We’ll talk about the book itself a little later. For now, enjoy…!

IMAGE DELETED

(Zauriel is ™ and Copyright © 2007 by DC Comics.)

I’m amazed at how these brief quasi-meditations seem to evoke so many comments.

Here’s one more for you.

Have you ever been introduced to a total stranger for the first time and experienced a flash of *recognition*, as though you’d known the person all your life — or in a prior one?

That actually happened to me a couple of months ago. It’s enough to make you — me, anyway — wonder.

I should be working, not reflecting.

Although, on reflection, maybe the work can wait a little longer.

Driving home from the grocery store this afternoon, I realized what’s gone wrong with my existence. Over the past couple of years, except for the various health problems, my life has taken a hard right into ordinariness. Worse, I’ve allowed myself to get used to it.

There was a time when I attracted interesting people and interesting situations to myself — occasionally to my regret, but the experience was generally worth it. That doesn’t happen so much anymore. I think my vibe has changed from “hey, universe, put on a show for me!” to…”ehhh.”

That’s no longer acceptable.

One room left to do, and the apartment can pass for clean. It would be nice to get it finished this year.

Also did some further work on Doctor Fate. I need to devote the whole weekend to that project. Fortunately, I don’t have plans for New Year’s Eve.

After 01/01, I really will discuss the Fate book and the Zauriel one-shot in some detail here. I promise. Right now, though, I don’t want to dissipate any of the creative energy that should go *into* the book.

If we don’t talk before then, Happy New Year to one and all.

I have a strange feeling about ’07, an odd hunch that it may turn out better than any of us expect.

An interesting little discussion of the upcoming DOCTOR FATE book is taking place on The Comic Bloc Forums. You may need to register on the site to reach this thread. If so, it’s worth the effort. A number of the more provocative writers in comics seem to frequent these forums.

Substantially increased output.

I’ve figured out how to do it. Now it just needs to be done.

Pay no attention to the strange man talking to himself.

James Brown, doing “Prisoner of Love” and “Please Please Please”, from the TAMI (Teen-Age Music International) Show, 1964.

Although I’d heard his music earlier, this film was the first time I’d ever *seen* James Brown perform. It’s not the sort of thing you forget easily, even after 43 years.

Nice, huh?

Click the image to see a larger version.

IMAGE DELETED

There’s also going to be a variant cover by Gene Ha.

Happy holidays.

The script I’ve been working on is finished at last.

I’m back on “vampire” hours — awake all night, asleep during the day — but I don’t even care. I got the work done. That’s all that matters right now.

In the next few days, I hope to do some more substantive posting here, on topics as varied as *Heroes*, my health, Doctor Fate, writer’s block, Zauriel, and cat psychology (alas, all questions, no answers).

I also have to devote a couple of days to cleaning the apartment. It’s been accumulating stains and cat hair for weeks while I struggled with that script.

To the reader who asked — I haven’t posted an Amazon link to Marvel’s ESSENTIAL TALES OF THE ZOMBIE collection, because, for reasons unknown, the title isn’t listed on Amazon’s U.S. site. (Mysteriously, it *can* be found on the U.K. site.)

More to follow, after I’ve had some sleep and sandblasted at least one bathroom…