Wow. Sometimes you come across people who are kind of amazing.  Sometimes you come across people who are pretty awesome.  And then there's Pete Bregman.

Remember me whining about how I could only find the second and third installments of The Trap-Door Maker, and how the first book was sold out or out of print or whatever?  There was wailing and gnashing of teeth.  I'm sure you remember, if only so you could instruct other people to euthanize you if you ever behaved similarly.  Anyway, the brilliant folks over at the Phans Online forum were as baffled as I, but one of them (thank you so much, Sultana!) dug up Mr. Bregman's email for me.  Since every book retailer and comic distributor and online auction site in the world had already failed me, and since the Treehouse Animation (the company The Trap-Door Maker was published with) website was down, I shot him a note asking where I could buy it, since I figured if anyone would know, he would.  And frankly, I was out of other avenues to explore.

I figured, well... the worst that can happen is that he's pissed off I used his email and shouts at me.  I hate cyber-shouting.

Instead, he sent me back a very nice note saying that unfortunately, Book 1 had been sold out and not reprinted for some time; and then he proceeded to offer me a link to his personal webserver, so I could download the book for free.  For free.  Because he is seriously just that nice a guy and wanted to help me out.

(If there are any opportunists out there in the milling throng, be advised that he's already deactivated said link, and that I only downloaded book 1, not the others.  Trust me: Pete Bregman is cool enough that he deserves your money.  Go buy his other two volumes for their paltry $6 apiece or whatever it is on Amazon, because A) they are awesome, and B) he is a great guy.)

So:  Word up, Pete Bregman.  You rock my socks.  The world would be a much nicer place if people--or even artists--were all as awesome as you are.  And your art is pretty damn phenomenal, too.