To start with...

I've decided it might be helpful if I create a journalistic kind of blog, something for public consumption, but not PUBLIC consumption. It's for family, friends, pets and household pests, not for comic book fans. This is my idea going forward. I guess it's a way to reconnect with some lost family, if possible, and maybe some old friends. Sometimes I feel like I'm two different people, because comics have made me kind of famous, and it's hard to let down the facade and just be a regular guy. I never quite know when and where it's appropriate.

This is very upsetting: I was bidding on a hat that belonged to Alfred Hitchcock, and it just got away from me. Someone swooped in and took it for $1 more just as time was running out. I had it all planned too, to get a life mask of Hitchcock to rest it on, and use it as a display. It would have been sweet.

Anyhow, I lost that one, but I'm going to try to win a coat from Orson Welles' wardrobe here. At least I can be sure it'll fit me. I'll probably wear it, too!

It's Monday night here, and I just returned from Wizard World Philadelphia. It's a comic book convention. A brand of conventions, actually, that sort of tour across the country. For some reason, I got it into my head that I should do a lot of touring this year, and so I just said, "Yes" to every convention offer that came my way. My calendar quickly filled up, and now my weekends are no longer my own. But this one was particularly worthwhile, because Philadelphia is practically home to me. I grew up right over the bridge, in Merchantville, New Jersey.

I'd been to the Wizard World Philly show before, in 2005. Quite a few old acquaintances from school and my neighborhood showed up, a few that said they knew me but I didn't really remember them. I hoped it would happen again, that I'd be able to see some old neighborhood buddies or something, and sure enough, one of my best friends from childhood came to see me.

Lino lived three houses down, and was a few years older than me. His little brother, Vincent, was my age, and a good friend as well. They had cool stuff, like airplane models, Casio keyboards, Nintendo, and Dungeons and Dragons games. (I didn't really have stuff like that.) Lino sort of became like a big brother, explaining stuff about girls to me, teaching me how to draw "Warlock" from the New Mutants, and instructing me on how to make weapons from ordinary household items. I thought he was the coolest.

Haven't seen him for years.

He came to the convention with his two very young sons, (one who looked exactly like Vincent) and it was marvelous to see him again. I was tired, kind of rushed around by the demands of the convention and fans, but I took some time to catch up and share some memories. Frankly, it made the whole occasion worthwhile. He's in Cherry Hill now, a computer programmer and he and his friend Andy (who lived two doors down the other direction) married sisters and are now brothers. Pretty cool stuff.

It made me kind of sentimental, and I started to think about how I missed a recent family reunion. I know, albeit academically, that I was a depressed teenager. I don't know why now, because my life has been wonderful since, giving me nearly everything I've ever wanted from it. Even now, thinking back, I can only recall having a lot of family around, dating some very pretty girls, and getting a lot of encouragement about my drawing. I thought then that it might be chemical, but I don't think it was, because it's gone now. I think I am angry about some things, though, because I can't control and protect everyone that I care about, and it's very frustrating to me. It's better, I have supposed, to raise boundaries and work at my own little family instead. I can't fix things.

Still, I miss my brothers. I miss Josiah, and wish I could live next door to him and his wife and children. We'd be great friends. Have barbecues and see movies. I've been getting to know Noah, who has been touched with genius. I can properly diagnose that, at least. I know it when I see it. I considered putting him in my house, because I love this guy so much. He's like an alternate reality version of me. I don't know or understand Micah and Jonah, and wish I did.

And I miss my sisters, who, other than Jenna, I haven't really talked to in years. Hannah makes extraordinary looking cakes. That Van Sciver art gene manifests itself in nifty ways. Abby married a soldier, and I'd really like to get to know that guy. Amanda has a child who is days older than Hunter. This kid should get to meet his gaggle of cousins.

I think it's time to try to make some inroads back. Blaze the trail. If everyone else has interconnecting blogs, it's a good start, and here's mine.

I am going to watch a very dumb comedy movie with my wife now. Something about White Castle.

Until next time, I am very completely

Ethan VS