First off, I am felling somewhat better. Thanks for asking. Seriously, I needed some time to reflect on things and realize that while our situation sucks, there are people who are worse off than us.
Onto Smallville, which premiered Thursday night. Well, I have some mixed reactions. I have to say I called it about Lana. Saw that one coming down the street and around the block. Really liked the Bizarro character and more importantly, liked how they didn't use "Bizarro speak" for him. Comics fans know this and sometimes get frustrated with it. I am still trying to figure out who has Lionel Luthor. John Glover is a Baltimore native and I have loved him as Lionel, so I hope he's back. I also like the use of the Martian Manhunter in this and hope that he will become more of a recurring character. Jury is really out on the Supergirl character. One plot hole that you could drive a truck through: at the end of the episode she's sitting on the water tower in Smallville while Clark is staring at the moon. Uh, hello? wouldn't he have seen her flying off? DUH? OK geek moment over.
Have a show to do tomorrow. I haven't been doing them as regularly as I have in the past, but with fall and winter here, plan to get back into the swing of it. That is, of course, if it doesn't conflict with the Ravens schedule. Then it's RAVENS time, baby! See you all out there somewhere in real life, hopefully.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Allow me a moment of your time
I am assuming that most of you who read this know me or at least know of me. So allow me a moment to vent and let some pressure escape.
I have not given most of you a peek behind the curtain that is my life. I also am not so vain to think that you all would want to. But I have to let you in on something. I have been out of work for awhile now. I am not telling you this out of pity or sympathy (god forbid). I am telling you this because of the frustration I am going through. I cannot find a job in my chosen profession. They want someone with more experience. By the way, my chosen profession is cardiac monitoring. Big whoop, I know. I have tried any and all avenues. I have tried anything short of strapping a bomb to my chest and walking into a place to beg for a job. Nothing has worked. I don't know what it is about me. I try to project a positive image when I can get an interview, on those rare occasions. I just don't know.
There is something else I have to get off of my chest at this time. I am also a little frustrated with some of my friends and family. Those that know about my situation, they offer me advice and platitudes. I don't want to seem ungrateful, I am thankful that these people care enough to offer such things, but I wonder. When I was working and a friend was out of a job, I would have done all that I could to help him, including trying to get him a job wherever I was working. It would have been nice for a friend to come up to me one day and said "hey Ron, I know you're still trying to get in the field, but why not come apply at my place and I'll see what I can do to get you in. It's not what you want, but hey it's a start." Rusty has tried by offering me some things where he can, and for that I will always be grateful. I know I sound like a punk, or at lest it's how I feel, but sometimes I just need a break. Not a big one, just someone to take a goddamn flyer on me. I won't prove them wrong.
This sucks.
I have not given most of you a peek behind the curtain that is my life. I also am not so vain to think that you all would want to. But I have to let you in on something. I have been out of work for awhile now. I am not telling you this out of pity or sympathy (god forbid). I am telling you this because of the frustration I am going through. I cannot find a job in my chosen profession. They want someone with more experience. By the way, my chosen profession is cardiac monitoring. Big whoop, I know. I have tried any and all avenues. I have tried anything short of strapping a bomb to my chest and walking into a place to beg for a job. Nothing has worked. I don't know what it is about me. I try to project a positive image when I can get an interview, on those rare occasions. I just don't know.
There is something else I have to get off of my chest at this time. I am also a little frustrated with some of my friends and family. Those that know about my situation, they offer me advice and platitudes. I don't want to seem ungrateful, I am thankful that these people care enough to offer such things, but I wonder. When I was working and a friend was out of a job, I would have done all that I could to help him, including trying to get him a job wherever I was working. It would have been nice for a friend to come up to me one day and said "hey Ron, I know you're still trying to get in the field, but why not come apply at my place and I'll see what I can do to get you in. It's not what you want, but hey it's a start." Rusty has tried by offering me some things where he can, and for that I will always be grateful. I know I sound like a punk, or at lest it's how I feel, but sometimes I just need a break. Not a big one, just someone to take a goddamn flyer on me. I won't prove them wrong.
This sucks.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Heroes..A review
I promised that I would post with my thought about the shows. But I fall into a weird category. I don't immediately jump on the internet like the other nerd to fight about what this meant or who said what, but I am a fanboy of the show. I expect the ratings for this to be somewhat low, since most of their target audience were probably standing in line for "Halo 3". I don't have an Xbox 360, nor do I plan on owning one. A Wii? Yeah hopefully one day.
OK on to the show. I admit that I was so jazzed for this opener that they could have shown me Hiro reading the phone book and I would have at least liked it. That being said, the show was a decent opener. The title says it all. "Four months later" and we get an update on where some of the characters have gone to. They still manage to keep in some contact with each other, so they are still connected. Peter is alive (no big shock there) but without his memory. We get an introduction that there is another big bad guy out there, possibly one of the "originals". OMG! They killed Sulu! YOU BASTARDS!! Should have killed the bitch mother, but meh. Two new "powers" are also introduced. One potential bad guy, one who is on the run. She has a power that I think can only be described as "sick". Won't spoil it for you. Hiro is still in Fudal Japan, where he discovers that his childhood hero is not who he thinks he is. You know, digging deep for a second here, don't we all have that moment? Someone who we admire as kids, build them up to be almost a mythic figure, then discover that in the end they are just as flawed as the rest of us. Maybe not, but I think that maybe that speaks a little to our society today. OK maybe I am a nerd reading too much into things, so sue me.
So, is this worth your valuable time? I would say yes, but I don't think you can expect shocks and surprised each week. At some point they lose their value. It's a good show and the character development is among the best out there. For the most part, these are fleshed out characters, not cookie-cutter flavor of the moment types. So give it a shot next week and see what you think!
OK on to the show. I admit that I was so jazzed for this opener that they could have shown me Hiro reading the phone book and I would have at least liked it. That being said, the show was a decent opener. The title says it all. "Four months later" and we get an update on where some of the characters have gone to. They still manage to keep in some contact with each other, so they are still connected. Peter is alive (no big shock there) but without his memory. We get an introduction that there is another big bad guy out there, possibly one of the "originals". OMG! They killed Sulu! YOU BASTARDS!! Should have killed the bitch mother, but meh. Two new "powers" are also introduced. One potential bad guy, one who is on the run. She has a power that I think can only be described as "sick". Won't spoil it for you. Hiro is still in Fudal Japan, where he discovers that his childhood hero is not who he thinks he is. You know, digging deep for a second here, don't we all have that moment? Someone who we admire as kids, build them up to be almost a mythic figure, then discover that in the end they are just as flawed as the rest of us. Maybe not, but I think that maybe that speaks a little to our society today. OK maybe I am a nerd reading too much into things, so sue me.
So, is this worth your valuable time? I would say yes, but I don't think you can expect shocks and surprised each week. At some point they lose their value. It's a good show and the character development is among the best out there. For the most part, these are fleshed out characters, not cookie-cutter flavor of the moment types. So give it a shot next week and see what you think!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Some comic related stuff and thoughts.
Before I go into the new things, something the past week or two has caught my eye and I wanted to share it. If you have been reading this or any comic related site, you know about the passing of Mike Wieringo. A great artist, a nice guy who enjoyed talking to his fans, he went far too soon. There have been many tributes, including a nice one a few weeks ago at the Baltimore Comic con with the proceeds going to the Humane Society. He worked for both Marvel and DC and last week, Marvel put a very nice tribute to him in their comics. I thought I would share it with you.
This is my first time posting images, so you'll have to forgive me if they seem off. I find it interesting that DC really didn't do anything in their books since he worked on one of their best books, the Flash. On a personal note, I kind of wished that they would have put something in there about Spider-Man, since he was a great artist during a bad stretch of writers.
Next is the sketch I have talked about. Talk about a nerdgasm. I had a chance to meet Scott Kurtz again at the Baltimore show. I am a HUGE fan of PvP, and he has been one of the nicest artist to talk to. I have been badgered by some friends (looking in your direction, Matthew) to get him to do something for me, maybe me pimping his comic on our "conversations" show. Instead, knowing that he is a major player of WoW (that's World of Warcraft for the noobs) I asked him to do a sketch of my main character. He is a night elf warrior named Festezio. Yes, I love "Family Guy". He was very obliging and since I got to him early in the show he had some time to throw it together. Here is how it came out:
Pretty cool, huh? Man, when 2 things you love collide, sometimes it just feels right.
I have one last tidbit to throw out there for comic as well as non-comic fans. It has recently been announced that DC was adding more heroes to the Johnny DC kids line. This is nice news and all, but one of the books has me giddy with excitement. Mike Kunkel, the writer and artist behind one of my all-time favorite indy books "Herobear and the Kid" will be doing the artwork for the Shazam book. If you have never read "Herobear" you've missed out. I found this book by accident and fell in love instantly. It was only 5 issues and I have been praying for more. The last artwork seen by him was in the DC tribute issue to Sam Loeb. Every month I scan the Previews hoping to find something, but to no avail. Now he is bringing his style to a mainstream book that (I hope) will get kids excited about Shazam. On a side note, Captain Marvel really has had some A-listers doing work on him. Howard Porter, Jeff Smith, and now Mike Kunkel. OK so they are A-listers to me, but seriously, get this and give this to kids to read when it comes out next year.
That's it for now. Next week is a busy week, TV wise. So I will post again with my thoughts on the "Heroes" and "Smallville" premieres next week.
This is my first time posting images, so you'll have to forgive me if they seem off. I find it interesting that DC really didn't do anything in their books since he worked on one of their best books, the Flash. On a personal note, I kind of wished that they would have put something in there about Spider-Man, since he was a great artist during a bad stretch of writers.
Next is the sketch I have talked about. Talk about a nerdgasm. I had a chance to meet Scott Kurtz again at the Baltimore show. I am a HUGE fan of PvP, and he has been one of the nicest artist to talk to. I have been badgered by some friends (looking in your direction, Matthew) to get him to do something for me, maybe me pimping his comic on our "conversations" show. Instead, knowing that he is a major player of WoW (that's World of Warcraft for the noobs) I asked him to do a sketch of my main character. He is a night elf warrior named Festezio. Yes, I love "Family Guy". He was very obliging and since I got to him early in the show he had some time to throw it together. Here is how it came out:
Pretty cool, huh? Man, when 2 things you love collide, sometimes it just feels right.
I have one last tidbit to throw out there for comic as well as non-comic fans. It has recently been announced that DC was adding more heroes to the Johnny DC kids line. This is nice news and all, but one of the books has me giddy with excitement. Mike Kunkel, the writer and artist behind one of my all-time favorite indy books "Herobear and the Kid" will be doing the artwork for the Shazam book. If you have never read "Herobear" you've missed out. I found this book by accident and fell in love instantly. It was only 5 issues and I have been praying for more. The last artwork seen by him was in the DC tribute issue to Sam Loeb. Every month I scan the Previews hoping to find something, but to no avail. Now he is bringing his style to a mainstream book that (I hope) will get kids excited about Shazam. On a side note, Captain Marvel really has had some A-listers doing work on him. Howard Porter, Jeff Smith, and now Mike Kunkel. OK so they are A-listers to me, but seriously, get this and give this to kids to read when it comes out next year.
That's it for now. Next week is a busy week, TV wise. So I will post again with my thoughts on the "Heroes" and "Smallville" premieres next week.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Comics time!
OK. Message received. I will try and post more often.
I hope to have the sketch that Scott Kurtz did for me up sometime in the next week or so. But before I review some comics, I have a general thought I want to throw out. I observed at the Baltimore Comic-con last weekend some interesting things. What I would like to talk about is the dealers and some of the dealings going on. I don't know if we had a "rape me" sign hanging somewhere on our booth, but for some reason dealers kept coming over asking if there was some "deal" we could work. Now last year, Rusty (the owner) worked a deal with a big group and pretty much sold the booth out on Saturday. That's cool and all, he is the owner and it's his livelihood. But these guys sidling up to me and asking if there is something we can "work out", made me feel kinda oogy. These guys had been there all weekend and had to know that I wasn't the owner. Even said so on my badge: "staff". And there was no way I was going to do anything without Rusty's consent.
Now, to be fair, I did do some deals with people who were either fans or retailers coming for the show. We sold out the manga, which did really well with both. But these guys, who I'm guessing are pros on the convention circuit, were really interested in making deals. As opposed to some of the boothmates we had, who could not look more disinterested and bored to be there. But who can blame them? They had no real business, nothing but really older books, and looked for all the world like they couldn't get out of there fast enough. OK, that's enough on that. FUN TIME!
I want to try and give some quick reviews of the comics I read. I tend to stick to the mainstream stuff, and my budget has been really screwed with.
Countdown- This series started off with some promise but has really fallen apart. I'm not sure if it is the "52" curse or not, but I am finding it hard to stick with it.
Detective Comics- The best Batman book being done out there. This book has managed to reinvent the best rogue's gallery in comics to a new level. Paul Dini has done a terrific job.
Batman- Deserves a mention for Grant Morrison's run. His knack for taking obscure things (the league of Batmen?!?) and making them a viable story has paid off.
Green Lantern- I have always been a GL fan. But the "Sinestro Corps War" has been one of the best things done in the book in a long time. DC really dropped the ball by not promoting this more instead of Countdown.
Amazing Spider-Man- I now have to lump all the Spidey books into one since they are cancelling them to make Amazing the core book. This past week started the "One more day" arc. I am not sure where they are going with this, and really until they get there, I don't care. I will read this with some trepidation because I am expecting a major fake out from Marvel.
World War Hulk and Incredible Hulk- Now THIS has been a great read! The main Hulk title not so much. But WWH? WOW! I have enjoyed every issue so far. Why? Two words: HULK SMASH! No whiny exposition, no hidden agendas, just pure aggression. What any Hulk fan wants.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8- This book has apparently started a trend. A lot of books (Angel, Star Trek) which were TV shows have picked up on the sales trend of Buffy and tried to copy. The newest arc began this week, and I recommend it to both fans and non-fans alike. It's a great jumping on point and it will not disappoint.
Alright, that's enough for now. Maybe there will be more on comics, or something on the sad state that is my life in general. We'll see.
I hope to have the sketch that Scott Kurtz did for me up sometime in the next week or so. But before I review some comics, I have a general thought I want to throw out. I observed at the Baltimore Comic-con last weekend some interesting things. What I would like to talk about is the dealers and some of the dealings going on. I don't know if we had a "rape me" sign hanging somewhere on our booth, but for some reason dealers kept coming over asking if there was some "deal" we could work. Now last year, Rusty (the owner) worked a deal with a big group and pretty much sold the booth out on Saturday. That's cool and all, he is the owner and it's his livelihood. But these guys sidling up to me and asking if there is something we can "work out", made me feel kinda oogy. These guys had been there all weekend and had to know that I wasn't the owner. Even said so on my badge: "staff". And there was no way I was going to do anything without Rusty's consent.
Now, to be fair, I did do some deals with people who were either fans or retailers coming for the show. We sold out the manga, which did really well with both. But these guys, who I'm guessing are pros on the convention circuit, were really interested in making deals. As opposed to some of the boothmates we had, who could not look more disinterested and bored to be there. But who can blame them? They had no real business, nothing but really older books, and looked for all the world like they couldn't get out of there fast enough. OK, that's enough on that. FUN TIME!
I want to try and give some quick reviews of the comics I read. I tend to stick to the mainstream stuff, and my budget has been really screwed with.
Countdown- This series started off with some promise but has really fallen apart. I'm not sure if it is the "52" curse or not, but I am finding it hard to stick with it.
Detective Comics- The best Batman book being done out there. This book has managed to reinvent the best rogue's gallery in comics to a new level. Paul Dini has done a terrific job.
Batman- Deserves a mention for Grant Morrison's run. His knack for taking obscure things (the league of Batmen?!?) and making them a viable story has paid off.
Green Lantern- I have always been a GL fan. But the "Sinestro Corps War" has been one of the best things done in the book in a long time. DC really dropped the ball by not promoting this more instead of Countdown.
Amazing Spider-Man- I now have to lump all the Spidey books into one since they are cancelling them to make Amazing the core book. This past week started the "One more day" arc. I am not sure where they are going with this, and really until they get there, I don't care. I will read this with some trepidation because I am expecting a major fake out from Marvel.
World War Hulk and Incredible Hulk- Now THIS has been a great read! The main Hulk title not so much. But WWH? WOW! I have enjoyed every issue so far. Why? Two words: HULK SMASH! No whiny exposition, no hidden agendas, just pure aggression. What any Hulk fan wants.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8- This book has apparently started a trend. A lot of books (Angel, Star Trek) which were TV shows have picked up on the sales trend of Buffy and tried to copy. The newest arc began this week, and I recommend it to both fans and non-fans alike. It's a great jumping on point and it will not disappoint.
Alright, that's enough for now. Maybe there will be more on comics, or something on the sad state that is my life in general. We'll see.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Baltimore Comic-Con 2007
Well, I've managed to survive another Comic-con. I thought I would give you some thoughts and impressions from someone who was there as a fan and worker.
First off, they moved it into another part of the convention center and expanded it. A nice, spread out feeling with the artists and major sponsors having their part and dealers having another. You didn't have to worry about lines for artists (such as Jim Lee) interfering with your booth and lines of sight.
Secondly, the artists. On the whole, it seemed that the artists were genuinely happy to be there and were very friendly. I had an opportunity to talk with Scott Kurtz to thank him for coming and get a drawing (will post that later). He was very happy to be there and thanked me for the patronage of his book (PvP) and website. The convention was under somewhat of a sad note with the sudden death of Mike Weiringo last month, but the artists did a great job working with and contributing to the SPCA, one of his favorite charities. All the artists, both major stars and rising indy stars gave of their time to help out. Kudos to all of them.
On a minor complaint, I had several people come up and ask why Marvel did not have a presence at the show. Like I work for the show promoter or something. I do not know why they didn't. They had a panel there on Saturday, but in all honesty, it sounds like it was boring as hell. DC and Image have been major sponsors and brought big name talent to the show. Dark Horse had a small presence there and hopefully it will increase over time. Considering Marvel is based in New York, and in close proximity to Baltimore, maybe they will start to rethink coming with some major people. My hope, but just not sure.
On to the business side of things. I was running the Cosmic Comix booth on Sunday, and I have never seen it that busy. Not a mad rush, mind you, but a steady flow of people over the course of the day. The last few years it's died down so quick that you're checking your watch to see how early you can load out. Not this year. We were steady until almost 3:30, which is great on a Sunday. And considering how busy we were compared to some of our boothmates, it was a fun Sunday. I will have something to say about some of the dealers who come to the show in the next post as well.
Overall, a great show. The crew who work and develop the con deserve a round of applause for not only an enjoyable show, but for making the whole experience a smooth one, at least for me.
First off, they moved it into another part of the convention center and expanded it. A nice, spread out feeling with the artists and major sponsors having their part and dealers having another. You didn't have to worry about lines for artists (such as Jim Lee) interfering with your booth and lines of sight.
Secondly, the artists. On the whole, it seemed that the artists were genuinely happy to be there and were very friendly. I had an opportunity to talk with Scott Kurtz to thank him for coming and get a drawing (will post that later). He was very happy to be there and thanked me for the patronage of his book (PvP) and website. The convention was under somewhat of a sad note with the sudden death of Mike Weiringo last month, but the artists did a great job working with and contributing to the SPCA, one of his favorite charities. All the artists, both major stars and rising indy stars gave of their time to help out. Kudos to all of them.
On a minor complaint, I had several people come up and ask why Marvel did not have a presence at the show. Like I work for the show promoter or something. I do not know why they didn't. They had a panel there on Saturday, but in all honesty, it sounds like it was boring as hell. DC and Image have been major sponsors and brought big name talent to the show. Dark Horse had a small presence there and hopefully it will increase over time. Considering Marvel is based in New York, and in close proximity to Baltimore, maybe they will start to rethink coming with some major people. My hope, but just not sure.
On to the business side of things. I was running the Cosmic Comix booth on Sunday, and I have never seen it that busy. Not a mad rush, mind you, but a steady flow of people over the course of the day. The last few years it's died down so quick that you're checking your watch to see how early you can load out. Not this year. We were steady until almost 3:30, which is great on a Sunday. And considering how busy we were compared to some of our boothmates, it was a fun Sunday. I will have something to say about some of the dealers who come to the show in the next post as well.
Overall, a great show. The crew who work and develop the con deserve a round of applause for not only an enjoyable show, but for making the whole experience a smooth one, at least for me.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Some thoughts and feelings
Hey gang. I have a somewhat busy weekend ahead of me so I thought I would put some thoughts and general things down for you to discuss.
I once heard an old comedian say " did you ever get the feeling that the world was a black tie dinner and you were a pair of brown wing tips?" I know that most of you may not get the joke, but at the moment I am feeling that way. Out of place, unsure of why the hell I am here, and wondering where I fit in if at all. I know, I know. Bitching on a blog? Wow what a rarity. But as I said, it's how I'm feeling. I am a lucky man, I realize that. I have a tremendous wife that loves me so much it scares me at times. I have friends that seem to like me, or at least tolerate my ass. I have a caring family that still gets together once in a while. But right now I feel like a turd in a punch bowl. Disgusting and best forgotten by all who see it, if they see it at all. Not a happy way to start a posting, but hang in there. It gets better (at least I hope it does).
This weekend is the big Baltimore Comic-Con. If you're going down on Sunday, be sure to stop by the Cosmic Comix booth and say hi. I'll be the guy closely resembling the comic book guy from the Simpsons. I look forward to this every year, not so much for the work, but to check out what the rest of the comic world has going on. I must admit to being somewhat geeked (poor choice of words) at the fact that some of my favorite artists will be there. The Kubert brothers as well as their dad are supposed to be there. Scott Kurtz, creator of PvP, will also be there and I look forward to meeting he and his wife again. But the fanboy moment for me will be if I get the chance to meet John Romita, both Junior and Senior. I have long been a Spider-Man fan, and they have been the premier artists to help shape his look. To be able to JRJR sign the 9/11 issue of Spider-Man would be the ultimate in my collection. I can only hope I don't crap myself if the opportunity arises.
Lastly, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!!! One of the bad things that usually happens is that I miss the opening Ravens game to work the show. Not this year. Monday night, baby! Those who know me well enough know that I live and die with the team. This year I hold no illusions about the upcoming season. The Ravens are in a tough division and a tougher conference. If they can make the playoffs, nice. Get to the conference championship, terrific. Super Bowl? Well then I would have to be dreaming, but it's a nice dream to have.
OK that's it for now. have to try and get my head into some sort of place where I can do what's expected of me for the weekend. Later!
I once heard an old comedian say " did you ever get the feeling that the world was a black tie dinner and you were a pair of brown wing tips?" I know that most of you may not get the joke, but at the moment I am feeling that way. Out of place, unsure of why the hell I am here, and wondering where I fit in if at all. I know, I know. Bitching on a blog? Wow what a rarity. But as I said, it's how I'm feeling. I am a lucky man, I realize that. I have a tremendous wife that loves me so much it scares me at times. I have friends that seem to like me, or at least tolerate my ass. I have a caring family that still gets together once in a while. But right now I feel like a turd in a punch bowl. Disgusting and best forgotten by all who see it, if they see it at all. Not a happy way to start a posting, but hang in there. It gets better (at least I hope it does).
This weekend is the big Baltimore Comic-Con. If you're going down on Sunday, be sure to stop by the Cosmic Comix booth and say hi. I'll be the guy closely resembling the comic book guy from the Simpsons. I look forward to this every year, not so much for the work, but to check out what the rest of the comic world has going on. I must admit to being somewhat geeked (poor choice of words) at the fact that some of my favorite artists will be there. The Kubert brothers as well as their dad are supposed to be there. Scott Kurtz, creator of PvP, will also be there and I look forward to meeting he and his wife again. But the fanboy moment for me will be if I get the chance to meet John Romita, both Junior and Senior. I have long been a Spider-Man fan, and they have been the premier artists to help shape his look. To be able to JRJR sign the 9/11 issue of Spider-Man would be the ultimate in my collection. I can only hope I don't crap myself if the opportunity arises.
Lastly, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!!! One of the bad things that usually happens is that I miss the opening Ravens game to work the show. Not this year. Monday night, baby! Those who know me well enough know that I live and die with the team. This year I hold no illusions about the upcoming season. The Ravens are in a tough division and a tougher conference. If they can make the playoffs, nice. Get to the conference championship, terrific. Super Bowl? Well then I would have to be dreaming, but it's a nice dream to have.
OK that's it for now. have to try and get my head into some sort of place where I can do what's expected of me for the weekend. Later!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
2 Years?!?!?
About 2 years ago I embarked on something that I thought was interesting and different. I was asked to be on the inaugural panel of the Cosmic Comix webcast. There was no title for it, at least to me there wasn't. It was an informal discussion of the comics and the events surrounding them. The panel consisted of myself, Rusty the store owner, Brandon his faithful employee, and I believe either Jim Martin or James McGuinn. The haze of time tends to fog my brain. It was an interesting start. It felt like a normal Wednesday afternoon at the store, with guys bantering about what was good and what sucked. The producer, Ken, just let things fly and as long as we watched our language, the discussion flowed unabated.
Since then the panel has grown. Jim and James are still active and have surpassed me in appearances (Ken stopped keeping track). Others, like Matthew Mann and Greg Flynn, have brought a new and different perspective to the conversation. There have been others who have put in an appearance or two, and they have been welcome additions to the tapestry. We are upon the 2 year anniversary of the show and I feel some conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I am proud that something that seemed to be a "one and done" sort of thing has grown and become popular enough (I think) to still be around for a couple of years. But, on the other hand, the show has morphed into something since it's inception. That's not a bad thing, mind you. When we began, we talked from the heart and let things fly. Now, we have to do more prep work and have some notes to speak from. Again this is not a bad thing. There were times that I stumbled and bumbled my way thru a segment. I still do, but at least I have notes to fall back on.
I am grateful to Rusty and Ken for including me in this endeavor. It's not something to make money off of, just a forum to yell from. It has given me a chance to meet people and make friends like Jim, Matthew, James and Greg. It also has given me the opportunity to reconnect with my best bud in the store, Shawn. At the time of the startup, he was serving his country overseas, in a place best left forgotten. His return home and subsequent visits to the show gave me a recharge in life that I was lacking at the time. Like the others in the show, I look forward to the banter with him and only hope that there will be more with him and the others in the future.
By the way, the show is here if you're curious: http://www.cosmiccomix.com/conversations/index.htm
Since then the panel has grown. Jim and James are still active and have surpassed me in appearances (Ken stopped keeping track). Others, like Matthew Mann and Greg Flynn, have brought a new and different perspective to the conversation. There have been others who have put in an appearance or two, and they have been welcome additions to the tapestry. We are upon the 2 year anniversary of the show and I feel some conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I am proud that something that seemed to be a "one and done" sort of thing has grown and become popular enough (I think) to still be around for a couple of years. But, on the other hand, the show has morphed into something since it's inception. That's not a bad thing, mind you. When we began, we talked from the heart and let things fly. Now, we have to do more prep work and have some notes to speak from. Again this is not a bad thing. There were times that I stumbled and bumbled my way thru a segment. I still do, but at least I have notes to fall back on.
I am grateful to Rusty and Ken for including me in this endeavor. It's not something to make money off of, just a forum to yell from. It has given me a chance to meet people and make friends like Jim, Matthew, James and Greg. It also has given me the opportunity to reconnect with my best bud in the store, Shawn. At the time of the startup, he was serving his country overseas, in a place best left forgotten. His return home and subsequent visits to the show gave me a recharge in life that I was lacking at the time. Like the others in the show, I look forward to the banter with him and only hope that there will be more with him and the others in the future.
By the way, the show is here if you're curious: http://www.cosmiccomix.com/conversations/index.htm
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