We'll see what turns out to be usable (that is to say, informative and entertaining), but I'm pretty sure I came away with a number of fun little clips. Hold your breath, because it'll be a couple of weeks till I can get any transferred and posted.

I've spent time today responding to queries of how the Maggie Roast went (from those who couldn't make it) and coments on how those who DID attend it enjoyed it. It was fun -- though, bewilderngly, some just said nice things. (My worst trait is, apparently connected with driving directions. Luckily, I just bought a Garmin GPS system.)

I had a chance to talk with many on my must-talk-to lst. Unfortunately, Tom Batiuk was apparently busy elsewhere much of today; luckily, he gave me a lovely LISA'S STORY yesterday.

Now I'm sitting in a United Airlines gate area, whence I hope to fly out in 1.5 hours.

And a lazy one, sleeping in, hanging about, reading more of the Kirby book, chatting briefly with Mid-Ohio-Con organizer Roger Price (who looked cheery and relaxed two days before the show), and now preparing to head out for dinner. Part of my thoughts has been devoted to ways to work with the OSU comics folks. That part has come up with some ideas that I'll be discussing in December.

Hanging out with Carolyn Kelly, having eaten a lunchy sort of dinner. We're plotting a visit to the Ohio State University comics collection -- and I'm hoping to wind up with some videos and more. Stay tuned.

I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving between now and then, but I'm heading for Mid-Ohio-Con this morning, with a few detours on the way. For example, plans are that Carolyn Kelly and I will get together with Ohio State University's Lucy Caswell to explore the University's comics collection.

And I'll be posting via Super-Phone -- which may or may not turn out to be an advantage. However, of first concern is getting from here to the airport. (I'll entertain myself a bit with my challenge to my wonderful new Garmin GPS -- not that I haven't driven this route countless times in the past quarter-century.)

Ohio, ho!

As if the Simpsons show coming up weren't enough for TV-centric comics buffs (see prior posting), the episode of Numb3rs for Friday, Nov. 23, is titled "Graphic" and features theft of a rare comic book at a comics convention. Christopher Lloyd guest stars.

I see that, no matter what happens with the writers' strike, Heroes will wrap up what it's calling Volume 2 with that Dec. 3 episode. So, whether or not it's the end of the season, it's the end of the second story arc.

In the midst of the chaos that is the current entertainment negotiations (and I gather from Mark Evanier -- you are reading his blog, right? -- that "negotiations" is actually the wrong word, since the producers haven't even made an offer that the writers could reject), this was an uncommonly kind gesture to the fans. Wrapping up events with a closure that provides a logical pause to continuity must have been (a) incredibly complicated and (b) unusually thoughtful.

Thanks, Heroes folks! Here's hoping you'll be back with new stories soon. (And, in the meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the rest of the storyline up to and including Dec. 3.)

Just a reminder, folks. If you want to ship items via the Postal Service (or are waiting for something), you'll want to keep that info in mind.

(And I continue to try to remember what the heck is the reason I marked 7:30 a.m. Sunday on my calendar. I have the uneasy feeling I agreed to appear on a radio show at that time, but I'm not sure -- and no one has sent me a reminder of whatever the heck it is. Dang.)

National Public Radio's All Things Considered show for Nov. 8 features a portion devoted to the film that is based on the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

The animated film (currently in French) is receiving international attention, as it focuses on the writer-artist's Iranian childhood and what happened to her and her family during and following the Iranian revolution.

... It's time to go back through the camcorder tapes I've been recording starting in February. At the moment, I'm part of the way through a Comic-Con International: San Diego tape that's a strange anthology of moments from the summer. For example, I have an extended conversation with Peter David, brief looks at several different booths, and a lengthy look at upcoming Cars toys. So I'll be excerpting the talk with Peter but saving the Cars footage for my grandsons. Unless, of course, you yearn for shots of car after car after car. (Even if you do, there's a lot of other material that will get my attention first.)

The Skilled and Helpful Dan Halverson prepared the Hagenauer video posting yesterday with an incredibly speedy turn-around, so my current goal is to toss an increasing number of clips his way. And, as noted, that requires that I index the tapes that to this point have had only the most general of labels. I have a wide variety of footage, though it's often a matter of what I could record when. (I have an hour-long tape of the Eisner Awards ceremonies, for example. But, naturally, it ran out before The Smooch Moment.)

I just want to make it clear that what you've seen is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Wait till we have 10 or more loaded, please -- and then let us know which (if any) is the sort of material of which you want to see more.

Did you notice that TV Guide has variant covers this week, all comics-oriented, all Heroes-oriented?

Cover #1 (my subscription copy) features Hiro and is by Jim Lee. Cover #2 features Jessica/Niki and is by Phil Jimenez. Cover #3 features Claire and is by Michael Turner. And cover #4 features Sylar and is by Tim Sale.

The contents page says you can buy all four covers at the TV Guide website "while supplies last."

This morning, thanks to the amazing endeavors of cohort Dan Halverson, we've begun to post some video footage at CBGXtra. In case it escaped your notice (and hoping that your Internet connection is speedy enough), if you click on the "Videos" link at CBGXtra, you'll find a number (well, three at the moment) of videos with comics connections.

With what you'll notice is a shaky hand, I began to record events in February, figuring that, if I waited for perfection to surround me with its glory, people and events would have long since come and gone. Whereas, if I just started recording things, I'd at least have something at which people could scoff in years to come.

And scoff they will -- but I'm slowly learning. First thing learned: I talk to people as if they (and I) were 5 years old. Oooo! Aaaaaah! Wow! Cool! Et (embarrassing) cetera. Still, I think the items on display are moments you may not know about -- and/or moments that provide background or other illumination.

There's more to come. I tend to lug the camcorder along when I think there may be the aforementioned moments. We're up to 2007 now, and it's time to take advantage of some of the technical advances.

The Evil Gremlin ate this posting -- and you'd think I'd have learned by now, but ...

Snarrrlll

The weekend lurks right around the figurative corner, and it's this Sunday that we emerge from Daylight Savings Time. I mention it now, because on more than one occasion, weekend conventions have confused my VCR timers or my own plans. If your video recorder is at all elderly, it won't make the change automatically (and, in fact, I've long since disabled my DST "ability" on that equipment, since it's now a disability).

Also, I remind you that you're supposed to change the batteries in any smoke detectors in your habitation this weekend. It's a good routine, no downside. Just saying ...

A friend just sent me this link to an interview with Joss Whedon about his new series, Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku.

It's just one more reason we should all cross our fingers that the issues in a potential writers' strike are quickly resolved for the happiness of all.

I don't know how many folks clicked through to hear my son's Halloween music musing on National Public Radio yesterday, but I thought I'd point out that on the same Morning Edition with that broadcast was a featurette on Tales from the Crypt.

The interview featured Papercutz Editor Jim Salicrup, and I'll just mention that, before long, CBGXtra will feature a brief video interview with Jim on that same Tales from the Crypt series. I'll give you a heads-up on our video before much longer. Whee!