I regret to say that my friend Michael Foster, longtime supporter of Boosterrific.com, has died.

Over the past decade, "michael foster" has been tagged in blog posts over a dozen times, but that was the tip of the iceberg for how much help he has been to this site. In the earliest days of Boosterrific.com, long before fandom.com was a thing, Mike helped me compile lists of Booster Gold comic book appearances and identify characters encountered. He more than earned his permanent place among the special thanks section of the Boosterrific.com FAQ.

But none of that was because Michael was a particular fan of Booster Gold. Yes, Michael bought a lot of comic books, many with Booster Gold in them. But Michael was first and foremost a Hal Jordan fan. A serious Hal Jordan fan. The kind of fan that makes you worry about their mental health.

I first met Michael when I worked in a comic book store in the 1990s. He was the store's resident Green Lantern superfan, buying anything—it would be more accurate to say everything— that was even peripherally relating to Hal Jordan, standing by his hero even when Jordan was turned into a mass murderer. (The 90s were rough on Mike.)

When he wasn't hunting Green Lantern action figures and Underoos, Mike might tell you that his second favorite things were Krull, Battlestar Galactica, or Battle of the Planets, but our decades-long friendship was built on the back of our shared appreciation of Star Trek, Glen Larson-produced television shows, Xanadu, and most especially DC Comics. If it seems like Mike liked a lot of things, he did. That was part of his charm. Mike had a great enthusiasm for the many things he liked, an enthusiasm he gregariously and generously shared with his friends, even grumpy sticks-in-the-mud like me.

When Michael broke the news to me of his terminal cancer diagnosis, I asked if there was anything I could do for him. His only request was for me to "swear to accept Hal Jordan as your lord and master." That guy was dedicated.

I'll miss you, bud.

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