Bill Maher Wouldn't Like Me

Bill Maher, Grown-Up

 It's a shock.  But it's most likely true.

I've been watching Bill Maher for decades, dating back to his Politically Incorrect TV show.  I don't always agree with him, but the dialogue on his shows is usually informative.  He often has people of all political stripes on, and it is interesting to see them engage with each other.  I rarely found his monologue laugh out loud funny, but his panel is often good, and his New Rules inciteful.

But I have come to realize something.  In the highly unlikely circumstance that I should ever meet him and he gets to know me, I don't think he would like me.

You see, I'm a comic book fan.  And that means he thinks I'm not grown up.  And, according to his first response about it, I'm responsible for the circumstances that led to Trump - that a country with so many comic readers was ripe for Trump.  Anybody who regularly reads my blog think I was pining for Trump?  Heck, I knew what bad things would happen if the country elected an evil billionaire President - I'd read about Lex Luthor becoming President in the Superman comic books.  And I'd read about it in numerous articles and books, like the brilliant novel It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.

Bill Maher's New Rules Friday night, doubling down on his November response to Stan Lee's death, was way over the top, and a definite indicator of how he would feel about me.

Don't believe me?  Here is a small part of his rant -

"Tonight’s editorial is about Stan Lee who, if you missed it, died in November. And a few days later, I posted a blog that in no way was an attack on Mr. Lee, but took the occasion of his death to express my dismay at people who think comic books are literature and superhero movies are great cinema and who, in general, are stuck in an everlasting childhood. Bragging that you’re all about the Marvel Universe is like boasting your mother still pins your mittens to your sleeves."

"You can, if you want, like the exact same things you liked when you were ten but if you do, you need to grow up. That was the point of my blog. I’m not glad Stan Lee is dead, I’m sad you’re alive. [...] "Director Kevin Smith accused me of “taking a shot when no shots are f**kin’ necessary,” except again my shot wasn’t at Stan Lee. It was at, you know, grown men who still dress like kids," Maher said as he showed a picture of Smith wearing a branded hockey jersey.

"Can we stop pretending that the writing in comic books is so good? Oh, please. Every superhero movie is the same thing — a person who doesn’t have powers, gets them, has to figure out how they work, and then has to find a glowy thing. [...] "I’m sorry, but if you’re an adult playing with superhero dolls, I’m sorry - I mean collectible action figures - why not go all the way and drive to work on a Big Wheel?

Nothing I say or write here would make any impression on this man.  My blog is little read or noticed.  Perhaps deservedly so.  I could write a response to this that could go on for pages and pages.

I just want to point out the blatant cruelty of one thing he said;  "I'm not glad Stan Lee is dead.  I'm sorry you're alive."  I've never had anybody before express that they're sorry I'm alive.

For better or worse, comic books are a mixed medium (literally!).  Sturgeon's Law applies, as in everything else - 90% of everything is junk.  Yes, some comics I read for sheer entertainment.  But there are many meaningful comics and graphic novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus by Art Spiegelman, and the brilliant three-volume epic March, about John Lewis's life and the Civil Rights Movement.

We all carry on interests from our childhood.  I still find the time to "adult".  I don't cosplay, collect super-hero figures, watch anime or superhero cartoons (there are rare exceptions - but for the most part, no).  I'm a fan of storytelling.  I read comics, books of all kinds, watch television and movies, and I love to act and write.  I don't smoke (anything), drink very little, carouse, hunt, fish, golf, obsess over cars or boats or planes,  or take recreational drugs.  I want to make clear there is nothing wrong about any of these things, EXCEPT if they consume you to the point you damage yourself or others.  And that could come from any interest.  Heck, there are even some people who become so obsessed with church that they sacrifice themselves and their family.  Balance and moderation, Bill - you know, like you do with toking reefer.

My sons read comic books.  My wife reads comic books.  Yes, there are some great stories written for adult females.  There is a growing number of female comic creators, writers, and artists.

Sorry.  I could go on and on.  So I will cut this short, as even with my beloved blog - it is best to do in moderation and not become obsessed.

Will I give up watching Bill Maher?  No, I'm not much of a boycotter.  And in the age of Trump, I need to find whatever resistance to his Orangeness that I can find.  He has a variety of guests, and it is interesting to hear their points of view.  Who knows?  Maybe he'll even have the courage to put somebody on who can challenge his negative view of comic fans.  

Stan Lee, that immature rascal, dressed for his WWII military service. 

The March to 1,000

It was November 1963.

When I visited my Grandma & Grandpa Martin at their lakefront cottage, I would get a handful of change, walk a few cottages down the lane to a little grocery store, and there I would spend my money on a variety of things.  Candy, gum, science fiction magazines, and most especially, comic books.

I stumbled across a new issue featuring one of my favorites, Superman.  He had gotten himself into another fix trying to protect his secret identity, Clark Kent.  This time he was baled out by the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, who posed in the disguise of Clark Kent at a crucial time.  He promised to never reveal Superman's secret identity.  And if you couldn't trust the President, who could you trust?*

It was not long after the comic was released that JFK was assassinated.  It was on the stands when the assassination occurred.  That is what that comic, Action Comics #309, is known for.

Action Comics #309.  When the collector's boom of the 90s hit, no one would touch a comic with that high of a number.  People speculating on the value of a comic would only be interested in #1's, and the introduction of new characters.

Not me.  Not in 1963.  I was fascinated by that high of a number.  Action Comics began in 1939 and had been published continuously, on a monthly basis.  I dreamed about the opportunity to go back and get the earlier stories, but mostly I imagined what it be like to see that number grow and grow and grow, someday hitting #1,000.  I knew that would take a long, long time, but I was patient.  It was something to watch approach, and anticipate someday seeing.

Then comic companies lost their minds.  As sales fell, the only thing they could think of was to flood the markets with #1s.  If that meant starting their older titles with new number 1s, pretending (I guess) that they were new titles so they would get a temporary jolt in sales.

I sold comics in the 90s, and I remember kids coming in excited, wanting to sell their treasured Spider-Man #1.  But it wasn't The Amazing Spider-Man from 1962.  It was a re-launch of the title in the 90s.  I had to explain to them, in an attempt to sell to speculators instead of readers, they had flooded the market with millions of copies, and they were worth at best cover price.


The madness continued to grow and infect more and more comics.  Eventually, even the mighty Action Comics fell and was renumbered at #1.  My dream of seeing issue #1,000 was shattered.  And most comics didn't just renumber once.  Many did it, again and again, rebooting every few years.  Marvel got so bad, they did it almost every year, frightened to death over having a comic that went over the issue #12.

I complained.  I wanted the return of what I called legacy comics.  Other fans would scoff at me, claiming numbering was irrelevant.  I was even banished from one comics book group that I was participating in.  No one wanted to hear me complain about it.

Comic sales continued to plummet.  Comic bookstores were becoming as rare as, well, near mint issues of Action Comics #1.  Even as movie sales based on comics soared, the comics they were based on crashed in sales.  Decades ago, the most successful comics sold in the millions.  Now, only a handful break 100,000 in sales.

Then, a couple of years ago, with DC's most recent reboot, they decided to restore the numbering on two of its legacy titles, Action Comics, and Detective Comics.  I was back in the hunt!  Just as I was finally giving up comics, they drew me back into the game!  Not only that, the stories were improved, restoring the vitality of the entire Superman family.  Superman was married to Lois again, and even had a young child, with powers, a kind of SUPERBOY!

And in just the last few months, Marvel has restored the original numbering on virtually their entire line of comics!  Amazing Spider-Man approaches #800, Captain America #700, Daredevil #600.

I couldn't be happier!

And now, Action Comics has hit #991, and #1,000 is just right around the corner.

What I dreamed about happening way back in November 1963 is about to happen!

Woohoo!



*offer now void.

Comics Spinning Round and Round!

Just going to the drug store was such a treat!  There was candy and toys, magazines and sodas, and best of all, there was a spinning rack of comics!

Each spin would take you somewhere new and exciting!  It could be the world of Archie and Jughead, Betty and Veronica, those crazy teenage kids from Riverdale High.  Others would allow you to read more exciting adventures from the TV shows you loved - Sea Hunt, Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone.  There were comics based on your favorite stars - Roy Rogers, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis.  There were comics that would take you to deepest space, the wild west, World War 2, the Okefenokee Swamp (thank you, Pogo and creator Walt Kelly).

When I started to collect, taking a fist full of change to the local mom and pop, super-heroes were revived and starting to dominate again.  I was then, and am now, a big Superman fan.  When he is written at his best, there is no better defender of truth, justice and the American way.  When he first came to Metropolis in the disguise of Clark Kent, he focused his career in helping the most disadvantaged citizens, and in going after those who would exploit them.

I saw the beginnings of the Marvel explosion, with the introduction of the Fantastic Four and the Amazing Spider-Man.  New, more realistic heroes with every day conflicts and angst.  They came one after another, creating incredible icons that still endure and dominate today.

Movie comics, Disney characters,adaptions of literary classics, funny animals, young romance - the variety was infinitely colorful and fun.  And all available for first a dime, then 12 cents, then 15 cents.  Now they cost as much as $3.99.  But most of you don't know that.  Because the spinner rack is gone.  Even as comic book characters dominate our TV and movie screens, the actual monthly comic has disappeared from our lives.  Oh, they still exist.  But you have to be in a big city and visit one of the dwindling number of comic shops, or order them online.

Now the visit to the drug store and other local establishments are so much plainer.  There is little to no reading material, certainly very little for kids.  Even the number of paperback books have been narrowed or eliminated.  You're left with greeting cards, celebrity gossip, and maybe a handful of magazines about hunting, cooking, guns or cars. Virtually nothing for the imagination to soar with, nothing to take you someplace else.

I know.  Times change.  Now kids get most of their stuff through computers and tablets.  You can get books and comics right to Kindle.  You can get video games from the computer, ones that can even play on your TV.  You don't ever have to leave home.

I think they're missing out.  There was nothing like getting on your bike and going to the drug store, and finding yourself someplace else.  From the super-powered world of Metropolis or Marvel, to the jungles of Tarzan, to the teens of Riverdale High, to the delightful talking swamp creatures of the Okefenoke, your bike ride became a ticket to the infinite horizon.

All in color for a few coins.  Ah, yes.  I miss those days.

Sketchy Weekend and Other Monday Musings

Retro Comic con!

Yes, I finally got my son to a comic book convention!

It was a small convention that took place in Pooler, Georgia, which I think is a suburb of Savannah.  I had seen a few smaller, and I had seen a few bigger, but it was a good introduction to Benjamin.  We brought two of his friends with us, and we had a pretty good time.

The picture above shows the highlight of the experience.  Benjamin got to meet THE major artist of his favorite comic series, Sonic the Hedgehog.  His name is Tracy Yardley! (the exclamation point is what he uses as his signature when he signs his work),  He personally did the sketch that Benjamin is holding in the picture above.

Cosplayers were everywhere.  This is the relatively new phenomenon of dressing up as characters from various popular series (television, movies, comics, amine, video, etc,).  I think it started out as something done at more narrow focused conventions, such as Star Trek, then filtered into broader conventions like Dragon Con in Atlanta, and now is the central part of any entertainment themed convention.

Besides the joy of seeing my son attending, I go because it's a chance to meet artists and creators, and for the comic books I can find.  I was pleasantly surprised that there were a good number of vendors there selling older comics.  It had been a very long time since I had seen so many in one place.

Many of them were too rich for my blood.  One man had a some really, really good older comics in great condition.  His prices were awfully high, which made sense with the condition that the comics were in, but were way outside what I felt comfortable in paying.  I primarily get back issues of Superman and related titles, but I am perfectly happy with reading copies.  I found one that would have been a very expensive comic if it hadn't been for the little bits on the top that had been chewed off by a rat.

I saw a copy of the first The Man From U.N.C.L.E. comic book, and thought it was for $50,  With the my great love for that show, and the movie coming up, I thought that might be a great purchase.  It was high, but I it would be real treasure, and maybe undervalued.  I asked for a closer look and found it was actually $150,  Yikes!  I politely made noises that I might consider it, and then got the hell out of Dodge.

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The final edit of History of the Trap is complete.  I could mess with it for the rest of the year, and still have things to tinker with, but it's time to s____ or get off the pot.  I'm scared as all get out, but I need to put it out there.  I may track a dual route, doing both self-publishing and still follow up with a broader publisher.

------------------------------

I am also trying to finish up Crowley Stories, but I am having to get back into it, so that I can pathway the best way to bring it to a conclusion.  I have charted and reviewed the first 23 of the 34 stories, and have listed off over 100 characters.  There is some tightening and elimination of duplication to do, but for the most part, I make no apologies for this.  Each story focuses on a small group of people, and many characters are in several stories.  This is not a mistake.  This is what I want to present.  Slice of life stories that show many aspects of a small town.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Ripping Good Yarns: Comic Book Truth In Numbering

Yes.  I was different even as a kid.  I took  the clutch of change that Grandma gave me, went down to the general store a few houses down from her lakefront home, and there I would buy some comics.  My favorites?  The ones with the HIGH numbers, like Action and Adventure.  They were just breaking into the 300s, and I thought about how wonderful it would be to be there and get them when they reached #1,000!

There's one of the early ones I got.  #309, where President Kennedy helped Superman by masquerading as Clark Kent.  This is actually a reading copy I got a few years ago.  The original was so well worn, I had lost its cover.

This is the current issue of Action Comics.  Yes, I was faithful.  Yes, I stuck with the title through thick and thin.  Through good story-lines and horrible story-lines.  And my reward?  Three years ago, they renumbered it to #1 again.  Why?  Something to do with "starting over" and fooling digital comic readers.  It doesn't matter.  They broke faith with me and other long time readers.

So this #36 is really #940.  If they don't have the courage to put this on their front cover, they should at least put in as a whole number in the indicia.  Who could it hurt?  And it would mean so much to me and other countless fans who care about the thread of history.

And this is not the only title mucked up this way.  Only Looney Tunes (#223 in two months) and Mad Magazine (#532 in two months) hold their original numbering.

Based on Westfield Comics catalog for comics to be released in February, here is the COVER number compared to the ACTUAL issue number, based on my best estimate using the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide:

Secret Six #3?   #46!!!

Harley Quinn #15?  #53!!!

Secret Origins #10?  #67!!!

Lobo #5?  #69!!!

Batgirl #39?  #142!!!

Star Spangled War Stories #7?  #211!!!

Supergirl #39?  #219!!!

Catwoman #39?  #216!!!

Teen Titans #7?  #214!!!

Aquaman #39?  #247!!!

Green Arrow #39?  #251!!!

Swamp Thing #39?  #259!!!

World's Finest #39?  #362!!!

Green Lantern #39?  #510!!!

Justice League #39?  #598!!!

Wonder Woman #39?  # 653!!!

Flash #39?  #636!!!

Batman #39?  #752!!!

Superman #39?  #753!!!

Detective Comics #39?  #920!!!

Action Comics #39?  #940!!!!!!!

940!!!

Just a tiny modicum of respect...a whole number in the indicia. That's all I'm asking for!

Please?

The Whole Solution

Not the real The Amazing Spider-Man #1.....it's an illusion...a variant....a con...but part of the new trend in comics.  Marvel NOW 001.  That's the new number.  And just one of many, many variants.  And within a few years, all of them will be worth cover price or less.

The indicia from a recent issue of  Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.  Huh?  Why?  Read on!

Comics and super-heroes are dominating the movie theaters!  BAM!

They're even invading our television! POW!

But the monthly comic book, the core inspiration for it all?  fizzle

Once in the millions, now even the most successful comic may barely stagger into the six figures.

The number of outlets carrying comic books are dwindling.  Marvel, the largest comic company, has inexplicably pulled their comics from large box book chains.  The local comic book store, the ghetto that comic books had been assigned to, are disappearing in steady numbers, the reserve of larger metro areas.  The closest stores to me are about an hour and half away, in Jacksonville, Florida. And many of those have gone out of business.

There are many reasons this has happened, too numerous to go into here.  And the solutions, if any are diverse as well.

But one thing that would be easy to do would be to restore the thread of history.  Bring back the numbering to comics that connects them to their golden age and silver age roots.  

SPECULATORS are fascinated by made up, instant collectibles.  Variant copies, constant number ones, whether they make any sense or not.  READERS just want great stories, and the numbering just helps them keep track of where they are in a story, and what they need to complete it.  COLLECTORS love particular titles, and desire complete runs, of titles, characters, artists or storylines.

Right now, the chaotic numbering system is servicing only the SPECULATORS.  READERS just want to read, and COLLECTORS just want to be able to understand what it is they're trying to collect without having to resort to a flowchart and/or calculator.

After several years absence, Marvel is bringing back it flagship legacy title, The Amazing Spider-Man.  It had reached the glorious number of 700!  A few months back, the title teased us by publishing a few issues, under the nonsense numbers of 700.1 through 700.5.  And now that it is back once again, it will start with number 001.  Not 701, or 707, not 1, but 001.  And it is coming out in a dozen or more variant editions because, you know, even though they're all the same story, YOU GOTTA COLLECT THEM ALL!!!

This is not how you create a collectible.  Collectible status comes from a surge of popularity for a character whose early issues were relatively scarce.  This current craze is a restoration of speculator nonsense. There will be hysteria in the market for awhile, and then over time, the prices will fall to cover price or below.  It's happened again and again.

But the legacy titles?  The origins of great characters?  They hold up over time.  And the numbering just helps them be found, and adds a sense of history.  Do you think the first full appearance of Wolverine is effected by the fact that it appears in The Incredible Hulk #181?  People don't flee in terror because the number is so high.

One thing that could be done that is relatively simple, that assists both READERS and COLLECTORS,  is to restore the whole number, as shown in the great pulp magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.

Repeating the picture from above, the indicia (a listing of important information about the magazine, done for legal and postal requirements) lists, among other information, the Volume number, the issue within that volume, AND A WHOLE NUMBER!!!  Whole No. 456, tying this magazine into it's whole history.


Why can't comics do that?  Than on the cover they can have whatever PLAY number or letter or whatever they want to please speculators, or have someone feel they're getting in on the ground floor of a character that's existed since, say, 1962?  Give READERS and COLLECTORS the sense of history, organization and purpose they want, while giving SPECULATORS what they want!

Give it a thought, please.

More later!  I can't stop now!  I'm on a mission from The Blues Brothers!

Well, that's not quite the quote, but close enough!

Ripping Good Yarns: Book Selection OCD Style!

What do I read next?

Book lovers have their own different methods for determining that.  Some may go to the library and pick something they fancy.  Some may peruse ebook titles and download something new.  Some go to a great local bookseller, like Waycross' fabulous Read Me Again Books,  and pick out something that looks good, or they're advised to based on a knowing clerk's evaluation of their interests.  Others hear about books from their friends, and want to read them so they can share.  Others see a movie and then want to follow up with a book.

A handful may have actually bought a few books ahead, and pick out the one they are most interested in at the time they peruse their collection.

I, of course, do none of those things.  My selection method is individual to me, and I don't necessarily recommend it to anybody else.  It is something I enjoy, and have a great deal of fun doing, but I don't expect anyone to emulate it.  In fact, many of you will think it is down right weird.

Well, to each his own.

Nevertheless, I have received inquiries as to how I pick so and so book, or why I haven't started so and so book, so I thought some explanation was in order.

I have a notebook where I list every book I have purchased to be read.  I purchase quite a bit, because I love books, and nothing gives me greater pleasure (outside of the usual family and God exceptions) than getting new books.  But I do get them at a faster clip than what I can read.

As I select a book to read, it gets crossed off the list.  Currently, I have 75 books on the list to read.  This includes graphic novels and some science fiction magazines.  I select 10 books to read from the list, and read them in the order that they were selected.

I have dice as an app on my iPhone.  I roll a number, 2 through 12, start at the beginning of the list, and count down that number of unread books on my list.

I have a rolled a 7.

The first book I will read is Vol. 9 Bone by Jeff Smith.  It is a great all ages comic story that he has created, and this is the last volume of his epic.  Jeff Smith was honored as Cartoonist for Waycross's Cartoonist Walk of Fame, the very best idea Waycross has ever had, and has been abandoned in recent time. This final volume is entitled Crown of Horns.

My next roll is a 5.

The second thing I will read is Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine from September 2011.  They usually contain some great short detective and crime fiction.  Very often, I prefer these short tales to longer mystery books.  This is the 834th issue of this magazine.

My next roll is 9.

The third book is Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris Vol. 1 Colossus of Mars written by Avrid Nelson and illustrated by Carlos Rafael.  It is a graphic novel spun our of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter Warlord of Mars series.

My next roll is 6.

The fourth book is Supervolcano:Eruption by Harry Turtledove, about what would happen if a supervolcano erupted in Yellowstone.  This is an event that scientists have conjectured is possible, and Harry Turtledove speculates on what things would be like if that actually occurred.  Harry Turtledove is an excellent alternate history writer, and that just happens to be one of my favorite forms of fiction.

My next roll is 2.

The fifth book is Christina Alberta's Father by H.G. Wells. I am a great fan of H.G. Wells and try to collect all his novels, not just the science fiction ones.  This was written in 1925, and is not exactly science fiction, but does deal with the collision between reality and imagination, romance and practicality, romance and free love.

My nest roll is 3.

The sixth selection is a Worlds of If Science Fiction Magazine from May 1952.  I love these, and have been reading from this magazine since I was 8 years old! This issue features a story by Hugo winning author Walter Miller, Jr. and John Jakes.   Yes, that John Jakes who will be the Guest of Honor at Writer's Convention in St. Augustine in late September.  It is a short story called The Beast.  Looking at his list of novels, the earliest I see is from 1952, so this may be one of his first works ever published!

My next roll is 5.

The seventh book is the graphic novel Swamp Thing Vol. 1 Raise Them Bones written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy.  It is from DC's New 52 line, and represents the umpteenth redo of this character.  Oh, well.

My next roll is 9.

The eighth book is the second part of the Supervolcano series, Supervolcano: All Fall Down by Harry Turtledove.  I guess that must mean the first book must at least leave a few people alive.

My next roll is 9.

The ninth book is the graphic novel World's Finest Vol. 1 The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by George Perez.  It stars Power Girl and Huntress.  Power Girl is actually Super Girl but from a an alternate Earth, and The Huntress is Batman's and Catwoman's daughter, and....okay, this may be too much to explain.  Another DC New 52 compilation.

My final roll is 7.

The final selection is yet another DC New 52 book.  Superboy Vol. 1 Incubation written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by R. B. Silva.  It may seem like I have a lot of graphic novels, and I do.  The list is actually about even between books on one hand and graphic novels and magazines on the other.  It's just the luck of the roll.

But the good news about graphic novels is that they are shorter to read, and it makes the next time I can draw books that much sooner!

Huzzah!

Until the next ten,

T. M. Strait

All In A Color for $1.49

I found this neat device online called The Inflation Adjuster. Put in a monetary value, select a year, and it will tell you what that would be in 2009 dollars. So I thought I would try the price of a comic book in 1960. One dime. The answer that came back in 2009 dollars stunned me. Seventy Two big ones! Pennies, that is.

That's right. Comics adjusted for inflation should be about 72 cents. Obviously, they're more than that. About five and a half times more than that (given the $3.99 price the industry has been pushing us towards). Are there reasons for comics to have increased so dramatically above inflation? I'm sure there are, some of them good, some of them not so good. I don't want to get into an argument over that. What's indisputable is the fact that it takes a larger ratio of disposable income to keep up the habit than it did a generation or two ago.

There are many suggestions to assist the long time survival of the comic book industry. Graphic novels and compilations have been fairly successful. They have helped penetrate the bookstore market. Magazine level items like Spider-Man Magazine or Shonen Jump can be found in Wal-Mart and some grocery stores. The Internet is awash with experimentation, some promising, some pretty gruesome.

But, like the melting glaciers are being dwindled by global warming, the mother source is starting to dry up. The comic shop and the weekly/monthly habit is dying. The connection to younger readers is almost non-existent. The last list of sales I saw  had zero comics with sales over 100,000.

Maybe there is no hope. Maybe we just let the mothersource die, and pray that what's left is sufficient. Before we all pack it in and consign weekly comic buying to the scrapheap with radio dramas and pulp magazines, I have one last suggestion.

They key is in the habit and the stack. For me, there was nothing like going to a comic store and coming home with a great big stack. In the 70s, ten bucks would buy me as many as twenty new books. Now, ten bucks would get me two, maybe three max. People want to be social, they want to share. all our technology has not eliminated shopping and personal contact. We need them to want to come to the store weekly. We want them to buy a satisfying stack!

So here's my suggestion. One or both of the big two need to start a line of weekly comics, priced no more than $1.99 and maybe even $1.49. They can be smaller than the standard book, 24 pages or even 16. They can contain 10 to 16 pages of story, depending on the cost analysis of the publishers. They should have four to eight weekly titles, with stories that make you want to get the next issue. If they could publish three full-size issues of The Amazing spider-Man every month, I don't see why they couldn't do this in these smaller sizes every week.

DC could have titles that focus on their cities, such as Metropolis starring Superman, or Gotham starring Batman. Marvel's could be organized around teams such as The Avengers and X-Men, or those great titles that they used to have, such as Strange Tales and Tales to Astonish. Some or all should be all ages to help attract younger readers.

On a periodic basis, be it monthly, bi-monthly or even quarterly, these titles could be sold in a magazine or graphic novel as collections. Some readers will want to follow weekly. Other may prefer the periodic collections.

Yes, I know this idea may be met by resistance from those in the know. There may be myriad production problems. I don't know. I'm just a reader who's been in love with comics for a half a century. And I thought I would give my suggestion one shot. Maybe, just maybe, I won't have to take out my comics to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren and say, "Do you see? Do you see what we used to have?"