Me & artist Rob Davis aka Airship 27 Productions.

Greetings loyal airmen.  The comic/pulp convention season is now in full swing and as you can tell by the picture above, your old Hangar Chief had himself a great time last weekend at the Windy City Paper & Pulp Con.  As that photo above can attest to.  Rob and I had a super time meeting old friends and making lots of new ones in the process. As always the weekend just flew by.  Thanks to all of you who stopped by our table to talk and buy our books.  Please, drop us a line and let us know how you liked them.  We always appreciate your feedback.

                                                 Premier Painter Illustrator – Doug Klauba

Among the members of our internet pulp club, the Pulp Factory, who also attended was artist Doug Klauba.  This year Doug was selling a book filled with his amazing pencil sketches and I made sure to pick one up.  Doug is one of the finest artist I've ever known and an all around good guy.  It is always much fun when we hook up like this. 

                                Sci-Fi Author – Van Allen Plexico

Likewise our good pal, writer Van Allen Plexico.  Van recently became the father of a beautiful baby girl named Mira.  When he showed up at the show late Friday afternoon, after an all day drive, it was easy to see what lots of sleepless nights have done to the poor guy.  Ha.  Welcome to the world of Fatherhood, Van.  On the good news front, Van was signed by Swarm Press, a publisher of action-adventure-sci-fi and they will be handling all his SENTINELS books from now on.   This is a series of books starring a group of superheroes and I urge you to seek them out, they are simply fantastic.

During the course of the two days we were at the show, I was humbled by how many of you loyal airmen stopped by and inquired as to my health with sincere concern.  Folks like John Bodnar and Wayne Reinagel.  Thanks so much.  Things are moving along well on that front.  I was back to the local hospital this past week for another series of tests, the results of which I'll be taking to Boston this coming Monday.  We're going down to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to consult with an specialist in the type of lymphomas I have.  I'll keep you posted.

I want to publicly thank pulp writer/historian, Bob Weinberg, who had some really wonderful things to say about Airship 27 Prod.  Bob is the fellow who published a series of pulp reprint books back in the early 1970 and got your old Hangar Chief hooked on pulps in the first place.   And big tip of the pulp fedora to con promoters, Doug Ellis and John Gunnison.  Once again they put on a truly fun show for everybody.  Rob and I are already making plans for next year.  Count on it.

Meanwhile things around here are as hectic as usual.  Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day across the land and I will be spending a good deal of it at my friend, Ralph DiBernardo's super shop, JETPACK COMICS, in nearby Rochester, NH.  So if any of you airmen are anywhere in the vacinity, please stop on by.  This looks to be another blow-out comic book bash.  Lots of free comics, food and just old fashion fun.   All coming on the very weekend when Marvel debuts its lastest superhero blockbuster movie..IRON MAN.  Several of my colleagues, including Van, have already caught early screenings and they are calling the best one yet.  Wow.  Hopefully some time during this busy weekend, Val and I will be able to squeeze it in.  We're both big Robert Downey fans and were thrilled when he got this role.  He makes a perfect Tony Stark, the millionaire industrialist who becomes the iron avenger.  I still remember buying the first issues of IRON MAN when I was all of 12 years old.   Makes you wonder where all those years have gone.  Then again looking at that white haired dude in the picture above answers that question.  Ha.

So there you go, loyal airmen.  Hope all of you have a great week and we'll see you back here in seven.
Ron – Over & Out.