News
Update on the Unamused Birds saga
By Pab, Feb 10, 2012, 3 PM
I put in an order for a short run of Unamused Birds with a different printer just for those who had pre-ordered Back in November. The printer quoted me a ship date of January 2nd. January 2nd came and went and I hadn't even been invoiced for the job. Finally, on January 26th, I cancelled that order and sprang for a full print-run of the book with my usual printer, Keness.
As of this morning I hadn't heard anything from the printer, so I called him a few moments ago. It turned out that his system never notified him of the order and he is going to run the proof today and ship it out to me for approval.
With luck I'll be able to fulfill the pre-orders in a couple of weeks and then put the book out for actual sale. My apologies to everyone for how long this whole thing has taken.
Her Majesty's World Tour 2012
By Pab, Feb 1, 2012, 9 PM
Plans are underway for Her Majesty's World Tour of comic conventions for 2012, offering you a chance to meet Pab and pick up exclusive TNAOQV swag
First stop, as always, is C2E2 in Chicago from April 13-15. Pab will be in Artists' Alley with copies of the newest collection, Unamused Birds, and reprising his role as The World's Crappiest Sketch Artist.
The next stop will be the Asbury Park Comic Convention in Bruce Springsteen's home town of Asbury Park, NJ, on May 12. Buy books, get crappy sketches, and challenge Pab to remember all the lyrics to "Blinded By The Light.".
Later dates (possibly including Baltimore and Toronto) will hopefully be announced at a later date.
Pab's new novel now on sale
By Pab, Je 2, 2011, 11 AM
Pab's debut novel, Go To Hell is now on sale.
When high school senior, football star, and all around jerk Ryan Harper is accidentally killed, the man he thought was a talent scout hands him a card: “Go to Hell, go directly to Hell, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.00.”
Once there, he is offered a fascinating opportunity: instead of burning down below, he can opt to join a new employment program they’re launching to compete with the whole “guardian angel” thing. He tentatively agrees, and wakes up in a new body, transferred to a new school, and with his first assignment: just stay close to his new classmate Amanda. That’s all he has to do, just stay close and let things happen naturally.
However, as he fends off bullies who make his new life as difficult as he made other kids’ before, deals with a bunch of goth kids who fawn all over him when he drops a pamphlet entitled “So You’re Dead, Now What?” near them accidentally, and faces the unintended consequences of a budding romance with his assignment, he discovers that he might just be along the wrong career path. Only Heaven, and a few lucky Community Chest cards, can save him now.
Go To Hell is available in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, Nook, and PDF formats. An audiobook version and versions for other E-reader formats are expected in the coming months.
Copies may be ordered at GoToHellNovel.com.
Store open again, RSS returning soon
By Pab, May 8, 2011, 8 AM
Our hosting problems seem to have finally been resolved. The store is back to its old self, and the RSS feed will be returning later today.
Sorry again about all of the problems, but the move to a new hosting provider was absolutely necessary.
The Real Housewives of Windsor: Now on sale!
By Pab, Mar 28, 2010, 11 AM
The fifth "New Adventures of Queen Victoria" collection, The Real Housewives of Windsor, is now on sale!
Relive Victoria's days as a wacky morning disc jockey! See Barfly the Cat and Schrodinger - together again for the first time! Eat your way through the Paula Deen cookbook and live to tell about it! Tesla's time travelling pocket watch, the world's most offensive ventriloquist act, and the irrepressible Lady GayGay...and more!
Also includes a new introduction by Mike Witmer, a new outroduction by Craig Wittler, and a recently discovered manuscript fragment from Shakespeare's lost comedy, from which the book takes its name.
Plus, a select few copies of Meet The Royals are back in stock. Take advantage of the limited availability by picking up your copies now!
New T-Shirt Designs
By Pab, Jan 9, 2009, 8 PM
Two new shirts are available through the TNAOQV T-shirt store at Spreadshirt.com.
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For lovers of Fuzzy Bunny Time you can get their adaptation of The Catcher In The Rye on a T-shirt. Show the world just what you think of this "classic" for just $16.00. Click here for the Fuzzy Bunny Time shirt. |
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If, on the other hand, you prefer Fumetto dell'Arte you can finally get the oft-demanded Fweep! Fweep! Fweep! strip on a T-shirt. Arlecchino will explain how he makes it through the day for everyone who stares at your chest for just $17.00. Click here for the Fweep! Fweep! Fweep! shirt. |
Of course, our Not Amused and Just Because You Die A Virgin... shirts are still on sale, along with variations thereon, at our Spreadshirt store.
YahOO!
By Pab, Dec 17, 2010, 9 PM
A slightly (by about 24 hours) belated welcome to people just discovering the strip from Yahoo! News. We're so happy to have you as part of the "Queen Victoria" family!
Cyber Monday Special
By Pab, Nov 29, 2010, Noon
Yes, I'm going to buy into the whole "Cyber Monday" nonsense.
For today only, pick up Suffragettes Gone Wild! for just $4.99 -- $4.00 off the cover price and $2.00 off our regular sale price!
Also, pick up one of the few remaining copies of Norton Hears a Who and Other Stories for just $2.99! That's $3.00 off our regular sale price -- more than half off!
An announcement
By Pab, Nov 5, 2010, Midnight
There are a few people who have taken offense at my use of the term "teabagger" to describe the extreme right-wingers who are in the process of taking over this country. A few have even been so bold as to try and have my strip pulled for its use of that term.
As amused as I am by the fact that a radical sect that claims to want to uphold the Constitution of the United States is so quick to act to try and stifle the speech of someone who opposes them, I am still concerned about their feelings. If they don't want me to refer to them by a term which they themselves adopted before they found out certain unsavory connotations of it, then I will bow to their request.
Effective immediately, I will no longer refer to the teabaggers in the strip as "teabaggers." I will only refer to them as "teahadist" or "teahadi." I apologize for the inconvenience.
Banned Books Week 2010 - Thursday.
By Pab, Sep 30, 2010, Midnight
As you may have noticed in the actual strip today, all of this week's strips are released under Creative Commons - Attribution. Feel free to disseminate them.
This one also doesn't need much commentary. You can get both books mentioned in the strip ( and ) by following the links.
Please be careful when following the links, however. Remember that Ethical Marxism might be too intellectually advanced for children, and Brown Bear might be too intellectually advanced for Texas bureaucrats.
Banned Books Week 2010 - Wednesday.
By Pab, Sep 29, 2010, Midnight
As you may have noticed in the actual strip today, all of this week's strips are released under Creative Commons - Attribution. Feel free to disseminate them.
If you don't believe today's item, go see for yourself!
Banned Books Week 2010 - Tuesday.
By Pab, Sep 28, 2010, Midnight
As you may have noticed in the actual strip today, all of this week's strips are released under Creative Commons - Attribution. Feel free to disseminate them.
I can't think of anything to say about To Kill A Mockingbird that hasn't been said better by other people, so I'll just say that if you haven't read it yet, go or if you have read it you might want to read by Mary McDonagh Murphy.
You might also want to look into the brilliant read by Sissy Spacek.
Banned Books Week 2010 - Monday.
By Pab, Sep 27, 2010, Midnight
As you may have noticed in the actual strip today, all of this week's strips are released under Creative Commons - Attribution. Feel free to disseminate them.
For the record, I found Twilight to be horribly insipid, trite, and with a prose style that could shatter glass at 40 yards. But it's still no reason to ban it, or any other books.
Against my better judgment, I feel obligated to point out that either individually or in .
And if you like Liz's shirt, you can find it at
Banned Books Week 2010 - Sunday.
By Pab, Sep 20, 2010, Midnight
As you may have noticed in the actual strip today, all of this week's strips are released under Creative Commons - Attribution. Feel free to disseminate them.
By the way, an updated It Can't Happen Here was going to be a miniseries on NBC in the 1980's. Network interference led to it being rewritten...as V!
You can buy
It's all in the family.
By Pab, Sep 20, 2010, 10 AM
Yes, Bob Sungenis is my uncle. (Actually, second cousin, but in an Italian family that's an uncle if he's older than you.) And, yes, even his family knows he is insane.
Get your face on the back cover of a TNAOQV book!.
By Pab, Apr 1, 2010, 11 PM
To raise the rest of the money I need to get Meet The Royals to press, I have a unique opportunity for TNAOQV fans. You can get your picture on the back cover of the book! Click here for more information!
Enter the 2009 Universal Domination Pick 'Em now.
By Pab, Mar 14, 2010, 9 AM
We're running another one of our spontaneous, poorly thought-out contests, with a March Madness theme.
If you'd like a chance to be one of five random people to win stuff from my desk or Kris Leeds' desk this time around, just click here for a printable version of today's strip and how to enter.
Entries must be received by Monday, March 30th, so move quick.
How do you say "up yours" in Mandarin?
By Pab, March 3, 2010, 5:00 PM
Chinese spammers are flooding my referrer logs with spam links, and sending tons of spam V-Mail through my site.
I'm in the process of blocking every IP address in China. If the Chinese government would like to spare me the work, however, I would appreciate it. Would posting these pictures get my site added to the Great Firewall of China?
Let's hope so.
Oops.
By Pab, January 23, 2010, Noon
The Washington Post is running a poll for "Webcomic Of The Decade." I'd appreciate a little support, just to get a decent showing. Please go here to vote.
Also, the big clearance sale has been extended. Pick up a copy of Suffragettes Gone Wild! for just $4.99, a framed print for just $5.99, or one of the remaining copies of We Are Not Amusing or Norton Hears A Who for just $1.99 each! (Sorry, I Can Has Empire? is now sold out.)
In addition, you can pre-order a copy of Meet The Royals, the new, improved, enlarged and expanded collection of books 1-3. Pre-ordered copies will be hand-signed, hand-numbered, and include a doodle from me proving that I can draw, albeit badly.
Go visit the TNAOQV store to check out the clearance offers while supplies last. Please?
And, of course, the strip's is always open, too.
Oops.
By Pab, January 21, 2010, 10 AM
Earlier today a "large" version of the strip was displayed instead of the regular sized one. This was an accident, based on saving the full-size, print resolution, version of the strip over the web-optimized, 600-pixel, version. Part of the problem with this is that it ran an ad right through the middle of the strip, resulting in a number of complaints.
The current problem has been fixed, and I hope to deploy a longer-term solution where the full sized version will be scaled down automatically if this happens again.
In the meanwhile, the big clearance sale is still going on. Pick up a copy of Suffragettes Gone Wild! for just $4.99, a framed print for just $5.99, or one of the remaining copies of We Are Not Amusing or Norton Hears A Who for just $1.99 each! (Sorry, I Can Has Empire? is now sold out.)
In addition, you can pre-order a copy of Meet The Royals, the new, improved, enlarged and expanded collection of books 1-3. Pre-ordered copies will be hand-signed, hand-numbered, and include a doodle from me proving that I can draw, albeit badly.
Go visit the TNAOQV store to check out the clearance offers while supplies last. Please?
And, of course, the strip's is always open, too.
Absolutely HUGE clearance sale going on right now!!
By Pab, January 16, 2010, 11 AM
I'm swamped with stock and in desperate need of cash right now, so I've got just about everything on sale in the TNAOQV store!
This week you can pick up a copy of Suffragettes Gone Wild! for just $4.99! The framed prints are marked down to just $5.99! And you can pick up one of the remaining copies of We Are Not Amusing or Norton Hears A Who for just $1.99 each! (Sorry, I Can Has Empire? is now sold out.)
In addition, you can pre-order a copy of Meet The Royals, the new, improved, enlarged and expanded collection of books 1-3. Pre-ordered copies will be hand-signed, hand-numbered, and include a doodle from me proving that I can draw, albeit badly.
Go visit the TNAOQV store to check out the clearance offers while supplies last. Please?
And, of course, the strip's is always open, too.
Welcome to Express Night Out readers!
By Pab, November 30, 2009, 11 AM
A very special welcome to readers of the online edition of Express Night Out, the free daily of The Washington Post. Glad to have you on board, and welcome to the "Queen Victoria" family.
If you're an editor or publisher of a free newspaper, college paper, or even a daily looking to spice your comic page with something occasionally smart, drop us some V-Mail and we'll be happy to get you set up.
Celebrate Black Friday with some new specials in the TNAOQV store.
By Pab, November 27, 2009, 12 PM
Avoid the insane crowds at the stores today with some new specials in the TNAOQV store.
First, save even more on our clearance special on the first three books with one handy click. Now you can get the first three TNAOQV books in a handy bundle for just $9.99. That's a 5% discount off our already marked-down price, and a whopping 45% discount off the original individual price. I need to clear these early books out quick, so help me out and save some money.
You can also save on our framed prints with our new 3-pack. Pick up a copy of one of each of our prints for just $19.99, a 17% discount.
And, finally, some news for those of you who prefer E-books. First off, Suffragettes Gone Wild! is finally available in a DRM-free, downloadable, PDF E-book format, as is a new, expanded version of We Are Not Amusing. All of our E-Books, including the two new ones, are just $1.00 each! Can you beat that?
Update on delivery of Suffragettes Gone Wild.
By Pab, November 20, 2009, 9 PM
If you haven't gotten your pre-ordered copy of Suffragettes Gone Wild, look for it in the next week or so. There was a snafu with the post office that sent a dozen of the books bouncing back to us today. I've solved the problem that caused the return and will re-ship the packages in the morning. Sorry for the delay.
More stuff for the Wikiassholes to read
By Pab, November 18, 2009, 6 PM
I, Paul L. Sungenis, as the creator of the above work and a representative of 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, LLC, do immediately release the above image into the public domain and authorize its replication and dissemination.
There, now if my fans want to put an image from my strip on Wikipedia, they can use this one and get around the idiot trying to block it. This is now officially a "free image."
Bite me once again.
HEY, WIKIPEDIA IDIOTS! READ HERE.
By Pab, November 18, 2009, 1 PM
A full, non-exclusive, license is hereby explicitly granted to Wikipedia, its parent company, Wikimedia, all editors of Wikipedia, and any and all derivitive not-for-profit works incorporating material from Wikipedia to reproduce episodes of The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria for encyclopedic, educational, informational, and other non-commercial uses, in low-resolution reproductions limited to no more than 480 pixels in width.
And "minor" is in the eye of the beholder. As far as I'm concerned, four trade paperbacks, 13,000 daily subscribers through a single service alone, and on-line syndication by one ot the largest cartoon syndicates in the United States is pretty fucking major. So bite me, Wikiassholes.
Last call for pre-orders and a BIG CLEARANCE CALE
By Pab, October 31, 2009, 1 AM
I'm up late going through the paperwork on pre-orders for Suffragettes Gone Wild. The books have shipped from the printer, and we're on course to make our November 10th shipping date, to get them in the pre-order customers' hands by the November 20th release date.
There are still a few of the limited-edition signed and numbered copies still not spoken for, so if you want to grab one, pop on up to our store and put in your pre-order now. This is your last chance to snag the autographed copies, not to mention getting your copy at the reduced rate.
And speaking of reduced rates, I've slashed the price on the remaining copies of the first three TNAOQV collections: We Are Not Amusing, I Can Has Empire?, and Norton Hears A Who And Other Stories to their lowest price ever: just $3.49 a copy. Once the stocks of these books are gone, they are gone for good. All three are going out of print, to be replaced by a new omnibus edition next year in a better format with lots of never-before-printed material. I can't get that ready to go, however, until I finish selling off my stocks of the first three books.
Pop on up to our store and take advantage of these opportunities, because they aren't going to last long.
Book 4 Now Available For Pre-orders
By Pab, September 15, 2009, 2 PM
HEY! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!I am now opening up pre-orders for the fourth TNAOQV book!
"Suffragettes Gone Wild!" will be available on November 10, 2009, but you can pre-order it now at a nice discount in our store.
List price for the book will be $8.99. My direct price will be $6.99. But if you pre-order it now, it's just $5.99.
This one is going to be a nice one. A new larger format (full "comic book" size instead of mini-trade), better quality reproductions (from better quality strips) and some of my favorite storylines from the strip's run so far.
I need 50 pre-orders to get this one to press, so as an incentive the first 50 pre-orders will all be sequentially numbered by hand and autographed by me personally. Nifty, huh?
Once again, you can pre-order it now for just $5.99 by clicking here!
We Aren't Gone Yet
By Pab, August 3, 2009, 9 AM
There's been a glitch at GoComics.com, who host and syndicate the strip online. As a result a number of features, including but by no means limited to Her Maj, have not updated for the past two days.
The homepage usually pulls the day's strip from GoComics' servers to cut down on my bandwidth costs. However, since it isn't showing up there, I've rewritten the page to pull the strips locally for the time being. Clicking on the strip above usually takes you to the current strip at GoComics, but for the time being it will just pull up a larger version of the current strip. Older strips are still available at the GoComics archives.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
As one way of apologizing, I've created a coupon in the TNAOQV store: 10% off any order of $10.00 or more. Coupon code CHEAPSKATE.
New Items and specials in the TNAOQV store
By Pab, July 26, 2009, 10 AM
There's new stuff in the all-new, revamped, TNAOQV store.
Now, in addition to the paperback and PDF versions of the first three Queen Victoria
books, we're offering framed prints of selected strips. You can get prints of The Many Moods Of Her Majesty
and Fweep, Fweep, Fweep
in nice wooden frames, suitable for hanging or drawing and quartering, as you prefer.
If you have a particular favorite strip you'd like to see framed, please drop me some V-Mail. I'll keep it in mind for the next batch.
And as a special incentive, through August 1st you can get $5.00 off when you buy all three Queen Victoria
paperbacks! Just enter coupon code BOOKS when you check out.
A Brief Update
By Pab, June 28, 2009, 3 PM
I wanted to post a quick update for everyone.
We now have a lawyer who is trying to head off the inevitable. He's fairly confident that he can negotiate some kind of deal to end the foreclosure, even if it's not going to be easy.
Last we had heard, they were pushing for full payment of $160,000.00+ (which annoys me since we only mortgaged $137,000.00 and had made over a years' worth of payments before all this started). He says that if we can put up about $30,000.00 (twice what I have on hand right now) they'll have no option but to reverse the foreclosure and resume our mortgage.
We're also trying to get them to sign off on a partial payment and spread the balance of our backlog over a couple of years. We have enough in income right now to not only survive but also to survive and resume our regular mortgage payments, but just can't cut through the backlog from when I was hospitalized.
I want to thank everyone here who has clicked the "donate" button on the website over the past week. Especially some people who have donated in the triple digits. I will be contacting everyone who gave personally very soon. The money raised won't get me completely out of trouble, but it's certainly going to help. It was at least enough to keep the lawyer on retainer and try to stop this.
I had no idea that so many people cared about the strip and/or me. Thank you all. Hopefully I'll be in a better mindset before the pre-made strips run out, and I'll be able to keep a roof over my head, and keep the strip going.
Here's hoping, at least.
And now, the bad news.
By Pab, 26 Je 2009 9 AM
Folks, I know I’ve joked before about how long the strip has to last (counting down until the expiration of my contract), but I need to be completely serious right now.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, the strip is probably going to come to an end very soon.
Back in 2007 I had three surgeries which, thanks to my losing my insurance earlier in the year, socked me for $250,000 in medical bills, devastating most of my savings. This started my major problems.
In December 2008 my mother’s house was destroyed in a fire. She had no insurance and no savings, and thanks to the medical bills neither of us had the credit to get a mortgage, so most of what was left of my savings went to put a roof over her head in an emergency.
These two events compounded the problems I had been having with my own mortgage, and I received word yesterday that a foreclosure on our house has been completed. Unless we can pay off the full amount of our mortgage very soon, we will be out on the street, probably in the next month or so.
As a result of this, I will most likely be homeless and obviously unable to continue the strip.
I’ve tried everything I could over the past several months to bring in money, but the strip pays literally next to nothing, I’ve been unable to sell any of my writing, and the few collectibles I have left just aren’t fetching the money they would have a year ago.
I’m literally out of time and out of hope. I have no feet left to land on.
I’m sorry to lay all this on everyone, but I wanted you all to know exactly what was going on in case the strip disappears. If/when it happens, it wasn’t uClick’s decision (they’ve been very supportive of the strip and I love them for it), nor was it one that I will have wanted to make.
Thanks for everything, folks.
Stand With Free Iran.
By Pab, June 15, 2009, 3 AM
Instead of another plug for this weekend's appearance at Wizard World Philly, just a quick note that the page's background color has been changed for the time being to green in solidarity with the protestors seeking to free Iran from the brutal dictatorship masquerading as a democratic system. To the people of Iran, stand strong. May true democracy prevail.
TNAOQV World Tour '09 update.
By Pab, May 30, 2009, 8 AM
A new date has been added to the TNAOQV World Tour '09! Double your chances to come by my table and laugh in my face.
The first of at the two stops on the TNAOQV World Tour '09 will be Wizard World Philadelphia June 19-21, 2009. Stop by table 87 in Artists' Alley, where you'll be able to get absolutely free autographs and engaging conversation, buy some Victoria stuff (including the third book, Norton Hears A Who) and have a chance to get your picture on the back of the forthcoming fourth collected edition of TNAOQV, Suffragettes Gone Wild!
Then, from August 7-9, 2009, you'll be able to find me at The Chicago Comic-Con once again. I'm thrilled to have been confirmed for this one after the very warm reception I got last year. I'll have more giveaways, more stuff for you to buy, and another chance to join the people on the back of the next book in Chicago as well. It should be a fun time for all!
Other stops, if any, will be announced as they are confirmed. Hope to see you all at (at least) one of them!
The TNAOQV world tour '09 kicks off, and about this week's story.
By Pab, May 19, 2009, 9 AM
The first of at least two stops on the TNAOQV World Tour '09 has been set. I've been confirmed for Wizard World Philadelphia June 19-21, 2009. Stop by my table in Artists' Alley, where you'll be able to get absolutely free autographs and engaging conversation, buy some Victoria stuff (including the third book, Norton Hears A Who) and have a chance to get your picture on the back of the forthcoming fourth collected edition of TNAOQV, Suffragettes Gone Wild!
I expect to be attending The Chicago Comic-Con again this year, especially after the very warm reception I received there last year. My booking hasn't been confirmed yet, though, so that might be subject to change.
Other stops, if any, will be announced as they are confirmed. Hope to see you all at (at least) one of them!
For the history impaired....
In our real, non-alternate universe, this is what happened....
George III died in 1820, although his brain checked out 10 years earlier. His oldest son, George the Prince Regent, finally got the job title along with the job and became George IV.
George IV’s only legitimate child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, died in 1817 while giving birth to a stillborn son. When George died, his brother William became William IV.
William IV was quite the baby-maker, although not so much so with his wife. His two legitimate daughters (Charlotte and Elizabeth) died around the time of Victoria’s birth.
Since none of William’s ten illegitimate kids with the actress Dorothea Jordan could rule, succession would have passed to William’s younger brother Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn. However, back in 1820 he didn’t wear his rubbers in the rain, caught cold and died. (Really. I’m not making that up.)
This left Victoria as the only surviving (legitimate) grandchild of the House of Hanover, and brought her to the throne.
All this continuity, however, would have proven too convoluted for J.J. Abrams, and he would have retroactively wiped it out to make Victoria William IV’s son instead, much like he used a time travel deus ex machina to cause Jim Kirk to be born three years early instead of his brother Sam, and kill his father.
Sorry, that part of the movie still annoys me so much simply because it doesn’t make any sense.
And speaking of the new Star Trek movie....
About Star Trek
My feelings for the new Star Trek film should be obvious from this week's storyline. However, for those who want to read more in-depth (and enjoy profanity), you can find the first two parts of my rant about the movie over at Why They Suck.
Copy of an E-Mail sent to Amazon.com this evening
By Pab, Apr 13, 2009, 11 PM
My name is Paul L. Sungenis, President and CEO of 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, LLC. I am the author of, and 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, LLC is publisher of, the following books:
- “We Are Not Amusing: A Collection Of The New Adventures of Queen Victoria,” (ISBN 978-0-557-03054-5)
- “I Can Has Empire?: The Second Collection of The New Adventures of Queen Victoria,” (ISBN 978-1-4357-0847-1)
- “Norton Hears A Who And Other Stories: The Third Collection Of The New Adventures of Queen Victoria.” (ISBN 978-0-557-03043-9)
I consider your decision this week to stop ranking the sales of books with Gay and Lesbian themes, regardless of actual content, by classifying them as “adult” to be insulting. I do not want my products associated with such senseless, bigoted, actions, nor do I wish to have a company that would treat their gay and lesbian customers (let alone content creators) in such a shabby manner incur any profit off of my creative works.
Therefore, you are instructed to immediately de-list and cease to sell the above-captioned books immediately. Until and unless Amazon reverses this insulting policy and issues a full apology, you do not have the right to sell my works.
Formal confirmation will be arriving through US Mail within the next few days. However, this revocation of the right to market will take effect immediately.
My apologies to all my readers for this inconvenience.
April Fool
By Pab, Apr 1, 2009, 8 AM
There's nothing wrong with your computer, or your RSS feed of the strip.
The strip above is Krazy Kat
from September 23, 1921, taking over the strip for this April Fool's day.
You folks shouldn't have needed to have me explain this.
Enter the 2009 Universal Domination Pick 'Em now.
By Pab, Mar 22, 2009, 9 AM
We're running another one of our spontaneous, poorly thought-out contests, with a March Madness theme.
If you'd like a chance to be one of five random people to win stuff from my desk or Kris Leeds' desk this time around, just click here for the entry form and how to enter.
Entries must be received by Monday, March 30th, so move quick.
Just in case....
By Pab, Feb 17, 2009, 2 PM
As everyone can see, I've decided to take on Wikipedia this week. Or, more specifically, the kind of people who make Wikipedia the unforgiving place it tends to be.
This morning, someone edited the strip's Wikipedia page to include today's (2/17/09) strip. Since the Powers That Wannabe at Wikipedia seem to get their jollies in deleting pages about the strip and myself as not notable
let me say two things right now.
First, although I am myself what some would call a copyright nazi
and aggressively protect my works, let me make it clear that I consider low-resolution reproductions of individual strips of mine for encyclopedic purposes to be fair use, and do not object to a few sample strips being included on Wikipedia, Comixpedia, or similar pedia
pages.
For those who don't want to accept that I'll consider small reproductions for encyclopedic reference sites as fair use on its face, who need further permission, written permission may be obtained for individual sites to use up to three strips, scaled down to no wider than 458 pixels (the size my strips that got uploaded to Wikipedia are, if you want to know where I got the number), by writing to:
Reprint permissions
2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, LLC
Post Office Box 543
Somers Point, NJ 08244
Second, just in case Wikipedia should decide to have a snit and deem Her Maj to once again be Not Notable
, I have archived her article as it existed this morning at this link. This way, Wikipedia or other-pedia users can use it to restore the article from scratch as needed.
Book 3 Now Available!
By Pab, Nov 28, 2008, 9 PM
I spoke too soon earlier this week! Instead of coming out Sunday, "Queen Victoria" book #3, Norton Hears a Who, and Other Stories, is now available! Lulu will have it available through bookstores and Amazon after the first of the year, but it's now available for direct order through this website!
The book is 71 pages long, and includes the best strips from the previous 12 months of Queen Victoria, along with a brief foreword and essay by myself. Click on the big green box near the top of the page to order your printed copy for $8.99 or a PDF download for just $1.00 right now!
Of course, books 1 & 2 remain on sale; you can buy book 1 through the link at the top of this website, and book 2 both through this site and through major bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com.
Book 3 Coming Sunday, November 30th!
By Pab, Nov 25, 2008, Noon
"Queen Victoria" book #3, Norton Hears a Who, and Other Stories, will be published by Lulu Publishing next month. The book will be available for order through this website, however, ahead of Amazon and other bookstores.
Readers will be able to order their copies of Norton starting the morning ofSunday, November 30th. Of course, books 1 & 2 remain on sale; you can buy book 1 through the link at the top of this website, and book 2 both through this site and through major bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com.
Pab to endure Fox News for 24 hours
By Pab, Oct 6, 2008, Noon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2008
Contact Pab Sungenis - 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters -
Cartoonist To Watch Fox News For 24 Straight Hours To Raise Money For Obama.
On October 18-19, cartoonist Pab Sungenis will be making the supreme sacrifice to help raise money for Barack Obama. From Noon, Saturday, through Noon, Sunday, the New Jersey-based cartoonist will be subjecting himself to one of the most intense forms of torture known to man.
"I am prepared," Sungenis announced on website Democratic Underground, "to watch Fox News for 24 hours straight" to raise funds for the Democratic Presidential nominee.
If Sungenis, creator of the comic strip The New Adventures Of Queen Victora syndicated by GoComics.com and co-creator/producer/head writer for the video podcast The Idiot Box, can reach his goal of $500.00 in donations made through his page at the Obama website, he vows to give up his weekend "subjecting myself to the horrors of whatever the Fox "News" Channel has to throw at us."
Sungenis promises to liveblogging and twitter throughout the event to try and provide some comic relief and allow his fans a chance to follow along.
"I'm willing to put my body and my sanity on the line for Barack Obama," Sungenis announced encouraging his fans to donate. "Will you do your small part by donating to help make this possible?"
Donations may be made through the Obama website at http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/foxyouobama and updates will be made at Sungenis' blog at http://cnx.com
To my readers: I'm so sorry.
By Pab, Oct 2, 2008, 10:05PM
To the readers of "The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria:"
I am so sorry for having inflicted, even in jest, Sarah Palin upon you for the past seven days.
After only making it about seventeen minutes into tonight's Vice Presidential debate, I finally understand what all of you folks must have been going through reading the strip this week.
The smugness, the arrogance, the vacant stare behind the eyes as she addressed everything to the camera, the evasion, and wost of all that smirk in her voice that makes you want to rip the hammer and anvil bones out of your hed and use them to pound your eardrum until it stops tormenting you so....
I am sorry for having inflicted this woman upon you.
Saturday her head explodes, and that is the last time she will ever be seen in my strip, no matter what happens in November. I apologize again for the horrors I have subjected you to, and will try to make amends.
Thank you.
Pab Sungenis.
Finally, an update!
By Pab, Sep 26, 2008, 5:45PM
Sorry for not having provided any news for quite some time. As you can probably see on your screen, this is for a good reason. This week marks the debut of my new project: a video podcast called The Idiot Box where we tear into old TV shows. Go give it a look.
Also, I'm hard at work on the next collection, Norton Hears A Who, which will be published by Lulu in November of this year. More details to follow.
Finally, I need to thank everyone out there who has pushed TNAOQV over 3,000 subscribers at GoComics.com! Thank you all so much!
Technical problems with GoComics
By Pab, Jy 29, 2008, 11:50AM
There seem to be technical problems at GoComics.com. A number of strips have not been updated even though the actual strips have been submitted on time, including "Queen Victoria." This has kept some people from seeing Sunday's, and everyone from seeing Monday's and Tuesday's, strips.
The uClick staff are aware the problem, and are working to fix it.
In the meantime, here are Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of this week:
Radio Interview Tonight
By Pab, Jy 14, 2008, 1:30AM
I will be interviewed on Get Over It, With Steve Tatz on WVLT-FM tonight from 7-8 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
Along with the usual political stuff Steve and I like to chat about when I hang out with him, I will be talking about Queen Victoria and other upcoming projects as the show goes along.
If you're in the Southern New Jersey/Philadelphia area, you may be able to pick up WVLT at 92.1 FM. If you aren't, the show will be streamed live on-line at wvlt.com, so you can listen in that way. I'll even be taking calls, so if you've got a question about the strip, or just want to say 'hi,' feel free to call in at .
Greetings from Chicago
By Pab, Je 27, 2008, 11:45PM
Hello to all from the Windy City. I'm signing at table 5812 in Artists Alley at Wizard World Chicago all this weekend. If you're curious, yes, that's the convention that Grandpa is supposedly at.
I have plenty of copies of both books (and a sneak peak at the cover of book number 3, coming this fall), and will be selling and signing them for all interested parties. I'll also be autographing anything you want to put in front of me, including other people's books, so stop back and say hi.
Special thanks go out, by the way, to the man who portrayed "Senator Clinton" in Grandpa's delusional world (actually, he's dressed as Granny Goodness), J.R. Jenks.. His blog has lots of great stuff up there, so stop by and give it a read.
TNAOQV to be at Wizard World, Chicago
By Pab, Apr 27, 2008, 11:30PM
I will be manning a table in "Artists' Alley" at this year's WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO convention from June 26th through 29th at the Donald P. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. I'll be there signing autographs, answering questions, and making a general nuisance of myself.
I will be selling (and autographing) copies of both trade paperbacks, a special "Wizard World commemorative" TNAOQV comic book, a few other knicknacks, and will be giving away pins and some other stuff. If you're going to be in Chicago that weekend, and will be attending the convention, please look up my table and stop by and say hi.
Also, according to the latest rankings, I am number 121 out of 142 at My Comics Page/GoComics Pro. If you like the strip, then you can help me out by signing up at MCP to receive it (and your choices of 141 others), and see if we can pull my rating up a bit. It costs just a little more than $1.00 a month and is the most convenient way to read TNAOQV and other comics. Go sign up now; you won't regret it.
Second Anniversary
By Pab, Feb 10, 2008, 9:00PM
I was surprised to realize last night that this past week marked the strip's second anniversary.
Thanks, everyone, for helping me make it to two years; I could not have done it without you.
Counting the Days
By Pab, Dec 26, 2007, 9:00PM
I got a V-Mail this evening commenting upon Vic's calendar reading "Only 365 Shopping Days Left!" on Christmas Day. It was, I felt, important enough to address on the main page instead of just the V-Mail page. Aimee said the following:
Next year is a leap year; the countdown calendar, therefore (in the Christmas Strip) should have gone from 1 to 366.
We were not amused!
(Sorry 'bout that. I can't control the inner nerd.)
Neither can I, Aimee, which is why I must point out that you cannot shop for Christmas on Christmas Day (at least you're not supposed to). That's why the calendar stated 365 shopping days left: from December 25, 2007, until December 24, 2008. The leap day was taken into account. Originally, the strip said "364" shopping days left, but I caught it before sending it out. But thanks for being observant.
And one last (really last) reminder that our 2008 Wall Calendar is still available for a limited time, so you might want to go pick it up. It's got 12 full-color TNAOQV Sunday Strips, 10 of which have never and will never be reproduced anywhere else! We also have a limited supply of our 2007 vintage Happy Humbug cards if you want to stock up for next year. Those items, and over 100 more, are just a click away in our new on-line store! Don't miss out!
Thank you for your contest entries
By Pab, Dec 22, 2007, 11:00AM
Now that the deadline has passed, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who entered the "Name The Offensive Bear" contest! The response was way beyond what I ever expected.
I'll be announcing the winner in the Sunday, January 6th, strip. Be sure to check back and find out what the bear's new name is.
And one last reminder that our 2008 Wall Calendar is still available for a limited time, so you might want to go pick it up. It's got 12 full-color TNAOQV Sunday Strips, 10 of which have never and will never be reproduced anywhere else! We also have a limited supply of our 2007 vintage Happy Humbug cards if you want to stock up for next year. Those items, and over 100 more, are just a click away in our new on-line store! Don't miss out!
Name The Offensive Bear Contest - Official Rules
By Pab, Dec 16, 2007, 8:00AM
My apologies for not yet having posted the official rules to the contest for some time. There aren't many of them, since this is mostly meant to be in fun.
Some restrictions apply. Employees of 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, uClick, Universal Press Syndicate, other Andrews McMeel Universal companies, and their families are ineligible. Winners will be determined by Pab Sungenis (the “cartoonist”) at his sole discretion, and we reserve the right to award or not award any prizes we see fit. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This is all done for fun, so don’t sue us. Okay?
Prizes: One grand prize winner will receive an autographed copy of the new New Adventures Of Queen Victoria trade paperback, I Can Has Empire?, and an indeterminate number of honorable mentions, chosen at Pab's discretion, will win something chosen at random from Pab's box of books to be given away, or a random item from his desk, whichever he can get his hands on faster when he packs your box.
All entries become the property of 2,000 Monkeys With Typewriters, LLC, because odds are no one else would want them.
The new paperback is out NOW!
By Pab, Dec 1, 2007, 7:45PM
The long vigil is over. The iron birds have come.
Excuse me. I'm having a Mr. Mike moment here.
What I meant to say is that I Can Has Empire? the long-awaited second paperback collection of Queen Victoria, is now available directly from its publisher. You can get to it by clicking here! It will be available through Amazon and your local bookstore some time in the new year, but why wait? Get it now for only $8.95!
TONS of new stuff in our NEW store!
By Pab, Nov 25, 2007, 11:00AM
Be sure and check out our all-new store by clicking the button above (or clicking here if you don't want to scroll up.
I've added over 100 new items in the past few days, including some new Liz-themed stuff, the TNAOQV 2008 Calendar and 2007 "Happy Humbug" greeting cards, and campaign materials for our upcoming "Grandpa For President" campaign!
It's all available now, just a click away. Don't miss out!
2008 TNAOQV Calendars Now On Sale!
By Pab, Nov 23, 2007, 3:00PM
We now have exclusive 2008 Queen Victoria calendars on-sale in our store!
To make these calendars "extra special," I hand-picked selected Queen Victoria Sunday pages, all in full color. Most of these strips will never ever be published in books or elsewhere, and can be yours in print through this special calendar. Some of the strips selected include:
- The LOLQueens
- The Clumpclumpclumpchingching Slinky strip
- Pokemonarch
- Osama The Understudy
not to mention eight others!
Be sure to stop by our store and order them while they are still available!
A special link this Thanksgiving
By Pab, Nov 20, 2007, 4:25PM
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, remember that thousands of Americans can't be with their families this Thursday. Whether you support the war or don't (I personally don't, if it hasn't been obvious) we shouldn't take it out on our servicepeople who are there through no fault of their own.
If you'd like to help some of these people who can't be with their family this week, the people at G.I. Phone Home ship calling cards over to our soldiers, sailors, and marines, so that they can call home and speak with their families.
A donation to G.I. Phone Home would be money well spent. If you can, please go to their site and kick a few dollars their way this week.
Clarification about this week's story
By Pab, Nov 16, 2007, 11:45AM
I just received a V-Mail from a reader which said:
Go easy on the screen writers. There's at least one who reads you.
In case it wasn't clear, let me point out here and now: I support the writers. That's what inspired this week's storyline. I think the big stumbling blocks (DVD residuals and payment for on-line content) are more than reasonable requests on the part of the writers, and the one thing fueling this strike is greed on behalf of the studios.
I'm a writer myself, including for screen and television. I'm not yet in the guild, but if I were I'd be out on the lines and not claiming fin-core.
As I've signed off most of these notes this week...go union!
Today's dialogue
By Pab, Nov 15, 2007, 8:18AM
Our "scab" strips continue. Today's dialogue is actually from a very historically significant strip.
Rudolph Dirks created The Katzenjammer Kids for the Hearst newspapers in 1897. When he wanted to take a vacation years later, Hearst fired him and replaced him on the strip with an artist named Harold Knerr. Dirks sued, and after a long legal battle, an interesting precedent was established.
The courts ruled that Dirks could draw his characters for anyone he wanted, but Hearst owned the name of the strip, since it had been created for him. So Dirks went to the Pulitzer newspapers with the Katzenjammers, now without a last name. Meanwhile, The Katzenjammer Kids continued on for Hearst, and is syndicated to this day by King Features.
Today's dialogue is from Dirks' very first strip for Pulitzer, June 7, 1914. Not having a new name for the strip yet (it would later become The Captain And The Kids) he just titled this one "HERE DEY ISS!"
Today's dialogue
By Pab, Nov 14, 2007, 11:12AM
Our "scab" strips continue. Today's dialogue is from the May 19, 1916 installment of Abie The Agent by Harry Hershfield.
Hope you're enjoying our close encounter with comic strip history this week. Go union!
Today's dialogue
By Pab, Nov 13, 2007, 1:06AM
Our "scab" strips continue. Today's dialogue is by that genius, the inventor of the modern comic strip, R.F. Outcault. To be more specific, it's from the July 5, 1903 episode of Buster Brown, entitled "Buster Brown's Double."
Hope you're enjoying our close encounter with comic strip history this week. Go union!
The strike, and today's dialogue
By Pab, Nov 12, 2007, 8:40AM
For the record, I am a writer, but am not yet in the guild. However, I do support the writers in their cause. Currently, writers get absolutely no cut of sales of their work on-line, and that is the main stumbling block between them and producers, so I think they're in the right.
If you're curious, today's dialogue comes from the April 9, 1905, episode of Happy Hooligan by Frederick Opper. Enjoy.
Help clean up Her Maj's Wikipedia entry!
By Pab, Nov 7, 2007, 12:45AM
If any of you are so inclined, the Wikipedia Entry for TNAOQV has gotten a little messy and unruly. It could use some cleanup and expansion.
Since the neutral point of view pretty much says you're not supposed to work on entries about yourself or your stuff, I'd appreciate it if some of you fans could work on the entry for me. I will grant permission to use any images from the strip in doing so, as long as they are properly credited.
Speaking of which, a special shout-out to Mark Tatulli, creator of Heart Of The City and the brilliant Lio for not suing me over Monday's episode. I love your stuff too, Mark. Wanna write the intro to the new book?
Finally, those of you in the greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey area are invited to listen to me this coming Saturday on WVLT, 92.1 FM, from 8-11 PM. I'm finally stepping behind the mike again, spinning discs live for the first time in eight years. Yay!
Thoughts on Peanuts
By Pab, Oct 22, 2007, 11:30AM
I'm having fun with the brouhaha around the publication of Schulz and Peanuts, the "tell all" biography of Charles Schulz that supposedly looks into his struggles with depression, alienation, and other character flaws.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that these revelations only underline how much of a genius Schulz really was, and how he overcame what to many other people could have been crippling obstacles to be one of the most famous and successful cartoonists of all time.
I'll let most of the week speak for itself, but I did want to excerpt some of my own writing here. This is from a PaBlog entry earlier this year entitled "Why Charlie Brown Always Makes Me Sad."
[You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Original Off-Broadway Cast] was my first "non kid" LP, even though it was given to me as a kid. It was given to me by Eric Kidston, who was the 19-year old son of the people who owned the corner gas station in my neighborhood. My family and the Kidstons were very good friends. Eric got me into Scouting, for example, even helping me get in on a technicality because under the age guidelines I wasn't old enough to join but schoolwork-wise I was.
So here was I, 11 year old comic strip buff, being given out of nowhere an LP recording from Eric's own collection of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. I was thrilled. I sat at my record player and started the long process of wearing the grooves thin. I loved it. I memorized nearly every song.
It wasn't until a couple years later that I pieced together why he gave me that record. I found out that later that night was the night Eric killed himself. My record was one of the things he chose to give away before he died, to help knit up loose ends.
For years, I've always loved that show but not for the music (which is simplistic) or the subject matter (pabulum) or the lyrics (very witty, but not as witty as Schulz's own words at times). It's a childhood memory of a lost friend, one whose own inner demons and depression made him pull himself out of the game.
As a result, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown has always symbolized, if not personified, broken dreams and wasted youth. I look at and listen to the show (which I'm still addicted to) through much different eyes.
Now with that thought in mind, go back and re-read Peanuts from the beginning until around 1960. It will open your eyes.
Today's strip (10/21/07)
By Pab, Oct 21, 2007, 11:30AM
I know today's strip isn't funny, but please forgive my dealing with one of my pet issues. The funny returns tomorrow. I promise.
Some original artwork to go on sale shortly!
By Pab, Sep 3, 2007, 11:30AM
Happy Labor Day everyone.
In an attempt (a very small attempt) to offset my upwardly-spiralling medical bills (what a time to find myself uninsured) I'm going to be offering some of my original artwork from the strip on eBay in the upcoming days.
What's that you say? How can a cut-and-paste strip have original artwork? Well, while most of the elements in the strip are manipulated photographs, there are some pieces that I did draw myself and scan in to use. "Aleister" from this week is a good example.
I'll start them ridiculously low, with minimal shipping costs, just to get something coming in and to help share the Victoria experience with fans. Each piece will include an autograph, a certificate of authenticity (including a copy of a strip including the art), and my gratitude.
Look for the first two, "Barak The Censorship Fairy" and "Aleister The Cuddly Zombie Bunny" to go up later this week or early next week. I'll have links to the auctions here when the time comes.
In the meantime, if you want to help with my bills, you can start (and get something for your trouble) by shopping in the New Store Of Queen Victoria or by buying a copy of We Are Not Amusing if you haven't already.
Ta for now.
The Queen Victoria of Earth-Hostess rears her ugly head
By Pab, Aug 26, 2007, 8:00PM
Hey, folks! Back from the hospital. Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes. The strip should be back up to speed later this week.
This week's sunday page (here if you missed it at the top of the page) should seem familiar to people of my age group. Growing up in a comics-reading household, I cut my teeth on my mom's old Dell and Harvey comics collections (I can't think of how many old Carl Barks classics deteriorated in my grandparents' attic and are now lost to me forever) before graduating to Charlton and DC comics.
One recurring theme in those classic comics of the 1970's were the sometimes full-page ads for Hostess pastries. I never ate Hostess (growing up in the Delaware Valley I was, and still am, strictly a TastyKake man, and will probably even be giving TastyKake gift packs away at my wedding this fall, all these years later) but I loved those ads. They were about on par with the rest of the book art-wise, and even if the writing was cornier than Special K it was still lots of fun to think that the way to take down the Joker was just to lob some Twinkies at him.
In DC, Earth-1 was home to the Justice League (I always wanted to be Green Lantern), Earth-2 was home to the Justice Society (where I always wanted to be The Flash), Earth-3 the evil Crime Syndicate and so on. Some collectors started referring to those Hostess ads as taking place on Earth Hostess, where Fruit Pie the Magician was an even more powerful sorcerer than Zatanna ever could hope to be.
I picked up on the campiness at an early age, too. Going through same grandparents' attic last year, Bryan found at least one "comic book" I wrote and drew back at the age of 8. If I'm not mistaken, it might be one where I used one of my characters (Pinksmith the Parrot, my rip off of Zatara and Zatanna) to do Hostess ads. I don't know, I haven't had the heart to look at it since I first drew it.
Now, with DC bringing their multiverse back along with other remnants of my shattered childhood, I pray that somewhere, out among those tiny little specks of blue, Earth-Hostess made the cut. Today is my homage to a more innocent, if not less commercialized, time.
Oh, and if any of you are wondering, the rude thing that Oscar Wilde said to Edward is
Classic Queen Victoria while I recuperate in Hospital
By Bryan, Aug 12, 2007, 12:00AM
Hey, folks! This week is going to be a little different. We're going to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the classic strips from before Queen Victoria was on gocomics.com! Pab is currently in the hospital, so these classics should hold you over. Just remember, it's not a rerun if you've never seen it before: "It's new to you!"
More garbage from LiveJournal, and more.
By Pab, Aug 5, 2007, 11:45 PM
LiveJournal is at it again, censoring stuff they don't agree with, ranging from fan art to reviews of the latest Harry Potter book.
It's arbitrary. It's stupid. It's ridiculous. This week's strips are all about that.
Otherwise, all I have to say to Six Apart is a great quote from Frank Zappa: "No one looks good wearing brown lipstick." Take that as you will. The funny will resume next week.
Oh, and I do still have a couple of autographed copies of We Are Not Amusing available, and can order more if need be. If you'd like one, click on the button below to order one. If you'd like personalization, either use the comment fields in PayPal (if they even have them any more) or send me an E-Mail or V-Mail with what you would like in the book. Thanks!
Autographed copies of We Are Not Amusing.
By Pab, Jy 27, 2007, 11:15 AM
I received an unusual request today. A reader sent me a V-Mail comment asking how he could go about getting an autographed copy of We Are Not Amusing. Since he didn't include his E-Mail address, I'm responding here.
Honestly, I had never even considered the possibility, and hadn't kept any copies of the book on-hand for such purposes. I am, however, always willing to oblige. I've ordered a small stock of the book for autographing, and am willing to sell them for, essentially, my cost.
I'm charging $10.00 for an autographed copy of the book, which covers the cost of the book, my shipping costs to have it shipped to me, and the cost of shipping it out to you US Media Mail. Turnaround time might be a little slow, depending upon the volume of orders and if I have to order more copies of the book.
If you'd like an autographed copy, click on the button below to order one. If you'd like personalization, either use the comment fields in PayPal (if they even have them any more) or send me an E-Mail or V-Mail with what you would like in the book. Thanks!
TNAOQV Justin Thompson's "Pick Of The Week" on Comics Coast To Coast!.
By Pab, Jy 15, 2007, 8:49 PM
Justin Thompson, creator of Mythtickle chose The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria as his pick of the week on this week's edition of Comics Coast To Coast! As a regular reader of Justin's strip, I'm very grateful for his kind remarks about mine.
I think my favorite comment on the feature came from his fellow host Tom Racine (creator of Booksmarts on GoComics and MyComicsPage.com). "When I first came across it, I was like 'oh, this bastard can't even draw'...but it's like 'oh, this bastard can write!'" Thank you, Tom.
I listen to CC2C every week. If you aren't yet, you should. Go subscribe at their website.
Oh, and you Mythtickle readers who can't find it on Comics Sherpa any more, check our links page (or click on the link above) to go to Justin's new site at comicsz.com.
Happy 777 Day, Everyone! And why I hate MTV.
By Pab, Jy 7, 2007, 7:58 AM
Quick little anecdote about today's strip.
My former comedy writing partner, Ronnie Motta, worked in television for a short time. He worked on such shows as Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Saturday Night Live. Though she'll probably deny it, Tina Fey based the annoying assitant character on 30 Rock on him.
Ronnie left television after a particularly unpleasant producing job at MTV. Since then I've barely watched the channel myself, with good reason.
Ronnie now works as a fact-checker at Playboy. Insert your own punchline here.
Follow-up to last week's story
By Pab, Jy 2, 2007, 7:58 AM
For those of you who liked last week's storyline, take a look at You'll see that, in fact, I wasn't joking. (Well, not all that much.)
Those of you who didn't like last week's story, watch that video then think again.
Something else for you to read
By Pab, Je 29, 2007, 9:03 AM
When I was first introduced to Frog Applause, I said "OMG! WTF!" (You can tell I'm thrown off-balance when I start speaking in acronyms.) However, over the past several weeks it's grown on me.
True, maybe part of it is that, like TNAOQV, it's a non-traditional strip, but the complete and total randomness of its text is refreshing in this gag-a-day world. You will not laugh (at least not often), but it's excellent brain candy.
Frog Applause is available, like TNAOQV, 44 Union Avenue, Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog, and other great strips at goComics.com and MyComicsPage.com. Also be sure to check our links page for other amazing comics you might not be reading.
Oh, and before I forget, we have a new recipe up, and be sure to pop into our forum and let us know what's on your mind, whether it's opinions about a day's strip, or whatever's going on in your life.
New V-Mail up
By Pab, Je 25, 2007, 9:38 AM
Just letting you know that we have a new V-Mail page up, answering some select mail we've received over the past month. Feel free to leave some mail of your own, and it might be answered.
Also, be sure to pop into our forum and let us know what's on your mind, whether it's opinions about a day's strip, or whatever's going on in your life.
Links Page Updated
By Pab, Je 8, 2007, 9:38 AM
Hey, folks, just a quick note to let you all know that the links page has been updated with the new location for Mythtickle and two podcasts: Comics Coast To Coast, arguably the best (if not only) podcast about comics both print and web, and The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd by my friend, Grant Baciocco. Both are well worth a listen.
I'm hoping to get back in the kitchen and experiment some more, so hopefully we'll have a new recipe up soon. My last concoction didn't live up to expectations, so it's back to the drawing board.
Otherwise, have a good week, and I'll talk to you soon.
Statement about censorship on LiveJournal
By Pab, May 30, 2007, 9:45 PM
Most readers will already know that TNAOQV started on LiveJournal. More specifically, it started on my personal journal, then moved off into one of its own after only a few weeks.
I was proud to call LiveJournal TNAOQV's home, and would still have it up there if I hadn't signed my deal with GoComics.com. In fact, my new comic, Nutshell is still up there, at least until I can finish a new page for it. I always saw LiveJournal as a great creative outlet, and a bastion of free speech on-line, even if I didn't like (and occasionally lampooned) some stupid actions by their parent company.
That ended today. As you can see in this article on C|Net, LJ today deleted tons of journals and communities not because they contained illegal activity but because they mentioned some actions like incest and pedophilia in their interests. This actually ended up taking out communities and journals dedicated to victims of these crimes. This was all because one militant group of Talibornagains decided to persecute people they didn't approve of, and chose a very scattershot way of doing it. Even Harry Potter fandom communities were struck down because some of them included, as the British (and J.K. Rowling herself) would put it, snogging.
SixApart, LJ's parent company, made no effort to get this group to justify their complaints, took no steps to alert people involved, made no attempt at verifying the legality or illegality of the content of any of these journals or communities, and made no statements on the matter. They just caved in.
I'm not defending pedophilia or incest by any means, but this action goes well beyond the proper way of dealing with these issues. The blogs and communities that actually contained illegal content should have been turned over to law enforcement authorities, to allow them a chance to bring the offenders to justice. Wiping out survivors' blogs and support communities for victims of incest was just plain wrong, and hacking down fanfic communities was just stupid.
Please, people, do us all a favor and remember what America is supposed to stand for. Just because we don't like something doesn't mean that we can't talk about it. In fact, I think it's important that we do talk about it, because otherwise issues will go unresolved. Please oppose censorship in every way that you can.
That is, of course, while they still allow us to.
TNAOQV In The News
By Pab, May 24, 2007, 7:45 AM
A very royal shout-out to the Rockford Register Star in Rockford, IL, who gave a shout out to Queen Victoria and her cohorts last Thursday.
With an entirely different kind of wit and a cast of oddball familial characters, TNAoQV introduces this anachronistic lady (born in 1819, died in 1901) to the modern world’s pop culture. With son Edward, best friend Liz and new friend Mary in tow, she bravely fights against impropriety, the French and any number of bizarre situations with typically catastrophic outcomes.
It's always nice to be acknowledged. Now if they'd only pick up the strip. (Feel free to E-Mail them and suggest it!)
Gee, maybe if I get a second write-up, I'll finally be allowed back into Wikipedia.
Happy Victoria Day!
By Pab, May 21, 2007, 10:28 AM
...and welcome back to The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria! It is Victoria day in Canada, so it's especially appropriate that today marks the relaunch of the strip, and its arrival at GoComics.com.
For those of you just joining us, it's great to have you on board. The strip will be here seven days a week for your enjoyment. You can also find the strip every day at MyComicsPage.com, along with over 100 other strips that can be E-Mailed to you each day for less than $1.00 a month.
If you want to use an RSS aggregator to read the strip, you can either use to be taken to GoComics' page for the strip each day, or this feed to have the actual strip fed.
If you go to the strip's page at GoComics.com there's also a form you can fill in to have each day's strip mailed to you absolutely free, as well as links to E-Mail the strip to friends so you can share the love with them.
In other news, there is a new recipe up this morning for your enjoyment, and I expect to have some new stuff in the store later this week. Please feel free to send some V-Mail if you have any questions, or anything you want to say that you're not afraid to share with our other readers.
Welcome back, and enjoy!
Launch is tomorrow!
By Pab, May 20, 2007, 12:54 PM
The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria launches at GoComics.com and MyComicsPage.com tomorrow, Monday, May 21st, with all new strips for your enjoyment seven days a week!
If you look up on the page and no strip is showing, it's because part of the preparation for the launch is changing this website back from the "random strip" mode it's been in since April to showing each day's strip. Since there is no strip for today (obviously), there might be nothing to show if I've already changed the site's files over. Be patient, and the strip will be back there tomorrow morning.
In the meanwhile, you can click on the "archive" button at the top of the page to read the last 30 days' worth of strips over at GoComics.com. If you're a member of MyComicsPage.com, you'll be able to access the full archive all the way back to last February in addition to having each day's strip E-Mailed to you.
If you want to use an RSS aggregator to read the strip, you can either use to be taken to GoComics' page for the strip each day, or this feed to have the actual strip fed.
If you go to the strip's page at GoComics.com there's also a form you can fill in to have each day's strip mailed to you absolutely free, as well as links to E-Mail the strip to friends so you can share the love with them.
Over the next few weeks I hope to refresh a lot of the material on this site, get some new stuff in the store, and lots more stuff to come. Thanks, everyone, for making the strip successful up to now, and now it's back to work.
TNAOQV on GoComics goes LIVE on MONDAY
By Pab, May 18, 2007, 5:15 PM
Everything is finally in place, and The New Adventures Of Queen Victoria restarts this coming Monday, May 21st, 2007, the same day it launches at GoComics.com and MyComicsPage.com!
I'll update on Monday with all the details about the many new options you'll have for reading the strip, and hopefully some new recipes or V-Mail for you, too.
Thanks, everyone, and it's good to be back.
Latest news
By Pab, May 10, 2007, 7:50 PM
I'm still waiting for things to be finalized over at GoComics. It's all come down to one guy who still needs to set up the server side of things for the strip, and he's been away, apparently.
There is a new strip up at the old LiveJournal page; you can see it by clicking on the "Archive" button at the top of the page, if you're curious.
Please stay tuned, and I will post news as soon as it's available.
Where do we go from here?
By Pab, April 13, 2007, 12:15 AM
Hard to believe there are just two more strips in the initial LJ/Sherpa run of TNAOQV.
I'm still waiting for my "go live" date at GoComics, and word on when I can load the archive in there. Rest assured that once I know when I start, and where I'll be, I'll spread it around.
Three things I know that I can tell you.
First, if you've friended "tnaoqv" on LiveJournal, please stay friended for now. I'll send out a message with updated information as soon as I have it. This will include addresses of the new strip's RSS feed and E-Mail feed. Also, right before "Nutshell" launches, I will change the name of TNAOQV's LJ to reflect the new strip, and that journal will start feeding the new strip on May 24th. This way, those of you who don't like the new strip can just unfriend the journal then. Those who want to keep reading it can just stay friended.
Second, I don't know how often I'll be able to keep this page updated. I have to check with uClick and see what restrictions I would have with putting the strip up here. Plus, it will help me out if as many people as possible actually read the strip at GoComics instead of here. However, until I have more information (and go live at GoComics) this page will (starting Monday) feature a random strip from the archives each time you access it. This way, you'll at least have something interesting to look at while waiting for news.
Third, I do know for a fact that TNAOQV will be available through the My Comics Page service, along with over 150 other great features. You can get Queen Victoria and your choice of other strips mailed to you each day, or assembled on a custom webpage for easy reading. All for about $1.00 a month. They even offer a 14 day free trial, so you can see if you like it or not. Give it a spin.
Again, I'd like to thank everyone who has made "Queen Victoria" the unexpected success it has become. Today's strip is one of my favorites, by the way.
About the cats
By Pab 4/11/07 12:54 PM
A few people have asked if the cats in yesterday's and today's strips are from my upcoming strip "Nutshell," and what their names are.
For the record, the names of the two cats are (from the left) Lewis and Ev, and they are not from "Nutshell." They're from a comic strip I did as a kid, which was pretty much only for my own consumption. As you can see by the quality of the drawings, I don't really have any artistic ability with pen and ink, which is why I stopped drawing comics until I discovered photo manipulation software, allowing me to use photographs instead.
Since this is the last week the strip will be at Comics Sherpa and on LiveJournal, I decided to throw caution to the wind and have a few inside jokes in this week's strips. If you're wondering, since I had to draw the Johnny Hart semi-tribute on Monday I did need to bump a strip from this week's storyline. It was the one that was going to run today, and it was a final swipe at one of LiveJournal's policies. Yesterday's was going to run Monday, and today's was to run yesterday. The rest of the week are some high-concept bits I wanted to do, so if they don't strike you as too funny, I won't be surprised.
Stay tuned for information about the launch date at GoComics.com, and information on getting the strip after the move. I've been told that there WILL be E-Mail and RSS services available, and the strip will also be available through MyComicsPage.com, which will not only E-Mail you TNAOQV but your choices of over 150 other comics every day for about $1.00 a month. Stop up at MyComicsPage.com for more information on that service.
SiteMeter and spyware
By Pab, April 9, 2007, 2:45 PM
As some of you might have noticed in the past, this page (along with the page at Comics Sherpa) have been using SiteMeter to see who is coming to the page, and from where. We've never intended to sell any of this information or use it in marketing; I've only ever used it to satisfy my own curiosity.
Today I found out through my friend Tom Smith (a very funny musician) that SiteMeter has sold out to spyware companies, and has been placing as many as 9 different cookies at a time on machines of people who visit SiteMeter-equipped pages.
This afternoon I removed SiteMeter from all TNAOQV related pages and sites. I'm now gathering stats through StatCounter, who turned down the same offer that SiteMeter accepted from the Spyware people. I suggest you scan your machines immediately, and apologize for any inconvenience this site may have inadvertantly caused any of you. Rest assured that your privacy matters to me, and I will not sit idly by when it is betrayed.
TNAOQV Syndication Deal
By Pab, April 4, 2007, 7:15 AM
I've been chomping at the bit to announce this. It's been in the works for months, became official last week, and was just formally announced tonight so I'm finally free to discuss it.
Last week I signed a three-year deal with GoComics, the online division of Universal Press Syndicate. GoComics has agreed to distribute The New Adventures of Queen Victoria, and I will be developing other features which GoComics will have the option of picking up.
The current Comics Sherpa and LiveJournal feeds of "Queen Victoria" will come to an end next Saturday, April 14, 2007. Preparations are already underway to move the feature onto gocomics.com and mycomicspage.com (we're preparing the strip's archives for migration right now and while we don't have a firm "go live" date for the strip at the moment, I expect it to be up and running before the end of next month. After it goes live, "Queen Victoria" will be available on the gocomics.com web page, through the My Comics Page subscription E-Mail service, and will be sharing an on-line home with such features as "Garfield," "Doonesbury," classic "Bloom County" and "Calvin and Hobbes," and "For Better Or For Worse."
The next part of the big announcement is the coming launch of my second feature. Kris Leeds and I have been developing a new comic strip called "Nutshell," which I hope will live up to the high standards for witty writing, surreal humor, and quirkiness set by "Queen Victoria." Current plans are for "Nutshell" to launch Monday, May 21st, in the LiveJournal and Comics Sherpa spaces vacated by "Queen Victoria." I'm hoping you'll all give it a look, and I hope it will meet with your approval.
I'd like to thank everyone who has made "Queen Victoria" the unexpected success it has become. From a private joke only meant to amuse myself to worldwide syndication in just a year, and almost all of it by word of mouth. Thank you one and all!
Site layout changes.
By Pab, April 3, 2007, 12:01 PM
I ended up completely rewiting the site code today to make it more manageable, more flexible, and more dependant on style sheets than the old layout I had been using. (It's hard to unlearn everything you've learned about site design and HTML coding.)
Thanks to everyone for their patience while the site's been more or less fluid. Things should settle down for a bit now, letting me get back to work on the links page.
If you haven't yet, be sure to check out our forum, our recipe page and our V-Mail page!
New Recipe up.
By Pab, March 31, 2007, 1:15 PM
"Mary's Immaculate Confections" is now up, marking the beginning of our new recipe club!
If you'd like to contribute a recipe for the club, or just for other people to share, feel free to post it in the forum.
V-Mail is up!
By Pab, March 31, 2006, 1:13 AM
The V-Mail page is up, and our first letter asks about Her Maj's opinion on her portrayal on a certain TV show, and why a rock band that sang about her never got their guest shot in the strip.
If you'd like to leave V-Mail with comments or questions, and run the risk of having them answered on the page or in the strip, click on the V-Mail button at the top of the page.
And, yes, you will have a recipe tomorrow and links coming shortly. Patience and courage.
New Item in the Store.
By Pab, March 29, 2007, 5:34 PM
I really couldn't resist this one.
After preparing the image that will be going on Mary's Immaculate Confections, I had to stop up at CafePress and design this apron quickly.
You can find it, along with other TNAOQV merchandise, in our store!
Forum Working Again.
By Pab, March 28, 2007, 8:45 AM
The migration to the new server is complete, all of the problems have finally been debugged, and I'm pleased to say that the forum is not only functioning again, but all the posts and accounts were salvaged.
With luck I'll get the rest of the page (yes, including 'Immaculate Confections' for those who are curious about it) by the end of the week. Courage.
Forum Temporarily Down
By Pab, March 27, 2007, 5 PM
The need to move the site to a different server (already!) has meant that the forum is down for the time being.
I'm going to try and save the configuration, but I doubt I'll be able to. If you have to recreate your forum account, please understand why.
Page Coming Together Piece By Piece
By Pab, March 27, 2007, 1 PM
The page is now half-functional. The 'News,' 'Forum,' 'Archive,' and 'Store' links are all up and running, and I thought the page was in good enough shape to actually upload it and get some feedback from people.
The next objective is to finish the 'About The Strip' and 'Meet The Cast' pages, and eventually the 'Links' will follow. If you know of a link that should be included on our links page, please tip me off in the forum!
