THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN DECEMBER

Welcome to 2020, a year which may prove more challenging and more hopeful than its predecessor. Yet no matter how difficult or gloomy the road going forward might become, I know I’ll always be able to find people and things that bring me joy. Here’s my list of those things that made me happy in December 2019...

December 1: Batman (1989). I watched this again last night and, you know, I find it better and more entertaining than any of the Batman films that followed it.

December 2: Bizarro-Tony is happy because he’s too sick to write. Him hope doctor has no clue how to make him well. Him wish for long and incomplete recovery.

December 3: My recent health woes have a name: Diabetes Type 2. What makes me happy about that? I now have an enemy I can fight. I plan on going the distance.

December 4: MetroHealth, Dr. Anthony Finizia and the staffs at the Brecksville and Brunswick Clinics have been helpful, informative and kind in regards to my Type 2 Diabetes. A lot of what comes next is on me, but they are there to back me up.

December 5: My True Metrix Air self monitoring blood glucose meter. Incredibly easy to use. Which is necessary for an unfrozen caveman comic-book writer like me.
                                                                               

December 6: Marvel sent me a commemorative coin as a token of its gratitude for my participation in Marvel Comics #1001. What a swell bonus to the honor or joy of being part of the 80th Anniversary celebration.

December 7: The Ohio State Buckeyes are the Big Ten Champions for the third year running. Kudos to Wisconsin for one heck of a game.

December 8: Today’s Popeye Cartoon Club is written and drawn by my pal Alan Weiss - I wish we saw more comics from him - with colors by Lovern Kindzierski and letters by John Workman.
                                                                                        

December 9: The first part of the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earth delighted me. I’m notoriously NOT a crossover guy, but big props to Marc Guggenheim and everyone involved for an amazing hour. I can’t wait for more.

December 10: China McClain brought it all and them some to the Black Lightning episode “Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 2.5.” Her performance was the best thing in the episode.

December 11: Great scenes for Black Lightning in Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three and further evidence of why Cress Williams will always be my Black Lightning.
                                                                                

December 12: The annual holiday gathering of my Herd brothers Bob Ingersoll, Roger Price and Thom Zahler. I’m so blessed to have had these men in for the past three decades plus. I treasure them more than I can say.

December 13: I have a spiffy new phone. Now if only my children can show me how to use it properly. I’ve already figured out you can’t rub two phones together and make fire.

December 14: Vanna White’s first week of substitute hosting Wheel of Fortune was fun. She has a different, almost motherly style than the recovering Pat Sajak and she’s not as sure in her delivery, but she did a fine job. All while looking far more gorgeous than Sajak.

December 15: Jennifer Quail is my new Jeopardy crush. She is a wine consultant who has seen the Star Wars movies hundreds of time. More important, she’s great fun to watch and root for.

December 16: Life’s little victories. I’m in a really long line at the post office. They open up a new line just for folks with flat rate packages paying by credit card. I go right up and I’m out of there in five minutes. Winning!

December 17: Falling madly in love with Francine and Katchoo all over again while reading my Strangers in Paradise Omnibus hardcover boxed set. Terry Moore’s epic is as great as ever!
                                                                              

December 18: From Captain Penny to Superhost, a great new book by my friends Mike and Janice Olszewski. These are the children’s TV hosts I grew up with and no one could tell the stories better than the king and queen of Cleveland pop culture.

December 19: President Trump has been impeached. Regardless of the consequences or outcome, this was simply the right thing to do by the Constitution and for democracy.

December 20: Seeing foreign editions of my work. I love when folks post them on my Facebook page. If anyone has such editions, we can talk trade. I’d love to have them.

December 21: Crystal Light. Giving up Pepsi was hard, especially since water is, well, boring. Mixing this powdered drink with water once or twice a day satisfying my craving for a sweet drink. Yes, I know all about the aspartame and have no side effects.

December 22: Eddie Murphy’s triumphant return to Saturday Night Live. Even when the material was a little weak, seeing all of his old characters was a blast. Well done, sir, well done.

December 23: All those wonderful birthday greetings. I am humbled,  encouraged and empowered by how many terrific people seem to think a great deal of me. I’m determined to prove myself worthy of their love and support.

December 24: Fog in the very early am. A heavy fog created a view both enchanting and foreboding around my house. I could look at it and imagine scary and wondrous things.
                                                                            

December 25: Christmas morning with Saintly Wife Barb, Eddie and Kelly. We had a delicious breakfast, a fun time opening gifts and I got a 1950s Batmobile.

December 26: Bob Hearts Abishola continues to delight and surprise me. Most recently: the unexpected bonding of Bob’s mom Dottie with Tunde and Olu, Abishola’s uncle and aunt.
                                                                                    

 
December 27: Tigra: The Complete Collection. Tigra hasn’t received the love and respect the character deserves, so I’m thrilled to see this collection of her adventures, including a mini-series I have never read.

December 28: HBO’s Watchmen. Better than the movie, as good as the original comics. Heartrending and hopeful with great performances. I don’t know if it needs a second season, but if it continues, I’m onboard.
                                                                              

December 29: Christopher Mills. In his self-published Sleuth Comics and Space Crusaders, Mills takes public domain characters of the 1940s and delivers satisfying adventure stories. A literal breath of fresh air. You can order them at https://indyplanet.com/atomic-action.

December 30: Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis likes the Black Lightning TV series so much that he asked to visit the set.As if the blessing of seeing Jefferson Pierce and his world brought to the screen in such an incredible fashion wasn’t blessing enough, one of the greatest Americans of all time likes the show starring my creation.

December 31: Donal Logue. Already a favorite of mine from Gotham, his two-episode turn as private detective Artie Banks in Stumptown was nothing short of sensational.

Coming up next is a two-or-three part look at the year past and the year ahead. Likely too much of it will be self-therapy, but writing about stuff is how I work through it. See you soon.

© 2020 Tony Isabella