Whattaya know, but my alter ego has gone branding-crazy. His thirst for market saturation has taken him so far as to brazenly co-opt a national drinking holiday! Surely, this is a new low for marketing.

I know I said that I wouldn’t blog for a while, but it’s St. Patrick’s Day, and in certain ethnic circles, you get a pass from your Lentin Resolve on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll probably blog once or twice more before Easter, too, concerning the MoCCA Fest. I’ll be there, April 9th & 10th at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Ave. It’s a good time to mention that location, history fans, because during the Civil War, the New York 69th were known as the Irish Brigade. Remember that, in case Alex Trebek ever asks you about it in the form of an answer. Anyhow, I’ll be there with Beth Hetland, Josh Kramer and Ben Horak. I challenge you to find a lovelier set of young cartoonists.

I’m not normally a fan of St. Patrick’s Day, even though it is my Feast Day. I’ve often felt that it’s too centered on perpetuating a stereotype of the Micks as all-day, fightin-mad, fall-down Drunks. Kiss Me, I’m Irish. Irish for the Day. Yaddayadda, all these beer-branded green T-shirts just so some bros can pregame on the commuter train and get hammered before 10:00 in the morning.

This year, though, for some reason I’m excited. I’m pulling out the Clancy Brothers tunes, and visions of blood pudding are dancing through my head. And so I’ve drawn you another faux-vintage little holiday web card. It’s just for you, The Whole Internet.

Sorry my posts have been a bit sporadically lately. There have not only been a whole buncha deadlines, but also there’s been a crazy string of unseasonably warm weather in the V-T (talkin 70s–even 80º!!). I’m also sorry to say they’re gonna keep on bein sporadic until May! I’ll try to keep bringing you something new once a week, at least. I just don’t wanna let nobody down. This might be bad timing, but I’m also starting in on this newfangled thing, the “twittle,” the “tweedle?” Whata you call it? Anyhow, enough of that. Tweet and Retweet went out in a boat, Tweet fell off, who was–http://twitter.com/paddymacjr, OK????

Well, there is plenty of news. Big news! All of it related to this first item: I’ll be at table G4 at MoCCA Fest next weekend, so if you’re in the New York area, please stop on by. It’s Saturday and Sunday at the “Fightin 69th” Regiment Armory on Lexington Ave between 25th and 26th. I’ll be debuting Oak & Linden issue #2 there, which’ll be available at the shop after I get back. And! my work will also be appearing in a few anthologies:

1. Caboose, a tabloid-size extravaganza all about White River Jct, VT, distributed for free
2. Tag Team Comics, “a round robin cartooning adventure” that blends factory-style job separation with jam comic togetherness (a full description awaits you at the other end of the link)
3. San Papel–Westerns! And perfect bound! I drew the cover, remember?

Mayhap this will pique your interest until next weekend. It’s the new Oak & Linden cover some time in its second trimester. I’ll post the finished baby juuuuust before the actual Fest, so I hope your breath is bated!

Ooohh, yipes, my friends. Things are moving and shaking in the world of your old friend Pat. I gave notice at my copy shop job so I can do a short-term video game graphics job during the summer. I’m really glad to be getting out of this. In the meantime I’m working like a madman to get my anthology together for MoCCA Fest, which is mere weeks away. I haven’t been keeping up with my workout regimen, and the Wii Fit balance board is admonishing me hard. Still, I’m finding time to go to Star Trek, which was basically the funnest summer action blockbuster since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and to draw naked ladies.