It's a good way to kill twenty minutes or so.
June 18, 2010 2:17 AM Subscribe
From 1979 to the end of the '80s, Sam Hurt produced a strange and wonderful little comic called Eyebeam. I'm very happy that the entire archives are up, as well as later additions. About the drab but sometimes very weird life of the eponymous character, the comic addressed a wide range of topics, including the decor of Chinese restaurants, wearing the wrong clothes to work, beach gidgets, job security, male answer syndrome, not-quite-vegetarianism and time travel. It managed to be pretty wise while still being funny. Just don't take it too literally.
Eyebeam! It has been a long, long time since I read me some Eyebeam! It's easy to love a comic strip with a hallucination as a regular character.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:52 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:52 AM on June 18, 2010
I loved the guy who worked for TIC, or Three Init Co, whose job it was to turn up the sound during commercials. Fantastic strip, always. Had the good fortune of meeting Sam a few times, and he's a great guy.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:17 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:17 AM on June 18, 2010
I loved the way that Hurt blithely played with reality with Hank the Hallucincation (who ran for student council at University of Texas as a write-in and edged out Paul Begala) as well as a VCR that can realize characters from tape after having been molested by a robot.
I also love his use of Ben-Day patterns.
posted by plinth at 5:43 AM on June 18, 2010
I also love his use of Ben-Day patterns.
posted by plinth at 5:43 AM on June 18, 2010
I still have my "Hank says: Get real!" shirt from my days at UT; this is great!
posted by TedW at 6:00 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by TedW at 6:00 AM on June 18, 2010
I remember reading a multi-page appreciation of this strip in a one-off 'zine called I Like Comics put out by Peter Bagge and some other people (which doesn't appear to be online in any form). I always wanted to check it out beyond the samples included in the article.
My employer is very lucky the site appears to be blocked at the office. Link has been gleefully forwarded to home address, thanks!
posted by joelhunt at 6:00 AM on June 18, 2010
My employer is very lucky the site appears to be blocked at the office. Link has been gleefully forwarded to home address, thanks!
posted by joelhunt at 6:00 AM on June 18, 2010
Awesome. I took a cartooning class taught by Sam Hurt years ago. A great guy and artist.
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 6:22 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 6:22 AM on June 18, 2010
Sam was on the pro bono National Lawyer's Guild team that helped defend me and 15 others when we occupied the president's office at UT in '86 in an anti-apartheid protest. He's a really nice guy! I have spent many, many hours greatly entertained by Eyebeam!!
posted by pdxjmorris at 6:30 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by pdxjmorris at 6:30 AM on June 18, 2010
...when we occupied the president's office at UT in '86 in an anti-apartheid protest...
Were you by any chance involved in disrupting the graduation ceremonies in 1985? I remember that part better than the commencement speech or even who the speaker was. Glad to hear Sam Hurt is a good guy in real life.
posted by TedW at 6:40 AM on June 18, 2010
Were you by any chance involved in disrupting the graduation ceremonies in 1985? I remember that part better than the commencement speech or even who the speaker was. Glad to hear Sam Hurt is a good guy in real life.
posted by TedW at 6:40 AM on June 18, 2010
I like the spelling of 'nurd'. Is this the original spelling?
posted by Joe Chip at 7:59 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by Joe Chip at 7:59 AM on June 18, 2010
Thanks for the post. It's been a long time.
posted by allelopath at 8:15 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by allelopath at 8:15 AM on June 18, 2010
I remember reading a multi-page appreciation of this strip in a one-off 'zine called I Like Comics
So that's where I saw this thing. I was going a little nuts thinking, I know that this was a college newspaper strip, but it wasn't my college newspaper, so how did I see it?
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:35 AM on June 18, 2010
My husband is a big Eyebeam fan; we have an original strip featuring Hank on the wall of our apartment. I don't know whether he knew about the new strips, but I've forwarded him the link in case he didn't. Thanks!
posted by immlass at 10:02 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by immlass at 10:02 AM on June 18, 2010
I know that this was a college newspaper strip, but it wasn't my college newspaper, so how did I see it?
I've never seen Eyebeam in a newspaper, myself. I bought one of the collections, loved it and soon bought the rest.
Also: You're welcome, everybody!
posted by jiawen at 10:46 AM on June 18, 2010
I've never seen Eyebeam in a newspaper, myself. I bought one of the collections, loved it and soon bought the rest.
Also: You're welcome, everybody!
posted by jiawen at 10:46 AM on June 18, 2010
I saw one of the books in the library years ago, checked it out and loved it. Never saw it in my local bookstore, though; and so in those hazy pre-Internet days it eventually faded from my consciousness. I'm so happy to be reminded of it, and will probably kill my entire evening enjoying the archives! Thanks!
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:04 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:04 AM on June 18, 2010
If you also like Austin-initiated comic strip Too Much Coffee Man, be sure to stop by Ruby's Barbecue on Guadalupe sometime and see the displayed panel that Hurt and Shannon Wheeler drew together. I'd explain it, but I think you're just better off seeing it. Plus, great barbecue!
posted by grouse at 2:53 PM on June 18, 2010
posted by grouse at 2:53 PM on June 18, 2010
Were you by any chance involved in disrupting the graduation ceremonies in 1985?
That was just before my time at UT, but we actually used their banner in the occupation, hanging it from the fourth floor south balcony. It didn't last as the cops smashed their way in and beat us down....I'll see if I can dig up the one photo, taken by my housemate Victor, of the banner hanging from the balcony - If I can find it I'll scan it and post it on flickr and message you a link TedW.
posted by pdxjmorris at 4:51 PM on June 18, 2010
That was just before my time at UT, but we actually used their banner in the occupation, hanging it from the fourth floor south balcony. It didn't last as the cops smashed their way in and beat us down....I'll see if I can dig up the one photo, taken by my housemate Victor, of the banner hanging from the balcony - If I can find it I'll scan it and post it on flickr and message you a link TedW.
posted by pdxjmorris at 4:51 PM on June 18, 2010
Two last notes: Hurt is still producing Eyebeam (my post makes it sound like he isn't); and it's very possible that Hurt is responsible for the popularity of the phrase "male answer syndrome".
posted by jiawen at 5:52 PM on June 27, 2010
posted by jiawen at 5:52 PM on June 27, 2010
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posted by Joe Chip at 4:27 AM on June 18, 2010