I’m usually a laid back sort of person. I don’t get too caught up in big issues. And if I do, I try to keep it out of this blog. I like to keep things light.

But every so often, something happens that really makes me upset. That not only makes me hot under the collar, but that actually makes we feel the need to express that outrage. So like it or not, today I’m going to get a bit heavier than normal.

Okay, I’m off on one of my nostalgia rants again today. And the topic of today’s rant is… animation.

I’ve always loved animation. I love the way what is basically nothing but a series of drawings can be brought to life.

These days, it seems like it’s all about computer-based animation. But back when I was a kid, it was all about the hand drawn cell animation, and there were two big studios that ruled the roost – Disney and Warner Brothers (sure there was also Hanna-Barbera but let’s face it they were never in the same league).

I have mixed feelings about personality testing. Sometimes I think it’s just a waste of time. I mean honestly, what does it actually tell you? Plus I hate the idea that people, with all their complexities, can be stuck into little boxes and told ‘this is who you are.’

But then there are times when I start to think it’s actually quite interesting. Sometimes, you actually get some insight, and think, ‘hey, maybe I really am like that.’ So still possibly a waste of time, but a quite interesting one.

They say that the only constant in life is change.

And they also say that nothing lasts forever.

And they say that writers should avoid cliches, but hey, I’ve just started this post with two, which only goes to show that rules are made to be broken (yay – cliche number three).

Which is my round-about way of leading to the topic of this post. The passing of one of the great influences on my life. The (reported) end of Mad Magazine.

Well, it’s official. We’ve clocked over the halfway mark of the year. And, apart from my usual goggle-eyed amazement that another six months has raced past so quickly, this can only mean one thing. Time for my regular mid-year progress review.

If you’ll remember from my posts at the beginning of the year, my writing goals for 2019 got a little messed up. I began thinking I was going to move in one particular direction, then made a rapid about face and headed off in a completely different one. Which is going to make assessing my progress a bit more complicated than it usually is. But I’m always up for a challenge, so here we go.