Friday, May 31, 2019

THIS IS WHO I AM

The above is my favorite convention photo of all time. Baby Thunder brought such joy to every one who saw her. One friend of mine said that is what I’ve accomplished in my career. I made it possible for kids like her to believe they, too, can be heroes. Though I think my friend gives me too much credit, his comment makes me feel even more committed to inclusion in comic books.

I have a reason for sharing this photo and my friend’s comment with you. Bear with me.

Today was the start of the first Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales of 2019. It was a great start in which I made 106% of my two-day goal for the weekend. Even if I don’t make a single sale on the morrow, I’ve still made my goal.

I had a great time chatting with customers who have become friends and old friends who have become customers. Some of my responses to questions and some of the stories from my career I shared with will end up in future installments of this bloggy thing of mine or one of my several books in progress.

I’m too exhausted to do a major restocking for tomorrow’s sale, but I have gone through a few boxes and added some really nice trades and hardcovers to the sale. I also came across an e-mail I received after I was a guest at a convention. I have redacted proper names from the e-mail since it was a private communication:

I love you, Mr. Isabella. Every person on my team that works with you falls in love with you. It is my absolute pleasure to help you during your [redacted] visit. It’s fun to hear Mr. Isabella every time [redacted] or I see you.

That e-mail is a keeper.

I hadn’t planned on writing and posting a bloggy thing today. But two other communications and my coming across that e-mail changed my mind. I have something to get off my chest.

After I posted the photo of Baby Thunder and myself, I received an anonymous message from a disgusting jerk who trolls from behind his anonymity and, in doing so, reveals what an absolute coward he is. It was a short message:

I always knew you were a pedophile.

What kind of filth looks at that photo and goes there?

Shortly after midnight, I was reading about the Dumpster President needing to be protected from seeing a Navy vessel named for one of his political rivals. I posted this:

Did I disagree with many of the late John McCain's choices and positions? Yes, I did. But, you know, he was still a billion times a better person than the Baby President Dumpster.

Most readers gave a presumed nod of agreement to that post. Some of them added their own equally negative opinions of the criminal in the White House. One guy didn’t.

He’s been blocked from my Twitter feed, but I’m pretty sure he’s a MAGA hat-wearing jerk who I met at a convention a few years back. He asked for a signature on a book I’d written. That was before I started charging for my signature. I said I would be happy to sign his book if he would remove his MAGA hat while I did so. He got all huffy and scampered away with his balls up his ass and, to be clear about it, without my signature.

The more I learned about this guy, the more I realized I wouldn’t give him a signature even if he was willing to pay for it. I found out he had harassed a friend of mine on several occasions. He was a privileged right-wing asshole. If I see him at other conventions, I will alert security to his presence.

His comment on my Facebook/Twitter post was to tell met I was a hypocrite. Forgive me for using words more precise that his angry ranting. He said I hated John McCain (not true) and I never voted for McCain (actually true) and something to the effect that Trump had saved us all from the economic ruin left behind by Obama. That last is not true because, of course, Trump inherited an improving economy from Obama and has since made certain that any improvement since then benefits the rich more than anyone else.

I never hated John McCain. I was disappointed by him. It bothered me to see him pander to the worse parts of the Republican Party and how, in doing so, he helped make sure that there are no longer any good parts of the Republican Party. Because I can read and think, I also knew McCain was not the maverick his supporters have claimed he was. His voting record was, overall, pretty dismal.

That said, McCain was a war hero and, I’d like to believe, a good person despite his bad choices and sins. I wish he had listened to his better angels.

I don’t agree with his daughter Meghan McCain on a lot of issues, but I do think she’s spot on with her assessment that Trump, that bone spur draft dodger, hated and hates McCain because he knows he will never be as good a man as the late senator and soldier could be and will never be as loved as the late senator and soldier was.

Those who criticize Meghan McCain for taking the Dumpster President to task on this over and over again are, as I see, as wrong as they can be. If Trump attacked the memory of my late father the way he continually attacks Senator McCain, I’d have to be restrained from ripping his fucking wig off his head and shoving it down his lying throat. Fortunately, for Trump, that’s an exaggeration. I have far more control of my emotions than does President Hippo-Ass.

This is who I am. The guy who delights in inspiring people of all ages and takes inspiration from them. The guy who loves talking to my fellow comics readers and sharing information and stories with them. The guy who spend an hour every morning posting birthdays and remembrances of comics people because he does not want to see them forgotten by an often heartless comics industry. The guy who is not shy about calling out the vile right-wing jerks of my country. The guy who faces his keyboard with a clean heart and soul and always gives his best effort to what he’s writing.

This is who I am. I’m not on top of the industry. I never was and I likely never will be. But, sorry, you pathetic trolls, I have a better life than you do. I have a loving family. I have people who love my work. I have friends from all over the world and from every walk of life.

Enjoy this brief moment in my bloggy spotlight.

It’s the best you are ever going to have.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2019 Tony Isabella

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