21 Comments
Jul 2, 2022Liked by Austin Kleon

Me too, twice vaxxed and boosted, 76 yo, I broke some bones in a fall and spent 7 days in a rehab place, which is where I got infected and went home with the plague. After sooooo many months of doing all the things to escape it. I hope you feel yourself again soon Austin. Ditto Amy’s comment as I too appreciate your lead: Abortion is healthcare! xx

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Sending well wishes. Hope you are feeling better soon!

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Feel better soon! ❤️

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Haven’t read one of your newsletters in a month and ironically choose to open this one just as I am also reading through “Soccer in the Sun and Shadow.” Once again, the world is more connected than I could’ve imagined.

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Hope you’re feeling better soon.

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Jul 1, 2022Liked by Austin Kleon

First off—hope you feel better soon!

The Kraftwerk concert with your young ones must have been such a special experience, very happy for you all :D Interested to see what your take is on the Kraftwerk books esp. since you've read so much about them already. Also curious as to what order you'll read them in—spiraling in or out as you say?

(In other synth related news, going to try to bull through some mild sickness of my own to see Midge Ure of Ultravox at an early afternoon show at our local music festival.)

I recently found my back issues of Eightball (by no means complete), I should revisit myself. Oddly enough, I got a couple of the Penguin Class Marvel books and I like that they _aren't_ sequential runs and more selective along with some added content (and that may be because that you can get sequential runs via Marvel's various reprint lines and now TASCHEN as well)

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I don't think there's actually been a *great* Kraftwerk book written. They're too elusive, somehow, too mysterious.

The Penguin Classics seem perfect that way — like samplers or something. I've never read any of that stuff, so it'll be a good intro. I've been trying to look for a good FANTASTIC FOUR starter for a while, which is surprisingly hard to find!

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Jul 2, 2022Liked by Austin Kleon

Yeah—overviews are tough given how *long* these characters have been published for! DC does a little better job of this with their anniversary celebration collections.

It may be a while before Penguin hits the FF—absolutely foundational in comics but not on the public radar as much given their non-inclusion in the MCU and not-so-hot movies outside of it.

But if you're interested in DIY, all the early issues are available on Hoopla (search for "Fantastic Four Masterworks") and I'd suggest the following:

Peak Kirby-Sinnott (inker, important!) highlights

------------------------------------------------

Issues 48-50 - The essential and classic Galactus Trilogy, Silver Surfer intro

51 - one of the greatest issues of the Silver Age, complete tone shift from the previous storyline

52-53 - Black Panther intro (incl. in the Panther Penguin collection)

57-60 - Epic Dr. Doom (main FF & Marvel villain), Silver Surfer arc

Beginnings

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Issues 1-6 or 1, 4-6 in a pinch - origin, interesting early development, re-intro of Sub-Mariner (first comics anti-hero?), and Dr. Doom

I'll stop now 🙂 But if you're interested in more, DM (here?) or at @jregan on Twitter or IG.

Lastly, you may be interested in the graphic bio of Kirby by Tom Scioli, it's great—

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608042/jack-kirby-by-tom-scioli/

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Sorry for the plague. Love the erasure poem.

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So sorry you got the plague. I hope it is short-lived and you are up and riding your bike again soon. As I read your list, I can't help but still be amazed that Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was a DNF. So right up the alley of your science reading. I just finished re-reading it and it is odd and seems to meander, but then comes together in such humorous ways. And it is surprisingly still relevant. OK, maybe not surprisingly. While many things change and grow out of what previously existed, so much of our human behavior seems to be stuck in a loop of conditioned responses.

I whish I had taken my highlighter to the book. I may just have to read it again just to highlight my favorite passages.

Get Well.

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yeah, I don't understand it myself. I'll bet if I got a paper copy and read it by the pool I'd dig it — ebooks in bed at night can sometimes really lose me!

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Yes, there is something to reading a real book during the day that adds to the pleasure. When the time is right, you will probably pick it up again.

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Jul 1, 2022Liked by Austin Kleon

Feel better soon! Another way to protect our right to choose is to protect people’s right to vote, which some people are working hard to limit. My husband and I have applied to be election workers. Many poll workers have quit after experiencing verbal or physical threats. I hope stepping up in this way will help.

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Twice vaxxed and boosted, after two years being sooooo cautious, went on an art retreat and boom... it caught me. I hope you are on the mend and feeling better soonest!

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Jul 1, 2022Liked by Austin Kleon

Twice vaxxed, twice boosted, I ventured outside of my home and bubble in late April and the plague nabbed me. It was godawful. I was super sick for three weeks. I am 70 years old and immune-compromised, so I am thankful for the vaccinations, or COVID would have killed me. Thankful also that the new hardcover version of STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST was on my bedside table. Rest and get well!

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Oof, hope you're on the mend soon!

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Oh yikes! Feel better soon!

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Ohhhh Austin,

Sorry to hear about your C-sickness.

Hang in there and I appreciate you SHOWING us your work, even when horizontal.

BTW -- I sent two emails to you.

The last one on 6/27:

Austin, You Said You Sort Emails By Length I SUPER SHORT INSIDE

Perhaps this explains why no response :(

Pls please feel better!

Loren

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Feel better, Austin! I had it a few weeks ago and it sucked. Felt substantially better around day 10–11, though obviously every case is different.

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