TNJ: Excuse me, have you seen The Nostalgia Journal?

BISHOFF: Yes, I did see that.

TNJ: What did you think of it, Murray?

BISHOFF: Well, it's interesting. I heard the ads don't pull all that much.

TNJ: Who told you that?

BISHOFF: Bruce Hamilton did. Um, we, of course, encourage competition. We'd like to see something come out like this. However, we also like to see proof that there are 10,000 circulation.

TNJ: Where do they claim 10,000 circulation?

BISHOFF: That's what I was told.

LIGHT: (off mike) Don't put them (The Nostalgia Journal) down, Murray! Don't put them down!

BISHOFF: (holding a copy of TNJ in his hands, bewildered) Don't put it down? I don't know. I was told there was 10,000 circulation. Do you see it here? I don't see it.

TNJ: Yes, there it is (reading indicia).

BISHOFF: Yes, okay. Well, I know, addressing 6,000 Buyer's Guides, I know that if...

TNJ: Do you do all the addressing yourself?

BISHOFF: Yes, yes. And I tie them all up and I sack them.

TNJ: Do you assemble the ads too?

BISHOFF: No, he (pointing to Alan) does that. He has to do something.

TNJ: Alan, what do you think of this (TNJ)? Alan? He's walking away from the tape recorder. Come here Alan. Alan?

BISHOFF: He'll be back. He's not running away from you.

TNJ: Oh, I think so.

BISHOFF: I know if you guys addressed 10,000 of those things, you'd never do it again!

TNJ: You might have a point, Murray. Who does the censoring of the ads?

BISHOFF: No ads are ever censored.

TNJ: Ever?

BISHOFF: Except when we almost got a lawsuit thrown at us from Joe Brancatelli. After that, we had to...

TNJ: Could you tell us about that.

BISHOFF: Well, you know what Joe said... Well, actually Joe didn't try to sue us.

TNJ: Who did then?

BISHOFF: You know what Joe said about Roy Thomas? You know, that "Roy Thomas Is a Liar" business. You know the fiasco we had about Inside Comix? Well, let's see: Mr. Brancatelil made some comments about Mr. Thomas that Mr. Thomas didn't like and Mr. Thomas rebutted them, so Mr. Brancatelli came back with a full page ad in the Buyer's Guide that said "Roy Thomas Is A Liar." Now, because he did this, any ads that are published, which are slanderous, not only is the advertiser at fault, but the publisher of the ad is at fault.

TNJ: Didn't Alan know he'd be held responsible for this beforehand?

BISHOFF: He never ran into a situation...

TNJ: And another question: Is that slanderous or libelous?

BISHOFF: Uh, I don't remember what, but Mr. Thomas was planning to sue.

TNJ: Was he going to sue you or Alan?

BISHOFF: No, he'd have to sue Brancatelli and us jointly. But because we had nothing to do with it...

TNJ: You ran the ad, didn't you?

BISHOFF: Joe sent us this, and said, "Would you print this, because he rebutted me."

TNJ: But why would you print that libelous ad and not print an ad for The Nostalgia Journal?

BISHOFF: Well, that's competition.

TNJ: But the RBCC printed an ad for the Buyer's Guide. That's how you got started, isn't it?

BISHOFF: Yeah, that's true!

TNJ: You just think they're fools for doing it?

BISHOFF: Oh, no. I don't think anybody's stupid. You're trying to put words in my mouth. I know you're Democrats.

TNJ: I bet you're a Republican, Murray.

BISHOFF: You're right.

TNJ: Alright...

BISHOFF: Are you trying to say something to me? I'm really trying to figure out what I'm...

TNJ: Well, we're trying to figure out what you're trying to say.

BISHOFF: Well, that may be the hardest part.

TNJ: I think so.

BISHOFF: Well, anyway, Mr. Thomas decided not to file any charges because he'd have to sue us jointly. If we published a full page retraction saying we didn't have anything to do with that, then he wouldn't sue. There's a problem there, just running anything that anyone wanted to put in. David Alexander and Terry Stroud ran a cartoon, not being very nice about Mr. Rogofsky. Mr. Rogofsky could've sued them about that. But, see, we took a word out of that which saved a lawsuit in the cartoon.

TNJ: What was the word?

BISHOFF: Well, you see, he called Mr. Rogofsky, "Ripoffsky," Okay?

TNJ: Yeah. Did he use the name Rogofsky?

BISHOFF: No, but it was obvious what he was trying to do.

TNJ: That's not libelous, though.

LIGHT: (in the background, to Murray) What are they talking about?

BISHOFF: I don't know. I'm trying to wear out his tape.

TNJ: (To Alan) Well, Alan, come on over here and get in range of the microphone.

LIGHT: You're blocking my table.

TNJ: I'm sorry. (Moves). Excuse me. Alan, I was talking to Murray. We had a very interesting conversation. I'd like to get your reactions to The Nostalgia Journal. Have you seen it, first of all?

LIGHT: I'm not going to say anything.

TNJ: You're not going to say anything?

LIGHT: Not a thing.

TNJ: Well, you have or you have not seen TNJ. You don't know if you've seen it or not? You either have or have not seen it.

LIGHT: Well, since there's one laying there, obviously, yes.

TNJ: So, why don't you want to say anything, Alan?

LIGHT: Cause I don't.

TNJ: Why?

LIGHT: (Silence.)

TNJ: I'd like to ask a couple other questions. Alan, what about your policy in regards to censorship? Could you elaborate on that?

LIGHT: No.

TNJ: Why couldn't you?

LIGHT: (Silence.)

TNJ: Why couldn't you? You have nothing to say?

LIGHT: Because I don't censor ads.

TNJ: You don't censor ads at all?

LIGHT: No.

TNJ: How are Dynapub's Flashback selling?

BISHOFF: Well...

TNJ: Well, what?

BISHOFF: Very well.

TNJ: Well, about how many copies have you sold?

BISHOFF: I haven't the faintest idea. I don't know how many we brought.

TNJ: What do you do at Dynapubs, Murray?

BISHOFF: Mail department and general consultant.

TNJ: You're in the Mail Department at Dynapubs and you don't know how many copies you sold?

BISHOFF: Yeah.

TNJ: W6uld anyone know at Dynapubs?

BISHOFF: Maybe.

TNJ: Maybe, who?

BISHOFF: I didn't say, "Maybe, who," I said, Maybe.

TNJ: Well, maybe, who would know?

BISHOFF:I don't know.

TNJ: You don't know who would know, but maybe someone would know, but you don't know who?

BISHOFF: Now you got it, now you got it. No, really, you're blocking my table. I can't sell anything with you louts here.

TNJ: Are you calling us louts?

BISHOFF: Yes.

TNJ: That was definitely slander, Murray.

BISHOFF: But you don't have any witnesses.

TNJ: Murray, how would I go getting a column in TBG?

BISHOFF: You can't.

TNJ: Why?

BISHOFF: I wouldn't let you.

TNJ: Why wouldn't you let me?

BISHOFF: Because I have a column in The Buyer's Guide.

TNJ: What you're saying is that my column would automatically be better than yours?

BISHOFF: No.

TNJ: Well, if it wouldn't be better than yours...

BISHOFF: I have a monopoly on stupid statements.

TNJ: Why are you so outspoken?

BISHOFF: Because I go to a small Lutheran college in Illinois and I'm Presbyterian, that's why.

TNJ: We thought your only religion was The Buyer's Guide.

BISHOFF: No comment.

TNJ: Can we ask you another question?

BISHOFF: No.

TNJ: Have you read the Constitution of the United States?

BISHOFF: I don't -- Yes, I did.

TNJ: Have you read the Bill of Rights?

BISHOFF: Yes.

TNJ: Have you read the First Amendment?

BISHOFF: Probably.

TNJ: Do you know what it says?

BISHOFF: I imagine so, although I couldn't quote it now.

TNJ: Would you like to paraphrase it?

BISHOFF: No, would you like to paraphrase it for me?

TNJ: Basically, it says that Congress shall make no law, abridging, among other things, Freedom of the Press.

BISHOFF: Okay, I'll grant you that.

TNJ: Do you believe in Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: Yes.

TNJ: Do you practice Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: I'm not a Journalist, so I can't say.

TNJ: Well, you have a publication, do you not?

BISHOFF: No. I work for a publication, I do not own a publication.

TNJ: But you do have influence with it.

BISHOFF: Uh, no.

TNJ: You have no influence at all with TBG?

BISHOFF: Not any more than anybody else.

TNJ: Has you ever talked to Alan about Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: No.

TNJ: Has Alan ever talked to you about Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: No.

TNJ: Does Alan believe in Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: He's for impeachment of Nixon. Let that answer your question.

TNJ: That doesn't answer my question.

BISHOFF: Yes it does.

TNJ: No it doesn't.

BISHOFF: You think about it.

TNJ: Well, why don't you explain how it answers our question.

BISHOFF: I'd rather not. I'd rather sell some fanzines and GET THESE LOUTS OUTTA HERE!!!

TNJ: Murray, can we come up to your room tonight and talk about Freedom of the Press?

BISHOFF: No.

TNJ: Why not?

BISHOFF: I won't be in the room tonight.

TNJ: Where will you be?

BISHOFF: I have an all-night party.

TNJ: Where is this all-night party?

BISHOFF: Oh, I can't tell you that.

TNJ: Why can't you tell us that?

BISHOFF: Well, you see, there was a newspaper in our town about 70 years ago, that published where people were at parties at night, and I can't let information get out that might get in a newspaper like that. See?

TNJ: Well, don't worry. We're not working for a newspaper like that.

BISHOFF: Then, why do you want to know about Freedom of he Press?

TNJ: We just wanted to know your views on Freedom of the Press. And obscenity. I didn't mention that one. How about obscenity and pornography?

BISHOFF: I don't appreciate it.

TNJ: Don't appreciate what?

BISHOFF: Obscenity. I don't have it in my column.

LIGHT: (Walking down the aisle with Phil Seuling) Murray, stop answering his questions.

At this point. Light returned with con chairman, Phil Seuling. Because of his apparent inability to answer any questions himself and fear of what Murray might reveal about the inner workings of his "empire." Light once again demonstrated his bold leadership capabilities, ability to make quick decisions and master any situation. He told Seuling to tell us to leave.

Seuling rhetorically asked us if this was our table and strongly suggested we leave. The spirit of the moment had by now left us. so we bid hearty goodbyes to Alan, and Murray and turned our backs on this travesty of a once-meaningful and fulfilling hobby.