In 1904, French Canadian Pierre Fortier left Thedford Mines in Quebec and moved his family to the small, southern New Hampshire town of Somersworth. One of his many children was the strapping 13 year old, John Basptiste Fortier.
John had never been to school and he didn’t know how to read and write. What he knew how to do was work and help support his loving family. Thus,no sooner settled in their home, John went to work at a local tannery that cured and treated leather hides. It was hard work, but he was big for his age and he never shied away from getting his hands dirty. At the age of 15 he met one of his foreman’s daughter. She was a pretty 16 yr.old named Alphonsine, but everyone called her Rose. They courted and eight years later were married and started raising a family. And although, in his life time, Big John Fortier never learned to read, he did become a U.S. citizen and was selected to be a poll monitor during town elections; a task he did with much pride. At nights, after the evening dishes were washed and put away, Rose and he would sit in the front pallor with the local newspaper. John would light up a cigarette and Rose would put on her glasses and then proceed to read the entire paper aloud, cover to cover. They were truly amazing, wonderful people.

John and Rose Fortier had six children, all boys! The second, born in 1916, they named George Joseph Fortier. George grew up loving to play pick-up baseball games in the big fields by their home in the French section of Somersworth.
He went to Catholic parochial school until the seventh grade and then quit to get a job. Times were hard and he wanted to make money to help the family. One of the first jobs he had as a teenager was usher in a the local movie house. It was a great way to see movies for free and George loved the movies; especially the westerns. Tom Mix,the great first true superstar of the silver screen was his favorite, followed by Buck Jones and later John Wayne.
When World War II broke out, he was drafted into the Army and fought in the South Pacific with an artillery company. After the war, George came home, married his sweetheart, Gabrielle Richer, and went to work at the same tannery his father was employed by. George and Gaby Fortier had four children, three boys and a girl. Their first born they named Ronald because George’s best friend in the Army had been a fellow named Ron. He would grow up to be a comic book writer and the author of this log.

When my grandfather John passed away, I had just come home from Vietnam. I remember standing with my father at the funeral, both of lost in our grief and loving memories of that good man. A few years later, tired of college, I went to work in a local shoe factory and met a young woman, fell in love and got married. That the marriage didn’t survive does in no way diminish the three most beautiful results of that union, Scott, Kevin and Heather Fortier. Scott was born on May, 20th, 1971.
The very next day, I was standing in the maternity ward with my father, George, his arms across my shoulders, as we both looked through the viewing glass at the newest Fortier to enter this world. Dad was so damn happy, he was bubbling with joy. Sadly he passed away a few short years later, after Heather was born. He was my hero in life and I’ve always wished my kids could have gotten to know him better.

Scott Fortier has an inquistive, seeking mind. Even as a child he always wanted to know how things worked. One Christmas somone gave him a small portable radio. After finding it, Scott ran back into his bedroom and his mother and I didn’t hear a peep out of him for almost an hour. When I finally went to check on him, he was sitting on the floor by his bed. Spread out before him on the rug was the entire radio completely broken down into its individual parts. No, he couldn’t put it back together again, but that was no big deal to Scott. Satisfying his curiousity was the prevailing urge of his life. That he would ultimately discover computers at a young age seems like fate to me now. After graduating high school and doing six years in the Army Reserve, Scott went to work in the computer field. Hands on, learned everything there is to know about the darn things, and can both repair the hardware as well as write the most sophisticated programs imaginable. I wouldn’t have this site if it weren’t for Scott and that fantastic mind of his. Oh, and less you envision a stilted egghead, let me assure you, he is also a very personable, fun loving soul who people just naturally gravitate to the minute they meet him.
He’s a lot like his grandfather that way.

About six years ago (okay, I’m bad with dates, ha) Scott met Katie Gilberg from Long Island, NY. They were married in a gorgeous
Spring wedding in Kennebunk Port, ME, with the blue Atlantic as a backdrop. A year later, their first child, Taryn was born. That was four years ago, and she is a beautifuly little girl today, who is very, very excited. You see,
last Sat, on the very last day of the year 2005,
Taryn got a baby brother! At 5:15 PM on 31st Dec., Katie gave birth to Logan Scott Fortier. All of us are so happy! And when I sat down to plan this log entry, I decided to do it in a special way.

Pierre, John Baptist, George, Ron, Scott and now Logan. He is an amazing miracle, this little guy; the totall realization of all the dreams and hopes of those who came before him.
Will he do great things? He already has by adding more love into all our lives. Welcome, grandson, to the world.
Last week I gave you all a sneek-peek at the new CAPTAIN HAZZARD pulp cover as turned in by Tom Floyd. When the book is published, hopefully next month, it will also contain nine marvelous interior spot illustrations as done by my talented friend, Rob Davis. I thought you’d enjoy seeing one of these as well. Rob did the spot illos for my previous two pulp thrillers, BROTHER GRIM and THE HOUNDS OF HELL. I’m am always thrilled to work with him as he brings so much to each and every project.

Finally Rich Woodall and I have started our second session of the School of Sequential Graphics at the Paperback Bazaar and look to have as much fun with our new students as we did last time. 2006 is getting started on some really positive notes.

Take care and have a great week, Ron, over and out.