→2010→04→01→Fund Raisers→Ted Rall close, but not yet going to Afghanistan
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  1. *obligatory “Can he stay there permanently?” post*

  2. I think Scott Kurtz swings in at the very last minute and pays the balance to much fanfare! The crowd goes wild!

  3. Time to spend those webcomics millions, Scott! And it’s all tax-dedictible*!

    (*not actually tac deductible)

  4. As for staying there permanently, Afghanistan has a vibrant and growing print media with a big market for cartoons.

  5. For all the shit Ted got on this board recently, I don’t know many other cartoonists who could raise this kind of scratch. Congratulations.

  6. Looks like he made it! Congratulations Ted! I can’t wait for the book.

  7. I can’t think of anybody who could raise money like that.

  9. That is impressive Ted, way to go!

    Disagreements aside, I admire your amibitions! Stay safe, man.

  10. Congrats, Ted. I look forward to the next book. (Anyone here who hasn’t read “Silk Road To Ruin” yet should do so immediately. it’s worth it just for the chapter on Buzkashi, the most dangerous/ridiculous game in existence– horseback riding, goat carcasses, and swords are involved)

    And thank you to everyone for their sincerity in hoping that Ted returns home safe and sound.

  11. Although I find his politics thoroughly distasteful and his attitude towards web comics unnecessarily arrogant and dismissive, Ted’s either got a lot of stones, or certain kind of crazy, going to Afghanistan. Either one deserves some respect. So does his drawing style, which I like a lot.

    Bring back some poppy seeds for us, will you?

  12. Congrats, Ted, on getting enough pledge at the last minute.

  14. Thanks, everyone. I’m in awe that so many people are willing to support an independent project like mine. I’m also gratified that you guys are able to separate stupid disagreements about politics or whatever from simple humanity. This is a big part of why I love being a cartoonist: knowing other cartoonists,

  15. If I were to you Ted, I switch my plans now that you have the money and go to beautiful Dubai. Try to get into the burj (worlds tallest building) stay at those extravagant hotels and take a few photos that look like you might be in Afganistan. Then you could be sure of coming back alive and no one would be the wiser. Good luck what ever you decide!

  16. Jayson Blair was on to something. So are a lot of armchair reporters. One guy wrote a lovely piece in Conde Nast Traveler about the wonderful, romantic train line between Turkmenistan and Iran. Only one problem: It hadn’t been built yet. It still hasn’t.

    My favorite was The New York Times who wrote two-thirds of a page after 9/11 about the strategic importance of the Kyrgyz Republic, because it bordered Afghanistan. He described walking the tense border between Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, staring at evil Taliban fighters on the other side of the wire. Great reading, except that Afghanistan doesn’t share a border with Kyrgyzstan. There’s a whole country, with big mountains all over it, in between: Tajikistan.

    I called my friend, an editor at the Times. “Don’t you people own a globe?” I asked. He brushed it off. The Times ran a one-inch correction. But the reporter obviously never went there. The whole thesis of the article was a lie.

    Anyway, I *like* Afghanistan. The conditions are extremely difficult, but the people are amazing. I’d be more likely to fake going to Dubai and sneak off to Afghanistan instead.

  17. do you grow a beard before you go? Seriously, does it make it easier to not stand out?

  18. Congratulations, again, Ted. I remember reading your description of the dusty/sandy air and thinking I’d last about two seconds there.

    It sounds like you have a T.E. Lawrence thing going with Afghanistan, which is to be admired. (“Ted of Afghanistan” doesn’t have the same ring, though.)

    Your NY Times story above is pretty amazing. No wonder The Onion is my most trusted source for news.

    I’m sure some good (and accurate) stuff will come out of this. Be safe.

  20. Thanks, Richard et al.

    @Rodd:

    Growing a beard is a good idea in Pashtun-dominated areas; not so much in Tajik ones. I’ll be in both, so I’ll be relying on my Lee’s Press-On Mullah outfit.

    On a previous trip I tried to grow a beard but the results were so pathetic I ended shaving it off. This time I’m starting soon. Question for my bearded brethren:

    How long does it take to grow a beard out say 2-3 inches? What’s the best tool for trimming? How do I reduce itch?

  21. Just grow a beard of 1/2 your face and depending where you are, present that side as “your good side.”

    “How long does it take to grow a beard out say 2-3 inches? ”

    Probably a 4-8 weeks.

    “What?s the best tool for trimming? ”

    Can be done easily with a hair trimmer but scissors or razor and a comb can work in a pinch.

    “How do I reduce itch?”

    Try bathing occasionally. 😉

    Good luck over there.

  22. He can grow the bushiest beard on the planet but it won’t help because Ted is a slave to late 90’s hip hop fashion and insists on letting his star-spangled thong peek out the back of his Eddie Bauer khakis.

    Congrats, Rallcats.

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