Greetings Loyal Airmen, mother nature has sure made her presences known this winter, hasn't she.  So many parts of the country, including the deep south, blanketed with snow.  Never mind the blizzards crippling the New England corridor from Conn. all the way up to Maine.  We hope all our Loyal Airmen are enduring and keeping an up attitude. Sometimes inclement weather is a way of nature forcing us to relax and take things easy, so enjoy these Snow Days while you can.

About a month ago we reported that we had just become a co-host of the very fun, comic themed internet podcast ZONE 4.  We certainly hope lots of you Loyal Airmen have been able to listen in to these shows. If you are unfamiliar with the schedule, each new episode of ZONE 4, hosted by Brant Fowler, Cary Kelley, Chuck Kennedy and the Air Chief, is posted every Friday night at the Comic Related website.  There's a link above to this site, as it is there my personal forums are hosted.  So if you ever wanted to drop me a line on-line, that's where you would go.  As for the podcast show, think of it as an internet radio program with four professional comic book guys discussing the latest events and happenings in this genre we've all loved since childhood.  So please, start your Fridays with dropping by to read the weekly Flight Log, then make a note to end your day with listening in to ZONE 4.  Oh, and we've actually been running a neat comics Trivia Contest lately with our listeners able to win lots of cool free comics.  How's that for enticement?  Never mind the fact that you get to hear the Air Chief live for all of you who've ever wanted what we sound like.  You might be surprised.  Ha.

              
                                           Hailee Seinfeld as Mattie Ross in TRUE GRIT
Back in 1968, upon coming out of the army and returning to civilian life, the Air Chief read a book that he considers one of the true American classics of the 20th Century;  TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis.  It tells the story of young girl who, in the early 1870, goes on a manhunt in the Indian Territories of what would one day be the state of Oklahoma with a worn out old U.S. Marshall and a rowdy Texas Ranger, the object of their hunt the man who shot and killed her father.  Mattie Ross is one of the most colorful fictional characters ever created since Huckleberry Finn and critics today are slowly realizing that Portis's book is very much in the same league as that Twain classic.

Of course shortly after the books rise to bestselling popularity, Hollywood came knocking in the shape of producer Hal Wallis who made it into a big budget, spectacular film starring John Wayne as Marshall Rooster Cogburn, the irascible one-eyed fat man who always got his man.  Kim Darby played Mattie and singing sensation Glen Campell was the Texas Ranger.  In this version, glitzed up considerably from the book's rough and tumble reality, Wayne was the shining star and deservedly won his one and only Oscar for his portrayal.
We liked the movie a great deal, but always felt the soul of the book had never been captured.

Jump ahead 41 years and the Coen brothers, known for their unique and original film-making, obtain the rights to  the property and set about filming their version. One we are truly happy to report stayed true to the book and delivered an on screen experience we thoroughly enjoyed. This is the TRUE GRIT we had always hoped to see on the big screen and the new cast is superb, from Jeff Bridges dead-on as Rooster, Matt Damon terrific as the egotistical Texas lawman and the unbelievable Hailee Seinfield as Mattie Ross.  We cannot praise this fourteen year old enough for a performance that is truly Oscar worthy.  She is the star of this new version, as is the character in the novel.  If you have never read the book, we urge you to do so.  And do go see this fabulous, wonderful movie.  You'll be glad you did.

              
Finally, in last week's entry, we announced that Twilight Start comics studio was going to publish a new black and white comic horror title named after yours truly.  It features four of my original stories as illustrated by four super talented young artist.  Well this week we thought we'd show you the cover in progress.  That nifty logo was designed by Mark Maddox and the pencils themselves by our good buddy, Rob Davis.  And yes, that is the Air Chief addressing the crowd.  The art is now being inked by Rhian Engel and will then be colored by Mark Saxton, after which it is off to the printers.  Rest assured, Loyal Airmen, we will keep you posted when it is released and how to get your copies.  We're sure you'll want several; one for yourselves and the others for your comic pals.  It's sure to become a best seller….or so we predict with fingers crossed tightly.  Ha.

And there you have it for this week, Loyal Airmen.  As ever thanks for dropping by.  We enjoy visiting with all of you like this.  Till next Friday, stay warm and go read a good book or see a good movie. Have fun.  Remember, you only go around once in this life.

Ron – Over & Out!