! A Vagrant, website

(Rec. #95)

(List #21)

Never Learn Anything from History, comic collection, 2009

Hark! A Vagrant, comic collection, 2011

(Rec. #186)

(Gift Idea #2)

Step Aside, Pops, comic collection, 2015

The Princess and the Pony, children's book, 2015

(List #57)

And! She has a new book coming out! King Baby is on its way, and Beaton is doing a tour for it.

Friday Flashback: Rec. #269: 2D Goggles

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.

What: Graphic designer Sydney Padua appreciates this and has created a webcomic all about Ada Lovelace --- a genius mathematician and the daughter of Lord Byron --- and fellow mathematician Charles Babbage.

Fighting crime for Queen Victoria. Using a difference engine. As you do.

Comparable to: Very Kate Beaton sense of humor, but with a lotta lotta footnotes about how much Charles Babbage hated street musicians (fact!).

Opening lines: "Ada Lovelace was the only legitimate child of mad, bad, and dangerous to know poet and nutcase Lord Byron. Her mother Anabel fled the exploding planet her husband yet worried that Ada had inherited his wild blood."

Representative panel:

Bonus representative panel:

How to get it: The main page is here. Meet the cast here. See the Pocket Universe Guide here. Access the archived stories here.

Connections to previous Wreckage: Yes, as a matter of fact I did mention Kate Beaton. I also mentioned her in Rec. #95, List #2, List #3, List #8, Rec. #186, Gift Idea #2, List #14, and List #21.

[Originally posted 12/10/12.]

Friday Flashback: Rec. #7: Hyperbole and a Half

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.

What: You're probably already familiar with this brilliant blog. If you are, consider this a happy Friday reminder to check out the full archive (2009 and 2010 are the most robust). 

If Hyperbole and a Half is new to you, please click on any of the links I'm peppering throughout this post, and then enjoy artist/writer/blogger/humorist Allie Brosh's thoughts on canine intelligence, awkward situations, and The Alot. Also, my two favorite posts so far: "The Party" and "Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving."

Representative quote: "For a little while, I actually feel grown-up and responsible. I strut around with my head held high, looking the other responsible people in the eye with that knowing glance that says, 'I understand. I'm responsible now too. Just look at my groceries.'" (from "This Is Why I'll Never Be an Adult")

You might not like it if: You are consumed by jealousy because Allie Brosh is so talented and funny. Actually, scratch that. I'm consumed by jealousy and I love the blog unreservedly. If you decide you don't like it, please let me know so I can feel less jealous.

How to get it: Good grief. Just click here.

Also: Brosh's book of the same name made my List #35: A Few of the Best Books I Read in 2013.

[Originally posted 1/6/11.]

Gift Idea #8: Bad Machinery Merch

Click here for Gift Ideas #1-7.

What, and recommended giftees: John Allison is the Internet-crushworthy clever person behind Bad Machinery. But dude cannot be expected to exist just on the fervent love his (free) web comics inspire. So get thee to his TopatoCo store and buy some delightful merch.

Like a hardcover edition of Bad Machinery's Volume 1: The Case of the Team Spirit (shown above). For almost anyone, really.

Or this t-shirt, for your friends who are not afraid of odd whimsy:

Or this print with some very sound advice:

Or this tote bag, for your cousin who knits (but is, thank goodness, not smug about it):

Or this apron, for your brother who mocks you for being a vegetarian, but whom you've decided to forgive, in the spirit of Cold Weather:

So many other things, too, and I want them all, even the ones I already own.

Connection to previous Wreckage: Bad Machinery was Rec. #138.