The guy in the dress behind the penguin in bondage is me. I did it because I was afraid that my drawings of the Club Rubber-ites might seem homophobic, so I wanted something to indicate that the joke wasn't on them, but on the shabby treatment of MK by the Key Club. Also, I'm playing Brad soon in the college's version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, so it fits. Akbar and Jeff are there because Matt Groening attended that show. (I could kick myself for having missed him! I must not have recognized him without the rabbit ears.)

In panel two, that's a Gary Larson-swiped cow a-blowing in the breeze, closely pursued by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt from Twister. Or passable-ish facsimiles thereof.

I remember Beller seeing the sketch and saying "We must be the ugliest band in the world!" I want to assure all involved that I didn't mean to insult anyone... even Beller. (He has a big nose, what can I say?) If anyone looks ugly and/or wrong in the drawing, it's my fault, not theirs.

Panel three is derived from a routine by recently-deceased comedian Bill Hicks. (There's a drawing of Hicks on the right.) After ranting about the evils of advertising, Hicks would reveal that he'd been approached to sponsor a product imaginatively named "Orange Drink."

"Yeah, you really got my act down good, guys. 'Y'know, sometimes when I'm done ranting about elite power that rules the planet under a totalitarian government that uses the media to keep people stupid... my throat gets parched!'" 

In case y'all don't know of Hicks, he's the guy Denis Leary stole his entire schtick from. But he couldn't steal Hicks' soul, and Hicks had soul in abundance. He was angry, but only because he knew the human race could do better- the same quality cowards keep mistaking for "negativity" in Zappa. All his albums are out on Rykodisc- "Relentless" would be a good place to start, if you're interested.

Also, it helps if you've heard Mike's hexametaphosphate story, which an Orange Crush inspired him to tell at Sacred Grounds. I think I'd best leave the telling of that one to Mike.

Oh oh and oh- one last thing: there's a Nina hidden in here somewhere. Can you find it? (heh heh heh.)

That should do it, I think. Thank you very much for allowing me to horn in, however peripherally, on the BFD experience!

Christopher Ekman

cekman@pomona.edu