New Haven Independent

Perkins, who lives in East Rock, just put out his seventh collection of This Modern World, a liberal political strip cherished by readers in 140 papers nationwide. The book, titled Hell in a Handbasket, came out in March and takes ample cracks at the Bush administration.

“Everybody should rush out and buy my book or else the terrorists have won,” he said

Perkins has worked on Saturday Night Live and alongside Michael Moore. Right now, inspired by time spent with his three year-old son, he’s working on a children’s book. The book is “vaguely a retelling of the emperor’s new clothes,” he said. It’s “not a parable of a specific administration,” though “I know people will read more into it than is there.”

The cartoonists said he reads a lot of the blogs these days for inspiration, or just to be doused in the “constant flow of information.” He even edits his own blog, also called This Modern World.

Friday, the morning after the landmark, nationally televised Lamont-Lieberman debate, Perkins traded notes with hollywood producer Jane Hamsher (pictured) and her three poodles. Among the crowd were:

The Lamont campaign’s Tim Tagaris (pictured at right).

Matt Stoller (in middle), of the MyDD blog, who made the trip up from Washington to cover the Lamont-Lieberman debate.

And author Jack Hitt (at right), who writes for the NYTimes Magazine.