"April 24, 1981"

"I know all your life you wondered about that step we all take alone. How far does the spirit travel on the Journey? You must surely be near heaven and it thrills me to the bone to know Daddy knows the Great Unknown."

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a huge Rick Springfield fan. I listened to at least 5 of his albums when I wrote/shot/edited the last comic, and gave him a shout-out in the previous one. On this day in 1981, Rick's father died, and this naturally had a huge impact on him. References to fathers, daddies, and parenthood appear throughout several of his songs, although not always with negative/sad connotations. His music is filled with so much energy and much of the comic has been fueled by his rock anthems. Much, if not all, of the Army of Plastic story was shot/edited to Legendary, Rock of Life, Tao, Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, and, of course, the unforgettable Working Class Dog. Nothing rejuvenates me like throwing on Working Class Dog, other than the gentle perusal of Yotsuba manga (the essence of fun itself, captured on paper).

Queen is my favourite band, as you can probably tell by the title of the Radio Ga Ga story and its fourth chapter. But Rick Springfield is one of my favourite singers and if he's one of yours, you might be in luck. He's touring, and he might be coming to a town near you. He's coming to Montreal on September 24 (the only Canadian stop, it seems), and I know where I'll be that night. You can check out his year-at-a-glance calendar to see where he's going, and his website, RickSpringfield.com, for information and a whole lot more.

I know this is completely unrelated to the comic, besides for a few references here and there, but I just thought I'd let you guys know in case anyone is interested. Enjoy the weekend, gang!