"Post No. 647"

Snitched the above cover of Doom 2099 #30 (Marvel) from a chat site. There was a comment about how they were amazed any of that "Marvel project" lasted as long as it did, and I agree. Those 2099 titles went on for at least 4 years (1992-96) and there was actually 44 issues (I think) of that particular comic (the Spider-man 2099 lasted the longest with 46 issues + an annual). Just has an unual look to it I thought. The 2099 books were only mildly interesting to me, but I think I've read a few issues of most of them. "S-M 2099" was probably the best one (in my opinion). But, in general, I'd say their "New Universe" venture was much better.

And here we are beginning the second half of the year 2009. The weather today in S-Central, KY. is absolutely perfect at about 80 degrees with a light, cool wind and the past few nights have produced perfect sleeping temperatures and no need for the A/C. Wish the whole Summer could be as nice.

Won a couple more silver-age Marvel 25 cent square-bounds, being copies of Millie the Model Queen-Size Special (Annual) #8, and Mighty Marvel Western #6. Both of these are the last issues published in the 1960's, and it brings the number of SA Marvel Giants I need now to have all of them down to five: Millie Annual 1, Strange Tales Annual 2, Silver Surfer V1 #'s 2, 4 & 6 (although I really do need a replacement for SS #1). Needing only that '62 "Rudolph" Giant from DC having all of those and that makes a total of just a half a dozen having all of those now from both of those companies from the S-Age era.

Also won some other small to medium lots of titles such as early 70's DC Weird Mystery Tales, Unexpected, House of Secrets and some modern stuff inclduing some issues of the current Wonder Woman title.
And today and tomorrow makes the first two days off from work in a row I've had in two months. "Maybe" I can get a little rest. The last time I had a day off I really over-did it working on mine and my mom's yards. I trimmed up a large bush in her back yard, then weed-eated, mowed, trimmed her hedge, etc., then used the push mower on my own back yard the same night. Ended up getting too much sun and got sick and had to lie down for a couple of hours, then liked to never got to sleep that night, so the next day I was just a walking zombie all day at work (plus that leg I injured some time back was killing me).

I've gotten back to work on my main project of doing that 12 issue limited series comic book of which I've shown some samples occasionally here. About finished 50 pages + 3 covers now, but of course, that's a total to be at least 240 pages and another 9 covers to go. I'm sure it'll take me at least a couple of years (if not more) to complete especially just working on the thing off-and-on as time allows.

We've had our first Big expense since my wife lost her job a couple weeks back. Two days ago while I was at work I got a call from her saying that her van was stuck in the parking lot of a grocery store across the highway from the store and wouldn't start. I took a few moments to drive across there and use the jumper cables on it and got it running enough for her to drive it home. Then when I was off work and got home that night, I tried jumping it again since it'd died as she pulled into the driveway, but we couldn't keep it running. I put the battery charger on it for an hour or more and got it started and running again then drove it to the mechanic we always use. I knew it couldn't be the starter since (duh!) it wouldn't start at all if it'd been that problem, and the battery wasn't all that old, so I figured it had to be the alternator. Sure enough, that was the problem. The mechanic said a new one would be $140., but he'd try to re-build the old one, and told me the belts were shot as well, so we had them replaced. Total: $193.00 (Ouch!)

I told my wife "it could have been worse!" And, it could have. She could have gotten stuck 10 miles from here in the nearby town where she had to go to the employment office. It could have been something more than the alternator. Things can always be worse, folks, so we need to make sure to are thankful for the "little" blessings.

And this coming Fri-Sat we're finally having that "Big Yard Sale" that I wanted to have way back the first week of May (when I was on vacation) and got rained out. It'll be a LOT of work for me even though I personally won't be running it (that'll be my wife, & mom) since I have to work those days. Thursday night or evening helping them get things in the yard ready for it, putting out signs and maybe a few bulletins here and there advertising it, then Friday morning before I leave for work helping them set it up early (like, 5:30AM), then helping them take part of it down or covering it real good for the night when I get off Friday, then repeating this all Saturday morning and evening. I hope it's worth it!

In other things...

Not too many people collect comic strips these days. Good reason. Most of them suck. And the grand ol' multi-page Sunday Funnies have all but disapeared over the years or been reduced to next-to-nothing, filled with medicore material. ( In fact, the last time I personally collected such things was a few years ago when Gary Gianni started doing the artwork on "Prince Valiant". I collected the Sunday's for a couple of years until I grew tired of it; thinking about all that cash I spend on solitary newspapers which contained little or nothing else of interest save that one third page size strip and realizing if I had the money I spent on them I couldn't have invested it into a few nice comic BOOKS. ) But, USA Today may prove interesting starting next Wednesday July 8th. with their full page "Superman" strips. I'll buy at least the first couple; maybe all of them if they look real good since it's not something planned for years to come. And one can subscribe to a multi-paged section starring other DC characters as well "on line".