Raindrops on roses
and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles
and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages
tied up with string
These are a few
of my favorite things
- Maria, The Sound of Music

At some point in recent history, the song “Favorite Things” was conscripted by the Christmas season. Though at first this seems surprising – the song has no mention of Christmas at all – in some ways, the association makes sense. For religious folk and heathens alike, Christmas in America has spawned a season of spending, wrapping and receiving. A song about things is a likely holiday anthem for all.

However, “Favorite Things” was originally a love song to the charming things one possesses or recalls to feel good again in hard times. There are ordinary, everyday, tried-and-true utensils and objects floating around everyone’s life and memory. In a cartoonist’s studio, however, only the best are cherry-picked for prominent display, reference or inspiration.

I asked Minneapolis’ own mini-comics legend Vincent Stall about his favorite things. King Mini is known for authoring classic, hand-made comics like Robot Investigator, pulling incredible posters for bands like Yo La Tengo and the Melvins, and recently printing and sewing a subversive family of Scumbags. Prepare for photo-heavy wonderment as King Mini’s favorite things are revealed.

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