I usually write these posts in one sitting, so obviously I forgot a few things that were rad in 2012.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
New Tokyo Ondo by Uwabo Misaki
When I think about how awesome cartoons can be, this is what it looks like.
THE ONLY BOOK I READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS YEAR
The Way of the Tarot by Alejandro Jodorowsky
(image courtesy of www.synesthete.com)
I didn’t read much this year. I’m sorry. I sort of half read a bunch of books but got distracted by video games. Hey. 2012 was just like that okay? I read a little Snow Crash, a little Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich, and half of Bebe Buell’s autobiography because I was starting to do research for a comic about Todd Rundgren. But I did read all of the Jodorowsky book because I got pretty heavy into the Tarot this year.
I read several books on the Tarot: A.E. Waite’s book, and Richard Robert/Joseph Campbell’s book, and I participated in an 8 week workshop that was sort of helpful in some ways. So far the Jodorowsky book has felt the most helpful for me. I feel like the meanings I want to glean from life hew very close to Jodorowsky’s writing and lectures. So I’m using Jodorowsky’s reconstituted Marseille deck. If anyone has suggestions for further reading on the Marseille, please let me know! I’m still having a hard time with a lot of these cards.
FAVORITE FUNNY/AWESOME YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF THE YEAR
I watch this video whenever I feel like the day might be too much for me to handle.
I’m in love with Paul Vunak. Paul Vunak is the man. He seems like he is out of his mind, which is part of why I like him so much. He has tons of videos on youtube to watch. They’re all gold. I guess I appreciate him on two levels. One is that he is sort of unhinged. 2 is that he is genuinely a badass and I admire his dedication to being a human weapon.
MY FAVORITE SANDWICH OF 2012
This is the Tofu Curry Bahn Mi at Xoia on Sunset and Lemoyne in LA. You dip the bahn mi in a bowl of curry and eat the shit out of it.
OKAY I THINK THAT’S IT
Jesse, you’re doin some kinda god’s work with this comic. keep it up.
I loved that Paul Vunak video and figured you’d like this’n: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hfLZozBVpM
(watch everything by Cold Steel)
did you see when he played that drum?
I would have that Bahn Mi’s baby!!
To be honest the sandwich looks small. How many do you normally eat?
i think you would like ubik. it is easier to stomach than can-d and chew-z. and the old cover is badass: http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/pkd-ubik.png
I remember first learning of Jodorowsky when I saw that clip of him gleefully bashing David Lynch’s Dune. Then I found out he’s super famous amongst South Americans as a psychomagician. The fact that he’s your idol definitely makes sense.
Where did you start with Jodorowsky? I speak Spanish, and what I’ve seen of his writing and interviews online seem all over the place. The fact that he tried reading as much literature as possible and only found more illness resonates pretty hard with my current crippling disgust with classical liberal arts studies and writing (i.e. my life’s work so far).
I’m downloading El Topo now so I can watch it tomorrow. I’m also curious as to what meaning is to be gleaned from the tarot. The images on my tia’s old Liguria-Piedmont deck always thrilled me as a child.