Shorn of beard, I still look opossum-like. I'm determined to keep it off for a month or so. My wife keeps staring at me. I'm afraid she doesn't love me anymore.

I'm getting my biggest weekly invoice EVER! Huge -- second issue of The Dark Tower, a bunch of other major titles (I wish sometimes the comic biz could do it like movies, where they try not to bunch major movies on the same weekend.) And 4 huge Conan Frost-Giants statues, at 350.00 a pop.

When I was 16 years old at a debate tournament in Eugene, I was walking though the university bookstore when out of the corner of my eye I saw a cover of a book in a spin rack. It was as if someone tied a string from eye to the book. I was dragged over, to stare dumbfounded at my first Frazetta cover.

People don't remember, but Fantasy, as a full blown genre, simply didn't exist until about 1970 or so. Since I read Lord of the Rings in 1964, this was a long dry spell. Some of the works of Jack Vance, a bit of children's literature (Narnia), but it was slim pickin's. There was some reissuing of Victorian fantasy, Lord Dunsany, Branch Cabell, but most of it was pretty unsatisfying. I filled in with tons of Science Fiction. Then came Conan, which was also a reprint, but Robert E. Howard had a 16 year old's measure, and Frazetta was the perfect artist for him.

The first cover I saw was Conan astride a snarling steed, leaping over an 'orc-like' horde. The second cover I saw was Conan on an icy mountain, fighting Giants.

What a 16 year loves, he loves forever. I've never bought one of the statues in my store; I've taken a few toys home, but mostly I like to keep my office minimalist. But this statue is mine.

Read about 50 comics yesterday. The usual Vertigo titles; anything by Garth Ennis. The Seven Brothers series from Virgin comics. (Pretty good.) Scalped, a noir set on a reservation; Casanova; very confusing but intriging alternate universe spy story; The Last Christmas, Santa as Arnold; Doctor Strange, which was fun, but can't anyone write a serious story about the Sorcerer Supreme? (Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore?); The Bomb Queen, sexy hijincks; and a bunch of Star Wars.

The Star Wars were really good; I'm always surprised that Dark Horse manages to infuse these comics with the SW's spirit; they really get it right. Fun to read, nostalgic and yet entertaining and new at the same time. I'm going back to the store today to snag a bunch more.

Read this blog to my wife; she said; "You have to forgive me for staring, I very seldom see your naked face. "

But really, I'm the same man inside. Just cause I look like a possum....