War and Piece

Yet another reason to go to Israel. This photo of an armed soldier was taken at the Israeli Air Force Base (Bacha) during a 2005 Birthright Israel trip.

Photo courtesy of Carol King

Robots in Space

. . . Myspace, that is. Join Shabot at his new home on Myspace.com! Feel free to share your comments and ideas with me and other Shabot fans.

You can also be my friend, though I'm not nearly as cool as the robot.

Myspace.com/JewishRobot

I'm just learning how to use Myspace, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to post below.

The ladies love Shabot!

Despite his crass and male chauvinistic ways, Shabot still gets the ladies! Is it because he is so adorable? Not necessarily so. According to a recent study in the New Scientist, women get a bigger buzz from cartoons than men do.

In particular, women appear to have a lower expectation that the cartoon will be funny than men. “Women appear to have less expectation of a reward, which in this case was the punch line of the cartoon. So when they got to the joke’s punch line, they were more pleased about it.”

I find this news somewhat comforting: Even if my jokes start slipping and my male audience are left disappointed, my female audience should remain pleased. And that is the whole reason Shabot exists in the first place.

FIX-ational

Goddess Perlman transforms into the quintessential JDate wannabe bride

It was a cold and wet evening on Wednesday night, but those who came were warmly received at the 14th Street Y's FIX Benefit Performance & Exhibition about Tikkun Olam, Reparing the World. It was a small crowd, which made the performances feel more intimate, and I got to meet some very funny and talented people.

Erez and Yoshie Fruchter of Juez take us on a musical journey

Curtain call for Tracy Podell, Alyssa Abrahamson, Amy Shapiro, and Carl Kissin

The "Free Choice" Concert

I met Ahron Moeller at the Jewschool fundraiser last week. Cool guy, his band is performing tonight:

Artists for Starving People 
presents::::::::
 
the "Free Choice" concert.
This--Thursday, November 17, 8:30PM
Millinery  
1025 6th Ave. @ 38th Street, NYC

the Cause:
On Thursday, November 17th, Artists for Starving People will host the
second episode of its ongoing concert/benefit series at the historic
Millinery Shul located in the heart of Midtown NYC.  Last time we raised
$1,000+  to help a struggling family pay the rent. 
This time, instead of getting rich and fat off our success,
we are raffling off a one-way plane ticket, and giving
You four of Alt-Jewish Music’s hottest acts.
The winner gets to choose their destination: 
Amsterdam or Israel. 
 
the Music:
Blanket StatementStein (back from the UK) 
White Shabbos (Irish/bluegrass/punk) new album out soon.
rocky arena rock (80s classics) 
Y-Love (Aramaic hip hop),
and Yosef from the Moshav Band. (Israel/LA)
 
All paid attendees will be automatically entered in the
raffle drawing which will be held at the end of the show.

Tickets $5 (includes 1 raffle).  Additional raffles $5 each.  For more
information contact Aaron  Moeller
at AaronMoeller@yahoo.com
Millinery Shul, 1025 6th Ave. @ 38th Street, NYC

Live! from Kosherfest 2005

I just got back from Kosherfest 2005 at the Javits Convention Center here in NYC. There wasn't much time to take photos between all the noshing, but here are a few nice ones. Click to see larger versions:

Sara Schwimmer of ChosenCouture, reporter E.B. Solomont, Steven I. Weiss of Canonist.com, and Ben Baruch (me)

Leo Schnitzler et al of Brooklyn based YumTee ... "NUTS OVER NUTS!"

Steven I. Weiss investigates the aftermath of a squabble that involved the violent tossing of a tomato-based barbecue sauce. Fighting at Kosherfest ... NOT KOSHER!

Sara Schwimmer, Steven I. Weiss, and yours truly, in front of the Sabra food booth. I'm hopped up on hummus.

The Science Behind Acts of God

Speaking of tikkun olam, Wired News is running an article, The Science Behind Acts of God, by Jeff MacIntyre, featuring an interview with Simon Winchester, author of the new book, A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906:

In April 2006, it will be the hundredth anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco quake. In terms of science, it was a great tipping point. Up until that point, the principal human reaction to great catastrophes was to assume it was the work of God. Come 1906, we began to think of it rationally. It was a hinge point leading up to the discovery of seismology.

The comics I am donating to the FIX fundraiser all have to do with natural disaster, and God's role in them. They will be on display in the art gallery at the 14th Street Y.

FIX: A Benefit Performance & Exhibition

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 16, 2005, I am pleased to be participating in the NYC 14th Street Y FIX Benefit Exhibition about Tikkun Olam, where some of my more pertinent comics will be on display. Info and invite below:

The 14th Street Y's Jewish Artists Workshop Presents FIX

A Benefit Performance & Exhibition about Tikkun Olam, "Repairing the World"

Come experience artistic interpretations of tikkun olam that range from savvy to silly to sophisticated.

Featuring Julie Gayer and Tracy Podell (dance), Carl Kissin (comedy), Amy Shapiro (performance art), David Cohen (poetry) with the Goddess Perlman of Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad (singer/chanteuse) as the Mistress of Ceremonie and a surprise live DJ set by dj handler.

And, William Levin a.k.a. Ben Baruch (comic strip), Ellen Levitt (photography), Bonnie Maranz (collage), Bara Sapir (sculpture), Gayle Weisman (collage).

Wed, November 16
7PM Gallery Reception/8PM Performance, $10
The 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street @ 1st Avenue), www.14StreetY.org
All proceeds go to UJA-Federation of New York's Hurricane Relief Fund

Get on the Bus

Check out my new animation, "Get on the Bus", produced for West Coast NCSY.

"Don't let what happened to young Davy happen to you. Be sure to get on the right bus ... the NCSY bus!"

If you would like a cartoon produced for your organization, please contact me.

Shabot Down Under

Kosher Kangaroos! Throw another schnitzel on the barbie! I am pleased to announce that my Shabot 6000 comic strip will be syndicated in the new online publication, the Australia Jewish Times.

Sh'lom, mate!

Adee Good's Goods

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of finding Adee Good on Craigslist. Adee is a very talented and creative artist here in Brooklyn. One of her specialties is dolls, and as you can see, Adee has applied her exceptional craftsmanship to the characters of Shabot 6000!

In the future, Adee and I may work together to bring you miniature versions of these wonderful and cuddly plush doll versions of Shabot and Moti. Feel free to let me know if you would be interested in owning a set by posting below. In the meantime, Adee is ready to create custom dolls just for you, of anything you'd like!

Check out more of Adee's goods at AdeeArt.com

Jewschool FUN-raiser

Above: Jewschool's Lilit Marcus, Shabot creator Ben Baruch (me), journalist Steven I. Weiss, dancer Rachel Feinerman, and Nextbook's Stephen Vider. Photo courtesy of Jewschool

Hi all, I had a fun time Thursday night at the Jewschool fundrasier for the Jewish Fund for Justice. I got to hang out with the coolest folks from the NYC Jewish online community. I was happy to contribute two Shabot kippot to the raffle, one of which Mobius liked so much, he's bringing it back with him to Israel.

Hope to see everyone again--as well as some new folks--at future events. Read more about the party, along with more photos, courtesy of Jewschool.