This week (April 23, more or less) marks William Shakespeare's 456th birthday.

Welcome to the witty, wacky world of Good Tickle Brain, created by the world’s only full-time professional Shakespeare cartoonist,* Mya Gosling. I was fortunate enough to attend college – and do a lot of Gilbert & Sullivan - with Mya. Her erudite and hilarious work with Shakespeare and stick figures has been a continuous treat since 2013. In celebration of this week's Bardic birthday, I’m honored to share a little taste with you. Much more of all of this – plus educational materials, drawing tutorials, merch, and Mya’s other comics – is available at GoodTickleBrain.com.

*as far as I know

There are explorations of iconography –

Summaries that somehow capture a lot of drama in just three panels –

Collisions of Shakespeare with the contemporary world – what would Petruchio post on Instagram?

And what would Caesar text?

Meanwhile, in fair Verona –

The multitalented creator also showers us with exquisite song parodies. (If you don’t know the original, listen to it here.) 

For a great deal more of this sort of thing – and lots of inspiration to watch, read, or perform some Shakespeare in this month of his birthday – see GoodTickleBrain.com.

Oh, let’s have one more. I just can’t get over the fretful porpentine.