"The Last 22 Hours"

Oscar-Smoshkers. ("Ehh!") I caught about the last 30 minutes of it, opting to watch Independence Day for the 10th. time instead. The Oscars, much like some of the televised beauty pagents always piss me off too much. Plus, Annette Bening REALLY should have won one. I think some of the choices made for the awards last night probably surprized a lot of people.

Well, you may recall that yesterday on this blog I mentioned my dad turning 85 soon, and, don't you know it? About 9:30 last night mom calls and says she has dad down at the emergency room! He had a 103 degree temperature and the doctor was afraid it was pneumonia! But, they later changed that to a bronchitis attack, gave him a shot and some medicine and sent him home. Said he'd be better there actually than at the hospital because at the hospital he could catch something really bad, due to the over-flow of flu cases here locally this year! Just got back from visiting with him and mom, and he's better, except he'd been sleeping all day and thought it was actually morning instead of night (give him a break; he's old).

We're supposed to have a chance of snow here tonight and maybe even a little accumulation, which is strange since just this weekend both days were nearly 60. Depending on tomorrow's weather, I'm wanting to stop by the optometrist to see if he can put my lens back into some sorta frames again. They can't be fixed, and when I first asked one of his assistants she said I'd probably have to have new lens as well. When I explained to her that I could probably afford frames, but not the whole nine yards, she told me to come in anyway and maybe they could put the lens back into plastic frames instead of metal ones. So we'll see. I was wanting to go to a place about 35 miles from here in Bowling Green for the frames, but I'll have to have someone drive me that far (Hey! I'm not even supposed to be driving around here without my glasses for distance!), but my wife's going to have to work tomorrow and I really hate to put it off on one of my friends.

Work was really slow today. I had already pulled all my tool order, priced and put them out by noon, plus assembled an engine stand for sale, so pretty much I goofed off and took it easy (for a change) to rest of the day.

"Fast Week"

Went by both local flea markets today; nadda thing that interested me. Guess it's still a bit too early for find some decent "stuff" yet. There's some dealers that'll set up outside any time, tho', like the fishing guy with his rods and reels and lures, or the cabinet people, or the army surplus man, but of course...I'm awaiting the ones with collectibles and old books, etc.; "maybe" in another month or so.

I think today at work was the only time I can recall in the five years I've been employed there that there wasn't a woman working the shift. Usually one of the elderly ladies is at the cash register on the weekend, and two guys, walking the floors, loading, helping customers or what-have-you. Seemed sorta odd.

Once again, lots of people out millin' about due to temperatures around 60 degrees here. Won't last, tho'; rain's a movin' on in.

My wife (Debbie) has a birthday coming up this coming Wednesday, and honestly, I didn't know what to buy her this year. After buying her gifts at least 3 times a year (Valentine's, Birthday and Christmas) one finally starts to run out of ideas after 17 years. I finally decided on a 4 foot, red wood lattice (that I'll probably just go ahead and give to her early since the darn thing's too big to hide anywhere in here). She has this "plant" that's been passed down thru her family for 3 or 4 generations she keeps in a large, antique cast-iron pot, and this has a stand that you can sit something like that on. We'll probably sit in right outside the front door.

And "what to buy my dad this year"? Geez. He's going to be (hopefully) 85! So far, I really haven't got a clue. And I've been buying him gifts 3 times a year as well (Birthday, Father's Day & Christmas) for at least the past 45 years. Guess maybe I'll just give him some cash and tell him to eat out somewhere, or maybe better yet, take him out to a good meal.

(Short post today, folks; nothing else is new.)

"Nice 'n' Easy"

This was just one of those average nuttin' happenin' days for me. Work went right along as usual; no incidents. Started off slow today; in fact, by 11AM I bet we hadn't had over a half dozen peple in the store. But it started picking up around noon and we kept rather steady the rest of the day.

It was a pretty day here in South-Central, KY., with temperatures in the low 60's and plenty of sunshine, so we even got some out-of-staters come by. Really I wouldn't mind almost everyday being like this one because it rolled right along like a greased wheel and just steady enough to make the time there seem to pass quickly.

No new items arrived in today's mail, although I expect a few comics I've won to start coming in anytime now. Been a good two weeks or better since the first item I won, and even with media mail they should be crawling along thru the mail system to me just any day.

I noticed that a few people were setting up at the local outdoor flea market as I came to work around 7:30AM, but I didn't stop, or go by there at lunch. Tomorrow's supposed to be much the same weather-wise, so maybe I'll make a quick look-over in the morning. I really don't find much there these days. Used to I'd buy a lot of toy items like Hot Wheels, or Matchbox diecasts, or action figures, but I've stopped that last year and either sold nearly all of that or traded it for comics since, so there's not much use it looking for more of the same. I've about milked anyone around here for comics if they had anything decent to collect at all, and those I haven't have over-priced their stock so much it isn't worthwhile to barter with them. Give them 6 months of next-to-nothing sales and I can get the low grade stuff for what I'll offer, and I'll keep my extra cash back at this time to concentrate on the better items and titles I'm actually collecting.

And I really don't need to buy new comics to read because I'm still going thru 4 long boxes full of stuff, pulling out a few books from time-to-time for that. Last night I grabbed some early 1980's Jonah Hex's and Legions from those boxes and read for probably a good hour and a half. Great books from a time you could still buy 'em off the spinner racks! (God, I miss those...)

Looks like I've only got one day off next week until the weekend, which is Tuesday, and that day I've already got planned out. Found a guy that'll take a box of multi-duplicates off my hands in trade for an extra monitor and perhaps even a extra mouse that I need to set up this old pc I have around here with a dot matrix program on it. I need that printer just for lists and the such, being so much cheaper to use than a jet type. Just save what's written on a floppy, toss it in there and print it out, and goodbye to paying $30.+ dollars for new ink cartridges for that LexMark (which actually, I rarely do since it's cheaper just to buy a new one with starter cartridges and toss the old one; they're such disposable things). Then I need to come back and look thru the storage shed for all the large "junk" I'll be eliminating during a free week the local "dump" is giving this county. Gonna start cleaning up around here this next week, get a lot of the things I have stored inside the house out to that shed and better use the room (I really hate clutter).

"LOOK! It's a ISB! (Identified Stable Blogger)"

Watched the 2 hr. special on ABC last night regarding UFO's. This was one of the better reports I've ever seen, simply because they didn't try to either prove or disprove their existence, or even explain what they thought they were, but it was their general opinion every time they refered to them as extraterrestrial craft.

It was nice to see that they openly admited on national television the way our government has tried to take away any interest on the matter and sweep all credible knowledge of the subject under the rug. But, you know...the government doesn't really care if anyone says that there's "cover ups" regarding such unexplained phenomenon. By their very denial that such sightings are anything other than weather balloons, stars, the moon, etc., they've been able to maintain that there's nothing to it. But, you gotta understand a government point-of-view.

What government wants to admit that there's something out there over which they have absolutely no control? 'Could cause a lot of panic among the populous, and retaining control over the population of the country is, well, what the government's all about.

I'm sure there are those in high office in this country that know exactly what UFO's are; they just feel that in general everyone here is too ignorant to accept the answer.

Okay. I know you're wondering---do I believe in UFO's? Well, since that stands for Unidentified Flying Objects, my answer would be a definate Yes, since anything that's in the air, is an object and I can't identify would qualify as that description. So...do I believe in alien spacecraft, then?
I can only answer by saying, there's going to come "a day" when the truth IS told, and don't be so surprized when you find out that perhaps Flying Saucers are nothing like you thought they were. That they don't actually come from some star system thousands of light years from here and are filled full of grey, large-eyed aliens. They may just come from somewhere much closer to earth...but a lot more difficult (impossible for us, in fact) to get to.

"The Day Off"

This day didn't turn out at all like I'd hoped it would. My wife and I had plans to have our taxes done today, but they were so busy all we could do was to drop them off and it'll probably be next week before we can actually pick them up. But, it wasn't a wasted day.

We take our tax statements/forms to an old friend about 45 miles from here and have done so for at least the past 15 years now because she does such an excellant job. She's so good in fact, that that's the reason we couldn't get them completed; she's got too many clients! But while we were in the neighborhood we went on by where my wife has crafts set up at an antique mall to begin pulling out our booth. She's tried other such malls in the past to sell crafts in, and they just aren't the right place to do that. Particularly a place like this one where you have competition with 800 other sellers (and she's just one of three people that share the booth)!

Personally, I feel that craft sales are dead as disco, but it's something that makes her happy, and she'll continue to do the occasional craft show during the year.

Plus we went by to visit my father-in-law for a little while and make sure he was okay. He had a run-in with the flu this past week, but now he's about over that.

While I was at the antique mall I looked thru the regular assortment of comics this one dealer has and pulled three books: The Legion of Substitute Heroes Special (DC) #1 (1985), DC Comics Presents (DC) #13 (1979) and Wally the Wizard (Star/Marvel) #1 (1984).

The LOSubH's Special was the usual fun work of Levitz and Giffen from a time period when they excelled on Legion titles. The DCCPs is also a Legion app., and appeared right before their first series began when Superboy V1 changed titles. I'm not a serious Legion collector these days due to the vast number of various titles, minis, etc. and other app.'s they've had since 1958, but I'll still pick them up when I can find them cheap since the series from Adventure Comics was something I never missed as a kid. (Even so, I'm sure I have somewhere between 150-200 app.'s of the team in one thing or another.)

The WtheW is, of course, Bob Bolling of Little Archie fame and one of three issues of that title he produced. I think it was the only one of the Star/Marvel children's line I ever bought more than 3 or 4 issues of. I've had all three of these books before in one collection-or-another, so it was nice just to get them again.

And I still haven't gotten new frames for my glasses, which was another thing I wanted to desperately do today due to the place I was going to not being open. (Rats!) So...eye-strain again for another week.

"Iwo Jima Anniversary"

When you think of Iwo Jima, you naturally think of the famous photo of Marines raising Old Glory atop the hill. But, you know... there's more to that story , which happened 60 years ago today.

There were actually two people there back then in 1945 with cameras; one with a 16 mm movie camera (Sgt.Bill Genaust)and the other with a still camera (AP photographer, Joe Rosenthal). They came to the battle site on seperate transports and didn't meet until 5 days later. In fact, that's actually the second flag that was raised, the other was smaller, so the Marines decided to use the bigger one and a metal pipe as a makeshift pole on top of the hill so all could see it.

As both cameramen arrived, Rosenthal positioned himself pretty much head-on and the Genaust to the right slightly. Genaust took about 198 frames of film until the camera ran out, and Rosenthal took the single shot with his still camera. Both films were sent right out to The Associated Press, but it took weeks to process the movie film. Rosenthal's shot was published on March 4th., and he went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for it. More fighting broke out, and the weather turned bad, and so Genaust finally laid down the camera and took up a weapon to help out, only to be killed nine days later when he and another soldier went into a cave on the island for shelter, and when he turned on his flashlight, there were enemy soldiers in there... and they opened fire. Marines burned out the cave with flame throwers and sealed the entrance.

But Sgt. Genaust's film was shown for years afterwards to raise the spirits of soldiers everywhere in the world. In fact, it's even shown today.

He was left sealed in the cave, to this day, with no plaque or burial marker, and it's even considered too dangerous to reopen to retrieve his body for the family back here in The States. The government didn't even give Genaust credit for his famous camera work until 40 years later.


And now you really know the rest of the story.

"Tuesday, Tuesday"

Rats! Got outbidded on a copy of Doom Patrol #103 yesterday. That's the way it goes. One thing about on-line auctions; you lose one day, there will always be another of the same on a few days later. Actually, I think I do pretty good with auction wins, figuring I win probably 75-80% of my bids, and in the 5 or 6 years I've been bidding, haven't received only a half dozen items. Not a bad percentage. I'm holding off on bidding on anything else for a while, at least until what I've already won has all gotten in (I think 7 different items) unless(*heh) I see something I want at a real bargain price. A person's gotta watch that: bidding on auctions can be rather addicting, and one needs to always make sure they're gonna have the $ just to pay for any wins they might accumulate (so I'm pretty careful about that).

Speaking of which, I got two great comics in today's mail: Action #252 (2/84) and Justice league of America #198 (1/83). Both of these are really great cross-over (guest-app.'s,whatever) DC Comics from the 1980's. I had won a JLA 199 a couple of weeks ago and didn't realize it was continued from the previous issue. It guest-stars such DC western characters as: Jonah Hex, Batlash, Cinnamon, and The
Scalphunter, and there was a recent episode of the Justice league Unlimited animated series loosely based upon the 2-parter (in which they substitued El Diablo & Pow-Wow Smith for the latter two). Decent storyline by Gerry Conway and more than passable artwork by Don Heck. The other book, Action 252 is a 2-Parter as well (253 is one of the books I'm still awaiting to arrive from a previous auction win) with more Silver-Age Heroes app.'s than you can shake a Yellow "S" at: Animal Man, Dolphin, Cave Carson, Congorilla("Congo Bill"), Rip Hunter & The Time Masters, Immortal man, Suicide Squad and the Sea Devils! PLUS, they're all fighting the immortal villian, Vandal Savage! Written well by Marv Wolfman and drawn with the delicious pencils of Gil Kane~what else could ya possibly want??

...on to other things...

First "rant" of the day: Don't we think there's actually too many federal holidays without making a New one? I noticed on the news yesterday that some congressman or the like has suggested we make seperate holidays to celebrate BOTH Washington AND Lincoln's birthdays? (That's all we need is yet another day off with pay for some (already) over-paid politician or federal employee.) And, Rant No.2:

Driving Courtesy: There's a subject I could dwell on for a while! I honestly don't know how so many bad drivers remain alive on the hwys these days. For example, just the other day I was stopped at a red light waiting for it to change, and the approaching driver facing me, just as soon as it turned green, made an illegal left turn in front of me, no turn signal...just went on her merry, ignorant way like nothing happened. Thankfully, I was paying attention and stopped in time to keep from slamming my vehicle into her. And I see things like this happening all the time. People that think a yellow light doesn't mean "caution", but instead, "speed the hell up and run that sucker before you have to stop at it", or people who just can't wait 3 seconds for you to pass in front of them, when there's no one else behind you for 5 miles, and just HAVE to pull out in front of you, then slow down to a snail's pace. And you wonder just how these idiots ever got a driver's license in the first place? It wouldn't bother me a bit to make it mandatory for everyone to have to take at least a written driver's exam every four years when they go to renew their license; I think it'd cut down on a LOT of accidents and deaths on the road ways. Probably 45% of those WITH license currently couldn't pass a test again if they had too. Also I feel that anyone that couldn't pass said exam should have their license suspended for a period of six months so they could contemplate on their ignorance and study to re-take the test. Each time they fail? Another 6 month suspension. Anyone with alcohol abuse problems, especially those caught driving under the influence, automatic suspension and a "two-times-your-out" deal on a license. And, where's the money going to come for all these exams and education and court costs and housing inmates? The Kentucky Lottery System, of course; you've got to save their lives and lives of others before thinking about using that money for educational value alone.

Rant No.3: Spam Telephone Calls. Although I've been supposingly on a "No Call List" for at least three months, I still average at least one telemarketer a day. Guess I'm going to have to start taking down their names, the name of the business they represent and their phone numbers and at the end of the month start reporting them.

But...enough preaching.
Well after nice temperatures yesterday here, it's dropped back down into the forties today due to the rain bringing in a cold front, and I think it's supposed to get even colder still, then another warm-up this weekend. Back-and-forth weather-wise this time of the year, which is normal for us. Eventually it'll just turn HOT and everyone will be wishing it was a day like this again!

"Back In the Saddle"

Sometimes you wish you were still sick...right? Just to have an excuse NOT to have to go back to work. But as luck would have it, I actually feel a whole lot bettr from that flu last week and ready to face the mobs again. About all I can say about today is that it was a "typical" Monday: hectic, busy, tiresome and bad on both the foot and mind.

So---I'll get away from that right now and onto more pleasant things. Like winning 5 issues of the Vertigo Doom Patrol series I needed, and all of them Morrison issues! Hey, I might just complete that run yet.

Had another person email me about a large lot (7 long boxes, all bagged and boarded) of fairly "modern" comics he's trying to sell. About the only thing really good in the lot is a Journey Into Mystery #83(1st.THOR), but it's in poor condition (coverless; missing an ad page---ten buck book at the most). Be a lot of duplication in that stuff as well, but I could always use the backing boards and extra bags. Just depends on how cheap is cheap sorta thing. He's wanting to get them all out of his living room floor where they've sat for at least 7 months from the time he promiced a friend of his he'd sell them for him. I've already gone thru them at least once, maybe twice, and bought about $100. worth of misc. stuff,so....

No mail today due to it being a fed' holiday. Days without mail are lonesome times.

Finally got all my tax info together and am going to go file it Thursday. We'll be getting back again, which is nice, but we have no real plans on how to spend the money. Seems like we never get anough to really do us any good, like being able to re-roof this old house or insulate, or the like. Material and labor is just so high these days, and even IF I had the knowledge to do it all myself, when would I find the time?

Looks like plans to go to Cincinnati's on hold for next month for that "surprize" birthday party of an old friend. Saw one of his brothers just today and even he's not going. Just as well. He's the only "fun" guy of the group and it just wouldn't be the same unless he came along.

Saw where Sandra Dee (among others) has died. Watched a lot of her flicks when I was young. yet another little flicker of the past fades out.

Spring Come SOON (only a month now)!

"Sunday, Sunday"

After yesterday's blogging problems with missing photos over on the Beatles & Bizarros space, I spent the better part of the day using that as an excuse to snazzy it up a bit. So now I have at least a dozen pics back on it, a new color template, corrections of typos, a few new additions to the listings, plus some extras! And... there will indeed be MORE pics added as time allows.

You might also notice that I added all those links that were previously only over on B&B to this page as well. The reason why I hadn't before is because I sorta wanted to keep a comic book blog seperate from my ramblings, but since that crosses over so much these days I figured, "What the Hell".

New stuff....hmmm....

Well I did pick up a couple things at the local flea market yesterday; an l.p. from 1968 of Mason Williams called The Mason Williams Phonograph Record. There's only one song on it that I really like: Classical Gas. I remember seeing/hearing him play that on The Smother's Brothers t.v. show back then and went out promptly and bought the album. Unfortunately some rather hard times hit me (financially-wise) in the mid-1980's and I cleaned out a bunch of odd l.p.'s and sold them to a record store, that being one of them. I found this one for a quarter. Little staticy but at least the song I wanted on it doesn't skip. Lotta good memories from that time period.

Another piece of music I bought for a couple bucks for a CD of The Moody Blues Greatest Hits, an all-time favorite group for me. I'm sure I have 99% of it on l.p.'s, but this'll save some wear-an-tear on those. (Great stuff!)

And I got an email telling me that a copy of Doom Patrol #116 has been mailed out, which will bring me down to three issues needed now to complete the original set (My Greatest Adventure 85, Doom Patrol V1 #'s 103 & 115). Ever getting closer to finishing that run.

On another subject, I see that President George W. has admitted to having smoked marijuana in the past, which, to me, is no big surprize...or even a big deal. I'm betting that at least 75% of people over the age of 40 has tried pot at least once in their lives. Naturally, I'm assuming he didn't inhale....("yeah"...)

It's raining here in South-Central, KY. today, and I'm bored, but thankful that we don't have it here like they have out in California. Well...you know how that song goes: "It never rains in California, but girl let me warn ya, it POURS! Man, it POURS!" Actually, the weather here has been rather nice all Winter outside of a few pretty cold weeks and Spring draws closer, so there I have no complaints (not that it'd do any good if I did).

And...what else??? Well, I have been back to working on a comic strip; one that I started maybe...oh...two or three years ago, did 7 or 8 pages on, got bored and put it away for a while. Got a few new ideas on it and have done a few more pages. Not that it'll ever see print in my lifetime...or ever. I just like to keep in practise, I guess. Maybe I should follow suit of some others that have blogs and sites and put some of my artwork somewhere on The Net someday, just to see if I get any reaction to my current stuff?

I think both my wife and I have finally gotten over our flus or what-have-you that seemed to linger on over a week each for us. And, just in time to start a new work week. Honestly, I didn't know if I could make it thru a few days at work last week: dizziness, sick-at-my-stomach, weak...typical stuff from having it. Finally went home a couple hours early Friday and got some rest, so tomorrow--back to the grind.

"Dunt Cha Hate It When Dat Happens?"

Well....this certainly $uck$.

Checking my Beatles & Bizarros blog site yesterday, I noticed that none of my cover repros were appearing: just blank squares with that little red 'x" in the corner. So I got around the checking some of my earlier blogs here and sure enough, those had disapeared as well.

Not having photos here on Elmo's Junction doesn't really bother me because, just to save my current photo-host some space I usually eliminate them anyway after 30 days or so. But the B&B blog was supposed to be something "permanent". And, naturally, not knowing they'd do this little deed, I never saved these photos in any special sort of folder, so....They're Gonesville, Daddio!

They were all free, I admit, and were courtesy originally of a good friend I have on The Net. But someone else took over his site some time back, and even though the new owners of that site told me I could still host with them, I guess they got in the mind of thinking they'd been good enough to me, so...
But---

'Been real nice if I'd gotten at least a little bit of warning so I could have saved all of the pics to a file for RE-loading on my current photo-host, especially considering the amount of time I spent scanning and loading all of them. And I don't know if that original host went out-of-business, or if a time limit had run out, or what as I can't get them to answer any emails.

So, anyhoo, I'm a gonna have to go into that blog and into each individual posting and delete all of those host addresses by hand. After all of that is done, don't despair. I will indeed eventually have some more pics on there, as my time allows, but it just won't be the great collection of covers and illustrations it was previously.

At least all of the listings are still available, even if the pics are not, and all of that I DO have saved on floppies in case they ever have to be re-posted.
Heck of a way to end the week.

"The Gal I Used to Know"

(Painting by: Cara Sherman-Tereno)

You may have noticed a link down towards the bottom of the LINK list (to your right) called Tribute to Cara, and perhaps you have wondered why it's there?

Well, way back in 1969, when I was buying a lot of fanzines, I was trying to put together a art folio collection of various good fan artists, called New Dawn. In one such fanzine I bought there was an ad placed by Cara where she was selling her artwork. I took one look at the sample and thought, ""Hey! This is GOOD!", and promptly wrote her a letter requesting prices.

She asked me what sort of artwork I was interested in, and I remember saying something to the affect of "just let your mind go free", and a few weeks later not only did I get the piece of great artwork I had paid for, but several freebie pieces as well! Writing back-and-forth for a while, Cara and I became very good friends, swapping our artwork and ideas, and just writing page after page of page of personal ramblings. And, I did eventually publish that fanzine years later (15 years later, actually!), but I renamed it: Upperground, and Cara's art was in it, along with a couple dozen other well-known and upcoming folk like Bob Burden, Don Rosa, Peter Laird, Randy Enos, Milton Knight,Mark Bode',Lori Walls,and several other names I'm sure you'd recognize.

Cara and I carried on our correspondence for many years. When she got married, she even named me the Godfather for her daughter, Hillary, for which I felt greatly honored.

Cara was a very independent person, somewhat of a feminist and pretty much a devoted Zionist. Her interests surpassed merely artwork and writing and she was well-educated. Her letters were always uplifting, caring and humorous. Her paintings were excellant. We "swapped" paintings one time (the above pictured of the Vulcan woman). That painting she sent me has always had an honored place somewhere in every house or apartment that I've ever lived in since I obtained it 30 years ago.

Cara published a fanzine called Romulan Wine which was basically dedicate to Star Trek, of which she (and I as well) were big fans. In those pages was the first time my little character( that has always been identified with me), Elmo Jenkins first appeared ! (Yep! That's the guy this blog page is named after!). We even collaborated on a comic strip that was published in two issues. She had asked me if I was interested in writing and penciling a strip, and she'd revise and ink it, and we wanted something in the Star Trek fashion. I wrote a story about Ancient Vulcan, the main character of which was a chieftain named Mort III. Cara loved it, but was afraid that Gene Roddenberry might not approve, so she wrote him several times, and eventually, he did indeed approve of the script and even gave his blessing, making it an authorized part of Vulcan History. She published it in two-parts in her fanzine, and, to my knowledge, it was the first time anything in comic strip format referring to Ancient Vulcan was ever published. The one precedent we set in the storyline? The sun on Vulcan rose from the West.

But... even close friends drift apart...

I had noticed her credits in The Joe Kubert Catalog (she was a graduate of The Joe Kubert School of Art), but it wasn't until the 1980's that I did indeed re-contact her when she did a few fill-in issues of DC's Arion, Lord of Atlantis. We quickly re-newed our friendship...but then, I don't know, I just didn't hear from her anymore.

I heard news of her presence; that she was in various APA groups, doing partial work for various independent titles (like, The American, but for years I wondered what exactly she'd been up to.

So a few years back I thought that since I had access to a world of information via The Net, why not type her name into it and see what came up? Sadly...what did come up was a Tribute to her. Cara had died in 1996 of leukemia, at age 44.

So, I want to dedicate this blog today to her memory. And I just want to remind everyone, to never lose track of a dear, old friend. They are truely rare, and the memories you share about them are very precious.

"Just a Little Ramble Day"

I'd like to thank good friend Johnny Bacardi for supplying me with a copy of the Sunday Comic Section w/Prince Valiant that I missed a couple weeks past! 'Guess I'll keep on buying it for a while...at least until June (as that's when I started reading it)..maybe longer if it continues to be as good as it is currently.

"Johnny" stopped by for a little while a couple a nights ago for a visit; always good to see my old comic book collector friend! We sat around here in the computer/collection room for a while and shot-the-breeze, talked shop and generally reminised.

I'm really amazed at bloggers such as he (and many others) who can sit down and post something almost every day! here I've been going steady at it every night for going on two weeks now and I can see it is definately something one must be dedicated to! So, to all you bloggers that post all the time, My Thanks! You help me keep myself entertained and quite informed!

The only way I can blog each day, tho', is to do like I'm doing right now: a draft in my files so all I have to do is copy and paste the next day (so I'm actually always typing this a day before anymore just to save a little time).

Short posting today as nothing else much is "new".

"Play It Again, Sam!"

101 was just not enough, so here's 101 Things MORE I Like About Comics!

1) Jim Shooter as editor

2) All the crap you could buy from the Marvelmania catalog

3) Jack Davis issues of Rawhide Kid

4) "Faceless Creature" stories in Strange Adventures

5) Proto-type stories in Marvel fantasy titles

6) Everett's Venus

7) "Quarter" boxes

8) Finding a store stamp on a cover from a defunct business where you used to buy comics

9) The original connection between the origins of Daredevil and the TMNTs

10) Silver-Age King Comics Flash Gordon

11) Walt Simonson's signature

12) Dave Steven's The Rocketeer

13) 1940's Fawcett paper toys

14) The 1960's Marvel & Batman gum cards

15) Tim Truman art

16) Fatman, The Human Flying Saucer

17) Chic Stone Inks

18) The 1966 Warren magazine special on super heroes

19) The original Elfquest magazine-sized series

20) Mike Sekowsky issues of The Justice League of America

21) Enemy Ace

22) The flirting between Dynamo and The Iron Maiden

23) Bolland covers

24) Lady Blackhawk

25) Everyone knowing at least one dealer that reminds them of "the comic book guy" on The Simpsons

26) Golden Book & Record Sets

27) Gilberton series: The World Around Us

28) Forbush Man!

29) Peter Parker punching Flash Thompson's lights out in Amazing Spider-man V1 #8

30) Joe Kubert or Murphy Anderson drawing Hawkman

31) The 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon show

32) Berni Wrightson

33) The Adventures of Pussycat

34) Eye magazine WITH the Spider-man comic attached

35) Free Comic Book Day!

36) Fantastic Four V1 #'s 10 AND 11 (1963)

37) Joe Sinnott inks on Kirby pencils

38) Mike Ploog

39) Devil Dinosaur

40) The Spectre run in Adventure Comics

41) Sgt. Fury #18

42) Phantom Lady

43) Amazing Spider-man V1 #'s 31-33

44) Zatanna's fish-nets!

45) The Black Canary's fish-nets!

46) The Mighty Crusaders V1 (Archie) #4: "Too Many Super Heroes!"

47) Toad Men & Stone Men

48) Concrete, by: Paul Chadwick

49) The Inferior 5

50) Zorro! By: Alex Toth

51) Dell Giants

52) Dick Sprang drawing Batman

53) "Captain Tootsie" ads

54) The Whitman 1960's super-hero BLB's

55) Willy Lumpkin

56) Teen Titans Go!

57) The first...oh...25 issues of Cerebus

58) Bob Burden

59) The Golden-Age Green Lantern's costume

60) The Golden-Age Daredevil costume

61) The Invisible Airplane and The 1940's Batmobile

62) Finding a comic book with a double cover

63) My local comic shop having a 25% Off Sale on back issues

64) Aurora Comic Scenes

65) Lee Falk's The Phantom

66) Bat-Mite and Bat-Hound

67) "What---ME Worry?"

68) The original Mask stories

69) Silver-Age DC & Marvel Annuals

70) 3-D Comics

71) Bondage covers

72) The "Kryptonite No More/Pseudo-Superman" storyline from the 1970's

73) The team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams

74) Animalman

75) The super cat fight on the cover of Lois Lane #21

76) Perez drawing The Avengers

77) Paste-Pot Pete!

78) Archie as Pureheart the Powerful

79) 1950-60 Harvey titles

80) The Black Knight as drawn by Joe Maneely

81) "Gasp! (Choke!) Spa-Fon!"

82) "Still Only 10¢!"

83) Johnny D.C.!

84) The Marvel fan ranks

85) Charles Atlas ads

86) Reading Comic Book Blogs!

87) The Legion of Super-Hero app.'s PRIOR to Adventure #300

88) "Captain America Returns!"

89) The Thing-Human Torch squabbles

90) Cherry Poptart

91) Trashman, by: Spain

92) The Metal Men

93) "Batman: Year One"

94) Too Much Coffee Man!

95) Zippy the Pin-head

96) Charles Vess

97) Super-hero giveaway toys at fast-food restaurants

98) "Invasion of The Killer Snowmen!"

99) The lowest HRN

100) Reform School Girl!

(...and finally...)

101) Charlton Premiere #2: "The Children of Doom!"


(...and one to grow on...)

The Buck Rogers covers Frank Frazetta did for Famous Funnies!


(And One LAST Time---:)



102) The Warren Magazines!

"Accepting The Challenge"

In response to others listing their 100 Favorite Things About Comics on various blog sites, I am now taking up the challenge as well.


I've tried my best to NOT list things that I personally like/liked that others already have, although there's A LOT of those others have listed that I liked too! There's some that will be, however, 'cause they just meant so much to me as a comic book collector.


And, not to be out-done, actually I've listed One Hundred and ONE!


Here Goes:


"Herbie Popnecker"/The Great Comic Book Heroes by: Jules Feiffer/The 1957-69 artwork of Steve Ditko/Tower Comics/Al Williamson artwork/"The Bizarros"/Beatles app. in comic books/Fred Hembeck's "The Daily Planet" strips/Super-I.W. Comic super-hero reprints/Bacchus by: Eddie Campbell/The artwork of Mike Allred/The writing of Neil Gaiman/The Incredible Hulk V1 #'s 1 thru 6/he Rocket's Blast & Comicollector/Classics Illustrated/pre-hero Marvel fantasy tales/The Doom Patrol/"Star Hawkins & Ilda the Robot"/Lee-Kirby "Antman"'s/E.C. Comics/"The Merry Marvel Marching Society"/The "Supermen of America" Club/Daredevil issues drawn by: Wally Wood/D.C. Special #16 ("Plastic Man" by: Jack Cole)/Simon & Kirby/Jonah Hex/


Andru & Espositos's Wonder Woman/The Black Terror/"headlight" covers/Alex Schomburg covers/Al Fago's The Atomic Mouse/Not Brand Echh/Frazetta Ghost Rider covers/Mai, The Psychic Girl/Trina Robbins/Bill Woggon/Reed Crandall/Havings ALL my comics in alphabetical order/Having ALL my comics Bagged AND Boarded/Having enough LIDS for ALL my "long" boxes!/"Pop" Hollinger books/Free Shipping & handling on ebay wins/Finding comics on my "want list"cheap/Original Comic Book Artwork/Fanzines and The Small Press/A decent movie adaptation of a super hero/Omaha, The Cat Dancer/The Work of Daniel Clowes/"Cheech Wizard"/Fat Freddy's Cat, The Fabulous Furry Freak Bros. & Wonder Warthog, by: Gilbert Shelton/Harvey Kurtzman/


Charlton superhero titles from the 1960's/D.C.80 Page Giants/The Amazing Spider-man Annual No.1 (1964)/Mike Kaluta covers/Alex Nino artwork/Tarzan & Korak issues by: Russ Manning/Fruitman Special No.1/Metal spinner racks/The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide/1960's re-introductions of Golden-Age super heroes/"Supergirl" stories drawn by: Jim Mooney/Biblical adaptaions in comic book format/Marvel's Essencials reprint TPB's/The 1960's Aurora & Revell super hero plastic model kits/"The Legion of Super-Pets"/"The Impossible Man"/The Dan DeCarlo issues of Millie the Model/Kirby issues of Rawhide Kid/Sarge Steel/Whitman 3-Packs/Rick Geary/"Sgt. Rock", drawn by: Joe Kurbert/Gil Kane inking his own pencils/The Flash V1 #123:"The Flash of Two Worlds"/Bubble-Gum Machine Marvel Mini-Comics/


WHAM-O No.1/DC & Marvel Treasury-Sized Editions/"Little Annie Fanny"/Simonson's "Manhunter"/Ennis/Dillon's The Preacher/Siegel & Shuster's Superman/Stan Lee/Will Eisner issues of The Armed Force'sP.S. magazine-digest/Bill Loeb's Journey/"Cynical Man", by: Matt Feazell/Advertisements for novelty items on the inside front covers/Justice League Unlimited animated series/Sin City, by: Frank Miller/Akira/Maus, by: Art Spiegelman/Alex Ross artwork/The old "Magazine Exchange" that was in Louisville, KY./Barbarella, by: Jean-Claude Forest/The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen/Kirby 4th. World titles/Vaughn Bode's The Man/Gil Kane's Blackmark paperback, AND His Name Is Savage magazine/Castle of Frankenstein comic book articles & interviews/Gahan Wilson & Charles Addams cartoons/comic book digests/


And #101: Fantastic Giants V2 #24.

"Pure Escapism"

Back in the 1960's, like many comic collectors, I also bought Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. But there was one other mag I also bought with regularity: Gothic Publications Castle of Frankenstein. In fact, I may have liked COF ever better than FMOF because not only did it feature material and photos about movie monsters...but ALSO COMICS!

My favorite issue of that (as well as a scarce one) is #11. It had a large cover photo of Mr. Spook from "Star Trek", but what made it more memorable to me was an article on artist/writer: Jim Steranko.

Last Saturday night I watched, as usual, a new episode of my current favorite animated series, Justice League Unlimited. It was a great episode as it was all about some of Jack Kirby's 1970's 4th. World characters, like "Mr. Miracle" and "Big Barda".

What's the connection, here?

It was WRITTEN by Jim Steranko!

How appropriate, for as he stated in that long ago COF interview that Harry Houdini was one of the biggest influences in his life, and who better to write an episode about "The World's Greatest Escape Artist: Mr. Miracle", than he?

"WHY I'm Not Into Politics"

(*heh*) For Fred Hembeck, yeah! Jack's last couple of issues of the FF were okay, but really I sort of lost my enthusiam for the book maybe 20 issues prior to his leaving. Those last few issues just seemed to be something Kirby churned out and no way as impressive as issues 1 thru 60 or so...but, that's just my opinion. (And I do promice that eventually I'll do that "100 Things I Like About Comics"...just as soon as I figure out what those top 100 things are!

And a thanks to Johnny Bacardi who has offered to supply me with last week's Sunday newspaper section so I wouldn't miss an installment of Prince Valiant. I DID buy one today, so that'd be great!

Now I think I want to dwell on my state's government just a bit here in Kentucky. presently we have a law coming into affect that will limit the number of "over-the-counter" cold medications which are a prime ingredient in the production of Methamphetamine; one will be limited to the number of boxes of the product purchased in a month's time, the medication will be kept behind the counter and you'll have to ask for it, and you'll have to sign for it each time you get it. I think that's a fine law. Just last year in this state there was over 600 meth' laboratory's found. It's a particularly nasty sort of drug; one we can certainly do without. Problem is...there's also a law here that states something like you have to have every ingredient to produce such an illegal drug in your possession before it's against the law! So, that means you can have gallons of amonia, scores of packages of cold medication, and all the other things needed to produce it as well as a lab' set up, but if they can't find that single item needed for finishing the meth's production, it's okay? Give ME a break!

Okay. Another thing that's bugging me about laws here. Our good Governor Ernie Fletcher is wanting to crack down on all the Video Poker-type Machines you can find in various truck stops and make them illegal. So, sure Ernie, go right ahead. But, while you're at it, don't you think you ought to make the state-run-numbers' racket called the lottery illegal as well? Hey! That's gambling,too! Here in Kentucky we have an un-Godly amount of various computer pick lottos: Pick 3, Pick 4, Tick-Tac-Doe, The Powerball, Kentucky South, not to forget literally scores of "scratch-off tickets" which range anywhere from $1. to $5. each, PLUS "Pull-Tab" ticket machines costing users from .25 to $1. a play.
And nothing's said about On Line gambling or betting ( poker and football bets, or what have you). And while you're at it, what are you going to do about all that betting on horses at Church Hill Downs, Louisville Downs and other places, plus those Riverboat Gambling Casino's parked off shore of the state's line? Oh? That's okay,huh, because you want us to really believe that money's being all used for education in Kentucky? It all boils down to whether or not a chunk of any of that change is going into the state's treasury, so kids---be careful not to pitch pennies at school. Uncle Ernie is watching you!(Well...he now knows who won't be voting for him next time just because of that sheer act of hypocrisy.)
And, BTW, I wouldn't enter any sweepstakes you get in the mail, cause, you know---that's betting the subscription price that you might win something.

Finally...what th' heck is going on in Romania? Last year it was the 67 year old woman giving birth, and last week we had a woman giving birth to twins several months apart? (One in Sept. of last year!) Seems that this woman had a double uterus! Geez! What's IN that Romanian water? Of course...this comes from a country that gives us the vampyre.

Uhhh...long day at work and too tired to check for typos (forgive me).


Rants take a lot outta me!

"Without Remorse"

In answer to Fred Hembeck's challenge to list the One Hundred things I Like best About Comics, here it is: Fantastic Four V1 #'s 1 thru 100. (Okay, so that's a cop-out. But really, someday when I get the time I'll actually figure out what that 100 things may have been. But for now...On With The Blog.

I want to dwell on yesterday's posting for a moment, here. You know, what I wrote wasn't what I had planned to write at all. In fact, I had written out a rather lengthly comment, but at the last moment, tore it up, threw it in the garbage, and just jotted down that one off the top of my head. There's a "reason" for that.

You see, yesterday I knew exactly where I was forty years prior. I was at a funeral: my only brother's funeral, and I was 13 years old.

My late brother, Harold (as you may recall if you read a Tribute I did to him on: 05/30/04) was chiefly responsible for all the many things I like in life, like artwork, and music, and comic books, and building plastic models. And I had this long-winded relation of the memories and sadness of that time. But---I got to thinking about that, and came to the conclusion that he wouldn't have wanted me to remember him in sorrow, but in happiness. Thus I wrote "something else" and perhaps the creativity of yesterday's post can serve as a better memorial, as those loves and hobbies I obtained from his influence probably attributed to any originality I had to what I wrote.

On to other things.

I've been invited to attend this surprize birthday party the weekend of March 5th. in Cincinnati. Don't know if I'll get to or not, but it'd be a kick as it's a buddy of mine that I've known for at least forty years. Although his brothers all still live in this area, he and his wife moved to Ohio several years ago and I rarely get to see him anymore. He and his brothers were all fellow collector friends of mine (still are), and I've actually known him as long as his youngest brother! He's turning 50, and it'd mean a lot to the both us if I can go to it.

Debating on whether or not I'll pick up the Sunday newspaper tomorrow as I'd been buying it primarily to follow the current team of Schultz and Giani on Prince Valiant ever since back on June 6th. of '04. But wouldn't you know it? Here last weekend it was really lousey weather and I didn't venture out of the house either day and clean forgot to pick up the Sunday and missed an installment. (I probably will anyway, though.)

Money's still a little tight this week, but it should be better next week as I have more hours (and even a little OT). I think Tuesday I'll finally get to go pick me up some new eyeglasses, which is something I've done without for over a month! Maybe then I won't have to re-check these postings for all the typos!

"Everyone Just Remain Calm:

Did any of you ever get so frustrated that you just felt like taking out a gun and start unloading? If you answered, "No", well, that's good! It means you at least have some self-control and patience. (And, if you answered "Yes", well...I'll be a lot more friendly to you in any e-mails! X^D)

No. I've never had that particular tendency to want to pull out a firearm and just unload it on somebody, but Lord knows the number of times I've had to bite my tongue, especially at work and dealing with the public, shake it off and just smile and try to be friendly to a customer.

I sorta learned my lesson once working at a Minit Mart back in the mid-1990's. I had worked there previously as a cashier but from time-to-time just got so fed up with the hassles of dealing with the large number of customers, line after line of them constantly and a lot of rudeness, that I took other positions, only to have the manager at the Minit Mart each time practically get down on her knees and beg me to return because I was one of the few employees she ever had she could rely on to show up regularly to work and not try to rip her off.

Anyway, in one of those instances, I left Minit Mart and tried to work at a local factory a while for the change of pace, but I've never been a "factory person"; just too repetitious, and after a few of weeks of that the MM mngr. once again approached me to return. I thought about it for a while, and then told her that I would, but only if I could work in the deli section instead of as a retail cashier. Since she needed help in the deli as well, she agreed and reinstated me as an employee of MM with full benefits.

Now, you got to remember that in said position, often times a deli employee substitutes for the retail cashier anyway when things get a bit too hectic. We had one register that was specifically retail, and another just for the food service. So after being back for maybe, oh, six months, the mngr. decided to make this one relatively new guy an assistant manager, even though he had absolutely no previous experince as such. Nobody really cared much for the guy (including me) because he was basically lazy and kept putting all his duties off on the other employees.

One evening I was there making sandwiches and this local woman comes in; a well-known druggie and trouble-maker, and orders a sandwich. I make said sandwich, rang her up and thanked her, then go back to my other duties, usually that of food prep', etc. A few minutes later she comes in and complains that her sandwich was made incorrectly, although I wasn't even the one who took her order; all I did was prepare her order according to the list that was written down and handed me. So I try to please her by making her yet another sandwich. All the way through the time I was trying to do this, the asst.mngr. was no where to be seen. Instead he was outside taking one of his usual 50 cigarette breaks of the shift.

And...she stated hassling me. She wanted a larger sandwich, more meat, etc., etc. for "her trouble" and started raising her voice. Then, she did the thing that breaks the proverbial camel's back, she used obsenity at me and called me an "idiot".

That was one of those times that came the closest to the thought of putting anyone down I think I've ever come in my life. I stopped dead in my tracks, removed my plastic gloves, tossed them into the air and told her that I couldn't make her a sandwich; someone else would have to make it if I was going to remain "polite" to her.

But she wouldn't let it go at that. She continued to rant at the top of her lungs until I finally went and "clocked out", and off-the-clock I told her exactly what I thought SHE was and percisely "where" she could insert her sandwich!

And...I went home.

As I was leaving the dork asst.mngr. finally emerged from his hole and started being all apologetic to this imbecile. I ignored them all and simply left. I wasn't home a good hour until he called and pleaded for me to return to work. That that person had left and he really needed me back to help. Having calmed down somewhat and realizing that I did need a job, I did so, only to come in the following Monday morning for work (this had all taken place on a busy Friday night) to discover that I was being "let go" because I was rude to a customer. This person was of color and the mngr. was afraid, I could tell, that it'd start a bunch of race trouble around there (although at no time did I ever, or would I ever, make any such reference to a person's skin color) and fired me. (Basically I think she was just short of help and didn't want to fire me when she needed me there on the weekend because then she'd had to come in and work in my place.) Also, she refused my unemployment benefits.

I appealed the case at the Employment Office, but it was her word against mine (even though she wasn't even there) and the one other person working at the time that witnessed the whole deal was so afraid that she'd lose her job that she never came to my defense.

Just as well. Within a week I had someone call me offering a better job for more pay, so I lost no sleep over it and was much better off without her disloyalty to my good work history.

And that manager finally got her's later on when she was caught embezzeling from the company and fired (something I always suspected but could never prove).

So, today, when someone's rude to me, I simply smile and walk away, and ask someone else to wait on that person. Then go punch a considerable size hole, out of sight, in the closest wall. And I'm all better.

A side note to this story. I am somewhat of a legend at the local Minit Mart. Although all I ever did was throw a pair of gloves up in the air, the story now goes that I threw anything from her sandwich to a loaf of bread at that "customer". If I knew it was going to make me a legend, then shoot! I'd smacked her in the face with a pizza pie!

"The Issues We Weigh"

(Groan....) Ate too much spaghetti tonight! Must-have-antacids! That's what I get. Sometimes my eyes and hunger are actually bigger than my stomach. I really have to watch what I eat these days. The older I get the less tolerant my system seems to be. And I should know better than to over-eat as I've tried to watch my weight ever since I was nineteen years old. You see, I was a fat teen-ager. Oh, you wouldn't know it today, but back then, when I was seventeen or so, I topped the scales at around 214 lbs.! I went on this looonnnggg diet. Never really got off of it over the years, but from time-to-time I let myself go. Got down way too low weight-wise: 125 lbs.! I really looked like I was sick and I got very thin and it was hard for me to get back into regular eating habits after that for several years afterwards. Went back to eating regular meals finally and stayed at 135 for years, then gradually up to 145 for a few years. Stopped smoking for 2 years and gained back to a whoppin' 185; started smoking again. (Which is worse? Smoking or obesity? Not much of a trade-off.) But, anyway, I weigh between 155-160 these days. 'Course, some of that's muscle I've gained over the years as well, and I'm "comfortable" at this weight. Just don't want to get any heavier!

But, enough of my eating habits (and OTHER vices). Today in the mail I finally got my copy of Doom Patrol V1 #88 (1964) which I'd won way back on 1/22 (no fast shipping THERE), which brings down the number of issues from the original series I need now to #'s 103,115 & 116, plus I still need a My Greatest Adventure #85, so total I need just 4 issues to fill in that set. Still determined to finish those other issues I need sometime this year and also try to fill in the gaps from the other three D.Patrol series I need; I figure something like less than 30 issues total even with the guest-app.'s in OTHER DC titles total. I've done well compiling this collection, I feel, since I just seriously began on it about this time (or later) last year.

This issue, today, was a good one as it had the Origin of "The Chief". Great ol' stuff!

I think I mentioned my collecting back issues of Marvel's X-Statix previously, another set I'm slowly filling in. I can see yet another comparison between Doom Patrol and an "X" title as "X-Statix" revolves around the profit of the commercialization from their name (movie deals, publicity,etc.). As you recall, anyone that's read the 3rd. DP series which began in 2001, this as well was a concern of that team. Seems like the history between DP and X-men stuff is ever reflecting one another.

Nothing much else new today. Had the day off from work but it's pretty cold here in South-Central, KY. even with a few loose snow flakes falling occasionally so I pretty much stayed indoors, caught up on some reading and put up with the cat's demands.

"Music News Day"

Lots of music news today. First of all, 41 years ago tonight (February 9th., 1964) The Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. I was 12 years old when I first saw them, but immediately I knew I was hooked! And, of course, their music still endures to this day.

Also some sad news in that Keith Knundsen , drummer for The Doobie Brothers has died. Did a lotta partying to their music back when. I think my favorite song was Black Water, which still gets a lot of air play.

"From Day-to-Day"

Looks like other bloggers were pretty thrilled about Paul McCartney's Super Bowl app. as I was. But..they DID sound great!

Well, back to work today and a busy day for me it was. Starting off with my help calling in to say he wouldn't be there because of an early morning doctor's appointment, then his college classes, which left me to not only order all the tools for my department but to have to put them all out on the shelves and price them as well. The day went fast as I wrote up seven full pages (175 listings) and since there were multiple items I probably stocked around 300-400 tools, counting several new cast-iron items the store has started carrying. I finally finished this around 5PM and had everything on the shelves and priced except for two 2Ton Engine Hoists ("Cherry Pickers") which I didn't have time to assemble, but at least got them over to the work area where I assemble such large and heavy items. They'll probably still be waiting for me to assemble when I go back to work Wednesday 'cause trying to get the other guy to do that is sorta like pulling hen's teeth.

Had some comics waiting for me when I arrived home tonight: copies of Justice League of America V1 #199(1983), and a "lot" of X-Statix #'s 1 thru 12 & Wolverine-Doop #'s 1 & 2. I had bidded on the JLA because a friend told me it had guest-app.'s of both Jonah Hex AND Batlash. I had made a comment about liking the Justice League Unlimited episode a couple weeks back where the JLA go back in time and meet both characters, and obviously that episode was based loosely upon this comic's storyline. Reading the issue leads me to believe that that's actually continued from the previous issue, so I guess I need to hunt down a JLA 198 as well just to see where it all began.

Read the first issue of X-Statix and found it enjoyable; as much so as previous encounters with the Milligan/Allred issues of X-Force. Don't know if I want to continue looking for back issues of this title after I read those 12 issues, but I like what I've read so far. I thought the back-up story in #1 had an interesting way for "Doop" to take care of the problem with "Corkscrew"!

E-mailed a dealer regarding a copy of Doom Patrol V1 #88 I won way back on 1/22/05 just to see if that had been mailed out yet. After 2-1/2 weeks of no merchandice or replies from the seller causes me to get a little uneasy about it arriving. (No reply so far.)

Got that funeral to attend tomorrow. Really wish it was a little earlier in the day as it'll be dark and supposed to rain tomorrow night, and here I am half blind at night as it is and the rain won't help on that 45 mile trip back home.

Getting back to the Super Bowl, I guess you may have seen that Visa commericial with "The Avengers". Nice to see super-heroes in a commercial but honestly couldn't they'd spent at least twenty bucks each on those costumes?!? Neat seeing "Underdog", tho'.

"...ramble.....ramble..."

How's 'bout dat? Sir Paul McCartney pulled it off at the Super Bowl Half-Time Show, singing four songs and never sounded better. Looks like even at his age, he's still got it! Guess his new love life is agreeing with him.

It's really great seeing members of The Beatles back in the spotlight again. Here's Paul with this performance and Ringo getting ready to become an animated character (and probably a comic book character as well). Makes me want to break out the old 60's l.p.'s and listen to some of those hits that endeared the group to me in the first place.

And...what else is new (since I haven't posted in several days)? Let's see...

Finally went out to the garage today and drug out all of that carpet that's been in there for nearly 4 years, just to see if it's still any count. Looks like the majority of it's okay; maybe needs a bit of cleaning. Trouble is that it'll be going in a room that's 16' x 16' and none of the pieces match up to those measurements, which means I'll have to piece parts of it together, use the backing tape and an ironing device to eliminate the seams, etc. My wife wanted to paint the living room first, but I told her if she's waiting to do that then there's no telling when we'd ever have time to lie the carpet. When we do get around to putting it down, tho', we'll also lie some tile in the entrance way and re-carpet that as well. Looks like enough there to maybe do the bedroom too (in other words, a whole lotta work).

Pulled out a stack of 80's Legions tonight and read thru some issues that were written by Paul Levitz and drawn by Keith Giffen. Those and the 60's Adventure Legion issues have always been my favorites. Some interesting stuff there around #300, re-telling both the Legion's Origin, as well as that of "The Guardians of the Universe".'Had forgotten that #298 was the first appearence of "Amethyst, Princess of Gem World" (Geez! Whatever happened to that character?) Anyway, the re-telling of the Guardians origin was also a pre-Crisis sorta tie-in re-telling events first related way back in Green Lantern(1960's series) #40. Also it gave us what I assume was the Origin of The Legionnaire's "time bubble". These stories hold up well for their 20+ years of age, and I could become really a serious Legion collector if not for the myriad number of series and app.'s they've had in their (close to) 50 year history. Growing up collecting, I never missed an issue of Adventure Comics that had them in it.

And...what else? Oh, yes. The eBay Communication from their new president that states they're lowering regular listing rates by five cents. Guess if you list a LOT of stuff all the time, that'd eventually add-up, but to small time sellers such as myself who only occasionally lists, I'd have to have at least 100 items just to save five bucks.

Back to work again tomorrow; kept pretty close to home this weekend due to tight finances. Looks like I'll have to attend a funeral Tuesday due to an old friend of my wife's passing away. I really do not like funerals and never have, and it really takes a lot to get me to go to one. But...we do what we must. I DO know that personally I don't want a funeral. I'd much rather be buried (preferably cremated) quickly and if people wish it, they could have a Rememberance Ceremony of sorts...or a good "wake" as I'd want them to be happy instead of depressed. I think it's the music at funerals I hate the most. "Some sort" of rock music would be much more appropriate for me(or, the aforementioned Beatles)! But then...it's all for the living, rather than the dead...right?

UpperSouthCon also known as "Concave") happens here towards, I think, the end of this month. It's a relaxacon-type setting with usually 400-500 attendees. I haven't gone to one in several years now. Costs at least $30. for the three day attendence and really all I ever want to do is visit the huster's room to see what deals I can pick up. Not much of a drinker these days even when I did attend and had hospitality room privileges. So,the dealer's room and the art show is about all that interests me and I can just as well spend my cash at "the comic shop", so...