Category: Blogposts

The First Comics of 2024

This was pretty sparse, but that’s OK. I will say some of these stories I’m going to need to go over them again once they are complete to figure out what went on. I’m currently trying to figure out if I should drop some titles just because I’m not liking the stories as much. This happens and unfortunately I have learned that I decide to stop and then some massive things happens… Like Captain America gets shot and killed.

I’ve also noticed that I am not a “serious” collector. While I have cataloged my collection and am working on getting everything bagged and boarded, I’m not going for every variant, or even going for the exclusive variants. I guess having lived through Cabbage Patch Kids, Beanie Babies, and the “Death” of Superman I’m not looking at these as my retirement investment. The community that goes with the app I currently use has people talking about “pressing” their comics to get a better grade on them. Most comics they have are slabbed for protection, so they can’t be read. In 2022 I had the opportunity to see Howard Chaykin (American Flagg and lots, lots more) talk about his career and the basics of laying out a comic page. He was pretty adamant about his feeling when it came to “serious collectors.” He felt comics should be read and shared. You preserve them so they can be read and shared. His table had listed prices for signing comics- Star Wars stuff was one price, his other titles were another price, and if you expressed an interest to have it graded, signature certified and slabbed, it was a third (astronomical) price. In my collection I have maybe 8 comics slabbed, and that’s because when it first came about I thought I would try the process out. Most were comics that I knew had value or potential and I wouldn’t miss because the stories had been reprinted so many times I could read the story. Now the big thing is reprinting key issues so people can read them… collectors are clamoring for the reprints and the variant covers! I guess more commentary on that later.

Oh, to continue with the variant rant… this week’s top comic (Gargoyles #11) had 18 variant covers… really?!?!

Batman #141 – More Zur-En Arrh! If you have no idea who or what I’m talking about… I wish i could help you. It all started with Failsafe. A robotic version of Batman built to take Batman down if he ever broke the one golden rule- “Don’t Kill.” Well, he didn’t really kill anyone, but somehow the robot got activated and then Batman’s alter ego/other personality took over and it’s been a mess. So now as we get to the (hopefully) penultimate issue in this arc Batman is fighting against himself. Will he just throw in the towel and retire, get married have kids… and let a robot batman take over? Oh, did I mention that Zur-En-Arrh has gathered all the other Sur-En Arrh permutations from all the other multiple universes (c’mon multi-universes are what all the cool, hip comics are doing…) to help him. So In Detective Comics Batman is fighting for Gotham against dome ancient family blood feud, and here he’s fighting against himself. In both cases he’s getting himself beaten up. One thing that I come back to when it comes to Batman retiring… I recalll in one issue of “Trinity” I believe Wonder Woman used her lasso of truth to get everyone to divulge who they were as a sign of trust… Superman, said “Clark Kent” Batman said “Batman.” Hmmm…

Quested The Four Henches Adventure – If you’ve read any of the Quested comics it’s basically a D&D adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously. In this case there is an auction for a cursed book and our main character “Jinx” decides he’ll get it from there “Influencer” who out bid him. Hijinks ensues with a Twist of an ending.

Amazing Spider-Man #41 – Still Gang War – ’nuff Said

Captain America #5 – We relive pre super soldier Steve Rogers going against the American Nazis in pre WWII in New York. While Cap is also fighting similar issues in the present time all brought about by a really powerful demon. Guest Starring the head of a Dr. Strange doll.

The Space Between #3 – So, you’re on a generation ship heading to a new world… You’d think things would be fine… Politics, class issues, and other problems- the ship is heading off course and with no one on the ruling council who understands that a one degree off course compounds into never finding the place you intended to reach some people take matters into their own hands… only time will tell if they made a difference and if it was worth the cost.

Love Everlasting #11 – Yup! I’m into romance comics… OK this isn’t a normal Romance Comic. It follows Joan through various incarnations in which she never finds true love…All the loose ends are starting to tie together as we discover the identity of the msyterious cowboy who’s been stalking her through time.

Star Trek Picard’s Academy #4 – It’s Star Trek, c’mon. We know Jean Luc Picard was driven and now we get to see how driven as we following him through his years at the Academy. In this issue it’s the final big test and things have (predictably) gone wrong. Jean Luc is learning a valuable lesson about trusting people as he fights HOLO-Romulans!

OK- a bit of a rant- sorry, but let’s talk about variant covers for a moment… Wha? huh? Are we back in the 90’s? We are in a time in which, it seems, the comic book companies are back with a new scheme to increase sales. It isn’t a new scheme it’s a retread of an old scheme. Publish the same comic but issue it with multiple covers. This has been going on for a while. It causes retailers to purchase more comics than they really need in order to get those 1:25 or 1:1,250 exclusive variants. Fortunately I’m not a completist…I don’t need 13 copies of the same comic just so I can have all the covers. Every once in a while I may want a specific cover, but for the most part, I really don’t care. Combine this with sketch covers (covers you can bring to a Con and have an artist do an original cover for you) it is now hilarious. First of all, I don’t mind a couple of options, but in some cases, it has gotten to be too much. Should companies have alternate covers? Sure. Should some of them be more exclusive? Sure. Should artists have the opportunity to draw on blank covers? Again, sure. Look at Frank Cho’s sketch covers, they are hysterical. I like the idea of giving more artists the opportunity to share their talents, but more than 10 different variant covers? Like I said, fortunately, I’m not a completist, I don’t need to have every version. I just find it amusing and sometimes frustrating when I’m going through and trying to figure out if I have that specific issue… I used to rely on the cover image to jog my memory… Fortunately I now have my collection catalogued and I can go in and pull it up on my phone.

The last comics of 2023 –

Action Comics Annual 2023 – So we finish out “New Worlds” in which all the plot lines are tied together, except for the ones that aren’t. Spoiler: the world is once again safe for everyone and Superman is once again a beacon of hope. Next time I might be able to bring in more details since we will be starting a new arc and there aren’t as many spoilers.
Detective Comics #1080 – Batman Outlaw Part 5… ummm Gotham is… Gotham… murder betrays, and batman escaping the hangman’s noose. Now what will happen next? When will Batman return how will he defeat this group that were fated to take over Gotham since ancient time… when there wasn’t even a Gotham to take over?
Alan Scott Green Lantern #3 – Green Lantern teams with the Spectre as we continue our gay romp through the Golden Age trying to find out more about the “Red Lantern.” The story that actually has something to do with there latest Justice Society of America issue… Read to find out about things that could never have been published in the 1940’s.
The Flash #4 – I’ve been a fan of the Flash since I was in at least 3rd grade. I remember watching him in Super Friends on Saturday morning. One episode he’d talk really fast, the next episode he’d talk really slow… no reasoning, just cartoons of the 70’s I’ve been a fan forever and even shed a tear when Barry’s wife “died,” and when Barry “died”: in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. His was the one death I figured was like Uncle Ben, proof that comics don’t always bring back dead characters on a “whim.” I was wrong. Now Wally West is back and things have just gotten strange. I don’t mind having a “Flash Family.” Here Wally is trying to figure things out and I miss the simpler times when heroes fought crime and not existential issues dealing with the “Speed Force.” It was nice to have Jessie Quick or Liberty Belle and Irey West or Thunderheart trying to figure things out. The art work is good, I just think I may need to go back and reread this once the story is over to see how it all fits together, currently, I’m just a bit confused.
Batman Santa Klaus Silent Knight #4 – So is possession 9/10 of the law? Damian Wayne, figures things out and saves the day… after the other heroes have to fight a lot. I liked the story, I liked that everyone was so normal when dealing with Santa, but also not. That sudden understanding that stories that Batman may have told to the young Robin about adventuring with Santa may have a shade of truth. While not the caliber of Grant Morrison’s Klaus. This was an excellent way to celebrate the season with the DC Heroes.
Justice Society of America #8 – OK, where to start? In 6th or 7th grade my math teacher took “Secret Origins of Superheroes” comic from me- something about not paying attention in class. She never gave it back (as a teacher, I understand) it was the origin of the Huntress. Earth -2’s daughter of Batman & Catwoman. Fast forward- Due to x, y, and z she ends up now on the current Earth saving the JSA and now trying to recruit her version of the JSA who all happen to be lost causes, villains who will (in her world) become heroes. There have been a few failures and pseudo-successes, we won’t know until the dust settles… I remember Terra in the Wolfman/Perez run of Team Titans. So she is currently looking for… Red Lantern (See Alan Scott Green Lantern above). Of course Green Lantern (See Above) gets into the mix.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 – Gang War Continues… ’nuff Said.
No/One #7 – Great mystery… still trying to figure it all out. Serial Killer, Copy Cats, Nosey Journalists… Since we are on issue 7 I suggest doing what I’m going to do and listen to the podcast associated with it.
Beyond Real #1 – Wait… I get to actually start a series?!? This one was given to me as a freebie to try out, so I tried it out and I like the premise. Young couple in love… (it happens sometimes, even in this crazy world of ours!) Contemplate existence… are we real? Are we just part of a program? (Was the program created by a race of hyper pan dimensional beings who created a computer to solve the ultimate question of the “What is Life, the Universe & Everything?” Did this computer then create a planet where living organisms were part of the programming matrix? That’s not this story… After a terrible accident one of our young lovers is in a coma, the other is having trouble and it seems the world is just a bit unreal. Only to discover <Spoiler> that she is part of a program and after that set up she goes to save her sweetie and maybe discover the secrets to Life, the Universe… everything!

Sorry for this being late… I understand there was a holiday and I was on the road.

We (Sue and my multiple personalities) haven’t sent out a holiday letter in probably decades. It’s not that we don’t do things, it’s just that most of those letters are filled with proud parents talking about their kids accomplishments. Not having kids, makes those pretty short- “The cat’s slept a lot and bugged us to give them treats.”
2023 started with Bruce trying to figure out what his life would be like… should he retire? After bouncing around a bit he pulled the trigger and in March decided to start planning.

Things were pretty normal until the end of the school year- OK almost depressingly normal. We did take some time to see the Centennial of Disney Exhibit in Philadelphia (now in Chicago) and a weekend visit to the home of Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. As the school year ended in May so did over 35 years teaching. Bruce did not want any kind of “celebration” so he quietly emptied his classroom and drove off. It had been a good career with lots of great times, but… as the Walrus said, “the time has come.”

Retirement began with GeoWoodstock in Owensboro, KY. From there it was a bit of rush. While Sue (being still gainfully employed) worked and attended conferences, Bruce started on his personal list… in the Pit of Despair aka the basement. He had an idea of some traveling then decided to ignore traveling over the Summer and waited until the off season was over and things died down a bit. Sorting comics and reorganizing LEGO builds and sets kept him happy. When August came, Bruce started to realize just how much time, energy, and emotional toll teaching took… he’s been shying away from employment and especially educational related activities until at least 2024. After working since he was 13 Bruce decided he deserved a few months off.

The late summer and fall brought about a few things- like taking a weekend to see some races at Road America in Wisconsin, and a week to embrace our viking heritage at “Going Caching” in Georgia. We also spent some time in Asheville celebrating Sue’s parent’s 60th wedding anniversary, and we looked at options in area, but we still have time to decide where, when, if we relocate (and Bruce still has a lot of comic books to organize- current count over 5,000.) We also spent mid-November in Las Vegas. Bruce explored and played while Sue worked.

Our big event took some time and training- being balloon handlers in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We spent Thanksgiving in New York City wrestling the Macy’s Gold Star (you may not have seen us, we were behind the Wonka float). On a “whim” (we’ve been told we do a lot of things on a “whim” which was not said in a whimsical manner… really… when it comes to “whimming” we’re very serious) we headed to San Francisco on Christmas Day because… ok, maybe this was a whim. There we spent two days just chilling and taking in the sights – especially a great exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum.

Other highlights in no particular order:

• Bruce went to a lot of conventions including: Gen Con, Power-Con, Cincinnati Comic Expo, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, and New York Comic Con
• Visiting the Strong Museum of Play– Highly recommend it without or without cats… I mean kids.
• Visiting the Corning Museum of Glass
• Meow Wolf – Omega Mart, Las Vegas
• Tour the Randolph County Asylum with the Fort Wayne MINI Cooper Group
• MINI Together up into Michigan
• The Great Seneca Pizza Trail
• Sue knitting gnomes… lots of gnomes.
• Sue finding a geocache in all the counties in Ohio. and the milestone of 12,000 finds. Cecil trails behind with a measly 3,000.
• Reading books… lots of books- remember comic books are also books.

What will 2024 bring? Who knows? More work for Sue (Someone’s got to pay there bills), more drawing for Bruce. Some exotic & boring travel for both. Bruce will be looking for employment, not because he’s bored, but it’s nice to have some “egg money.” Bruce has been thinking about his word for the year… last year was “draw” and while he did draw more, he still has a long way to go. He considered “rebirth” but thinks now “whim” might be a good one. (Yes, it is going to be a running gag… Bruce thinks it’s hysterical) Oh, how can we live like this? Remember: cats don’t go to college.

Tune in next year… same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Cartoon Art Museum San Francisco, California

First of all, as many of you know, I’ve been reading comics for most of my 58 years. During that time I’ve read a variety of things, a few have stuck with me… one of those was Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer. I think picked up my first issue just on a chance. I was in high school and artwork was the driving force behind my comic book purchases. It was the gorgeous artwork that made me buy it (Yes, I was a teenager, and yes, Betty was a definite draw), but it was the story that made me come back and hunt down the previous issues. In the time before the Interwebs it was not easy for a nerdy introverted kid to find out that the Rocketeer started in Mike Grell’s Starslayer and then to track down those issues. The Rocketeer also bounced around publishers which added to the challenge as many fans of the comic have gone through. “Cliff’s New York Adventure” took me years to figure out that it had even been finished!

Original art has two magical qualities about it. First, it is something artist touched. Now with digital art the chance to see something touched by the artist can be rare. Secondly, because if it’s the artists work you can “look behind through curtain” see mistakes, edits and also see a few steps in the process. I’ve been fortunate to visit places like the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum in Columbus, Ohio and see up close (and shed a few tears) at original art from some of my idols, I even own a few pages, but not anything from Dave Stevens. I do embarrassingly remember my first San Diego Comic Con seeing him at his table and freezing before I could get close… afraid of what I should/would say- thinking maybe next year I’d get up the nerve… it didn’t happen. I have, over the years, picked up various books highlighting Dave’s work, but this was the first opportunity I’ve had to see his original art up close.

So first of all, I cannot say enough about what a great place the Cartoon Art Museum has become. The first time I stumbled upon it was 10 years ago while visiting my sister in-law for Christmas… the family was wandering about and I saw the sign and didn’t really care what everyone else was going to do, I just wanted to see what the museum might have in store for me. My in-laws are very understanding. Since then they’ve moved and I’ve longed to return and on a whim it happened, my wife is very understanding.

First Impressions:
As a fanboy I can say – I wish there was more… but like anything in this world I think that is just human nature. The exhibit focused heavily on that first Rocketeer story (which spawned the 1991 film) but also touched on Dave’s other work in animation and storyboarding. As you walk into the room housing the exhibit “Drawn to Perfection” is playing on a screen to the right. There are also a few of the trades for the first Rocketeer story along with the Artist Edition produced by IDW. If you have not had a chance to see that edition- this is the closest you will get to what is on the walls surrounding you. While I said I would love to have more on display- this covers the origin and Cliff’s New York Adventure and is a great look into the making of The Rocketeer.

The first wall (clockwise) showcases one of Dave’s paintings (a self portrait), introduces us to his love of Bettie Page, and his early animation work. The next wall focuses on the Rocketeer cover artwork. Those images that first introduced us to the world Dave Stevens created. These are teasers of what was to come in the comics of you bought one.
The long back wall has the intricate pages that set up Cliff Secord as the Rocketeer. That moment when Peevy makes the helmet, his first heroic flight to save Malcom it’s all there. As someone who dabbles in comics I am shocked at what I seen on those pages… my pages are usually a mess, these are pretty much pristine. You can’t see any erasing, you see ink on paper. If you look closely, you can catch just a hint of blue pencil. I’m not sure of sequence of the process, but the lettering was glued onto the page. As an example: When I started my strip I would write in the words then draw around that word balloon. Now I write the words out, in blue pencil, draw and then, using the computer add the text and balloon digitally. A comic strip like mine is easy since word balloons tend to take up the top third of the panel. In a dynamic comic… all that needs to planned out or at least thought through as you lay out a page.
The case in front of the back wall shows some of the actual issues.
The next wall has the video monitor showing Drawn to Perfection and samples of the Rocketeer as described in the first paragraph.
The last wall as you work clockwise from the entrance covers another project Dave worked on- Storyboarding Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. Yes, Dave Steven’s did the storyboards for Thriller… Mind blown.

So should you go to San Francisco and see this exhibit up close? Duh. If you can I would, just because no matter how high quality the reproduction may be, there is something about looking at a page and knowing the artist touched it. That said, if you can’t, I understand that a catalog of this exhibit and the previous one in which artists contributed pieces in honor of the 40th anniversary of The Rocketeer will be available soon. Check the Cartoon Art Museum in 2024 for details.

Besides actually reading The Rocketeer or going to San Francisco, I highly recommend you look up these for more into Dave Stevens and his work:

• Brush with Passion: The Art & Life of Dave Stevens 2008
• Dave Stevens the Complete Sketches & Studies 2011
• Dave Stevens Covers & Stories 2012
• Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection 2022 – Currently available on Amazon Prime

The Rocketeer stories are still being published while not Dave’s work they are very good and definitely honor the creativity and world Dave created.

Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for the cats running around knocking things off the tree and me, bagging and boarding comics and other stuff.

I decided when the most recent copy of FTF Geocacher Magazine arrived this week that I would go into the basement and pull all the issues I had (most contained the My Geek Odyssey Comic Strip) and at least do something to prevent them from being completely destroyed. I started this strip in 2009 when I received a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship. In 2011 the fledgling FTF Geocacher Magazine approached me asking if I would contribute something. Over the years, as life got in the way FTF Geocacher there were times when FTF was the only time I actually committed myself to drawing. While I may have muttered when I got the reminder- it was wonderful to be forced into stepping away from the ledge and doing something I truly love. As my interest in Geocaching wained I still did the comic with help from friends who would tell tales of their exploits. Retired, I am now going back to caching, and still think it is a great way to explore and discover new places. Yesterday I went through over 60 issues and put in each in a bag with a board. Some were not in the best shape, and it looks like I’m missing two issues that like any good collector I will track down somehow.

To this week’s comics-

Jay Garrick the Flash #3 – I’ve always been a fan of the Flash. I remember trying to convince my mom to sew a lightning bolt on my red sweatsuit when I was in 3rd grade. I don’t recall if it were the comics or “Super Friends” cartoon on Saturday Morning but I thought the idea of going super fast was supercool. Thanks to a great Stargirl mini series all of these lost sidekicks from the 1940’s are back. One of them being the Flash’s (Jay Garrick’s) hitherto unknown daughter, Judy. So Judy is a teenager from the 40’s now in present time. So far it’s been a great story as part of DC’s return to the Golden Age which piques my interest.

The Original X-Men #1 – I fell for it, the original X-Men return… umm… I haven’t read an X-Men comic in years, probably because there just got to be too many of them and it became difficult to follow (as with a lot of comics Marvel or DC). I wasn’t sure what I thought this would be about, but it wasn’t what I expected. A multiverse spanning story dealing with the Phoenix (in X-Men the Phoenix always seems to be a part of it). Good story, but will I continue in the next Wolverine focused storyline… probably not. Like the X-Men, Wolverine has just been overused.

Spider-Boy #2 – You’d think after what I just wrote about the X-Men would also relate to Spider-Man titles and it does, to a point. They’ve created to convoluted Spider-verse that fortunately you don’t have to know too much about to follow what is going on. In this case (remember when Marvel only dealt with other universes in What if? ahh… simpler times…) at the end of one massive spider-verse encompassing arc all the versions of Spider-Man were released and one… was new, Spider-Boy. No one remembers him, (wait a second… like the Golden Age sidekicks in DC?!?) so we are discovering this young hero for the first time. He has slightly different powers, some of them a little creepy. I just hope this doesn’t become a trend – “Sales are sluggish, let’s bring in a new version of…”

Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #3 – Almost Christmas, will Krampus win? More heroes are brought in to help Santa including that guy from Metropolis… No spoilers, but I am looking forward to seeing how Christmas will be saved from the evil monsters. (no spoilers there- we know the good guys will win… it’s in the Code)

Superman #9 – Everyone hates Lex Luthor… duh. but now after a death defying battle in the last issue, how will Superman save the day? What twist will happen so you buy the next issue? Vworp! Vworp! Vworp! (hint: but not really a spoiler)

Amazing Spider-Man #9 – Gang War continues… ’nuff said.

Star Trek Defiant #10 – General Order 7?!? What will Worf do?!?

Star Trek #10 – Whatever Happened to perpetual Ensign Harry Kim? Space Kaiju with dinosaur people and Romulans…

Undiscovered Country #27 – If you have not been reading this comic I don’t know what to say that won’t spoil it or just make you think I have lost my mind… Overall the story goes something like this- the United States has built a wall around itself and the rest of the world moved on while ‘Mericuh… well, no one knows. The world governments sent a team into America to see what happened, and to look for a cure for a plague that was doing what plagues do best. Over the course of 27 issues so many weird things have happened. All of which ask the question what is America? What makes America, America? I figured we were getting close to the conclusion, but… what do I know? Hint- Literal cliffhanger of a ending.

So I’m around 6 months into retirement… While I didn’t want this blog to devolve into a “retirement blog” for the time being as I get more and more accustomed to retired life this seems to be what is on the forefront of my mind.

As for just getting used to stuff the biggest thing that seems to be hard is health insurance. I remember sitting in a Webcomics Panel and the question was asked about what was the biggest expense these talented and successful creators had- the overwhelming answer was paying for health insurance. The only two who didn’t reply this way, when asked stated “We’re Canadian.” When I was employed this wasn’t a big deal, the school district did it all. I just picked from a menu, as things changed, the menu choices also changed, but they tended to keep something similar to what I had. When I retired I asked about this, and was frankly told, that they were embarrassed to tell me what I would have to pay, to stay with the same coverage… Since I had continued with the legacy plans (because it was simple) I would now have to pay pretty much my teacher pension each month to continue… ugh. I looked around got some good advice and help and moved to a different company. After going to the doctor I realized how spoiled I had become. While basics were fine, I had a prescription that the doctor had made a slight dosage change… the new company wouldn’t cover it. They recommended a different drug (because their analyst has a medical degree not because they are just seeing the cheapest alternative) which my doctor then prescribed only to get turned down again… Fortunately, it wasn’t something life threatening, but still, If I was in an actual developed country this might not have been an issue- I know, first world problem… or is it a first world problem, since it isn’t a problem in most first world countries only the US?

Enough grumbling… so what have I been doing besides, housework and bill paying over the last 6 months? I decided that over the summer I would not travel, I would try to get to understand how my income had changed and didn’t want to overspend. I spent a lot of time in the “Pit of Despair” aka the basement trying to organize things. I traded a bunch of my comics for store credit at my local shop- and still have a lot more to go. I planned for the start of school and not being at school. I also looked at what my passions had been pre-retirement and what I might want to continue. Many people who know me know that I have some varied interests but most of them are “Not Normal” or considered normal by those who consider themselves “Normal.” I decided to look at a few things that I “like”: Drawing/Cartooning, Comic Books, Games, Geocaching, MINI Coopers, & Building/Collecting LEGO. If I was going to focus on one thing, what would it be? I know, I can focus on more than one thing, but What would bring me joy? Note, education, robotics, and STEM are not on the list… I promised myself I would take a break from my past life. I’ve broken that promise a couple times so far, but pretty much said one year. As for going back to work, I had said three to six months, then I started scheduling things… so I’m going to start looking at options in 2024.

Drawing and cartooning have always been a passion of mine, I just hadn’t had the time to invest with everything else going on. Fortunately, this isn’t something that costs a lot- paper, pencils, pens and a wild imagination. Time has been the only thing that has kept me from this. I’ve been on the road, and while the common rule is “Don’t Drink and Drive” I don’t want to see if Drawing and Driving works… I’m guessing the results would be similar. I have tried to resume meeting with local artists through the Indy Webcomics Group and have tried to be a part of a daily drawing prompt, which again, travel and “Promptober” caused me to get a bit overwhelmed, so I hoping to get started back up soon.

When you’ve been collecting comic books for as long as I have (like many I started as a kid and there are pictures of me as a third grader, nose in a comic book) let’s say I started around 1974. I remember while on vacation sitting in friend’s bedroom and seeing his stack of comics… he had over 80 comics! I was amazed. From then on I would ride my bike to the Seven/Eleven and pull stuff off the spinner rack. As I got older I was able to go further afield and at 16 (around 1981) go to comic shops and conventions. I was never a “die hard collector” I’d throw a few comics in bags with boards, but mostly I read them and they would go into a box. I started retirement going through my comics and deciding what I wanted to keep and what I didn’t. I figured that I would keep maybe 4-6 long boxes… so around 1500 comics. I have a lot more culling to do to get anywhere near that number. Unfortunately every week has a Wednesday and every Wednesday new comics come out. I also have been to more Comic Cons this Fall than I have in the past few years- Cincinnati Comic Expo, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, and New York Comic Con. I see this as being something I will continue. I’ve already promised my brother to make NYCC an annual trip, and I’m looking around at other cons that might be fun to attend.

My first jump into “Look! I’m retired and no longer on the draconian school schedule!” was to finally go to Gen Con for all four days. I’ve discussed this already, so I won’t go into details but I do like to play games, but is it a passion? The issue I have is you usually have to have someone else involved. I have tried Board Game Arena online and while it has been fun, it seemed like every time it was my turn, I was in the middle of something else. Also many of the games I was learning along the way. Still up in the air about gaming, the hardest thing seems to be getting everyone’s schedules open to play, this is especially hard with role playing games that involve a lot of time.

I started geocaching in 2006 and have cached all over the world (OK- North America and Europe). Was really into it for the longest time, then at one point I decided that I needed to take a break. Being an introvert, with low self-esteem and general social anxiety this was an easy move. I’m slowly coming back, mostly because Sue is still an avid cacher and Adventure Labs. I”m still not back to my old numbers, but I’m at least giving it a try, and if I have the time and there is an Adventure Lab along the way I’m in.

When MINI returned to America and I saw this unique little car and fell in love. Since 2005 I have had a MINI Cooper, I have gone on trips around the country, My current 2012 MINI has been all over the country and has shared close to 150,000 miles of adventures. I had served on the local club’s board for a number of years and decided to take a break… I’ve returned every so often, but unfortunately It’s like a time warp… things haven’t changed. The same people are in charge, the same events are happening, and for someone new to the community it’s great, for me… not so much. Over the years I’ve realized that I’m not as much of a group person. The issue seems to be a bit of social anxiety, and not wanting to upset people. So I find that knowing people and saying “Hi!” is great. Being a part of a group and having plans, not so much. Some of my closest friends are from the MINI community, I love seeing them, breaking bread, and being a part of that sense of family, but I don’t always want to follow along with the group. It’s not you, it’s me and it will always be me.

Now the 8,000 brick gorilla in the room… What about LEGO builds? The funny part is I built with LEGO bricks as a kid. Stopped building (they call it the Dark Age) and didn’t come back until it overlapped with work. You see I had become a Magnet Specialist for the STEM schools- they had purchased a bunch of LEGO robotics sets for each building and I figured I needed to jump in and figure it all out. I attended a LEGO show in Fort Wayne and ran into a fellow geocacher who invited me to come to a LEGO User Group meeting at his house. I started with a simple set, but the original purpose was to have experts that I could consult for school. I became a “LEGO Master Educator” and the a “LEGO Education Ambassador” both programs were nice to add to my resume, and made me look like I was some kind of an expert. I worked at the local LEGO store for a year learning about the retail business and how being an hourly worker is different since I had last been one. I do still love building with LEGO bricks, but like everything time seems to be an issue. After working for a year selling LEGO sets, I have decided that besides not having the room, there just aren’t that many themes I’m interested in. You’ve got the whole JK Rowling/Harry Potter social media issues. I’m more and more a Star Trek fan than Star Wars. The same goes with Marvel and DC Comics. While I love Batman, that’s pretty much all that the LEGO group focuses on when it comes to sets from DC. When it comes to Marvel sets… there is a glut of them and I’m not as interested in spending the money for them. I have a small LEGO warehouse in my basement (next to the small comic book shop) I just don’t know what comes next- There are a few sets I’m looking forward to, but not that many. Yes, I will be in line for the new Modular, the Chinese New Year sets, and the D&D set… there are a few others on the list, but I’m not buying everything like I did before.

What have I really been doing? I’ve been trying things out while traveling. It started with Gen Con, then on to Power Con (a toy collector convention). I celebrated my in-laws 60th wedding anniversary in Asheville, NC and explored the Blue Ridge Parkway considering spots to settle down. I went to the Cincinnati Comic Expo with my close friend Brian. He went to see Adam Savage, I went to see Tony Harris. Sue and I drove out for balloon handler training in New Jersey so we knew what we were getting ourselves into for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I went to Cartoon Crossroads Columbus which is an amazing convention for cartoonists and I highly recommend it. It allowed me to get behind the scenes at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum which was a dream come true. After that I headed south to the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. A place that started me becoming one of the “Weird Teachers” back in the 1990’s, so I figured I would start my “Weird Retiree” portion of my life there. Went from Huntsville to Rome, Georgia for the Going Caching mega event. Then to Washington DC to visit the “Hazy” annex of the Air & Space Museum at Dulles for the first time. I’ve now seen the Enterprise, Atlantis, Discovery and Pathfinder space shuttles. After a nice dinner with my brother it was up to Newark for top secret balloon flight testing for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From Newark I went to New York to expose my “baby brother” to his first Comic Con. The New York Comic Con is a post unto itself especially a seasoned veteran and a complete newbie. Headed home for a bit before returning to New Jersey for Balloonfest, where they unveil the new balloons for the parade. on the way home we stopped at the Corning Museum of Glass. I also have been spoiling my cats every chance I get. Still a few more things coming up as I close in on another revolution around the Sun.

I’ve been trying to be frugal while I start out retirement. I am fortunate that Sue is still working and still enjoys her job. That said, I don’t think I ever realized exactly how much money I spent as a public school teacher. I’d just buy things “for the kids” or “for my classroom” and now I’m not and the has freed up funds for other things. I’ve tried to plan for things – like cash for New York Comic Con even though I did charge things also out of convenience. People say it looks like I’m living my best life. I’m actually taking time to discover who I am after spending so many years trying to be what everyone expected me to be. I’m still figuring it out, and while I make a few mistakes along the way, I’m happy to have the chance to try.

Recap on what I’ve learned about me, so far:

• I still like to draw (it kept me out of the asylum for decades, and hopefully it will continue)
• I still like comic books. I’m trying to move more towards original artwork, but I only have so many walls and that stuff is expensive.
• I enjoy discovering new places and Geocaching/Adventure Labs are a great way to do it, but choose your LPC wisely.
• While I like playing games, I’m not sure I need to invest in them the way I did in the past when I was buying games for my classroom. Time is the biggest issue.
• I still love motoring around in my MINI Cooper, I’m looking forward to MINI Takes The States in July of 2024. That said, local MINI events, unless unique, are not as much of a priority.
• While I enjoy building with LEGO I’m not as fanatic about it as I once was, as I grow as an Adult Fan Of LEGO and I get other projects completed I am much more cautious when it comes to buying things.
• I’m a Trekkie, I also have rekindled a love of Dave Steven’s Rocketeer and James Robinson’s/Tony Harris’ Starman. That’s what happens when you dig through your old comics.
• I’m still a kid at heart who loves the whimsical over the serious.
• I love my cats… and my very understanding wife.

Along time ago my best friend was a car fanatic… still is.  His dad saved up and bought a Ferrari… when turned 16 he drove a classic Triumph Spitfire.  Me, – my childhood is for another day, but I learned a lot hanging around with his family.  I learned such things as electric drills work a lot better when switched to “forward” not “reverse.” I learned a little about cars in general, but I never considered myself a “car guy.”  In 2005 I bought my first MINI.  In 2006 I bought my second.  While not a car guy, that was something I liked about the car, the owners were diverse and you didn’t have to be a car guy to be a part of the community.  Most people don’t talk look down upon you if don’t know anything about cars and they even talk to girls like they have brains. Since then I’ve done been evangelical about the MINI and the community that surrounds it.  Last weekend Sue and I headed north to Road America to watch the MINI John Cooper Works Racing Team.  We’d been there once before for MINI takes the States in 2008 and Sue was able to drive a parade lap.  This weekend it was time to watch the experts.

As with many adventures it started off with stopping along the way at some favorite places.  Fair Oaks Farm for lunch and Albanese Confectionery for Gummi Bears.  Fair Oaks Farm is a place we talk about going to for more than an awesome grilled cheese sandwich, but usually we are on our way to someplace and are on a schedule.  Albanese has changed over the years, but still make amazing gummi bears of different flavors which allow us to buy one flavor instead of a mixed bag.  My favorite they stopped making as a bear- peach, but they still make as rings. Once we crossed over into Wisconsin it was a stop at the Mars Cheese Castle to see if there was anything we needed for the rest of the trip. Once we were done stocking up there we headed through Wisconsin.  Making a list of things we want to do the “next time” we are heading this way. So we will be heading back to the land of cheeeeeeese and brats and beer.

We arrived at Road America and stopped to get our bearings for the next day of racing.  First goal find the MINIs. There are times when I wish I was a bit more outgoing. while I go various places, I tend to hid in the shadows and just lurk. This was the case the entire weekend when we got anywhere close to the MINI John Cooper Works Racing Team tent. We kept our our distance. mostly because they were busy. They were doing car racing things, with tools and stuff and we didn’t want to bother them. You’l find that this is my mantra, “You have more important things to do than deal with me.” Sue shares this feeling, so unless we are invited to join, we tend to sit back. The last time we were at a race, we were with friends who knew everybody. We looked around for people we may know and besides the bad of the whole thing (who was busy being in charge) we saw no one we knew so went on our way.

This was not just a weekend for watching cars go around a track (or a small portion of a track since we could see the entire track. It was also just a time for adventure, which tends to mean consulting Atlas Obscura or Geocaching to see what strange and interesting things might be around. First of all- we were shocked that Road America had no geocaches, or Adventure Labs. it made a little sense since it was “America’s National Park of Speed” and no caches are allowed at national parks, but was it really a “National park”? we couldn’t find anyplace to get our National Park Passport stamped, or get one of those coins they now sell at the gift shops… Hmmm… One thing about Wisconsin, I discovered was a lack of just random caches. Sure there were a lot of large statues of cows… but while perfect places for a cache or an Adventure Lab stage, there was nothing. That said we did find some cool things and some great caches.

We stayed south in the larger town of West Bend. For geocachers this is a known place, home to the West Bend Cache Bash- which we missed by a week or so. This means that the place was full of various caches and after dinner on the first night we decided to start with an Adventure Lab on Main street dealing with the murder of Signal the Frog.

Have I mentioned I like Adventure Labs? Unlike Geocaches that sometime require special tools, and bugs, and spiders, and climbing through thorny bushes, adventure labs are location based and only require you to answer questions from clues in your surroundings (for the most part). These make me happy and I highly recommend if you want to start geocaching, start with Adventure Labs- yes, there’s an app. As with geocaching it will take you places that only locals know about and you’ll learn about the place you are visiting from a different perspective.

So we returned to Road America the next day and watched the TC class race. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a race. While we sat watching turn 14 and the home straight a lot was happening elsewhere causing yellow flags, red flags, puce with lavender spots flags… Being from Indiana or watching auto racing on TV I am accustomed to a race being so many laps… the Indianapolis 500 is 200 laps, The first car to complete 200 laps, wins. These races were all timed. So after a certain amount of time the white flag came out signaling one more lap. The other thing was there were multiple classes of cars racing at the same time. To simplify each class allows cars with certain specifications to race, it could be engine size, wheel base, weight, drivers who owned dogs. Cars with similar specification raced together to make things fair. The MINI Coopers raced in the TC class, the BMWs raced in the TCX class. While both were on the track at the same time the track was long enough and the distance between them enough at the start that for the most part they didn’t get in each others way- for the most part. The crashes (no one was harmed in the making of this blogpost, although some cars definitely needed some help) tightened up the field and actually there was some concern that the race would not get finished. The race was extended into the lunch break in order to give them enough time. it did not give us enough time to get to the podium to celebrate the MINIs that had finished.

Seven miles away from Road America was Johnsonville. For those not from the midwest Johnsonville is known for its brats. That would be German bratwurst sausages, usually the staple for football tailgating (or so I have been told). I guess enough people have stopped by the small town and factory and found nothing that it was decided by some marketing people, it might be a good idea to have something out there for them to find. Pretty much a visitor center filled with all things wisconsin, and especially Bratwurst. The crowning piece was the last work done by famed artist Robert Indiana sitting outside. Now to say the actual town was small would be an overstatement. We decided to try to find lunch and there was one building that had am empty ballroom/beer hall that reminded me of a VFW. and an even smaller diner that was packing things up about an hour before close. we got some sandwiches to go, but could tell, even for a Saturday, they weren’t expecting, nor did they really want anyone coming in. Not that they weren’t nice, and friendly (this is the midwest after all) but you know they were hoping to close early and go enjoy one of the last days of Summer- who could blame them? We took the rest of the day for adventures and finished off the Signal Murder Adventure Lab along with a walk about Regner Park which was amazing. It did start to get hotter and hotter as the day wore on, not making Sunday look that appealing.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday… We had one race to go and decided to sit in Turn 5 and watch- fortunately there were not issues and it was a clean race. MINIs took first and third with (I think) a Hyundai getting second. We celebrated with the crowd the MINI victory and then started the drive home… with help help the holy guidance of WAZE, patron Saint of directions. This is the midwest, and this is road construction season, So after a quick detour back to Johnsonville, and then to Port Washington for a Web Cam cache we needed some guidance and we weren’t the only ones. I started to note that we were basically in a conga line of cars making some interesting turns through neighborhoods and realized that we were all using WAZE to get past whatever blockage there was on the interstate. While people complain about AI for a lot of things, having something be able to look at the big picture on the road and navigate you through so you avoid sitting in a car standing still for an hour… I did alter from the divine plan one we had made it through Chicago and WAZE was directing on some roundabout way that would save me a whopping 2 minutes.

We had a wonderful adventure and as I noted to Sue, the cool thing was it was Sunday and I wasn’t anxious about school the next day. I had some things I needed to get done, but most of it didn’t have any random element to it, so I could handle it. I have missed these little Adventure Days the we used to do – some might call them “One Tank Trips” or something simple escapes. We used to do these more often and then adulting got in the way. That and we realized that in a few cases we would go just to buy stuff we really didn’t need. Now we go to just experience the world we live in. We’ve got a few more of these on the calendar for 2023- should be fun.

So no matter what anyone claims, they’re a geek.  Everyone is passionate about something.  We just use the work “geek” when we don’t understand or share in that passion.  Yesterday I decided to take a moment and see a part of geekdom that was new to me… kinda.  I attended a day of Power Con in Columbus, Ohio.  Power Con is a toy enthusiast convention. Enthusiast is another work for geek, that doesn’t sound derogatory.  Now most of us have been toy enthusiasts at some point in our lives.  We all played with toys.  We liked one toy over another.  We learned the mythology behind the characters, or created the myths in the time before cartoon based toys.  Power Con takes this to another level.  A playground for the “kidult” who is into action figures and toys. Ask me about comic books and I have a passing knowledge of creators- writers, artists, inkers…. I can discuss with you Bob Kane vs. Bill Finger, or Stan Lee vs. Jack Kirby.  I can look at a Warner Brothers cartoon and tell who the director is just by the style of Bugs Bunny.   These are areas that I know, in the realm of toys- I’m lost. Which was why I decided to attend.  I was curious.  Beforehand I had a chance to talk with a friend who is more into this than I am.  I heard about various design companies and their origins and specialties.  I knew I was clueless, and after that conversation I realized just how clueless I was.

Nostalgia plays a role in this, as does pop culture.  However these aren’t the toys of your childhood, and if they are, they are now “collector’s items.” I looked around the hall and found that there were a few different kinds of exhibitors: resellers, companies, designers and “other.”  The resellers had what you might think of as a flea market, antique mall vibe.  They had lots of different items trying to appeal to whoever walked by.  Expensive stuff was in cases, other stuff was just on shelves.  It was in these booths I realized I was out of my element, time period wise.  Anything that I recall having as a kid… was in a display case, or priced way beyond my stop and think point.  The majority of items tended to be from the 80’s and 90’s… so Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, Star Wars, etc.  G.I. Joe was gnome sized compared to Barbie.  My little brother’s era of toys.  My G.I. Joe could date Barbie and was in a case, mint in box for over $400.   I found a few things that sparked my interest, but by the time I returned to the booth, they were gone. This was good, because I don’t need to add to the hoard.

Companies were mostly independent groups who had their own following. Many companies seem to have adopted, the designer sneaker way of selling- drop an item online for a limited time, take orders and then make only that number.  They become rare and expensive so the next round, more people will buy in hopes that they will make it rich. There were a few companies that I guess were “dropping” product at the con so like Lorcana at Gen Con, the line was extremely long.  The difference was it didn’t seem like there were limits to what you could purchase.  Double decker wagons, flatbed carts, people dragging boxes were common place.  Now let me make it clear- these are not your typical action figures.  These are pretty much works of art, not signed or numbered, but highly detailed in every way with multiple points of articulation, and changeable parts to be able to pose in anyway possible.  I was happy with “kung-fu grip.”  Some companies were there just to show what they had done, and get you excited about what’s next. Pre-orders available soon.

Designers in some cases had booths where they showcased what they had created for whatever company, this was like artist alley at a comic con.  Seeing the displays of drawings and sketches was neat. Some newer designers had brought samples of things using the tech available, so 3D printers and other maker skills were definitely at play.   Some very cool things, but my old brain looked at many as not for a traditional “toy” audience. Do I really need a demon with three heads looking like it just stepped out the ferry on the River Styx? It did have multiple points of articulation so think of how it could be posed on the bookshelf!

The other consisted of the group of guests and community groups, so cosplayers, clubs, etc.

All in all, I can see the appeal to a certain segment, but I went for only a few reasons.  First, deciding what I want to focus on I had decided the Rocketeer, Star Trek, and maybe if something from my youth jumped.  The Rocketeer was easy, Fresh Monkey Fiction had been talking about their “Longbox Heroes” series and had gotten the license for Rocketeer action figures based on the comic.  Sadly, I had missed the pre-order dates, but thought I would take a look and ask.  This was my initial reason for going.  I got to see the figures, but they had only produced enough for those who had ordered them, and those were still on a boat heading to the U.S.

Star Trek wise there are a few different things- action figures of different sizes, props and ships.  I knew a friend was into Mego action figures and found a booth that only had those of various vintages.  I texted a photo to him and picked up a couple that he wanted.  I decided to buy a Gorn, just because.  I saw some of the larger scale ships,but nothing I really wanted since I have no idea where I would put them.  A few prop/toys but nothing that jumped.  A few things from my era, but my holy grail would probably be the disk firing phaser (that didn’t look at all like a phaser and would be pulled from the market for being too dangerous if they tried to release it today).

So as far as the con went, it was interesting to dive into a different area of geekdom.  I relegated myself to the dealer hall, because, while the panels would be interesting for someone in the know, I was not someone in the know and had no idea which panels I should attend. Similar to my early Comic Con experiences. I only spent part of the first day there, so I know I missed a lot, not only in my inexperience, but also in not taking the time to scour each booth. There were some interesting things, mostly on the design side.  If I were still in a classroom this could have been the starting point for a engaging design unit and I would have needed a wagon to get out of the hall.  So fortunately, I now temper my decisions and if the idea of a lesson pops into my head, I slowly walk away.  I may look on eBay if I get bored just to see what things are available and the cost… I know Con prices are usually geared for the “rube” and may not reflect actual value. I’ve been to my share of LEGO conventions.