Scott Edelman

A selfie in front of the scrim for the Adventures of Kabalier and Klay.

It’s time for a night at the opera!

Only you can prevent cyber attacks. Trust no one, verify everyone.

I do not find either of these two messages received in our cookies after this afternoon’s dim sum to be an acceptable fortune.

A COVID-19 test with a negative result.

About to head to NYC in order to say a few words about Marie Severin as she’s inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, and as has been my habit these past five years, I’ve tested to make sure I’m cleared for takeoff. Glad I won’t have to let Marie down!

I can think of no one else I’d rather be channeled by!

Don’t worry, John — someday we’ll break bread again and you can ask all the questions about my Bullpen past you want! And thanks again for such a fun conversation and sharing your wisdom with my listeners.

John across the table from me seen over his brisket, ribs, chili, and corn.

Episode 265 of Eating the Fantastic is live with guest @johnpicacio.bsky.social! Eavesdrop on our lunch and learn why he thinks of a book as a person he needs to introduce at a party, how as a creator he'd rather be a marathon runner than a sprinter — and more. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...

Howard Chaykin's sketch of Iron Wolf in repose, looking at the reader, sword at his hip.

Happy 75th birthday to comics creator Howard Chaykin, who drew this fanboy a sketch of his Ironwolf character while crouched in a hallway of the Statler Hilton Hotel at one of Phil Seuling’s July 4th weekend comic book conventions back when he was 21 and I was 17. Tempus fugit!

This afternoon's treadmill TV took me to the end of the John le Carré documentary The Pigeon Tunnel. As I watched, all the talk of his scam artist father reminded me of my bookie grandfather who did time for his crime, and I found myself regretting we never had an honest conversation about his life.

When I was leaving Glasgow on the way home from the 1995 Worldcon, I was asked by customs whether I had anything to declare, and I explained I had several cans of haggis to give to my friends. I was then told in the thickest of Scottish accents: "Sonny, you don't give haggis to your FRIENDS."

The front cover to The Mighty World of Marvel #1, which is dated October 7, 1972 and cost 5p. Pictured are The Hulk, The Thing, Spider-Man, The Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, and the Invisible Woman. Text: Free! Green-skinned monster T-shirt transfer The World's Greatest Superheroes! We've got a great mystery surprise for every reader! See page 20! Flame On! 3 big supernatural movie length adventures The Amazing Spider-Man! The Incredible Hulk! The fabulous Fantastic Four!

It was 53 years ago today a momentous event occurred that would change my life, though I didn't realize it at the time — for ton that date Mighty World of Marvel #1 was published, launching a line of weekly UK reprints of Marvel comics, which I was eventually hired to edit on June 24, 1974.

My story "What Am I This Time?" has just gone live in the latest issue of @kaleidotrope.bsky.social. I hope you like it! kaleidotrope.net/autumn-2025/...

Exhausting for me so it won't be exhausting for you! It's what my listeners and guests deserve.

And now I am verklempt.

A screen grab of the sound waves of our voices in GarageBand, reflecting all those snips and a time stamp of 01:18:10.033.

For those who like knowing how Eating the Fantastic's podcast sausage is made: editing the raw audio for my chat with @johnpicacio.bsky.social to make it more pleasing for your ears took 735 snips, removing 9 minutes, 39 seconds of irrelevancies. Please eavesdrop later this week! pod.link/1083737796

Front cover to Gahan Wilson's Cracked Cosmos, which features a cartoon reversing the Jaws image. A shark is swimming up above, while below, a giant human face rises up, mouth wide.

Just checked my copy of Cracked Cosmos, and it's not in there either.

Thanks for trying! I wonder if it was a New Yorker cartoon after all ...

All Gahan Wilson is good, but the one I remember was black and white and I *think* from F&SF.

I'm trying to locate a Gahan Wilson cartoon I'd like to share with someone, and my online search skills have failed me. It features the weary looking owner of a diner by a sign which reads OPEN 24 HOURS. He's telling one of his customers at the counter, "I'm thinking of taking on help." Anyone?

I'm just not happy. Can you talk to me? The sender is not in your contact list. Report junk.

Today in spam texts to which I won't be responding.

This had me in tears. I hope if I ever see something like this, I can find it in myself to act like that. I hope the same for you.

I don’t know whether an Amtrak train which left New York last night at 12:23 and arrived in Baltimore this morning at 5:51 can be called a red eye, but whatever the nomenclature, that’s what brought me home from my 33 hours in Manhattan. And even though I did my best to sleep … I still need a nap.

Actually, this was likely the fourth and final intermission, not the first. Sorry about that!

It was!

The two of us sitting side-by-side in the theater, masked.

Selfie with Liz Gorinsky at 7:55 p.m., as the first intermission of asses.masses — which started at 1:00 — began. And it wasn’t all over until 9:25. You shoulda been there! (I’ll probably have more to say once I’ve finished processing.)

Definitely worth a visit. Glad I made it right after it opened with him behind the grill, though, because he isn’t always there.

Something of a selfie with George Motz waving from behind the griddle at Hamburger America. Only half of my face can be seen.

Spent my time downing that Double Smash Burger while chatting with George Motz about Calvin Trillin, Kenny Shopsin, and other foodie legends. Turns out he was tossed out of Shopsin’s by Kenny — twice!

A photo of me holding up that burger on a white plate, only my thumb visible. Behind is a fuzzy George Motz, looking down at his burger buns.

Because all the munchies we’ll be served during today’s eight-hour asses.masses event will be vegetarian, I decided to start the day with a Double Smash Burger from Hamburger America — cooked up by the burger scholar himself, George Motz, who can be seen in a blur behind my perfectly cooked cow.

Circle graphics from Fitbit indicating my achievements as well as the numbers. 17,620 Steps 8.62 Miles 4,040 Calories 25 Floors

What Manhattan did to me yesterday. All those floors are almost entirely due to having climbed The Vessel.

YES, THIS.

A COVID-19 test with a negative result, photographed against a background of the wooden end table in my hotel room.

Awake in NYC, and looking forward to today’s eight-hour immersive production, which I expect to be even stranger than yesterday’s Viola’s Room. But first — make sure I’ll be no threat to any other member of the audience! www.assesmasses.work