Author: DOuG pRATt

They bopped, they dropped, they’re back

It’s been over 20 years since Bop ‘Til You Drop, the first and, until now, only collection of Arlo & Janis comic strips. Beaucoup Arlo & Janis is here, and it’s worth the wait!

Every phase of the comic strip’s development is represented in Beaucoup Arlo & Janis. If you feel, as I do, that Gene’s early romances are as essential to the strip as his parents’ relationship, you will be as pleased as I am with the book.

I got my copy on pre-order, and now that the book is out it can be ordered at this link. You’ll find almost 1000 daily comic strips on over 250 pages. They’re in black and white, and that’s how Jimmy can sell these hardcover books — printed in Canada, not China, by the way — for only twenty five bucks.

A great job, Jimmy! Your fans know how hard you worked to put this together and make it a reality, and we thank you.

Pop and circumstance

A few minutes ago I made an edit to this page on Wikipedia, about the Buckinghams. It had said, “The group opposed the producer’s treatment of the song “Susan” by adding a psychedelic section that sounded very similar to the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life”, with an orchestral crescendo.”

http://youtu.be/aIacsdOfKAQ

I edited the article to note that the orchestral crescendo included a bit of Charles Ives’ Central Park in the Dark. Composed in 1906, it was, to say the least, ahead of its time and wasn’t performed publicly until 1946.

http://youtu.be/1qPZbHNuZzI

I love the song Susan, its production, the recording and, yes, the Charles Ives break too. In my opinion, the single coming after A Day in the Life is beside the point, because I think it’s far more significant that Susan came before Revolution 9.

http://youtu.be/LVf5Cr4M-F8