Now Available: A STICK-FIGURE HAMLET!

I am thrilled to report that my epic guide to Hamlet is finally finished and available for purchase!

Hamlet-01.jpg
A Stick-Figure Hamlet comic book
$20.00

This is the definitive (and possibly only) stick-figure guide to Shakespeare’s greatest longest play, Hamlet!

More than double the length of my previous publications, this mammoth tome is 110 pages of solid Hamlet content, featuring my complete scene-by-scene adaptation of Hamlet plus 45 pages of additional content, including extensive commentary, numerous random fun facts, previously Patreon-exclusive outtakes, and so much more.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the greatest thing I have created so far. I am immensely proud of this book (which is perfect bound, not stapled, because it was so freaking long) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

“To be or not to be,” plus an entire page of incredibly illuminating and hilarious analysis and commentary!

On a personal note, I started working on my version of Hamlet back in the fall of 2019, when my father was undergoing treatment for cancer. I finished compiling this book in the fall of 2023, just as we learned his cancer had recurred. He died a month later. He was my best friend in the whole world, unfailingly supportive of me and my work, and I will miss him forever.

My dad was very proud of me for finishing Hamlet after an extremely difficult year of moderate injury, ongoing chronic pain issues, frustrating mental and creative struggles, and increased parental care responsibilities. Despite me now having an immensely complicated and slightly toxic relationship with this relentlessly morbid play about dead dads, I am very proud of this book. I hope that it makes Hamlet — and the world — just a little bit more fun.

Shakespearean Christmas Carols + The Great Shoppe Restock!

The festive season is upon us, and that can mean only one thing: the return of Shakespearean Christmas Carols and the inevitable onslaught of crass commercialism!

OK, that was two things… Let’s start with the carols. All together now!

And now for the crass commercialism! The Good Tickle Shoppe has seen a lot of updating today. Let’s do it in bullet points:

  • Shakespearean Holiday Songbook available for pre-order! I am printing my first collection of Shakespearean holiday songs, complete with extra verses and, for the instrumentally inclined among us, ukulele chords! I should have these in stock by December 6, if everything goes according to schedule. Order yours today and I’ll ship it as soon as I have the books in hand.

  • “Which Shakespeare Play Should You See?” flowchart poster back in stock! It’s been a hot minute, but I finally got my act together and reprinted my flowchart poster! This is the perfect gift for any Shakespeare fan. I know for a fact it hangs in the halls of various theatres around the world, in the homes of renowned Shakespeareans of all kinds, and, perhaps most importantly, in my friend’s bathroom. She always likes to make sure people have something sensational to look at when otherwise occupied.

  • T-Shirt Clearance Sale! I’m trying desperately to get rid of the remaining t-shirts currently cluttering up my closet, so they are all over 50% off. I can’t deal with the inventory management involved in t-shirt sales anymore and will not be printing any more, so once they’re gone, they’re gone. However, I do hope to set up a print-on-demand shop in the near/mid-range/far future, which will remove the inventory headache from me and also allow me to offer a lot more designs. Stay tuned!

  • Don’t forget the comic books! My classic books, The Complete Works of Shakespeare in Three Panels Each, A Stick-Figure Macbeth, A Stick-Figure Romeo and Juliet, and A Stick-Figure Midsummer Night’s Dream are all in stock and ready to stuff any stockings you might have hanging around!

Yo ho ho! Merry Christmas!

RAMPANT CONSUMERISM WEEKEND COMMENCES!

Here we go! Get 20% off your entire order from The Good Tickle Shoppe using the incredibly imaginative code BLACKFRIDAY2018 from now until 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 26.

Featuring classics like the Complete Works of Shakespeare in Three Panels Each comic book, the Complete Works of Shakespeare t-shirt, the Shakespeare Flowchart poster, and my brand new Shakespearean Insults t-shirt, plus more!

Happy holidays!

Rejected Shakespearean T-Shirts

My mind has been in t-shirt mode all week. The wheels are turning and hopefully we'll see some Good Tickle Brain t-shirts available for general purchase in the next month! In the meantime, here are some "just for fun" t-shirt designs that didn't make the cut.... this time. 

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have thought of Che-kespeare... but I'm still ridiculously pleased with myself about that one. That one might make it on to a t-shirt after all...

Good Tickle Brain T-Shirts!

I've been promising all my readers out there Good Tickle Brain merchandise for well over a year now, and am finally getting down to business - or, more accurately, getting down to figuring out what is involved in getting down to business.  First up is that cornerstone of any self-respecting institution... a t-shirt! 

Over the weekend I sent out a survey canvassing popular opinion on such things as t-shirt design, color, sizing, etc., so I could start figuring out logistics. Hundreds of you have responded so far, which is just fantastic! I'm still reading through the various comments you gave me (and I am reading them all, trust me), but at the moment it looks like this design, featuring snapshots from each of Shakespeare's plays, is winning out:

In case you're puzzled by which play is which, I offer you the following hint: they're arranged in alphabetical order, and the multi-part Henry IV and Henry VI have been condensed to one image each. 

A lot of you mentioned in comments that you would like to see a black version. (This was not surprising, as we all know theatre-folk live predominantly in black.) I didn't originally offer an option for black on my survey, as the black outlines and arms of my stick figures would disappear completely against a black background, but, after some tinkering with modest white outlines, I think I've come up with a solution that will look something like this:

This is not final yet, but is what I am currently leaning towards, with ladies' and possibly kids' versions as well. There will probably be one or two other color options as well.  I'd still love to hear from people, though. If you haven't already done so, please take my shirt survey. Also, feel free to leave a comment on this post, or get in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. I realize that, no matter what the final design is, some of you will be probably disappointed. I just want to make sure that the number of the disappointed is as small as possible! 

If this shirt is even moderately successful, there will definitely be other shirts, so all of you clamoring for three-panel play shirts or other designs (such as Smiley Shakespeare) can live in hope. Lots of you also mentioned wishes for additional items such as mugs and pins. Those will be coming too! If you have other ideas for products, please do leave a comment. All your input gets filed away for future reference.

I want to do this merchandise thing properly, so if it's slow getting off the ground, rest assured it's because I'm reading and learning and figuring out how to make the best merchandise available through the best online store possible. Because (cue cheesy line) my readers deserve the best. (Cue groans.)

Also, if you haven't yet, please do subscribe to the Good Tickle Brain e-mail newsletter, which brings my comics directly to your inbox once a week, and also features bonus reviews, recommendations, and social media round-ups not found on my blog!