Michael D Hamersky On Comics Is Sad  To Mention The Passing Of... Richard Alf January 26th 1952 - January 4th 2012 --------------- Photos Next Column: Top Photo - Richard Alf  Seen At Far Left (with glasses) During The First Visit To Jack Kirby's House:  From left to right: Richard Alf, Wayne Kincaid, Jack "King" Kirby, Mike Towry (in back), Dan Stewart, Bob Sourk, Barry Alfonso (in front), and Sylvia Alfonso. Picture taken on Sunday, November 9, 1969 at the Kirby-family home in Irvine, California. Bottom Photo - Photo taken at the 50th Anniversary of Comics Fandom Party at the 2011 Comic-Con International: San Diego (San Diego Comic Con). Richard Alf being presented his award by Greg Koudoulian.L-R: George Clayton Johnson, ____, Will Clausen, Richard Alf, and Greg Koudoulian .

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3578 -  I woke up this morning to see several e-mail notifications from the 'Richard Alf Get Well Page' in my inbox, just before I was starting to finish and then post today's blog that I had started last night.

I'm putting that blog aside until tomorrow, because I wanted to mention here this morning, the passing of Richard Alf last night.

Greg Koudoulian had started the Facebook group page earlier in December when Richard had first been hospitalized.  He had been 'adding' others to the page, who all wished Richard well, and shared their memories with him via the page, including myself.

Richard Alf, for those of you that don't know... Was one of those young kids that had traveled with Shelf Dorf up to Jack Kirby's house on Sunday, November 9th of 1969, as seen in the top right photo of this blog post. (Photo courtesy Shel Dorf Tribute Page.)   

Richard was one of the early comic book dealers in the nation, and by a young age had a flourishing enterprize going.  Matter of fact, as I have stated here before, I sold my own comics duplicates to Richard prior to setting up at as a comics dealer myself at the 1972 San Diego Comic Con. 

Richard and I talked about that at the 40th Anniversary Program of the SDCC at the 2009 Comic-Con International.  A while later, on Sunday, September 20, 2009  at "A Celebration of San Diego Comic-Con International At Mysterious Galaxy!", we had the opportunity to talk a little more.  Richard is shown sitting by Jackie Estrada in the photo to the left.  The event was the book signing of the special 'Comic-Con: 40 Years Of Artists, Writers, Fans & Friends' that was a Special Edition published for the SDCC by Chronicle Books of San Francisco. 

Then, just recently at the 50th Anniversary of Comics Fandom, we met once again, as seen at first inset photo in this blog body of text.

Although my time with Richard was limited during these events, I found him to always be smiling, friendly and outgoing.  The recent outpouring of well wishes sent to Richard via the Facebook Page showed that he treated many others the same way.

Richard had been the receipient of an Inkpot Award in 1989.  I'm not sure what other 'official' recognition he received during the years, other than from those that knew him. He did receive a special award at the 50th Anniversary of Comics Fandom, as seen at the top right of this blog post. For other pictures that Richard was in, here is the link to the album of photos I have uploaded thus far.

RIP Richard, your efforts to help start what is now known as the Comic-Con International:  San Diego will be remembered, as well as your comic book store, 'Comic Kingdom', one of the first LCBS in the San Diego area (along with the Schanes Brothers' Pacific Comics LCBS.

Mike Towry has posted this on the Facebook page: "Richard passed away tonight in peace at the home of a friend and surrounded by friends. There will be a memorial service for him probably around the middle of next week in Ramona, CA, which is about thirty miles from San Diego. I'm sure the details will be posted here as they become available, but people can also check early next week with Bonham Bros & Stewart Mortuary and Cremation Service in Ramona by calling (760) 789-1678."

My condolences to his family and friends...

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,578 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,662 '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!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it... You can find it under 'The Big Top of Comics', at ComicBooksCircus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' shown to the left. I'm 1 of 14 contributors to that book!

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly 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:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

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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In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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POLITICS AND COMIC BOOKS IN 2012!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3577 - I arrived home last night after a day trip to the Los Angeles Metro Area checking on my Great Uncle Howard, who is recovering in a rehab center after two recent surgeries during the Holiday Season.

Six o'clock PM PST was when I was able to settle in and catch the updates of the Iowa Caucus Results for the GOP campaign.  Yes, I know, I don't usually blog about politics here in this Blog, but after last night I just had to!

That's because ever since my wife, Tina LoSasso, turned me into a political junkie, I've been watching all three major cable networks for the way they present / "distort" / interpret the 'news'.  I'm still not going to go into the political aspects here in my blog, without having a comic book connection...

But first, let me tell you, I stayed up until 11:34 PM when the GOP official proclaimed that Mitt Romney had won the Iowa Caucuses by 8 votes, (still seems to me and Tina it should had been the 14 votes that both Carl Rove at FOX, and John King at CNN (pictured above top left of this blog with the math solution), told us about.

This to me was an exciting results night... Not all of them have been in years past, but this one kept me up past my usual bedtime!  It was that good even after 5+ hours of driving yesterday up and back to the LA Metro Area!

So where's the comic book connection I mentioned in this blog's title?  

Well, I have already review blogged several 'Female Force' comics from  Bluewater Productions in the past, along with a couple of 'Political Power' comics books from the same company, as seen in this link that has over 260 Google results from other picking up my blog posts and linking them.

Actually the “Political Power” series was launched backed in 2009 as a companion series to the successful Female Force” and “Fame” biography titles by Bluewater. The comic book series allows those comics creators working on each comic book to delve into the background history of  'newsworthy' politicians and political movements and understand how that person or 'movement; has achieved their 'newsworthiness'.

I was thinking when I first woke up this morning, still going over the results from late last night, that I would post a couple of pics from the Cable TV Programs and then some pics of old promotional comic books with 'newsworthy' politicians of those times, (probably 'Ike' /. 'Nixon' / 'Goldwater' / 'JFK').  But after checking out what Bluewater Productions has recently published, and their plans for 2012 issues, I just had to use the comic book covers of Mitt Romney & Ron Paul.   And No... there wasn't any announced, (that I could see), for Rick Santorum in earlier PRs!   That may be different now, after the results last night!

So, for those of you that are into politics and / or comic books, you might want to check out the comic books with a political figure that have been or are being published by Bluewater Productions!

"Poitical Power: Ron Paul” (ISBN 978-1-4507-8965-3) should hit comic book stores in February 2012 and sells for $3.99. This comic book is currently available for pre-order sales on AMAZON .

The “Political Power: Michelle Bachman “comic book is already out via the Nook & Kindle. Which can also be found at:  AMAZON.

The “Political Power: Mitt Romney” as shown in the top right of this blog's header,  will be also published in January. Again, you can check this out further at AMAZON.

The “Political Power: Rick Perry” was scheduled to be published  in February. After his concession speech last night, that might be changing?  Again, check this link at AMAZON.

As for a "Political Power:  Rick Santorum", who was in a virtual dead heat with Romney last night... Well, until this past week his campaign had not caught traction.  So while there probably wasn't one planned right away... You can figure that if he has the staying power after this big surge yesterday... A 'Political Power: RickSantorum' would be published soon.

That's about it for this morning... As I have a lot of comics to pull  & invoice from auction listings that ended yesterday at my online comic book shop, from 11:30 AM to the early evening.  I still have over 1,600 more auction listings that will be ending during my year end clearance sale through Thursday, January 5th.  And yes, there a few of the Bluewater Comics listed there also, if they haven't already sold!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,662 '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!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/  - In addition, 'my' book, Gotham City 14 Miles can also be found there, at this link that takes you directly to the book listing.  I am one of fourteen essayists in this book, critiquing the Batman TV Show that first aired in 1966, marking 2011 as the 45th Anniversary of the TV Show!

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly 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:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

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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In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Lists... The Conventions, Shows, Meetups and Comic Book Movie Screenings That He is Attending In 2012!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3576 -  Once again, I've been asked what events I am attending during this new year of 2012.

Here is the list of events that I am planning on attending, depending on our schedules.  (Updated as of 01-01-12 for the first time.)

(Con Promoters - Please Note:  Just because your con is not listed at this time, doesn't mean that my wife and I wouldn't be interested in attending. Press Passes for Tina and myself to your show or con would possibly induce us to blog in advance about your con, mobile Facebook while there in person, and then blog about your Con afterwards.   Just a thought!)

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(Note: There will be more conventions, shows, and meetups added as the year continues, and the 'Note' at my Facebook Fan Page that this blog is based on, will be updated, not this blog):

February 17th - Ghost Rider - Spirit of Vengeance - Film

March 9th - John Carter - Film

March 16th - 18th - AnimeConji - San Diego - http://www.animeconji.org/2012/

OR...

March 16th - 18th - WonderCon - Anaheim - http://www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_reg.shtml

May 4th - The Avengers - Film

May 5th - Free Comic Book Day - I'm not for sure what area or just which one location I will be mobile Facebooking from, as of the time of this blog post.  http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

May 12th - Long Beach Comic Con Expo -  Here's the link to the info for 2012:  http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/comic-expo.php

May 23rd - Men In Black III - Film

July 3rd - The Amazing Spider-Man - Film - This is only a 'maybe' - because so far my thoughts on this reboot film are... ehhh...

July 11th - 15th - Wednesday (Preview Night) Thursday-Sunday July (11th for Preview) 12-15, 2012 - Comic-Con International / aka San Diego Comic Con.  Here is the link for info:  http://www.comic-con.org/cci/

July 20th - The Dark Knight Rises - Film

Sept 21st - Dredd - Film

November 3rd - 4th - Long Beach Comic Con (LBCC) 2 day convention - Here's the info for the 2012:   http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/comic-con-about.php

Nov 22nd thru 25th - The 4TH Annual Black Friday / Cyber Monday Online Event, hosted by Michael D Hamersky On Comics!   With prizes to be given away free... NO Purchase Necessary! The event page will be posted later...

The above is as of this posting date, January 2nd of 2012.

For updates to this blog, please see the 'Note' that this blog post is based on at:  2012 Meetups, Shows, Conventions, and Comic Book Movie Screenings That Tina and / or I are Attending!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,660 '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!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/  including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' shown to the left.  I'm one of 14 contributors to that book!

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly 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:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

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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In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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- Michael D Hamersky of And Tina LoSasso  of Wish All of You... A Happy New Year!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,658 '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!!!

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  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 per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly 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:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

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!

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Shares His... Top Ten 2011 Milestones      - - Photos this column and the column at the left:  Three of the Top Ten 2011 Milestones!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3574:

Yesterday I was hearing and seeing all kinds of Top 10 Lists for 2011... And it got me to thinking about the year that is ending today...

Which is the reason for this year end blog!

I'm presenting my personal Top Ten 2011 Milestones starting with the #10 Milestone:

#10 - First time setting up a dealer's table at a comic con since the mid 1990s.  The first time with my wife, Tina LoSasso, and my youngest son, Vinnie, who had never set up a dealer table before!  At the SoCal Comic Con in Oceanside, California back in August.

#09 - This Blog, Comic Book Collectors Blog, ends the 2011 year as being still the #1 'Followed' blog on Facebook using the NetworkedBlogs app.  #1 in the categories: comics / comic books / graphic novels. My continued thanks to all of you that have clicked the 'Follow' button at the app.  (For those of you that don't know the background history of this blog:  I started blogging back on June 7th of 2006 when I entered the first of my blogs into a 'contest' that eBay was promoting to introduce their eBay Blogs platform.  My 'un-named blog' at that time won a $100 prize, which motivated me even more, LOL!  Unfortunately back on October 31st of 2009, eBay grew tired of policing their blog platform, which had turned into a 'free-for-all chat room', IMO.)

#08 - Interviewed by Beth Accomando for the KPBS radio station / web site back in May of this year. The interview was for the article: Rants and Raves: Comic Book Movies - Superhero Films Don’t Bring New Customers to Comics Shops.  Here is the link to my blog on this, with all of the KPBS links. I have now been on a few podcasts, YouTube videos filmed by others, and radio station feature, newspaper articles. I'm loving this phase of my life!

#07 - The 45th Batman Anniversary panel at the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con!  Which besides a great panel with Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Lee Merriwether, it had a great cake cutting ceremony also!  With plenty of cake to go around for the attendees.  Which was doubly great because the 45th Anniversary Panel at the Comic-Con International: San Diego was maxed out, and we couldn't get in to that one!  Too small of a room there! Anyways, one of the photos is seen at the second to the top right of this blog post.  The others can be seen in this special photo album.

#06 - My 3rd Annual Black Friday (online) Event, which I expanded through to the end of Cyber Monday. My thanks again to the donators of the Free Gifts, which doubled from 11 in 2010 to 22 in 2011! And to all of you that clicked the 'Going' link at the event page!

#05 - Facebook Fan Page for 'Michael D Hamersky On Comics' ended the year at a little over 1,600 Fans! Considering it was started at the end of last year, and I'm a regional Southern California guy, that's pretty satisfying!

#04 - Expanding the scope of my social network, by setting up a YouTube Channel, HamerskyOnComics.  The channel was set up the weekend before the San Diego Comic con, and now has over 2,700 views and 74 videos.  It takes a long time to upload videos, I found! A small presence to start with, but I'm looking forward to uploading more videos in 2012!

#03 - First book signing for 'Gotham City 14 Miles' at the 2011 Nuke The Fridge Con on December 10th.  Here's a link to that blog post, plus a link to the special photo album for the signing and the con. Oh, I also usally have one eByay listing for the book, which you can buy unsigned or have me personalize it to you or a friend you are buying it for.

#02 - Nominated for 'Comics Blogger of the year' at the Detroit Fanfare.  One of five nominees for the first time ever award for this category at the Detroit Fanfare.  Although I didn't win, it was a great honor to be nominated along with Stefan Blitz (Forces of Geek), Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool News), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), and Various Contributors (Robot 6)!

#01 - 50th Anniversary of Comics Fandom party at the 2011 Comic-Con International: San Diego!  Meeting the founders of Comics Fandom, including Pat & Dick Lupoff, seen at the top right photo of this blog post, was FANtastic!  It was so great seeing people I hadn't seen in years, and others that I 'knew' of, but hadn't met before!  The best panel / party / program I attended all year, because it was so cool being with other 'Fans' that go back 50 or so years!  My thanks again to Jackie Estrada for bringing this special party to my attention before Comic-Con started this year!  Here's a link to the special photo album from that party!

Whew!  This took me all me year to write, or so it seems this morning!  It's now 10 AM PST, and I want to 'proof' this blog before posting.  I have a few other things that need to be accomplished before the year is over, so I have to get moving!  I thought it would be hard to have more than a Top Five, but I had to cut the list off at the Top Ten, otherwise I would still be remembering all the fun times I had this year via my 'Michael D Hamersky On Comics' operations! 

Thanks again for reading my Blog this year, and I'm wishing you all an early Happy New Year!

~Michael D Hamersky On Comics!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,658 '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:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

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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