Ol’ George #22: Head Like A Ball

 

Notes on #22:

1. I first heard of Gumballhead the Cat when I was ordering alternative comics for Shinders Readmore bookstore in downtown Minneapolis, back in the 90’s. He appeared in Skin Graft Comix and others publications, which no longer live in my collection. 

A decade or so later, Three Floyds Brewing released the titular Gumballhead beer, an American Wheat Ale. If they’d made it a pale ale or IPA, I’d pick it up more often. Wheat Ales are just not at the top of my list. 

Gumballhead was the last beer I tapped at Acadia. I can imagine how proud his creator must have felt when he first appeared on a tap handle. 

2. Rob Syers is the creator of Gumballhead the Cat and he’s still drawing his adventures, though you have to be a Patreon. I don’t think there’s ever been a collection. Syers’ Etsy store has plenty of awesome prints for sale. I still haven’t made up my mind between the Dark Lord Day poster where GBH has vanquished a foe, a la Frank Frazetta, with the spectral figures of Snoopy and Heathcliff behind him, or the one where GBH is inserted into a fictional cover of Jack Kirby’s Kamandi.  Better hurry, they’re both almost gone!

3. George knows that there’s no gum balls in the beer. He’s just a smartass. 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

 

Dangerous Man Virgin Island Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout.

10.8% ABV, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, MN. 

Solid blackness, complete opacity, slim brown head. 

In the nose: caramel and ash, vanilla and smoke, molasses, brown sugar, and leather.

In the mouth: dark malt and mysterious sweetness. Rich and complex, compounded treats upon treats. Rum a dum dum. Decadent and powerful. 

I’m going to relax and luxuriate with the remainder as I contemplate the history, the legacy, and the incredible twelve years of DMBC. 

Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA

 Inbound Exit Stage Less West Coast IPA. 

6 % ABV, 60 IBU, Inbound BrewCo, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: slightly sweet and tropical tones, pineapple, guava, etc. passion fruit. Grapefruit. 

In the mouth: fruit takes center stage on the palate, backed by bitterness. Sweet takes a backseat, as hoppiness and bitterness roll in. Medium bodied, especially refreshing, just enough blend of juice and abrasion to keep the mouth humming. 

I like this one. Wish they made more of it. 

West Coast IPA, notes of white wine and darkness.

I think they mean “dankness”.

Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter

 Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Imperial Coffee Porter.

8% ABV, 40 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA.

 Clear, dark brown color, Cecil slim beige head.

In the nose: big roasted coffee, earthy, spicy, slight cinnamon. Dark malt below. 

In the mouth: coffee grit all over the palate, roasty malt, with slight sweetness. All the best parts of coffeeI and Porter, wrapped up c cImperial. High ABV slowly but shows it’s strength. And through it all, I think, this is a delightful beverage. Even though eggs are too expensive and bacon is bad for me,I find this highly diggable. 

An Imperial Coffee Porter collaborated with Bird Rock Coffee Roasters 

Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout

 Junkyard Bleed Green Irish Style Stout. 

4.1% ABV, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN. 

Thoroughly dark and opaque, slim, tannish head. 

In the nose: malty, bittersweet, notes of coffee & berries. Dark chocolate. 

In the mouth: rich, while clean, lean and dry. Rolls effortlessly off the palate. Media bodied, with an abundant collection of harmonious flavors. Chocolate, coffee, & bright berries at play, with a touch of nuttiness in there. Delightful. 

Only $12 the 4-pack, and it isn’t a hazy IPA, fruited sour, or pastry stout. Have to pounce on these when you see them in the wild. 

Bleed Green is a Dry Irish Stout has become an annual St. Patrick's tradition for us. It has plenty of dry-roasted character and roasted malt aromas thanks to the use of roasted barley. Revealing more complexity with each sip, it is defined by notes of coffee & cocoa and its full, dry body.

Ol’ George # 21: The Wearin’ O’ the Grin

 

Ol’ George # 21: The Wesarin’ o’ the Grin

Notes on #21: 

1. Damn, I misspelled “Begorra”! No one would have noticed, I’m sure, but now the secret is out. Some day I’ll figure out how to fix it…

2. I stole the title from the 1951 Chuck Jones Looney Tune wherein Porky Pig visits Ireland and is bedeviled by a pair of leprechauns. There’s a great Dali-esque surrealist scene at the end. 

3. Where does George’s pint and pipe go in panel four? I think that, much like characters in Tex Avery cartoons, George makes use of a pocket universe in which he stores and retrieves objects for use whenever he needs them. That makes sense. This firmly establishes George as a cosmic trickster god. Glad we got that ball rolling. 

4. George is not human sized, so the bar provides him with his own chair.

5. Sometimes, I forget to draw Irma on the inside of the bar. This one makes it look like she’s on the outside, sitting next to Chester. She’s always behind the bar. Don’t worry, I’ll get it right eventually, 

Pipeworks Shark vs. Unicorn Double IPA with Cascade, Galaxy, Cryo Simcoe and Nectaron

 Pipeworks Shark vs. Unicorn Double IPA with Cascade, Galaxy, Cryo Simcoe and Nectaron.

8.4 % ABV, Pipeworks Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, golden hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: tropical fruity, citrus hoppy explosion. Slight candy-ish sweetness. Quite pleasant.

In the mouth: bursting with bitterness at the start, like any good standing member of this category. Then, in rushes the juicy sweetness. Terrifically drinkable, despite the oncoming booze. Uh oh, here it comes.

Medium bodied, highly hopped, but not quite as bitter and dry as I really like. 

Ol’ George #20: India Pale Fail

 Notes on #20: 

1. I realized after I wrote this that Balonious begins his litany of Wilting Turnip’s great IPAs by copying “Patrick Swayze Christmas “ from MST3K. 

2. The punchline comes from Looney Tunes, but where did they get it? No one knows. Some say Vaudeville. They’re just guessing. 

3. George will never go to Wilting Turnip. He’s got everything he needs at Kelly’s.

Surly Mr. Surly’s Orange Whip Cream Ale

 Surly Mr. Surly’s Orange Whip Cream Ale. 

5.5 % ABV,  Surly Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Hey, look, everyone, Surly is making flavored cream ales! Ice Cream themed! Yaaaay! 

Available only in 12 packs for some reason. Luckily (?), I got a sample can. 

Clear and yellow, big white head that folds quickly. 

In the nose: sweet and fruity. Danged if it doesn’t smell like a dreamsicle. It’s got that going for it. 

In the mouth: okay, orange, we got that, little from malt or hops, but that shouldn’t be expected, as this is not a “beer-beer.” Not much else going on here. It’s a suggestion, somehow, of ice cream, and the flavor sparks no joy. Not terrible, but a far cry from anything I’d ever want to drink again. 

Mister Surly's Orange Whip Cream Ale is coming to your neighborhood. A dreamy concoction of vanilla, blood orange, hops, and malt, Mister Surly's Orange Whip is sweet, citrusy, and balanced. Treat yourself.

Ol’ George #19: Tick It To Ride

 Ol’ George #19: Tick It To Ride

Notes on # 19:

1: This strip needed a beer geek character and I decided it should be me. Balonious Funk is a play on my BeerAdvocate.com username FeloniousMonk. When I came up with it in 2002, I thought I was so very clever, unaware that the joke had been made many times before. 

2.  And now we have our very first continuity. The beer called Ferval’s Finest in #18 is the same that Irma served George in #11, 2 months ago. It’s been on tap all this time and hasn’t gotten any better.

Maybe Balonious heard how awful it is. He doesn’t care. 

Obolon Extra Kyivske Lager Beer

 Obolon Extra Kyivske Lager Beer.

12% ABV, Obolon Brewery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Drinking a Ukrainian beer, for obvious reasons. Not expecting it to be good, but that’s not the point. 

Clear and lightly clouded, bright golden hue, fine, lace leaving, ivory head. 

In the nose: smells like malt liquor! Grainy, corny, overly sweet. Vegetal. I’m anticipating a ton of booze. 

In the mouth: interesting. I’m gonna say “interesting.” The opposite of crisp. Not at all clean. A sweet, mushy mix of malt, some hops and a buttload of booze. 

But, if you just want a buzz, maybe it’s enough. I’m just drinking this to cheers Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

«Obolon Extra Strong» is a lager beer with a mild malt flavor combined with moderate hop bitterness and light wine tones. The peculiarity of the recipe is that the high alcohol content is achieved through the fermentation of high-gravity wort.

Half Acre Drip Castles West Coast Style India Pale Ale

 Half Acre Drip Castles West Coast Style Double India Pale Ale.

8% ABV, Half Acre Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim ivory head.

In the nose: citrus and pine, with a pinch of the tropical.

In the mouth: nice bit of bitterness up front, clean and dry. Medium bodied, with a mild, hoppy finish. Bitterness increases as alcohol strength rises. This doesn’t quite go the distance the way I’d like it to, but it does the trick. 

Drip Castle features Krush, a newly developed hop, paired with classic Chinook to claim fresh territory within the West Coast DIPA realm. Ultra clear on the pour, Drip Castle has a warm boozy note balanced by assertive bitterness and an extremely dry finish. Krush provides raspberry pie blended with the resin and pine from Chinook that hits under-appreciated flavor receptors. This holiday season, spend some time in the Castle.

Ol’ George #18: Poet of the Pints

 Notes on #18:

1. I took the name Ferval of Ferval’s Finest Ale (whatever that may be)  from the character Ferval Lankman, played by Brian Posehn on Mr. Show. Maybe it’s someone else’s name, how would I know?

2. I found a spelling error and tried to correct it, terribly. Then I found another and couldn’t fix it. Please  forgive my spelling errors.

3. Why is Irma giving George that look in panel four? Because she knows that he’s a sarcastic smart aleck. He gives it away in panel three. I never expected to draw George that way. It’s a disturbing look. 

There is a hidden dynamic here, an extra meaning slightly alluded to above. Stay tuned for next week!

4. Ninkasi was the Sumerian beer goddess, circa 3000 B.C. Fun fact: The ancient Sumerians referred to beer as “kas” in her honor. They bartered with beer and that’s how we get our word “cash”. 

Who needs beer reviews when my comics give you beer facts like that!

Schell’s Baltic Porter

 Schell’s Baltic Porter. Limited release (only in the sampler pack). 

6.5 % ABV, August Schell Brewing, New Ulm, Minnesota. 

Clear, reddish brown, sizable, cream-toned head. 

In the nose: cocoa and cream, slightly nutty. Mildly roasty malt.

In the mouth: smoothness on the palate prevails.Mostly malty. Medium bodied. Light fruitiness on top of cocoa & nuts. Low bitterness. Highly enjoyable. 

This Baltic Porter pours a deep, dark black with layers of velvety chocolate and roast flavors that smooth the palate and celebrate the malty character of the beer.

56 Home Improvements West Coast IPA

 56 Home Improvements West Coast IPA.

5.7 % ABV, 46 IBU, 56 Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, golden hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: mildly hoppy, slight sweetness, lacking in the aromatics I want in this style. Some citrus starts to trickle in.

In the mouth: some hoppy flavors, but lacks bitterness. Too juicy, not quite dry enough. Lean bodied, finishing dry and progressively bitter. 

I’m warming up to this one. I’d drink it again, though it disappointed at the start. I like my WCIPAs to tackle the palate from the get-go. 

A super crisp west coast IPA featuring Erebus, Comet, and Chinook hops. Delightfully fruity, floral and dank. A light floral and zesty nose plays well with sweet berry, lemon zest, grapefruit, and resinous flavors.

Ol’ George #17: He’s No Clown

 Notes on #17;

1. I came up with this idea months ago, but I had to do it now for this reason: it was 25 years ago, on February 12, 2000, that Charles Monroe Schulz left this world. 

I found out the next morning. I woke up early that Sunday morning, drew a bath, and got the paper, got in the tub, and read Schulz’ last strip. It was the same goodbye letter as his final daily, published in December 1999, but with a collage of classic scenes surrounding it. Oddly enough, almost immediately after, the announcer on the jazz station playing in the background gave the news. As I say in the tub holding the funnies and started to cry. I’d been following Charlie Brown and Snoopy since I was four years old. 

2. My original idea for this one ended with panel two, but I had a change of heart. I didn’t want to end with a bitter Charlie or with someone being mean to him. I had to give him some happiness.

In the end, Schulz also gave Charlie some happiness. He never flew the kite, kicked the football, won a baseball game or sat down to lunch with the little red haired girl. That wouldn’t be funny, after all. But he did enjoy a relationship with a girl who liked the way he danced, and his dog was always by his side. 

3. So I’m sentimental, so sue me.

Dangerous Man Mango El Dorado IPA

 

Dangerous Man Mango El Dorado IPA. 

6.5 % ABV, 50 IBU, Dangerous Man Brewing, Maple Lake, MN. 

Lightly hazed, golden hued, slim white head.

In the nose: sweet mango first, with citrus below, grapefruit and orange.

In the mouth: sweetness and mango pulp, bitterness on the side. Juicy, then dry in the finish. Medium bodied, fully flavored, a tasty treat.

Hey, I could go for a few more. 

Hoppy, Smooth & Fruity

FLAVOR NOTES

* Hella Mango!

* Candied Lemon

* Undernote of Pine

HOPS

* El Dorado

Yeast

* Dry English Ale

ADJUNCTS

* Mango Puree

Half Acre Sunrise Vallejo India Pale Ale

 Half Acre Sunrise Vallejo India Pale Ale.

6.7 % ABV, Half Acre Brewing, Chicago, IL.

Slightly hazy, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: sweet tropical notes, passion fruit, tangerine, touch of citrus. 

In the mouth: soft with minor bitterness. Much less snap to it than I like. Far too sweet for my taste. I got served a hazy without warning. I don’t recall the original Vallejo being quite so New England-esque. 

It’s okay, I can drink it, but I’ll be more careful next time. 

For 2025, we’re introducing the Vallejo Family of IPAs with three distinct beers that explore Southern Hemisphere hop variations of this classic West Coast recipe. It’s Vallejo all year long. First up, Sunrise Vallejo arrives featuring New Zealand hops that elevate this clear, crisp IPA with aromas of sweet melon, berry and dried pine, warming your senses against winter’s cold, dark grip. 

HOPS: Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, Krush (HBC 586) 

MALT: Pilsner, 2-row 

APPEARANCE: Bright gold

Ol’ George #16: Drunk, Drunk, Drunk

 Notes on #16:

1. All of the previous 15 cartoons were done with pencil sketches first and embellished with felt tip pens and markers. For this one, I used no pencils, only a Pilot G2 .07 gel pen. It’s not my favorite pen, but the one I had on hand. My favorite is the Pilot V5 ( or 7) extra fine rolling ball. However, right now I only have one of those, in red, and George is a blue cat, not red. 

2. This change in style is a tribute to one of my cartooning heroes Jules Feiffer, who passed last month at age 95 (almost made it to 96!) I have no idea what his process was, what pens he used, whether he pencilled, etc., but his work has always been loose and spontaneous. 

3. The title is a nod to the original name for his later self-titled strip, Sick, Sick, Sick, which began initially in the Village Voice in 1956 and went into syndication until 1997. Meanwhile, he produced plays, screenplays, novels and children's books. I became a fan from the I discovered a paperback collection at a used bookstore in the 80’s, scouring shelves on each visit. For years, I could only find a few, but now I have them all. Thanks, eBay!

Ommegang Cooper’s Hop Tripel IPA

 Ommegang Cooper’s Hop Tripel IPA. 

10.5 % ABV, Brewery Ommeang, Cooperstown, NY.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: fruity, citrusy, stone fruit…a bit of bubblegum. 

In the mouth: bitter buzz begins, as well as the alcoholic kind. A touch of the dank, but more of the juicy. All mosaic? Well, all right! I’m getting a bit of Belgian yeast character, but not a great amount. And it’s slowly coming together, getter deeper and more complex as we go, and it just hit me how they spell “tripel “…I seen what you done…this is tasting exactly like that. And I am digging that big time. 

Elevate your IPA experience with Coop's latest drop: Cooper's Hop Tripel IPA. It's not just a hoppy beer, it's a game-changer. Imagine the perfect blend of a bright, single-hop, fruit-forward IPA, and the complexity of a higher ABV, effervescent, Belgian-influenced IPA. With an all-Mosaic hop profile, Cooper's Hop bursts with the flavor of melon and orange peel. Its clean, semi-dry finish makes each sip a high-altitude adventure.