Back to Writing
I never thought I'd be famous. And I'm not. Which is okay, I suppose, as I'd just as soon not have to worry about tabloid headlines pairing me with the Barbi Twins in a shameful love nest. Or hear about my fab new super diet of raisins and okra. (Note to Raisin Farmers/Okra Herders: I have no problem with these foods per se. I certainly am not defaming your fine produce.) Sorry about that, but with this whole Oprah beef thing, you can't be too careful. Fame can be a pain.
But a small amount of fame can be fun. I recently got a few votes as favorite RACer in the Squiddies awards, which pleased me to no end, and everytime someone tells me how much they enjoy my reviews, I get a headache from the metal band Suzanne put on my head to keep it from growing. I've got a modicum of fame on the Internet, which is to say I've got a decent rep with a fairly small group. And I love it, because no matter how much I wanted to believe that it doesn't matter what others think, it turns out that it does.
What others think affects you enormously. If your boss doesn't like you, you'll go from Head of Marketing to Chief of Stapling in no time flat. If your wife or husband doesn't like you, you might want to sleep with one eye open. And if your friends don't like you, they might try to run you over with their cars. But if your friends do like you, and they call you up when they want to do something, it feels good. When your boss tells you you're doing a good job, it feels good. When your husband or wife...er, that could be getting a bit personal...but it feels good.
So I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has ever said anything nice about me. If you wrote me to tell me you really enjoyed my reviews, thank you. If you voted for me in the Squiddies, thank you. If you have stuck up for me on any of the number of mailing lists or newsgroups I'm on, thank you.
Finally, an update on the comic book, for all who are following this sordid tale of Randy's desperate struggle for publish-hood...it's looking good. I've got a sketch of the main character, Samantha Spade, which looks fantastic. The artist is Duke Harrington, a tremendously talented gentleman who I have kibbitzed with over on LSH-L previously. The book is called "Treasure Hunt" and with any luck, there will be an ashcan available in Chicago and San Diego. I don't want to give out too much information yet, for fear of jinxing myself, but everything is looking good so far. Two scripts in the can, and the aschan script draft is being revised. Who knows? Maybe it'll get picked up, and my writing will make me famous.