Archive for August, 2008



I know a lot of readers out there, especially those of you starting a new school year, have already said your farewells to Summer 2008. But here in the desert, folks are just getting started. Alas, it won’t truly be safe to turn off the air conditioner until around the time we start to make [...]

Why do I continue to drag myself out in the open like this, week after week? For one thing, it helps to counter the toxic effects of a 40-hour week in the name of another man’s dime. It’s also a great way to add extra enjoyment to my collection. In addition to the thrill of [...]

Nowadays, there’s a thriving industry devoted to archiving the best of twentieth century periodicals. If it’s not being sold on DVD, it’s been issued hardbound on acid-free paper. If nothing else, there’s always the share bloggers. But when I was a kid, you could only read ABOUT the great comics. You might be able to [...]

I got a call from my father the other day. “You were right,” he told me.
He’d been trying to keep a barbershop group together up where he lives in Anchorage, Alaska. But he was unable to keep the group engaged at the level he demanded, and he got tired of doing all the work. [...]