<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document>
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10">
<link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C7EA4D.D8B57320">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:DoNotRelyOnCSS/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:SpellingState>Clean</w:SpellingState>
<w:GrammarState>Clean</w:GrammarState>
<w:DocumentKind>DocumentEmail</w:DocumentKind>
<w:EnvelopeVis/>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
        {mso-style-parent:"";
        margin:0in;
        margin-bottom:.0001pt;
        mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
        font-size:12.0pt;
        font-family:"Times New Roman";
        mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
        {color:blue;
        text-decoration:underline;
        text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
        {color:purple;
        text-decoration:underline;
        text-underline:single;}
span.EmailStyle17
        {mso-style-type:personal-reply;
        mso-style-noshow:yes;
        mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
        mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
        font-family:Arial;
        mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;
        mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;
        mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
        color:windowtext;}
span.SpellE
        {mso-style-name:"";
        mso-spl-e:yes;}
span.GramE
        {mso-style-name:"";
        mso-gram-e:yes;}
@page Section1
        {size:8.5in 11.0in;
        margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
        mso-header-margin:.5in;
        mso-footer-margin:.5in;
        mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
        {page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
        {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
        mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
        mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
        mso-style-noshow:yes;
        mso-style-parent:"";
        mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
        mso-para-margin:0in;
        mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
        mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
        font-size:10.0pt;
        font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='tab-interval:.5in'>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'> </span>I
just received the San Diego Comic Con “freebie” packet </span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Gary</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> was so
gracious to send many of us. I really enjoyed it. The Groo fan art was
especially fun to check out. Thank you </span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Gary</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'> </span>I
must admit I too felt at a somewhat loss after seeing the results of Usagi and
Groo’s encounter. I find it very odd Groo would ever slash his own head
off by accident. After all even though he may be inept, if there is anything
Groo is good at, it is swordplay. As I understood it, the whole idea about Groo
being the best swordsman is because of his ignorance. Wasn’t the whole “Zen”
thing the concept of the monks training Groo in swordplay? Zen is about doing,
not thinking. That is exactly why Groo DOES what he does best.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'> </span>Apart
from feeling empty at the last image panel, it kind of made me feel hollow.
Obviously it would be difficult for any artist, including Stan, to kill off
their own character. I suppose then, that is why he chose to set up the
encounter so neither of them ever had to actually fight the other. I have never
gotten into the Usagi series, but I would have at least preferred it if the
encounter ended in a situation more similar to when Conan fought Red Sonja. Perhaps
in the end the two swordsmen could collapse of exhaustion, then go eat some
cheese dip and timothy hay peacefully together afterward.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>_<i><span style='font-style:italic'>TONE</span></i>_<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>