Hola, Sneakers! Welcome to another exciting, action-packed episode of Sneaky Dragon! This week: we’re good for something; the metric anniversary; moving out; pretend goldmines; monomania; tabling tips; a preview for VanCAF; timeless Peanuts; Sunday funnies; it’s raining at Ian’s; more Bible talk: the Prodigal Son, David and Bathsheba, the Parable of the Talent; David has a message for you; and, finally, Ian is mad at Chester Brown, but no judgements!
ATTENTION SNEAKERS!!! Ian and David will be at this year’s VanCAF doing a live version of Sneaky Dragon! Our guests will be our friendly neighbour and cartoonist James Lloyd and not our neighbour, but also a cartoonist Lucy Bellwood. We often take questions during the show so have a bunch at the ready, please.
Details: Sneaky Dragon at VanCAF – 5:00 PM, Saturday, May 21st at the Roundhouse (181 Roundhouse Mews) in Vancouver, BC
By the way, Ian and David will be tabling at the show so drop by and visit and talk our ears off, please!
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First of all, so sorry to hear about your friend, Mike, passing away. I know you will miss him so much…
About Ep. 232: Super show, Ian and Dave. I enjoyed it so much. I just re-listened to the Peanuts part of the conversation. I have been a huge fan of Peanuts since 7th grade and have collected several of the old paperbacks of Peanuts comics. When my son came of age (I don’t know, probably middle elementary school) he read through them all, and we could laugh out loud together over our faves. Now my grandson is 9 years old and is crazy about comics and the graphic novels for his age group (esp loves the Garfields and books with Baby Mouse.) I’m going out to the barn today to unearth those Peanuts books from my son’s stored (in safe plastic tubs!) stuff.
I love that you pointed out that Charles Schultz, even before our “enlightened” times did not use the platform Peanuts gave him to offend. He truly did beautiful work.
Dave, you mentioned you had not seen the Peanuts movie. Well, don’t. Grandson and I saw it at Christmas and he didn’t find much to laugh at… and I was SOOOOOOO disappointed. It just wasn’t clever at all. I cannot stand when those “kids” movies are made by people who think they don’t need to do any smart writing!
Anyway, Ian, I’m still chuckling over the “two Patties in Peanuts” joke! Yep, that WAS a good one!!! 🙂
Gentlemen, I always look forward to your show; love it when the delightful theme music starts each new episode! I do not always enjoy every topic… but I do, as well as all your other fans, enjoy your wit and good humor and kind hearts and YOU both!
As I said, I loved Ep. 232 (even the Jesus talk – so thoughtfully communicated) and appreciate you. Thank you!
Laurel, I was just thinking about you the other day! (Yes, I do think of listeners who have written to us in the past and wonder how they are doing. I hope everything is well. 🙂 )
The Peanuts have a deep meaning in my life that’s hard to explain. I love afternoons in the fall when the trees are bare and the sky is a steely grey. It was my favourite time to walk home from school as a child and teen – just as the light began to fade into dusk. My memories and feelings about the Peanuts are intertwined with that in some way and evoke the same feeling – a sort of pleasurable sadness, if that makes any sense (just being okay with your loneliness sometimes; sort of enjoying not having to be happy all the time). Schulz tapped deep into childhood feelings in a way that most adults couldn’t because they had forgotten. Childhood became nostalgic and sentimental, and Schulz, at his best, was never nostalgic or sentimental.
Thank you for your kind words, as always. We know every show isn’t a winner, but sometimes we get it right!
Take care,
David
David, it’s kind of you to think of me, this former correspondent! Yes, I’m still here and listening! Once in awhile I even go back to episodes of Compleatly Beatles and give a listen!
I get what you wrote about the “pleasurable sadness”. It’s ok to just “be” and not be outwardly “on”. I appreciate that you explained it so well. Peanuts were really meaningful to me as well. Just huge. As a middle school kid I usually made all Christmas gifts for family. One year I drew pages and pages of Peanuts characters and situations and made a coloring book in a 3-ring binder (crayons included) for my little sister. I made up, and sang regularly to lazy family members, a morning wake-up song that includes Snoopy in the lyrics. I can so easily recall and recount the comics that were/are beloved.
After I wrote previous comment above, I DID find the Peanuts books I knew were SOMEWHERE. I expected to have a few, but I just kept pulling them out from under son’s baseball trophies… and counted 17! I have them all lined up on the dining table like so many rediscovered treasures! The publication dates range from 1957 – 1977. Some of the comics in the ’57 books are actually originally from as early as 1952! You know, with the smaller kind squat-headed kids! And I’ve started reading through them again…with such great and deep affection…and out-loud giggles!
By the way, I, too, remember “the Gospel According to Peanuts” book! My grandparents had a well-thumbed copy!
I’m writing too much!
Thanks, again, David (and Ian!) for sharing your show and your lives! Have lots of fun at VanCaf!
PS It’s not that every show is not a winner, David… What I meant was that every part is not for ME, and that’s just fine. I well realize I’m just one listener out of thousands! Doesn’t matter, y’all are always worth it! Bye!
PS Dave, that is a fantastic show card!!! You do amazing work EVERY week! Thank you for all the time and effort!
Thanks again! It was a pleasure to imitate Schulz’s Snoopy as a vulture drawing. I love that one so much!
Another excellent show and the brilliantly hilarious lullaby. I’m the sleepy New Zealander who sent you the email and I couldn’t stop laughing at your response. My partner snores loudly so I need something to drown out her snores and yet is interesting to listen to and the format of your show is ideal.
I even enjoy the bible talk even though I’m an Atheist and a skeptic. I have done a lot of research into the bible, the historicity of Jesus, existence of a god or gods, and a lot more. I have been mostly bed-bound for the last four years due to a illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so I have had plenty of time to do the research. We seem to have both come to very similar conclusions on almost every topic you have discussed except on the existence of a god. What I think is obvious is that we are both fascinated by the topic and so I look forward to more discussions in this area.
BTW: I found your podcast through your Tintin podcast. I’m a huge Tintin fan.
Paul from Auckland, New Zealand
Truly glad you find it helpful, Paul. You’re not the only listener who enjoys us in bed. (WAY-OHHHH!)
I’m also glad to hear that our sneaky sidecasts are working! Mwah-hah-hah-hah-hahhh!
So sad to hear about Mike – I’ll have to go back and listen again to those episodes…
Another life-long Peanuts fan here – still trying to work out how to lever Ian’s ‘two Patties’ joke in somewhere, but that’s probably going to be one of those ‘great line I’ll never get to use’ things.
Laurel, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like the Peanuts movie. We recently got it on DVD and loved it! My 7 year-old now claims to ‘reading’ War & Peace due to it being in the film. And now that he’s found his grandmother’s typewriter he’s become a ‘world famous novelist’. Nice work on the lettering too, Dave – Schulz would be pleased!
Do I smell another spin-off podcast: ‘Basically Bible’? I’m not religious but find the subject fascinating – great to have Dave discuss it so thoughtfully. And to hear Ian’s iconoclasm blast through every book of the bible would be so entertaining!
Funny you should mention that…
Ian and I have been contemplating another sidecast focussing on The Bible called The Wholly Bible. We’re still working out the details on how we’d like to present the show – the actual complete Bible would be a lot of work. A. Lot. Of. Work.
Dylan, I am going to give the Peanuts movie another try. Could’ve been my mood at the time. I love that your son was inspired by the film! “War and Peace” and typing! That is so wonderful! Two pursuits to enjoy and encourage, eh? 🙂
Yes, he’s gone full-retro – discovered my record player and vinyl collection a few weeks ago too. Obviously, every movie’s not for everyone and I’ve heard complaints that it has a happy ending, which Peanuts never does… but I found it heartwarming with a bittersweet enough ending. There are enough in-jokes for the serious devotee, and funny moments to giggle at – Marcie’s judo move on ‘Peppermint’ Patty springs to mind. And even in the strip, very occasionally Charlie Brown comes out on top!
It has some inconsistencies and errors too, but hey, it’s a movie. It’s never going to be as good as the book.
Sounds like you’ve got a remarkable son, Dylan! I love it so much that he’s got your record player going… what a kick! You have convinced me completely to watch the Peanuts movie again for sure, and I’ll try watching it through your and your son’s eyes! Thanks!
Nice Bible cast! I don’t consider myself a religious person, but I’ve recently been studying the New Testament to fill some gaps in my philosophical and historical perspective.
I’m glad that more and more religion and political stuff keeps Sneaking into your pop culture discussion. I appreciate the insight.
Peace
-Pastries