Survey Says!
'Ello, --
Survey
Says...!
Gmail hates Margaret Atwood.
That's our working theory, anyway. Last week's newsletter went out with a bastardized Latin quote from The Handmaid's Tale in the preview field (or as we like to think of it, "the sekrit message field") and we think that's why it got labeled as spam by gmail and chucked in everyone's junk mail folder. (If you're on Gmail and you didn't get a newsletter last week -- check your spam, yo.) Turns out the bastards don't ask permission before grinding you down. Who knew?
(Margaret Atwood knew. Duh.)
Before we figured out what had happened, we saw that the number of folks opening the newsletter last week (our "open stat") was SIGNIFICANTLY lower than for previous newsletters (around 30% versus the average of about 83%) and were concerned that we'd made a wrong turn somewhere, so we set up a survey.
That survey, if you have any interest in taking it, is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XP3VZ3G
It's only 3 questions.
Turned out the problem was Gmail, not some horrible misstep on our part (SUCK IT, GMAIL!) but 377 of you have taken the survey so far anyway and the results have been informative as well as amusing.
As of right now, the overwhelming majority of you prefer the newsletter to be weekly. At a distant second is "other," which generally is defined as "whenever y'all want."
Day of the week is neck and neck: Tuesday or Wednesday. (Tuesday makes the most sense to us, assuming a good percentage of you are Wednesday comics shoppers. Maybe we should have asked that too...?)
For content, the Release Calendar is far and away the priority with 94% ticking it off the list of suggested content. Next was Process Notes, which 90% of you want.
The most fun part of the survey to read is the write in suggestions. A shocking number of you either actually want recipes or think that's a funny thing to request. Many folks are interested in what we're reading and watching. Tallulah Louise and Henry Leo are also very popular. As is "whatever y'all want" and "spells." Spells. I don't know what to make of that one.
Over the next few months we may try to make a sport of fulfilling some of the odd (and not so odd) requests, starting with a recipe today.
...Sort of.
If you're feeling sappy, this happened.
Gluten-Free Pickle Juice Chicken Nuggets "Recipe"
by Kelly Sue
This is going to be rough because I wasn't planning on sharing this when I made dinner yesterday so I didn't weigh or measure anything. We're nerds so we refer to this as cooking "by the force" in our household.
You will need:
An empty jar of pickles. I used a big ole thing of Carnegie Deli kosher dills that I got at Costco when Laurenn McCubbin was visiting. Laurenn eats a lot of pickles. There were only two spears left when I had the bright idea to dump chicken in there, so I gobbled those two up myself. Mm, pickles.
Chicken thighs. I don't know how many -- ha ha! I buy those vacuumed packed 3 packs of organic chicken thighs (also at Costco!) -- I used two of the three. My guess would be around 2.5 pounds? It was enough to serve our family of 4 with about an adult's lunch worth of leftovers.
Blanched Almond flour. (I also buy this at Costco. Don't judge me.)
Tapioca flour. Also called "tapioca starch." I buy ours at New Seasons Market and it's Bob's Red Mill brand.
Kosher salt. (I don't actually care if the salt is kosher, I just like the coarse grind.)
Smoked paprika. (I buy this in bulk. Cheaper that way.)
3 eggs.
Coconut oil. (I buy this in a large tub at--you guessed it!--Costco. Tropical Traditions is an economical source too.)
Two bowls.
A frying pan.
A plate and some paper towels.
Okay.
Rinse your chicken thighs and put them in the pickle jar. Stick it back in the fridge overnight.
The next day, beat the three eggs together in the smaller of the two bowls.
In the larger bowl, mix together about 2 cups of almond flour, about a half cup of tapioca starch, about a tsp of salt and about a tsp of smoked paprika.
Remove the chicken thighs from the pickle juice. Cut into about 2 inch chunks. (You can cut them up before you marinate, I guess, but I think that would make them too salty. They're pretty salty as is.)
Dredge the chicken chunks first in eggs...
Then in the flour mixture.
Heat a large glob of coconut oil in a frying pan -- about a half inch of it. Get it good and hot. (Wear an apron.)
Drop the breaded chicken chunks in the oil very carefully. Fry until they're golden -- 1 or 2 minutes -- then flip and repeat on the other side.
Use tongs to lift the nuggets onto the paper-towel covered plate to drain/crisp up and repeat from step five until you're done.
Eat.
I served them with baked sweet potatoes and they were a huge hit. Will definitely make them again.
Matt Fraction
SEX CRIMINALS #6 drops this coming Wednesday, June 18th. Chippetto and I will have copies with us at HEROES CON in Charlotte, this June 20-22, along with the very special, convention-only, HARDCOVER COLLECTION. Also gorgeous and large PRINTS by Chip that are a bold and beautiful take on the third issue’s first cover. We will likely have some SHIRTS and at least one SURPRISE. I don’t know why I keep randomly typing SOME words in CAPS and not others. We’re at AA-1802 and 1803. (Kelly Soup is 1801. So we’re all right there together).
Show info here: http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/
Floor map here: http://www.heroesonline.com/images/heroescon/diagrams/hc13-diagram.pdf
Fábio Moon is hard at work on CASANOVA: ACEDIA #2. it’s called “Murderers I Know And Love." Well -- it's World Cup week and it’s happening in Brazil and a lot of Brazil doesn’t want the World Cup there and a lot of Brazil loves soccer the way other people love air. My point is, maybe this isn’t the week that the real hard work begins.
SATELLITE SAM #9 is at press. Howard Chaykin just keeps getting better. I think #10 is our best issue yet. I can’t believe I get to write this book.
ODY-C with Christian Ward is next on deck. Announcements re: it’s release, as well as a new and gorgeous and oversized and overstuffed CASANOVA: LUXURIA hardcover to happen soon. I have just announced an announcement. Awesome.
I started going to therapy again last week. I’m telling you this because sometimes there’s a stigma attached to mental health and it keeps people from seeking help. Lord knows there is literally nothing I hate more than fucking talking about myself and yet here we are (again). It doesn’t mean your life is bad, it doesn’t mean you’re sick, it just means that just, y’know, maybe -- maybe getting some help, if you think a little help might help, could help, is what I’m saying. This next issue of SEX CRIMINALS is very much in that kind of space so it’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been writing a lot of second acts lately, a lot of characters swimming down through the abyss lately. It kinda takes a toll.
And also I bring it up because this: my therapist’s office is the goddamn Black Lodge from TWIN PEAKS. Chevron floors, red walls, the whole nine. And when I said, holy shit, it’s the Black Lodge, my therapist said “Yes, and i’m the tiny dancing man. You’re Agent Cooper and you’re here to find your Laura Palmer.” So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Kelly Sue DeConnick
CAPTAIN MARVEL 4 is out tomorrow -- part 4 or 6 in the HIGHER FASTER FURTHER MORE storyline. David Lopez is really bringing it and each issue he and I feel more like a team. David's first break has been scheduled and the fill in artist chosen (you will LOVE) but I'm not sure it's been announced yet. David returns after that two-issue break arc, though, so nobody freak out, please.
This week I've been working on PROMETHEUS FIRE AND STONE: OMEGA for Dark Horse, primarily, along with some BITCH PLANET and some CAPTAIN MARVEL.
PRETTY DEADLY Volume 2 is ramping up. Emma will start drawing again next month. This book is never easy. Volume 1 continues to do very well and turned up on the AVClub this week.
I've got TWO PROSE PROJECTS in the works. Think good thoughts.
READING and WATCHING and PLAYING and LISTENING and WAITING FOR
Fraction's out running some errands, so I'm doing this solo this week. We'll do better next time. -- Kelly Sue
READING
I'm still reading Margaret Atwood's NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD.
Fraction is reading WOLF HALL, which was recommended by Howard Chaykin.
Fraction is still reading WILDWOOD to the kids and I at bedtime. I am loving it. Henry too. Tallulah is coming around.
WATCHING
The last thing I saw and loved was the BBC's BROADCHURCH.
We watch GAME OF THRONES every week with Chelsea Cain, Marc Mohan, Bill Oakley and Rachel Pulido. It's definitely a hate watch for me and I feel a little bit like a Debbie Downer because once the ep is over, I bitch about it incessantly. (They tolerate me and keep inviting me back. Thank god. I love my friends.) It's too easy to point out how problematic the show is -- the harder thing to articulate is why I keep watching and keep THINKING about it. There's definitely SOMETHING about the show that works and works incredibly well. What is it? I called the show cheap and manipulative after last week's episode. Chelsea disagreed; or at least felt it was no more manipulative than any other fiction. I disagree, but I don't think I articulated my point well. Still thinking.
Fraction saw the new Tom Cruise movie, EDGE OF TOMORROW, last night and loved it.
The kids are on a Teen Titans GO! kick, so... we are too. Really like everything about that show. Down to the color palette.
PLAYING
We played Ticket to Ride: Europe with Greg Rucka, Jen Van Meter and Matthew Clark Saturday night. It was a lot of fun and a nice break from our regular FIASCO habit. Greg has his eye on a Star Wars RPG of some sort for our next venture. I call dibs on the Wookie.
LISTENING
Right now? Listening to OPB coverage of the school shooting in Troutdale. Once again, as after Sandy Hook, I find myself wondering how I feel about contributing to this culture the way I do with my fiction. Am I part of the problem?
WAITING FOR
Margaret Atwood has a new book coming out in September.
Brad and Chris have a new book coming out on Rosa Parks that we just pre-ordered for the kids.
I just ordered DELUSIONS OF GENDER. I think it's expected today.
Rucka recently got Fraction into Timbers football (read: soccer) so suddenly the World Cup is a thing in our house.