Author: Glenn Hauman

It occurs to me we should have a centralized place to solicit comments when something of mine comes out. So on Fridays when a comic of mine comes out, we’ll do a “NU? WHAD’JA THINK?”

Curiously, a line of dialogue was dropped out on story page 10. The exchange, between Superboy and Mxy, is supposed to go like this:

SUPERBOY: Me and my buds, Young Justice, ran into a teen version of you. Why, we helped make you the, uh, man you are today.

(Mxy looks stunned.)

MXY: That was…you?

SUPER: Yeah!

MXY: That was you guys?!?

SUPER: That’s right! You remember?!

(And a giant robotic booted foot slams down on Superboy, wiping him out of the frame.)

Sfx: WOOOOM

(Angle on the foot, slamming down into the pavement.)

Sfx: THOOOM

(Worm’s eye view of the robot, about thirty stories tall, lifting its foot in the act of walking, and we see Superboy smeared on the bottom of the robot’s foot. Mxy is thoughtfully scratching his chin.

MXY: Can’t say as I do.

For some reason, the “That’s right! You remember?” line vanished. So Mxy’s “Can’t say as I do” reads very oddly.

Also, without desiring to give major storypoints away, I feel the need to respond to initial confusion from readers. The Superman who appears in the story and talks to Kara is *not* the real Superman. He is an actor whom Mxy endows with Superman’s powers. So all of his dialogue and advice to Kara is through the prism of a guy who has actor friends who have dealt with overzealous fans. Unfortunately, although this was made abundantly clear in the text, apparently a coloring error (the fake Superman from the current Man of Steel, which this ties in with, has red hair; the one in SUPERGIRL does not) prompted some readers to think that this was simply Superman being insensitive.

The Kara storyline is a tricky one. The problem is that Kara’s first instinct is to find Superman. If she finds him first crack out of the box, he’s immediately going to take charge of the situation, and I’m no longer writing a SUPERGIRL story. I’m writing a SUPERMAN story where Linda Danvers is a supporting character at best. The fake Superman who was going to be in MOS provided the perfect answer. Unfortunately, the colorist apparently didn’t know to make his hair red, and bam. Instead of the perfect answer, we have confused readers.

The joys of comic books.

So whad’ja think?

PAD

Boy, I really wish that “The Daily Show” or “SNL Weekend Update” took outside submissions. ‘Cause I’d love to send them this notion that occurred to me:

German officials stated they would not be filing child endangerment charges against singer Michael Jackson for his dangling his infant son over a five story balcony. However, German legal experts admitted that arrest and prosecution would have been far more likely if Jackson had been a black man.

PAD

Does anyone out there read “Get Fuzzy,” the hilarious comic strip that has–until now–told of Satchel and Rob, a dog and his owner respectively, who are routinely terrorized by Bucky, the resident cat?

If so, regular readers must be wetting themselves over the current sequence that has Bucky pushing the usually submissive Satchel too far. After insulting Satchel’s friends, calling them “Eurotrash,” Satchel terrorizes the utterly stunned Bucky.

Great stuff.

PAD

SUPERGIRL #75 is sold out from the publisher.

I very much doubt they’ll go back to press with it. And since retailers showed impressive faith in the “Return of Kara” storyline by actually *cutting* their initial orders by 2000 copies for #76 (leading me to further doubt it will ever be collected as a TPB), I suggest you get your copy early if you’re so inclined.

Glenn also has the black and white copy of the cover of #79, which he should be posting up here soon (if he hasn’t already). [All right, all right– it was left in the car, which was left at the mechanic’s after I fixed your computer. Don’t ask. It’s up now. –GH] Based on the cover art, it should sell the best of all of them…while, if the ordering pattern continues, will have the lowest numbers. Anyone interested in actually being able to read this series might be advised to let their retailer know now.

PAD

Well, this is gratifying. The paperback edition of SIR APROPOS OF NOTHING is on the Locus Bestseller list for a second month in a row. And the sequel, THE WOAD TO WUIN made the runner-up on the hardcover list.

Not bad for a book (and its sequel) that was dismissed by most every publisher in the SF world.

PAD

Rumors around the internet are true: Harlan Ellison was in a serious auto accident. However, he called me today to assure me that he and Susan are just fine. Achy from whiplash, but fine. The accident occurred at an intersection while he was on his way to a speaking engagement attended by, he estimates, ten thousand would-be writers. He and Susan made it to the talk, somewhat the worse for wear, but his car was totaled.

Anyone have a nice car in good shape they don’t want anymore that they want to give to Harlan Ellison?

PAD

This off the AOL news ticker as it discusses the “increased chatter” that has the FBI at high alert, worried about an imminent terrorist attack…

‘Sources suggest al-Qaida may favor spectacular attacks that meet several criteria: high symbolic value, mass casualties, severe damage to the U.S. economy and maximum psychological trauma,” says the alert, which was posted on the FBI’s Web site early Friday.’

I keep thinking about this, and keep coming back to the same unpleasant notion:

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is in less than two weeks.

Thanksgiving. Celebration related to this country’s founding. Sponsored by the largest department store in the world. Televised. Thousands and thousands of people. Big balloons. Big floats with celebrities. Big targets. Hundreds upon hundreds of overlooking windows from which gunmen can be positioned, turning the concrete canyons into a shooting gallery. Hëll, the moment the packed-in crowds panic, the stampede alone will kill and injure hundreds.

They’d never hold another Macy’s parade. For that matter, every major parade in America would likely be canceled because security is impossible to provide. Would YOU march in one?

No one start yelling at me that I’m giving them ideas. If they could think of flying airplanes into the WTC, they can think of this all by themselves. If they’re going to do it, it’s already in the works.

I hope I’m wrong. I was wrong about the shooter in Maryland. I might be wrong about this as well.

But if you’re going…watch your back.

PAD