Whew! Just got back from my whirlwind trip to Texas for the annual AAN convention. A rockin' good time was had as always, due largely to the excellent company -- in particular, fellow cartoonists Andy Singer, Steve Notley, Keith Knight, and Ted Rall. I'll post a picture or two soon.

San Antonio is an interesting hybrid of '70s modern architecture and art mingled with Tex-Mex authenticity. The downtown area hums with bars, restaurants, and Alamo-seeking tourists, but I got the sense (particularly from my 80-cent bus ride from the airport) that the place is surrounded by a great deal of poverty.

I had a Texas stereotype-busting experience on Saturday night, when a bunch of us wound up at a gay nightclub that featured heavily-oiled, thong-wearing Latino beefcake dancing onstage. Both men and women flocked to the studs (who were suspiciously well-hung) to stuff dollar bills into their, er, pubic area. Tempted though I was, I didn't want their family jewels in my hair, so I refrained. I'd say there were more women slavering over the guys than there were gay men, which suggests to me that we need MORE DANCING BEEFCAKE.