Life is sometimes sort of okay because...

[wedgeski]

Congratulations, Pops!

I'm no stranger to post-exam middle-of-the-night panics. Despite the immense anxiety I endured getting my degree, it's the good old maths A-Level that does it for me. In one recurring dream, it's the morning of the exam and I suddenly realise I've not attended any of the classes or done any of the work. What dream-me was actually doing for those two years I have no idea.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Didn't know where else to put this, so. Today I've been working in a client's flat, and while he went off for some much-needed rest, I had a nosey through the stack of mags and books under his coffee table.

And there it was- a tatty old copy of the 1986 Sci-Fi Special ('Here's Looking At You, Juve!' cover by John Higgins).

My own copy hasn't seen the light of day for many a year, being bagged and boarded and stored in the box reserved for specials and empemera, so I had a quick read.

Rogue Trooper: The Fanatics, by Milligan and Ortiz!
Stronty: Papa Por-ka reprint from Star Lord!
Dredd: Beyond The Wall- one of my absolute favourite one-episode Dredds!

And The Man Who Couldn't Die, by "O.A. Stepaniuk" (who dat?)  and David Pugh. Now, that's a story I'd think would benefit from a reprint in a floppy. Great stuff.

Sometimes the world throws progs at you when you least expect it.

SBT

[paddykafka]

Well done and congrats to you, Mister Pops. A great achievement on your part. Onwards and upwards, as they say!

[sheridan]

And The Man Who Couldn't Die, by "O.A. Stepaniuk" (who dat?)  and David Pugh. Now, that's a story I'd think would benefit from a reprint in a floppy. Great stuff.

Dunno, but they did a smattering of other stuff for Tharg

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Well, I'm now the proud owner of my very first two official Thrill-Power Containment Units, after I made use of Rebellion's sale the other day.

The thing is, each TCU is 10cm wide, and holds 28 progs. This means to successfully bind the whole lot would require 8 meters of shelf space and 83 binders.

Now, obviously, I'm not going to do that. My progs are bagged and boarded, ready to sit out eternity in acid-free boxes- and I'm not changing that set-up. Besides, who has eight meters of wall space these days?

So, on the one hand- yay! Official binders at last! I've always wanted some, and was slightly perturbed to see these are 'Design #9'... is there an image anywhere of the previous eight? I had no idea it was that many! But on the other hand, how to use them? Can anyone offhand think of a UK prog-related comic that ran for about 50 issues, and would fit nicely across these two binders? Crisis? But without getting them out of the boxes, I'm not sure the size would fit. Toxic in one, Starlord in the other? Dunno.

SBT

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

...and of course, Crisis went for 63 issues anyway, I've just realised. Bah.

SBT

[JohnW]

Just sent a book off to the publisher.
Soon the royalties will start rolling in and I can retire to the country where I will have apple trees and honey bees and vintage German machine-guns to keep the envious little people away.
Until then I have a tasty dry crust to gnaw on.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Just sent a book off to the publisher.
Soon the royalties will start rolling in and I can retire to the country where I will have apple trees and honey bees and vintage German machine-guns to keep the envious little people away.
Until then I have a tasty dry crust to gnaw on.

Nice one!  I dream of having a book to send to a publisher, but I'm too lazy / shit at writing / both of the above.  What's the name of your book?

[JohnW]

The book is called The World in a Sandbag (out maybe next summer?), the third in a projected series of four, beginning with Dirty Shirt.
https://www.pagedor.co.uk/books/p/dirty-shirt-john-ware
Being set in WW1, and me being me, there's some Charley's War DNA in there, but in the same way you could say that there's jellyfish DNA in all of us.
My royalties over two books so far are about a quid-fifty shy of making me a hundredaire, but what harm?
I'm not expecting Hollywood to come calling (but if they do I'm insisting on Tom Cruise in all the lead roles).
I had a book inside me. I wrote the bastard. It's in print.
Turns out I had enough juice for a couple of sequels too. Hooray for me. I'll start the fourth one soon. It'll keep me from mischief.

[The Legendary Shark]

Living the dream - that's cool.

[sheridan]

Congrats, JWare!

[JohnW]

Thankee kindly, gentlemen.
Life is indeed sometimes sort of OK.
Today, for instance, there is apple crumble and the rain has stopped.

[Proudhuff]

Well done that chap, carry on.

[paddykafka]

Glad to hear your good news, JWare and the heartiest of congratulations to ye!

[JohnW]

Thank you again for the good wishes.
When I'm sitting there in my white fur coat, being interviewed by an earnest young man from Cahiers du Cinema, with next year's answer to Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau giggling together on the couch beside me, I will condescend to mention you all.