Santa or Falstaff?

As the holidays approach, we here at Good Tickle Brain would like to issue a Public Service Announcement: please make sure you are allowing the correct white-bearded individual into your house this Christmas.

Consulting pocket dramaturg: Kate Pitt

One of them is the anthropomorphic representation of the Christmas holiday season amalgamated from numerous Christian and pagan folk traditions, and the other is a felon.

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If you want more Shakespeare nerdery and joy in your life right now, I highly recommend signing up for Shakespeare News, a weekly e-mail newsletter round-up of all the Shakespeare stuff that is happening right now. It is brilliantly compiled and written by my consulting pocket dramaturg Kate Pitt, who infuses her trademark blend of dry humor and impeccable research (complete with footnotes) into every issue. It is very possibly the only thing I am ever pleased to see arrive in my Inbox. If you enjoy Good Tickle Brain I am confident you will find a lot to enjoy here too. Sign up now!

Thanks for still reading Good Tickle Brain

If you’re reading this, thanks for still being here! This has been the hardest year of my life so far but I survived. As ever, I’m hoping to get Good Tickle Brain up and running again, but I appreciate your patience and understanding as I continue to wrestle my way through the mental and practical hurdles life has handed to me. I’m sure that 2025 will be a worse year for humanity in general, but I’m hoping that I can figure out how to at least make it a better year for me so I can get back to creating fun Shakespeare comics, because I think we could all use more laughs in our lives right now.

Shakespearean Christmas Carols + The Great Shoppe Restock!

The festive season is upon us, and that can mean only one thing: the return of Shakespearean Christmas Carols and the inevitable onslaught of crass commercialism!

OK, that was two things… Let’s start with the carols. All together now!

And now for the crass commercialism! The Good Tickle Shoppe has seen a lot of updating today. Let’s do it in bullet points:

• Shakespearean Holiday Songbook available for pre-order! I am printing my first collection of Shakespearean holiday songs, complete with extra verses and, for the instrumentally inclined among us, ukulele chords! I should have these in stock by December 6, if everything goes according to schedule. Order yours today and I’ll ship it as soon as I have the books in hand.

• “Which Shakespeare Play Should You See?” flowchart poster back in stock! It’s been a hot minute, but I finally got my act together and reprinted my flowchart poster! This is the perfect gift for any Shakespeare fan. I know for a fact it hangs in the halls of various theatres around the world, in the homes of renowned Shakespeareans of all kinds, and, perhaps most importantly, in my friend’s bathroom. She always likes to make sure people have something sensational to look at when otherwise occupied.

• T-Shirt Clearance Sale! I’m trying desperately to get rid of the remaining t-shirts currently cluttering up my closet, so they are all over 50% off. I can’t deal with the inventory management involved in t-shirt sales anymore and will not be printing any more, so once they’re gone, they’re gone. However, I do hope to set up a print-on-demand shop in the near/mid-range/far future, which will remove the inventory headache from me and also allow me to offer a lot more designs. Stay tuned!

• Don’t forget the comic books! My classic books, The Complete Works of Shakespeare in Three Panels Each, A Stick-Figure Macbeth, A Stick-Figure Romeo and Juliet, and A Stick-Figure Midsummer Night’s Dream are all in stock and ready to stuff any stockings you might have hanging around!

Yo ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Shakespearean Christmas Carols, part 7

Time for another Shakespearean Christmas carol! (This is for you, Michael Bahr.)

Consulting pocket dramaturg: Kate Pitt

To be honest, I’ve always felt that “Carol of the Bells” sounds like someone turned a panic attack into a song. Pretty sure my blood pressure was elevated while I was working on this. Gonna go chill out to some “Silent Night” now.

For more Shakespearean Christmas carols, check out the Good Tickle Brain Holiday Songbook!

I’m taking next week off but I’ll see you back here when the new year FINALLY rolls around.

Stick Figure Iconography: Santa Claus (COVID Edition)

Stay safe, Santa.

Shakespearean Christmas Carols, part 6

‘Tis season again! This year’s musical offering is not so much a “carol” as it is a “controversial beloved and hated winter-themed popular song”, but there you go. Enjoy!

Consulting pocket dramaturg: Kate Pitt

I’ve collected the past five years’ worth of Shakespearean Christmas carols on the brand new Good Tickle Brain Holiday Songbook page, for your festive singing convenience.

I’m taking next week off for the holidays, but I’ll see you back here on New Year’s Eve! Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Holidays, Blessed Winter Solstice, and/or pleasant secular week-off to all of you!

Shakespearean Christmas Carols, part 5

It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year! Spice up your holidays with these cheerful Shakespearean Christmas Carols!

Don’t forget to check out past years’ Shakespearean Christmas Carols: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4!

I’m taking next week off, but I’ll see you back here on New Year’s Day for another year of Shakespearean fun!

Shakespearean Christmas Carols, part 4

The holidays are upon us! Celebrate by substituting the words to your favorite carols with these decidedly more Shakespearean verses:

Be sure to check out my other Shakespearean Christmas Carols: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. 

I'm taking the next week off, but look forward to being back here with you as we stagger into 2018 together! Happy holiday(s) of your choosing!

Shakespearean Christmas Carols, part 3

You've sang through part 1 and part 2, so here's the most recent set of Shakespearean Christmas carols! 

Happy holidays to all of you! I will be taking next week off to spend time with my family, but I look forward to seeing you here again in the new year!

2016 has definitely had its full share of heartbreak, but it was also a year of adventure and excitement (and stress and euphoria and terror and learning) as I started working full-time on Good Tickle Brain. Thanks again to all of you for reading and supporting and laughing and generally being a fantastic audience. I look forward to another year of sharing Shakespearean silliness with you.