NEAL ADAMS

Thanks to all who attended our signing with master comics artist Neal Adams on Friday. I had a marvelous time hanging out with Neal and getting to know him a little better. He is an incredibly bright fellow, and he was really nice to me an all of our visitors. He had wonderful stories to tell, and he made the customers very happy.

AMAZING FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Free Comic Book Day just keeps getting bigger and bigger! This year there were 52 titles to choose from, and we vastly increased our orders. The crowds were bigger then ever too! We saw long lines stretching down the street at both stores until after noon. People seemed to love our give away of two complete sets of all the free comics, presented in a handsome canvas Lee's Comics tote bag. This is sure to be a treasured annual tradition from now on. Tom Rolinger stopped by at noon and did free drawings  for the fans.

The first big title to go was the Star Wars offering from Dark Horse. Not a huge surprise since it was also Star Wars day. The forth was with us though, and most of our other big titles held out at least into the evening. I was handing out comics in front of our Mountain View store along with my friend Mark Arnold. We saw wave upon wave of happy families and their kids coming up to join the fun. There were also many people who just happened by when they saw all the commotion. These were first time attendees. They all loved the idea of free comics, and many of them told me they were looking forward to attending in future years. We are in a huge shopping center that also has a Costco, Krispy Kreme, Office Max and other attractions so there are always hundreds of people milling about on weekends. Our flags, banner, tent, and the huge crowds milling about really caught the eye!

Free Comic Book day is like a national comic con. It's the time for everyone to let their geek flag fly. People love comics, and they certainly love getting something for free. We give the comics away out front, so people know there's no obligation to go in and shop. The interesting thing is that most people did go in and shop, and we had a record sales day. It's not going to be easy, but we are going to try to top ourselves next year, and we are already working on some top secret plans! Stay tuned.

JONATHAN WINTERS

Jonathan winters left us today. He was a great trendsetter in stand up comedy.  Can you think of another performing artist who had album covers by BOTH Frank Frazetta and Jack Davis? I can't. It could be that Winters was the only one with that honor. As great as an artist as Frank Frazetta was, and I think he was one the best artists who ever lived, I think Jack Davis captured his essence the best.

ANNETTE FUNICELLO

Today we sadly bid farewell to Annette Funicello, a lovely, talented lady, and the cover girl on many classic comic books.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY IS COMING!

Get ready for the greatest comic book bacchanal of the year! Free Comic Book Day! It's less than a month away! That's right, you can step into participating comic book stores, coast to coast, and get yourself some free comic books. No purchase necessary! It's like a giant slice of heaven, right here on earth! I'll be back soon to fill you in on all the details about the special events were doing at Lee's Comics, along with an extra special free drawing that we are launching this year. I'll also have a complete visual checklist of all the free comics that are coming out. In the meantime, block the date off, and cancel wedding and travel plans.

Free Comic Book Day at Lee's Comics
Both Great Locations: Mountain View and San Mateo
Saturday May 4th
10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Free Drawing at 11:00 am at both stores.
Great Prizes to be announced soon!

ROGER EBERT

Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert

On the same day we lost the great Carmine Infantino, we lost my favorite movie reviewer Roger Ebert.

I followed him through all of his TV incarnations, including, Sneak Previews on PBS with Gene Siskel, and At the Movies with Richard Roper. I discovered his books, and collections of film reviews and discovered that as good as he was on TV, he was amazing as a writer. He is my favorite kind of writer. He conveys interesting, complex ideas in a friendly, down to earth manner. As a film reviewer, he often championed independent and overlooked films.

In 2002 he developed a cancer that made it impossible for him to speak or eat solid food. Rather than retiring, he devoted himself even further to writing. I found the essays on his website to be some of the most interesting and thought provoking writing around. He was a champion of the common man and he fought always for equality and social justice. He has left us now, but he has left behind a wealth of wonderful reading. If you have not checked out his website, make sure to do so. A veritable treasure trove awaits you, or check out his autobiography, "Life Itself."

CARMINE INFANTINO

By now you've probably heard about the passing of Carmine Infantino on April 4th. He was a fantastic artist and a great innovator. His updated version of the Flash kicked off the Silver Age with the publication of Showcase #4 in 1956.

I got to meet Carmine at a San Diego Comic Con a few years ago. J. David Spurlock was nice enough to introduce me to him. I sat down and had a nice conversation with him. I don't remember exactly what we talked about that day, but I do remember that he was extremely gracious and kind to me. 

Sad to see the passing of such a great talent. Certainly one of the greatest artists in the history of comics. Hats off to one of the great innovators who changed the look of comics.