Cartoonist Kate Beaton is an exemplary weirdo. Her webcomic about Canadian historical figures and literary ephemera has gained a global following of one million monthly readers. She has published an acclaimed book and her work has appeared in The New Yorker, but she still is largely a self-published online creator. Jesse tries to learn her secrets.

Episode Rundown

07:14 The Siren Years by Charles Ritchie

07:24 “You got Pearson as cool as a cucumber, not as a nerd but as in ‘Hey, I don’t rattle.’” Jesse

07:47 “Just because of numbers of people, it’s overwhelmingly Americans.” (in the Hark! A Vagrant audience) Beaton

08:04 “When you are aware of that audience, as much as I love putting out the Canadian stuff, you become also a aware that everybody is inundated with American culture. Everybody wants to be represented, everybody want to be seen in their wa, because we’ve all watched Mel Gibson in the Patriot. Or movies like that are like AMERICA.” Beaton

10:36 Jack Churchill “He’s a WW1 soldier, who went to war with a bow and arrow.” Beaton

Quotes from Churchill:

“COOMMAAANNNNDOOO!!!”,

“In my opinion, sir, any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed”.

“I maintain that, as long as you tell a German loudly and clearly what to do, if you are senior to him he will cry ‘jawohl’ (yes sir) and get on with it enthusiastically and efficiently whatever the situation.”

links

14:30 Google is a cruel search mistress for the Beaver, Now it’s Canada’s History

15:26 The best Heritage moment, Macphail

20:35 “Unless your show is called CANADALAND.” Beaton

“Unless you’re such a idiot that you overtly exclude.” Jesse

23:08 “Even old time painting greats had patronage from rich families from Florence. Artists have always had to say ‘I’ll paint my masterpiece but first here’s a picture of your kid.’” Beaton

24:25 Tits and Clits

Alison Bechdel

25:00 “The first time I got gendered commentary on my work, people were saying things about me that were sexist, I was like ‘what the fuck?’. Now I don’t bat an eye, it’s just noise.” Beaton

26:00 Ugh, GamerGate

26:32 “The really mean nerds are the ones who cannot picture themselves as being a victim cause they were victimized in their life.” Beaton

28:11 Beaton’s Ducks about working in Fort McMurray

28:45 “I believe Fort McMurray is the most interesting and important thing going on.” Beaton

34:30 “There’s no way to describe what it’s like to just try to eat your lunch and have everyone just staring at you. I know girls that quit because they couldn’t deal with it.” Beaton on Alberta’s Oil Sands

34:55 “(people say) everyone must have been a bunch a of brutes…But it was more like everyone was lonely in their way and sometimes they take it out on you and sometimes they tried to be your friend and sometimes it was loneliness and sadness and stress and overwork, and you’re caught in the fire of it because you stick out.” Beaton

36:30 “There was a guy I know (In Fort McMurray) and his daughter worked there. She was tall and beautiful and I think he went into the bathroom once and on the wall it was written her name and ‘should it be worth the climb’. And it was your daughter, and I don’t know what he thought, when he thought about her being up there. And I know a friend of mine who went through divorce while we were up there and he had to keep working. Or anyone I knew that developed drug habits, or things went sour on them one way or the other. Or the young people that went there to only work for a while but are still there.” Beaton

Support

This episode is brought to you by the following listeners:

David Wells

Rich Arnold

Joshua White

Chris Tindal

George Gregory

Mark Hamilton

Christopher White

Liav Koren

Michael Bone

Stuart Bailey

and Rob Hyndman