Sea Monsters and Minnesota

When W00tstock came to Portland I thought "Wow, look at all these great guests! Paul and Storm, Wil Wheaton, Adam Savage, Stepto, Matt Fraction, Molly Lewis..." I was so pleased to live in Portland, where such cool things can happen.

Then they announced the next round of W00tstocks: Chicago and Minneapolis. Guess who was going to be there? Peter Sagal, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy. Suddenly I wanted to live in the midwest. Our tech-savvy, sardonic city of cool kids didn't seem so cool anymore. In a big way, the Jococruise helped make up for that, since everyone I missed by not living in the land of the hotdish was on the boat.

Now I wish I lived in Minnesota a second time.

Why? Sexy Librarian, the latest show put on by fellow seamonkey Joseph Scrimshaw and his theater company Joking Envelope, based out of Minneapolis. Everything I find out about this rock musical rife with literary references completely tickles me.

Let me back up a bit: the second night of the cruise, an hour into the mustache formal, we stumbled merrily down to the small theater midship to watch two plays. The first, by Peter Sagal, I'll talk about later (he'll get his own post). The second, by Joseph Scrimshaw and Bill Corbett, was entitled "My Monster."

I loved "My Monster," and not just because of the free-flowing alcohol. It was funny, really funny. And smart. But it also went a little sad at the end, which reminded me a lot of the best Chaplin routines (see the breadrolls dance, performed in a dream where the tramp is imagining himself having friends--most people forget how heartbreaking that scene is). In fact, I even used "Chaplinesque" to describe My Monster in the elevator back up to our cabin, where we happened to ride up with Joco himself. (And yes, using the word Chaplinesque does make you seem like a bit of a tool, but I was tipsy.)

The whole play is captured (blurry unfortunately, but enjoyable to listen to) as a series of YouTube videos posted by Simalot. First one below, but you can find them all in his stream:



Bill Corbett was fantastic, of course, and it was a true joy to watch someone I really adore and respect present something he was proud of. But Joseph Scrimshaw completely stole the show. At one point (it's in the fourth clip in the youtube series) his character, Spike Flambeaux, stormed off-stage to get a "real drink." In the spirit of the whole Jococruise, one of the seamonkeys leaned over and loudly whispered "you're doing great." I kept meaning to say so too, later, but was always too shy and intimidated by his wife, Sara, who seemed much to pretty to be a nerd. (Turns out she's very nice, another of my stereotypes ruined!)

I'm too far away to see Sexy Librarian live, but go check out the first song "What the hell is wrong with me?" If you live within driving distance, go catch the show. It runs all through May.

And maybe, eventually, someone will put it on in Portland.

John Hodgman: Enigma

Note: I had this "in the can" as they say before yesterday's big news that there will be a Joco cruise Crazy 2 in February, which explains the tone. Don't worry that I'm going to start publishing daily.

What does the enigmatic smile mean? Politeness? Shyness? Or just some grander joke the rest of us can only guess at?

Image of Hodgman attributed to ETHAN MILLER / GETTY on the Time site.

I've mentioned before that John Hodgman was the one celebrity I was really nervous about meeting on the Joco Cruise. It wasn't just, as he's pointed out in the QA session, a fear of magical genies who live in my television coming out to get me in real life. John Hodgman is a dry wit, the proverbial straight man, and as such, it's very difficult to tell when he's joking, and when he's being sincere.

And that's intimidating. How often have I left a gathering to realize I was probably being made fun of the whole time? It's a scary thought. I'm not particularly good with sarcasm or irony, and I had a feeling John Hodgman could be the sort to wield these with surgical precision.

After my first nervous meeting with him at the mustache formal, and his very kind words during the QA (pet peeves: phoniness and frowns), I felt much more comfortable. When I saw him, or anyone else among the celebrities I would give a friendly but polite wave. Because when it came right down to it, I only had about two things to say to each, and I wasn't about to wing it.

The emperor approves in this photo from grimoire42

But did John Hodgman actually have a good time on the cruise? He called in to the WFMU show to talk about it and made it clear, saying about the seamonkeys:

"Really lovely people, and terrific folks, and very sea-worthy, I must say." He also calls us "smart and interesting."

You can listen to the whole thing here (Hodgman calls in at about the 45 minute mark):

http://wfmu.org/flashplayer.php?version=2&show=39064&archive=66748

Among the topics covered are:

Baked Alaska
Joco's huge room
Ice sculptures
A boring dentist from Michigan
The ship's smarmy art dealer

It's a few months old, but it's a nice trip down memory lane and a good way to get excited for Joco cruise crazy 2.

Miss you guys. That is all.

Joco Cruise Crazy 2: Even Crazier...?

Dang, I had a post all ready, but this can't wait. Guess I'll just have to update again tomorrow.

Remember how everyone was on the cruise, and it was pretty much the best thing ever? Then it all ended, and we were so sad.

(This photo of Sloop John B, the last song, lives here in Gina Mai's photostream .)

Yep, it's official. Jococruisecrazy 2 has just been announced. What we know:

http://jococruisecrazy.com/

Feb 19-26 in the South Caribbean.

A lot of people are speculating that it will be this cruise. Looks like it's a little more expensive, and I'm a little sorry it's still on the east coast, but you think I'll complain? If I have to sell my car, I'll be there. Who's coming with me?