I hate the abbreviation LOL. I hate it for its scandalous geeky shorthand. I hate it for its stench of hipster exclusivity. I hate it because I have an awful sinking feeling that it was originally devised as TEXT SPEAK - and I deplore the way TEXT SPEAK is destroying our language.
I also hate it because it prevents me from saying that something made me laugh out loud without someone, somewhere thinking I'm saying LOL.
That said - fuck it. Ralph Kidson's latest small press comic made me laugh out loud till I burst something squishy inside. I wish I could explain what it is about Kidson's irreverent cartooning that amuses me so much, but god help us all if he ever calls it a day.
Hootiebits The Magic Owl ("For Adult Birds & Mammals Only") may well be Ralphie's magnum opus. It stars a magic owl who works for god, can travel in space and time (and under the sea) and occasionally kills people (but only 6 in 10,000 years so I wouldn't worry too much). Mostly he just hangs out with his friends, drinks sherry with the Elephant Man, gets drunk and wakes up in bed with Bill Oddie and then goes down the pub with a scented binbag for a ploughman's lunch. (One of his friends, on introduction, made me laugh so much that milk came out of my nose... and I haven't drunk milk since I was 5 years old and they gave it me at school and it made me throw up.)
In fact, I laughed so much I think I need to go read it again. If Hootiebits sounds like your kind of thing, pop on over to Paul Rainey's website where you'll find details on how to email Ralph for a copy of his comic. That might seem like an awful lot of effort, but it's worth every mouseclick.
