Beside Myself

I've decided to stop thinking of myself as unemployed and start calling it "SELF-employed." After all, I've been keeping pretty busy lately working with various folks on various projects. I just haven't gotten it to the point where I can make a living at it yet. Recently, I worked with author Martin Grams on his new SHADOW book--highly recommended. I'll be doing a big piece on it as soon as I actually finish reading all 800+ pages of it! I've spent quite a bit of time working with Craig Yoe on his two ARCHIE books, also--the big coffee-table history of which is just out this week. Again, a major article will be here as soon as I actually see a copy! It has my biggest credit, yet! I also just proofread and fact-checked a new comics history book for another author as well as doing a few pronunciation research projects for an audio book publisher. I spent much of the past week working with Craig on a thoroughly tasteless and disgusting idea for a book that will undoubtedly sell quite well.

Freelancing is fun and sometimes pays well...but not often. I'm told I'm good at it so I have no intention of stopping. That said, I am still attempting to find a regular job, also, but even McDonalds didn't give me a callback on their big hiring day last week. Sigh...

Add to this major blood pressure issues in recent months. Not even going to get into all that here but...wow.

PayPal donations are always appreciated and encouraged, especially at this time of month. Alternately, check out our BOOKSTEVE RARITIES link at right and order some DVD's. It's a shared site so I don't get all of the money but I do get a good percentage.

At this time it looks like we will not be attending this year's Cincinnati Old Time Radio and Nostalgia Convention next month for the first time since 1988. That's not yet definite but it seems hard to rationalize the expense when you're juggling the water and electric bills. Since we're here in town, we'll probably at least meet a few of the attendees for a cheap lunch while they're here.

Probably no one noticed but BRITTANY ROSE AND ME has gone away this past month. We are all excited around here that muse, model and BFF Brittany Rose has met the Man of Her Dreams and that they're busily preparing the "happily ever after" part. The downside to that is that they'll be moving far away and new photos will be few and far between. So...

Have you checked out my A GEEK'S JOURNAL-1976 blog? Phenomenally successful out of the gate this past January, it continues its worldwide success with many, many fans in Germany and Belgium! It even has a few celebrity readers!

YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST PICTURE is not the easiest blog to write and my attempts at streamlining it last year were only mildly successful. That said, Fred Astaire is more than halfway done with Mae West, Charles Laughton and Bing Crosby in the wings so there WILL be more. I just can't guarantee when.

The Wood and Morrow blogs continue apace, dealing as they do more with art than articles. Same with the popular FOUR-COLOR SHADOWS with its mix of rare and interesting Golden-Age comics finds.

The Christa Helm blog flares up in popularity every time they rerun the episode of 48 HOURS MYSTERY that John O'Dowd and I inspired with our research into her tragic and still-unsolved murder. I would love to jump back into that case with both feet but for various reasons, that's just not happening right now.

In all that spare time I DON'T have, an idea for yet another fun blog has entered my fevered brain. I don't want to give it away just yet but let's just say that it would deal with history, music, TV, movies, comics, toys and general pop culture...all from a particular vantage point in time.

So here we are, at any given time attempting to dodge either the electric, the water or the Internet being turned off as I attempt the uphill battle of making it as a freelance writer/editorial assistant in this down economy. Again, your best wishes and donations are both much appreciated.

Back tomorrow with SILVER AGE SUB-MARINER SPLASH PAGE SUNDAYS!