April 07, 2007

• So, grover96, are we supposed to agree with Bagge's take? You may not have given us jumping off point, here.
• Honestly, I liked the art more than anything. No political statement intended.
• Nice work! Unlike a lot of comicbook style things, it doesn't really have an overly determined story line. I actually would have preferred to see more statistics, and the specific names for the "housing first" approach in Seattle. Larry Gonick for this kind of stuff (Amazon link. Don't forget to look inside the book!)
• Oh gawd, not more right-leaning "libertarian" hand-wringing from Bagge. I like him a lot better before he killed off Stinky. Hey Bagge, did you know that your comics from your heyday are selling for less than face value these days?
• Anti-Compassion Club represent!! *flashes dollar-shaped gang sign* Path, I'd say that the lack of editorializing on the front page is a good thing. Nominally, I share Bagge's politics, but this and the rest of his Reason work does little for me. I prefer the memories of his explosively ornate Girly-Girl and Chuckie-Boy, Martini Baton, and the consummately offensive Stretchpants ("And the ball point pen wounds were made into tattoos of a religious nature. The end!"). The late Weirdo to Neat Stuff days. He was much funnier when he was willing to be indiscriminately offensive. Trying to make a point, it doesn't work so well for me.
• Weeelll, once I got past the first page of this comic on the homeless (wherein PB offers all the standard stereotypes against the homeless) I realized it contained some useful insights. I was homeless for about 5 years back in the 80's and I see Bagge has managed to get close enough to a couple of street denizens to learn things like how homeless people act tough around strangers. And it seems PB also approves of the housing of chronic alcoholics at state expense (with NO sobriety requirements), a position with which I heartily agree.
• Retrosurf, here's the Seattle facility. Recently in the news.
• I'm not sure what to make of that. He seems to have some sympathy for these 'bums', supports bunks for drunks, seems outraged that nursing staff might decide a bum with practically self inflicted injuries deserve less respect. He seems to accept that the '10 percenters' will always exist. Yet he resents middle class housewifes feeding the homeless for free. I'm not sure it was all that coherent.
• Bagge was always best when he avoided coherence. Something about his style isn't suited too well to illuminating discussion of social phenoms. Too bad this guy doesn't do more political commentary