PROFESSIONAL LIAR RETURNS! My short story RAIN-HAT SAM storms into comic book shops this week

Art by Ed Catto

My latest short story will hit comic book stores this Wednesday, July 24, a prose adventure in the back pages of the AHOY Comics book Project Cryptid # 11.

"Rain-Hat Sam" stars a preposterous superhero I created when I was a kid. Our Sam is a (presumably) heroic figure whose magic hat makes it rain, but the magic hat only makes it rain on Rain-Hat Sam. A silly idea, even for a (presumably) creative adolescent.

But damned if I didn't make it work, here in my current capacity as a (presumably) grown-up storyteller. The resulting short story is a love letter to DC Comics superhero books of the 1960s, specifically to the filler strips like Super Turtle and Cap's Hobby Hints that appeared amidst advertising pages placed in between the (presumably) more-important pages of the funnybook's actual story. The events of my little tale are kinda like what might happen if Super Turtle had been called forth to participate in Crisis On Infinite Earths. Ol' Super Turtle wasn't available; the task fell instead to Rain-Hat Sam.

Rain-Hat Sam THEN...

...Rain-Hat Sam NOW!!

And super kudos to artist Ed Catto, who perfectly recreated my long-ago notion of what Rain-Hat Sam looks like, albeit in a considerably better-drawn rendition. Ed did this with no reference materials other than the text itself, yet it precisely matches my vision of Rain-Hat Sam. Thanks, Ed!

If you don't already have a preferred local resource for new comic books, you can use Comic Shop Locator to find a comics retailer near you. I recommend calling ahead to see if the store stocks AHOY's titles; if they don't have Project Cryptid # 11 in stock, most stores can order it for you.

And so we direct you to the adventures of an unlikely superhero called Rain-Hat Sam. My inner child is thrilled. Hell, my outer child is pretty enthused, too. Let justice rain.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available for order; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.

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