Last night I was reading
Gabrielle Bell's latest Lucky (vol. 2, number 1), and suddenly, there I was: a character in the story! This scene takes place as we were driving back from
SPX 2006. It all seemed very familiar to me, but since Gabrielle had changed everyone's names, it wasn't until this panel (page 7, panel 5) that I realized it was me at the wheel! (For completeness' sake, that's
joanreilly in the front passenger seat, and Gabrielle,
Karen Sneider as "Edith", and
Jon Lewis [left to right] in the back. I'm not gonna tell you who "Julien" really is.) That was a fun D.C.-NYC trip: Karen kept us in stitches the whole way. IMHO, she's one of the funniest people on earth - and her comix are the cat's meow.
P.S. I really enjoyed that issue of Lucky (even tho' Gabrielle drew me wearing a collared shirt, which almost never happens in real life). Gabrielle is quickly rising up the ranks to become a "top-tier" cartoonist. Her work is so delicate and understated, yet packs such a punch. Like great short fiction. The second story in this issue, "My Affliction," is a wonderful, poignant, surrealist classic. And I love how Gabrielle had D&Q produce the book in essentially the same way she put together her minis when she was self-publishing Lucky for all those years.