Forty-three years ago this month, a friend of mine got his first writing credit. It was in a comic-book, and it was the weirdest (and possibly best) comic book ever: a sophisticated absurdist comic called “Herbie.” Herbie was a fat little boy who was viewed as worthless by his father, but who was capable of seemingly anything, including flight, magic, communicating with animals, traveling in time, serving as lady’s man to Cleopatra, and dryly solving the world’s problems while slowly sucking a lollipop. Given the theme and the audience it spoke to, I’m surprised this comic was ever canceled.

For the September, 1965 issue, the winners were announced of a contest to plot the latest adventure of Herbie. One of the prizes went to a guy named Marv Wolfman, who later created Blade the Vampire Hunter, most of the New Teen Titans, and many of Superman’s more memorable supporting characters of the past 30 years, who created the newly definitive Lex Luthor (not so much an inventor of easily smashed giant robots, but rather a supremely immoral corporate raider who later becomes president), and who at one time was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Marv Wolfman is the guy who came in second. The guy who came in first was my friend Rich Roesberg.

Here is Scott! Shaw’s remembrance of Herbie, and that winning story.

Here’s something from the Times of London that I haven’t see in U.S. media (although I’m sure I just missed it):  background on the “Kenyan witchhunter” who laid hands on Sarah Palin and prayed to God for her gubernatorial election. Don’t snicker:  She won, and she credits him with her victory (with an assist from God).

Also on the same page, note the animated banner on the top, which shows a deranged cartoon George W. Bush riding into the sunset. I take it that, like most Americans, the Brits eagerly await this event.  The cartoon leaves out one salient detail:  the land he’s leaving behind him should look more like a charred ruin.

Chris Wojcieszyn, recalling how excited I was earlier at the prospect of seeing A Flock of Seagulls perform live for the first time in decades, informs me that the band is playing here in LA Friday night and, to quote, Chris, “They are the headline act so maybe they will show up at this one….”

I won’t be there to find out.

Nice to see Alan Moore still out there promoting his films. At various times, he’s been out there for “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” “From Hell,” “V for Vendetta,” and now “Watchmen.” In all cases, his pitch has been the same:  Don’t go see it.

This just in. Maybe Obama is winning.

As Nancy Pelosi famously remarked, “Elections have consequences.” This is important to remember:  The contest this fall between McCain and Obama is not just about who will sit in the White House; it’s largely about who will sit beside that person throughout all levels of government — tens of thousands of appointees.

Take the case of Christopher Cox, an unmissed former Congressman from Southern California whom “President” Bush appointed to the chairmanship of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Want to know why Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch have collapsed? Look no further than Cox and his predecessor, who removed provisions designed to ensure the stability of these institutions. Is there a direct line of political contributions and favors between the principal players at these failed firms and the powers-that-be responsible for these rules changes? I suspect so.

(In the interest of fair indictment, it’s worth noting that Cox’s nomination was approved unanimously by the Senate. So don’t expect any of those Democrats to come out blazing against him.)

A couple of weeks ago I did finally buy a new iPhone. The video below shows why.

(And by the way, I thought I was buying the product shown in the video. But as every guy learns quickly enough, it turns out I was only renting it.)

Time to check again to see if the Large Hardron Collider has destroyed the world yet. Hm. Looks okay.

Now, let’s see if years of banking and insurance deregulation have destroyed the world economy yet. Uh oh.

Stan Lee is the speaker at this month’s Hollywood Networking Breakfast. ‘Nuff said.

By the way, one link on the site above promises “History of Breakfast.” Which I expected to begin with “mastodon.” But no.

For almost three months now, my state of California has been operating without a budget, which has made me irate (as I noted here and here). Like the House of Usher, the entire economy seems to be slipping into the tarn, but the legislature in California has been unable to get its act together and pass a budget. In a classic case of chicken, the GOP has insisted on draconian cuts, while the Democrats have insisted on more taxes instead, with both parties refusing to budge. (And Schwarzenegger, as a governor with no party loyalty to call upon, appearing utterly powerless in this ideological death match.) In the meantime, state workers have been laid off, vendors aren’t getting paid, and schools and communities and who knows what else have been going unfunded.

Today I went to the opening of the Democratic Party of San Fernando Valley’s campaign headquarters. It was a mob scene. It was like the turnout of an Obama rally, without the rally space. If this is any indication of excitement about Obama and fear of Palin (and it largely isn’t), the reports of McCain’s impending electoral victory have been greatly exaggerated. (Especially when one figures in Obama’s just-announced $66 million fundraising month.)

I ducked back outside for air and saw Karo Torossian, one of Assemblyman Paul Krekorian’s aides. I’ve written here several times of my admiration for my assemblyman. (I’m one of his delegates.) Before I could ask Karo where Paul was, he told me that Paul was running late and might not make it — the state Speaker, Karen Bass, had just set a conference call for 3:30. On a Sunday. I could figure what that was about. Anyone could have.

“They better pass a budget,” I said.

Karo said something like, “They have to pass a budget that protects against cuts….”

“They better pass a budget,” I repeated, being well aware of the statewide bipartisan anger over this issue. People who had lost their jobs or gone without pay were literally in tears on the news or the radio every day.

Well, it looks like they’ve got a budget, and one that will pass. As this story in the Sacramento Bee avers, it’s a budget that nobody likes. It looks like there will be further cuts and no new taxes.

But at least they’ve got a budget. Eleven weeks after its passage was mandated by law.