Ducks, Fancy Pens, & Gen X

Something you can read now

Donald Duck Vacation Parade by Frederic Brremaud & Federico Bertolucci 

Back in June and recommended Mickey Mouse and the Lost Ocean. I hadn’t purchased  it yet, but the art was gorgeous. Originally published in Europe, it was released here in the U.S. in May by Fantagraphics books. If you don’t know, Disney comics are wildly popular in Europe (especially the duck comics) and the creators that draw them are often phenomenal artists. 

I didn’t get the Lost Ocean when it came out, I was waiting until it dropped in price a bit. Well, that was a bonehead move because it quickly sold out and weirdly, Fantagraphics is not reprinting it. I should heed my own recommendations. 

What I did just get is Donald Duck Vacation Parade. The art is beautiful and the story is pure Donald Duck gold. Meaning Donald trying to enjoy himself and everything going off the rails. If you remember the old Donald versus Chip and Dale cartoons, this story of Donald going camping captures that tone perfectly. 

The book is entirely wordless. The sight gags are great, and the storytelling is easy to follow and zips right along. Once you rip through a first reading, you’ll find yourself revisiting and lingering on the lush artwork. 

Don’t miss this one. It’s also published by Fantagraphics and if it sells out, who knows if you’ll be able to find it. 

Get the book

A ridiculous recounting of a childhood era that no longer exists

Wes Hargis is a children’s book illustrator but he has an Instagram where he draws and narrates these short absurd stories from his childhood. They are funny, strange, brutal, and mundane. They perfectly encapsulate what growing up in the 70s and 80s was like. 

Wes’s Instagram

The Stationary Tour

My wife likes pens. It’s fun to try different types to suss out favorites. So stationary stores are a fun place to pop in. 

I like pens too. Get any group of comic artists together and within minutes they’ll be talking about what pens, ink, brushes, and paper they use. 

Nowadays, many artists draw on tablets and computers but that conversation still exists in the form of what digital brushes they use. Regardless of all the perks of working digitally, there is still nothing quite like working with pen and paper. 

I compiled a list of stationary stores around L.A. and we went on a tour around the city popping into the different shops and testing different pens. If you’re not in L.A. you’ll have to compile a list for your city. But if you are, I’ve linked my map below.

We didn’t make it to all the shops yet but my favorites so far are Shorthand and Kinokuniya. Shorthand has two locations. One in central L.A. and the other in Eagle Rock. Both have a large selection and sort things according to color to satisfy your aesthetic needs. Kinokuniya is a bookstore that has a huge selection of pens and such.

I got a Uniball Signo and Zebra Sarasa. Both 1.0 tip. They’re pretty similar but I like the Uniball slightly more. They’re a couple dollars each. I also picked out at Wordsworth & Black fountain pen with a broad nib that Sophia got me for Christmas. It’s a mid-level pen. I like the weight of the pen and the stroke but I’m still getting the hang of angle for the nib. 

L.A. Stationary Tour

Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic 2026! 

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