Welcome to Forgotonia

Thanks to the my local shopper/ “McDonough County This Week,” I learned that a kid originally from Rushville and has penned a comic book that’s apparently making a bit of a splash, (at least in part because its “superhero” is not a wolf-man but the guy who happens to be that fella that’s runnin’ the country.

I went a Googlin’ for more info on the local boy-done-good, Chris Ward, and his Obama comic.

Here’s a May 22 entry from the blog splashpage.mtv.com:

Bluewater Productions will publish “Political Power: Barack Obama,” one of several comics featuring notable figures from recent US elections. Along with the Obama comic, Bluewater also has comics in the works featuring Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and, well… even the Obama’s dog, Bo.

And it’s that last comic, “Puppy Power: Bo Obama,” that prompted one of the funnier exchanges I’ve ever had with an interview subject — in this case, “Barack Obama” author Chris Ward.

“This ‘Bo Obama’ comic book really burns my ass,” laughed Ward. “Now I have to work twice as hard to make sure my Barack Obama comic sells more copies, or I’ll instantly shame my entire family. I’m not kidding. My grandmother’s dying words were, ‘Chris… outsell that godd—ed puppy comic.’”

The local pub mentions that Chris grew up in Schuyler County and graduated from WIU.

The MTV blog gives a sneak preview of the comic, which hints at a funny, smartly-written narrative style.

(But I would also like to hint that that claim of the horseshoe sandwich originating in Springfield might be a bone of contention with some people, who seem to think it belongs solely to Macomb’s Jackson Street Pub.)

(Here are the deets on MTV Splash Page from which I copied the above info:

Last night, after work, I drove from Macomb to Jacksonville, IL, to meet up with my sister, (who lives in Springfield), for a scrapbooker’s convention (long story. Short version: she scraps, I don’t).

As I drove along, I enjoyed every second of that gorgeous gorgeous afternoon: farmers out in the fields; my moonroof actually open for once, wind blowing my hair every which way; the new Neko Case blasting from my car stereo.

As usual, this experience of taking the …. uh…. ‘scenic route’ ….led me to marvel at my surroundings.

When I turned south at Beardstown to head down Hwy 67/to 104, I noticed I was getting low on gas, but thought, “Well, surely there’ll be a station in the next town.”

(Thankfully, this does NOT turn into a story of me running out of gas in the middle of a two-laner in the depths of Forgotonia.

BUT.

Let’s just say, the next town over, Meredosia, is not a booming metropolis.)

As I drove along, anxiously eyeing my little gas-pump icon, I was still taking in all the sights around me–little oil wells pumping, irrigation systems everywhere (which seemed strange, considering the recent flooding), the broken-down little shacks; the picturesque landscape. I coasted into J-ville on “E,” but it all worked out ok.

Later, after our event was over and it was time for me to head back to Macomb, I again found myself focused on my surroundings, but this time for a different reason.

This time it was dark, and as I drove back toward Beardstown, I was focused not on the scenic surroundings of this path to Jacksonville that I’d never navigated before, but the fact that the narrow, two-lane road happened to be undergoing construction (“Rough Grooved Surface,” as the sign astutely put it), practically all the way back from Jacksonville to Beardstown.)

I passed a dead deer on the side of the road–and then, a few yards later, a young couple over on the shoulder giving a statement to a state cop.

Then, as I continued to squint and try to find my way down the un-striped highway, I got into a somewhat treacherous game of chicken with a farmer whose giant, lighted planter seemed like a spaceship in the night (but who, like most in his profession, was simply heading home from his workday at 10:30 p.m.)

It struck me that because I’ve stayed in this area my entire life, I might never know what it’s like to get stuck in traffic in the suburban sprawl.

And I may still lack the skills of knowing how to maneuver a car in downtown Chicago.

But I guess I can say I have braved through white-knuckling it, in the darkness, on an un-striped two-laner, through the truly BFE-ish location of Meredosia, IL.
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Chapter 2/ Postlogue

Thankfully, I made it home just fine.

But get this.

As I was reading the paper, trying to relax, my eyes landed on an an obit that just happened to mention the very (obscure) hamlet through which I had just navigated (and happened to include a somewhat strange connection to my hometown):

 ”[...]Cleo was a graduate of Carthage High School [...] During his years with the railroad he became quite a collector of railroad antiques. He even dismantled the Carthage Depot and restored it as a cabin at Smith Lake in Meredosia, with the help of his sons.”

Yeah.

I kid you not.

(But it gets even better.)

Today, I consulted Wikipedia for more info on Meredosia, the tiny little bump in the road that has caught my attention.

And what did I learn?

Apparently, little Meredosia is “the catfishing capitol of Illinois.” Charmingly, according to Wikipedia, “it is also home to the nuisance fish, Asian carps. There have also been reports that these same fish are kept as pets in many of the local pools throughout the Meredosia area.”

(If you’re so inclined, you can read about the existence of something called the Chicago- Meredosia Gun Club.)

(That’s right, folks. You read it here first.)

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(post edited significantly on March 20, 2012)

This is (an apparently un-edited) news release which ran in yesterday’s Macomb Journal

Schuyler County Sheriff Don Shieferdecker is warning all Schuyler County residents of the gypsy movement within the next few weeks. According to a press release from Shieferdecker, the gypsies move from the southern states and head north every spring. The gypsy movement from south to north usually occurs during April and May.

During their travels, the gypsies stop at residences and offer home repair, roof repair, yard cleanup, driveway sealing and house painting, among other services. One of their scams is to offer a work service but actually use inferior products at a high price. Residents who are approached by someone other than a local contractor that was called to perform a service should ask to see a driver’s license, get a license plate number and call the Sheriff’s Department at 217-322-4366.

Another scam involves posing as a distressed driver with car problems. According to the press release, past cases show a person stopping in front of a home. The person raises the hood of their car, pours a jug of water over the engine, and then walks to the door of the home to ask to use the telephone to get help. The home resident looks outside, sees the steaming engine, and lets the person into their home to use the phone. While the resident is helping the person find phone numbers, two or more people enter the home and quietly enter the bedroom, carrying out stolen items in a pillowcase. Schieferdecker asks all residents to use caution before opening the door to strangers. Any resident who feels uncomfortable should not open the door and call the Sheriff’s Department at 217-322-4366 for assistance.