A week ago, I wandered through a little antiques mall in Appleton, bemused once again by just how many old things there are that I don't want at all. But it did come to mind that there was a section of the mall set aside for a dealer in a strange assortment of old books -- so I eventually headed to them.

As noted, I'm often asked in antiques stores what it is that I might be looking for -- and I never have a suitable answer. I'm after what I might find that I'd like. (I once spotted a doll that was clearly from the same lot as one I'd had when I was 5 or so -- and had to have it, of course. But I certainly didn't go into the shop with the idea of finding that doll.) Heck, during this visit, I tried asking one of the dealers who had a number of card games from the 1920s whether he had or could find one I've been looking for: It was called Excuse Me -- which is not something easy to find in a Google search, let me tell you. The guy practically sneered at my question: It wasn't expensive enough for him to bother with, apparently. Ouch!

In any case, amid the books that I found in that strange assortment there were a number of sheets that both intrigued me and simultaneously made me cringe: they'd been razor-bladed out of old issues of Harper's Weekly. Some of them were simply scenes of the time -- but some were full-page political cartoons, and I couldn't pass up this one, from June 1, 1872 (when Ulysses Grant was running against Horace Greeley). (It's not the full image, thanks to the limitations of my scanner. In fact, to get the Nast signature in the scan, poor Grant got cut out. But you get the idea.)

I suddenly realized it's time to start scheming about the weekend. Here's how it's looking at the moment:

Friday: Hit Appleton, which is where Iron Man should be playing nonstop on multiple screens at the Hollywood theater. I don't always get to see The Big Comic-Book Film on Free Comic Book Day weekend, but the omens are good this time around.

Saturday: Arise at 6 and head for Madison.

Depending on when I get there, I may start at the Farmers' Market around the Capitol Building. In any case, planned comics shop visits are:

Westfield Comics at its new location: 7475 Mineral Point Road (608) 833-4444, next to Frugal Muse (which I'll visit while I'm there; it's an often-productive used-book [and used-CD and used-DVD and used-audiobook] store). Mind you, the actual map seldom displays properly online; despite the address, it's a strip mall sorta on the corner of Mineral Point and D'Onofrio Drive -- and I usually end up finding it by pulling into West Towne Mall and driving past Barnes and Noble (on the right), then heading on a little street to the right and to the right again and -- ta daa! There I am! (If memory serves, that Barnes and Noble also has a used-book section, though I'm usually too busy to stop. We shall see.) Anyway, it'll be interesting to compare the layout and attendance with what I've seen in previous years at an earlier location and chat a bit with Bob Moreau on how the year (and FCBD) is doing for him.

Capital City Comics: 1910 Monroe Street (608) 251-8445, near a Trader Joe's that moved there more than a year ago. Owner Bruce Ayers has been a comics retailer since Forever, and I'm eager to see him again and get his insights on this year's comics. Now that my son and his family do not provide me a Madison Habitat, my trips to the West Side are few and far between, but here's hoping 2008 (now that the snows are, maybe, gone) will see me there more often.

20th Century Books: 1421 South Park, in what has to be one of the wildest stores to get to. (The AAA instructions once told me that, to get to the store, I needed to make a U-turn in the middle of [the four-lane highway] South Park.) Last year, I finally managed to make an early turn left onto a sidestreet behind the store to park; a prior year, I parked in the Arby's lot and bought a Jamocha Shake in order to justify my presence there. Nevertheless, it's always fun to talk with Hank Luttrell and Debra Daemmrich and well worth the trip.

And I'll probably wind up the annual Madison adventure with a visit to Half Price Books on the East Side before heading back to Iola to get home before the deer take over the highways for their own.

Sunday: Well, Sunday Sam Kujava indicated I should attend Oconocon at the Olympia Resort (1350 Royale Mile Rd., (262) 567-0311) and conference center in Oconomowoc. It looks as if Chuck Fiala, Rich Koslowski, Sean McKeever, Ande Parks, Gordon Purcell, Jeff Moy, Tom Nguyen, and John Jackson Miller are among the folks who'll be there, which is certainly promising. Geez, Oconomowoc. How the heck far is that?

What are your plans?