Toon

Being a parent is going to be wonderful. I just know it.

And while, sure, the whole father/son relationship will probably be good, and there may be some enjoyment in watching my child grow up to be a young man, I'm really starting to look more at the big picture.

You see, for the past 28 years or so, I've enjoyed the hobby of collecting comic books. While most of my friends who also collected them in grade school quickly grew out of it, I stuck with it and am now extremely proud to say I've wasted a lot of time, money, and space on them. It's always been a bit of a shock to people when they realize that not only do I buy and read them, but that I own so goddamn many of them. Boxes full. Shelves full. They're in every nook and cranny of our place. You can't walk two paces without tripping over them.

The same goes for my purchasing cartoon DVD sets. We own about 25 DVDs, and 20 of them do not feature a single human being. They're all mice and rabbits and dogs.

You see, most people perceive these hobbies as somewhat childish, and I can't really blame them. While there are certainly some comics that are very well written and drawn and cartoons' popularity have never been higher, they are for the most part adolescent crap. And I know this. I'm okay with it. When I walk out of the comic shop carrying a bag with a large Superman logo on it, I can expect (and usually be assured) of a few snickers from those passing by. Such is the way of the comic collector.

But no more. Now, I have an excuse!

"Oh, these things? These funny books? These childish wastes of time? They're for my son."

I can't wait until August.