The Erasable Podcast

Today we talk about vintage notebooks, yet another new Blackwing, and mechanical keyboards. But also much to our delight, our friend and creative polymath Tiffany Babb joins the show to talk comics, literary criticism and creativity.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonWoodclinched on EtsyPencil Revolution on EtsyTiffany’s WebsiteTwitterInstagramEtsyNewsletterPenelope ScottSidney Lumet Essays on EB White Braided Creek by Ted Kooser and Jim HarrisonParker MillsapAnother RoundVictories Greater Than DeathPlease Like MeThe Night Train to LisbonRequiemJulien BakerNotebook TherapyLost Notebooks of Hank WilliamsIndependent Bookstore Day BlackwingsBrood X NotebooksOur GuestTiffany Babb TiffanyBabb.com @explodingarrow on TwitterYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

Andy and Tim have wrested control of the show back away from the devious (yet iconic) duo of Johnny and Charlotte, and we’re talking once again to Noah Bier from Makers Cabinet about their brand new Kickstarter project, a pencil extender called The Ferrule.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonEpisode 111: Eiffel Tower PointsThe Ferrule on KickstarterMaker’s CabinetStriaIrisThe SympathizerThe Best of Everly BrothersHemingway DocumentaryOn Earth We’re Briefly GorgeousBurning the BooksHow to Make a Journal of Your LifeFour Lost CitiesMediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male AmericaIndependent Bookstore BlackwingBlackwing 223PR CompendiumOur GuestNoah Bier, Co-founder Makers CabinetYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

You might notice something…strange about this week’s podcast. Do not adjust your podcatcher. What you are hearing is happening in Real Life and in Real Time. YOUR PODCAST HAS BEEN USURPED. PENCIL IS SILLY TranscriptCharlotte: Charlotte. Do you need a pencil?  No, I have a pen. (Erasable theme)  Johnny: Hello. Hello and welcome to Episode 160 of the former Erasable Podcast. I'm Johnny Gamber, broadcasting from a secret bunker under the Pencil Revolution Headquarters Compound. After over seven years of podcasting about pencils, my oldest child is now ruthless enough to help me in this non hostile takeover of Erasable. Charlotte joins me tonight and she swears that she's excited to be here. Hey, Char!  Charlotte: Hello, Daddy. Thank you for having me. Johnny: Thank you for joining me on a school night. So Charlotte, you recently completed a science project in which you explored the permanence of different writing media that folks rely on every day, and the results were frankly SHOCKING. And they prompted us to sell off all of our Blackwings so that we could buy more vintage Parker fountain pens, and antique French notebooks.We've come to understand that pencils are just plain silly. Charlotte has kindly agreed to present her research tonight. In a short interview with her witty, brilliant, and handsome  father. With apologies to Andy and Tim, from whom we are in hiding, we present the first episode of the Pen Punk Podcast.Let's get down to business. Charlotte, your science project was pretty amazing, even though I tried pretty darned hard to stop you from exploring the idea that ink could ever possibly be more permanent than pencil. Can you tell us what your hypothesis was when you began this reckless endeavor? Charlotte: Sure. Inks that people rely on will fade faster if they're exposed to light.Johnny: Uh huh. And what made you want to stab your father in the back like that and write about ink? Charlotte: I like ink more than pencil because it comes in many colors.  Johnny: Um, have you heard of colored pencils, child?  Charlotte: Yes, but colored pencils are useless for writing. Johnny: Hmm. Says you. All right, so speaking of gear, let's geek out a little bit. What inks did you use? What kind of pen? Charlotte: I use a dip pen, India ink. Bullet-proof ink, J. Herbin, Pearl Noire black fountain, pen ink, an InkJoy gel pen, a Parker Jotter ballpoint pen, and… that's it.  Johnny: That is a lot of stuff. So can you tell us briefly, at the beginning, what did you think would fade fastest or slowest? Charlotte: I thought that India ink would fade less than the other inks.  Johnny: Huh? All right. Can you tell us about your process?  Charlotte: Sure. Get the inks and paper and put them together. Put one in sunlight and one in the dark. Leave them for about two weeks and then determine which ink faded the least. Johnny: And, uh, what did you find out at the conclusion of your experiment? Charlotte: I found that both ballpoint pen, ink and fountain pen ink faded.  Johnny: All right. Um, I have to ask, what about the pencil marks? Did they fade?  Charlotte: Well, no, but I wiped them out with an eraser in three seconds.  Johnny: All right. That's enough for me. Let's get some audience questions. First. We have a little guy named Henry from Baltimore who has a question for you. Henry from Baltimore: But Charlotte, does this mean that you don't like pencils anymore? Charlotte: Yes. Anything that can be erased with breadcrumbs isn't worth writing with.  Johnny: Hmm, good point. All right. We have another audience question, this time from Andy in San Francisco.  Andy: Yes. Hello, thank you for taking my call. Do you know how long of a line of ink a Bic Clic can write? I've been trying to test it and have been on the road for three days. It's hard because some roads are really dark asphalt, and it's really hard to see the ink. I appreciate your help. I miss my family! Charlotte: According to my mole at BIC in France, 1.2 miles or two kilometres. Stay safe out there in the dark! Johnny: That's good advice now all the way from Johnson city, Tennessee, we have another Henry. Henry from Tennessee: Hi, this is Henry from Tennessee, and I have a question about pens and cold weather. What happens if you take one out in a snow storm?  Charlotte: Well, most inks are going to freeze up on you. Get yourself a Space Pen! They write in extreme weather, and their marks don't disappear if you touch them with rubber.  Johnny: Uh, is it true that the Russians used pencils? Charlotte: No.Johnny: Okay. Well, we have another question from Tennessee. This one is from Tim, from the 10 B School.  Tim: Hi, Charlotte. This is Tim from Johnson City, Tennessee. I was wondering if in your research you found out if certain colors of ink last longer than other colors of ink. Thanks for answering my question! Charlotte: I know, from tattoos and automobiles, that red fades more quickly than other colors. But for your writing, you should be good with any ink that contains pigment instead of dye. Johnny: I liked red all that time. So now, dialing in from the Bay Area on the West coast, we have Katie.  Katie from San Francisco: Hi Charlotte, it's Katie in San Francisco. Long time listener, first time caller. I'm so excited to have you help me out with my pen problems. So I have a combination of ballpoint pens and roller balls. I don't have any fountain pens. And I'm trying to figure out if I should be storing my pens with the point facing down into the pen cup or up. Thanks so much for your help.  Charlotte: Depends. Dry pens, tip down. Wet pens, tip up. But in the end, you do you.  Johnny: So we have a looks like another call from Tennessee. This is from Lila. Lila from Tennessee: Hi, this is Lila from Tennessee. I'm wondering why pens dry out?  Charlotte: Inks only dry up when we are not honoring them by writing or drawing with them constantly. Johnny: Well, I never thought about honoring my pens so it looks like we have one more comment from Rosie and Roland park. Go ahead, Rosie.Rosie from Roland Park: You are gonna   make me cryyyyy.   Charlotte: Go tell Mommy!  Johnny: All right! So thank you for joining us for episode one of the Pen Punk Podcast, and, assuming that Andy and Tim don't either find Charlotte and I or change the password on Squarespace, you’ll hear back from us in two weeks, when I think we're going to talk about our favorite spring colored inks. Take care and stay NOT ERASABLE. Bye-bye  (closing theme)

Since our recording schedule and the Blackwing and Field Notes quarterly release schedule didn’t line up, we’re keeping it short today to talk about fresh points: zines, old city street guides, and an exciting announcement about the 8th issue of Plumbago Magazine.Show Notes & Links:Erasable PatreonPlumbago 8T-ShirtsWarlightThe Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a WriterCat Party zines  Taco ChroniclesCurious Incident of a Dog in the NighttimeBand of JoyRaya and the Last DragonPencil Revolution #15404 Magazine #2Scrawlrbox BlackwingYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

Let’s get to the point: what good are pencils that aren’t sharp? Tonight, we take another look at sharpeners, the ones we love, the ones we recommend, the ones you might want to avoid.Also, check out our 2021 Erasable Podcast t-shirt campaign!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonWoodclinched on EtsyPencil Revolution on EtsySomebody Feed PhilFor All MankindHayes CarllA Swim in a Pond in the RainThe Flight AttendantI Expect You to DieSpirits of San FranciscoBarb and Star Go to Vista Del MarThe Walker: On Losing and Finding Yourself in the Modern CityADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction--from Childhood through AdulthoodAmazing paper airplane siteJohnny's Parker “51” review Mitsubishi Uni KH-20Blackwing SharpenerSonic RachettaClassroom Friendly SharpenerX-acto School ProJohnny’s review of the sameM&R keyhole sharpenerKUM single hole longpoint sharpenerOn sanding them smoothYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

Sometimes there are pencils that you almost love. Almost. Something holds you back, and you just can’t get these pencils to work out for you. Tonight, we examine the pencils that almost make it to our best-of lists but which we nonetheless loathe.Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonA Swim In a Pond in the RainNathaniel RateliffSNLMudlarkingMiss Scarlet and the DukeThe SinnerThe Flight AttendantFrank Herbert: Unpublished StoriesPhoebe BridgersWrite Notepads Engineer’s NotebookBlackwing X Tribe7Pencil Revolution #14Home Work Podcast X ErasableWell-Appointed Desk Vintage Writing Paper PadTim's listMusgrave BugleViking Rollo XLBLACKWING 211Musgrave HarvestFaber-Castell “Castell” 9000Johnny's listStaedtler NoricaGolden BearBlackwing PearlTombow 2558Field NotesAndy's listFaber-Castell Grip 2001Camlin Supreme HDEberhard Faber MongolGeneral’s Semi-hexRhodia pencilYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem(Download)

Tonight’s guest is someone we’ve wanted to have on the podcast since the beginning. Working from home has made the impossible (because of time zones) possible! Luke Sinclair joins us all the way from Australia to talk about his wonderful art and a little about sharpening pencils with a knife.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonLuke’s blogCreative classes with Luke SinclairBridgertonAll Creatures Great and SmallWhite TeethStar Trek DiscoveryThe Collected AngersTed LassoLord of the RingsLed Zeppelin Houses of the HolyCaran d’Ache Luminance color pencilsStaedtler Mars Plastic stick eraserBob Dylan BlackwingsMitsubishi drawing pencilsHigonokami No. 4 folding knifeOpinel Carbon steelOur GuestLuke Sinclair LukeSinclairArtist.com Pencilsm.netYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

Happy New Year! It’s been a few weeks, and we’re dipping into 2021 tonight with a non-topical episode featuring updates, zines, and predictions for the New Year.Show Notes and LinksErasable Patreon404 Magazine on EtsyPencil Revolution on EtsySteve Earle’s J.T.Ken Burns’ Civil WarMarie Howe, What the Living DoMaggie Smith, Good BonesZen and the Art of ArcheryMaggie Smith the poet on TwitterFrom a Certain Point of ViewHalt and Catch Fire)Whatcha Mean, What’s a ZineDogs of BerlinParker Jotter XL Brand Name PencilsAnother Evening at HomeBullet Journal 2.0Your HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

We’re taking a short break from publishing, but in the meantime, check out a preview of our latest episode of The Indelible Podcast, a Patreon-only podcast where we talk about pens! This episode is all about the ubiquitous Bic Cristal: a history, some variants, and more trivia. Become a Patreon supporter at any level to access this and other episodes of Indelible.

For our first episode of December, we talked with artist and vintage pencil collector Ali Serra about his work, and about how — and why — he finds cool, old pencils and accessories.Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonAli Serra on EtsyMandalorianTed LassoBlackwing Volume 6Chronicle Books NotebookField Notes Snowy EveningChristmas VacationMayor of Macdougal StreetRamsey Lewis Trio Sound of ChristmasUncle FrankPaterson (again))Make a ZineColumboPiranesiPencil of the Week/NAME Collab postcardsPilgrim Soul NotebookBullet Journal Version 2.0Pencil Revolution Zine #10-11Pencil Revolution Sticker #1Linton Rancho 444Our GuestAli Serra Ernest Theodore Vintage Pencils • Art • WoodworkingYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

In this episode, Johnny, Tim and Andy recorded their episode live on a Zoom call with dozens of Erasable listeners. They discussed things for which they are thankful, and some listeners shared their gratitude as this difficult year winds down.Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonIDLESIn the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise BrownThe CrownBaronfig Letters to the FuturePencil Revolution Etsy ShopMinistry for Uncivilized BehaviorErasable Discord inviteThe Word DistributionYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

It’s time for our annual discussion of NaNoWriMo. This year, Johnny is joined by Harry Marks and Less Harper (while Andy and Tim are away) for a good long chat about this annual writing extravaganza.Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonComfortable Shoe StudioHarry Marks on LinkTreeRSVP PodcastHow To: Fitting an Energel Refill into a Baronfig Squire | Comfortable Shoes StudioUseful Journaling, Issue 1 | Less on Ko-fiWork/Life Task System | Curious RatBuy Johnny’s zines!National Novel Writing MonthHarrow the NinthThe Ten Day OutlineExpert Card TechniqueThe Expert at the Card TableDracula (TV series)Baronfig Guardian ProOur GuestsLess Harper Comfortable Shoes Studio RSVP Stationery Podcast @OriginalLCHarper on Twitter and InstagramHarry Marks Home Work Podcast The Shelf Life Sitcom @HCMarks on Twitter and InstagramYour HostsJohnny Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

It’s the time of year that a lot of us enjoy scary stories, spooky films, and morbid poetry. Tune in tonight as Andy, Johnny, and Tim help you to get on your fright.Pencil Revolution is now a zine! Shop the first few issues on Etsy.Show notes and linksErasable PatreonKeep MovingGreat British Baking Show“Wildflowers” home demoThe Fall)Stolen Sharpie RevolutionIDLESEscape to the ChateauLast Tango in HalifaxStar Trek Lower DecksThe Invisible LibraryMusgrave debate pencilsMusgrave HatBaronfig LibertyPencil Revolution, The ZineCoralineThe Mist)If It Bleeds“The Tell-Tale Heart”“The Raven”House of Leaves11.22.63Her Fearful SymmetryBruce Coville’s Book of Monsters/Aliens/etcGet OutA Quiet PlaceSunset BoulevardSleepy HollowI Am The Pretty Thing that Lives in the HouseCommunionDon’t look now (1973)The Changeling (1980)Black ChristmasDoctor Who, “Blink”Eerie, IndianaStranger ThingsThe RoadThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordThe Downward SpiralUndertowAntichrist SuperstarYour HostsJohnny Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem

Pencils and zines have both survived blogs, social media, even instant video apps. Tonight, we chat with Ed Kemp of The Word Distribution about his zine, Pencil of the Week.

Journaling is good for us. All of us. Tune in tonight as your three favorite journalers chat with journaling teacher and expert Abraham, writer and illustrator of the blog La Vie Graphite.Show Notes & LinksLa Vie Graphiteairwavessongs in the nightgraphite archiveErasable PatreonMan of SpainPortrait de saint Jean de la CroixWherever You Go There You AreLiving in the Material WorldBraving the Wilderness by Brené BrownLittle Fires EverywhereThe MandalorianWokeThe Young and Prestigious T. S. SpivetThe Right to WriteThe Body Keeps the ScoreThe StrangerWriting Down the Bones by Natalie GoldbergOur GuestAbraham, editor of La Vie GraphiteYour HostsJohnny Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem