I Think I Can Manage is a weekly column by retailer Steven Bates, who runs Bookery Fantasy, a million dollar retail operation in Fairborn, Ohio.  This week Bates looks at the plight of comic creator William Messner-Loebs and comes away inspired.

Newsarama reported this week that comic book artist and writer William Messner-Loebs has fallen on hard times.  Relating a story that first appeared in the Detroit News, Messner-Loebs is described as being nearly homeless, with numerous medical expenses for his wife, and no long-term job prospects in or out of the comics industry.  A petition has started on-line to sway comic book publishers to hire Mr. Messner-Loebs; I was the 622nd signature as of noon Monday.  As I read about the plight of this talented man, who shepherded such successful series as Wonder Woman, Flash, Thor, Maxx, and the creator-owned Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine McAleister, I couldn't help but think of other 'forgotten' comic book veterans.  Remembering the fate of Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who sued DC numerous times over royalties and remuneration, and who suffered for many years at poverty levels while the publisher made millions with the characters they created, I became angry.  My knee-jerk reaction was to blame the publishers, to cry 'Foul!' (and other four-letter words), and dash off a nasty e-mail to set those corporate b******s straight.

But then I actually read Messner-Loebs comments in the Detroit News.  This was no vitriolic, litiginous, angry old fart lamenting his fate and blaming 'the Man' for his woes.  Messner-Loebs was surprisingly optimistic.  'I'm still here.  I'm still warm and dry and safe.  The car's still going.  After a while you learn being angry and bitter and saying 'Why me?' all the time only makes you feel worse.  It's better to laugh.'

Here's a guy with every reason to complain: he lost one arm as an infant, and grew up with a physical disability that would've incapacitated some folks.  His wife Nadine was mugged and permanently injured several years ago, preventing her from holding a steady job.  He was in a near-fatal car accident, lost his home, and then lost a trailer that was purchased for him and his wife by the comic book creator's support fund, ACTOR.  After numerous commercial and critical successes as a writer, he was seemingly forgotten, ignored by the major comic book companies.  And how does this down-on-his-luck guy react?

'It's better to laugh.'

Okay, that's it--I'm jumping on William Messner-Loeb's band-wagon.  As I said above, I've already signed the petition politely requesting some publisher somewhere re-hire this man, or, at the very least, bring back into print some of the classic tales Messner-Loebs spun over the years; even residuals from trade paperbacks would  help right about now.  But what I'm talking about goes beyond a job.  It goes inward, down deep inside, lifting the spirit up and out of whatever doldrums it's mired in.  Call it eternal optimism, the power of positive thinking, or foolhardy naivete, I'm on-board with William Messner-Loebs.  At least for today, I've got a new outlook on life, a better attitude about things, and a mantra to carry me through my darkest hours.

'It's better to laugh.'

Good luck, Bill and Nadine.  And 'Thank you.'