I’M AHEAD OF SCHEDULE…FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS. SERIOUSLY.

As many of you already know, I pretty much never work ahead. I PLAN ahead–years into the future. But I don’t work ahead. The new strips you see are usually completed about 6 or 7 hours before you see them. It’s often just that close.

I’m trying my darndest to make August extra-special with more (regular SuperFogeys) updates than usual, so I’ve been working harder these days. Next week’s strips are already done! And the week after that? About half done! This is cause for celebration (for me). You could probably care less, but I felt compelled to share.

UPDATED AUGUST SCHEDULE

Here, take a look at what I’m prepping for you. This is the last normal week of updating you’ll get this month!

Monday, Aug. 9 – SF 269

Tuesday, Aug. 10 – SF Origins: Spy Gal’s Secret Mission, pg. 4 (final page)

Thursday, Aug. 12 – SF 270

Monday, Aug. 16 – SF 271

Tuesday, Aug. 17 – SF Origins: Baby Swifty’s First Words, pg. 1

(Also on Aug. 17–The SuperFogeys Call-in Show with host Kurt Sasso. At 8pm, PST, head on over to TGT Webcomics Podcast on Talk Shoe to listen and/or chat live. You can also call 724-444-7444 [call number 22928#] to participate and ask questions. Mark you calendars now!)

Wednesday Aug. 18 – SF 272

Thursday, Aug. 19 – SF 273 (The end of Chapter 9, Head Games)

Monday, Aug. 23 – SF Origins: Baby Swifty’s First Words, pg. 2

Tuesday, Aug. 24 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Wednesday, Aug. 25 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Thursday, Aug. 26 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Friday, Aug. 27 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Saturday, Aug. 28 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Sunday, Aug. 29 – A Selection From Vol.1 of The SuperFogeys (not previously available online)

Tuesday, Aug. 31 – SF Origins: Spy Gal, pg. 1

THE ANNOTATED SUPERFOGEYS 268

Captain Spectacular and his son Tom have a complicated history together. Rather than give you ton of links, I’d recommend just reading the tail end of Chapter 7 of the SuperFogeys, “Visiting Day,” starting here. 

THE NEW ARCADE FIRE!

The Arcade Fire is one of my very favorite bands they put out a new album this week, “The Suburbs.” As I am wont to do with albums I have very excited about, I did a track-by-track insta-reaction analysis on Twitter. For those who care, here’s what I wrote:

Track 1: The Suburbs – Love the jaunty feel to it, love the falsetto. Great opener, doesn’t hit too hard. Very Arcade Fire.

Track 2: Ready to Start – love how is bleeds in from track one. Good, driving rocker that drones a bit, but has a lot of power.

Track 3: Modern Man – Whoa. This doesn’t sound like Arcade Fire . Makes me think of David Bowie, for some reason. I’m no musical scholar.

Track 4: Rococo – Album is very acoustic so far. Not sure about the quiet repetition of the title. Ooh. Just got louder. A bit.

Track 5: Empty Room – Love the beginning. Girl singer and this track rocks! Wall of sound! Electric “Antichrist TV Blues”

Track 6: City With No Children – Hand claps. Cool. Oooh, sing-along chorus. I dig this. Man, this a different, evolved Arcade Fire.

Track 7: Half Light I – Sounds weak. Not a fan of Regine as much on this one. Nice vibe, but feels mostly like filler.

Track 8: Half Light II (Celebration) – Okay, this is more like it. Is that a synth bass? Sounds electronic! A grower, for sure.

Track 9: Suburban War – Very R.E.M.-like guitar in the beginning. Starts quiet. Oh, awesome. Classic Arcade Fire 2/3 point shift in song.

Track 10: Month of May – Punk! It sounds like punk! Not much else to it (for now), but a fun pick-me-up at that point in album.

Track 11: Wasted Hours – Back to acoustic. 21st Century Electric Country Slow Boogie. Some Doo Wop in there.

Track 12: Deep Blue – First track to not grab my attention immediately. Back to jaunty-ness. Nice, but unnecessary. 

Track 13: We Used to Wait – Love the lone piano opening. Meanders, but it gets epic as it goes along. Not sure about this one.

Track 14: Sprawl 1 (Flatland) – Slow, mournful. This second half of the album will take some getting used to.

Track 15: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) – Regine is back and I’m liking it. Very synthy, almost Heart of Glass. Cool!

Track 16: The Suburbs (Continued) – Solo orchestra? Okay, why not. Interesting, haunting reprise. Only works in context.

That’s it! Final reaction to “The Suburbs” – There’s a lot to chew on here, but this feels like the most epic of Arcade Fire’s albums.

NEXT WEEK:

On a special Monday update, Spy Gal takes the chair and she’s…a bit hostile towards Dr. Klein, to say the least.

Then, on Tuesday in SuperFogeys Origins, Spy Gal’s Secret Mission concludes and I promise lots of talking to explain just what the crud the mission is all about. Promise. Cross my heart.

On Thursday, Spy Gal continues her conversation with Dr. Klein. You will believe two people can hold hands!