Beaton’s 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.”
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
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
