I was interested in this piece by Michael Kinsley on ways to make a military draft fair…or as fair as humanly possible. I tend to think conscription can never be fair and unless you have a war that America views as overwhelmingly necessary (like stopping Hitler), it can only lead to a military that is largely full of people who don't want to be there.

The solution? My feeling is that we'd have a very strong and efficient volunteer army if this country were as willing to pay money to the soldiers who fire weapons as they are to enrich the companies that make them.

I am of the opinion that an awful lot of the news coverage we receive — more than we sometimes think — is skewed not to advance any agenda but merely to tell some or all of us what we seem to want to hear. I don't think too many people really believe Fox News is "fair and balanced" but I think they find a certain comfort level in the way it softens or spins things for Conservatives…and certainly Liberals have many places to go where bad news for their side won't be shoved in their faces. Just as it's good in broadcasting to cater to specific age demographics, it's financially prudent to make your news pleasant for certain groups. We tend to go looking for news that reinforces our beliefs and makes us feel that "our team" is winning.

For those of us who follow polls, we can almost always find encouraging data. This weekend, for instance, you have this poll saying that Kerry has pulled into the lead in the "battleground states" of Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Mexico, and that he's even in North Carolina, a state Bush expected to win easily. At the same time, this poll shows Bush well ahead in Arizona, a state the Kerry side probably thought they could win. You can even find your good news in the same place on different days. Today, Monday the 19th, the daily Rasmussen Poll has Bush up by two points…but since the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three points, that's a tie. Later this week, I'd wager, you'll be able to click that link and have the Rasmussen folks tell you that Kerry has a two or three point lead over Bush. Again, it'll be a tie…and it may be that not one person has changed his or her mind in the interim. But doesn't it make you feel a wee bit better to see your guy is ahead? Even if it's by a meaningless point or two?

One thing about which the polls seem to be in sync: They all say that by an unprecedented percentage, most voters have their minds made up. This may be why the announcement of John Edwards as Kerry's running mate did not provide as much of a "bounce" in the polls as that kind of event usually brings. A "bounce" usually comes from the undecided or vaguely-committed, and there aren't as many of them this time. I still think a number of possible events — including the much-mentioned Big Terrorist Attack — could change a lot of minds that are now supposedly set in concrete…though I'm not sure which way. The Bush side seems to be positioning for all possibilities: If there is such an attack, they'll tell us it proves the terrorists are trying to get Bush out of office because they know he'll fight them harder than Kerry. If there is no such attack, they'll tell us it proves the Bush team is doing a great job and that they foiled that Big Terrorist Attack. Ultimately, this election may come down to which one of those arguments they wind up using and whether anyone buys it.

This week's issue of Variety (the weekly version, not the daily) has a special section devoted to Stan Lee and another special section devoted to the Comic-Con in San Diego. I wrote the lead article in the latter part. The issue went on sale today and contains some interesting advertising.

This was not one of my "before the con" tasks but I can't help but wonder about it. Mennen Speedstick, I have learned, is "The Official Deodorant of the N.B.A." What is this supposed to mean to us? In what way is this supposed to make me more likely to choose Speedstick over any of its many competitors? Let's leave aside the fact that it's The Official Deodorant probably because the Mennen people offered more money than the Arrid company. Why is this an honor? Does anyone think the management of the N.B.A. knows more about underarm hygiene than the Average Joe?

I can understand wanting to manufacture the Official Basketball of the N.B.A. since the organization presumably has something to do with setting standards in that area. I can even understand that if you worship Dennis Rodman and somehow think he is a model of fine grooming, you might want to deploy the anti-perspirant that Mr. Rodman applies to his few untattooed areas…but we're talking about a deodorant endorsed by organized basketball, not by any one player. Does anyone go to the appropriate aisle at their friendly neighborhood Walgreens, survey the many competing brands and say, "Hey, here's my chance to use The Official Deodorant of the N.B.A."?

I'm guessing it's just a matter of a company wanting to link its name to a name of great importance. They're hoping you'll look at the little, competing container of Ralph Lauren Safari and say, "Hey, if this is so good, how come it isn't The Official Deodorant of the N.B.A."? And then you'll select Speedstick, figuring that the distinction must mean something. It's an interesting principle…one that maybe could be applied to the current presidential contest. Maybe John Kerry could be The Official Presidential Candidate of the N.B.A.? Or maybe Bush could be endorsed by Mennen Speedstick? I mean, if ever something needed a deodorant, it's this election.

These are the days when some of us foolishly wonder if there's any way to postpone the Comic-Con International for a week or two. It's amazing how the con becomes a marker in our lives. For weeks now, I've been dividing all tasks into "before the con" and "after the con" categories. I must get my hair cut "before the con." I can put off running those errands for my mother until "after the con."

I think I'm on top of all my pre-con duties, especially those that pertain to the events I'm hosting there. And by the way, I am not responsible for the fact that one of my panels you wish to see is opposite some other event that you wish to see.

I'm looking forward to everything but especially to the Chuck McCann Spotlight (Friday at 1:00) and all the Saturday events. Yes, the schedule will be hectic but, hey, fun is not always easy. (Hey, if any con attendee is planning to lunch over at the Kansas City Barbecue Company — a wonderful place to dine, not far from the convention center — and wants to bring me back a well-timed chicken sandwich, please drop me a line. The food at the convention center leaves a lot to be desired…such as edibility.)

For that matter, I should mention to first-time attendees that the San Diego Convention Center can be a huge, oppressive opponent. It's large and the floors feel like pure granite. The most comfortable shoes you own will still not be comfy enough. One reason I do so many panels is that it's easier to stay upstairs all afternoon, usually in one room, than to go up and down and up and down. We've compiled this list of ten tips that may aid your survival.

Here's one that's not on the list but probably should be: If you're driving to the Convention Center and will need a parking space, I'd leave now.

We're making a few changes in the lineup for the Cartoon Voice Panel on Saturday — where, by the way, I will be challenging the participants to read a script about which they currently know nothing. Other than that, I don't anticipate any changes in my program items but if there are any and I know about them in advance, I will post here.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have about eleven "before the con" things to do today…

I don't think I've mentioned that this is out now. "This" is a fine new paperback from my friend Nat Gertler at About Comics. It's Volume One of The DNAgents, reprinting six issues of the comic book I did with Will Meugniot back in the eighties. It's about a bunch of just-birthed genetically-enhanced superheroes who, like too many of my friends, find themselves "owned" by a massive corporation. The pages in this new book are smaller and black-and-white, but the art (by Will and, in most cases, inker Al Gordon) reads just fine in that format. I missed these characters so I'm glad Nat has put them back into print…a task he will also be doing shortly for the companion comic, Crossfire, by Dan Spiegle and me. I'm looking forward to that one coming back, too. It's always nice to see your old friends back and looking good. Especially if you make a buck off it.

You can read more about The DNAgents here and about Crossfire here. And you can buy the first DNAgents book here. So I'll just say that we had a lot of fun doing these comics and folks tell me it shows. I hope they're right.

The redesign of this section has been, I think, completed. If you notice anything odd (probably a squished or missing picture) please let me know. Or if the whole thing looks really odd and you're using a very old browser, you might want to upgrade…not just so you can read this site but because the tech-type changes I made invoke some website design language that is becoming increasingly common across Ye Olde Internet. So if this site doesn't display properly, many others will soon be troubling you.

I'm doing some remodelling of this weblog this weekend. At times, it may look odd or even be unavailable…but all should be normal before long.

The New York Times has been wrong about a number of things lately. So have most of our news sources but unlike the others, the Times sometimes admits it. Here, the editors apologize for insisting that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Garry Trudeau, the guy behind Doonesbury, has a cover-featured interview in the current Rolling Stone. He does not speak well of his old fellow classmate, George W. Bush. Here's an excerpt from the piece and here's a news story that summarizes a little of what he said.

In 1996, I wrote the foreword to a collection of Li'l Abner comic strip reprints. It was an article about the 1959 Li'l Abner movie based on the musical stage production. In it, I mentioned an actress named Wynne Miller, who replaced Edie Adams on Broadway in the role of Daisy Mae, and I said she was the daughter of the famed bandleader, Glenn Miller. (I have this piece online. You can read it here.) It's taken until now — like, this morning — for anyone to catch this error. Wynne Miller is the niece of Glenn Miller, not his daughter.

Trying to figure out how I got this wrong, I dug out my file for that article. I interviewed seven different people who were involved with the Broadway and/or Hollywood versions and in every note I wrote where someone mentioned her, it says "Glenn Miller's daughter." It also says that in a news clipping that my researcher Xeroxed at the Academy library but that's not much of an excuse. I still should have cross-checked it.

My apologies to Ms. Miller…who is still performing, by the way, often in tributes to her late uncle. (See here and here for recent appearances.) I've made worse mistakes in my life but even the small ones nag at me.

Haven't mentioned it lately but I have been enormously impressed by the little maquettes (or statues or whatever you call them) that come from a company named Electric Tiki Design. In the past, I've been burned by figurines that, once you get them, never look quite as fine as they did in the catalog or on the website. Electric Tiki's actually look better. They have a number of different lines and I especially like the ones of the Harvey characters…like Baby Huey, seen at left. I was looking at some of them tonight on my dining room table and thinking, "Y'know, these could not be done any better." I mean, if you'd like to have a nice little statue of Richie Rich or Casper or Wendy or any of these characters in your home, they're absolutely perfect. They look just like they were drawn by Warren Kremer or Sid Couchey or any of the great Harvey artists. Order a couple and see if you don't agree.

The folks at the National Weather Service are revising their forecast for San Diego from July 22 through July 25. This is when a lot of us will be there for the Comic-Con International and it looks like it'll be at least 80 degrees most days, with lows between 65 and 70. And I'll bet if those numbers change, they'll go up. So pack accordingly.

But of course, you won't have to brave the heat if you spend your afternoons attending the panels I'm moderating.

As we predicted here, Universal Home Video is bringing out a boxed DVD set of the five Marx Brothers movies they control — Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers and Duck Soup. It's called The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection and it comes out in early November with a list price of $59.98, which means $45 to $50 since no one on this planet pays list price.

This, of course, will go on your shelf right next to your copy of The Marx Brothers Collection, the DVD set from Warner Home Video that includes A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, At The Circus, Go West, Room Service, The Big Store and A Night in Casablanca. If you don't have that one yet, you can order it from Amazon for $42. This means that by the end of this year, you'll be able to own every single Marx Brothers feature — apart from The Story of Mankind with its brief, pointless cameos — for under a hundred bucks.

So is that everything? Well, not quite. There's still Love Happy.

It's an easy movie to forget about. In fact, when Groucho and Harpo wrote their autobiographies, they did. But that won't make their last and least-enjoyable film go away…and if you buy the good ones, your "completist" genes will probably compel you to get the DVD of this one, too. You can order if from Amazon right now by clicking here. Go ahead. It's only thirteen bucks. Think how much more they'd charge if Groucho appeared for more than a couple of minutes in what is basically a Harpo movie with a lot of Chico. As one might expect, the DVD cover plays up Groucho's brief role and the even-briefer screen debut of Marilyn Monroe. She's in the film about as long as it takes her to inhale and exhale once…which, by the way, she did very well.

For the most part though, it's a pretty weak movie…and this DVD may (I don't know for sure) be weaker than it needs to be. The original theatrical release was 91 minutes but for years, the prints available for TV and on VHS have run 85 minutes, omitting some footage that helps the film considerably. The Laserdisc release was 91 minutes but this DVD is advertised as being 85 minutes long. This was probably a silly oversight but part of me suspects they did it deliberately so that one of these days, they can con me into buying a supplemental Love Happy DVD containing just the other six minutes.

If you think some politicians do a bad job of defending their past actions, you should have seen Wolf Blitzer being grilled on last night's installment of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. I'll post a link to the clip if and when they put it up on the Comedy Central website…but if you can catch a rerun, do so.