Someone Else's Chickweed

My debut album is now available! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mollybauckham

WARNING! If you are not a fan of the Comics Curmudgeon (www.joshreads.com), you are going to be extremely confused by this video. And if you are a fan of the musical "Chess", you are shortly going to want to hunt me down with pitchforks and torches, for which I apologize. What can I say..."Forbidden Broadway" has corrupted my very soul.

However, I simply had to do this. I used to be a huge fan of the comic strip "9 Chickweed Lane", by Brooke McEldowney--a strip that (I feel) used to embody grace, wit, and human feeling, with beautiful artwork. I used to look forward to reading it every day.

Unfortunately, in the last few years, it's gone utterly sour for me. The characters have gone from endearingly flawed to unbearably selfish, snobbish, egotistical jackasses, and I can't take it anymore. Hence, this video. It really is intended for the readers of the Comics Curmudgeon, though, and there are quite a few in-jokes there (at least one of them visual). :) I hope THEY at least enjoy it.

In case my diction leaves something to be desired, here are the lyrics. Tim Rice, if you want to come round my house and bludgeon me with blunt instruments, you are more than welcome. :) If you get here soon, you might even catch Martin Charnin at his turn (see "Tomorrow, Curmudgeon-Style!")

(If anyone would like to hear the original, I also have a version of that posted to this account.)

Someone Else's Chickweed

Long ago, on someone else's Chron page,
Someone with my handle who snarked a lot like me,
Came to know a McEldowney comic,
And every morning at 9 Chickweed Lane she'd be.

Lately, although the artwork runs just as deep,
Her love of the strip has grown impossible to keep--and yet
I wish it wasn't so,
Who'll defend it if I go?

In a way, it's someone else's Chickweed,
I don't see the humor that charmed me years ago;
Yesterday, a girl that I was fond of
Finally deleted it from her morning row.
Sadly, she realized she'd left it behind,
And sadder than that she knew Brooke wouldn't even mind--
And though a beefwit I may be,
Would Brooke ever listen to me?

It's all very well to say, "You fool! it's now or never...
I could be snarking no Thorax whatsoever...
I could be reading someone else's comic
One that makes me happy, like Frazz or My Cage;
I don't see a reason to keep reading
When all Brooke wants to draw is people acting half their age.

And if that girl I knew should ask my advice,
Oh, I wouldn't hesitate--I wouldn't snark it twice--
Go now!
Let McEldowney be...
Trouble is, the girl is me.
The girl who once loved Edda...is me.

***
May I be forgiven.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• comics
• curmudgeon
• brooke
• mceldowney
• chickweed
• lane

[Nightman221k]

I know you made this quite some time ago, but I felt that this song was never more appropriate than it is today. Very, very sadly. U_U

[niakitten]

@Nightman221k Tell me about it...ugh!! I've fallen back into reading it (mostly for the snark value) but I'm just utterly disgusted right now.

[SillyLitleGirl]

@niakitten Same. Did you ever read Pibgorn, his other comic? Same thing, began out with a varied cast of whimsical characters and has just fallen into nothing but a parade of Brooke's sick sexual fantasies. Even the titular character, an innocent fun-loving faerie is now just as sexualized, snobby, mean and apathetic as her friend, a crazed succubus. Sigh.

[niakitten]

@SillyLitleGirl Oh yeah--I even have the book. I loved the art and the whimsy of it too. *sigh* Are you a Comics Curmudgeon reader?

[foppishrew]

This is just awesome. What's even more awesome is that unicorn tapestry. I need that unicorn.

[niakitten]

@foppishrew I'll bet you could find it pretty easily. I got it YEARS ago in one of those kiosks at the mall...it's one of those blanket/fake tapestry things. Really adds to the video, I think. ;)

[SillyLitleGirl]

@niakitten Sure am! <3

[niakitten]

@panakuken Thanks!

[niakitten]

@TarsTarkas21461 haha, thanks! Sorry for the late response...keep forgetting to check my email. Glad you enjoyed it.

[TarsTarkas21461]

I think I love you. :)