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Clockwork Chap, Clockwork Chap Workshop, Montevideo (2025)

21/12/2024

My Life Without A Jetpack - Mistaken Identity VII

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/315

Yes, this happens to me all the time. It's cute when kids do it, but if you're an adult, don't make the Santa Claus joke when you see me. It's old, and not funny coming from you, please don't make unsolicited comments about other people's appearance.

This time, music is Christmas Time Is Here, the holidays classic by the Vince Guaraldi Trio from the Charlie Brown and Peanuts TV special. Happy holidays to you all!

https://youtu.be/YvI_FNrczzQ

07/12/2024

My Life Without A Jetpack - Rebel Rebel

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/314

Some years ago I got into playing X-Wing, the Star Wars miniature game, or one of them, at least. I first tried it at a convention, and was immediately hooked (you've seen it in a comic here: https://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/259/. It's great for me for several reasons, starting with the fact that space combat is one of my favorite parts of Star Wars.

On the practical side, this is a tactic miniatures game or wargame, but far more simple, rules-wise, than things like Warhammer. Additionally, the starter set is cheap, allows you to play with a friend, and you can spend a little more money or a lot more, depending on your needs and means, and have fun either way (The Force knows I've spent some credits on this).

Another plus is that the minis come pre-painted, which is good for me, since I don't have that kind of ability (you can of course customize them if you wish). I got one of my best friends on the game, and we get together to play and drink beer, and we've bought a lot of ships together.

When we play, we'll sometimes pause the game for dinner, and leave everything on the table.... which my cats, particularly Leia, love. We have to be alert and protect the ships and their positions from the giant space monster.

Speaking of her, we found her lost as a months old kitty in our building's "backyard" (it's a glorified air shaft), where she had fallen down from a wall. We weren't going to keep her (we already had Ludwig), so we gave her some food and a place to sleep under our apartment's patio roof, while we posted on social networks to find someone to adopt her.

Nobody volunteered, and two days later, I came home from work and my wife had let the kitty inside and named her Leia... to win me over. That worked, and it's been almost 8 years since she became part of our family.

She definitely takes after her namesake, she's fierce and rebellious, but also very kind and sweet.

Music this time is, of course, David Bowie's Rebel Rebel, from his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. Did I use a Bowie song last time? Sue me:

https://youtu.be/DJxCsVcZL2I

29/10/2024

My Life Without A Jetpack - Perfect Hearing.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/313

This is one of those strips where there's not much to write about. Parents will understand me, we're always talking about our kids, even (especially) good stuff. When my wife and I go out on a date, we always end up talking about our kid, who's already 20. And it's not because we don't have other topics, it's just that children are that important. There, sappy and short.

This time, music is David Bowie's Blackstar, from the album of the same name, because both my kid and I love Bowie:

https://youtu.be/kszLwBaC4Sw

25/08/2024

My Life Without A Jetpack - The Volunteer.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/312

You know when you volunteer for anything, just to get out of class? Well, that's what I did. It's not that I didn't like class, but I got a bit bored sometimes. This time, I didn't last, because I like to dance, but spontaneously, not with rehearsal, and much less folk dances.

But... you know what? One of my ancestors Pedro José Viera o Pedro José de Vieyra was a 19th century Brazilian military officer who fought in the independence wars of Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Perú, and Rio Grande do Sul. He was friends with José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguay's foremost national hero, and together, they smuggled cattle before being revolutionaries. Pedro was quite the charmer and the life of the party, he loed to dance... and was nicknamed Périco el Bailarín, Périco the Dancer, because of the Pericon. Périco introduced the dance to his homeland of Brazil and, supposedly, created the traditional choreography they tried to made me dance in school over a hundred years later.

Check out some schoolchildren dancing El Pericón Nacional:

https://youtu.be/baMwZSjeONU

29/03/2024

My Life Without A Jetpack - Dark Secrets.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/311

In Uruguay, your final two years of high school you have to choose an orientation for your studies, to prepare for your chosen university career (if you're going to do one). The first of those two years, you choose a broad orientation, such as Humanities, Math, Arts, or Biological Sciences. Then, in the second one, you choose something more specific.

In my case, I wanted to be a veterinarian (yeah, that changed), so I chose Bio Sciences first, then Medicine, which would prepare me for Med School or Vet School, among other things. I did flunk most of my senior year subjects and ended up finishing the last two some 21 years later, but that's a tale for another time.

I did enjoy my biology classes; which on our senior year were all about the human body. We had to learn every bone of the body, all nerve insertions in the skull, etc. And for that, we were given a permission slip from the school to go pick up a skeleton from a public cemetery. The skeleton of someone who had no relatives, and that, after a certain amount of years, was going to be cremated and put in an urn.

It's a bit sad, if you think about it, this person's remains (which we had to boil in water with sodium hydroxide to clean up) were supposed to contribute to science and healing... and I ended up being a writer, journalist, and podcaster. The two other friends with which I studied did go into health-related carreers, so there's that.

My (supposed) senior year was in 1997, and at first the bag with the skeleton was being stored at one my friends' house, but then his mom dropped it off at mine. I kept in the closet (a literal skeleton-in-the-closet, nacht) for a couple more years before my girlfriend (now wife) found it and had the beejezus scared out of her. I did not take it with me when I moved out, and I think some years later it was given to a friend of the family's kid, who was also studying pre-med high school. I *think*.

Music this time is Clint Eastwood, from Gorillaz's 2001 self-titled album:

https://youtu.be/1V_xRb0x9aw

22/12/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - FriendX-Mas.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/310

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all! Or Happy Holidays, depending on what you celebrate. Yes, a strip on the date when it actually had to come out, directly following the previous one! I wanted to end the year with a Christmas strip, but a different kind of Christmas strip. Leftovers are a wonderful thing, and sharing them with friends is awesome... there are many ways to celebrate the holidays, and that night in the 1990s, me and my friend Agustín found this one.

You've met Agustín in several strips before, he's my best friend, nay, brother, from my childhood, the first friend I made when I came to Uruguay in 1985. Among other things, he's my kid's godfather. And speaking of the 90s, this strip is very much a product of that time, because in Montevideo, my city, we had only had "cable" TV for a short time. You see, there were three million people (not many more now) living in Uruguay, and half the population in Montevideo, the capital. We only had three private broadcast TV channels, and a public one; and you were lucky if the private channels had late night programming, mostly movies, until something like 1 or 2 AM.

Outside of Montevideo, it was even worse, as they usually had one channel that retransmitted stuff from the capital's private channels, and some local stations. But in the early 90s, cable TV started to appear in the country... at first, only outside of Montevideo. It's a complicated rights negotiation story, and it takes a couple more years but it ends up with the government allowing the three private Montevideo channels to form a monopolic company to bring cable to the capital city.

But a little before that, two companies (also owned by those private channels) started offering TV packages via small antenna dishes. They had a small number of channels compared to later cable packages, and one of the companies even had channels that played one signal half of the day, and a different one the other half (say, 12 hours of HBO, 12 hours of MTV). Luckily, my parents signed up for the one that had 24 hour single-signal channels, and it was like the 20th century had finally arrived.

Back to my Christmas celebration with Agustín, we stayed up all night eating all the leftovers without a care for the order in which we did so: cold cuts followed by ice cream with panetonne, then potato chips and cheese, drinking soda, etc. And we had a TV marathon, switching channels every few minutes... I swear we weren't drunk or on drugs, we were just two stupid teenagers having cheap fun. That Sting documentary? It must have played like three times during the course of the night, because every time we switched on MTV, it was there.

We watched bits and pieces of cartoons (Cartoon Network was all the rage), and movies, discovering Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (Louis 19, le roi des ondes), a movie we thought was French, but now I found out that it was Canadian... it's fun to see how this movie, about a guy who wins a contest and is followed around by a TV camera 24 hours a day, predicts reality TV by quite a few years. I gotta hunt it down and watch it again (of course, we did not watch the whole movie that night).

Oddly enough, I don't remember having heartburn or anything like that after eating all this food... ah, youth!

This time, music is obviosuly Sting. I chose Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot, from his 1996 album Mercury Falling, as Agustín and I let our whim be the pilot of the remote control that night:

https://youtu.be/9-5IIx4R6E8

08/12/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - The Ultimate Mixtape.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/309

Again, if the strip hasn't been coming out, it's entirely my own fault, but let's get a couple more out before the year ends, and I'll try to do better next year. My brother Daniel, eldest of our six siblings, and his wife Debbie always had an impressive music collection, and back in the early-mid 90s, they owned hundreds of CDs. Back then, those weren't that common here in Uruguay, but they brought lots of them from the US. Some had even been gifts from friends of theirs that worked at a record label and at a record store (Tower Records), so some albums they had (and even gifted or sold to me) were labeled "promotional copies, not for sale". I used to get music from bands that weren't well-known here yet... for example, I was listening to Oasis months before anyone knew them here. *adjusts hipster glasses*

In July 1995, I took a trip with my school (all 100+ of us in that grade) to the Iguazú Falls. It was my first big trip without my parents and family (there were teachers with us, of course), and my first really long roadtrip. Hours and hours by bus goofing around with my friends, seeing new places, natural and historical wonders, eating good food... I have very fond memories of that trip.

But my friends and I would have different sleep schedules while on the road, I knew, so I armed myself with my trusty Toshiba "portable cassette player" (not an actual walkman, since it wasn't a Sony), spare batteries, and several mixtapes I had recorded from the radio over the years (with my faifhtul Panasonic double cassette deck, of course). However, I needed extra music for the trip, so Daniel, Debbie, and I worked for hours to distill my picks from their collection into... THE ULTIMATE MIXTAPE! Choice tracks from my favorite bands, in a metal cassette tape... remember those? No, they weren't made of metal, but the tape itself contained metallic particles to enhance its magnetic properties. The highest-quality possible recording, made on my brother's carefully assembled music equipment.
.. and we recorded it in a high-speed format that my brother's deck could play, but my walkman couldn't. The ultimate mixtape sounded like it was recorded by Alvin and the Chipmunks on a co***ne bender.

Music this time goes a little bit against my policy of selecting songs from the exact year the strip is set in (at least when doing strips set more than a few years ago), but it's just by one year. In 1994, Nine Inch Nails released the album The Downward Spiral, which includes a song with lyrics that would make any mother blush... so here's Closer:

https://youtu.be/9-5IIx4R6E8

21/10/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - Good Samaritan.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/308

After some time away from the strip, we're back. I've got no excuse, because Lisandro has been turning the art in. The strip continues, and there's not much to say about this anecdote, other than I narrowly avoided another broken bone or grave injury. Thank you, sincere lady. Oh yeah, funnily enough, when I tripped and fell, I was on my way to do an "autobiographic strips" workshop with preteens and teens, so this gave me not only a story for a strip, but also an example for the workshop.

This time, the music is "Tubthumping", from the album of the same same name by Chumbawamba, because "I get knocked down, but I get up again":

https://youtu.be/2H5uWRjFsGc

05/08/2023

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/307

I've been wanting to see this strip drawn for a while, because it's one of those that break the "Jetpack" mold. Also, it's a cat strip! Well, you barely see the cat, but it's fun to see the Wile E. Coyote style blueprint. I have three cats, and I wish they could fetch me the remote or my phone when I've left it elsewhere than the couch, or even run errands... but they're cats. Plastic bag delivery to the upper floor of my house is the best I've managed.

Music this time is "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" (a jazz standard written by Eric Maschwitz and Jack Strachey), from 2015 album No One Ever Tells You... sung by Seth MacFarlane. I knew he made music, but I thought he only did comedy songs. Nope, he has a couple of jazz/lounge albums, straight up, Sinatra, Cole Porter, etc. In fact, this piece was sung by Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Yves Montand, Rod Stewart, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr, James Brown, and Bob Dylan. Live and learn:

https://youtu.be/cEepBo81AOM

07/07/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - In Darkest Knight.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/306

This strip was chosen by chance among the ideas I have writen down, months ago, but it turns out that in 1988 there was a horribly draught here in Uruguay, and ther is one right now, looks like it's even worse. I don't understand the technical difference between both situations, but back then there was no problem with drinking water, but it does affect electrical power generation (possibly because we've diversified our power generation sources, but we're experiencing critical issues with drinking water... you see, here in Uruguay, water suitable for human consumption is provided by a government entity, and it's a right that's in our constitution. Tap water has always been safe to drink.

Now, in our capital, Montevideo, and its metro area, where around 50% of the country's population lives, because of the draught, tap water is now coming from salt water. This has led to a high increase in the the levels of sodium and chlorine, among other subtstances, making it unfit to drink. Not only that, but it's also dangerous for people with high blood pressure, children, pregnant women, etc. We're spending lots of money on bottled water.

Anyway, I'm not going to dwell much on that (or on the political issue that makes the draught worse), I'll just tell you that in '88 I had to do my homework by the light of a kerosene lamp that glowed using an incandescent mantle. It gave off a greenish light, and I felt as if Green Lantern was lighting my night, so I brought my original (made in Argentina, but official) Super Powers Hal Jordan action figure. Years later, I found out that the mantle (a small, chemical soaked piece of fabric) is actually slightly radioactive. I am still waiting for my superpowers.

This time, music is Erasure's A Little Respect, from their 1988 album The Innocents, because I love it:

https://youtu.be/x34icYC8zA0

16/06/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - Esoteric Knowledge.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/305

You know, this isn't the first time someone asks me if I'm a professor. It must be the beard, and the fact that I'm old it was worse when I smoked a pipe. Now, I guess I could teach (although I don't have the patience for it), but I'd never be able to teach math. That's by far my worst subject, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with it anymore.

Music this time is John William's "Peace and Purpose", from the soundtrack to 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I absolutely love this film, it's my favorite of the sequel trilogy, and I wish Rian Johnson had been in charge of the last movie. This theme is part of an amazing scene (or scenes) that give Luke a great character arc ending:

https://youtu.be/8FviFi42Y4c

19/05/2023

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/304

There's not much to say about this one, just that my kid was 11 going on 12, and he wouldn't have been allowed in the theater, even with an adult with him. It's not that I thought there was going to be anything particularly unfit for him to see in Deadpool, since we raised him to differentiate fiction from reality, and the film ended up being pretty tame. Come to think of it, however, I don't know if he eventually saw it later (I know he didn't see it with me, because I haven't rewatched it), since he's not really a superhero fan... he'll go see the big Marvel and DC movies with me, but less blockbuster-y films with minor characters like Deadpool don't hold his attention much. It was more a case of the "lure of the forbidden". (Oh, sorry the strip is late, it's my fault, not Lisandro, who's already even drawn the next one.)

This time, music is Bunica Bate Toba (Grandma Plays The Drum), from Fanfare Ciocarlia's 2016 album Onward To Mars!, because Balkan brass bands are wacky fun:

https://youtu.be/Tg8jVwmmKzQ

08/04/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - Pride.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/303

I don't remember much (or anything) about my trip to Europe with my parents, so any stories I tell about it are from what they told me. In this case, we were visiting some friends of them in Madrid. It might even be the same place and time I met one of Uruguay's most famous writers, Mario Benedetti, and invited him to play with my "acshun figgers".

Music this time is "La C**a de Colores", from Siniestro Total's 1983 album Siniestro Total II: El Regreso. The song's name means "Color P**p":

https://youtu.be/XnmC0bhkHd8

27/03/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - I Can't Die Now.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/302

Back in June 2018 I broke my ankle, both bones, falling down a flight of stairs and landing on one foot with all my weight. Luckily, it was a clean break above the joint, altough I required surgery. I now have some titanium in my leg, turning me into a veritable cyborg! After they gave me the anesthetics (through a nasty injection to the base of my spine), they just left me on a gurney in the storage room while the drugs took effect and they prepped for the operation.

Discovering the labels in Comic Sans while high on the morphine they'd also given me was not a good moment. What's wrong with Comic Sans? It's not really a BAD font, although it's got bad kerning (the space between characters), but it's been overused to death, and there are tons of free great fonts you can use if you want to letter your comics. And if you're not lettering a comic, choose another font for your workplace fridge sign, please.

This time, music is It's A Sin, an Erasure cover by Ghost, from the deluxe version of their 2018 album Prequelle:

https://youtu.be/Y1lV4THTvFM

10/03/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - T-Dream.

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/301

I've told you about my grandpa Carlos before (Strip 175: https://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/266/), and here we are, sharing one of our favorite beverages, tonic water. I loved to have lunch with him and listen to his stories about his childhood, and after he died I learned about things he did as an adult, and I wish I could talk to him about that. I'd also love to listen to his stories with the perspective and knowledge I've gained since.

He was 83 or almost when he passed, and the other day my uncle and godfather, his last surviving child, turned 80. That really made me think. A lot has happened since my grandpa left us, like me becoming a writer and journalist... among other things, my grandpa was a high school literature teacher, and I'd love to talk about books with him, and have him read what I've written. Or ride a giant flying Mr. T together...

Incidentally, Lisandro's version of my grandpa looks more like my uncle. Too much hair, my bad for not sharing enough references. :> Also, I wonder if my grandpa was even aware of Mr. T's existence. I only remember him watching the news on TV, although he was a movie fan. When he was a teen, he painted signs for the local movie theater in exchange for free tickets, and an as an adult, he bought a film camera and made tons of home movies, from the late 30s to the mid-60s, some of which I have digitalized.

Music this time is The One and Only Mr. T, by Mr. T, from his 1984 EP Mr. T's Commandments:

https://youtu.be/R6aopM3pz6c

28/02/2023

My Life Without A Jetpack - Little White Lie...

(There's a typo, first caption should say 1995.)

http://nojetpack.thecomicstrip.org/comics/300

Debbie was my brother Daniel's wife, and she became another sister to me. Both her and my brother would share music with me, helping form my taste, she'd listen to me and give me advice, and she helped me dye my hair for the first time. I don't remember what my brother was up to this time that it was just the two of us out for dinner, but it's one of many memories of her that'll be with me forever. We lost her a few years later, and she's greatly missed.

This time, music is Walking Contradiction, from Green Day's 1995 album Insomniac, as I was a big fan of the band back then:

https://youtu.be/UymN5scMpZM

Clockwork Chap

21/12/2024

07/12/2024

29/10/2024

25/08/2024

29/03/2024

22/12/2023

08/12/2023

21/10/2023

05/08/2023

07/07/2023

16/06/2023

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