Courting Disaster

Courting Disaster, my weekly comic about sex, love, and relationships updates every Friday. You'll laugh your pants off.

This week's question:

Q: I married a woman last year whom I'd loved in high school. Previously, she was married to a guy who later walked out on her, her two sons and infant daughter. But in the last year I have grown increasingly depressed. I love her children, but I feel that I am just a live-in babysitter. We have tried to have a child together, but no luck. I miss being single and resent the fact that I have contributed thousands of dollars to get my wife out of debt using money I had set aside for an early retirement. I believed the woman I married was the same girl I loved so much in our teen years. That is not the case. I want to end this now because I have lost so much hope. At times I am in physical pain because I am miserably depressed and know I made a horrible mistake. My dilemma is that I do not want to hurt her again, or her children. She is a wonderful person. I think people will look down on me and think I am just as low as her ex-husband if I leave her. Yet I feel my life is over if I stay in this relationship. I think she loves me, but I also think she knew that if we married, her financial nightmare would end, which it did. Can you help?

Go on over and offer some advice.

Comic Con 2007: Convention Wrap-Up Part 5

[NEWSARAMA] We're in that "twilight zone" time between two big conventions, post San Diego, but pre Wizard Chicago. To tide us over till the news from the windy city start pouring in, Word Balloon host John Siuntres presents this collection of creator convention stories.

- Brian Michael Bendis shares classic encounters with Lou Ferrigno, and a memorable writers panel where he had to contend with a great Marvel writer, who didn't agree with today's decompressed story telling.

- Jimmy Palmiotti talks about the strange promotion a convention in Spain set up, to tie into the release of the Garth Ennis Amanda Connor classic, The Pro.

- Chuck Austen gives a first hand account Of Alan Moore strange adventures at the infamous 1986 SDCC, his first (and last) American convention, and shares what it's like dealing with irate X-fans on the con circuit.

- And Tim Bradstreet tells us what it's like when master artist Jim Steranko holds court with younger creators , after hours at a con weekend.

Click here for the episode.

Comic Con 2007: Convention Report Part 4

Of course, another major highlight of my week in San Diego was the opportunity to attend at Eisner Award ceremony as a nominee. As you may remember, my weekly comic, Phables, was nominated for Best Digital Comic 2006.

As always, click on the photos to see full-sized pixelly goodness.

That's me, in the photo to the right, sitting at my table before the ceremony began. It was a close as a guy like me is ever going to get to a major awards show like the Oscars or the Emmys, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Unfortunately, Phables did not get the nod for the Best Digital Comic of 2006. It went to Sam & Max by Steve Purcell. I walked over to Mr. Purcell's booth the next day to offer my congratulations. "Thanks," he responded, "But I think the other people in the category worked a lot harder on their comics than I did on mine." I wished him continued success and exited.

Rejoining my Blank Label compadres the next morning, I was met with the same congratulations and enthusiasm that I would have gotten if I had actually won. I have to say, I really felt great about the nomination, and my friends made me feel even better about it. Still, in the interest of truth-in-advertising, I was honor-bound to cover the word "nominated for" on my "Nominated for the Eisner Award" sign with "LOSER." Heck, Howard Tayler even brought me a special post-Eisner lunch the next day (to the right).

I was feeling really good about myself right up until Sam and Max themselves showed up. Were they there to rub my nose in it? Probably not. Phil Foglio was right across the aisle and I think we could have taken them if they would have started any shenanigans. Still, I couldn't resist posing for a quick photo with my betters. There's one thing a guy learns hanging out with super-villains for as long as I have. There's always next time... next time...