The magazine is an absolute work of art.
It’s absurd, funny, noir, colorful . . . But it’s first and foremost a work of art. It’s the kind of thing I wish I could turn this blog into: a ridiculous little product that is done so well, people would have to read it.
Or not. Being only concerned with art, I wouldn’t care. I’d just be intent on creating the best work possible. It’s kind of how I approach my garden. It’s a stupid little thing, but I want it to be a work of art, in grandiose obedience to Chesterton’s observation that the gardener who plants red potatoes and blue potatoes in separate rows creates art.
Incidentally, I’m talking about Modern Drunkard Magazine.
I’ve long maintained that its editor and main writer, Frank Kelly Rich, is one of the most talented and funniest writers alive. The dude slays me. He’s simply ridiculous and brilliant at the same time.
He has also put a lot of time into drinking facts. Man. He and his other writers come well-researched, lacing every article with all sorts of interesting drinking lore. I’m guessing a lot of it is even true.
This was all prompted by my pleasant surprise last Saturday: the recent issue of MDM arrived. Marie bought me a year/six-issue subscription about three years ago. I never got my six issues. I just figured the mailroom was too besotted to keep track of things and I was screwed.
But no, another issue arrived.
And man, it’s great. I read all 64 pages. I didn’t much care for the poetry or comics, but those only took up about six pages. The rest, from the essays to the short story to even the advertisements, was rich, funny, gaudy, absurd . . . and every other light-hearted adjective you can think of.
I enjoyed it so much, I took the plunge and bought the 20-pack back issue set. It’s something I’ve long wanted to do, but this issue pushed me to make the purchase. It should arrive any day now.
I just wish I could figure out how many more issues I have left in my subscription. I notice that it no longer offers one-year subscriptions (maybe it never did; my memory is a bit besotted, too). It just offers six-issue subscriptions. I think I’ve received four of the six. We’ll see.
Expect plenty of MDM material going forward. You’re in for drunken enjoyment.
