The 98th MY OWN PETARD strip prominently features my tuxedo cat, Alger, in a pivotal role in the “Nixon Museum” story. Alger is an excellent hunter, deadly and stealth, catching all manor of birds and mice. He has even caught several squirrels (which is like a million points for a cat). He partially ate one, the others got away. Despite this, he is a very nice kitty.

The strip obliquely references a statement made by political writer, Nicholas von Hoffman, on CBS’s 60 MINUTES during the “Point/Counterpoint” segment shortly before Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Von Hoffman compared the Watergate beleaguered Nixon to a “a dead mouse on America’s kitchen floor” and rhetorically wondered who would be the one who would finally get rid of it. Von Hoffman was subsequently fired. I watched the show that night and remember volunteering to do the dirty job.

In MY OWN PETARD strip #74, I can be seen wearing a v-neck shirt that was “inspired” by (i.e. ripped off) the shirts worn by male cast members of the juvenile space adventure show, LOST IN SPACE. The above example is worn by actor Mark Goddard who played Major Don West, the pilot of the Jupiter 2 space ship. The v-neck shirt and all the other costumes on the show were designed by Paul Zastupnevich. The shirts are all one piece. The v-neck is filled with a turtleneck or hi collar “dickey.”

I think the design was quite inspired for the mid 1960s. They were sleek, simple, colorful and conveyed futurewear circa 1997, really elegantly. I still think the overall design looks pretty good.

I think the knock-offs started appearing on store shelves around 1967 or so. By 1969 they were done. I half expect to see Don Draper’s middle son wearing one on MAD MEN when they get to 1968.

Finally, here I am, circa January 1968, wearing my striped burgundy and royal blue one that I got for Christmas! ( I also had an orange and green one that was pretty fugly.)

The 72nd MY OWN PETARD strip mentions the Volkswagon Beetle known as “Herbie” from the 1968 Walt Disney live action movie, “The Love Bug.”

I’ve never seen any “Herbie” film. Nor do I ever intend to.

Here's a closer look at my PHINKWELL comic book, MY OWN PETARD! 

It's premiering at the LOCUST MOON COMICS FEST, Sunday, December 16th, here in Philadelphia. I'm at the PHINKWELL table #46-#47.

See you there!

Here are the first PHINKWELL comic books! 

They will premiere at the LOCUST MOON COMICS FEST, Sunday, December 16th, here in Philadelphia. We are table 46/47.

See you there!

Yo, recently in MY OWN PETARD, I simultaneously, abruptly stopped my previous story, "Good is as Bad as Pussy Gets," and started a new story, "Schadenfreude for Kurt Dortmund." This time, I enter the strip myself and take a trip to the Richard M. Nixon Museum. It's full of paintings and statuary commemorating different points of the secret life of the disgraced 37th President of the Yooo-nited States.

PHINKWELL's Tommy Rudmose and I drove up to MoCCA 2012 with KETTLE DRUMMER's Lance Hansen on Saturday. I wrote a long report of what we saw and did there. Click here to read it at the PHINKWELL site.

Yo, the current MY OWN PETARD story continues at PHINKWELL. Ant and Scutt are joined by Elda Puchi. She has recently documented her latest performance art project in comics form and  published a zine. It's all behind her. Will Ant ever get a word in?

The story runs 14 pages and will wrap up May 2nd. Check it all out from the first strip here.

Yo, a new MY OWN PETARD story begins today at PHINKWELL. In this "non-Phillip" story, Ant Pini meets up with a friend he hasn't seen in awhile. Ant has gained weight, to be sure, but why won't anyone pay any attention to him when he explains why? Check it all out from the first strip here.

Daybreak! The MY OWN PETARD winter holiday special is in its final act. What really happened last night. Decide for yourself by reading it from the beginning right here or from this page here.

The MY OWN PETARD winter holiday special continues. What is Phillip doing, standing by the river on a cold winter's night? Find out for yourself. Read it from the beginning right here or from this page here.