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Comic and Rant for Saturday, June 7, 2003
Sketch Book Day 10 |
That’s right, it’s another smegging Sketch Book Day. Why? Four words: Overtime Has Been Approved. After two weeks of nothing and a week of practically nothing, I need to ensure I remain financially solvent. Fortunately, new projects at work mean briefings, briefings mean waiting for everyone to show up, and waiting for everyone to show up means doodling. At least for me. I don’t know what normal people do while waiting for everyone to show up (I suppose I could watch them, but I’m usually too busy doodling). I suppose before I do anything else I should (as promised) explain the top drawing. The hardest part of surveying a business is often getting past the receptionist. Sometimes they just don’t know who to connect us to (sometimes not their fault, but the fault of poorly worded surveys that say things like “May I speak with the person responsible for the mitigation of your fluctuating capamatronials?” - not a real example, though it might as well be), sometimes they give us the “Sir, this is a business” shtick (Oh, I’m sorry! When I said we were surveying businesses who have more than 500 employees I didn’t realize I was calling a business! We’re only supposed to call homemakers who don’t run businesses and have over 500 employees! - that’s right, another fake example that’s still real enough to prove my point), and sometimes they threaten to stop buying our products if we don’t stop calling. Technically, of course, they’re our clients’ product, not ours, but I doubt pointing that out to Ms. Bee-yotch (to quote my co-worker Vernon) would improve our standing with her in any way (incidentally, I’m not trying to be sexist, it’s just that most of the receptionists we encounter in this job are female, particularly the type I’m describing here - maybe their hostility towards us comes from the unfair treatment they receive in a hostile male chauvinist dominated work environment). Anyway, my idea was this: what if a receptionist not only had the power to dictate that a company no longer buy products from a major supplier, but would do so merely because she’s annoyed at a telephone surveyor? And what if she did so with a product it would be disastrous, nay, suicidal, to skimp on? Such as, say, emergency hazardous materials containment devices? ’Nuff said! Which segues quite neatly into Stan Lee’s autobiography! Okay, maybe not that neatly, but I’m just glad I finally bought this book (I’d planned to ever since it came out, but there were always too many other books that had a higher priority, or I was broke. Again). It’s informative, funny (a given, considering the source), and contrary to my fears not ghost written. Stan’s co-author, George Mair, provides a bit of factual detail at the beginning of each chapter (and various points ion between), giving Stan a springboard for his reminiscences. I’m sure a few of his details are wrong (he was born in 1922 and is remembering work he did as far back as 60 years ago, for cryin’ out loud!), but like the Kevin Smith interviews, it’s too minor a quibble to ... uh ... quibble about. As anyone who’s ever read one of Stan’s book introductions or a “Stan’s Soapbox” knows, his natural exuberance is contagious. I hope I’m not repeating a plug here, but Theater Hopper recently did an interview with someone who, ’twould appear, has never read a webcomic in her life (read it - I think you’ll know what I’m talking about). Still, it’s hard to think of a better name for a combination coffee and comics shop. Time for go to bed! |
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