I was chatting with a gaggle of university professors at brunch the other day. They recounted the myriad and often inept attempts by some students to pass off works by other people as their own. In some cases, it was a case of lifted paragraphs -- and it was painfully obvious which paragraphs they were because the writing syle and vocabulary changed radically (and for the better). One student didn't even bother changing the font from the text he had copied from the web. And, yes, one student didn't even see anything wrong with having used a whole essay that he had found, because he actually did the work of retyping it from a book. I tell you this, lest you think I'm overly harsh in the above cartoon.

This is the first Weltschmerz since March, 1996, that is not being printed in Eye Weekly. Naturally, I'm sad about it and am trying to find another Toronto venue. If you would like to see this strip in print where you live, please feel free to urge papers to pick it up. You can write something like what John Oswald did in a letter printed in this week's Eye: "Gareth Lind's Weltschmerz is the most consistently and subversively clever socio-political cartoon printed in North America." Every little bit of hyperbole helps.

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my comic book launch. The people who bought the book were universal in their praise (see John Oswald). But the problem was, not enough people bought the book. Maybe I didn't get the word out enough (self-publishing means self-promoting and I just don't have the time to do it right). Maybe people would rather read the comics online for free (they are all available here). In any case, I still have a big stack of boxes in my studio. Some bookstores no longer carry them, but they are available at those below or directly from me.

Still, since I am a glutton for punishment, I am slowly working on a new book -- 10 years of Weltschmerz, focusing on the characters more than the politicians. I am trying to edit it into something resembling a graphic novel, since I've heard they sell. And I'm about to pitch publishers. Wish me luck.

Ten years ago in Weltschmerz returns next week. I'm overblogged.

Retailers for Attack of the Same-Sex Sleeper Cells:

Toronto:
Pages, 256 Queen Street West (at John).
The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street (near Bloor and Bathurst)
Book City, two locations - 348 Danforth Ave., 663 Yonge St.
Hairy Tarantula, 354 Yonge Street (near Dundas).

Guelph:
The Bookshelf, 41 Quebec Street.
Macondo Books, 18 Wilson Street

Waterloo: Words Worth Books, 100 King Street South

Kitchener: KW Bookstore, 308 King Street West

Hamilton: Bryan Prince Bookseller, 1060 King Street West