Summertime geeeeeeekkkssss...

I apologize. I was channeling Y&T for a moment there. And that joke was mostly for Ben and Joel.

We're back for a second issue. And they said it couldn't be done! (Okay, they didn't say that...but you know they were thinking it! Whoever they are...). Had BIG fun with the last issue, as I hope you all did as well. Lots of great memories came flooding back after reading submissions, and making my own...and dealing with the deadline, getting zines from everyone, all that great stuff from back in the original 'Times days. Difference is, this time I don't have to do it on a Commodore 128. Though sometimes I think my 128 ran better than this piece...

I was also very happy to see that the return of the 'Times brought some old friends back to us, so welcome to the Clobberin' Times Yahoo Group to Derek, Loren and Troy! Great to hear from you guys again! I was especially pleased to discover that Loren found out we were back by just happening to do a web search on the 'Times...just as we were starting up again. Now THAT's the hand of fate at work. Great to be chatting with y'all again.

And this time around in 'Times contributors, looks like we've got K.C. back! Yeah! For those of who were in the 'Times at ANY point in its run...you already know him. Because he was in every single CT issues from first to last, and a Central Mailer for over six years. Great to see you back, K.C., as it's, very literally, not the Clobberin' Times without you.

Clobberin Con XVI is Comin'!

Oh, I guess I should mention that we're a month and a half away from the 16th Annual Clobberin' Con, taking place (as always) at Comic-Con International in San Diego, July 14-17th, 2005. Confirmed 'Timers set to go are me, Aaron Storck, Aaron "A.T." Thompson and Jeff Baumgardner. We assume we'll be seeing Ben and Kaye for at least Saturday (if history repeats itself once again). Tim "Times Founder" Watts is still iffy for the trip. And there's a possibility for one of two more. You know, YOU can even be one of them... Should be a fun year. I won't be having a Nice Guy table this time around, but may be sitting at the "Valentine" table with creator Dan Cooney. We'll all, I'm sure, be lined up to get into the "Serenity" panel again, one last chance to chat with Joss and the cast before the big movie comes out September 30th. And Jeff will be running the COIE game this year, too! So if there's still a chance you might show up and join us...take that chance! If you haven't been to one of these before, you're missing out big time.

Wizard World Con Chicago...featuring the 'Times own Joel B. Levy!

San Diego ain't the only convention this summer (we here on the west coast just THINK it is), and I know more than a few 'Timers have made the one in Chicago (Wizard World, in case you missed the header) into Clobberin' Con East. This year, if you decide to make it, you can drop by the table for DarkWater Enterprises and say hi to our own Joel B. Levy! Joel is the editor for "Chronicles of a Bounty Hunter", the first offering from DarkWater, and he'll be there with creator/penciler DeAndre' Truesdale, writer Ben Hooper, and inker/colorist Jason Embury to pimp what promises to be a badass new comic. Check out the DarkWater site at:

http://www.darkwaterenterprisesinc.com

...to learn more (click on the "creators" link to learn ALL about Joel!), and if you get a chance to hit Chicago during August 4th - 7th, do the Wizard World thing, drop by and call Joel "dude" and watch what happens. :) Congrats again on this exciting new venture, Joel Man, and if you finish a screenplay before me, I'll slug ya! I know what you're thinking. "Oh, I can dodge one of HIS punches". Well, actually...okay, yeah, you can...

Former 'Times member in the New York Times

For those of you who remember Kevin Jones, he just finished grad school over Memorial Day weekend...and had an Op-Ed piece published in the holiday edition of the New York Times. It's about the war, from a former Marine's perspective. I believe it'll require a free registration to read it, but it's worth your time. Check it out at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/opinion/30jones.html

Next Issue Deadline

Deadline for the next CTO issue is July 31, 2005, for inclusion in the August 1, 2005 issue. Just put your stuff on a web page and e-mail the link to me at:

oconnellmd@aol.com

Everyone enjoy the start of your summer, as well as this issue of the SO back in business CTO, and I'll see you all on the board...and back here in August!

Michael O'Connell

Central Mailer, The Clobberin' Times Online