 The Optimist is an open-format weekly black & white comic strip about whatever I feel like it being about. Dumb gags, little complainy rants, parodies, designery crap, bad writing, I dunno. The website you are currently staring at also includes multimediocrity such as the occasional radio bit/podcast, and maybe a video or two. The archives include my previous strip, Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot! (also available in book form). The Optimist is currently published in The Valley Advocate, and some of the audio junk airs on the Liberal Oasis podcast, WILL 90.9 FM, and PRX Public Radio (XM 136). |
 My name is Tom Pappalardo. I've been making comics for a decade or two. I am a self-employed graphic designer based out of Northampton, Massachusetts. I am working on an albatross-like illustrated novel called Broken Lines. If you like The Optimist, you will also like Broken Lines, so give it a try. My freelance portfolio can be seen at standard-design.com. You can find out other uninteresting stuff about me at tompappalardo.com. |
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 Comic: This strip about hipsters & vampires Audio: This radio segment about shutting up Video: This music video about restaurant menus The most popular tag is consumerism |
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 Social media, link sharing, and other forms of aggregation that give the impression that we are all somehow interconnected and taking part in meaningful exchanges.
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 If you are an editor or art director of a print or online publication, and you're interested in adding The Optimist to your roster, then by all means e-mail me. If you are not, then please by no means e-mail me. The Optimist content (including the RSS feed) is not to be used for commercial use without permission. |
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