Howdy, AC!

So yesterday after work I hit my local comic shoppe, Funny Papers. I have a fairly standard routine when I go down there.

Park outside in 15 minute parking
Run in
Walk past the Marvel comics to see comics marked "New this week" for anything interesting
Same for DC
Get my comics from behind teh desk where they've been "pulled" for me for the week
Check against the new comics of the week to see if I missed anything
Check the Virgin Comics and Indie comics for possibilities
Check out

Yesterday, however, they had a discount table set up. Apparently they're clearing inventory of overstocked items, items that never moved, etc... And it was 99% stuff I'd already decided against at some other point in my life.

I was rifling through the discount pile when a gentleman addressed me and said "You're that Melbotis guy."
Indeed.

Anyhow, it turns out he's a bit of a lurker on the site (though he was one of the folks who checked in on my "Say Howdy" reader inventory post). AC seemed like a nice guy, but, honestly, I was so baffled by being recognized from the site that I was possibly not as conversational as I might otheerwise have been. So, apologies, AC.

He recognized me, btw, from the photo at the Olive Garden. A was not, however, making that same face when looking at the comics. I think.

I've only had a single instance before of being recognized from the Blog, and that was Austin Books shopkeep Brad Bankston knowing me by the pile of 70's era Superman comics I was buying at their back issue bananza this summer. But we'd also exchanged a few e-mails on a topic, and he'd had reason to swing by LoM, if you recall.

The internet is a funny thing. It seems that the ripple effects of keeping up the blog continue to surprise me. After all, its how I've met many of the readers, and kept up with many folks with whom I don't chat as often as I'd like. It's led, indirectly, to employment for one Leaguer. It's meant trips to the BMT, stacks of comics from folk's old collections.

Sitemeter is great, and so is Google Analytics. But I've always appreciated the conversations that pop up in the comments, the e-mails, and feeling of our own little clubhouse we've managed to build, first and foremost. You might recall that I used to put up a monthly free-form comments section. That was mostly to give readers a sandbox. I've thought about doing it again since, but... you know, I'm not sure what I'd do. And I wouldn't want to have to police it. So there you are.

So, thanks, ya'll. It's no fun to post just for myself.

And thanks, AC, for saying "howdy" when you caught me at the discount table, wondering why they had so many copies of Marvel's "Bring on the Bad Guys" collection from about a decade ago. I hope we'll be able to run into each other again.

And don't be a stranger. Feel free to drop in and comment any time. We'll be expecting you at the LudiChristmas 2008 Party.