SerioComics 54 - A Fire Story / Monthly Gun Debate Update January 2024 / A Should We Buy A Gun? Update
SerioComics 54 - A Fire Story written and drawn by Brian Fies, published by Abrams ComicArts + Trump Executive Orders Affect Guns in America + Bill Burr has his copy of Should We Buy A Gun?, do you?
We’re back with SerioComics 53 + the January Monthly Gun Debate Update.
Plus a friendly reminder to click the button and buy Should We Buy A Gun?
You know you want to ;0
A FIRE STORY - SerioComics 54
This month I wanted to draw readers attention to a graphic memoir that’s relevant again right now with the fires in Los Angeles called A FIRE STORY by Brian Fies…
Early on the morning of Monday, October 9, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in 44 fatalities. In addition, 8,900 structures, including more than 6,200 homes, were destroyed. One of these homes belonged to author and illustrator Brian Fies of Mom’s Cancer.
In the days that followed, Fies hastily pulled together a firsthand account of his experience in a twenty-page online comic, entitled A Fire Story, that went viral…
Less than a year after the fire, Brian Fies expanded his webcomic into a full-length graphic novel, including environmental insight and the stories of others affected by the disaster.
As he did with Mom’s Cancer, Fies has taken tragedy and created art, illuminating his experience and crafting his story to make it universal.
Brian Fies
Brian Fies is an acclaimed American cartoonist known for his deeply personal and historically resonant graphic novels. His groundbreaking work Mom’s Cancer was the first webcomic to receive an Eisner Award, winning Best Digital Comic in 2005. The book also earned him a Harvey Award for Best New Talent and the Lulu Blooker Prize, with its German edition receiving the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize) in the Non-Fiction category.
Fies continued his success with The Last Mechanical Monster, an Eisner-nominated graphic novel, as well as Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?. His powerful webcomic A Fire Story, chronicling the destruction of his home in the 2017 California wildfires, was expanded into a full-length graphic novel and widely praised for its raw storytelling. In recognition of his contributions to comics, Fies was awarded an Inkpot Award in 2018.
Expressionistic
As we’ve seen with some of the coverage of the Palisades and Eaton fires this month, there have been a lot of direct video recordings of the fire.
But Fies’ account shows the expressionism of the fire, which conveys some of the emotionality of its effects.
And harkens back to German Expressionism.
Informative
Fies’ book is also very detailed and helpful in providing information about what happens if this happens to you.
But he does this in a digestible, relatable, and story-focused way.
Other Fire Stories
One of the most surprising yet effective elements of Fies’ graphic novel is how he includes throughout the book two-page layouts of other peoples’ fire stories.
These break up the narrative to provide a diversity of views of the situation and outcomes of the experience.
How A Fire Story Applies To Should We Buy A Gun?
I think both my book and A Fire Story have that unfortunate/fortunate quality of being endlessly potentially timely.
But they both allow us to learn from these perennial problems.
Something that I might have considered from Fies’ work was his breaking up of the story with other semiautobiographical or autobiographical gun stories.
Perhaps in the documentary or another edition ;0
GoFundMes
If anyone has a GoFundMe they want to highlight put it in the comments!
Monthly Gun Debate Update - January 2025
January has been a hectic month politically to say the least.
So this update will be quick.
Trump Closes White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention And Redirects Other Funds To Border
Amongst the many executive orders from the Trump administration, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention was closed.
This was a bipartisan group established by Biden tasked with carrying out the president's executive orders on gun violence prevention.
Some of what it accomplished under Kamala Harris’ stewardship includes creating state-level gun violence prevention offices and programs, so perhaps those will continue in those states or this might someday return on a federal level.
Trump also directed funds from The Alcohol Tobaccoo and Firearms away from regulation of gun sales and toward using ATF agents as officers that can arrest and deport people.
Kris Brown from The Brady Campaign critiques this choice in a similar way to the book we covered back in November’s Monthly Gun Debate about Ieva Jusiontye, Exit Wounds.
Which points out that American guns go south which creates violence there which brings more people coming here.
A Shuffle Synchronicity Story About Should We Buy A Gun?
If you read my other substack about how meaningful music coincidences can help us co-curate our lives.
You already received the rest of this post!
So buy the book and enjoy the rest of your day ;)
But if you’re just a SerioComics subscriber.
And you’re curious about how synchronicity is helping Should We Buy A Gun? potentially find influential readers…
And how utilizing kairos can help you too…
Read on!
1. What Is Kairos?
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right or critical moment'
In modern Greek, kairos also means 'weather' or 'time'
It came to my attention while reading Psychologist Chris Mackey’s Synchronicity: Empower Your Life with the Gift of Coincidence.
Mackey writes about how combining a moment of Synchronicity.
Something happening externally that’s meaningful to you internally.
With a moment of Kairos.
That is, quickly acting on your centimetre of chance.
Supports achievement…
I often write about the practice of Shufflemancy, shuffling for music synchronicities to help guide decisions.
But such synchronicities are of course never limited to music.
So I thought I’d share how Mackey’s practical use of Synchronicity has affected my life recently.
And therefore how it might positively affect yours!
Subscribed
2. How I Remembered Kairos Pairs With Synchroncity
For those that aren’t aware I published one of my life’s works.
My graphic novel SHOULD WE BUY A GUN? has been 11 years in the making.
And it’s available now!
Shuffle Synchronicities will be a book one day, too, spirit willing ;0
But the way that I have remembered to start practicing combining Synchronicity and Kairos is with the book’s outreach.
Yes, I have been reaching out via phone and email to bookstores, reviewers, and other graphic novelists.
But something new that I’ve been doing started by accident, a meaningful one.
I happened to notice one of my favorite musicians when I was walking by Kismet Rotisserie here in Los Feliz.
I normally would have let the moment pass.
But I stopped and went back.
And asked them if he had ever heard about the practice of Shufflemancy.
Which is the more popular name for my Shuffle Synchronicities practice.
He said he hadn’t.
But seemed genuinely interested.
And gave me his PR person’s email.
I told a friend about this and she had the suggestion of talking about Shuffle Synchronicities on her new podcast.
Which we were already planning on recording.
But didn’t due to the LA fires.
BTW, she just released the first episode of it.
It’s called The Woo Report!
And I highly recommend.
She’s a dear friend.
And I love her work!
I’ll save the rest of the reveal of my story with the musician for when our episode comes out soon…
3. How I Adopted New Preparation For Kairos and Synchronicity…
But after recording the podcast, I carried a copy of the book when I left the house.
I was planning on trying to film videos talking to random couples about the issue of the book.
But kept getting shot down.
But then I happened to notice Lisa Hanawalt walking down Hillhurst Avenue as I was walking up.
She’s a popular and beloved graphic novelist.
And also the person behind the animation design of BoJack Horseman as well as the creator of her own show Tuca & Bertie and much else.
I seized the Synchronicity and Kairos despite not usually doing that in the past.
Said something, like, “You’re Lisa, right?”
She seemed surprised to be recognized.
I continued, “You’re a genius at these.”
And I showed her my graphic novel.
“Can I give you this?”
She seemed genuinely impressed by the 330 pages and 11 years in the making work.
I asked if I could follow up via Instagram and she smiled and said Yeah.
She took the book and went on her way…
I did a shuffle and got…
Which is about finding the silver lining of love.
Despite apparent ‘bad timing’…
And I thought it was a very funny wink ;0 from the universe.
4. How I’ve Continued Kairos and Synchronicity…
The next day I got some more books delivered.
I decided to walk to Stories Bookstore in Echo Park.
And talk to them about carrying a copy of the book.
Halfway through the hour long walk I noticed a muralist repainting her work.
I thought and then said aloud.
“You’re an artist! You might dig this.”
And we struck up a 5 minute conversation about the book and her work.
She was impressed by the POD element.
And me by her dedication to her many murals throughout LA.
I told her I was on my way to Stories and she gave me her card.
I got to Stories.
And the person at the counter.
He said they are getting rid of their graphic novel section.
I asked if I could see what they carried if anything.
And he was right they only had like 7 graphic novels remaining.
It’s a small store.
More focused on their cafe sometimes, no shade jk, lol ;0
But I took the L and started walking back to my house.
I reached the mural.
And the artist was still working.
I told her the bummer about Stories.
She suggested Skylight in Los Feliz. And I said I was already on it!
But told her I was excited to see her favorite mural in Long Beach when I’m there on Thursday.
Then as I was walking away.
I turned back.
And was like, duh, when they said they don’t carry graphic novels, I said in my mind “Fuck ‘em’ I should give this to you.”
And she laughed and gratefully received the book.
I looked her up on Instagram.
And KatBing is like a world-renown muralist!
So the Kairos and Synchronicity kept flowing yesterday…
5. What Does Kairos and Synchronicity Feel Like?…
Today I had a Kairos and Synchronicity moment again.
But it was a stranger one.
I was sitting after finishing lunch.
With a copy of the book.
At HomeState.
I often get food there and walk right back home.
But I was enjoying the sun.
And I noticed a woman bring a number 38 sign for her order to her table.
Part of me wanted to talk to her about that number.
38 is an 11 like my life path but an 11 with a 8 (power) and 3 (funny) energy, not a 29/11 like mine which is 9 (humanitarianism) and 2 (romance).
Though I was born on the 12th which has 3 energy.
Anyway I could guess she didn’t seem like she would be interested in Numerology.
Maybe you aren’t either lol.
But the sun kept shining on me.
And it felt really good.
Normally I would be in a rush and just get up and go.
But something made me want to just stay there longer.
I could feel it in my body, the sun, slowing things down to a calm and contentment.
Just then I noticed Bill Burr walk into HomeState.
I was like OK here we go again LOL.
I went with the book to fill up my water.
He opened the door for me.
I said thanks.
He said sure.
Then he kept going.
I filled up my water.
Drank it.
He started to come back.
I said Hey man thanks for opening the door.
I worked on this for 11 years.
Can I give this to you?
He looked at the cover.
Bellowed:
“Liberals should buy fucking guns!”
Took the book.
And kept going.
I laughed.
Then went on my way as well…
6. My Shuffle Journal 2
My daily Shuffle Journal is now on two pages.
It was getting unwieldly after four months.
So now we have the old page for September - December 2024.
And a new page for months January - April 2025.
Check it out here!
Also please do consider buying your copy of the book!!!
I just did today’s Shuffle for the Bill Burr moment…
Q: What will this person think of the book, will he read, like, help or champion it?
You Dropped A Bomb On Me - 8 Bit Version | 8 Bit Universe | Volume 23
Instrumental/NA Lyrics
Co-Curation
Well, I dropped a bomb on him lol…it’s an 8 bit version which reminds me of animated video games and the book’s simple aesthetic…maybe the book will ‘turn him on’ as the lyrics say in the non-instrumental version…and his 8ness of fame, money, and power will help, champion, or just mention it on a podcast making fun of me lol….Between Lisa, KatBing, and Bill we’re planting seeds who knows what will grow…?!