Sent to me by my friend Harley Spiller. I didn't notice it right away, but the oval is a football. The Bills won AFL championships in 1964 and 1965, beating the San Diego Chargers both times. Lou Saban was the Bills' coach. Continue reading

It starts with his first name In the J.R.R. Tolkien novels and Peter Jackson films of The Lord of the Rings, Gríma Wormtongue is portrayed as a devious, sniveling bad guy, with greasy dark hair and an all-around bad attitude. By far, he’s my favorite character. I find it easy to sympathize with him. Let’s start with his last name. It couldn’t have been easy growing up a Wormtongue. On the mailbox at the foot of the driveway, there’s a big “Wormtongue” written on the side. People ride their horses by it every day. I’m not sure it sets up... Continue reading

In the Queens, NY neighborhood of Rego Park, they have been attacking residents and, rudely, biting them. Even if these people had coated themselves in a mixture of suet and sunflower seeds, it’s unusual behavior for squirrels. Continue reading

Another great one by Isabella Bannerman (my wife) for Six Chix. I really love the handwriting and grapes and cheese illustrations. Continue reading

There's nothing charming about this prince. Continue reading

Behind curtain #1 is a devilish math test Monty Hall, the late host of “Let’s Make a Deal,” may not be the first person who comes to mind as someone associated with complicated probability theory. But to mathematicians, he’s as well known as Stephen Hawking, Katherine Johnson, or even the jerk responsible for so many unfortunate results on my geometry tests: Euclid. This fame derives from the “Monty Hall Problem.” My son told me, “anyone with a passing interest in math has heard of it.” Naturally, I hadn’t heard of it. But Monty Hall will be known for the Monty... Continue reading

As long as there was Tab Cola, the decade wasn’t over. You were beautiful to me. I can still hear the jingle in my head. “Tab, Tab Cola, what a beautiful drink. Tab, Tab Cola, for beautiful people. Tab, you’re beautiful to me. Real cola taste, just one calorie.” In the commercial, a beautiful bikini-clad woman walks towards camera from the water, wet from the sea but somehow holding a can of… Tab. Apparently, if you drink Tab, one calorie Tab, you will look like her or I suppose the male equivalent. “Promise, large promise,” said Samuel Johnson, “is the... Continue reading

Thrilled to have this piece run in the FT. All my favorite ones have my dad in them. Beautifully drawn and colored cartoon by Six Chix's Isabella Bannerman. Squirrel King: Birdseed, Mayhem and Madness Lions and tigers and squirrels, oh my. While watching an episode of Netflix’s popular “Tiger King,” my wife casually mentioned that I am the Squirrel King. It’s an identity I embrace, but unlike Joe Exotic, I do not intend to become polygamous, at least not right away. Also, I’m guessing the neighbors might disapprove if I start blowing up gas canisters, even with advance warning. There... Continue reading

Ikea shoppers: we all have the same collection. Isabella Bannerman for Six Chix. Continue reading

A great sound engineer changes everything. Cartoon by Isabella Bannerman for King Features' Six Chix. Continue reading

As long as he's in the neighborhood... a great one from Six Chix cartoonist (and my wife) Isabella Bannerman. Merry Christmas, everyone! Continue reading

A pizza crust with the best of both worlds. Isabella Bannerman from today's Six Chix comic strip. Continue reading

Two great new Six Chix cartoons by my wife, Isabella. Continue reading

When snowflakes fall in Buffalo, so do prices at Anderson’s Custard. The crème de la custard. Credit: Anderson’s. When I was visiting my family in Buffalo this March, I stopped by Anderson’s Custard to grab a cone—a chocolate-vanilla twist, to be specific. For someone who no longer lives in the area, it is a difficult place to offhandedly drive by. Not only do they serve an excellent roast beef-on-weck sandwich, but their frozen custard is exceptional. Creamy and flavorful, it comes in a variety of flavors, some of which are rotated in and out, so it’s always worth stopping by... Continue reading

Photo: Wim Goedhart I've been following this NYC band for a long time, and I've always wondered why they aren't famous. Don Rauf is an original songwriter, and this tight, talented band has been playing together for over 30 years. If you pre-order the CD, you get a limited edition book, "along with a cocktail recipe for each song developed by our drunkest friends." There's also a less expensive digital download. It releases November 20. Continue reading

In 2020, the grizzly lifestyle is more appealing than ever. Holly, role model and resident of Katmai National Park, Alaska. Photo: National Park Service. There’s nothing wrong with being a human, but other species have a better lifestyle. Like Ursus horribilis, the grizzly bear, whose concentration on eating and sleeping give us much to envy and even aspire to. Especially the bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska. The biggest and baddest of the bunch live near the Brooks River, which come summer is so chock full of organic wild salmon that it puts Whole Foods to shame. You can’t... Continue reading

I've written about this amazing and unique house before, when it was for sale and less finished. Now, owners Jim and Jodi Costigan have turned it into a ridiculously nice looking airbnb rental. It's a fantasy come true, and the perfect NYC-escape for Tolkien-fans. Here's how they describe it: "One of a kind, unique cozy hobbit house. Beautiful, private setting offering you the ultimate getaway. Located 5 minutes from the quaint village of Pawling with direct Metro North railway access. 2 bedrooms each with king size bed. 2 bathrooms each with walk in showers. A queen size pull out couch... Continue reading

Luke Bales is almost too nice for New York. An expatriate Australian bar owner, Luke's propensity to go above and beyond for friends nearly gets him killed in Lazarus, the second Luke Bales mystery from Simon Foster. Foster has a keen eye for New York and the people who live there, and takes Luke all over the city trying to discover the truth about what he suspects is the murder of Australian musician looking for a second chance in the U.S. For fans of Aussie vernacular, there's plenty of it here, used to witty, Raymond Chandler-like effect. It's an exciting... Continue reading

Who can resist a church pie sale? There are moments in life that leave you flabbergasted at your ridiculous good fortune. Finding a twenty in an old pair of pants. Reading Where the Wild Things Are to your kid for the first, or hundredth, time. The sound of hard rain on an awning, as you sit underneath it. Goodies, for sure. But they pale to this one: driving down a small town Main Street and seeing a pie sale sign in front of a church. I think I almost got rear-ended as I stomped on the brakes and careened across... Continue reading

This week's beautifully drawn Isabella Bannerman "Six Chix" cartoon. Continue reading

Always exciting to be in the Funny Times! And Isabella had two cartoons in the same issue. Click to enlarge. Continue reading

The Better Business Bureau’s “Do’s and Don’ts in Advertising Copy” Binder Every rule and regulation you needed to break, updated yearly. No one considers the 1950’s a golden age in advertising, except perhaps for the salaries (if you were the right gender, religion, and color to work in the industry). TV was new and money flooded into agencies trying to reach Americans glued to the three networks. The real creative revolution began in the 1960s. All the rules were broken. I know because I have the rulebook. When one of the big agencies I used to work for was moving... Continue reading