In case you didn't pick up a copy at San Diego Comic-Con, never made it to Comic-Con, or never intended on going, but love reading JennyPop's work ... voila! Reprinted from the official 2014 SDCC Souvenir Book. Enjoy!

Am I Mortal? You Are Now: 20 Years of Hellboy, and Counting

by

Jennifer Susannah Devore

Here, Sheldon. I pulled the new Hellboy for you. It's mind-blowing!

-Stuart Bloom, The Big Bang Theory

Being human is a pain in the ass: heart-shattering emotion, physical limitations, that unrelenting shoulder-tap called mortality. Any wonder the knell of immortality, even human-hybrid versions, is so alluring? Not simply a fantasy world of superheroes keeping it tight and right, the mass appeal is a micro-fantasy of vicarious athanasia, preternatural strength and invulnerability: forever swinging on that top branch. Sure, weakness abounds, even for the eternal: religious vestiges, beheadings, spells, Kryptonite, wooden stakes, domestic beer. Still, ruination-odds are worth the eternity-payoff. Conversely, what a quandary it is when immortals bemoan their gifts, even forfeiting them to join the Muggle world. Who knew pancakes, cigars and television were so bewitching?

Johnny Cash wrote it best ... (Though, I'm still waiting for No Doubt or Weezer to cover it.)

I've been to ...
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.

I haven't exactly been everywhere; yet, I have been to far more places than I can list or count on all the digits at an Inland Empire Mensa meeting. Generally, unlike the grand Johnny, I tend to reference countries and states, perhaps the notable cities and Metropoli. For the non-Johnnys, 'tis impossible to list every city, town, hamlet and burg ... although I did try one afternoon and it was exhausting, and took an entire afternoon. (I certainly should have been editing my current novel instead of playing on Facebook.)

The particular Facebook time-suck in question was an application sponsored by Trip Advisor called Cities I've Visited. (I have since abandoned FB altogether, primarily based on such time-suckiness.) If I'm being entirely truthful, it was the Only Child in me that spurred me to finally attack the app. and begin the torture of pinning, via a simple zoom-in-and-out map, all the places I've visited so far. Much like the childish competition that has ended in so many of said vacations, the O.C. in me (Only Child as well as, I suppose Orange County)does not like to be left out of activities and absolutely does not like to learn when others are headed for destinations when I am not. Many a trip began with this impetus. (I know: shallow, inane and infantile. I'm me, nice to meet you.)