7/22/04 3:33 AM: Once again it's on ...

Thursday evening, I will load my beloved Lumina 'Bane with clothes and accessories, and make the fairly harmless drive from Los Angeles to San Diego for the 2004 Comic-Con International. The Operative Network will probably not be updated until next Wednesday, so feel free to go bugger off if that bothers you. My absence from the city of lost angels means a number of things for you (aside from making literally hundreds of people breathe easier at night) if you indeed care:

• There will be no comic book reviews this week at Underground Online by editorial edict of my managing editor Brian Jacks. He will be in SD with me, and he's the only person that can post things in a timely fashion. Que sera sera. Oddly enough, I was so busy getting my new radiator and water pump on 'Bane I never got to the store today anyway.
• The Comic Reel at Comic Book Resources will continue unabated througout the weekend, as I'm being paid per story. Do the math, I'm a business man. That's fairly live reporting from the convention floor.
• As with last year, I will have my digital camera (crappy as it is) with me to chronicle the freaks and geeks and goings on.
• I may drive some people to a SD-area karaoke bar to sing, as I freaking like to sing.
• If you need to contact me for this weekend only, I've bought a Boost Mobile phone for just that purpose. Nextel users can two-way 126*65*15106 or regular cell phone users can call 310-692-8545. I haven't figured out the text messaging yet, so bugger off on that for now. If I recognize the number and/or care, I may respond. No promises.

I don't believe it'll be that expensive a weekend, because there are very few toys I would want (and even fewer I'd buy, given my non-existent display space at home), virtually no comics I'd buy (save supporting friends et al). I expect the bulk of my money to be spent buying drinks for people while I pitch ideas (after spending $600 to get the car road worthy, including an iPod audio jack for the stereo). Bob Shreck has yet to respond to anything I've sent him, ditto Image Comics, but oh well. We'll see how it goes this year.

End of line.