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Some Comic Relief. Seriously.
What a summer it’s been. From the optimism of mid-summer to the reality of today. To say the least, it’s been challenging. I’d say it’s time for some comic relief. Here’s a small, eclectic collection of my favourite cartoons, mostly taken from (and with my eternal thanks to) The New Yorker magazine: And, as someone… Read more
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Golden Stamp Books
Does anyone still remember Golden Stamp Books? These books were prolific in the 1950’s and popular well into the 1960’s, coming out in many versions: Golden Play Books, Walt Disney’s Stamp Books, Highlights of History and Golden Stamp Classics. They all followed the same format – concise write-ups with pen and ink illustrations and spaces… Read more
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Mario, Luigi and The Spanish Inquisition Sketch
I was actually going to entitle this essay, “Postmodernism”. But then I realized that no one – not even me – would, in this day of information overload, open a post with that title. So I chose one that at least some folks – especially those with a more nostalgic bent – might be curious… Read more
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The Strong-Minded Snake or How To Get What You Want by Really Trying
Back in the fall of 2019 (pre-pandemic times, seems an age and a half ago now), I was waiting in my doctor’s office for the annual flu shot. My doctor at the time worked out of an old 1930’s era west-side building, a nondescript, two-story half-empty walkup that has remained entirely unchanged all these many… Read more
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Year One
Year One – Of Umingmak and Paskwâwimostos I started this blog just over a year ago, to coincide with the creation of the Ravenstones website (theravenstones.com) and the publication of the first two volumes of The Ravenstones fantasy series. Much has been accomplished and happened in my little realm since then, while momentous events have… Read more
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Where Did the Names Come From?
Creating names for the characters and places was one of the more demanding (and enjoyable) challenges I faced in writing The Ravenstones series. In comparison, working through the plot was simple. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration – both were demanding, and both required a great deal of thought. In all, 132 characters and 21 places… Read more
