Michael D Hamersky On Comics Suggests That YOU Check Out: Entries Submitted During the 1st Annual Mini-Comics Day! That Was Held April 9th of 2011!     - Above: The Mini-Comic submitted by April Nash, (a.k.a. Miss Nash), for the 1st Annual Mini-Comics Day!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3390:

For those of you that are not aware of mini-comics, or what this event would be like... Here's the promo from the web site:

About Mini-Comics Day

April 9th, 2011 is the date for the first annual Mini-Comics Day, celebrating the art of cartooning and creating hand-made comic books.

On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

Mini-comics have been democratizing the art of making comic books since the 70′s or earlier… with the popularization of photocopiers, it became apparent that anyone with an inclination and some spare change could print a little comic book. Wildly varying in both form and content, mini-comics are a wonderful synthesis of cartooning and hand-made art objects.

Guidelines: To participate, create a mini-comic from start to finish on April 9th, 2011 (including writing, drawing and printing it). You can make your mini-comic by yourself or with other artists.

Format: Your mini-comic can be any size, length and format you desire. A standard mini-comics size would be eight 4.25″x5.5″ pages (which can be made from one 8.5×11 sheet of paper printed on both sides).

Here is the Facebook 'Event Page' where I first found the mention of this event:  MINI-COMICS DAY (1st Annual)

Here is the web site for: Mini-Comics Day

I'm not going to post additional links here, since I'm suggesting that you click on the above links and check out the multiple entries that are shown.  I just wanted to present here the fact that the 1st Annual Mini-Comics Day had quite a few entries, and was held world-wide, as seen here, in Brazil, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and several states in the USA. Those areas actually had physical events, some including workshops! 

The top right photo is from the entry from April Nash, that caught my eyes. You can see the whole mini-comic by clicking here. There were multiple mini-comics presented, but I'm suggesting you check out the links I've shown above to see them.

BTW, I've blogged about mini-comics several times before in this blog, before seeing the Facebook Event Page for the 1st Annual Mini-Comics Day.

One of the creators of mini-comics for several years that I have reveiwed blogged about is Matt Levin, who has had several different mini-comics titles self-published. 

I recently received 'Walking Man Comics Presents: Special #75' which featured 'Super-Hero Frog'! 

The mini-comic is printed on color paper, which doesn't reproduce well here.  So I'm showing a link to where you can see the original artwork for previous Super-Hero Frog issues here, including a full sized photo of the front cover of WMCP: Special #75, as shown here.  I recommend looking at, (and buying!), Matt's mini-comics as an example of a good self-published series of mini-comics!

I don't want to close without also mentioning a Small Press Publisher, Jim Main of Main Enterprises, who has published many mini-comics as well as full-sized comics and magazines during the years. You can see those that are still in print at this link to his website! 

One that grabbed my attention was the 'All Nukes' issue spotlighting the illustrations of Dale Coovert, aka Andy Nukes.  Check it out!

This is just one of the many mini-comics that are worthwhile reading... And are available for purchase at the links shown to Jim's web site!

In conclusion, I want to congratulate the promoters of this one-day world-wide event, and those comics creators that submitted their comics online for all to view!

Again, there were too many to mention here, and I thought it best that YOU take a look for yourself via the links provided above!

For those of you that find those mini-comics fascinating, and want to try your hand at creating them, you can start now... Getting a handle on how to create them, and then enter next year's 'Mini-Comics Day' with your mini-comic created in just one day!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,373 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button! 

And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Notes That: The 2011 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con Is Coming Soon... Friday, April 29th - May 1st!     - Above: Michael D Hamersky with Movie Producer, Ilya Salkind, at the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con! - Top Left: The 2011 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con Logo.  Save the Dates to Attend!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3389:

Last year I attended the 1st Annual Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con in Orange County, California , (as shown in my multiple blog posts from that con, as seen here, which have been 'picked up' by others also and now number about 1,660 links in total).

I believe the reason that my blogs on this convention were picked up and re-posted by so many others, is because the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con was one of those 'hybrid' conventions, a 'pop culture con', which had more than just comics and comic creators there.  I know that the 'highlight' for me was seeing many of the Stars from the 1960's TV Show, 'Batman', because 'my' book on the then upcoming 'Gotham City 14 Miles' was coming out later in December of 2010!  Since I 'promoted' the GC14M book so much with those TV stars photos from the WW Anaheim Comic Con, I'm sure that is one of the reasons that the links to my blogs number over the 1600 number!

I'm bringing this topic up, because the 2011 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con is coming up soon on the calendar, April 29th through May 1st, and I wanted to bring this to YOUR attention!

First, here's my special photo album on the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con, that I wanted to share with you on my own Facebook Fan Page.

Second, here's the link to the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con Facebook Fan Page, where the guests and creators who are coming are shown and talked about.

Third, here's the link to the 2011 WW Anaheim Comic Con event page on Facebook,  where you can find out more info on just this event.  More Facebook event pages for those exhibitors setting up their own event pages can be found in this link.

Fourth, here's the link to the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con's own web site, where there is even more info on where and how you can purchase tickets is at.

As for myself, I intend to be there, along with my wife Tina, for at least 2 days of this 3 day con.  Feel free to stop me and say 'hello' when you see me there.  I'll be wearing one of my indigo colored polo shirts with the 'Comic Book Collectors Blog.com name in white letters on the left breast pocket, (as seen in the pictures on this page), and you can't miss my bald head, (or so Tina tells me!).

Here's the link to where YOU can buy a ticket NOW, online! Note: There are single day tickets, as well as 3-day con tickets, and other ticket packages!

After attending last year's 1st Annual Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con, I'm suggesting that if YOU like conventions that are 'pop culture cons' in nature... Then this one is one that you would want to attend, at least for one day.  Especially if YOU are in the SoCal area of Metro Los Angeles / Orange County!

Again, here's the link to my Special Photo Album from the 2010 WW Anaheim Comic Con on my Facebook Fan Page for you to look at, just to whet your appetite for this year's Con!   April 29th is coming soon!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,369 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button! 

And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Suggests: Vote Now! In the 2011 Inkwell Awards - Using the Online Ballot!     -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3388:

Bob Almond sent me the Press Release describing this year's Inkwell Awards, and the fact that voting is open right now... Until April 30th!  I've blogged about this Awards Program and Ceremony the past few years, and don't want to miss mentioning it in my blog... As I have already voted in this 4th Year of the Inkwell Awards!

Here's the Press Release:

The Inkwell Ballot Goes LIVE w/ a SITE RELAUNCH on April 1st!  Awards CEREMONY at Heroes Con in June!

It's that time of year again to vote and show some appreciation for your favorite ink artists when the 2011 online ballot goes live from April 1st until April 30th on their website homepage at InkwellAwards.com so please bookmark the address!

The annual Inkwell Awards recognizes the best work by comic book ink artists, both from material from the previous year and for two noteworthy recipients from our Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame awards.

Previous Hall of Fame recipients include Terry Austin, Dick Giordano, Klaus Janson and Al Williamson. The other categories include Favorite Inker, Most-Adaptable Inker, The Props Awards for inkers deserving of more attention, The S.PA.M.I. (Small Press And Mainstream Independent) for non-Marvel or DC material, and the All-in-One Award for artists who ink their own pencils. Anyone is allowed to vote on the online ballot, whether they be fan, creator or other industry professional.

The non-profit organization plans a site relaunch by that time with all new content and a new look. "We have a lot happening right now and in the upcoming weeks as we bring our fourth year to a close", said Bob Almond, Inkwell founder/director. "The annual, rotating Nomination Committee, made up of diverse and supportive members from our community, has already submitted their nominations and those have been subsequently tallied and validated by the core committee.

We're in the midst of our 2011 convention tour with The Southcoast Toy & Comics Show in Fairhaven, MA on March 27th, Pittsburgh Comicon on April 15-17th, Granite Con in Manchester, NH on May 15th, and finally this will all culminate with our first live awards ceremony at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC on June 3-5. Inkwell Hall of Fame namesake and recipient Joe Sinnott will be in attendance at Pittsburgh Con and Ms. Inkwell will be appearing at most of these events. The Heroes Con ceremony will have most of the organization in attendance such as committee, ambassadors and contributors.  For this show we are also tentatively planning for our next annual donation drive album book and to auction off the Ms. Inkwell original cover art by Craig Rousseau for last year's book at the venue".

Last year the Inkwell's "first live awards ceremony" was announced to take place at another convention franchise but in the end that didn't actually occur. Following this, Heroes promoter Shelton Drum reached out and invited the organization to set up at his show and reward the community with trophies at their long-running family tradition. Heroes Events Coordinator Shawn Doughtee said: “…we would love for (The Inkwells) to give (the award trophies) away at HeroesCon. We have always done our best to support inkers and we would be honored to play host to it.” Bob added "Heroes Con is a much-loved institution to the artists and the comic book community with a superb, long history of successful, exciting shows. We are truly proud to be a part of that legacy". Co-sponsored by both parties for the travel expenses of the award winners, The Inkwells have been running ongoing fundraising auctions for their charity on eBay and ComicArtFans auctions, including their debut of the Sinnott Inking Challenge. "The community has been phenomenal with their donation generosity and we surely wouldn't be here without their continuous acts of kindness and support" Bob said.

The Inkwell Awards is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and educate about the art form of comic book inking and to annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. Now in the midst of their fourth year, the organization is overseen by a number of industry professionals such as founder & director Bob Almond, Jimmy Tournas, Bob Shaw, Nathan Massengill, Daniel Best and Kris Fenol who make up the IA core committee and Adam Hughes, Mike Marts, Ethan Van Sciver, Mark Brooks, Sal Velluto, Mike McKone, Trevor Von Eeden and J. David Spurlock who make up their IA ambassadors, and numerous contributors such as Mark McKenna, Dan Panosian, Louis Small, Jr. and Randy Green among others. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Art and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame.

My thanks again to Bob Almond for sending this PR to me for possible review in my Blog!

Don't forget to vote... You can do it right now using this link that takes you directly to the online ballot!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,369 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button! 

And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Reviews: MYX - Artists Cut! A TPB From Inks-inc & JamieChaseArts.com!       - Above: The Front Cover to MYX - Artist's Cut: Issues #1 - 4 - Now In Full Color! Top Left: Jamie Chase & Sasha Pyle at Bubicon 42 in Albuquerque NM, 8/29/2010!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3387:

Jamie Chase sent in this Trade PaperBack, (TPB), compiling the 'Artist's Cut' from Issues # 1 - 4 of the comic book series, 'MYX'.

I had not seen the comic book series that had been printed in black & white, when they were first published, The series was a 'Midnight Fiction Favorite 2010 Award Winner'.

So what is the TPB about?  Here's the promo blurb:

"Artist Jamie Chase offers a new limited-edition anthology of issues 1-4 of his underground hit comic series MYX -- and now in vibrant full color.  This special collection again features Chase's illustrations for his own horror stories and  those of contributing writers Bram Meeghan and Darryl Lorenzo Wellington."

My thoughts on this first volume are this:

As stated above, I hadn't seen these stories when they were first published in black & white in the 'floppy' comic book format.  So I don't have the original publications to compare this TPB to.

However, from what I've seen in this TPB, this series definitely is one to be published in full color!

The front cover design by Sahsa Pyle doesn't give me an idea of what I am in for when opening the TPB.  It is sharp looking, and immediately got my attention, but I couldn't tell  what genre this TPB was in, when I first pulled it out of the package it was sent in.  (Note: If I had known that 'Myx' is prounced 'mix', then I would have realized that the illustration would be a 'mix', and that the front cover illustration showed that.)  So I looked at the back cover to see what this would be about.

The back cover does a quick intro that this TPB is a compilation, PLUS the fact that it is printed in 'full color' exclusively for this editon.  So without further ado, I proceeded to check out the front pages.

The front pages included a table of contents, which listed the guest featured writers, for three of the ten stories presented.  They were Bram Meehan, and Darryl Wellington.  So I could see that this anthology would be presenting a lot of publisher Jamie Chase's writing and art...

I was immediately struck by the story & art combinations... It seemed that I was reading something that could have been published years ago by Warren Magazines 'Creepy' title, or seen on TV in an anthology series, such as 'Outer Limits'.  When I did a little research later on this, I found that Jamie is a fan of those series, so that is where some of the influence comes in.

I enjoyed those magazines & TV episodes also, and found that the 'dark fiction' that this TPB presented was something that kept my interested, even though there were a total of ten stories presented, so some were shorter than others. 

It was the artwork & writing combination by Jamie that pulled me back to reading more of this TPB compilation over a few nights.  

True, this HoRRoR / 'dark fiction' wouldn't be for everyone's tastes, but for me the combination of colored art with imaginative storylines made this anthology series one that I enjoyed reading... enough to spend the time to present a review blog here.

Jamie states in the creators mini-bios at the back of the TPB, that he first presented the series apart from his 'fine art' work as a 'moonlight art form' away from his day job.  The creators that he credits as influences are ones that I can see in this TPB, including Gene Colan, Jeff Jones, and Angelo Torres, among others.

The guest writers had stories that contributed to this anthology series, and it was nice to see how Jamie would present those. (From Bram Meehan and Darryl Wellington.) 

As with all anthology publications, there were stories that I preferred more than others, which is why 'reviewing' anthologies are so hard to do.

In this case, I've decided to take the TPB as a 'whole' presentation, (as it was mostly Jamie's stories & art), and decided that it is a well produced & printed book in this format.  It is a presentation of stories of varying page lengths, which is a good mix for an anthology series.  For those of you that enjoy different styles of artwork, Jamie presents different dynamic perspectives, which kind of reminds me of the comics that I enjoyed years ago from Gene Colan using his cinematic techniques.

There is a good mix of HoRRoR, MoNSTers, and Sci-Fi stories in this TPB. A limited edition to be proud of, IMO.

Please Note:  There are some scenes with nudity and of off-color language, so it is not for younger readers.

Here is more info on the TPB:

MYX - limited edition - full color collection.  Fans of Creepy magazine and the Outer Limits TV show will love this post-modern horror/science fiction anthology series.

Limited edition, collecting issues 1-4, printed in full color for the first time!
120 pages of mystery, magic, sci-fi and horror.
Stories by Bram Meehan, Darryl Wellington, and Jamie Chase
Art by Jamie Chase
$24.95 + shipping

My review rating for this comic book is a NEAR MINT MINUS (NM-) 9.2 out of a 10.0 possible comic book grading scale. Again, I want to state that this is an anthology format publication and in the HoRRoR genre / 'dark fiction' style. Anthologies are the hardest format to review blog on...

To purchase this graphic novel,  please see the following link:  JamieChaseArts.com  

There isn't a Facebook Fan Page for this publication nor the Publisher at this time, so no link is provided.  So please see the above link to see what else Jamie Chase has in stock, including the b&w comics that this TPB compiles. Plus check out his 'Fine Art' links while you are there!

My thanks to Jamie Chase for sending this TPB to me for possible review in my Blog!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,368 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button! 

And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics & Vinnie On: The April 2011 Collector Con In Oceanside, CA!     - Above: Katie Limon of Kaleidoscope Projector did a fantastic job on the signage for their table at the Collector Con! Top Left: Voice Actor, Peter Robbins, was the Guest of Honor for this month's Collector Con!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3386:

My dad and I attended the Collector Con over in Oceanside, California earlier today.

Among other exhibitors there, we met Peter Robbins, the original voice actor of Charlie Brown, of Peanuts fame!

He was very nice and he signed autographs and had his photo taken with atteendees, including myself, seen in the above pic.

Peter told me that he was about my age when he was the voice of Charlie Brown, from age 9 to 13, from 1965 to 1969. 

We got to to talk with him for a while before he headed off for a late lunch with friends from the North County Times.

His guest attendance spiced up the place, considering we had visited all the vendors already, and were just ready to make our second round of checking out all the tables before leaving.  It was good to have a guest celebrity at this con this month...

~Vinnie

Thanks, Vinnie for your above mention of Peter Robbins, who attended the Collector Con today.

My thanks also to Raven White, (pictured to the left), and Heather Wagner who promoted the April 2011 Collector Con for the hosts,  Carpinelli Productions & Retromonster!

Vinnie and I had fun again at this outdoor swap meet style 'Collector Con', and we ended up spending more time than we thought we would, as we found quite a few bargains today!

For more photos that were taken at this Collector Con, please see the following 2011 April Collector Con photo album at my Facebook Fan Page!

For more information on the Collector Con that has been held in Oceanside, here's the Facebook Fan Page for it!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,365 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button! 

And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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