Do you like celebrity gossip? Do like humor? Do like celebrity gossip and humor morphed into something we, in the industry, call “Celebssipumor”?

If you answered “yes”, “yes” and “uh… okay, sure”, then you need to check out our good friend Ned Ehrbar and his metro column The Word. Ned and I have known each other since our tumultuous days at the dreaded United Media. He has been my editor, my friend and my drinking buddy. And hey, do you guys like TOBY, Robot Satan ? Ya do? Well, you can thank Ned for that. He’s the one that pushed me to come up the idea and he’s pretty much the reason it exists and runs in metro.

So read Ned, laugh with Ned. And if you see Ned on the streets of NYC, tell him the Fake Rockstar and wife miss him.

Courtesy of Drink at Work.com…

Sean Crespo of Daw writes:

“Mark Douglas of Drink At Work and Giant Tuesday Night fame and comedian Rusty Ward from Barely Political have teamed up to make a very funny music video about two idiots who brag about how they’re going to spend their stimulus package. Also stars GTN alum Michael Riesman as the voice of reason-cum-accountant in a brilliant low-key performance.”

I have very few friends in the cartoon strip world. A big surprise to a lot of you, I know. Anyway, one of those few friends is Lincoln Peirce. We met when we figured out we both lived in the same town and both worked with United Media. We started to have a regular meeting over breakfast at swanky joint called the “Bayou Kitchen”, and even though I’ve since left the broken arms of United, Lincoln and I keep in touch.

Among Lincoln’s continuing projects, he has been breaking his back to get United to put out a book of his very funny comic, Big Nate. For whatever reason, United never made it happen… Until now.

Folks, I give you I Smell a Pop Quiz!: a Big Nate book. If you’re a fan of Lincoln’s work, or if you’re simply looking for an introduction to a great strip, this book is a must have for your collection.

Go. Buy it. Be happy.

… And you’ll make a great talent in the comics community happy. (Lincoln Peirce… Not me… But I’ll be happy, as well)

Cheer!

FRS

For Immediate Release - 5/26/2008 -

Fake Rockstar Studios, Portland, ME - The cast of the highly successful, always nutty and poorly drawn comic strip, Barkeater Lake, took a much needed day of rest and relaxation this past Sunday, the 25th of May. According to those closest to creator and self-proclaimed super-genius, Corey Pandolph, the day off had been scheduled months ago. “When we agreed to get back on a daily schedule, one of the concessions was that we give everyone at least one day off every couple months. We’re not happy about it, but the compromise is worth it if we can stay daily.” a rep for the maniacal author said.

“I took a nap and then hit the beach…” proclaimed Banks, the lovable dog character and “gag” of the strip. Delores Tanzini, played by the veteran actress Jennifer Connelly, was seen enjoying ice cream with her family near her home in Brooklyn, NY. “Spending long days as a two dimensional character with two dots for eyes can be taxing.” she said. “It may be my hardest role yet… So yeah, the day off is much appreciated.”

The rest of the cast were unavailable for comment, however sources say they mostly spent time with their families and/or at their favorite pubs and gambling establishments.

The day off did not go unnoticed by the strip’s adoring public, resulting in the comic’s blog and email inbox being clogged with accusasations of laziness and apathy on the part of the parent company. “We take the mental and physical health of our actors, writers and producers very seriously.” A spokesperson for Fake Rockstar, LLC stated. “These folks break their backs daily to put out the best strip they can. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a day off every couple of months… Especially with this a Holiday weekend.

When asked about the notion of the troop making up the missed day, the cast appeared disinterested . “It seems unlikely…” said Banks. “Anything that we try and throw together would seem forced and poorly executed. Those are the times mistakes are made…Misspellings, ink spills… Freudian slips… I’d rather move forward and forget about the past.”

Barkeater Lake can be seen daily at www.barkeaterlake.com and on Universal Press Syndictes’ web portal, GoComics.com. The strip is represented, produced and written by Fake Rockstar, LLC conglomocorp. Info on this and other FRS, LLC productions can be viewed at their hub, www.fakerockstar.com.