A brief introduction:

My name is Paul Howley, owner of the Eisner Award winning pop culture collector’s store known as “That’s Entertainment” in Worcester, Massachusetts and a second store in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Some people have called me the “luckiest man in the comic book business.” (I’m not) My stores have been around for over thirty nine years and it’s been a long and interesting combination of events and people that have brought these stores to this current place. It is not my intent to boast or brag about my store or my life. I just want to tell you my story. In many instances, my wife remembers things a little differently, but this is the truth as I remember it.

 

The Current Cast of Characters:

Paul Howley: age 48

Mal Howley: age 49

Adam Howley: my son, age 21

Cassy Howley: my daughter, age 19

 

MY LIFE WITH COMIC BOOKS: THE HISTORY OF A COMIC SHOP:  Part #214

 

   We returned to Florida after spending several months in New Hampshire. Cassandra went back to college and a couple of weeks later, our houseguests began to visit. Scott and Stephanie Goddard, friends from New Hampshire, were our first guests, followed by Mal’s brother Richard and his wife Diane, and their son Keith and his wife Stephanie.

   In February, when it came time for the Super Bowl football game that year, our friends, Allan and Pascale Traylor came to spend some time with us. Then, two weeks later, April and Rick Stephens (friends from New Hampshire) came for two weeks. When they left, Jim and Barbara Foote (more friends from New Hampshire) arrived. In early March, more friends from New Hampshire, Mike and Liz Verhoeks, came for a week. While they were staying with us, Mike’s parents, Lloyd and Jeannine, joined us for some fun. This was followed by a visit with Russ and Jeanne Sample and then, a week later, we had Mal’s cousin Angelia and Mal’s sister Rose stay with us!

   During the time we spent with our guests, we were also working on details for Cassandra’s upcoming wedding. It was a bit more difficult than it could have been because we were living about 1000 miles away from where she wanted the ceremony to take place. Thankfully, for me, Cassandra and Mal had everything under control.

   It was around this time that our good friends from New Hampshire, Barbara and Jim Foote, came to stay with us for a week. While they were here they asked if we would want to buy tickets for a fundraising dinner to be held at The Winnipesaukee Expo Center on May 22, 2004. We had planned to leave Florida as soon as Cassandra was done with college that year to finish the wedding plans up there so we knew we’d be in New Hampshire at that time. It was $100.00 per couple and it included dinner, dancing, and there would be the potential to win some cash prizes. Even though the price was high, several of our friends would be going so we agreed to go.

   Cassandra finished up her sophomore year in college and we packed up the Florida house and got ready for our trip back to New Hampshire for the summer. One big problem was that now that our dear family friend Mary had moved back up to New York, we had no one to watch our Florida home while we were gone. Thankfully, we were able to ask Mary’s former Florida boyfriend, Alex, if he’d stay in our guest house. He accepted, so we were headed out.

   About a week after we got to New Hampshire, we went to the big fundraiser event with my sister Sharon and her husband Greg, and our friends, Mike and Liz, Eric and Linda, and Barbara and Jim. Each couple who attended was assigned a number for the cash door prizes. The organizers of the event put each couple’s number on the wall near the dance floor and at various times during the evening they’d pull a numbered ball out of a container. If your number was pulled, you would be eliminated from the competition for the cash prizes unless you were in the final fourteen couples. There were several $25.00 prizes, some $50.00 prizes, two $100.00 prizes, a $250.00 prize, a $500.00 prize, a $1000.00 prize, and a $10,000.00 prize. While we all enjoyed the good food (excellent tortellini!) Sharon and Greg’s number was pulled. They were eliminated. Then Eric and Linda and Mike and Liz were eliminated. After dinner, they hung around for a while and then went home. Barbara and Jim stayed with us and at one point I noticed that there were only about thirty numbers left on the wall. I suggested that we go over to the dance floor to be closer to the action as the night was drawing to a close. Unfortunately, Barbara and Jim’s number was pulled right before the first cash prize. I was excited because now I was guaranteed to get some money back!

   The $25.00 prizes were won. Then, the $50.00 and $100.00 prizes were won. This is going to be great! We had a fun night with friends, the food was very good (did I mention the tortellini?), and we were going to win at least $250.00! The $250.00 prize was won. Then the $500.00 prize was given away. Mal and I and one other couple were left on the dance floor excitedly waiting to see what happened next. Someone was going to win $1000.00 and the final winner was going home with the $10,000.00 prize!

   Before they drew the final winning number, I quickly spoke with Mal and then we offered to split the total prize money with the remaining couple. So, instead of one couple getting $1000.00 and the other couple getting $10,000.00, we would each end up with $5500.00. This seemed like a perfect plan to me but the other couple wanted to try to get the big $10,000.00 prize for themselves.

   The suspense was killing us, but when they finally pulled the next number, the other couple ended up with the $1000.00 and we won the grand prize of $10,000.00! With a wedding coming up, we could really put some of this money to good use.

   PS. I had never won anything of significance before!