Econoculture Interview

There’s a fairly lengthy interview with me at Econoculture. Because it was a phone interview, and one conducted over an international phone line at that, there are a number of transcription errors—most of which be obvious to intelligent readers. However, I do touch upon enough points of interest that I thought it worth pointing out here. I hope you enjoy it.

Right-wing bloggers owe me one cent for each citation.

America Gone Wild Release Date

Alf wants to know:

Approximately when is America Gone Wild due for release. I can order it through Amazon.com, but they don't give a date.

Or you can order it from your friendly local bricks-and-mortar bookstore. Either way is fine, though if you have a choice it's always good to patronize good stores lest they go out of business and you feel all sad and stuff the way I felt when Cody's went under on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley and realized that I had actually never, ever purchased a book there even though I lived nearby for more than a year.

Oh, the release date: Looks like late September or October. Advance orders are extremely helpful as they help bookstores gauge interest in a new title.

Critics can always get an advance galley for review.

You Decide

Elizabeth asks:

Hope this finds you well. The link below is for a parody of "Lola", called "Coulter". I don't know if the author got the idea from your cartoon, but it sure seemed that way to me! I thought I'd pass it along. Enjoy:

http://www.amiright.com/parody/70s/thekinks25.shtml

"Terror Widows": The Last Word

A number of articles and blogs have compared my March 2002 "terror widows" cartoon about media coverage of opportunistic 9/11 survivors Lisa Beamer, Ted Olsen and Mariane Pearl with Ann Coulter's remarks about the "Jersey Girls," 9/11 widows who have pressed the Bush Administration for answers about the terrorist attacks. Interestingly, there's been some amnesia among right-wing commentators, some of whom posit that Ann is catching hell while I got away scot-free with the same exact remarks.

Well, for one thing, they're not the same remarks. For another, I received numerous death threats and lost clients as a result of commenting on the commodification of grief. Don't believe me? Check out my upcoming collection of cartoons AMERICA GONE WILD. It includes a 35,000-word foreword detailing the hate mail, threats of death and dismemberment, client cancellations and the hypocritical behavior that originally inspired my "terror widows" cartoon. Anyone interested in the truth behind the myth should give it a read.

Silk Road to Ruin

I just finished reviewing the page proofs for "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the Middle East?", and they look great! I can't wait to see the final books, which will first be shipped directly to me at the Comicon in San Diego. They go on sale at the Comicon on July 19 at the NBM booth. Books will start appearing in stores in August.

Reviewers interested in receiving a review copy or advance PDF should contact me at chet@rall.com

I will be offering my usual signed copies, for cover price plus priority shipping, in August and September.

Bulk Discount on Original Art and Books!

It's that time again--time to buy something I can't afford but desperately need. In this case it's a new laptop. I figure it'll run $2000, including taxes and software and loading it up so it'll do everything I need it to do.

Here's where you come in.

If you have $2000 to send me via PayPal, you will receive an extraordinary amount of Ted Rall artwork, marked two-thirds off the regular price of $500 each. In short, you'll get ten (10) originals of your choice. Anything is available, including my work for MAD and other publications, provided I still have it and haven't sold it to someone else. Yes, the vast majority of my work is available. No, "terror widows" isn't.

To sweeten the pot, I'll throw in a complete set of my books, signed to your specifications.

E-mail chet@rall.com if you're interested.

Cleveland ATTITUDE 3 Signing Today

Cartoonist Matt Bors will be signing copies of Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonist with Brian McFadden of Big Fat Whale at Mac's Backs on Coventry Road in Cleveland starting at 6 pm. If you need more incentive to get out of your house than the chance to meet two brilliant cartoonists, they will be set up smack in the middle of the Coventry Street Fair where there will be music, merchants, and food.

You can also order a copy of Attitude 3 from Matt's online store and Matt will draw a sketch in it.