#44 Satirically provocative
Issue #44 Satirically provocative
11th January 2023
And we're back in the room!
2023 is really a thing now, huh?
Thanks to everyone that read my 2022 report last week. I loved hearing all your recommendations. I've added more content since the newsletter came out, including an improv report with lots of mad statistics proving conclusively and incontrovertibly that I do too much improv.
A new year also means new resolutions, and I'm keeping it classic this go-round the sun.
Eat better.
Exercise more.
Do improv.
It seems I have learned nothing.
Rule of three
[Comic] Spectators
Not a classic Chris Mead recommendation, as it's decidedly NSFW - this comic has extremely graphic violence & lots of (consensual) sexual content right from the beginning. But it's well-written, gorgeously drawn and the concept (ghosts can't affect the living world, they can only observe, so most of them end up just watching people having sex) is satirically provocative. Did I mention it's also free? Because it's free. Creators Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon release three new pages every week on their Substack page. The first 100 pages are collected here if you're interested. But, as I said, it's a lot, so your mileage may vary.
[Music] Sam Sweeney
I do a lot of writing whilst listening to music. But if that music has lyrics, then I find that my own words desert me. So I'm always on the lookout for beautiful instrumental albums. To that end, Escape That by Sam Sweeney is my most-played album of 2022 - it never fails to transport me. I'm playing it right now at this actual moment.
[TV] Our Flag Means Death
I've been meaning to recommend this wondrously queer pirate love story for a while. But now the whole series is on BBC iPlayer; my moment has arrived. It certainly takes a while to warm up, but when it finally gets its sea legs, it soars.
Spotlight
All my classes have sold out. Which is nice. So I'll just say I'm still available to coach your improv team online or in person. I'm particularly interested in helping a show with a strong vision or artistic sensibility achieve its full potential. I've got quite the track record in this regard, and I'd love to help your team too. Please feel free to contact me at coach@chrismead.co for more details.
Longform thoughts
"I exited that stage despondent, feeling the worst feeling an improviser can feel - that the show had been excellent but that I had personally contributed nothing to it. I genuinely think that’s much worse than everyone having a bad show - at least misery loves company."
What's the difference between confidence & arrogance? I think I've found a really comprehensive answer. Read more in YOU as a graph.
Radio Days
Bowties are cool.