Wednesday, March 23, 2011

New York Times articles by John Hodgman

It turns out that Hodgman has written many articles for the New York Times. (Before you get too excited, be aware that some are not terribly Hodgmanic, at least not in writing style.) After learning that the Times is putting up a paywall, I hurriedly tracked down all his past articles:

New York Times Magazine articles:

Ron Moore's Deep Space Journey - on Battlestar Galactica, primarily the new version of the TV show - by John Hodgman

Mr. Invisible - profile of Kerry Conran and his movie "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" - by John Hodgman

Ayn Rand in Spades by John Hodgman

Crossover: The Musical by John Hodgman

The Haunting - article about horror films - by John Hodgman

Susanna Clarke's Magic Book - an article about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel - by John Hodgman

All Shaken Up - profile of Dr. Cocktail, the world's only cocktail archeologist - by John Hodgman
  • Bonus follow-up blog post on Dr. Cocktail:
    “Finally,” Haigh continued, “Hodgman decides he wants to write a nice article for the New York Times Magazine about—me! He came out to Burbank, I had him over to the house, plied him with liquor and so forth. The interview took three days. And at some point I tell him, ‘I’m getting a book published,’ which he knew because, unbeknownst to me, he’s the one who had recommended me to the publishers! John Hodgman was the real impetus for getting me published, really published. The book had been percolating for about ten years before that, but Hodgman was instrumental, just instrumental.”
  • Also, here is the newly revised and not out-of-print version of Doc Cocktail's book: Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them

Antony Finds His Voice - where Antony is a British musician - by John Hodgman

The Bard of Omaha - a profile of Alexander Payne, writer and director of Election and About Schmidt - by John Hodgman

THE YEAR IN IDEAS: A TO Z.; The Game That Plays You - a short article about Alternate Reality Games - by John Hodgman

Hodgman's comic book reviews

Comics

Summer Reading - Comics - review of several comics compilations

Comics Chronicles

Comics Chronicle
"Do you wanna see a great new comic strip?" Charlie Brown asks Patty, running up with a distinctively oblong sheet of drawing paper. "It's about these two guys in an office, see?" he explains. "One guy offers the other guy this piece of English toffee, see? Then this other guy says, 'Thank you very much. I'll eat this during toffee-break!' Get it?"

But Patty just stares, her mouth one of those Charles Schulzian unadorned lines, the shortest distance between befuddlement and contempt. Charlie Brown walks away, the comic strip over his shoulder. "There's nothing worse than being 50 years ahead of your time," he says. That was in 1957, and even then comic strips got no respect.

Also Hodgman gives a good review of the massive The Complete Calvin & Hobbes set.

Comics: Righteousness in Tights

CHRONICLE COMICS; No More Wascally Wabbits - by John Hodgman

Up Front - meta bit in which the Times admits that Hodgman is their senior comics correspondent

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Hodgman appears in Ira Glass/Damian Kulash Net Neutrality interview

Ira Glass interview Damian Kulash (of pop band OK Go) on his band's popular, unconventional music videos (like the one where they are dancing on treadmills or the one with the Rube Goldberg machine). Ultimately, this is a conversation about the issue of Net Neutrality. Then John Hodgman appears (a little after 17:00) and all Hodg breaks loose.

Session 3: May the Best Band Win from Ford Foundation on Vimeo.


And here are some OK Go videos because you probably like them:

Here It Goes Again


This Too Shall Pass

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Hodgman's moustache

Documentation of John Hodgman's moustache:


His 2011 moustache:
From his Twitter page.

His 1999 moustache: [Hodgman circa 1999]From here.

On Twitter, Hodgman says of his new look:
No, I am not playing Higgins in the Magnum PI reboot. However, I AM playing young Wilford Brimley in the upcoming prequel to Cocoon. - 14 Jan 2011

I speculate that Hodgman's fame has developed to the point that he has grown a moustache as a kind of disguise.

At the beginning of this Daily Show segement, his moustache has its coming-out party:

UPDATE: Hodgman's latest moustache Twitter:
Now I pass friends on the street without saying hello.

Them: "Hey! It's me!"

Me: "Sorry. I didn't recognize you with my new mustache."


March 20th Update:
It might have been hiding there before (and I just missed it), but now Hodgman has developed a serious "soul patch".
Here is a picture of @JennaStern and me at the Bell House. I ... on Twitpic

April 23rd:
Late lunch. I have manipulated my mustache into "SOUP EATING POSITION."
- @hodgman



Further mustache information: In an interview with the A.V. Club, Hodgman answers questions about his moustache.