1) Did they give you any trouble since it was so widely available? I know a lot of publishers won't touch things that are already out there.

2) heh - even running a PnP D&D game in 1978 would put you in a small group!

4) That's really strange - where were you hanging out that they encountered you so many times? ("Roll for wandering monsters") Did your thorough reading of Halstead help protect you?