Don't Get Me Confused With...

It's come to my attention that there's an entity on Tumblr who has the moniker Madman-with-a-book. He also goes on other social media as Enlightmentality. This person appearantly has several sites in which they offer counseling to abuse victims. This Madman-with-a-book is not a licensed therapist and supposedly uses some questionable techniques. They've also been accused of being emotionally and verbally abusive.

I would like to clarify that I am not that other Madman-with-a-book. I've been maintaining this blog for about 10 years now. My focus is on and has always been on books and pop culture. I do not and never have used Tumblr. Also on other platforms, I do not go by Madman With a Book.

In the past year, I have been writing as both Madman With a Book and my real name, Tony Dillard for the website Outright Geekery. But that is all.

My wife is a licensed clincacl social worker and I have written a couple of articles about mental health and autism in the realm of comic book collecting. But I have never offered counseling advice to any of my readers.

I've noticed my personal readership has gone down in the past couple of months. This is about the same time that Madman-with-a-book began his amatuer clinic. Thank you to those who have continued to read my blog. And special thanks to the reader who pointed out the other Madman-with-a-book so that I can clarify that I am not that appearantly toxic person on other social media platforms.

I'm Still Here...

 

   Folks, I've not blogged in forever this week, but it's not because I've stopped Madman With a Book. In my secret identity, I'm an ill-tempered sous chef in corporate catering. (There are no mild-mannered chefs- it's a myth.) Taking this into account, work has been killer. 

   My head chef's been out this week, so I am the chef on duty. We've had double caterings all week and about 30-extra at lunch. Being a man down, this wipes you out. 

   Then last night, I worked double shifts, doing security at the John Cleese/ Eric Idle show. Being a Madman isn't cheap you know. While getting greeted by them was great and it was lots of fun, you just can't blog while on the job folks. 

   Plus, added to all this extra work, I got a call on Monday for a job interview teaching culinary- my dream job. But you just don't walk into a job interview for culinary empty handed. I had to build up my portfolio again. That meant finding my letters of recommendation, printing photos of food, organizing menus, recipes, etc. It's a lot of extra work. Work that's worth it, but it keeps you from doing other things like writing reviews, reading books, or other things you do to pass the time. 

    But things should quiet down a bit. That means I'll be back writing, reviewing, and READING in no time. I should be able to get my last Halloween Family Comic Friday out tomorrow. But I will not have another spooky kids book to review in time for trick-or-treating. Sorry. But stay tuned, I've got a couple of books in my cubby reading to get read and that can only add to your reading list for next year.

   Thanks for understanding and Happy Reading... 

I'm Broke(n)

Well folks, I was planning on starting a series on my trip to Geppi's Entertainment Museum starting tomorrow but that's on hold. In fact, quite a bit of what I do is on hold for a while. See I broke my foot today. My foot had been sore for a couple of days and today, I went up to give my wife a kiss during the meet and greet session at church. I did fine getting up the stairs, but on my way down, I felt (and heard) a loud and painful pop!

  I managed to break at least 1 bone on my right foot (5th toe AKA pinkie toe), I also may have done some damage on the joint just below the bone I broke. I can't weight bear and I have to use crutches which is really hard as I have carpal tunnel from having broke my wrist in 3rd grade and now I am a chef for a living.

  I need to schedule with a podiatrist tomorrow to find out whether I will need surgery or not.

  Until then, I'm going to do my best to keep on blogging and reviewing but it's not so easy in a large boot to get around. Hopefully, this recovery will be swift and getting a lot less painful than it is right now.

Special News!!!

I want this blog to not only be my reading journal but a place for fans to learn about comics, the industry, the major players, and how to start a collection! I think the most important reader of comics is the next generation who are growing up in a world filled with super hero shows, movies, toys, clothes, and yet no comics.
  Why no comics? I think the reason is education. Parents want to know what is appropriate for their child to read. But they also want to know where to find comics and where to find them without needing to procure a small loan. I've been asked by many a parental unit "What can my kids read that is the right thing for their age?" When I spout off the dozens and dozens of possibilities, many an adult had no idea that there once was a comic book version of the A-Team, Happy Days, or even Garfield. Some didn't even know that there are kid, teen, and adults only versions of Batman, Superman, and Spider-man comics; nor are they sure which is which.
   So starting this Friday, I will devote my reviews to kid-friendly comics that the whole family could enjoy. Those selections will be subtitled (Family Comic Friday.) I hope with these reviews that I'll be able to educate parents on the many types of comics out as well as tips on how to start a collection and where to find the best deals. I hope this will provide a valuable service to the next generation of readers and their parents. I also hope that my readers who are not looking for kid friendly stuff will still enjoy the weekly topic.
 At least there's still 6 days of the week to devote to Daredevil!