POST-CONVENTION SYNDROME


The above photo shows me nanoseconds after my eyes popped back into
their sockets after I first saw my friend Mike Maloy in his Black
Lightning costume.  Scary, huh?

As much as I enjoy most conventions, especially Mid-Ohio-Con, it’s
always nice to get back home.  My wife and my cat are both glad to
see me, though only one of them follows me everywhere for the next
two days to make sure I’m not leaving again.

There’s always e-mails and newspapers to catch up on.  The latter
can be stressful.  It’s bad enough reading about the latest right-
wing craziness on a daily basis.  Getting up to speed on many days
of their antics makes me almost as crazy as they are.  Which is not
to say that the left wing is without its nuttiness; it’s just not
remotely as insane as that of the right.

The e-mails can be frustrating, especially when someone informs me
of something that would have been really useful to know if I’d read
it before leaving my house sans computer.  I suppose I’ll have to
buy some sort of laptop or computer-like device to take on the road
in the future.  Sigh.  I do enjoy being disconnected from time to
time..

One e-mail that was waiting for me on my return from the New York
Comic Con calls for a public answer...with names redacted because
it’s my blog and I can do what I want.  The e-mailer was surprised
to have seen me in friendly conversation with someone he thought I
would never want to talk to ever again. 

I don’t believe in letting go of all anger.  There are people who
have done things to me and to others that can never be forgotten or
forgiven.  There are politicians who have done such awful things to
our country that I will never stop wanting to see them rotting in
prison cells.  There are criminals who should never see the light
of day.  One order of cold revenge please.

But, the older I get, the more selective I get when it comes to the
anger I choose to keep.  Sometimes I recognize people made mistakes
and that those mistakes do not define them.  Sometimes I think the
universe has balanced the scales for me.  Sometimes I just remember
the good times and weigh them more heavily than the bad.  Sometimes
I just think “what the hell” and let go of the anger.

I have an industry friend who was so grievously wronged by a former
editor and suffered so terribly as a result that he can never let
go of his anger.  Nor should he.  Especially since the editor never
tried to make amends beyond “we should put that behind us.”  It’s
just plain stupid for the editor to think that’s possible without
considerable effort on his part.  At present, he remains clueless
as to how heinous his behavior was all those years ago.  Or, more
likely, can’t face up to what an utter shit he was.

I’m repeating myself, but I’m in a very good place right now.  I’ve
got family, friends, and work I enjoy.  We’re making ends meet with
only an occasional bump in the financial road.  I’m not dependent
on DC or Marvel.  No one in the comics industry can hurt me.  They
can anger me, they can annoy me, and, God knows, they can cheat me,
but they can’t lay a glove on what’s important to me.  They have no
power over me.  A good place.

By the way, in case you hadn’t noticed, I get somewhat thoughtful
after conventions.  Post-convention syndrome.

Moving right along...

Posted on October 2, “1996: A Comic-Book Manifesto” is the second
most viewed blog since I launched this new blog.  It was linked to
in a number of other blogs, for which I am grateful. 

When it ran, I posted that I would send an autographed comic book
or trade to writers of the best five comments on my 1996 manifesto.
Well, there were seven comments and all their authors are going to
get a prize from me.  Their names:

Darryn R
Dave Potts
Ray Sablack  
Nick Marino
The Pushers
Profhaley
Terry Bosky

All the winners need to do to claim their prizes is e-mail me with
their mailing addresses.  I’ll ship out the prizes as swiftly as my
schedule allows.

What’s next? I’ll finish reading/reviewing the rest of DC’s first
“New 52" issues.  Yeah, I know the second issues are already coming
out.  But I’m never going to be one of those bloggers who rushes to
the comics shop every Wednesday and then rushes home to read the
comics so he/she can blog about them before the other bloggers on
the block.  I like to take my time, read the comics carefully, and
reflect on them...before pulling my reviews out of my ass like the
rest of the bloggers.  Take them for what you think they’re worth.
These are reviews, not commandments.

Meanwhile...

Another blogger wrote a hilarious review of an issue of Satan’s Six
I wrote back in the day.  It raised several interesting questions.
Okay, maybe more humorously smart-ass than interesting. Still, his
piece tickled me, so I’ll be writing something about Satan’s Six in
the next few days and include a link to his blog.

So...expect the usual mix of news, views, and reviews with the odd
trip into my past and/or my Vast Accumulation of Stuff.  I’ll even
take requests.  I may not do anything with them, but I will accept
them with a smile.  That’s all for now.  I’ll be back tomorrow with
more stuff.

© 2011 Tony Isabella