Fun_TheGameWintermute

I drew a little illustration of Z at The Game on the occasion of its 135th playing this past Saturday. Oddly, it was played at the Red Sox's stadium for no reason. The Game is all about tradition, so you can keep your goofy Green Mahnstah, kid.

To be quite honest, I almost completely forgot about it, but it's always the Saturday before Thanksgiving, so it's just as easy to remember (though I also almost forgot about Thanksgiving, too).

I'm not really into sports, but I did make sure to go to each one while an undergrad, though we only won once and I was the last generation to see a victory for almost a solid decade!

I always say, leave it to Yale to mess it up, cuz pretty much without fail, Yale always simply gives up The Game to some nonsensical error or lapse in judgment that ends up giving those dirty rats the win. I mean, it could be a one-in-a-million outer, but dagnabbit, we will find the one astronomically rare route to completely blow it.

This year was similar...we were behind by one touchdown, but we were on pace to win since we were just feet from scoring to tie, but for absolutely no good reason Yale decided to play not to lose rather than to win. Instead of going for the arm's-reach touchdown for the crucial tie, they just kicked it, which scored but took us off pace to get ahead and win in the dwindling second half.

What's the point in losing tempo for a slight bump in score if you lose the whole thing? Lose tempo to maintain your lead, sure, but if you're behind and need to keep up to get in position to win, just go for the slightly less sure thing. If you blow the risky play, you don't win, if you blow the safe play you don't win. But if you succeed in the risky play you can win, and if you succeed in the safe play you still lose and have to start the rally over. The successful kick barely made a dent in the deficit, and those arrogant pieces of garbooj ultimately ran away with it.

Anyway, a bit of a bummer, but I did get to see the real Brian Dowling give a brief interview, so that was cool as a Doonesbury fan. Next year should be home game since we rotate every year, and our nightmare years seem to be behind us, so hopefully we get a nice outcome on warmer turf, goodness knows it's bitter and cold in Massachusetts this time of always.

Not normal,

Reuxben

Fun_YalvardBoourns

Don't need to be from the future to know how the Yale-Harvard Game goes in 2015...

1/3/16

Reuxben

Fun_OnHarvardTimes

I know I already talked about a similar experience at Yale, but did I ever tell you about the time I went to Harvard and this one girl decided to go pee right next to me as I was sketching?

It started at The Game, of course, as there is no reason anyone would want to go to Harvard otherwise. I spent all day incognito, hiding from anyone who might recognize me bundled up in Yale hat and sweater and masked in layers of scarf, meanwhile I sketched scenes of socs schmoozing. The tailgate was pretty aight, in that the food was great. I loaded up on burgers and cookies and chocolate hot water. I felt torn because I wanted to go up to talk to people, but, well, y'know.

I couldn't afford tickets to The Game, so I just sat outside of the stadium sketching up the joint. My cover got blown as a JE '10 guy spotted me and insisted on the whole human interaction thing. Total emo buzzkill. So after he scoots off, and I stop wondering why I can't be more like him, I get back to sketching the stadium grounds from my solitary perch atop an empty staircase facing the busy scene.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a gaggle of Game-goers gathering on the ground floor. This one girl among them seems to be in a serious pickle, based on her antsy body language. She's consulting with the group, and they're all anxiously whipping their heads around, scoping out either a location or for a clear coast. It sinks in. She needs to pee. Bad. As she's frantically weighing her options for where to execute Order Sixty-Sick as privately as possible, she keeps looking in my direction.

So she bolts over to the left of the staircase where I'm drawing and jumps into a squat in the patch of bushes in my quiet corner of the campus. I'm sketching and sketching, hoping she goes away and that she's just joking around, but then I hear a trickling. A TRICKLING! I throw up a little in my mouth, chug it back down, and keep drawing the stadium like my insecurity depends on it. THE END.

To help cleanse the palate, these last few drawings are from after I left the staircase to explore Harvard's version of Old Campus. There was a girl wearing an incredible jacket that reaffirmed that females have cornered the market on aesthetics, a building called Matthews Hall, and what I believe is Prescott Street.

Despite the urinous sidequest, I'd say Harvard was pretty good games. Loved the architecture, loved Leverett House, loved seeing healthy Boston Terriers out and about while mine was painfully dying back home, loved feeling like a lonely Yalie again. Or something.

Reuxben

ZLM_DeliciousSedition

Loose lips sink ships, lip syncs ship losers.
Zero Like Me #147:
The Cantabulous Life of Zero Zetsubo Pt.6 -
Delicious Sedition
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ZLM_UndoneTheSweaterComic

Where dance meets stick up.

Zero Like Me #145:
The Cantabulous Life of Zero Zetsubo Pt.4 -
Undone (The Sweater Comic)
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ZLM_GoToYale

No smart remarks, jerk.
Zero Like Me #144:
The Cantabulous Life of Zero Zetsubo Pt.3 -
Go To Yale
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Fun_Cantabulous

So I was away this past weekend doing some field research. A part of it had me spending up some 28 hours, mainly at Leverett House. I had dinner and breakfast there, both featuring food I've had at Yale, and I have to say Harvard smoked Yale, no contest, on almost everything edible. They even have chocomilk in their dining halls. What kind of non-Commons caveman state is the rest of Yale in? No, choco-soy milk doesn't count, hippies.

The soft-serve and the hot-choco weren't as great as Yale, maybe the eggs, nuther, but everything else was miles ahead of Yale. I thought Yale's French toast rocked, but dude, they had real-deal FT up in that snitch. The Chicken Parmesan was just as surpassy to its Yale counterpart, too. They didn't have OTS (organic tomato sauce, for the laypeople), but their spaghetti sauce was as sweetly tangy as OTS on its best "candy days," as I call them. On top of that, Lev (home of the fightin' bunnies/hares/whatevs) was considerably more hospitable than JE's ugly sister, Eliot House.

Everything was better this time around--actual heat for the Common Room I slept in on The Game-eve, and incredibly hospitable students for the most part (met some of the dullest H students yet: I'm dressed in my Yale sweater with my Yale hat and Yale scarf and I get countless curious Cantabs asking, "do you go to Yale?" sans sarcasm. One even asked me to swipe them in somewhere and I had to point to my sweater and read it aloud before she realized what she was asking...just wow.)

Anyway, I met a super nice Harvardian named John, which I thought was funny because it's like meeting a Yalie named Elihu (plus it's such a refreshingly generic-sounding name), and we spoke at length about being minorities at the only Ivies that matter and more. Turns out he tries to look extra nerdy walking around Cambridge at night, to look like a less threatening black Harvardian; and I try to look extra tough walking around New Haven at night to look like a more threatening Mexican Yalie.

From our talk, I learned a lot about Harvard. Long story short, while Harvard's food is incredible, everything else just doesn't have as much appeal as Yale. I probably wouldn't even be drawing if I went to Harvard--he confirmed my suspicion that Harvard is just too track-oriented, whereas Yale is more about find yourselfism. Yalies are more willing to let academics slide to put heavy effort into extracurriculars, but it's the reverse at Harvard. John says they're greatly pre-law/med/business, so "you have to keep the numbers high." And in fact, even if Harvies are involved in a bunch of extracurriculars, he says that many are simply nominal members at most with nearly no true participation.

The funniest thing is that regardless of how pointless the organization, Harvard students always make sure they're funded, so the business boards are always the toughest positions to get because they always matter. It's so funny because at Yale it's almost as if business boards are after thoughts--the Yale Record struggled with this for a long while, and it's still not even quite there yet. The Herald is kinda iffy, too. But Crimsonians make sure their organizations are well funded before they even debut.

Ok, the wordcount on this post is embarrassingly high. So just a quick word about today's drawings--I drew them while camping out at Leverett House Saturday thru Sunday. I thought I was tasked with watching some Yalies' gear, so I decided to just stay up drawing all night and watching Cambridge TV. Highlights included "Lock Up," a documentary on Latin gangs, a Masterpiece Theatre movie about a murder, and a community access movie about a murder. Lots of murderers...

Turns out the gear I thought I was supposed to watch over belonged to some totally different person, but I was still stuck at Lev till about 4pm Sunday. More drawings and gossip from the Lev Session to come.

Reuxben

ZLM_HarvardCrime

That's an actual shirt design people wear to The Game.
Zero Like Me #141:
On Harvard Crime
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ZLM_FashMash

Shirk that wort and work that shirt.

Zero Like Me [Alive] #140:
Take Ivy FashMash
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YDN_zlm.Waffles

What kind of loser-freak nerd actually camps out to be the very first person to swipe at Commons after every break ends?!!

Zero Like Me #90:
Waffles
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Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1, Yakitate!! Japan reference in panel 2.

Fun Facts: Today's setting is my favorite hangout: Commons. Also, my laptop's screen's dead it seems, so this is my very first post done completely on a cluster computer (a disgusting Mac, of all things) which is embarrassing not only because I am so militantly anti-Mac, yet must be seen in public using one) but also because I feel like an idiot having a "blog" (I call it a website so I don't feel too grimy about it)

Baa: Break was kind of ridiculous. I started drawing on this site called Fiverr.com, became a featured artist, got a commission from the CEO, met one of my hero's bandmate, and also got swamped with gigs!

If you are visiting from Fiverr, please read this information about ordering. I will not be able to get to you for several weeks or longer, so please try not to ask for time-sensitive projects unless you commission me as a freelance artist, which is to say, not as a Fiverr artist.

Other neat things...I got an article in the YDN...kinda. Aren't you proud of me, Mom? Am I a legitimate part of the newspaper in your eyes now?

Probably the biggest Neat News from break, I started volunteering with the Yale Splatter Program to teach 5th graders how to comics! Last Friday I even brought in a making-of demo and blew their minds...Haha! They're so nice! They have no idea what social anxiety is yet (I feel like Jhonen Vazquez when Nickelodeon approved Invader Zim)! And it's so bizarre for me: my whole perception of kids has been shaped by comics and animation about young people going on amazing adventures, but now that I'm actually back amongst the younglings, I keep cracking up at how hilarious it would be if say Ash were like a real 10 year old. Each episode would take like 4 hours, it'd all be dialogue, and every question would end up being a very, very long declarative sentence. They rock--don't get me wrong!--but they're hilarious like that.

Reuxben

YDN_zlm.TrustMe

I bet she says that to all the guys.
Zero Like Me #57:
Zero the Traitor Pt.2 - Trust Me
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Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1. One of the most fashionable Yalies tipped me off of this place called H&M. Simma down nah.

Fun Facts: There was a football game, there was a bet, and this is how it went down.

Baa: My hands and feet get so cold so easily, it can't be normal.

Why can't the hot chocolate be cheaper at The Game? I mean I'm sure they'd sell tons of slightly cheaper drinks, rather than sell a few expensive ones.

Reuxben

YDN_sls.BernieMac

Draw your sword in the emperor's castle, it's Sick Little Suicide #16, "Bernie Mac," in which I talk about what everyone's talking about.

It's like when an inside joke finally comes back around and now everybody's laughing, but those who laughed first get to feel smug.

Easter Eggs: Please, please, please don't be confused; the reportrix is totally a drawing based on a YDN staffer that I've never even heard of, let alone seen, and NOT an homage to the Pokemon Trading Card Game's TV Reporter crew.

Fun Facts: This is NOT an opinion comic, it is a news article. Therefore I may not use the letters Y, D, or N (together and in that order) on our crew because it will look to the simple-minded Yalie as if my news report--don't you dare call it a "comic"-- is depicting the YDN's equally sophisticated TV news staff as editorializing (that is, giving their opinion) on something, rather than what it truly is: a depiction of an actual reporter reporting news. Sure, I could attribute the crew to the letters E, S, P, and N, because that makes sense given that this is being printed in the Y, D, and N, but I am pleased to announce the Reuxben News Network. Again, I am doing this just so all you marble-sharp Yalies don't get confused and think I am drawing opinion comics, when I'm really writing news articles using scarce words and sentences so thin that they look like the linework that comprises a drawing.

Baa: The first time I dealt with this sports subject, there were cheers. The last time I dealt with this sports subject there were jeers.

So I'm 50-50 at this point, meaning we could flip a coin on this one.

And if you need someone to flip you off, Bernie Mac is available.

Although for the record, it is kind of ridiculous to expect a Disney sports movie the first season of a new head coach. In fact, I know Yale will start winning, at least against Harvard, the second I graduate, cuz that's just how it goes. I only wish I could be here for next season, when we really get to see what the coach can do, since this season doesn't really count, let's be honest; people are just being hysterical.

Reuxben

Fun_TheGame2009

So today was The Game, can't tell if it was frustrating, depressing, or just plain sad. But hey, that's what she said, am I right?

In any case, I was feeling a little blue(r), despite the high of seeing someone wearing my shirt, so my friend, jack kelly, tried to cheer me up with a joke: "Maybe if Yale Football didn't suck, they wouldn't have choked." I told him to shut his face. One of those footballers was pretty nice to me when we bumped into each other in Farnam one night. He knew my name!

These last two sketches are actually from tonight's basketball game. Lost that one too, but it was actually pretty close: Yale trailed for about 10 points the whole game, and a late comeback just got cut short.

Baa: My dad once asked if I regret not going to Harvard. Honestly, I more often wonder what life woulda been like at Stanford.
I love Yale and can't imagine life elsewhere.

In fact, when I stayed at Harvard, I was really unimpressed with the place--everything looks like Pierson. And maybe it was because I was decked in Yale gear, but people didn't seem too nice. Not that I'm a good judge of character. Some of them were kinda off-handedly mean while trying to be not mean. One girl said she liked my art and then followed right up with "sorry you go to Yale." That really depressed me for some reason. Like for a split second I really wished I had gone to Harvard so I could poop all over Yale without feeling like I was biting the hand. But mostly, Harvard felt like an overly spacious series of husks. It was literally and figuratively cold and empty over there.

In Harvard's defense, some people were nice. One guy stuck around to watch me draw and he was really nice, acted like I was a big deal (but have you seen the Lampoon's art?!) YDN 06-8 called, they want their art back. Anyway, I greatly regret not pointing him to this site, but I feel really self-conscious advertising this site. That's why I kinda Easter Egg my signature/site into my artwork rather than just slap it on. If you find the plug, then great, I hope you enjoy if you choose to visit. If you don't, then all right then, off you go, and let's not waste anyone's time.

The only exception was that I decided to put out my usual call for a writing partner, except this time I printed posters with pulltabs in the hopes that I can start one of those legendary college partnerships. I like how it's so fate-oriented: the right person has to find the poster, placed in the right spot at the right time to catch their attention. So even if I don't get any bites, the idea itself is a lovely piece of performance-print art in my mind. I saw three tabs pulled and even one poster got torn down, like someone hates my guts. I guess that's a good thing because someone was so moved by me that they took time out of their day to demonstrate. LeSean Thomas once said, "If you ain't bein' hated on, then you ain't doin' $&#%." So there you go.

Reuxben

Herald_zlm.AirportRomantics

Kids say the jackedest things.

Zero Like Me #56
Zero Romance #11:
Airport Romantics
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Easter Eggs: Romance 11 in plant, Arthur's mom, subtle reference to another plot.

Fun Facts: I imagine all kinds of really mean, awful conversations in my head, distill them, and then make them into comics for all you pretty people.

Baa: I met this guy, Sal, in an airport who just completely freaked out on me: "Wait, do you really go to Yale?! That's like...for geniuses! It's in, like New York right? Or is that Harvard? Man, you guys are so smart!"

The Herald publishes a day early the week before breaks, so this came out Thursday, not Friday, actually.

Overheard Cantab: "Anybody know how to get to TD House?"

Also, at the Purple Crayon slash Immediate Gradification Players show, no Harvardians got the reference to "The Dead Shall Be Raised." They must have been really confused by the huge laughs the line got. Beautiful.

I'm pretty lucky. This year I'm going on to The Game with four people! FOUR! That's four times the usual amount! There's jack kelly as always, but also this new guy Gerardo Manera, and my good friends Zero and Nyao.

Sweet!

Reuxben

Fun_RumpusGirl

While I was selling shirts, Rumpus set up shop across the hall to sell theirs. So a Rumpus-er came over, checked out our designs, then asked me for a sketch. She was wearing a really cool hat so I drew her throughout her shift. She checked in a little later but we agreed to let it be a surprise.

I started this new angle before she left. There's also a little bulldog which didn't come out so well. Anyway, she forgot to pick up the sketches afterward, so this sketchpage is currently homeless.

If you're out there somewhere, Rumpus Girl, these are your sketches.

In related news, my last post actually made a dent.

Probably just due to the two buzz words, "Harvard," and "Girl."

The above is from the college.alltop display page.

And to the left and below are from TCBN, which was pretty neat.

The site feels pretty inactive, but then it just springs to life sometimes.

I don't think I'll ever stack that high again, so it was cool when it happened.

Reuxben

Fun_HarvardGirl

Harvard (plus Yale's coach) embarrassed us at The Game, but I did get some nice drawings out of it.

I felt too insecure amongst jovial JEers at our sister house, Eliot House, so I retreated upstairs, sitting in the stairwell generally feeling lonely. My defense mechanism is drawing, so I just started drawing until the party ended. "Harvard Girl" is obviously a Yalie.

Many passing Cantabs dropped compliments, regularly pausing their trips downstairs. One guy even just stood there watching, then--gasp!--talked to me! Ironically, I felt more welcomed from that Harvard guy than by the JEers. I kinda wanted to give him this URL, but figured it bad form. He did ask if I drew for Yale, so maybe it was fair.

One Harvard girl passing by complimented the work then asked me if I went to Yale (I was wearing my Yale sweater and scarf...). Then as she headed on down, she yelled back, "Sorry you go to Yale." I felt sad because a part of me agreed.

A Yalie stopped by since she was waiting for someone from a nearby room, but I was just her time killer, so I didn't know how to respond.

It was freezing in the Eliot Junior Common Room, so I slept in every single thread I had. The next morning, waiting for a herd to follow to the stadium, I began drawing. Some JE girl checked these drawings and some of my sketchpad out, but it felt like I was her toy, so it was a bittersweet art show. I did see someone wearing my bulldog shirt in the JCR, though, which was nice. Too bad coats covered shirts at the icy tailgate.

So most humans have left Yale for break by now, but that's ok, I guess.

Reuxben

Herald_QC.Ending

Last change: Ben discovers Ipu, the artificer genie behind the bill.
Now change 12!

Real men cry...at least I hope that's true.

Easter Eggs: Change 12 in blood!

Fun Facts: The final scream was one of the first "audition" sketches I ever drew while designing Ben.

I'm not sure I'm happy with the ending.

And here's jack kelly's "hahvid." Meh.

Update: these are officially SOLD OUT!! I cackle thinking that people paid money to wear something I drew!!

See you at The Game,

[UPDATE: my, that was embarrassing...the coach is so fired. --11/23/08]

Reuxben