Squelchy, Squelchy
Son of Son of Sam
Dearest Wringworms,
This very occasional newsletter is for those of you interested in the work of yours truly, the writer-comedian Robert Wringham.
As it happens, there’s some New Escapologist chat in this particular paper plane launched from my “desque” (scroll to the bottom), but there’s a whole other Substack you can join if New Escapologist is your main jam.
That’s Showbiz
“Hello Ivor Dembina,” I said, “I was just coming to see you.”
“Then that places you in an elite crowd,” said the stalwart, “you’re my only ticket.”
40 years, folks. That’s showbiz.
This is from an item I wrote for a new magazine of Socialist-Scottish-Jewish interest (some would say a niche interest) called Etrog. It’s an account of the time I met the famous comedian Ivor Dembina.
The magazine’s not even out yet, so my including it here is a bit naughty. But you’re on my mailing list and are therefore my priority audience. Thanks for being here.
It’s the first thing I’ve written in my true “arch humorist” Robert Wringham voice for quite a while. I’ve still got it! Here’s where to read the whole piece.
Hey, here’s 50% off The Good Life for Wage Slaves if you fancy a copy. Print or digital. Use GOOD5 at checkout. No reason. Thanks for reading.
Horror Movie Pitch
Son of Son of Sam.
A man is driven mad by the noisy murderer next door. And so on, around the the world.
The Last-But-One Session
This is a from diary entry about my eczema (with movie references!):
It’s hard work as eczema treatment goes. I have to vaccum the flat every day lest we become ankle-deep in flakes.
Unfortunately, I shed as fast as I can suck so it makes no difference. I’m like that cleaner from the Monsters Inc. factory who leaves a trail of slime as quickly as he mops.
I haven’t talked about this publicly before, but having eczema suuuuuuuucks.
The Itchy and Scratchy Show is where to read even more about my unending and slightly disgusting struggle.
Dowie
This year, I edited and helped to publish Before I Go, a memoir by the comedian John Dowie (“the pheasant/dead rat of alternative comedy” — Stewart Lee).
Here’s where to learn more about that book and to buy a copy if you would like to.
I’m very proud of this one.
A Fun Sound
Sqelchy, squelchy.
“That was a fun sound,” said Samara.
You Don’t Know One Thirtieth of it
So we’re asked to scan every page of an expired passport (including the meaningless blank pages) and every page of a brand new passport (which consists entirely of blank pages).
This is from a humour-free rant about a visa application.
It is more difficult (and I really mean this) for your humble narrator to visit Canada as a resident than it would be as a tourist. Get your head around that one.
For Kafka fans only.
Polyunsaturated
Spotting one of my type in a cafe at the weekend, my wife gave me a little nudge.
“Out of my league,” I said. “But maybe not out of… our league.”
Worth a try though, eh?
Iceman Film Update 🧊
Here’s a picture of me with Michael Cumming, the director of Brass Eye, last week. UK comedy fans will know what a big deal that is. Brass Eye! Anyway, he’s only the Executive Producer of our film, that’s all. No biggie.
More namedropping over here.
Speaking of the film, there’s a related title coming soon from comedy distribution kitchenette, Go Faster Stripe (who have also published some of my books). The making of our film included the shoot of a live performance. Five minutes or so will make it into our film, but the full 45 minutes will be released as a download and stream as well. Here’s the trailer for it:
There’s also a few new pics from two of the shoots by our cameraman Chris Soden here.
Escape
None of this writing or filmmaking or book editing or magazine publishing would have happened had I not escaped my pointless and demeaning day job.
Lucky for you, I run a small-press periodcal about the art and science of escape called New Escapologist so that others might make a break for it too.
The magazine came back in 2023 after “coming to a close” - hah! - in 2017. The four issues we’ve released since the comeback have undoubtedly been our best work to date.
Highlights include columns by Tom Hodgkinson, David Cain and McKinley Valentine; essays by Robert Wringham; and interviews with Carrie Marshall, Momus, John Dowie, the Iceman, Ariel Anderssen and Caitlin Doughty. Plus all the latest in the art and science of escape.
You can now buy all four of the new issues in digital formats here. Each issue comes as a PDF and an EPUB, so you can choose the format best for your reading device.
Also available are the brand-new Issue 17 (digital and print) and a digital (PDF only) bundle of Issues 1-13.
What the sages recently said about New Escapologist:
“a wonderful magazine” — Monocle Radio’s The Stack
“Fabulous, a wonderful magazine” — Jonathan Simons, Analog Sea.
“Delightfully eccentric but perfectly serious” — Outside Left
Photograph: At Brunch, Two Clowns
All for now. Too much wasn’t it? Gawd. Sorry.
Someone should buy me a coffee.
Your friend and neighbour in motion,
Robert Wringham
www.wringham.co.uk