Commuting - Bicycle Comics - Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery

I'm pretty sure I burned today's RSS feed incorrectly... when I get home I'll fix it. Sorry!

You could eventually add in the teenage bike newbie/fanatic that eventually becomes an employee.

Oh wait... That was me 23 years ago (it really hurts to type that number!).

I have one up on my office door, and one for after that.

I really like this strip a lot, I also really like Shaker Heights, (I'm from Elyria.) Rick, what other comic strips are your influences? The glow when they opened up the Riv Reader -type magazine was pretty priceless. Yes, I subscribe, and yes, I get bent out of shape when someone posts on here they got it before me, and yes, sometimes they do forgot to send it altogether. :)

what other comic strips are your influences?

James Kochalka's American Elf (http://americanelf.com), Chester Gould's Dick Tracy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Tracy), Seth's work (as mentioned above), magazine illustration from the 50s and 60s.

I laughed at the seatpost on the superhero guy's bike. I like little touches like that.
Must be mid period, grotesque Gould you like... don't see much of the early stuff in your art. Kochalka I pick up.
I don't know where you intend to go with this strip, or what you're aiming for. If you want a primarily cyclist audience, I think you're doing a great job. If you want to expand, you'll need a bit more emphasis on characterization. I think the characters will develop a bit more, given time, and I would imagine you'll eventually introduce a couple more regular characters. This will serve to flesh out the two main ones, just seeing them interact with more folks.
One thing I notice is that adversarial characters at this point (the councilman, the roadie) are a bit on the straw man side.

I like the art.

I laughed at the seatpost on the superhero guy's bike. I like little touches like that.
Must be mid period, grotesque Gould you like... don't see much of the early stuff in your art. Kochalka I pick up.
I don't know where you intend to go with this strip, or what you're aiming for. If you want a primarily cyclist audience, I think you're doing a great job. If you want to expand, you'll need a bit more emphasis on characterization. I think the characters will develop a bit more, given time, and I would imagine you'll eventually introduce a couple more regular characters. This will serve to flesh out the two main ones, just seeing them interact with more folks.
One thing I notice is that adversarial characters at this point (the councilman, the roadie) are a bit on the straw man side. It's a comic strip, not a Ken Burns documentary on PBS.

Have any of you seen the movie "Little Children?" Joe, the character on the comic strip reminds me of Ronnie from that movie.

Wow these are really great. I can see myself and so many other people in these characters.

The main character definitely reminds me of my older brother. The bike ninja- a friend who wrote comics (Schmapples) with a leaning towards bikes, cats, and ninjas who passed last summer. Great comics.

What's the story behind the leaflet?

Good stuff man! It's like Frazz for Rivendell readers. Keep 'em coming!

Love today's strip--I wore my balaclava today and I'm self conscience about it, too. Luckily, when I rode by a neighbor, who was putting out his trash, I didn't have it above my mouth yet. He smiled, which I took to mean he thinks I'm nuts, and said, "be careful out there!" I replied, "oh, I've got studded tires." I bet he has no clue what I meant.

Regardless, I had a great ride in.

Somebody has to say it -- where's the helmet?

Joe wears the helmet.

Joe wears the helmet.

:D

Any of you fellow Clevelanders think that the ponds are frozen enough for some studded tire fun? I ride by one daily, and I almost went on it yesterday after work. I'm dying to try out my studs on a large icy area. But the pond has some water in a couple of spots--I don't get why--although it is next to Rocky River so some flowing water might be seeping in under it. But it's been subfreezing for awhile. I just don't know how to test the ice. The bank is kind of steep, so I'm likely to get my leg wet if it doesn't hold.

I almost lost a boot in Horseshoe Lake when my foot went through the ice last weekend...

It has gotten a lot colder recently though - you might be okay. Bring rope.

What's the story behind the leaflet?


Surely it mocks "The Rivendell Reader".

http://www.rivbike.com/become_a_member

It's a comic strip, not a Ken Burns documentary on PBS.

Take a look at my occupation... I treat 'em a bit different than you, sorry.

I found this the other day since it was linked in my livejournal. I love it, and will keep following it. I don't have snow here, but my I'm moving to snow country this week. But I can definately relate to the bike ninjas around here.

+1 on the art quality.

Hi,

I waited until I finished thirty strips to post this thread, to make sure I had enough ideas and energy to follow through... though you might have seen a few samples thrown in on different posts.

I would like to hear what you think about a comic strip I've started called 'Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery (http://www.yehudamoon.com)'. It's about bicycles, bicycle commuting, and bicycle advocacy.

Yehuda Moon runs the Kickstand Cyclery with his friend Joe. Yehuda rides either a Coventry randonneur or a Van Sweringen city bike. Joe rides a Rapid Red Line, though still has a fondness for the Blue and Green Lines.

The strip is daily. I try and post each evening. Here's the first strip:

http://yehudamoon.com/images/strips/2008-01-22.gif

Looking forward to hearing what you think. I'm always looking for suggestions or ideas to make it better.

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Rick Smith

LOVE IT! You wouldn't happen to be an iBoB, would you? I liked the strips lampooning the Riv Reader, especially. Good work.

Love the strip. Can really relate to it.

You wouldn't happen to be an iBoB, would you?

I'm not - no.

Poguemahone: can we find your art online?

Thanks, everybody else.

I love the strip!

I haven't missed a single day since you posted this thread.

Two suggestions:

First, sign it somewhere on the actual comic image and include the url to find it. I guarantee these are being saved as jpgs and passed around the web via email to people who have no idea where to find it.

Second, find a way to advertise on your site. There must be a way to make a little coin from the strip without making it obnoxious to visitors. I'm pretty sure google offers text-based ads targeted to your specific audience. Or even better you could sell ads yourself to someone like an online retailer or partsw manufacturer. Hit up Riv, Surly, Nashbar, bikesomewhere.com, chrome, etc.

The strip is brilliant. Once oil hits $200/bbl you'll be schultz-famous :D

Hi Rick,
Went back and read all of the strips forward. I think they're great. There's alot of 'in' humor, re bike commuting situations, comuters vs roadies, etc., that are handled w/grace and...well humor. There's an underlying theme or message that comes across while at the same time making fun of one's self in an easy manner. The 'You know you can take a day off' one made me spit coffee all over my keyboard. The bikeshop scenes are great as are the scenes on the bike w/Joe and Yehuda in their totally different approaches to commuting. I'm a fan and it's going to be fun watching these situations, places and characters grow and broaden. Great work. Keep going.

BTW, I didn't notice that the strip was located in Shaker Heights. I grew up in Mentor-on-the-Lake. Rode my bike (a Raleigh 3 spd) from my grandmother's house @ 79th & St Clair out to visit friends for the day and hang out at the beach. Went through Bratenal and down Lakeshore Blvd. the whole way...RT was about 60 miles. I was 12 at the time. Took a PB&J sandwich, 2 apples, banana, and a mason jar of water in my seat bag along w/2 screwdrivers, crescent wrench, spanner, pliers and a patch kit...pretty much what I take on my commutes, nowadays. :p

Once oil hits $200/bbl [...] Working that out now. We'll have the desired price set for the strip by summer.

I'll figure out a way to add a sig to each comic - that's a good idea. As for advertising... I'd like to to, and would enjoy seeing the strip help out with the grocery bills, but first I want to get to a consistent number of visitors (both first time and regular reader), since over the last two weeks, I'm seeing all kinds of crazy traffic.


...RT was about 60 miles. I was 12 at the time. Took a PB&J sandwich, 2 apples, banana, and a mason jar of water in my seat bag along w/2 screwdrivers, crescent wrench, spanner, pliers and a patch kit...pretty much what I take on my commutes, nowadays. That's awesome. I used to go on long journeys (though not that far!) on my bicycle with friends when I was that age as well.

I plan on doing a series in the strip that focuses on kids and bicycles and why they don't (or can't) ride them anymore. Yehuda will blame Dateline moms, local news fear-mongering, video games, and urban planning, but I think it goes even deeper than that and I'd like to explore the subject in detail.

Simply excellent...I look forward to every update.

Just discovered this about a week or so ago. I really like it - keep up the good work. Now all I need is a flare to make my tool kit complete :D

I liked today's stip with all the stuff in the panniers. I tend to be overprepared myself :D (but on a group hike a few years ago I was able to help six people with my spare clothing and snacks when the weather turned...)

Just discovered this about a week or so ago. I really like it - keep up the good work. Now all I need is a flare to make my tool kit complete :D

You don't already?!?

MY spare clothes, cycling t-shirt have come in handy with a collegue and her run in with a full cup of coffee. Sad thing was that the t-shirt looked better on her than me :o:(. My bulky tool kit is always out, although only about half the things are ever used. I could probabily reduce the weight of my pack by 5kgs but never will:)

Sorry Historian I'll stop off at my local flare shop on the way home :rolleyes:

Love the flare!

That said, I'm assuming that Rick Smith doesn't carry a flare. Not with the advent of cell phones. Right???:o

Love the flare!

That said, I'm assuming that Rick Smith doesn't carry a flare. Not with the advent of cell phones. Right???:o

I'm guessing it's not a signal flare, but rather it's a road flare to set up and fend traffic when you're at the curb fixing a flat.

I'm guessing it's not a signal flare, but rather it's a road flare to set up and fend traffic when you're at the curb fixing a flat.

Or for zip tying to the rear rack ..... . . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm guessing it's not a signal flare, but rather it's a road flare to set up and fend traffic when you're at the curb fixing a flat.

:o More than likely, yes. But still, I think it's a joke. In the past, many carried road flares or signal flares as a standard safety device when travelling by car. As such, many can relate to that and that makes it a good comic strip. But, I suspect flare sales have tanked in this age of cell phones. You can call for help. Sure, a flare would help for those who ride on country roads who are very independent. But he's in the city. He can get to the sidewalk and fix his flat.

i really enjoy reading your comic

Rick - the comic is GREAT! I look forward to reading each new one.

I suspect you are a bicycle commuter yourself?

Fred?

The boy is using a slang term:

fred: n. a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. This term is from road touring and, according to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

Definition from: http://www.bicyclesource.com/bicycling_glossary

To the kid, the basket represents what a 'fred' would have attached to his bicycle, though he doesn't mind it.

Wonderful. The ghost bike/bike lane story is both entertaining and thought-provoking. How far should one take bike advocacy?

Hey Rick,
When do we get a chance to buy a Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery T-shirt then?

the strip is fast becoming my daily little ray of happiness :)

make sure us from overseas can buy one though ;)

I'm trying to decide how to offer them. I don't know if I'm pleased or not with the CafePress quality... and don't have experience with other on-demand printed merchandise.

I'm also looking into book options now, seeing as there will be enough strips for a 60 page full-color book in late July. Or should I wait until there's a year's worth of strips? In either case, there will be a printed volume collecting all of the strips that appear on the site in color.

I found the strip about 3 weeks in, and I'm hooked. I log on for my daily update either at work or home. I'm really liking the bike lane story line, and keep waiting to see what the repercussions are....

When you have either tee-shirt or book, I will buy. I enjoy the strip enough to support it that way.

BTW, one of the wrenches in my LBS could have been your model for Yehuda- cap and all.

Really enjoying it.

I'll buy a tshirt or books!

And thanks for the glossary link! I did not know the obscure ones.

And ditto on the "daily little ray of happiness".

there will be a printed volume collecting all of the strips that appear on the site in color.

Which I will need to give everyone for Christmas :D

Wonderful. The ghost bike/bike lane story is both entertaining and thought-provoking. How far should one take bike advocacy?

Isn't that why we learn to ride a line, so we can drag a brush behind us ;).

I really hope this strip, especially the parts which form a story, turns into a book in the future. Maybe in about two years when you've got enough to fill a 200 page book.

Even though I'll have already read them all, I'd probably still buy it.

Just read the lot of them. Wonderful stuff. The funny thing is that I know a shop guy that is almost like Yehuda. Also I found myself nodding in agreement with a lot of your strips.

Keep 'em up.

Hey, just listened to your interview on the Fredcast. It was really interesting to know your process. I'm hooked to your series!

I'm trying to decide how to offer them. I don't know if I'm pleased or not with the CafePress quality... and don't have experience with other on-demand printed merchandise.

I have a couple t-shirts from CafePress.com, and they're my favorite shirts. Be sure to offer a baseball T.