A Fire Story

October 16, 2017 12:22 PM

When cartoonist Brian Fies's house burned down, he started drawing.

It's much less polished than my usual work, but that's part of the point. Writing, penciling and inking an 18-page comic like this would normally take me a few weeks. I did this over parts of four days using a bad brush pen and art supplies from Target--Sharpie pens, highlighters and crummy paper--because Target was the only open store I could find within 20 miles.

It's a first-person report from the front line. They're not always pretty.

Page 9 has some profanity. Actually, it has nothing but profanity. Sorry. I wrestled with that, but that's exactly the way it happened and I am an honest reporter.

Brian Fies previously on MetaFilter.

posted by Lexica (15 comments total)

This startled me for a minute -- I knew someone with a very similar name and hadn't heard anything about his house burning down.
posted by Foosnark at 1:04 PM on October 16, 2017

"less polished" is actually pretty good.
posted by Segundus at 1:14 PM on October 16, 2017 [4 favorites]

This is a fine memorial, and warning. Organize your survival packet, and survival isn't just about out living, it is about living.
posted by Oyéah at 1:23 PM on October 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

This is so good, and representative of so many (of the luckier) stories.
posted by suelac at 1:29 PM on October 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

#catharsis
posted by growabrain at 1:41 PM on October 16, 2017

Since Portugal is on fire again (worst day of the year for fires yesterday) this is pretty affecting.
posted by chavenet at 1:49 PM on October 16, 2017

Thanks for sharing this.
posted by latkes at 2:09 PM on October 16, 2017

This fucking year.
posted by Artw at 3:14 PM on October 16, 2017 [3 favorites]

goddammit. like I haven't been in tears enough today.
posted by numaner at 5:57 PM on October 16, 2017

fucking hell, man
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:29 PM on October 16, 2017

Charles and Jean Schulz's house also burned down. Fortunately, "most of his original artwork and memorabilia are at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, which escaped the flames".
posted by rory at 4:05 AM on October 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

Safari West was saved by the efforts of the owner, Peter Lang. They have many rare animals. Rothschild’s giraffe, white rhinos, Nike lechwe. There is a quite charming picture of a giraffe greeting the newest baby, a Nile lechwe named Tubbs. The picture made me cry. So many lost their lives or have terrifying stories of barely making it to safety.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 5:33 AM on October 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

Charles and Jean Schulz's house also burned down. Fortunately, "most of his original artwork and memorabilia are at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, which escaped the flames".

Keyword there I suppose is "most." At the end of A Fire Story, Fies writes about other people he knows who have lost their homes, including "The widow of a famous cartoonist who lost decades of priceless artwork."
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 6:18 AM on October 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, that reference in Fies' comic was what reminded me of Schulz's house and prompted the link. Terrible that much of his work was lost, but at least not all.
posted by rory at 7:13 AM on October 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

I thought I was fine until I just started crying at the mention of a neighbor who can't find her cat I'm going to go hug my cats now.
posted by happyroach at 11:18 PM on October 17, 2017