Year: 2003

I really didn’t think we’d see a bench-clearing brawl at Fenway until at least game 4, or more likely game 5. I figured, y’know, get a brawl in game 3, gives you nowhere to go drama wise…unless of course the crowd mood gets progressively uglier and by game 4 or 5–particularly if the Yankees keep winning–frustrated and berserk fans start storming the field, figuring the only way to end the rivalry is with their bare hands. You can just imagine one of the fans acting like the Inspector in “Young Frankenstein,” growling, “A riot…is an ugly thing! And I think it’s about time that ve had vun!”

I’m of two minds on Martinez. On the one hand, he sure didn’t help himself between plunking that guy and then pointing at his head (I’m not sure what he was shouting: Maybe “We all have this buzz cut, so shut up!”) On the other hand, when you’ve got Don Zimmer coming at you like a rhino, you’re hip deep in Kobayashi Maru territory. If you defend yourself, it’s, “Bullying strong young athlete lays smack down on senior citizen.” If you backpedal or run, it’s “Gutless strong young athlete runs away from senior citizen.” From watching it, it looks to me like Martinez didn’t actually throw him down. Zimmer was moving like a freight train. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Martinez grabbed his head and aimed it to the side and down, and Zimmer’s own momentum did the rest. It wasn’t a bad martial arts move, actually. But, jeez, Zimmer could have broken a hip or something at his age. On the other hand, at his age he should know better. Martinez should have known better. The whole lot of them should have known better.

I’m reminded of old Casey S. shouting “Can’t anybody here play this game?!”

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The internet is hotwired with items about Bill Jemas being on his way out at Marvel.

Frankly, I’m feeling kinda guilty. I know I shouldn’t, but I am. Because from a creative point of view, Jemas took his first major hit because of me.

I threw down the challenge to the company in an endeavor to keep “Captain Marvel” alive. This led to the publication of “Marville.” Up until “Marville” was published, Bill Jemas had some degree of creative cred thanks to his name being attached to several indisputable Marvel hits. Then “Marville” came out and it was…how to put it delicately…not successful. If I hadn’t issued my “But I Digress” challenge, who knows? “Marville” might never have been published and Jemas might never have fallen so badly on his face in his first solo endeavor.

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I took the quiz at http://www.tk421.net/character/. Interestingly, I’m “John Sheridan.” *Now* I know why I felt so comfortable writing the character.

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I will be doing an in-store appearance at the Borders Books in Riverhead, Long Island this weekend because it’s their grand opening. The signing will be Sunday from 3 to 4 PM. Take the Long Island Expressway until it ends and I think they said it’s on the left. Come on out, get your books signed, and besides, there’s a Krispy Kreme donuts next door, so how wrong can you go, really?

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Coming soon on DVD is the documentary “Comic Book: The Movie,” and there’s a clip of me being interviewed by the documentary’s director, Mr. Swan (who, by the way, is tired of being told he looks like Mark Hamill and doesn’t see the resemblance.) It’s at the following website:

http://www.comicbookthemovie.com/video.shtml

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Tonight’s ALCS score is going to be…

Lopsided.

I’m not sure who is going to win. I’d like to say Sox, just to wipe the smug expressions off Yankees fans who keep saying they’re not worried (man, could you picture Steinbrenner if it was the Sox in 4? Oh my God.) But whoever wins, I’m thinking the score will be a lopsided one.

Why?

No clue. But considering I’ve been reading various sports writers who supposedly do this for a living be all over the map in their predictions, I’m thinking, hey? Why not?

So I think it won’t be a close game.

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People are trying to drag me into the middle of a dispute between Bulldog Comics and DC, and I’m not entirely sure why. I’ve gotten e-mails on it, and someone asked about it on this blog in a manner not only off-topic, but out of the clear blue.

Basically DC is saying Bulldog was violating DC’s trade terms and wasn’t going to sell comics to them. Bulldog doesn’t deny it but seems torqued because DC was turning a blind eye to it and now isn’t anymore. Apparently Bulldog was finding ways to undercut DC’s claims of selling out of various titles. I’m not sure how they were violating the trade terms, but if they were, and DC doesn’t want to let them anymore, that seems pretty much that to me.

In essence, Bulldog appears annoyed because DC isn’t being Mr. Nice Guy anymore. Guys, gals: In my opinion, you better get used to it. DC sat back and watched Marvel heap abuse on retailers, insulting their intelligence and introducing unpopular no-reorder, no-reprint policies. DC deplored Marvel’s activities and was the nice cop to Marvel’s tough cop. Result? Marvel, roundly criticized, neverthless got increased sales and DC, so accommodating they were taken for granted, watched their sales drop. What, did you think they were going to let that keep happening? What do you think all the DC press releases about sellouts are for? They’re sending a message: Don’t count on us to keep books available. We’re not being Mr. Nice Guy anymore, because we know where Nice Guys end up.

And if they’re now stepping on retailers to get things done, a la Marvel, well…they’re obviously prepared to do so. I’d been hearing rumors that DC was going to start drawing lines in the sand. Seems to be the case.

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