stonesoup

My March Madness

So, I'll admit it, I love women's basketball. There's a little TV in my studio, and right now it's perpetually tuned to the NCAA Women's Tournament.

Since President Obama weighed in with his brackets... I'm putting out a plea. Michelle! Show us your women's bball brackets! Malia? Sasha? Are you watching?

And now, Val would like to weigh in... 

More News From Seattle

Speaking of Seattle and the Seattle Times...

I was just notified by Cartoonists Northwest, which held the 18th Annual TOONIE Awards in Seattle this last weekend, that I was nominated for and won Best Syndicated Cartoonist.

I wasn't able to attend their banquet, but wanted to thank them for this wonderful honor. I hope I can attend one of their events soon.

Interesting Times in Seattle

There's a Chinese curse ... "May You Live In Interesting Times".

For those of us in the newspaper industry, these are those times. 

I've always loved newspapers, from local columnists to comics to sports scores to headline news. I love wacky letters to the editor complaining about naked bicyclists and local politicians. AND... I love all that the online world has to offer. How all this shakes out over the next years will be fascinating. 

But every time the lights go out in a newspaper I feel a disturbance in THE FORCE.

I felt it this week ... as the Seattle Post Intelligencer vanished from the physical world and reappeared in the digital. The physical comics, mine included, are being offered to the paper still standing, the Seattle Times.

If you are a Stone Soup reader and live in the Seattle area, your voice could help me continue publication there. 

Call, write, email the Seattle Times and tell them you'd like to keep reading Stone Soup in a local paper. They care what readers think, and they won't know unless you tell them.

Thanks. 

PS... The Oregonian recently ran a comics poll to decide which 10 comics they might cut. A cost-saving measure. After a few weeks of polling and 1400 emails and letters, they decided not to cut any comics at all. Stone Soup was never on the chopping block, but for all my fellow cartoonists, I say WHEW.

Lifting Women Up

Perhaps you can tell as you read Stone Soup that I am focused on women and their lives. I try to create a world where men and women respect each other as equals. And treat each other kindly.

Unfortunately, my egalitarian, safe little Stone Soup land does not exist for all women.

If you want a concrete way to take action on behalf of women around the world, in honor of International Women's Day, there are many great organizations you can donate to. 

Here is one I can recommend...

Women for Women International supports women in war-torn regions with financial and emotional aid, job-skills training, rights education and small business assistance so they can rebuild their lives. 

Check out their site. They are doing amazing work. And you can have a big impact.

International Women's Day

Sunday is International Women's Day. Why should we care?

While most of us in the US enjoy safe and healthy lives, women in many parts of the world are under attack. As conservative elements use women as a way to wage war — in the Congo the beyond-brutal rape of women and girls is so common we can't imagine it — as women continue to be shackled in places like Afghanistan, rural Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East by ultra-conservative men who don't even want them educated, let alone to be able to leave the house... someone like me wonders what can be done.

I don't know. But do something this weekend. Look for events in your area, documentary films, celebrations, conferences. Go. Listen. Contribute if you can. 

On other fronts ... if you haven't watched "Sita Sings The Blues" by the amazingly talented Nina Paley, you must. And can, for free, online. Go to ninapaley.com ("the official site of America's best-loved unknown cartoonist"). Sita was a hit at film festivals, but has run into copyright issues and can't at the moment be distributed. The animation is lovely, and Nina's autobiographical piece will reel you in bigtime.