posted by chaplainandrews on Apr 24

One of the most fun parts of being home and watching our children grow up is to see them interested in what I’m interested in.

A major event lately is the opening of a new box of comic books. About every two weeks I get a shipment of comic books from Midtown Comics–they do a good job, except for the packing peanuts, they are a pain. When I receive a new box, I usually wait until after dinner and after the baths are taken before I sit on the couch to open the new box. On each side of me sit my two two-year-old girls as I open the box a look at each comic book as I pull it from the brown paper bag that Midtown wraps them in.

Pulling each comic book out, I’m able to quiz the girls on which comic book hero that they are seeing and I take the tape off the back of the comic book bag, so that it will stick. This has gotten to be a special time for the girls–with noisy laughter and excitement.

Sometimes, I have to spend some times sorting my books in their boxes so that they will be organized and stored safely. I enjoy the time much more when they ask to help. Yes, they aren’t the most effcien, but the joy of sharing your hobby with the next generation makes it all worthwhile.

posted by chaplainandrews on Apr 17

As is inevitable in the Army, the change of seasons brings a change of life for this blogger. Hopefully, you won’t even notice.

A deployment to Iraq can bring major changes to this site, or not–it is actually up to me. When I was told that I would be deploying–I knew in July of 2007, by the way–it is no shocker, I began to prepare for this deployment to condition comicbookday.com to be able to handle it and the reader not feel a major difference.

One of the biggest things that I have done, is limited the number of comic book commentaries that I have been doing. This for two reasons. First, because a daily commentary was getting old and uninteresting–I want to talk about the other stuff, but was always so locked in to doing commentaries. Second, I will not be taking any comic books downrange. I plan to do some graphic novels, some Showcase editions, and an occasional pick-up from the PX–which may actually happen being close to an AAFES on the FOB. But, the current ideas can not come from current comic books, because I won’t have any. My new comic books will remain nicely held in their shipping boxes until I return home–to open and enjoy.

The other strategy to keep you readers…well, reading, is to set up a schedule of posts so that there will always be something worth reading when you drop in. On Tuesdays, I will continue to bring a comic book commentary of sorts–we may have some graphic novels in there. Thursdays, will continue to bring writing from me, from the prompts provided in different books, currently I am writing from The Writer’s Retreat Kit–today’s topic is titled “Change of Seasons”. On Fridays, I will continue to answer the challenge placed before me by Lorelle on WordPress. These challenges offer a way for me to get new ideas for my writing and in the way I consider the comic books that I read. The other days will be random posts about random things–news, ideas, questions, we shall see what fall out of my pen.

The final item to mention is a plug for my other site–chaplainandrews.com. Actually, it is officially the main site. Comic Book Day is just for fun. During the deployment and beyond, I will be posting much more information and ideas there. Not to abandon this one–by no means…but this is an effort to put everything (OPSEC defendant) that I right or say available for readers to take and use for their information and hopefully support. It won’t be comic book information, but it will set up a system for me to continue to post to both of my site regularly and with quality. You can also read more about the home front from my wife’s blog at Daily Dwelling.

So there is a method to all of this madness–I thank you in advance for staying with me all the way until the plane home touches down.

posted by chaplainandrews on Apr 15

It was sad to see, but I don’t believe that this is the end of Mr and Mrs Parker.

I just don’t see it–if anything, this gives the writers years of romantic tension for Spider-Man.  But, I think it will be a lot of fun to watch.

It is comic books like this one that makes me glad that I subscribe and collect and store and read again.  I have enjoyed this arc–sometimes it is fun to read them all in a row–kind of like TV series on DVD–so you remember all of the details.

I am looking forward to the future of Spider-Man.