Bizarro Cartoonist Dan Piraro is Our Guest DJ

From KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence:

Renaissance man that I am, that is still one skill I lack, which, as a longtime fan of comic books, continues to bum me out that I’ll never be able to draw one myself. So I have great respect for cartoonists, particularly when they can be artistically interesting and funny all at the same time.

And for those rare artists who can display their wit and craftsmanship in a single panel my respect is paramount.

From folks like Charles Addams, Roz Chast and the rest of the New Yorker clan of cartoonists, to syndicated superstars like Tom Wilson(Ziggy) & Gary Larson (The Far Side), single panel cartoons are among my favorites.

And Dan Piraro’s Bizarro is my all-time favorite, so it was a pleasure to meet the man behind the surreal strip when he stopped by to be KCRW’s Guest DJ.

It was not surprising to discover his affinity for musical artists, such as Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, who display the same kind of crafty wit in their lyrics as Piraro does in his comic.

Nor was it a shock to have him pick a couple of tracks from folks who revel in their showy, often surreal performances, such as the Tiger Lillys and Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie.

But the one timeless classic he selected – because it was his favorite song to cover (albeit in a half-speed version) in his 80s New Wave-flavored garage band -was an unexpected surprise.

How bizarre can the father ofBizarro be? Find out with Dan Piraro’s intriguing Guest DJ set!

— Eric J Lawrence

From the Bizarro blog where you can find lots of goodies: