Funny books

During the height of the finance boom, I was able to get paid $375 per hour — and a minimum of three hours — by investment groups that wanted my advice about pharmaceutical facility acquisitions. I knew then that banks were going to implode. After all, people responsible for hundreds of millions — if not billions — in investments concluded I was an expert worth paying for advice? And that my advice was worth taking? The center could not hold.

I’m glad that I lead a relatively inextravagant lifestyle, because I managed to spend around $300 in little more than an hour at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival today. Sadly, I actually budgeted that amount before heading into NYC for the event.

The damage, in chronological order:

1. Lincoln Tunnel toll: $8

2. One-day admission: $12

3. Jaime Hernandez illustration of Maggie Chascarillo (the 7th Jaime illustration I now own): $100

4. Fantagraphics Books table: $90 (with tax)

• Big Baby, by Charles Burns: $17 (includes a creepy drawing/dedication from CB)
• Low Moon, by Jason: $25
• The Search for Smilin’ Ed, by Kim Deitch: $17
• Tales Designed to Thrizzle, by Michael Kupperman: $5
• Weathercraft, by Jim Woodring (I didn’t think this was coming out until this summer, so yay!): $20

5. Picturebox table: $25

• Storeyville, by Frank Santoro: $25 (along with a pretty involved illustration by Frank, for which I’m much obliged)

6. Top Shelf table: $6

• Dodgem Logic, by Alan Moore: $6

7. Drawn & Quarterly table: $50 (with in-show discount)

• New edition of Hicksville, by Dylan Horrocks: $20
• Black Blizzard, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi: $20
• Market Day, by James Sturm: $22

8. Barbecue turkey burger at Pete’s Tavern: $11 w/tip

9. Parking: $13 w/tip

Grand Total: $315 in a little more than an hour.

So, um, if you know any investment groups that need advice on facility acquisitions, send ’em my way!

Because you’re all clamoring for it, here’s the Jaime drawing I bought.

You can view all 7 of my Jaime illos over here.

And a couple of pix from MoCCA are over here.