The dance of urban life goes on

April 4, 2013 5:42 AM

The adventures of Wonderdick, Toronto's beloved urbanist blogger as he explores the miracles of North America's most exciting and largest metropolitian landscape (outside the USA or Mexico), now available at Cartoon Machine. Also available, the hilarious hijinks of Pair Bond, a twentysomething couple caught in the grip of a dying relationship, and the Time Professor, sending his young assistant on a murder spree through history to save the future, or so he says. All from the febrile brain of Mike Winters, who occassionally also does more serious comics about the grim struggle in in 1942 between von Paulus 6th Army and the courageous Russian defenders of his beloved hometown, Edmonton.
posted by MartinWisse (15 comments total)

Oh crap these are awesome.
posted by DU at 6:08 AM on April 4, 2013

For those who don't recognize it, Wonderdick is no careful composite of various urban authors. It is a spoof of one man, Toronto-based urban author/professor Shawn Micallef.

While plenty of things we're passionate about in 2013 are ripe for parody, I've always found "Wonderdick" particularly unkind, and have never had much time for it.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 6:33 AM on April 4, 2013

Calll it unkind if you want, but "beautifully sad rust stains" and a "livable cities" tattoo are brilliant.
posted by DU at 6:42 AM on April 4, 2013

I've long been a fan of Wonderdick (and Mike Winters in general), but knowing that the character is apparently based on one guy, rather than a more generalized/composite character, makes me feel a bit differently about it.
posted by asnider at 6:57 AM on April 4, 2013

If the guy actually says stuff like "ensorceled in a dream-essay" then he deserves to be mocked.
posted by DU at 7:00 AM on April 4, 2013

If there's one highlight to the Wonderdick comics, it's definitely the Sierra-style adventure game box.
posted by Copronymus at 7:28 AM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

How interesting, please go on...
posted by sneebler at 8:21 AM on April 4, 2013

Mike Winters is also one of the three guys behind the late, great Edmonton Oilers blog Covered in Oil. Sadly, I think he's taken down the YouTube of him making out with a balloon in a Marc-Andre Bergeron jersey.
posted by Copronymus at 8:48 AM on April 4, 2013

Oh god, I'm convinced this guy wrote these "Pair Bond" strips by taking secret video of me and my ex-wife when we were still married and picking out the most awful moments to draw.
posted by koeselitz at 10:29 AM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hey guys, thanks for the kind words!

I'll be at TCAF this year in Toronto if you're swinging by.

One note: Wonderdick ideas are sometimes inspired by many public voices on Twitter and local weeklies, but it's not a "one man" parody of Shawn Micallef. Unless he writes "dream-essays" that I'm not aware of?

~Mike
posted by MikeWinters at 10:33 AM on April 4, 2013 [4 favorites]

"...and the courageous Russian defenders of his beloved hometown, Edmonton."

Wait, what?
posted by Kevin Street at 11:37 AM on April 4, 2013

"...and the courageous Russian defenders of his beloved hometown, Edmonton."

Wait, what?

Which part has you confused? The fact that Winters is from Edmonton or the fact that our city was once forced to heroically defend the 109 Street Boston Pizza?
posted by asnider at 1:39 PM on April 4, 2013

They can have the Coliseum. Let them occupy it and then we'll bomb it to rubble.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:07 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

I spent a full hour this morning reading these on a smartphone in bed, thanks for NOTHING. "Time Professor" is awesome too.
posted by newton at 2:21 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

They can have the Coliseum. Let them occupy it and then we'll bomb it to rubble.

But I live nearby! I don't want to live in occupied territory!
posted by asnider at 3:15 PM on April 4, 2013