"Post No. 628"

Got hold of a coverless copy of Marvel's The Avengers #7 from 1964 the other day. I admit I haven't read an original copy in a while. I think the last time I read any early Avengers' tale was when I first bought a copy of The Essential Avengers V1 a few years back (which collects, at least, the first 20 issues). But it was nice to re-read a real copy, to enjoy the original coloring and that musky smell of an old comic that intoxicates any true collector of such.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were still both in the prime of writing and drawing, of course, and I'll have to admit that I enjoyed it just as much (maybe even more so) than I did now here right at 45 years ago when it first hit the stands and I plopped down my twelve cents in anticipation of becoming part of that early "Marvel Age of Comics". This issue didn't disappoint with a cast such as Captain America (in something like his 5th. or 6th. silver-age app.), The Mighty Thor, Giant-Man & The Wasp and Iron Man fighting such villians as The Excecutioner, The Enchantress and Loki (and even an app. of Baron Zemo). We had Cap's soap opera of losing his partner, Bucky, and Rick Jones's misunderstanding of such, which rather pissed Cap' off when he put on Bucky's old costume (guess Bucky had more than one costume since the original was blown up as shown in a flashback in The Avengers #4, along with him!). We even got to see that All-Father of Asguard, Odin, in this issue. Really packed tight with action and many a Marvel guest-appearance which made the reader feel the closeness of all the characters in The Marvel Universe.

That's something that Marvel worked hard on, especially in the early silver-age, was associating all of the various characters from their company with one another, to show that Thor and Giant-Man didn't live somewhere in a seperate universe, but all existed (mostly in New York City) in the same place, and that what affected one of the characters sometimes would affect another, unlike the DC Universe where there was only the occasional guest-appearance of another super hero in a title not their own (outside of The Justice League of America, The Brave & The Bold, or World's Finest), and it was a major part of what endeared their many loyal fans.


Got quite a bit of modern stuff in the way of comic books ordered, but they probably won't get here for a couple of weeks. Things like All Star Batman #1, Wonder Woman #2 (2006), JSA #9 (2006), Amz Spider-man 528, Superman V2 #'s166, 206-211,215, Superman/Batman 6,10,11,13, Fantastic Four 533,534,541, Batman: 635,636,637,639,640,641, Identity Crisis #2 , New Avengers Annual #1, & Civil War(Marvel) 1,3, & 4. (And as usual when they arrive and are read will be reviewed.)

SUM COMIC BOOK REVIEWS:

Viper Limited Series (DC) #1 (1994) was really...pretty bad, actually, but that's not a surprize to me since there were an awful lot of pretty bad comics being published in the 1990's, DC and Marvel not withstanding. Oh, the cover showed some promise; enough to lure me inside, but the artwork was so mediocre that it failed to hold my attention long enough to finish reading it.

On the other hand...

Omega Men Limited Series (DC) #1 (2006) may have had a bit of a confusing story, but Ghod how I love that Henry Flint artwork! Plenty of action here with guest app.'s of "L.E.G.I.O.N." and cameos of other DC characters/heroes such as "The Guardians of the galaxy", "Superman", etc. which leads into the second issue. Nice book!

Gotham Girls Limited Series (DC) #'s 4 & 5 were a lot of fun. Written and drawn in a fashion comparative to the "Batman Adventures", we got to see several of the females in Bat's life, including "Poison Ivy", "Harley Quinn", "Catwoman" and "Batgirl". A nice easy read without any complications to think about (which I welcome from time-to-time in this era of the multi-ploted comic book).

Vext (DC) #1 Fortunately even when there were so many really bad comics being published by DC in the 1990's, there was the occasional gem shining through, which is the case with this title, written by Keith Giffen and illustrated by Mike McKone. Vext is the story of a lesser god, the one of misfortune (see: "Murphy's Law", i.e., anything that will and can happen wrong usually does) who's exiled on Earth and has to learn what it's like to live as a human being. His problems start right at the beginning when he has to wait 27 years just for the transfer to this planet, and things go right down the toilet from there on. It's clever, funny, and a downright shame that sales discontinued it by the sixth issue. It follows in a similiar vein of humor as "Ambush Bug" and should have been a fan-cult favorite with additional mini-series. Giffen's genius shows at the close of issue #2 with a very "Eisner-ish" approach to the final four pages done in a poetry format per panel very similiar to things I've seen done originally in "The Spirit". DC needs to bring this back!

The Next Limited Series (DC) #1 (of 6 from 2006) was also an excellant offering from that company by Tad Williams, Dietrich Smith & Walden Wong, and deals with four interdimensional-time traveling creatures akin to Earth teenagers who lose their "dog" (closest thing to relate it to) while taking a sight-seeing tour to the end of time. The "dog" ends up on Earth and is found by a teenage girl who is struck by an oncoming vehicle and almost dies. The "travelers" seeing they caused this, extract themselves from their journey to help her and give her part of their own life forces to make her well, but are now stuck on this planet. They adopt human-like forms, two female and two male. One of them looks like a short, black guy, another like a white, geeky guy, one like a preppy, blonde girl and the other like some bright-red, super female, well-endowed with "big" blonde hair. The description of "the dog" is harder to explain, but remember those plastic models you had or saw for sale as a kid called "The Visible Man", "The Visible Woman", "The Visible head", etc. They had clear plastic bodies and all of the organs were visible within? That's how "the dog" looks! Neat book!

The Spectre Limited Series (DC) #1 (2006) is one of those "Infinite Crisis" spin-offs and this time he takes the mortal form of a black man who had been murdered a year earlier. The man, when alive, had been a police detective, so he continues this persuit in death although there's nothing he can do about anything he finds out. He even trails "The Batman" just to find out his secret I.D., and does so, but then with the thought that knowing his real identity took all the mystery out of the character and now Bats to him is just "another guy in a mask". Finally from his frustration of not being able to do anything about al the crimes he's seen he allows The Spectre to inhabit his form for vengence. Not too bad a book.

Hawkgirl (DC) #'s 62-64 & 66 (2007) tied up the rest of that series which originally began as HawkMan. Walt Simonson did a fine job writing these and his covers, inked by Howard Chaykin, gave them a great appeal. Renato Arlem's interior artwork was also very good (although I occasionally got the creeps everytime he drew hawkgirl smiling while wearing her "Hawk-Mask"). These tie up the stories involving the "Hawkman/Hawkgirl-reincarnated-from-previous-Egyptian-lovers-fighting-Hath-Set" storyline. Along the way, Hawkgirl enlists help from The Batman and Superman, and has a fight with the old Jack Kirby 4th. World creation's "The Female Furies". At the end of this story, she gets possessed by the spirit of Hawkman's true love and now can see why they were so much in love with one another. Something that sets the stage for future involvement between the Hawk-Fighters which will eventually, perhaps, reunite them into both a team again as well as lovers. A nice finish to a good series from DC.


And...I've cancelled this weekend's yard sale due to all of the rain we've had, as there's still 60% chance of rain on Friday and 40% on "Derby day" Saturday. Will try to reschedule it again as soon as I can but not sure just when that'll be. It's pretty disapppinting to me after all of the hard work I've done just to get it ready, but even the yards are way too wet to mow and make look nice for the table set-ups. It figures. Let me plan something outside and take a vacation, it'll certainly end any drought.

"Post No. 627"

Today begins my first day of vacation, and I use that term very lightly because, just being off from my regular job for 7 days doesn't mean anything at all "about" relaxing.

In fact, I may not even get out of this town the whole week.. Just depends on the weather, and that's a shame 'cause this Saturday is "Free Comic Book Day" at many of the local comic shops and there looks like some interesting books being given away this time, including an "Avengers", "Green lantern" and a John Stanley "Nancy". Things are sort'a iffy since there's a 50% chance of rain just about every day through Saturday here, and Fri-Sat I had plans for a huge yard sale. If I still want to have that I'll have to cover it with plastic and tarps and then uncover it between showers. (Naturally, LAST week the weather was beautiful when I wasn't off from work.)

This weather may also put the whompum on a "city-wide yardsale" in a neighboring town that my wife wanted to attend. It's Spring and one never knows what the weather will do.

In the meanwhile, I've gotten in a number of modern comics which include: DC=Brave New World #1, Doctor Mid-Nite L.S. #3, Gotham Girls #'s 4 & 5, Hawkgirl #'s 62-64, 66, Omega Men L.S. #1, Salvation Run L.S. #1, Just Imagine Stan Lee's (w/Walt Simonson)"Sandman", Secret Six L.S. #1, Seven Soldiers of Victory #0, The Spectre L.S. (2006) #1, The Next L.S. #1, Vext #'s 1 & 2, Viper #1 / Marvel=Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #29, Silver Surfer V3 #9 / Harris=Vampirella/Shi #1. I've had a chance to read a few of these.

The Just Imagine Stan Lee's Sandman was certainly different from any previous version of the character, and of course, is one of those "Elseworlds" type stories which has no actual continuity inside of the DCU. A child's nightmares of a distance plane of existence where he's constantly chased and terrorized by an evil being becomes his reality as he becomes an adult, and he is that dimension's only chance of salvation. Walt Simonson's artwork was its usual very good, and Stan showed he can still write. More interesting to me was the 4 back back up by artist Richard Corben, who we simply don't see enough of these days. Back cover by Adam Hughes.

Vampirella/Shi (by Harris Publications) would have been better had they let Billy Tucci draw the "Shi" figures. Typically it turned out to be your "bad girl VS. bad girl" epic and we already knew neither would win in a fight so it was completely predictable.

The Doctor Mid-Nite L.S. is written by Matt Wagner. Not his best work by far, but still better than 99% of what's out there at the time it was published (late 1990's). Difficult to make Golden Age characters play well in current times.

The Secret Six L.S. #1 didn't in particular impress me, but it's nice to see "Cat-Man" being used "somewhere" as he was always a favorite Batman villian of mine even though he had very few appearances back in the early 1960's. (Nice cover.)

Silver Surfer V3 #9 looks so much different from the previous volume mostly dominated by Ron Lim's artwork it was barely recognizable, and the story itself focused more on other characters, so hard to say whether I would like reading more issues of this. The artwork (to me; sorry Ron) is an improvement.

Seven Soldiers of Victory #0 is a little eratic for Grant Morrison's usual style, but my God what beautiful artwork by J. H. Williams! The craftsmanship behind that is work the price of admission.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #29 was a surprize, figuring it to be on the level of "Spidey Super Stories" or other such juvenile efforts from Marvel, it actually was a fairly good read, but moved a bit too fast to make a complete story in one issue. The FF battle The Hulk, and ol' green pants is thrown back into the "Hulk Stomp!" era I suppose to tone down the violence for a younger readership. For what it was, it was okay.

The title that impressed me the most so far is the Salvation Run L.S. #1 from DC where all of the Flash's villians have been exiled to another dimension asa prison with just their brains and wits to survive. Towards the end of this issue we see that a multitude of 0ther DC villians have been exiled there as well, and Flash's rogues are the only ones that know how to survive after doing so already for a couple of weeks beforehand. The artwork was acceptable and the cover stood out from the others. I'd like to read the rest of that run.(see above cover)

It's early in the morn', folks, so excuse the typos.

"Post No. 626"

The above piece of artwork was something I ran across while cleaning out the garage. It's dated 1976 and I titled it, "The Breaking of Bell's Cord". Why I called it that beats the hell outta me. I was still a hippy then, doing odd pieces of artwork and more than likely still putting odd(er) substances into my system. So, darken the room and turn on the black light, man, 'cause it's done in "Day-Glo" paints!

While cleaning out VHS tapes for the yard sale I ran across a copy of the old 1980's "Zone Troopers" flick, which I watched again just because it's such a "fun" thing. "The Iron Sarge" incorporates a lot of the feeling of such characters as "Sgt. Rock" or "Sgt. Fury".

Just about finished up two different comic strips I'd been working on for the past year or so. Then I'll be returning to work on a three issue humor title I took a break from, which, when completed as well, will give me something like 6 complete comic book's worth of stuff to publish IF I ever get around to it. The total consists of one adventure-hero title, one team book special (of 40 pages in length), one humor special, and a 3-issue lmt. humor series. There's really only one of these strips that I deem worthy enough of making into a regular-type comic book, so the others will more than likely be some sort of small press effort, either digest-size or magazine-size in B&W. The adventure-hero bookis the only one of the lot that I think would hold my interest long enough to make it a continuing series of any sort. ALL of these titles tie in to one another "someway or another". As I've mentioned before, every character and comic strip I've ever done is in some matter connected to some "other" comic strip I've done, no matter how silly one is compared to the "seriousness" of the other. (A whole Puck Universe, so to speak.)

The total number of pages completed on these projects from the past 2-3 years is something like 140-150 pages.

Back on the 14th. of this month I completely forgot that it was my 9 year anniversary where I work! Geez, 9 years...that's a looonnngggg time to do the sort of work that I do, which is mostly manual, physical labor, and with the years passing I truely wonder just how many more I can endure? I have no actual retirement plan outside of savings, so I suppose when I finally get to the point that I'm not able to do my job and the employers put me out to pasture, then will be the time I'll have to break down and sell out my collections as a suppliment income to whatever social security I'll draw. But I've always been a resourceful type and even when i was unemployed found ways to bring extra income into the household, and as long as my wife and my health holds out, we'll be okay (pending some unexpected financial situations).

Right now, where I work, days are constantly steady with sales, and at times outdo the wholeside side of the business. Still nothing like it was back in the 1990's or pre-9/11 days, however.

Currently stuck at 999 on my eBay feedback and with no money in my Paypal account to get that one feedback to hit the 1,000 mark. My eBay sales last time were the pits with no buyers on any of the 6 items I listed. (Those items are now part of the stuff for the yard sale.)

And I'm trying to "recuperate" a bit after all the yard work I did yesterday. Started around 11 AM mowing both my mom's yard and my own back yard with the riding mower, then came back home and finished up the front and side yards here with the push mower, then back to mom's to finish the trim work with a weed-eater, then cut out a huge bundle of dead limbs from a large bush in her back yard, then trimmed all of her hedges for her and baged/cleaned up that mess! My arms are sore from wresting with the steering wheel on the riding mower, my sholders are sore from using the psuh mower, and my hards wouldn't hardly grip from the vibrations from the weed-eater and electric hedge trimmers! Like to never got comfortable enough to fall asleep last night and still feeling it today (it's a bitch to grow old).

"Post No. 625"

Got in that copy of Charlton's Cheyenne Kid #70 (1969) to complete my run of Jim Aparo's backup "Wander" strips. Not Sal Gentile's best effort on CK and a cover saved only by the Aparo insert (which, incidently, was the only time during the run the "Wander" character was actually shown on the cover). Also, that copy of Star Spangled War Stories (DC) #153(1970) has arrived, now giving me a straight run of 138-154. I believe I'll stop at #160, it being that last Joe Kubert issue, and since I already have a #160 all I'll be looking for is the 155-159 before I set that set aside in my wants. In fact, everything I've won on recent auction has arrived save for about a dozen misc. issues of "Hulk/WW Hulk:'s" which will mostly complete my set of that storyline.

Long day yesterday, not leaving work until 5:30 PM due to some a$$hole coming in at the last moment wanting to buy a trailer, and then "hee-hawin'" around having to empty his coolers of water, shoving aside his golf clubs, etc. to hook up the thing. It peeves me, these rich dicks, who have had all day to come buy one of the things, but have been too busy playing golf with their buddies and fartin' off and wait until closing time, ignoring the fact that we've been there a good 9 hours already and ready to finally go home and collapse after a rough day. I've been tempted many a time to just tell them they'll have to come back the next day to get one since they didn't seem to be in an great hurry or need of it, but with this down economy we grab every buck we can 'cause I certainly do like receiving a paycheck every week.

I work tomorrow and Monday, then off Tues-Wednesday when I'm going to try to get more things ready for the May 1-2 yard sale, then work 5 days straight, then vacation time at last.

The comic shop I visit upon occasion has a big "Sidewalk Sale" today on CD's and the like, as well as 25% off back issues on comics,but I'm not going to make it it looks like. Just no extra cash and nobody here locally has mentioned they wanted to go as well, sooooo.....

Finally got all of the pages together on that comic book I've been working on, a total of 23 pages, about 7 of which I still need to ink/letter. I've left one page blank intentionally to see if I can get some support advertisement-wise to help with the printing costs, and that'll be the back cover.

Went by the local flea market today and one dealer had a dozen or so misc. comics dating back to the 1960's, but mostly humor-type stuff. I think there may have been 3 odd bronze DC Giants in the lot, but all were lower grade and I passed on them. Soon as I left the table an older gentleman ended up buying the lot for $5., which is what they're probably worth collectively. I made sure to mention that I was having 1,200 comics in the yard sale in case he was interested, but he said he was mostly wanting comics with a ten cent cover price cheap (aren't we all, *heh*heh*!).

"Post No. 624"

Last weekend at the local flea market, one dealer had DVDs at $1.@ and I was able to pick up the first 40 episodes of the British "Danger Man". On each of these 5 different DVDs were each 8 episodes. It'll be interesting to watch them as it's the first UK season which I've never seen. (And, for those not familiar with that series, here in the U.S. it was called "Secret Agent", and starred Patrick McGoohan).

Passed on several episodes as well of "The Prisoner" (which had just one full episode on each DVD), but I've watched those again here just in recent years.

Also passed on an animated copy of "Superman/Doomsday", which I've seen as well in recent times. Wish I could find, instead, a copy of "JLA: New Frontier", as I consider that one to be the best animated flick of its sort that's come out of the DC lineup.

Flea markets are really the best place to find older DVDs and especially inexpensive copies of super-hero flicks. In fact, I could have picked up VSH copies of most all of them that's been made since the 1989 "Batman" flick at one time or another had I wanted them in that format, but I've been trying to replace everything with DVDs these days.

On Easter Day I watched the 1958 "Solomon and Sheba" on Turner. hadn't seen this religious flick in many a year, but still holds up well and has many a dramatic special effect, the most significent being where all of the Egyptians are blinded by the sun glaring off the Isrealite's shields and falling into the crevis. A little soap opery in spots, but still a fine performance by Yul Brunner and Gina Lolobrigita.

Still continuing to clean out the garage and get things together for the upcoming May 1-2 yard sale. Amazed at how much space I'm getting out there now, and still wishing I had an industrial-size dumpster to throw about 1/2 of what's still in it, out! If I ever finish it, then it's the house next as I'm determined to someday make more room around here and clean up this place to appear where "normal" people dwell.

Got in copies of DC's Star Spangled War Stories 151 ("Unknown Soldier" series begins) and 154 (Origin of TUS) recently, with a #153 on its way. That'll now give me a run of 138-154 complete. Not sure just how far I want to take that series. Looks like the Joe Kubert reprints end with #163, but then Frank Thorne did some later issues and there's even one by Howard Chaykin. Soooo......

Also should be getting in a copy of Charlton's Cheyenne Kid #70 soon, which will give me a full run of the "Wander" backup stories drawn by Jim Aparo, and there's no others of that particular series which would interest me outside of perhaps a #8 (first issue; formerly Wild Frontier) which is the character's second app. and first in his own title, or the previous Wild Frontier #7 (which is CK's 1st. app.).

Still need 5 issues of DC's Our Fighting Forces and 4 issues of the 1970's Black Magic all of which were Kirby issues to complete JK's 70's DC stuff. Damn, but for cheaper comics those seem to be difficult to locate issues.

The Millie the Model Annual #9 came in, which was the first POST silver-age issue of that title. Still need #'s 1 & 8 to complete the SA run, which, whenever I ever get those, I may go ahead and try to finish up the 10-12 just to have a full set.

Got both my own yard as well as my mom's mowed for now the second time this year, and this time i was able to do all of the mowing myself and not have to hire someone to do part of them since I got the riding lawn mower going again. Am seriously considering buying, at least, a new "push" mower for the trim work as this one's been Frankenstein-ed together a good many times and is on its "last legs" (so-to-speak).

"Post No. 623"

Gee. Here next month (the 14th. of May as I recall, but I'd best double-check that), "Elmo's Junction" will be celebrating its 5th. Year Anniversary! And, ya know, I haven't gotten a thing special planned for the occasion. Much like birthdays at my age I celebrate them only to remind me that I'm still alive, but I'm sure I'll come up with "something" different just to mark the day.
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Yes...5 long years of reading my babbling rants, bad reviews, etc., etc., all of which you can blame on "Johnny Bacardi" (aka: David Jones) who got me started in this racket, and told me about Blogger in the first place. Little did he know what terror he would release on an unsuspecting world. (In fact, as I've stated before, I can't believe anyone still even reads this stuff.)

And I promise no long waxing nostalgically about all the things that have gone on in my personal life over those 5 years. Instead, we'll look ahead towards "change"...which usually means socialism....which is just another word for communism.

Went and picked up some prescriptions for mom recently, and the druggist there alwats has those free J.C.Chick religious tracts. So, picking up some new ones, I now officially have over 100 of those in my collection of such.

And that lot of various modern issues of The Fantastic Four came in. Out of the 13 issues I received (12 FF's and an Ultimate FF), I didn't have 12 of those, so I had some reading to do. The most interesting of these were issues 509 thru 514, written by Mark Waid. The first 3 revolved around a storyline where "The Thing" was just holding onto life by a thread, and the FF actually go to Heaven to try to bring him back to Earthly life. When they arrive in that dimension they're attacked by angels and the like and other hazzards until they finally arrive at "Heaven's Door" where they find Ben Grimm. Also there is Ben's older brother who had died several years before, and along the way, they encounter the parents of Sue and Johnny Storm.

Ben hadn't been able to get the Door into heaven open to cross-over, supposingly due to Reed's attempts to keep him alive, but finally discovers that this Door is one made by himself because he really didn't want to leave the rest of the team. After that realization, Ben's brother tells the FF that they have an invitation (by God) to stay in Heaven, and that they'll also be able to bring their children there as well (or just wait for them). When the FF decline this offer, telling them they still have a lot of exploration and "things" to do, they're informed that this was the "right" answer, but they would still get a glimpse of what Paradise will be like. They open the Door, walk a ways and find yet another door, and when entering that they find an older man sitting at a drawing board.

Although never named, it's obviously Jack Kirby.

After a few bittersweet moments with him, the artist sends them back to their own world as the tale ends. Really a surprize-type ending, and one of the better FF tales I've ever read.

The next three issues have 2 stories each. The first part involves "The Torch" going to "Spider-man" for advise. He tells Spidey that he needs to know how to handle being a loser, as the FF have always been heroes in the eyes of the world, but Spider-man has always had this stigma due to bad press and the like. Spidey's about half-way insulted by this, but still gives Johnny Storm a lesson he won't soon forget in humility, and after fighting "The Hydro-man", The Torch ends up the hero once again while Spidey gets the short end of the stick.

The back-up tale is about Reed's old girl-friend coming for a visit and wanting to use the "Dr. Doom" time machine to retrieve a lost artifact and Sue Richards tags along to discover that Reed had much more involement with this woman that she previously thought (even to the point of his asking her to marry him), and sees that this may just be a bit of a "catty" move by the woman in an attempt to weaken their marriage and perhaps get Reed's interest back. Over-all, this issues from circa 2004 were pretty decent.

"Post No. 622"

I finally got out in the garage and started going through all those boxes of stuff I want to put in the upcoming yard sale. I pulled at least 10 boxes, mostly toys, plus some misc. items. Looks like I've got enough already for a fairly decent size sale, but we haven't even started getting my wife or mom's things together for it, and a couple of neighbors may bring items too. (Looks promising.)

Also got my mom's entire yard, plus my own back yard mowed for the first time this year. I never was able to get the riding lawn mower going, no matter how many times I tried to recharge the battery, and finally just ended up paying someone $20. to mow her back yard as well as my own, then I shoved the push mower through grass sometimes 8" tall in her front yard and got that out of the way. Checked the battery; looks like I'll have to buy a new one for it.

On top of this I also got a hair cut, gas for the mowers, went by the fleamarket (picked up a DVD store copy of "Real Genius" which is one of my favorite older flicks), went to the post office, etc., etc. A VERY full day.

Speaking of "Real Genius", there's several flicks from the 1980's that are in the same vein as that one, all of which were memorable, and all usually revolving around youth themes. Ones that come to mind are "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", "Pretty In Pink", "The Breakfast Club", "Adventures In Babysitting", "Weird Science", and "Risky Business". Anyway, I liked a lot of flicks from the 1980's. One I just saw again on t.v. last night was "Big Trouble In Little China", which had a lot of good special effects and was a better Kurt Russell movie. Sort'a has that "Buckaroo Banzai" feeling to it...in a way.

Watched a DVD copy of the 2006 flick, "UltraViolet" that I picked up at the local flea market. It stars Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element"). In the future. She's a killing machine type, suffering from an incurable blood disease. Tries to rescue a child that has a cure in his own blood. Not too bad a flick just to watch. Has a bit of a comic book theme, but sort of a disapointing ending (seems like there should have been more to it).
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Any hoo...

I've about got one full comic drawn on a new character, having finished 19 pages (still lack 4 + a front cover) in pencils and/or inks. When that's done I have a few pages to finish on a couple of other books I've been working on for the past year or so. Of course, these more than likely will never be published unless I finance them myself. Altogether I may have 15 completed full comics I've done over the past few years, still awaiting even a small press effort.

And if everyone would leave my positive feedback for items I've either sold/bought on line, I'd have my 1,000 FB's on eBay and my "red" star. (I know they've received items I've sold since I've checked the confirmation codes, but currently I'm still short a few points.)

Oh yes...I finally won a copy of House of Secrets (DC) #92 to complete my Wrightson issues of "Swamp Thing" (one more set "out-of-the-way").

Another comic I've gotten is a Star Spangled War Stories (DC) #151 (1970) which is the intro of "The Unknown Soldier" series, and I've bought also copies of 153 & 154 (origin issue), which will give me a straight run of SSWS 138-154, and probably about as far into that series as I'd really want. Odd how, at first, that character was different from later on when they always showed him with a bandaged face. In his first app. (#151) the story is that he was decended from previous military men in his family, all of which wore various disguises and would secretly aid their fellow soldiers.

And lastly, I won a copy of Millie the Model Queen-Size Special (Marvel) #9 (1969), which gives me a run of #'s 2-9 (last silver-age issue).

And, say! The tree trimmers finally showed up and cut back all of the limbs from my front two large trees from over the power lines, house and road! Now this Fall maybe I'll only have 2 or 3 weeks of raking leraves (instead of the usual 8)!

"Post No. 621"

Well, yesterday was "April Fool's Day", and I could just make up a story about how I've stopped purchasing cigarettes completely and then say, "April's Fool!"

But it's not a joke. Yesterday also, cigarettes increased in price for the second time this year due to new tobacco taxes, and although I had already cut way back on any smoking, with that day I've completely quit buying them. Not because I wanted to, as I enjoy smoking. I've smoked off and on most of my life. And for anyone who says they don't miss smoking who has already quit, they're a damn liar.

There's nothing like a good smoke after a meal, or sex, or just to calm one's nerves. And I didn't quit for health reasons. No, I quit as a protest against the ever-increasing taxes imposed upon smokers, and I feel like the best way to do that is to stop buying any tobacco products just so no one will get another penny in taxes from me off of them.

In fact, if everyone who buys tobacco products were to quit, only for a week (because, like not buying gasoline, a day just won't do it), it'd send a message to those in charge of imposing such extra taxes. After a week they'd start getting a little nervous over that lost income, because they'd know that anyone who can quit for a week, can completely quit, and there goes those taxes out the window. They'd be lowering cigarette prices and offering special deals faster than a slamming storm door in a tornado.

And now, on to other things.

I purchased a copy of Star-Spangled War Stories (DC) #151 (1971) today from an on-line sale. It'll complete a straight run for me from #138 (beginning of the "Enemy Ace" series in that title), to #152. It's the first issue wich started the run of "The Unknown Soldier", and actually his first true app. (previously only seen in DC comics, although there was a series of stories in the 1940's by another publisher of a different character, in a proto-type tale in Our Army At War #168 in 1966) in the title.

IF I can find an "affordable" copy, I'm also looking still for a decent copy of House of Secrets (DC) #92 (1st. app. "Swamp Thing").

I wouldn't mind buying a full run of Watchmen again, but ONLY if I can buy it as a full run.

And I finally mowed all of my front yard for the first time this year. Was going to start up the riding lawn mower and do both my mom's yard and my own backyard too, but the battery's dead and needs at least a 2 hour charge, which I didn't feel like doing until I have another day off and more time. I'm not used to using that push mower this year yet and the effort of just mowing my own yard was enough for the day.

Did better on ebay this week than I had in a long time. Sold 9 out of the 10 items I had listed, 6 of them to the same person. All of the humor comics I had pulled recently from my yearly weeding sold; about 200 of them. They were a mixture of Gold Key, Whitman, Charlton, Archie, Spire, etc. titles. The other 1,100 or so (all adventure-action hero stuff) are still slated for my yard sale May 1st.-2nd. which runs in the week of my yearly vacation (this time from April 28th. thru May 4th.).

And today also I want to remember my father who died just a little over a year ago. Today, had he lived, would have been his 89th.Birthday. (We miss you, dad.)