Waking Up In America Offer Update

Got 10 copies left; let me know if you want one.

Send Me To Iraq

Every right-winger in America will get their wish if I succeed in pulling together enough journalistic commissions to make the trip to Iraq in time for next month’s anniversary of the US invasion. Unfortunately it’s not always easy to find daring editors willing to fund an award-winning war correspondent’s expensive journey, so if you’re an editor or you have a friend who is, please get in touch. The gameplan is to hit Baghdad for a few days to get over jetlag and hire a translator and driver, then to head off into the remote southwestern desert–where few American reporters have gone–to find out what ordinary Iraqis think of us.

My email is chet@rall.com if you have a lead.

Limited Offer: The Last Signed Copies Ever of WAKING UP IN AMERICA

It’s clean-up time and you’re the beneficiary! I’ve got 20 last copies of my first, long out-of-print book, the cartoon collection WAKING UP IN AMERICA (St. Martin’s Press, 1992), and these bad boys have got to go. True Rall fans know that WAKING UP, which contains my earliest cartoons from 1988 to 1992, is exceedingly hard to find, going for anywhere from $90 to $250 on eBay on those rare occasions when a copy turns up for sale. The cheapest copy on zBooks is $95 right now.

Caveat: St. Martin’s virtually refined “shoddy production” with this title. They scanned the cartoons at the wrong resolution, left date codes intact and generally didn’t give a shit about doing a decent job. And the cartoons reflect my, er, development as an artist (if you think I don’t draw well now, in other words, check this out). That said, completists and those interested in my earliest published work–i.e., people who have been searching out WAKING UP since they can remember–will want these.

Here’s the deal:

1. Send an e-mail to let me know that you’d like to reserve a copy.

2. Send your payment of $35 (check, money order, cash) to: Ted Rall, PO Box 1134, New York NY 10027. Includes shipping within United States.

3. Include a note with your payment telling me how you’d like me to sign your copy.

4. Yeah, I’m price gouging. That’s my reward for holding on to these books for so damned long. If you wanted to pay the $6.95 cover price, you missed your chance back in 1992 when it would have been appreciated. Or you can always buy a copy on eBay–heh.

5. As soon as I have 20 reserved copies, I’ll post a notice on the .

MY GUARANTEE: You won’t spend 35 bones on this book only to see me republish it next year. I have no plans or interest in republishing this title, and I own all the rights.

There is now complete pre-ordering information, including a chapter listing, for WAKE UP, YOU’RE LIBERAL: HOW WE CAN TAKE AMERICA BACK FROM THE RIGHT (Soft Skull Publishing, April 2004, $14.95) at Amazon.

This is my first 100% prose book, my first full-length political manifesto. It’s all-new material and will be one of the most talked-about books of this hotter-than-hot political season. A must for liberals, conservatives and anyone else who cares about America–pre-ordering now ensures that you’ll get your copy before anyone else.

BOOK REVIEWERS/EDITORS: Contact me to receive an advance review copy.

“Worst Thing” Sold Out

My award-winning first graphic novel, REAL AMERICANS ADMIT: THE WORST THING I’VE EVER DONE!, is now officially sold out.

Will there be another edition? That’s up to you. There were all of 9 copies left at Amazon as of this morning. If enough people order these anthologies of people’s answers to the question “what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”, we’ll go back to press.

If not, let’s not hear any whining.

All too many “fans” claim they want new books of one type or another and then fail to support them when the artists give the people what they want. Me, when I find something cool–especially from an independent publisher–I buy up a dozen copies and hand them out to pals as gifts. If you’re serious about an artist or band or whatever, prove it. Drop a few bucks on material you believe in.

Republican Challenge Results

Only one (!) of the countless conservative readers of the says he would consider voting for the Democratic nominee this fall over George W. Bush. The reason he’d so so? If Bush were declared clinically insane, presumably by experts.

Compare this attitude to that of Democrats. When Bill Clinton was caught commiting perjury, many libbies–me included–came out in favor of impeachment. For us, the Constitution and the rule of law came before any one man, even if he was a Democrat (though not much of one).

Republicans obviously don’t feel that way. Even if Bush were caught molesting children and small animals, they’d come up with some justification and pull the “R” lever anyway. I’d be tempted to decry their lack of patriotism and integrity, but what’s the point? Their singlemindedness allows their minority party to defeat our majority party.

More on this in WAKE UP, YOU’RE LIBERAL.

Bush’s Self-Appointed Intel Panel

Bush’s newly-announced panel of second-rate experts to look into the issue of bad Iraq inteligence is like investigating the gun industry after a convenience store robbery turns lethal: it misses the point. Intelligence agencies didn’t “hype” the Iraq threat; the administration misrepresented their intelligence to do so.

What’s really needed here is a Watergate-style special prosecutor with full powers to subpoena anyone and anything he wants to investigate how and why Bush Administration warmongers lied about Iraq’s fictional weapons of mass destruction to stampede an initially reluctant American public into an unwinnable, unending war in which more than 500 Americans have been killed and more than 3000 wounded.

Ken Starr, call your office.

ATTITUDE 2: THE NEW SUBVERSIVE SOCIAL COMMENTARY CARTOONISTS (NBM Publishing, February 2004, $13.95) is now at the printers. Initial copies should start hitting stores around February 28th and should be on most shelves nationally by the middle of March.

Please pre-order this awesome collection of interviews and cartoons by 21 more cool cartoonists: Alison Bechdel, Jennifer Berman, Max Cannon, Barry Deutsch, Emily S. Flake, Marian Henley, Justin Jones, Keith Knight, Tim Kreider, Aaron McGruder, Kevin Moore, Stephen Notley, Eric Orner, Greg Peters, David Rees, Mikhaela Blake Reid, Neil Swaab, Brian Sendelbach, Tak Toyoshima, Shannon Wheeler and Jason Yungbluth.

(Either order it online or ask your friendly local bookseller to get you one.) You’ll be the first on your block to get a copy and you’ll also help bookstores know that there’s a demand for it.

BOOK REVIEWERS/EDITORS: Contact me to receive an advance review copy.

Republican Voters Would Support Bush Even If He Were Caught Giving Oral Sex to Michael Jackson

Apparently.

Only one of my numerous Republican readers has written to say that he would consider voting Democratic this November if something bad were to emerge about Bush.

I’m holding open my challenge another few days to see if any more surface.

I may have stumbled upon something here. Could it be that Republican voters are so pig-headed that nothing could convince them to change their minds? I wish I had $20,000 to commission a scientific poll to find out.

Wait a Minute

Governor Bush says he’s chomping at the bit. Can’t wait to get back in the fray. Hates the fact that Democrats have stolen all the election-year thunder. Doesn’t feel like he gets his side across.

From the New York Times:

“The president’s very eager to go out and talk about his policies, the actions he’s taken and why it’s making the nation more secure,” said Dan Bartlett, the White House communications director.

“He’s been chomping at the bit for a while to get into the fray,” said Charlie Black, a veteran Republican strategist who has close ties to the White House.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but can’t Bush give a televised primetime speech to the nation pretty much anytime he wants? Previous presidents, especially Nixon, used to interrupt my favorite sit-coms so often it got downright depressing.

If Bush wants to talk to us, what the hell’s stopping him? The notion that the big bad media is ignoring him while they chase Kerry, Dean et al. is fucking absurd. Almost as absurd as the idea that the CIA is responsible for an intelligence failure on Iraq.

Friday’s Paul Krugman column, which detailed the guvmint’s Orwellian practice of historical revisionism, was priceless.