A Journalist in waiting

OK, so here’s the thing. I've been writing professionally since 1981. No, really. My first published piece appeared in Amazing Heroes #5, and I’ve been going ever since, with a few thousand articles in print, and probably about that many online, I've authored a couple of books, and contributed to about 20 or so more. I’ve been told that I’m one of the longest-published journalists in the field of comics (not to mention that my work has appeared in virtually every major comic magazine published in the ‘80s & ‘90s.

In the Mid-‘80s I took a step over to the other side of the editorial desk and created and wrote a short-lived espionage series entitled Agent Unknown. I didn't return to writing fiction until 2006 when I started writing for Guild Works Production. since then I’ve been splitting my (writing) time between reviewing comics, and writing for Indie Comicbook Companies like Red Anvil, Atlas Unleashed, Main Enterprises, and others. (You can take a peak at my Comicbook Database bio here).

Why am I bringing all of this up now? Well, earlier in October, I attended New York Comic Con where I picked up a handful-a-handful-and a half of comics while there. Now this is significant (to me at least), because when I got home after the con and added those comics to the (several) stack(s) of comics that were already piled around my house, and wow, do I have a tremendous backlog of comics.

No, seriously.

Now, I'm not trying to say that I'm busier than you, but since the end of August, I've helped setup, run, and tear down a local annual entertainment festival (that I've worked at for nearly 30 years), organize and run a local primary (I'm the Deputy Registrar of Voters in town), attended NY Comic Con, and am now preparing to run an election. Not to mention that I'm in the middle of attempting to downsize, pack up my house, and re-locate to the great state of VA. (Oh yeah, and just last week I attempted to install Win10 on my PC which is currently playing Hobb with my computer).

So, what I guess I'm saying now is that if I haven't gotten to review your comic, pitch you a project, get back to you on the project on which you want me to work with you on, or pen that script, well, truthfully, I've been just a tad busy/distracted/overwhelmed.

So, in no particular order, these are the items in my "in-basket" that are waitinng to be read or reviewed.

I've been a fan of Captain Canuk since the early '80s. When I heard that he was returning to comics, I had to acquire the new series. Upon doing so, I discovered the most excellent We Stand on Guard, another comic from north of the border. I also discovered that I seem to be missing some of the Captain Canuck comics that have come out over the intervening years, and now I'm attemptinng to hunt them down.

Growinng up, one of my first exposures to comics was Charlton Comics, which in recent years has mad its resurgence, due in part to guys like Mort Todd, Paul Kupperberg, and Roger McKenzie. I recently acquired issue #4 of the Charlton Arrow, now I'm looking to get my hands on the new Steve Ditko book they just published.

As we are rapidly approaching Halloween (it is today as I'm writing this) Diamond is celebrating it's annual Halloween Comicfest with a round of free comics (which I just reviewed over at Comics Bulletin). 

I just picked up a double handful of $1.00 cover-priced comic reprints from Mike over at Rogue Comics. The comics above are from Marvel...

...and here are a bunch from a number of other publishers. I like these $1.00 reprints as they allow me to check out stuff that I might have otherwise have missed. 

Oh, and for the record, I don't just review comics, but I also review films, and DVDs as well

I also received a(nother) packet of comics from Dynamite Entertainment to read, review, and enjoy. 

Here is a stack of comics sitting in the "reading room" waiting to be read.

This is literally a copy of the very first comicbook I recall reading. My Uncle used to own a deli/grocery store and when I discovered comics, I'd sit on the newsstand reading (but not buying) every comic I found. I believe that I probably read about a couple of million dollars worth of comics over the years had I actually purchased and saved them) I saw this book back in the early '80s for $10.00 but didn't buy it then as I thought it was too much. Just recently I found it again for quite a bit less and decided to purchase it. It recently arrived.

This is a pile of comics that I acquired at the recent 2015 NY Comic Con.

This is (just one) pile of comics (and books) that I have read over the past several months that need to be reviewed.

This is another pile of recently read comics looking for reviews.

I met Cesar Feliciano, the artist on Comix Tribe's The Red Ten some time back at a CT comicbook show, and he gifted me with four copies of the comic. Well, when I finally got around to reading it I was so hooked, that when I got to Comix Tribe's booth at NYYCC I had to buy all the issues I was missing, including copies of The Oxymoron. Let me tell you it is an outstanding superhero murder mystery, that is unlike anything you've ever read.

Yes, I'm still a dedicated Spider-Fan, and here is my (recent) weekly take of Spidey-titles.

Here is another pile of books that I need to read. This pike sits alongside my bed.

So kids, when I tell you that "I'll get to" your comic, graphic novel, prose novel, etc. and read/watch/review it, really I do mean well , and I honestly will, it is just that I'm not only falling way behind, but I'm also working very hard.

Thanks for (hopefully) understanding.

P.S. So, as I was cleaning up, I found this stack of 2015 Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) comics that have been read, but need to be reviewed and/or discussed.

Yes, I'm still “nearly” famous!

So, if you are in the area of ‪‎St. Marks Comics‬ in NYC (http://www.stmarkscomics.com) on Monday, October 5th between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. you will be able to catch myself, and a host of other talented comicbook creators (including Mark Mazz, Ramon Gil, Tom DeFalco, Chris Torres, Michael Sarrao, and others autographing some of our works, including Ramon's most amazing 72 page Trade Paperback, Scifies, from Atlas Unleashed. 

The book includes a Foreword by Tom DeFalco and an intro by yours truly.

That's Monday night October 5th between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

You simply won't regret the experience. 

It’s called “Scheduling”

OK, so for the past two weeks I've stopped in my local comicbook shop (Heroes Cards and Comics) and attempted to pick up my comics, only, as it turns out, I didn't have any comics in my hold file. Youi see, I'm a big Spider-Man fan, and currently pretty much the only corporate comics I regularly collect star Spider-Man.

Only, the problem I‘m having is that Marvel publishes something like five or six Spider-Man themed comics a month, so the question I ask, is how do you let two weeks go by with no Spidey comics? Seriously.

I mean, Wouldn't it make sense for Marvel to make sure that a Spidey comic hits every week? I don't know if the same thing happens with other other titles containing the same hero (there are multiple Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, X-Men, Avengers, Captain America, etc.) Seems to me that making sure one of these “multiple title heroes” stories hits every week, but, you know, that’s me.

Sigh.