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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 14h

It's a weird feeling to get a shipment from the new Diamond, but at least there's the comforting continuity of this entity continuing to use that strange greenish bubble wrap.

Close-up shot of greenish-tinged bubble wrap.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Why I loved the old MATCH GAME show. 1) A guy from MAD wrote for it. 2) The set seemed like it was always on the verge of breaking. 3) They'd film 5 episodes a day, so the Thursday/Friday shows were made after their drinkin' lunches and all the celebrity panelists would be sauced.

Charles Nelson Reilly presenting a response card on MATCH GAME that reads "bird doodie."

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

From my April 2012 installment of The End of Civilization: www.progressiveruin.com/2012/04/26/p...

"p. 152: Before Watchmen: Rorschach Statue"

[picture of Rorschach statue, showin' him just strutting along]

"There he was, just walkin' down the street
Singin' 'hrm hurm hurmy hurmy hrm hurmy hurm"

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

"We'd like to use one of your characters to advertise our candy. Who can we use?" "Well, we've got this murderous despot...." "SOLD"

Two-page Milk Duds ad from a 1978 Marvel Comic, featuring an image of Dr. Doom pointing at the reader.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Cursed sticker found on a comic bag in this collection I'm processing. (Sorry, I missed which comic was in this bag, because I bet it was like a random issue of TRAGG AND THE SKY GODS.)

Round sticker on a comic bag reading "KEY ISSUE"

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Oh no, now they're releasing the 800XL, which includes built-in games and Atari Basic, a full-sized working keyboard, and can accept original cartridges, and you can load in more software via USB. ...Well, I have to have one of these, too.

The AtariXL's box, plus the machine (and keyboard) on display, with a joystick)

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Behold, my very own ink-on-paper drawing of SLUGHEAD, direct from the drawing desk of Mr. @stevelieberart.bsky.social! One more item in my collection to baffle my heirs!

A black ink on paper sketch of SLUGHEAD, Steve Lieber's unholy amalgamation of Sluggo Smith and Jughead.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

hey remember when John Byrne drew a FANTASTIC FOUR #1 homage for ORGANIC GARDENING's cover? "IT'S SOIL-TURNING TIME!"

A take-off of the FANTASTIC FOUR #1 cover, with the team surrounding a large green monster emerging from the ground. Lots of gardening references are afoot.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

For a second there I thought we had a solution to the mystery coloring of Batman on this ancient whistle, but no, that's still definitely Batman colored as Robin. (But not with bare legs, oddly enough. What was even going on here?)

Blue plastic whistle with a Batman sticker on the side, only Batman is in green trunks and red tights, with a yellow cowl and cape.

Close-up of the sticker. The filthy, filthy sticker.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Well, I've already said THE BRAK SHOW is my favorite cartoon, but for favorite *character* I'll go with this real son-of-a-bitch, forgotten Looney Tunes "star" Gabby Goat.

Black and white still of Gabby Goat from an ancient Looney Tunes cartoon

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Went digging through boxes trying to find my stack of old Activision patches...no luck yet, but I did find this pic from the very early '90s of the old comic shop crew...left to right, it's Rob, Cully, Ralph, and yours (unshaven) truly.

Four fellas all in ties, standing in front of a comic book store. Rob is holding a...toy figuring or statue I think, Cully is holding the Hulk model he assembled and painted, Ralph is holding The Peacekeeper (AKA a wooden bat we kept behind the counter), and I'm holding Sid the Skull (a store mascot, later paired with the smaller Marty the Skull).

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

BEFORE: my original LASER BLAST cartridge for the Atari 2600, label long lost to tearing and decay. AFTER: same cart, but with a replacement label I got off Etsy. Looks like new again, after over 40 years!

Activision cartridge for the Atari 2600 with no label

Same cart, but with the Laser Blast replacement label attached

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Two-page house ad from ELEMENTALS #26 (1988)...not on facing pages: you got that first image, then had to turn the page to see the follow-up. DON'T BE A DWEEB

Picture of a stereotypical nerd, with messed-up hair, tape-repaired glasses, and a bunch of pens 'n' pencils and such shoved into the pocket protecter in his white button-up shirt. Captioned "Don't be a DWEEB!"

Cool kid in a jeans jacket leaning against a brick wall with his skateboard. Captioned "Read Comico Comics!"

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The question of Casper's permeability or lack thereof is not helped by covers like these.

Casper trying to plug a leaky pipe with his hands, but the water is shooting through his hands and arms and collecting into his lower body/legs, somehow.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

REMINDER: I answer a few questions from a reader about the ol' Adult Legion of Super-Heroes stories, where we learn about SMOKING BRAINY www.progressiveruin.com/2026/09/21/o...

A slightly older Brainiac 5 greeting Superman. Brainy is smoking...I don't know what that is. His heroin spoon? Do people use spoons with heroin? I don't know. I don't even drink coffee, what do I know about hard drug addiction. Everything I know about drugs comes from the Freak Bros. and probably some episodes of ADAM-12. Is "angel dust" still a thing? We used to hear a lot about "angel dust." It's disappeared like white dog poop. Oh man, I bet people were doing weird stuff with white dog poop too. "Sprinkle a little bit of this on your reefer, daddy-o" those rogue beatniks roaming the streets would say. The DARE programs warned us about this. Why didn't we listen? WHY?

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Just heard a Star Trek expert on a podcast say that while there were definitely Star Trek/X-Men crossover novels, there were no comics. [stares in ME]

STAR TREK/X-MEN #1 from Marvel Comics, showing Kirk, Cyclops and other characters from both franchises

Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men #1 from Marvel Comics, with both franchises intermingling on the cover.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

...AKA the "THEN...KOREA" issue! www.progressiveruin.com/2012/02/27/t...

A page from the BATTLE STORIES issue, showing a dramatic transition from a peaceful scene to panel crammed full with war action, captioned "THEN...KOREA"

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Now back in my hands after 14 years! A piece of progressiveruin.com history! BATTLE STORIES #5 (1952) from Fawcett Comics!

cover to BATTLE STORIES #5, showing various war scenes

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I loved Comico's wraparound covers on all their books, and ELEMENTALS had some good'uns.

Cover to ELEMENTALS #14, with all the members being all "in a coffin" posed, with their eyes closed and their hands crossed over their chests.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Found this passage I wrote in a blog post from 2020, and thought it was worth reposting here. This is in response to someone who felt guilty having bought the work of people that turned out to be bad.

Well…you really shouldn’t. How could you have known? It’s not your fault. I mean, you have to go through life and make your decisions based on the idea that folks whose work you’re supporting are operating in good faith. You can’t buy a CD thinking while you hand over the money “I sure hope this guy isn’t a child molester!” You’d drive yourself crazy second-guessing yourself like that. Don’t feel bad that you supported someone who turned out to not be a good person. Don’t even feel bad that you enjoyed the work in the past. Just think “I know better now” and stop supporting that creator. Maybe that creator will make amends, work to better himself, do proper penance, and someday be worthy of support again. Or maybe not. But it’s all on the person who did wrong. It’s certainly not on you, the consumer who didn’t know.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Speaking of Benb, if anyone has a copy of BENB AND GERALD from 1980 just hangin' around, taking up space, I will gladly accept that burden from you.

Benb and Gerald, with them both in a old-timey car, and Benb's gun just blazing away.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

So I put in some support on Steve Lafler's latest Kickstarter...which is primarily for his graphic novel 1956, but I purchased BENB #1, also being offered in the same campaign! Man, I love Benb. (REMINDER: Dog Boy was using "RIZZ!" before it was cool.) www.kickstarter.com/projects/ste...

BENB #1, with Benb looming in the background as everyone flees before him. His herald, Dog Bog, flies about them on his silver surfboard.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

But this guy, SUPER PRESIDENT, I do not remember. Seems to be another of the very common example from the time of "super guy who flies and fights monsters an' such." Guess he never got a second life in reruns, at least on any TVs I had access to.

Fella standing in a red and white costume, with a white cowl, with a glowing blast and a barely visible starfield behind him.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A side effect of getting back into my Atari 2600 gaming is storing the cartridges. When I was a kid, my parents bought several of these interlocking boxes that each held four carts, and the ones I had have been filled for years. So, of course, I went to eBay and bought more.

Two MusicMate modules attached together, each with four big slots just the right side for Atari 2600 cartridges. There is a faux wood grain on the front.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

While I'm tempted by the physical rerelease of Negativland's first album with all the extra goodies (negativland.com/001), but I do have one of the original CD releases w/handmade packaging, so I'll just wait for them to offer the extra material as downloads. Here is my copy of the original CD:

The boxed set for the first Negativland album on CD, picturing the box (with a cutout from a catalog showing a woman rubbing a blanket on her face), the CD, a button that reads "Seat Bee Sate," and a few paper inserts.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

My favorite detail on the cover of ADVENTURE #247 are the motion lines showing Superboy spinning his head around in shock at not being allowed in the Legion's club. Like, he'd been looking out triumphantly, giving fingerguns to Sun Boy, when shockingly he's told he's gotta go.

Top half of the cover to ADVENTURE COMICS #247, the first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes, with Superboy standing in front of a panel of the future heroes. He's clearly in shock at the Legion voting not to allow him in the club.

A close-up of Superboy's head swiveling around, complete with little movement lines showing the sudden spin.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Ah, here's the pic from 2006 of former employee Kid Chris reenacting that cover.

Kid Chris, rings full of GL rings, in a pic tinted green.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

It's a big week for comics by pals, with FIXATION coming out by @amythunderjam.bsky.social, and MAJOR TAYLOR by my old friend @frednoland.bsky.social! Buy early, buy often!

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I remember being at the store with a friend's family, and my friend's mom's boyfriend found one of these out of the box and was running around with it on as a goof specifically to embarrass the rest of us.

The infamous Star Trek Helmet, with a clear visor and a red alarm light on top, the name "SPOCK" in black letters across the front. It's terrible.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

An interesting oddity...Harvey's TUFF GHOSTS #40 having its Comics Code stamp covered by the logo. It's not like there wasn't plenty of blank space to squeeze that stamp in elsewhere.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I missed that it was ergio Aragonés' 89th birthday yesterday! You of course all know him as the famous Star Wars villain "Sergi-X Arrogantus, 'The Arrogant One,'" as drawn by Howard Chaykin in the original SW Marvel comics.

"Sergi-X Arrogantus," wielding his double blasters.

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I miss the days when DC would call a comic containing just one story as being a "full-length novel!" I mean, it was only 17 pages, but they were a pretty dense 17 pages, with lots of panels, captions, and dialogue. You got your money's worth!

Banner across the top of the DC comic MEN OF WAR #7 that reads "Gravedigger's First Full-Length Novel!"

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC from 1975! Yes, I had this game...it still may exist in my parents' garage somewhere.

The SINKING OF THE TITANIC board game, showing the box, the pieces, and the three-piece board with a rotating boat above the ocean (for NOW).

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Mike Sterling, A Halloween Comic Shipping First Week of November @mikester.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I mean, how could anyone resist a comic with this panel in it? What mysteries are on display? What more are still hidden within?

A red-bearded pirate saying "No, they SHAVED!" to Peter and his monkey friend So-So.

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