Today is the official remembrance day that this is the 60th anniversary of "the catastrophe." The date has been heavy in my head for weeks now, especially living in a city where there is a huge Jewish population. I often forget that what I grew up thinking of as a horrible thing is considered a positive for a whole population, and that makes me feel uneasy.

I'm going to transcribe a little diddy I wrote in my book, as I think it summarizes what I want to say nicely:

Today is the official Al-Nakba day. They're having a protest/march down near the UN. I was thinking that I'd go at first but the weather is disgusting and I have a lot of work to do here. Besides, I can't help but think What Good Would It Do. I'm feeling very pessimistic. It reminds me of the protests I saw in 'Frisco several years ago, with the Pro-Israelis on one side and the Pro-Palestinians on the other and they were flag-waving and cussing out each other and holding up picket signs and the police were there to mediate and it lasted for an hour and then they all went home. Did anyone learn anything that day? Was that a real solution to the problem?
On this 60th anniversary, I'm sick of the dodging, I'm sick of the agendas, I'm sick of history. I want answers. Now.

I'm not going to kid myself (or anyone else) anymore: I'll update when I can. My life seems to be unable to regularly work on pages anymore, though I'm still plugging away at it.
I stopped feeling bad about this a long time ago. At least I'm still creating. I'm reminded of Gary Panter, who was so busy with his life at one point, he was forced to work on a single panel of his work per night.
This comic is my lifeblood but it's in no way my moneymaker. And that's okay. But I can't work on it all the time, as much as I'd like to.

Long-wind time is over. Here's an update:


Music, page 3. "My 'hatred' for music ran deep as an unattainable skill, and I refused to even listen to the stuff for several years."


Music, page 4 (in semi-sketch form). "Just about every happy occasion was a large affair, with sometimes hundreds of guests."

Happy Women's History Month.

MUSIC!:



Page 1. DONE DONE DONE.





Page 2. DONE DONE DONE.


I actually have page 3 ready to ink. I didn't scan it in because I feel iffy about the writing.

It's been excruciatingly difficult to keep track of the news in Israel lately. I just read about the yeshivah in Jerusalem and it physically made me ill. What was worse was reading some of the comments on this particular site, comments like "now we must go and kill 100 Hamas members." My hope has been dwindling, I just want to scream at everyone, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU," and I want to spring into some kind of action, but what the hell can I do? I'm just a comic artist... ptch.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7270650.stm

"Israel warns of Gaza 'holocaust.'"

This just proves my theory, the one that people don't like to talk about: Israelites treat Palestinians like how they were treated by the Nazis. They've even used the EXACT SAME TERMINOLOGY. Wouldn't any other country, when referring to a group of people, be at the very least severely criticized for having the gall to "go there?"
Wouldn't ANY OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE fight back if they had any sort of means, and were being threated like they'd be wiped off the planet? Since Israel clearly emulates the Nazis so damned much now, are they regretting not building concentration camps? Oh, wait, the West Bank and Gaza are practically already like concentration camps as is, minus the public bath gas chambers.

Well, how-dee-ho. Happily munching on trail mix as I update.


Music, page 1. It's about my dad and music. The sketch is light but the panels are musical notes.


Music, page 2. Going on about my own musical failures.
It's looking like there will be 5 pages of "Music," total.

SCRIBBLE CORNER:


Drawing ouds, darboukas and recorders. With, you know, people attached somehow.



My dad in the 60s (or 50s), in pompadourian glory.



Taken from photos of me as a kid. I was incredibly adorable at 2 or 3 years old. I don't know what happened as I got older.



My Old Man and Old Lady when they weren't so old.



A true happening: My mom set the record straight-my memory is bad.

That's all for now. Thank you and good night.

Hi gang,
As is painfully obvious, I haven't been apt at procuring an update lately. The reason is that I had a pretty horrendous case of the flu, and have only just began to recover. So, now I'm behind in all of my work. Oh well, such is life, right?
Please forgive my sickness. I'll get a flu shot next time.

2 posts in one day... but I have an update to announce.



Embroidery, page 2. Academic as all get-out, but I meant it, and will balance it with juicy stories. I hope people find it informative and interesting (Other than myself, that is).

Continuing my last post:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2C008BCD-3968-4573-8CD8-DBBE488FEBE0.htm
"Violence erupts at Gaza border."

Egypt wants to close the blasted-open border. That alone is a no-brainer (Gotta keep having, you know, BORDERS and stuff), but check out these reasons for ultimately pushing Gazans out:

"The government took heavy criticism from the West over the border opening. The United States congress has already suspended $100 million of aid to Egypt due to the border breach."

"[David Chater] said that the Israeli military establishment had expressed dismay that the border with Egypt had been opened. He said: 'The tight blockade will continue, with Israel allowing the transfer of limited supplies into the Gaza Strip.'"

And here's the kicker:

"Israel says its actions are aimed at halting rockets fired into southern Israel from Gaza by Hamas fighters and denies that it is engaging in 'collective punishment' against the Palestinian people."

Clearly, whatever Israel wants, Israel gets.
I ain't no eduma-kated folk, but where in the world is this same thing happening, and not only does the West acknowledge its existence, but it's getting involved in a clearly self-interested manner like this? Isn't this strange?

And I don't think I'll ever get over the brazen denials that Israel keeps chucking at how this IS NOT, REPEAT, IS NOT collective punishment.
Israel: Insulting our intelligence since 1948!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7204029.stm

"Gazans flood through Egypt border."

So, since Palestinians are rushing out of a makeshift hole in a border in order to buy basic supplies, wouldn't that imply a humanitarian crisis? Oh, but wait, they're buying WEAPONS, not food, okay, Israel (Nevermind most Gazans barely have enough money to buy food, let alone weapons). Palestinians apparently don't need food and can sustain life from bloodlust! How about that.

Hullo.


I finished this business. I've yet to ink page 2, though. This page is all about the size 0 Rapidograph. ALL about it.

Lately, I've been sorely depressed about some of the issues entailed in my book. I should work on including it somehow... it'd make the book a lot more juicy. And juicy books are AOK. Right?

Yes, an update! I finally have time to work on the ol' girl again, so here she is.
I've done some mad writing these past few months, so I have plenty of fuel for the fire. Now it's only a matter of drawing it all! Haw haw... yes.

Here's a new story, titled Embroidery (Not to be confused with Marjane Satrapi's Embroideries): Page 1

Obviously not done... but slow and steady wins the race!

Page 2

The weird boxy shapes surrounding her will be embroidery motifs. I just really, really like my sketch of the lady.

And now: some quick sketches.

Another reason why I don't like extremes.


A basic sketch of a lady in Ramallah style of dress.


A guy's costume... he's more of a farmer, though.


An array of sleeves used throughout oldskool Palestine. The pointed ones are my favorite, by far.


A Bethlehem bride vs. a Jerusalem fashionista.

Hope you like these!
PS-I've made a press section on my page as well. Check it out!

A "sudden interview" of mine is up on Mundo Fantasma, a Portuguese comics blog:

http://blog.mundofantasma.com/?p=947

So awesome and cute!

PS-My re-debut of the Hookah Girl is long overdue and I have a huge jones to work on it immediately.
Which means, the second I can, I will. So many many many ideas.

I was recently interviewed by Friends of Lulu, a comics organization dedicated to the proliferation of women in the industry.

http://www.friends-lulu.org/blog/?p=25

I'm very excited to have had the opportunity to be interviewed!

NYC folks:
I'm going to have a few pages of The Hookah Girl up in a gallery. It sounds like it's going to be a really fantastic show. And I know Tom Hart's work will be in it, as well. Among other amazing things, I'm sure.

Here's the info:
The BOX SOCIAL Underground Comics Exhibition at Secret Project Robot is opening this weekend. It is a celebratory convergence of comics creators who seek to produce interesting, experimental work regardless of the time, cost and lack of noteriety. The good folks at Secret Project Robot have been good enough to share their great space for one month. Come review the comics artifacts we will have on display.
210 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (All the way at the end of Metropolitan Avenue, make a right on River street, enter through the loading dock entrance.)
Reception> October 6th, 5-9pm
Exhibition October 6 - November 8
Go to www.boxsocialsite.blogspot.com
Come show your appreciation for the community of underground comics and outsider arts in general. Also visit the good people who put this together...
Jason E
Sarah G.
Julia W.
Ron D B
Eric and Rachel

Hello fellow humans,
I plan on ending my temporary comic hiatus at the beginning of next month.
My last major hurdle is to rework my delinquent site, starting this weekend.

But, IN THE MEANTIME:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6999652.stm
Swedish Cartoonist gets Protection

It's not the same guy who drew all those derogatory Mohammed comics in 2005, oh no, this is some other dude's brainchild. His crime: drawing Mohammed's head on a dog's body.

Now, I ain't no super genius, but doncha think people, in general, find religion to be a touchy subject? I mean, come on, a dog, out of all things? It's like, let's draw Jesus with a worm body while you're at it.

The story is unfortunate, but at the same time, what'd the guy expect?

This'll be cross posted on margoyle.

I was written up in The Daily Cross Hatch:

http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2007/08/06/tom-harts-sva-spotlight-margo-dabaie/#more-625

IT BE TOM HART'S DOING, YARRRR.

FYI: I'm going to be on a bit of a hiatus from The Hookah Girl. If I want to freelance illustrate (which I do), I need a well put-together portfolio, and I'm deciding to focus on that for the next couple of months. Not to mention, margoyle.net is looking pretty crappy, and needs a refurbishing.

I will post on this here journal if anything relevant comes up. Till then, a temporary signing-off.

Check this out, days after I finish my comic commemorating al-Ali:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6911815.stm
Palestinian cartoonist remembered 20 years after fatal shooting.

Little boys all over these pages. Holy guacamole.

Hanthala = done.

Next = embroidery


Hanthala, page 3. Political debaucheries abound.


Hanthala, page 4. The thread of censorship is strong, indeed.

Forgive my lack of preamble today. I'm just in one of those moods.
But I hope you enjoy the pages.