The best thing about going to Comic-Con is catching up with friends—such as my pals Mike and Lisa Pascale. This year I have to pass, but I’ll be back next year!

I first attended the San Diego Comic-Con—now renamed “Comic-Con International—in 1974. And I’ve gone most years since then.

But I’m skipping the con this year.

Instead, I’m staying home to work on a book. I’m not ready to talk about the book yet. (Call it the “Mystery Project” for now.) But I’m tremendously excited about it. And, in order to find time to write it, I need to cut something from my schedule. So <Sob!> I’m cutting Comic-Con this year.

Next year, though, I plan to be back!