Originally published February 5, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1316
The first time I saw him was on television.
I was a kid, and the local news was doing coverage of a comic book convention in New York, one of the now-legendary Phil Seuling conventions. And there was Jack Kirby himself, signing autographs, talking to the TV reporter about the comic fans. The coverage of the convention made it sound tremendously exciting.
Originally published January 29, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1315
(Interior, conference room of a Major Comics Publisher. Several Executives are waiting. Executive A enters, two issues of Comic Buyer’s Guide tucked under his arm. He slams them down on the desk and projects his ire to the others in the room.)
EXEC A: Did you read this? Did any of you? This whole “MarvelManic” satire that compares us with Titanic?
EXEC B: It’s satire. It’s nothing.
EXEC A: I want this David guy gone! I want him off any titles that he was working on for us! And I want it done nine months ago!
EXEC C: You got it, boss.
Continue Reading “Behinds the Scenes at a Major Comics Publisher”
Originally published January 22, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1314
And so, as we roll into the next year, it’s time for the annual doling out of what may very well be the least-awaited awards in the country: The Most Awards. Named for the patron saint of this little column, Donny Most (for no particular reason) the Most Awards is given out (in no particular order) to assorted people, places or things (in no particular pattern) for various reasons (with no particular criteria.) And so, here we go:
Originally published January 15, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1313
Some more belated observations/recollections about the MECYF ’98, the sizable convention held in Mexico City last summer…
Originally published January 8, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1312
Why do you climb into a rollercoaster?
I’m not talking about tricked up rides at Disneyworld or Universal or other theme parks, where the excuse can be that there’s other stuff to see along the way (the Jurassic Park ride, for instance, features several horrifying drops, but is “worth it” because of all the cool audioanimatronic stuff that’s part of the ride.)
I’m talking about the big ol’, high speed, turbo-charge, ain’t-nothing-there-but velocity roller coaster, hurtling along the rails, screeching as metal clutches onto metal. What is it about the swiftness of the ride that is so attractive? Is it the ear-shattering clacking of the wheels? The howling of people around you as they shriek in adrenalized terror? What’s the big attraction?
Face it: It’s the risk. You know it is. The risk generates the thrill.
Six month ago as I was lying in bed, flat on my back from the stroke that I had spent hours denying was happening, I said to Kath, “Put it up on my website.” I was in no shape to do it myself, so I dictated a quick statement that she typed verbatim (prompting one Internet genius to comment, “He can’t be too bad off; he’s typing on the Net.”)
For some reason, I honestly had no idea that it would take off. But it did. Within fifteen minutes it was on Bleeding Cool, and that was because Rich Johnston received three dozen emails during the intervening time.
From that point on it was all over the place. Every board everywhere, it seemed, was determined to spread the news. One áššhølë—just one—declared I had it coming. Otherwise there was an outpouring of support, prayers, etc.
Then followed ten days in the hospital, the first few of which Kathleen was informed that eighty percent of people who have this particular type of stroke tend to die, and she might have “tough decisions” to make. When I didn’t happen to do that, I then spent five weeks at Brooks Rehab hospital in Jacksonville, where Ali, my physical therapist, busted ášš to enable me to learn how to walk again. When I first arrived, the plan was that I’d leave in a wheelchair. By the time I left, I was using a cane.
Now, months later, I am done with physical therapy and next Tuesday is my last occupational therapy. My right shoulder still hurts and my endurance is not remotely what it was, but I am working to return to normal. It continues to be a long path, but with the relentless support of my wife and friends, at least I’m able to walk it.
PAD
Kath here-We would like to thank everyone for your help through this, for lack of a better word, adventure. We couldn’t have done it with out y’all.
This will be the last of these entries. I started with daily updates and then went to weekly and finally monthly as things kept getting closer to normal. We do still have a long way to go but we have made it this far and it is nice to say that after 6 months Peter is pretty much back to normal (or pre-stroke as the medical people are saying).
We still have a lot of doctor’s visits in our near and far future. It just has become a part of our lives. But these visits give us the information we need to continue his recovery and rehabilitation.
Again y’all have our thanks and gratitude.
Kath
Originally published January 1, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1311
People often ask, “Where do you get your ideas for the weekly grind of But I Digress?” That’s not the most often-asked question I get. The most often-asked is, “Who the hëll do you think you are?” But a close second would be the one stated above. The answer is: lots of places. One of those places would be the Bureau of Overthinking Things, a think-tank in Oyster Bay which specializes in dwelling upon matters that are of little to no consequence. They then send out news releases to subscribers, and we in turn make what use of it we desire.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve used these reports from time to time if I can’t come up with anything on my own, and then passed that work off as something that I myself had developed. But the guilt has become overwhelming, and I’m afraid I have to confess to it. And before you hold me in too much contempt: Hey, at least I’m coming clean about it. Certain comedians have built entire careers on the Bureau’s releases (right, Seinfeld?)
And so, whenever the Bureau sends out something that I think might be of interest to our rather skewed little sensibilities here at BID, I’ll simply run the release as is, properly credited, so I no longer feel like such a hypocrite.
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