Graphic, but not like that

Last night Jamaica and I went to the opening of a new exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum here in San Francisco. I mostly agreed to go because it was cold out* and this happens to be close to where I live.

We'd gotten there early and so we spent a few minutes perusing the bookstore's many and odd offerings. I was fascinated to see all these comic book books, which apparently are called "graphic novels"** and are very cutting edge in the literary world, or so the cartoon art museum bookstore would have you believe. I've never read one but I am starting to wonder if I should, just so that I can say I've done it. You know, like running up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps and then hopping around while fake punching, or going to see live mud wrestling.

When they finally started letting people in, Jamaica and I were among the first to enter and we headed toward the back because our strategy was to avoid the crowd by viewing the exhibit in reverse. About halfway back there was a table set up with green tea and sushi. One of the volunteers who was helping out with the opening and who had let us in was somehow already at the table and was apparently doing his best to eat as much sushi as he could before anyone else could get in. This man was doing as much damage as was possible short of having an actual shovel. He noticed us approaching and, mouth literally half-full of rice, nori and tuna, said:

"I know I'm being a bad volunteer but I really wanted to get some of the sushi before it was gone."

Mission accomplished, I'd say.


*In San Francisco terms, so, you know, like 45 degrees.
**Without the cartoon art context, I would definitely be tempted to think this referred to a different genre of literature. It strikes me that until this term achieves widespread use, there is ample opportunity for awkward misunderstandings, mayhem and hilarity to ensue.