In response to a number of questions, yes I did a series of four posters for the Philly shows this week which will form one large scene when placed next to each other (though with gaps left in the images between each poster so they don’t have to be jammed right up against each other to look right, if that makes sense).

Since these were for a series of shows the week of Halloween, my idea was to have a giant retro pop-culture costume-party theme — superheroes, robots, space people, monsters, etc., along with a number of band-related/requested “cameos” in the background, all (at least in my mind’s eye) comprising the audience to the last shows at the Spectrum.

The trick was to design four posters which would each stand alone, would work as a larger image when the full set was displayed together, and would work when displayed in sets of two or three. I knew that some people would be attending all four shows and I wanted to create something special for them, but I didn’t want anyone who could only attend one or two shows feeling that they “had” to get the entire set.

As for questions about a signed and numbered edition of the set — definitely not until after the New Year. I’m still recuperating from the Chicago poster sale.

Also: apparently the images are also being used on shirts. Last night was the first I’d heard about that. I guess you can form a larger image with those as well, if you get three other friends together and each wear a different night’s shirt …

This year’s terrifying Halloween costume.

Chris Matthews just now: “There’s an old adage in politics, don’t pick a fight with someone who owns a barrel of ink.”

Actually the phrase is “someone who buys ink by the barrel.” But, you know, I’m staying away from that guy with the single barrel of ink too. He might spill it on you or something.

State of Arizona looking to privatize its entire prison system.

So I’ve been really, really hoping to get one of these displays from Target for my own personal collection, and thought I had some time — the Target employees I talked to last month said they’d probably be up til Christmas. Actually, not so much — turns out while I was busy this week “working” in my “studio,” every Target in my immediate area was throwing the displays away to make room for the next new thing.

Arrgh.

Anyway if you work at a Target, or know someone who does, or whatever the case may be — if you can get me one of these, I will trade you something so incredibly cool and rare, it will knock your socks off. I’m at tom-dot-tomorrow-atsymbol-gmail-dot-com.

Here. Longtime readers will recognize this one as a sort of sequel to “Outrage Overload” from 2003.

Final update: all gone.

Thanks to everyone who bought one of these. They’re really beautifully printed, in a way that the photos don’t even begin to show — I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (And don’t worry — I am packing them each with great individual care.)

Also — I know it said 4-6 weeks, but that was mostly me be extra careful. Hoping to get at least half of these orders out by the end of the week.

More brick and mortar sightings:

–The Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee
–Politics & Prose, Washington DC
–Orca Books, Olympia, Washington

The book has previously been seen at:

–Powell’s, Portland Oregon
–Moe’s, Berkeley
–City Lights, San Francisco

I’ve been a customer and/or a speaker at four out of six of those stores myself, and they are among my favorite bookstores in the world.

Meanwhile on the internets, the five-star reviews are piling up on Amazon:

Our 4-year-old has totally fallen for this book - requesting it nearly every night since we got it a couple weeks ago. She almost knows every word by heart now - we watched her “read” it to a younger friend and she hardly missed a single word. Great message, silly story and Tom Tomorrow’s wonderful drawings and sense of the absurd. It is not preachy or didactic at all…just all around good advice to speak up when something doesn’t make sense, told in a lighthearted manner.

* * *

I ordered this book for my almost-four-year-old and she absolutely adores it. When it is time for bed, my daughter picks out the book that she wants mommy and/or daddy to read to her. I read The Very Silly Mayor to her when I first received it and since then, she has picked that book more than any other. Last night when she picked The Very Silly Mayor to read at bedtime, she said she likes it because it “really makes me laugh a lot”. She loves Blinky, the very nice dog who always has something nice to say or he doesn’t say anything at all, and of course, how can you not love Sparky?

This is not a political book but it does introduce young minds to the concept of governance as it deals with a mayor that has some very silly ideas about how to govern his medium-sized city (putting out fires with peanut butter?!). It deals with peer pressure and the overarching lesson from the book is that just because everyone seems to think something is a good idea doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. It encourages critical thinking and speaking your mind even if you think people might laugh at you. It also encourages the idea of questioning authority, all of which are lessons that I hope my daughter will take with her.

I can only hope that this is the first of many Tom Tomorrow kids books, I will buy them all. I cannot recommend this book enough, it is a fun book with some great lessons that don’t include a princess waiting for her prince.

The idea of Obama.