_
      I
      was
      innocently
      walking
      into
     
     
      the
      computer
      lab
      in
      the
      Cass
      Building
     
     
      while
      contemplating
      what
      to
      write
     
     
      about
      for
      The
      Cadre,
      when
      I
      was
      visu-
     
     
      ally
      molested
      by
      a
      puke-green
      adver-
     
     
      tisement
      lying
      on
      the
      floor.
      My
      inter-
     
     
      est
      sparked,
      I
      read
      the
      title
      and
      it
      turns
     
     
      out
      this
      ad
      was
      for
      the
      goings-on
      at
      the
     
     
      Comic
      Hunter.
      I
      enjoy
      Dungeons
      and
     
     
      Dragons
      and
      Magic
      cards,
      so
      I
      was
     
     
      pleased
      to
      see
      that
      there
      were
      others
     
     
      that
      also
      revel
      in
      the
      sport
      and
      decided
     
     
      to
      go
      and
      investigate.
      (I
      much
      prefer
     
     
      watching
      than
      actually
      playing,
      as
      I
     
     
      find
      most
      times
      I
      get
      too
      excited
      and
     
     
      end
      up
      impaling
      my
      opponent
      with
     
     
      some
      kind
      of
      sharp
      instrument.)
     
    

    
     
      Now
      all
      I
      have
      to
      do
      is
      to
      find
      this
     
     
      "Comic
      Hunter"
      alluded
      to
      on
      the
     
     
      piece
      of
      paper,
      and
      my
      adventure
      will
     
     
      begin.
      Ah,
      here
      we
      go,
      63
      University
     
     
      Avenue.
      Crap,
      where
      is
      that?
      Luckily
     
     
      there
      is
      more
      in-depth
      explanation,
     
     
      "close
      to
      parliament
      house."
      Using
      my
     
     
      powerful
      skills
      of
      deductive
      reasoning
     
     
      I
      assume
      they
      mean
      Province
      House,
     
     
      and
      begin
      to
      make
      my
      way
      there.
     
     
      Upon
      my
      arrival
      I
      see
      moder-
     
     
      ate
      amounts
      of
      hustle
      and
      bustle.
      A
     
     
      rousing
      game
      of
      Magic
      cards
      playing
     
     
      in
      the
      centre
      of
      the
      store,
      and
      two
      other
     
     
      loiterers
      hanging
      out
      towards
      the
      back
     
     
      mulling
      over
      printouts.
      Thinking
      this
     
     
      inappropriate,
      I
      contemplate
      whether
     
     
      or
      not
      I
      should
      go
      and
      bust
      up
      their
     
     
      shit
      for
      cluttering
      the
      otherwise
      organ-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PAPEL
      IL
      TSAI
      S
      SF
      2
      Fe
      F
     
     
      ‘SE
      FPIIL
      IPL
      I
      FIP
      FS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      See
      RSE
      RK
      Ta
      KY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hunting
      for
      Comics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Scott
      FLEMMING
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      \
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sterotypical
      game.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      before
      you
      pass
      judgment,
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      more
      healthy
      then
      drinking
      yourself
      into
      a
      coma.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ized
      establishment.
      Before
      I
      can
      make
     
     
      such
      a
      choice,
      I
      am
      greeted
      by
      the
     
     
      store's
      owner
      Jeff
      Smith.
      —
     
    

    
     
      "No,
      no,
      I'm
      not
      buying
      any-
     
     
      thing."
     
    

    
     
      Then
      I
      inform
      him
      that
      I
      am
     
     
      doing
      a
      piece
      for
      The
      Cadre
      and
      he
     
     
      gives
      me
      some
      background
      on
      the
     
     
      store
      —
      inadvertently
      quieting
      my
     
     
      qualms
      about
      the
      copious
      amounts
      of
     
     
      loiterers
      around.
      Apparently,
      he
     
     
      WANTS
      these
      people
      to
      be
      here,
      even
     
     
      when
      they
      are
      not
      buying
      things.
     
     
      "Unconventional"
      |
      think
      to
      myself,
     
     
      but
      a
      good
      idea.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      their
      decks
      organ-
     
     
      ized
      and
      selected
      an
      opti-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mum
      arrangement
      (each
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      individual
      card
      in
      a
      pro-
     
     
      tective
      wrapper)
      the
      argu-
     
     
      ments
      over
      strategy
      and
     
     
      rules
      begin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Taking
      a
      closer
      look
      around,
      I
     
     
      notice
      the
      place
      is
      set
      up
      in
      the
      inten-
     
     
      tion
      of
      having
      people
      stay
      for
      hours
      on
     
     
      end.
      There
      are
      chairs
      and
      tables,
      a
      tel-
     
     
      evision
      and
      VCR,
      and
      surprisingly
     
     
      decent
      music
      playing.
      But
      the
      main
     
     
      event
      was
      the
      bathroom.
      Booyah!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      That
      bad-boy
      was
      clean
      and
      open
      for
     
     
      business.
      I
      think
      this
      may
      be
      the
      only
     
     
      (non-restaurant)
      establishment
      I
      have
     
     
      been
      in
      where
      they
      don't
      frown
      upon
     
     
      use,
      or
      at
      least
      tuck
      away
      the
      facilities
     
     
      so
      they
      will
      hardly
      be
      used.
     
     
      As
      |
      attentively
      watch
      the
     
    

    
     
      impending
      Magic
      action,
      the
      "patrons"
     
     
      commence
      with
      a
      few
      harmless
      jabs
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      epicene,
      "Thank
      you
      John,
      you're
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      good
      man."
      says
      one
      participant
      to
     
     
      another.
      With
      a
      witty
      retort
      a
      different
     
    
   
   
    
     
      player
      exclaims,
      "He's
      not
      a
      man,
      he's
     
     
      a
      woman."
      The
      warriors
      poised,
      with
     
     
      their
      decks
      organized
      and
      selected
      an
     
     
      optimum
      arrangement
      (each
      individual
     
     
      card
      in
      a
      protective
      wrapper)
      the
      argu-
     
     
      ments
      over
      strategy
      and
      rules
      begin.
      In
     
     
      the
      background
      some
      chatter
      erupts
      as
     
     
      another
      customer
      talks
      about
      the
      $400
     
     
      he
      spent
      on
      Magic
      cards
      the
      day
     
     
      before.
     
    

    
     
      And
      it
      all
      started
      to
      make
     
     
      sense.
      This
      is
      the
      kind
      of
      store
      people
     
     
      want.
      A
      store
      where
      the
      customers
      are
     
     
      loyal
      and
      the
      proprietor
      accommodat-
     
     
      ing
      (even
      to
      me,
      although
      I
      didn't
     
     
      appear
      to
      be
      the
      run-of-the-mill
      cus-
     
     
      tomer).
      It
      also
      started
      to
      make
      sense
     
     
      why
      the
      pricy
      cards
      were
      behind
      a
     
     
      glass
      casing
      as
      I
      could
      easily
      visualize
     
     
      a
      crazed
      Magic
      enthusiast
      liberating
      a
     
     
      few
      had
      security
      measures
      not
      been
     
     
      taken.
     
    

    
     
      I
      admit,
      I
      was
      intending
      to
     
     
      write
      this
      story
      and
      cut
      up
      these
      people
     
     
      whom
      I
      knew
      nothing
      about,
      and
      hope-
     
     
      fully
      have
      a
      laugh
      at
      their
      expense
      by
     
     
      writing
      an
      article
      that
      screamed
     
     
      NERDS!
      NERDS!
      But,
      as
      in
      most
     
     
      cases,
      once
      you
      learn
      something
      about
     
     
      which
      you
      were
      previously
      ignorant,
     
     
      you
      may
      change
      your
      opinion.
     
     
      Although
      this
      scene
      wasn't
      for
      me,
      I
     
     
      can
      see
      that
      it
      is
      in
      the
      niche
      of
      more
     
     
      than
      a
      few
      and
      nothing
      to
      be
      scoffed
     
     
      at.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |For
      more
      information
      contact
      the
      Registrar's
      office
      at
      566-0439
     
     
      or
      visit
      us
      at
      http://www.upei.ca/registrar/
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Getting
      Ready
      for
     
     
      Winter???
     
     
      ‘Avoid
      the
      Rush
      -
      Register
      for
      your
      January
      Classes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Registration
      for
      January
      2003
      is
      on-going.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Just
      log
      into
      your
      student
      account
      at:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http://www.upei.ca/~cls/login.html
     
     
      (With
      your
      student
      ID
      and
      PIN
      number).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Effective
      immediately,
      a
      student/staff
      member/client
      can
      make
      Credit
     
     
      Card
      Payments
      (Visa
      and
      Mastercard)
      online.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [9]