High school ended. Watching my friends crop off into relationships or go off to college, kind of left me in a weird headspace. At the time, it just seemed better to sit and figure things out until I had a plan. In the winter of 2001, the highlight of my life was two chili dogs for $3.50 and a trip to the flea market every Wednesday. What began as a way to score Johnny Cash records transpired into sifting through bins of sallow comics, which is where I picked up American Splendor #4, which I still own.