Sketchbook Dump #17

Richard Belzer, good movies and short shorts

We lost a beautiful soul this week, it feels like an uncle died! Richard Belzer has graced our lives and our televisions for what feels like a lifetime.

If you’re not aware of the Detective Munch universe, I highly recommend a google search. From Law & Order to X-Files, he created a character that literally crossed over shows and even networks.

Apologies for not writing last week, I was returning from my two weeks at the St. Nell’s writing residency and was swamped between travel and settling back in at home. I got so much done tucked away in the town of Williamsport, PA that it felt insanely overwhelming to return to the chaos that is New York. Some fun things that happened at the residency:

1. Margie discovered several dead rotting squirrels.

2. Margie convinced me the house was haunted by not going down the back staircase even though I left pretzels out on it.

3. Margie made friends with a little boy whose black dog had just passed away.

One thing that has really baffled me is how this cartoon caused a fight to break out on instagram. Who knew women’s bodies were such a political war ground!

Lately I’ve had an overwhelming desire for summer, even though it’s not even close to a harsh winter in New York and global warming has turned the world on it’s axis. I still want it to be hot out all the time and to be able to live in a pair of Nike running shorts. I’m trying to appreciate winter and how much it allows me to be productive, stuck inside writing down every thought I’ve ever had, but I’m a California girl at heart. However, now that’s it’s snowing in LA — will the definition of a California girl be changing? Will the Beach Boys have to rewrite their lyrics? The night before the wild snow storm on the west coast I told my boyfriend “I heard that in the future the weather patterns are gonna change so much that the west coast will be the east coast, and vice versa.” He was like “NAHHHHHHH NO WAY” and then in the morning, boom. Snow in LA when we haven’t even had a touch of it in New York. It’s like the gods wanted me to win that argument!!! Love to win but I really I would have preferred to win an argument over redvines and twizzlers.

But since it still cold outside and I can’t hang out in a park all day, I’ve been catching up on all the big movies of this year like All Quiet on the Western Front and Tar. You know when movies are so good you don’t know what to do with yourself after? It’s almost painful to leave the theater, or the couch. After watching Tar I was like okay how can I even watch anything else after this? It will feel sacrilegious! As much as I want to make fun of Nicole Kidman’s AMC ads I identify with that silly Aussie (and was thrilled to see she’s continuing their relationship!). I’ve been so thirsty for good movies and TV since I binge everything like a psycho, so I was truly thrilled when I saw on Maria Bamford’s instagram this week that she launched a campaign to fund her latest series called NOOOCD! If you’re a fan or a victim of OCD/Unwanted Thoughts — consider supporting! Also, if you have never seen Maria’s old YouTube series from like 15 years ago called The Maria Bamford Show, it’s like THE REASON I went into comedy.

I’ve been working on my new book so much that I just have dreams where I’m working on my book. It got me thinking about how people always talk about how horrible it is to have nightmares. And as someone who has nightmares truly all the time, I totally agree. Nightmares are a nightmare. But what we don’t talk about is how awful it also is to have great dreame. It’s like being gaslighted about your life!!! I have a recurring wonderful dream where I meet Britney Spears and we are total besties and every time in the dream I think to myself, okay finally! I knew this was meant to be! And then I fucking WAKE UP. Talk about RUDE?!

It still being a new year and all, I recently wrote down some goals for myself. It included lots of work stuff like sell this thing I’ve been writing for the past year, finish my book, get back into stand up, but I also wrote down the thing I’m always writing down. Get off my fucking phone. I always think I’m getting to a point where I’m better, I’m developing tactics, I’m evolving. I don’t need to check instagram! I don’t need to respond to ever text immediately! But then, cut to me, sitting on the floor of my office, doomscrolling. It is such an upsetting space to be in and I vow to continue to to fight the good fight, especially because I was at a bar last week talking to a woman in her 90s and she told me she has the exact same problem. It made me so sad. I don’t want to be in my 90s still wondering if the internet has to tell me something!!! I want to be in my 90s thinking really dumb thoughts, like the first thought I had of 2023 which was… poop is food (I am revolutionary!!!).

Here’s some final cartoons to get you through the week, whether your calendar is so packed it looks like a kid with braces or you’re free as a bird and willing to meet anyone anywhere for a coffee date even like outside your neighborhood.

Here’s a bunch of Seen Scenes from the past 2 months!

Scenes I've Seen in New York Lately

And last but not least… a today list, from Valentine’s Day!

Thank you for reading! New posts every Friday!

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• ICYMI: I think I’m gonna start teaching cartooning online

• Currently Watching: Stolen Youth on Hulu

• Obsessed with: this therapist’s instagram

• Most of the cartoons in this newsletter are available on Etsy!

• Are you using your What Did I Do Today? journal? I would love to hear from you!