Happy Star Wars Day! #MayTheFourthBeWithYou

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The final convention I went to, if memory serves, was San Diego Comic Fest…

Meeting Wendy and Richard Pini was nice. I’d first met Richard Pini when the original ElfQuest was out – I think they’d just done the “filler/post comic” issue #21 of the black and white magazine. I don’t think the new series had started yet (I could be wrong). But that had been eons ago at San Diego Comic Con (long before it was at its current location). And Richard Pini had a cast on one leg. I remember talking to him during some presentation (I was young and stupid) – and he said something snappy (I can’t remember what he said, but I clearly remember sulking back to my friend Chuck and saying he wasn’t doing autographs).

A few years later, I would see them both again at San Diego Comic Con, and I got a few things signed by them. I remember someone showing Wendy their art – and I was blown away – but Wendy was tearing it apart (not physically, just critiquing where they needed to improve – rest assured, I trust her opinion – I don’t have a trained eye for art – it looked “cool” to me back then is all I remember).

Then back in… 2009? ElfQuest’s website was hacked. Brought back up within a week. Then hacked again – and down for a considerable time. So I created a temporary forum and contacted a few of the posters who I had email addresses for. Meanwhile in the background, ElfQuest folks were working on getting their site back up and did a test post to a forum – which then sent one of the people a link to the tested forum since they’d been subscribed to the forum. Richard got word of this and contacted me calling me the “lightning rod” of trouble (I think he thought I somehow provided a link to the official forum… but I hadn’t, and nor was the link ever posted on my temp forum – I even forwarded him the email from the person who reached out to me about the link they’d gotten… apparently they did a test on an existing thread that had been imported to the new forum and anyone subscribed to that thread got a notification email that a thread they were subscribed to had a new post in it… revealing the link to the new forum). He told me I had to take down any and all ElfQuest images I was using – and had been revoked from using them. We exchanged emails back and forth – and eventually called peace to part ways.

He wrote me another email a little later, and – I think he had a better understanding of what had happened with that whole forum ordeal. But the wheel of time ever churns and it had all become water under the bridge to me anyway.

When I went to go see them, I was pleased to see both Wendy and Richard Pini. They were a pleasure to speak with and signed quite a few ElfQuest books I’d brought, since they were the ones I’d hoped to see and get autographs for. I think they charged for their autographs, but I get it, they need to pay for their travels, room, food, etc. Wasn’t a big deal.

Their celebration of 40 years with Pointed Ears was nice and personal at San Diego Comic Fest. Had front seat. And got to see Wendy talk after as well.

And here’s the video I recorded…

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… and the last podcast we ever did, issue #38…

I enjoyed making this banner and using the various Mando helmets we’d seen… but I do regret that we ended up drifting away from comics with the podcast… I think because both Maico and I had both stopped collecting comics by this time… but would have been cool to reflect on other comic books we’d already had and talk about what we liked about them and such… in this one we talked about Season 2 of Mando… and that was it. The end of the podcast pretty much. But as you can see from the scheduled post, I have a lot of fond memories of both the podcast and the various conventions… I ceased going to conventions after the pandemic, because my wife’s health is now compromised… and I can’t risk it…

Anyway, here’s the final episode we ever did…

Mando Season 2
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In 37, we discussed Boba Fett, which should have been so good…

… but there was so much I disliked. They took the most feared Bounty Hunter, and turned him to a friend of the Sand People, an animal lover, a … just… everything that took away him being the most feared Bounty Hunter…

Boba Fett
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Issue 36, we talk about Mando again…

The show is so good back then… Season 3 is out… but, surprisingly, I’ve not watched any of the episodes yet…

More Mando
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Going back to recalling podcasts, 35, almost the end of our show… we discussed The Mandalorian..

Side note – the ghost in the ship is my sister’s dog who had just passed when we were doing this.

Maico, as you can tell from the picture above, returned for this episode.

It felt great to have Maico back on the podcast and feeling that chemistry once again between he and I. (And I mean that in a heterosexual way, I swear!) Amiee will continue to also be a co-host also, with it being myself, Amiee and Maico, or just myself and Amiee, or myself and Maico! The podcast that’s all about threesomes! Wait – that’s not what I meant!

Listen – why don’t we just get to it?

The Mando
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Wandering to WonderCon 2019…

On our way…

And who did we run into? Marc Silvestri? No. Someone much cuter. (You’re handsome too, Marc!)

It’s the talented Joie Brown!

What was cool is that Joe Hill was there, which Chuck was a big fan of. When I told him to go talk to him and grab a picture, Chuck was worried he’d make a fool of himself. (Remember when I posted about Fabian a few posts back – and having that same fear when I first saw Fabian – and regretting I didn’t speak to him?) So I said, “Screw it. I will go take a picture of him!” So I approached him and said, “Mine if I get a photo of you?” He said, “Do it!”

Then I said, “You know what… is it OK if I take a picture with you?”

And he said something like, “I thought it would be weird if you only took a picture of me. Get in here.”

He was absolutely amazing and great – such a fun sense of humor (which you wouldn’t think he’d have, being the son of Stephen King! You think it’d be all horror stories!) I told him my friend was a huge fan of his but super nervous to take a picture with him. He told me to go get him and drag him back to him. So I did.

I am so glad I did because Chuck was so happy after.

We both picked up his book and got it autographed.

And headed home…

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San Diego Comic Fest, where I sat on a panel…

… way out of my league.

My wife was so proud that I was out of my league…

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PowerCon 2019… or “where my money went that year…”

Roger Sweet signs the back of the He-Man book

So who is Roger Sweet?

The Wiki on him does a good job of explaining –

In 1976, Mattel’s CEO Ray Wagner declined a request to produce a toyline of action figures based on the characters from the George Lucas film Star Wars. Upon the commercial success of the film trilogy during the next few years and all related merchandise, Mattel attempted to launch several unsuccessful toylines, none of which captured the public’s imagination or made a significant dent in the toy market. These included: Kid Gallant, a medieval knight; Robin and the Space Hoods, a sci-fi figure; and the daredevil Kenny Dewitt (pronounced “Can He Do It)?”

In the race to design the next hit action figure, Roger Sweet, a lead designer working for Mattel’s Preliminary Design Department throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, realized simplicity was the key to success he says in his book. According to his book Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea published in 2005, Sweet knew that if he gave marketing something they could sell, he’d won 90% of the battle.

“The only way I was going to have a chance to sell this [to Wagner] was to make three 3D models—big ones. I glued a Big Jim figure [from another Mattel toy line] into a battle action pose and I added a lot of clay to his body. I then had plaster casts made. These three prototypes, which I presented in late 1980, brought He-Man into existence.”

“I simply explained that this was a powerful figure that could be taken anywhere and dropped into any context because he had a generic name: He-Man!”

– Roger Sweet

My “He-Man Year Book” looks pretty solid with so many signatures…

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Next issue brings us to San Diego Comic Con… and a special interview…

Recognize him?

Ever watch Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men series?

The woman in the background is looking at someone with some longing…

I loved that I saw Ming Chen there, and approached him to do an interview, and he was all in. 200% – one of the nicest guys I have had the good fortune of meeting and talking to.

Colleen of Wyng’d Lyon Creations as Batwoman.
Me and Chuck braving the madness…
No shock, me tracking down Marc Silvestri and getting an autograph and photo…

And… when I kicked myself because I wasn’t aware Walt Simonson was going to be there… would have brought some Thor issues he did – especially first appearance of Beta Ray Bill, whom I think is awesome… but picked up the Ragnaroc issue (special edition for SDCC) and had him sign that…

Walt – Freaking – Simonson!

Listen to the podcast here…

SDCC 2019
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