Journal

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Some mailbag randomness

It's odd. I mean, ten minutes before this came in,

Was just reading through your FAQ and realized that one of your short stories is named after a line from Little Nemo and wondered if you had come across this, the perfect Christmas present:

http://www.sundaypressbooks.com/

If not, I hope you have someone who hasn't spent too much money on you this year and is looking for a great gift! (I know I'm keeping my fingers crossed.)


my copy of the book in question arrived (sent from Comic Relief in Berkeley. Do not pop in and sign things for them, while you're on a signing tour. They will sell you beautiful expensive books when you're not expecting it. You have been warned.) I was drooling over it, and wondering where to hang the calendar just before I wandered upstairs. (No, it seems there won't be a Sandman calendar this year. Get the Little Nemo one instead.) And several people had sent me the link to the New York Times article on the restoration.

...

After reading the Mirrormask review over at WIRED (http://wired.com/wired/archive/13.10/play.html?pg=13) I realized something...
Most reviews I've read of Mirrormask say it's based on a Graphic Novel made by Dave and you (I know it's not true) and that the creatures were made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop (I think it's not true). I think it would be nice to let everyone know the true story (if there is such thing as a true story)!

Santiago Casares


I'm not sure how to do it, really. In a world in which people wrote to the Village Voice, pointing out the errors in that review and got a reply that indicated that the chap who reviewed it still believes it's a graphic novel, I'm not sure it's worth even trying to correct people. Even Locus has a review in which Howard Waldrop seems to think that Hensons puppeteered the Small Hairy character "made of fur and wires" (actually a CGI character played by Dave McKean in a motion capture suit), while the New York Times review seemed convinced I'd drawn and co-directed it. (Although, bless them, they've actually run a correction.)

...

This isn't the first one I've got like this recently...

Hello.

So. Seeing as how you're also a fan of Moleskine notebooks, I went out to Barnes&Noble and purchased the cool looking Moleskine plain blank notebook.

So. I opened it and began writing in it with a Lamy 2000 fountain pen, and the ink bled right through onto the opposite page. Didn't look too good.

So. I experimented with other pens, and more or less, received the same results. Have you experienced the same thing as I have? I mean, I know you love those Moleskine notebooks and fountains pens, but how can you tolerate the ink bleeding through? Or perhaps you use a different kind of Moleskine notebooks.


Well, I discovered Moleskines in Venice in 2001, and bought enough then to last me a lifetime (aided by several people who read on this blog that I liked them, and sent me a few). Back then, the paper quality was pretty good. No bleed, and I used both sides of the paper.

And I'm still using the four-year-old Moleskines, although from the recent emails, it sounds like the current batch are being made with thinner or cheaper paper.

Which reminds me,

FROM JONATHAN CARROLL'S WEBSITE:

CarrollBlog 10.17


One of my favorite websites http://www.moleskinerie.com/, which I've mentioned here before, is having a fund raising auction to keep the site going. I donated a really nice Waterman pen that I've used on and off over the years. For you pen freaks, something you might want to take a look at. Even if you're not pen- interested, moleskinerie is a great and worthy site. The link to the auction is below.


ebay link here


Thought you'd be interested.

Rick(dethbird)


I am. And I love Jonathan's blog.

...

Hello Neil,
I hope you're still enjoying your time of rest and relaxation. I'm writing regarding two things. First, and most importantly, what has happened to the Demonic Salsa Kitten? I noticed in L&M's photo section that there is a picture of "Lorraine's new Meow Meow." Did Lorraine end up taking the cat, and if so, what did she name it?
Second, in regard to your signing tours, I would like to put my vote in for more reading/speaking/ Q &A appearances rather than signing appearances in the future. Fans who want things signed can always buy things through the Dreamhaven store. I know that I personally have yet to be willing to make the trip just for a signing, (I live in southwest Missouri, the closest I think you've come is Chicago) but I would be there in a heartbeat if you were appearing at an organized event like a reading.
Thanks,
Jimmy
p.s. I discoved The Ditty Bops on iTunes about two weeks before you mentioned taking Maddy to see them in concert. It figures that she would have been into them before I was. She has to be the coolest little kid in the world.


Lorraine has claimed technical ownership of the kitten (which continues to be apallingly cute and is currently asleep on a pile of my tee shirts). I need to make labels for the salsa, and then send the bottles out into the world to do good... And I agree about the signings as opposed to readings things. (For those of you wondering what the readings would be like, check out "Live at the Aladdin", the extra on the Short Film About John Bolton DVD, which used to be available on video and is described here.) (I notice that things at the www.cbldf.com site are starting to go out of print, which means that if you think you might want any as Xmas presents you should probably order now.)

...

Let's see. Chip Kidd has begun to build a website at http://www.goodisdead.com

Lenny Henry blogs about (and plugs) Anansi Boys over at www.lennyhenry.com. He has a buy Lenny Stuff section over at http://www.lennyhenry.com/home/buy_my_stuff.asp?pID=3 for those of you who loved his reading and want to hear him doing other things. And for those of you who haven't listened to it, the first track of Lenny's reading of ANANSI BOYS (16 megs. Also nine minutes and 3 seconds) is still at http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/01%20Harper%20Audio%20presents%20Anansi%20Boys.mp3