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Ahhh good old con crud! When I still went to cons I would dose vitamin C or Emergen-C before I got there. Would often do the trick. Electrolytes might work, too.

For some reason I thought single issue comics were just called "one-shots." Did I just imagine this?

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Pete, I'm with you on both of those, but it didn't do the trick this time. Keep in mind that creators shake more hands at cons than most fans walking the floor. I've tried in the past to keep it to fist bumps, but eventually, I fall into the habit of shaking hands.

I swear if the CDC were ever to test the air at any convention, they’d detect COVID-19, but then they would find something much more serious that would cause them to declare another worldwide epidemic. A deadly melange of old newsprint mold, latex, and funk. And that’s just on me alone!

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HAHA, that makes me want to triple mask the next time I go to a con! I used to work at a Genius Bar and I never shook hands. I just waved "hi!" and... then proceeded to handle their phone, which was covered in pure, invisible nightmare fodder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Alternatives to "floppies": staples, onesies, magazines (and related terms like mags), classicos, funny books

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Spike, I don't know if any of those do it for me. Plus, a magazine is its own thing, and when comics are printed in magazine format, they're more often than not referred to as "Comic Magazines."

I was never a fan of “funny books,” though, for a time, I used it as a cheeky sign-off in my old editorials.

“See ya in the funny books.”

But at its heart, a funny book is exactly that: a humor comic.

I had this conversation with Stan many years ago and asked him why he would write “Comicbook” instead of “Comic Book.” He gave me the exact same reasoning. A “Comic Book” implies humor, whereas “Comicbook” is more generic/inclusive, meaning comics of every genre.

After hearing that, I started to spell it Stan’s way, but at some point, I stopped because I felt it was Stan’s thing.

But now, I think, in honor of Stan, I’m going to keep the practice going. What do you say, who’s with me!

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I agree with you on hating the term floppies and why. Use it except how you did, and you lose me. I stop reading posts and comments immediately on seeing the word.

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Steve, the truth is that I think these days people use it without intending any harm. This is why I find it problematic. Whenever I hear someone in my personal or business circle say “floppies,” I explain why I hate the term. The minute I do, it dawns on them, and they do their best to correct the practice.

I would never call a Graphic Novel or European Album a One-Shot, but that example, above all others, I think, illustrates what I’m trying to say.

Imagine working on a graphic novel for a year or two only to be categorized as a One-Shot. UGH! These are novels in every sense of the word, but even better, they’re GRAPHIC Novels.

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I always referred to them as singles

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Dave, Perfectly acceptable.

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I always compared the collected editions as albums and each single issue were the singles to that album

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Great update as usual! Glad you’re feeling better!

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Thanks WAW, I'm better but this crud is lingering longer than Covid ever has for me.

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I was considering asking you about this. Many New Yorkers seem to have some sort of Stockholm Syndrome -- I could see myself visiting but never living there -- so I wondered what broke the spell for you!

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Hannah, I was very much like you. When I thought about where I could live other than NYC, London and Rome were the only two places on my list until the summer of 2010 when we visited Idaho for reasons that I will leave for a future newsletter. Instantly, it became my entire family’s happy place. Nanci, my daughter, our dogs, we didn’t want to leave. Let me tell you, getting an entire family to agree on any one thing is not an easy task. Where we are is magical. As I write this, the evergreens are heavy with snow, and flakes the size of half dollars are floating by my studio window. I still love NYC, but that fever has broken for me, and it’s tough to explain why or how, but I think it’s just a matter of finding that “other” place.

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Thanks for the reply!

I think human beings were meant to feel more connected to nature than many of us currently are.

I have a similar vacation story. Our trip to Medora, ND was the only one our entire family of seven ever enjoyed. I'd make all my plans around North Dakota if I could!

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That's beautiful country out there but even colder than where I am, but I love it. I don't know if I could live somewhere that didn't have four seasons.

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I think the problem with just saying comics instead of floppies is because comics is used too interchangeably for all formats. OGNS, Collections, Floppies all are comics.

I stopped reading Fabulous Fire Ant in comics and now just get it in collections.

I guess my answer is using single issues. It’s not quite as simple as floppies (two words!!!) but it works.

I also used to push for Graphic Novels to be used only for OGNs or finite collections (Watchmen) but that ship has sailed. Heck I hear single issues referred to as Graphic Novels sometime.

Words are hard.

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Hey, Kevin, I get what you’re saying. Single issues, or singles, are perfect descriptors, along with comics. I always liked "Graphic Novels" better than "Original Graphic Novels" and should have mentioned that in the newsletter. The "original" feels redundant.

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Con crud is a vile thing. Hope you're feeling 100% in no time.

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Nov 2·edited Nov 2Author

Almost 100%, but still some post nasal drip and the occasional cough outbreak. Thanks for asking, Rachel.

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