Tampa Con Report

On Saturday, August 7th my son Mike, John Beatty and I loaded into my "Jack Carter XG350" and headed to Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention. We try to make it to at least 2 of the three shows Tim puts on each year because they're just_ that _much_ fun. And this show was no exception.

We decided that we'd get a good buffet breakfast before the show opened. As we sat down with our plates, in walked Alex Saviuk who was also in search of some morning nourishment. Alex usually attends Tim's Tampa shows and it's always nice to see him. We finished eating and headed over to the convention. The doors hadn't opened, but there was a huge line waiting. No doubt, the word is getting out about how much fun Tim's cons are.

Ethan Van Scriver was already set up. Ethan is one of the DC comics most popular artists and always shows up for Tim's conventions. The doors hadn't even opened and Ethan was already working on sketches for fans. The guy is ALWAYS busy. John Higashi "turned me on" to Ethan's art a couple of years ago so that's ANOTHER thing I owe to Johnny Star-Warz.

Alex Saviuk was set up. Next to Alex was Mark and Stephanie Heike from AC comics. Although I never get to spend much time with 'em, the Heikes always have something funny to say. Behind the Heikes was Miguel Insignares with a nice "Dawn of the Dead" trailer running on a loop next to the cool DOTD poster. That's Tim Gordon and Miguel in the pic to the left... looking like they just stepped off the set of "Dawn of the Dead!"

Marc Maculay, an actor who has appeared in "Monster," "The Punisher," "Bad Boys" and many other movies was ready for the fans. Some small press artists were set up to our left. Mitch Hyman, creater of the ever-popular Bubba the Redneck Werewolf, Jesse "Cadre" Hansen, Michael "The Ciderview Project" and Austin Janowsky were all having a blast. Dick "Cracked" Kulpa was set up at his usual spot just as you entered the convention room.

Yeah baby, things were looking good.

When the doors opened, the convention room quickly filled. The room is really huge and so even though there were hundreds [and hundreds] of people coming in, there was never that claustrophobic feeling that some convention rooms produce.

Several fans came up to John for autographs or sketches. John has really been doing some cool sketches lately and the fans are definitely digging the tones and colors that he adds to them. I got pictures of some of them, but missed out on a few... one was a really nice Cap that John did for a fan's Captain America themebook.

I had a chance to talk briefly with Randy Martin. Randy collects Edward Scissorhands. In fact it was Randy's Scissorhands sketches that inspired me to start my Stallone sketch theme. Randy's one of the good guys and so it was cool touching base with him.

Miguel Insignares remembered me from Atlanta Con and said that he still wanted to do a Stallone piece for my gallery when he gets some time. That'd be sweet. Miguel has been attached to some really cool projects and you just know that there's more to come!

Marc Maculay [pictured above with Mike and me] noticed my StalloneZone t-shirt and asked me about it. We ended up having a nice conversation about movies, education, etc. Marc's been acting professionally for over twenty years and did it without having to relocate to New York or LA. It was ironic that he played a scene in "Monster" with Charlize Theron that Beatty had been telling me about just a week earlier. John had watched the movie and it really impresed him. The next day he was telling me about this particular scene and sure enough the actor involved was Marc! Now how often do we get to meet actors who've impressed us?

The costume contest was a hoot!

There were two divisions... kids and adults. The three kids that entered all won some convention cash and had a fun time. Then came the adults... I never quite know what to make of costumers at conventions. Sometimes they are so good, they look professional... but other times...

There were several outstanding costumes. I thought that Catwoman would take first or second, Wolverine would get whichever spot Catwoman missed and third place would go to... well, one of the others. I was so surprised when the guy who came in first won, that I didn't even get a picture of him! At any rate, everyone enjoyed the costume contest... and I mean everyone. Even the artists stopped drawing to watch the action.

Then all too quickly it was time to go. The con ended at 4:00 and we still had to drive back to Daytona. We made sure to tell Tim what a great time we had and hit the road.

Tim's next show is November 14th.

As I've said, all of Tim's shows are great, but this one is going to be really special. NOEL NEILL [Paramount Movie Star, Popular Pin-Up for WWII GIs, and best known as Superman's Girl - Lois Lane] will be a guest! Ethan Van Scriver, Jim Fren, and Rob Granito have also already agreed to appear!

Who knows, maybe we'll see YOU there as well!

Tampa, Here I Come!

I'm looking forward to next Sunday!

Why, you ask? Because I'll be attending the Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention!

I really enjoy going to Tampa Con. Tim Gordon, who runs the show, is one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Although he's in charge of making sure that all of the fans, pros and dealers are happy, and runs tables of his own, Tim always makes time to talk to fans and make sure that everything is going "just right."

Since Tampa Con isn't one of the huge events like in San Diego or Atlanta, there's more time for fans and pros to interact. Guest for next Sunday's show include Ethan Van Scriver [one of DC's rising stars -- he's being compared to Brian Bolland, which is quite a compliment in itself!], Alex Saviuk, John Beatty, Austin Janowsky, Mark and Stephanie Heike, as well as other artists. Marc Macaulay who has had roles in "The Punisher," "Monster," and "2 Fast 2 Furious" will also be on hand. Heck, you'll even be able to get your picture taken with "Robocop" if you want!

If you're within driving distance, come on by. I'll be hanging out at Big Beatty's table trying to keep him in line. And I can use all the help I can get!

No Happy Ending for Mike

Mike Tyson, once the most feared fighter in the world, and a 9-1 favorite was knocked out in the fourth round by British heavyweight Danny Williams.

Yeah, Tyson's 38 years old. And yes, Williams outweighed Tyson by over thirty pounds. And it's true that Tyson won the first three rounds on ALL of the judges' score cards. Tyson's people are already blaming the loss on a knee twisted in the first round.

Perhaps they didn't see the flurry of punches Williams unleashed on Iron Mike in the fourth round which left him sitting on the canvas bloodied and beaten.

I was pulling for Tyson. Sometimes I'm not sure why. He had it all and blew it. From what I've read and seen of Mike, I doubt if I'd like to hang around with him for very long. Still he intrigues me. Tyson has a vast knowledge of boxing and a love for the sport and it's history. He WAS the baddest man in the world until he hooked up with Don King. It's like the storybook tale of a kid born with everything against him who overcomes it all... and then loses it

I guess I just keep hoping for a happy ending.

Pleasant Nightmares!

Sammy Terry returns!

If you grew up anywhere in the midwest from the early 60's to the mid 80's you probably made a habit of tuning in on Friday [and later Saturday] nights to watch Sammy Terry's Nightmare Theater. Sammy would introduce horror movies and then return with some commentary after each commercial break. Sammy was one of the first "horror hosts" and definitely had one of the longest running shows.

If you grew up watching Sammy and would love to see him again, or if you never had the chance and want to see what he was all about...

Sammy will have his first official Sammy Terry Live Webcast will be on Friday, July 30th from 9:00 pm to 9:15 pm. The Sammy Terry chat will start at 9:15 pm and run to 10:00 pm. I plan to tune in, and if you love horror movie, hope that you can make it as well.

Until then... I wish you all... "Pleasant Nightmares."

Transformed by Dance

One of the funniest [and coolest] things that I've seen lately has to do with Transformers.

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either... Transformers!

Even if you're too old or young to have played with them, you're probably aware of 'em. They were toys in the shape of cars, trucks, and just about anything that with a few twists could be, uh, transformed into something else.

At any rate I discovered the link while checking out Dean Trippe's new blog... click on THIS LINK and check out the coolest Transformer ever.

And I swear on all that is good... Big Beatty used to dance just like that!

Calling All Horror Fans

Calling all Horror fans...

Calling all zombie fans...

Calling all George Romero fans...

There' s an interview with George Romero over at AICN. Romero talks about his latest zombie movie and more...

That is all... [for now]...

I Want "Sin City" Now

I can't wait to see Sin City on the big screen.

Frank Miller.

Robert Rodriguez.

Mickey Rourke.

Bruce Willis.

Jessica Alba.

Rosario Dawson.

Benicio Del Toro.

Michael Clarke Duncan.

Josh Hartnett.

Michael Madsen.

Clive Owen.

Nick Stahl.

Elijah Wood.

Whew! This baby is gonna rock.

Don't believe me? Read this interview with Robert Rodriguez [brought to us by Quint at AICN] and you'll be a believer! Man, I can't wait...

Buried Secret Goes to Far

The Sci Fi channel has, for weeks, been advertising an "unauthorized documentary" [some even called it a "disturbing expose" ] about M. Knight Shyamalan. The story was that M. Knight first cooperated, but then tried to shut it down when producers delved too deeply into his personal life. The documentary advertised that it would present a "buried secret."

I'll be the first to admit that the documentary sounded interesting, but something about it just didn't seem right. My wife speculated, a couple of weeks ago, that M. Knight was probably behind the whole thing... and it turns out she was right.

Today the Sci Fi cable network and parent company NBC Universal acknowledged that the documentary was really part of a "guerrilla marketing" hoax that went too far. It seems that "a number of entertainment journalists..." were left "...grumbling after they were duped..."

I watched the special and it was so obvious that the doc was set -up, that anyone who is upset because they were duped should be upset with himself for being so gullible.

Cool Stuff from the Sky Captain

The Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow site is starting to make available more and more cool stuff to get us all psyched for the movie.

In addition to the cool movie poster shown to the left, JoBlo.com has six others that are just as cool. [Well... most of them are.]

JoBlo also has several images from the movie.

The official site has a new trailer, which looks even better than the teaser did.

There's also a cool clip of an undersea battle available at Apple's trailer site for Sky Captain.

I really don't know how Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is going to do at the box office, but I do know that I can't wait to see it.

Land of the Dead Dawns

The cheers that you've been hearing may be from horror fans around the world.

It's been announced that George Romero is finally going to get to see his fourth "Living Dead" movie make it to the big screen! Written and directed by George his-own-bad-self, it'll be titled Land of the Dead. [Leaving behind the "time" theme of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead.]

In this one, the zombies have overrun the world and the few people still alive are forced to live behind fortified skyscraper walls. Only now the slow-moving brainless zombies are starting to change...

The film is set to begin production in October. For full details click HERE!

Not Your Father's Ringo

Since many ZONErs are comic fans, you probably already know who Mike "Ringo" Wieringo is. For those of you who don't...

... Mike has worked for Marvel, DC and Image Comics. He also is co-creator of the Tellos comic series with writer Todd Dezago. Mike is currently teaming with writer Mark Waid on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four which continues to receive rave reviews.

What's really cool, in addition to the comic work that Mike's doing, is that he has his own website. There you'll find a bio, a gallery, and a bunch of other neat sections... but my favorite is Mike's blog which he has been updating regularly of late.

I'm about to drop him a line and let him know how much I'm enjoying his art updates. Check out his site and you may want to do the same!

Another Welcome Rain

Critics have praised Barry Eisler's first two novels, Rain Fall and Hard Rain, calling Japanese-American John Rain, the cynical, romantic, conscientious assassin, "one of the most memorable characters in recent thrillers."

Yeah, I'd go along with that.

In fact Eisler's two novels featuring John Rain have been some of the best novels that I've read in the last few years.

So you can imagine how much I'm looking forward to his latest, Rain Storm.

And if you'd like to take a look, just click HERE.

A Peek at Peak

Bob Peak. You may not know the name but I'd guarantee you know his work.

I just spent another session at his web site [always longer than intended]. I've seen most of his paintings many times before, but there's just something about them that calls you back.

Peak was called the "Father of the modern movie poster" and I'll bet that you'll agree that at times his paintings were better than the movies they were promoting. Peak also did dozens of Time and TV Guide covers...US postage stamps... and examples of his paintings hang in the Smithsonian.

If you'd like to check out his work, click HERE. But don't be surprised if you stay a little longer than anticipated.

Knowing Too Much...

As most of you know, Michael Mann and Tom Cruise are teaming on Collateral.

It's the story of a hitman [Cruise] who hires a cab driver [Jamie Fox] to drive him to five locations in one night.

What the driver doesn't know [at least at first] is that a hit is taking place at each stop.

The initial teaser trailer was released a few weeks ago, and while it looked interesting, I wasn't completely sold.

The full trailer is now available, along with some more stills from the film. I've got to admit that NOW the movie is starting to look better. The producers have to walk a thin line in how much they show though... they need to show enough to get interest up, but if they give away too much, then no one will want to see the movie.

Knowing too much can be a bad thing. If you don't believe me, just ask the taxi driver.

Jeb Misses the Mark

Since my blog is geared towards fun stuff, I usually don't discuss politics too much. But this story was just too good not to mention.

Florida's Governor, Jeb Bush, was speaking to a group of 200 honors students and opened it up for questions. An 18 year old student asked the Governor if he could answer an FCAT Math Question.

FCAT is the test that students are required to pass in order to get a diploma. And while I think the idea of FCAT is a good one, I do have some problems with the way its implemented... but I digress.

According to the article, "the governor gave a steely grin and then stalled a bit. "The angles would be ... If I was going to guess ... Three-four-five. Three-four-five. I don't know, 125, 90 and whatever remains on 180?"

As you've probably already figured out, the answer was wrong.

Does that mean that the Governor is stupid? No. Does it mean that he shouldn't be allowed to be governor? No. Does it mean that he couldn't pass the test? No.

I don't think that we should judge a person on the basis of one test. But that's what they do with the FCAT.

July is Big Beatty Month

July looks to be a good month for Big John Beatty.

The first issue of the two issue story in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtes is out now. Big John provided the inks over Rick Remender's pencils to Steve Murphy's story and Scott Cohn kicked in some beautiful tone work to top it all off!

I'd NEVER bought an issue of TMNT before and had it not been for the really nice job these guys did I would have let this issue sit as well. Heck, their work together is so nice, I'd have bought it even if Big J wasn't my buddy and I wasn't a fan of Rick's work. Check it out and you'll become a fan too!

And if the issue of Tales of TMNT wasn't enough, John has started his weekly blog. This time out he talks about Southern Comfort... and it ain't what you're thinking.

Finally, the Big B has started accepting commissions again. He took a few before Heroes Con and really enjoyed doing them. Click HERE if you're interested in a commission.

Like I said, July looks to be a good month for Beatty... I wonder what August has in store...

Miller & Rodriguez Talk Sin City

Comics Continuim has coverage of MTV's Total Request Live behind-the-scenes look at Sin City.

Brittany Murphy, who plays Shelly, hosted and was joined by Sin City creator and film co-director Frank Miller, director Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. For full details click HERE.

I am so stoked for this movie. Frank Miller used to say that a movie would never happen, but Robert Rodriguez won him over by bringing in stars and filming a sample reel of what he would do if given the chance to direct Sin City on the big screen.

What makes this story even cooler is that Miller came on board as co-director! And the cast they've assembled is unreal. Bruce Willis is Hartigan. Jessica Alba is Nancy Callahan. Michael Clarke Duncan is Manute. Josh Harnett is Dwight. Mickey Rourke is Marv. Bennico Del Torro, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, and Nick Stahl also appear.

Time to Take Things Easy

Walter Mosley's eighth Easy Rawlins novel is now available and I'm putting in my order!

I've read, and enjoyed all of the Easy Rawlins' stories and Little Scarlet, set during the Watts riots of 1965, looks to be a welcome addition to the series. Easy, an unlicensed PI, along with his best friend, the cold-blooded killer called Mouse, find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation which could land Easy in jail or dead.

Devil in a Blue Dress is the only film adaptation of an Easy Rawlins' novel, and although it didn't set the box office on fire, it's definitely worth a look. Denzel Washington plays Easy Rawlins, but the movie is OWNED by Don Cheadle as Mouse. Jennifer Beals, looking as pretty as ever, also co-stars in this excellent film by Carl Franklin.

Yeah, I think I'll order the book tonight and pull the dvd off the shelf. It's time I spent a little time taking things Easy.

RIP - Marlon Brando

Dim the the lights. A legend has died. Marlon Brando passed on today.

Arguably the greatest actor who ever lived, none can argue that he influenced a generation. And I'm not just talking about actors such as James Dean, Robert DeNiro, or Johnny Depp. Brando literally influenced a generation of kids who wanted to rebel... and Brando continued to rebel throughout his life.

If all you know about Marlon Brando was that he played Superman's father or was pretty strange when interviewed by Larry King. If you only know Brando from impressionists doing their take on Brando as Vito Corleone from The Godfather then you owe it to yourself to check him out.

Yeah, he was cool in Apocalypse Now... and you may have heard how strange he was in The Island of Dr. Moreau [both on and off the set]...

...but if you want to see Brando at his best then check out On the Waterfront... A Streetcar Named Desire... Guys and Dolls [he could do it all!]...One Eyed Jacks [which he also directed]... Mutiny on the Bounty... and of course... The Godfather.

Marlon Brando was indeed the man. Our prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

Now I think I'll dim the lights and put on a classic Brando movie...

Lesnar Takes a Shot

Brock Lesnar, touted as The Next Big Thing in the WWE, a legitimate National Champion in college and a 3 time Champ in the Pros has walked away from his multi-million dollar contract to try out for the NFL.

And while Brock is big enough, strong enough, and even fast enough to make it in the NFL, he has an uphill battle to get picked up since he hasn't played in nine years and the last time was on a high school team.

Still ya have to admire a person willing to turn down millions of dollars to pursue a dream.

Third Time a Charm?

Two out of three ain't bad... and that's just what I'm hoping for.

See, I didn't care for Blade, but really, really liked Blade 2. Blade 3 aka Blade Trinity will be released later this year and I'm hoping that it will be as fun as Blade 2.

Wesley Snipes is back and that's a plus. This time around they've added two new supporting character's. Abigail and Hannibal King. Both of them look pretty interesting and I'm sure that the studio is thinking spin-off .

Check out the just opened Blade Trinity site and let me know what you think.

Twilight Zone Marathon

You just know I love SciFi's 4th of July Twilight Zone Marathon. No matter how many times I've seen some of the episodes... they're like old friends whose stories you've heard before but love to hear again.

I always recommend "To Serve Man" [1PM and 11PM] and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" [believe it or not, it doesn't look like they're showing this classic episode], but you might also want to check out "Will the Real Martian Stand Up?" [8:30 PM] or "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" [Midnight].

The cool thing is that the marathon runs from 9AM on July 4th to 6PM, July 5th. So even if you just tune in for a bit here and there you'll probably catch something fun.

Only in America

Mike Tyson has earned over $300 million and is bankrupt.

I guess I shouldn't feel bad for him, but I do. Tyson should have been on top of the world at this point in career... if he was even fighting. When he was in his prime nobody and I mean nobody could beat him. He was on track to break Marciano's record of wins without a defeat.

And then Don King came into his life. And we know what happened after that.

The sad thing is, Tyson is suing Don King for $100 million... but it looks like he'll settle for a lot less... a whole lot less.

And I'll bet you that after it's all said and done, Tyson will end up fighting for Don King again.

Only in America... only in America.

Free Comic Book Day

Comic books are one of the few truly American art forms. So it's strange that most American kids go through a comic book phase, but as they get older turn their back on the art form. I guess it's because of the perception that comics are just for kids.

Sure, it's true that many comic books are geared to kids. It's just as true that there are as many types of comics available as there are interests. And comics AREN'T just for kids.

If you liked the Spider-Man or X-Men movies, then you should check out the Spider-Man or X-Men comics. Same with Alien and Predator... or even Alien vs Predator. If you're a fan of hardboiled crime stories then check out Frank Miller's Sin City and 100 Bullets. If horror movies are your thing then take a chance on The Walking Dead or Steve Niles' 30 Days of Night. You say you loved Gladiator and Troy? Well, what'd you think of 300?

Trust me. There are comics out there that you'd like. And here's a cool incentive to get you to take a look. On July 3rd, comic book companies across the US will have comic books available for FREE. You read that right, FREE.

Now not every comic will be free and not every comic book shop will participate. But I bet that one near you will. This is the third year for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and publishers want people to check out their titles, so some really cool books will be available. Click HERE and you can get the full details.

And then I'd love to hear what comics YOU'RE reading!

Jason Pearson's Redbird

Jason Pearson is one of the most popular comic artists working today. His Body Bags series is considered a classic example of what a writer/artist can do when left to his own creation.

I was fortunate enough to meet Jason at Heroes Con earlier this month and was even able to get a Stallone sketch from him. Jason had some of the pages for his new series, Redbird, on display... and man, did they look sweet!

You can read about Jason and Redbird by clicking on THIS LINK... and then we can meet back here tomorrow.

Rex Steele, Nazi Smasher

Rex Steele, Nazi Smasher just oozes cool.

Believe it or not, Rex Steele started out as a student film. Now it's winning all kinds of awards and positive reviews. And for a good reason...

Everything about this project appears to be perfect from the animation to the story to the score! I'll be watching for more news of the dvd release and hopefully a compilation of the comics.

Check out the trailer and tell me you aren't ready to jump on board the Rex Steele bandwagon. I know I am. Let me know what you think...

Rex Steele, Nazi Smasher rates an A

Zack Snyder Looks to 300

As most of you know, I really enjoyed the Dawn of Dead remake. Much of that enjoyment was due to Zack Snyder's direction. Snyder's next project is to direct the adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300.

300 is the classic epic of how 300 Spartans went up against an insurmountable Persian army which was marching across the known world conquering countries and killing any who attempted to stop them.

If the movie is even half as good as Miller's graphic novel, then we're in for a real treat!

Days Turn to Weeks

It looks like there may be a sequel to 28 days later which was one of my favorite movies of 2002.

Tentatively titled 28 weeks later, it probably won't be directed by Danny Boyle [who helmed the original] or written by Alex Garland [who wrote the original... although both may return as producers.

I'm a big fan of the original film so I'd be interested in seeing what happens next.

Heroes Con 2004 Report

Shelton Drum's Heroes Con 2004 was a blast.

I arrived at the Westin, [truly one of the finest and most reasonably priced hotels anywhere thanks to the Heroes Con rate] at 10:30AM on Friday. The show opened at 11 and I was anxious to get in.

As we were unloading the car I saw Cully Humner and Casey Jones who were also getting ready to head over.

Big John Beatty was able to get me a guest pass since I was helping him with his art and thanks to Shelton, my son, Mike and I were able to get right in. John's table was next to tables occupied by Craig Hamilton, Neil Vokes, Michael Avon Oeming, Arron Lopestri and Andy Smith. We were in good company.

Mike and I took a quick trip around the con to get our bearings and ran into several fans including Steven Lee [who was wearing a StalloneZone t-shirt! Thanks Steven!], James Howell, Hal, Robert Jewell, Kwan, The ComicDude and others. I saw that Tony Harris was setting up and took him a StalloneZone shirt since I ran out before he completed my sketch at AtlantaCon. Gus Vasquez told me that he'd have my Stallone piece on Saturday.

I then made my way to Jason Pearson's table. Only two other people were ahead of me so I felt pretty confident that I'd get a sketch if Jason didn't mind drawing Stallone. Jason was running late, but luckily "The Big Man" had his portable dvd player and entertained us with a history channel dvd on comics. Jason arrived and when it was my turn I asked him about doing a Stallone piece. Jason said that he wasn't real good at likenesses, but I explained that I wanted HIS take on Sly. He said he'd give it a try and that I should bring back my reference material at the end of the day since he wanted to work on it in his hotel room. Cool!

Next was Michael Avon Oeming's table. I picked up his sketchbook [a bargain at five bucks]. Michael had already turned out a couple of cool sketches and I asked if I could get on his list. He said that he wasn't real good at likenesses [where had I heard that before?] and I told him that I wanted HIS take on Sly. He looked at my portfolio of Stallone sketches and said he'd like to give "Nighthawks" a shot and that I should check back in an hour or so.

Then it was back to Beatty's table where he was working on a Punisher commission. Craig Hamilton had arrived with his lovely lady,and he was sketching. Craig's amazing. Not only is he a super talented artist, but he puts a lot of thought into his work. For each of his convention sketches Craig draws roughs and really thinks about the character. Not just what the character looks like or what kind of costume he/she wears, but how they would sit or stand and what kind of attitude they would project. I loved hearing Craig talk to fans and having the opportunity to watch him sketch all weekend. Craig has a broad knowledge and appreciation for all types of art. You just know I had to ask to get on his list! Craig said that he'd like to draw Sly from "Oscar" since he has a real affinity for the time period [and he really liked the movie]!

As Friday was winding down I picked up my sketch from Michael Avon Oeming who did a great job [and I think that it does look like Sly] and dropped off my reference material for Jason Pearson.

Several of us, actually about 20, had decided to walk over to Uno's for dinner. My wife and two sons, Big Beatty, James Howell, Steven Lee, Robert Jewell, Gary McGee, Jason WalkerGary and Big Beatty... and believe it or not Gary was wilder. It was about 10:30 when we finished up with dinner so it was back to the hotel for a little visiting and then to the room for some sleep. and others made the trip. Because our group was so large it took a while for them to get us in and even then we were split into two groups. And of course my group was the rowdy one thanks to

As the con was gettting ready to open on Saturday I found myself in line for some breakfast at the concession stand with Michael Avon Oeming. He said that he met several StalloneZone fans on Friday [they saw him working on the Sly sketch]. Michael offered to buy me breakfast! I thanked him, and instead offered to buy his breakfast! As it ended up, we both bought our own eats, but what a cool guy. I'd heard good things about Michael and he lived up to his rep of being "one of the good guys."

I spent Saturday alternating between Beatty's table and walking around the show to talk to fans and pros. I was able to spend a bit of time with or at least say hi to Kelsey Shannon [Beatty's son!], Cully Hamner, Brian Stelfreeze, Jeff Parker, Adam Hughes and Allison Sohn, Phil Noto, Tony Harris, Eric Powell, Casey Jones, Tommy Lee Edwards and so many others.

Gus Vasquez was able to get me my sketch before he had to fly out to the set of Sin City! He gave me two characters [Rocky nailing Clubber Lang] and it was definitely worth the wait

Neil Vokes and I had fun conversations about movies [horror flicks, re-makes, B-movies], comics, and more. Neil is a cool guy and I had a blast hanging with him. Neil's project The Wicked West has the tagline "What would happen if Josey Wales rode into Salem's Lot"... it's a great concept and the art is right on. It's going to rock! In the meantime you might want to check out Neil's Parliment of Justice [with Michael Avon Oeming] or Black Forest. It was also cool to see Neil's apppreciation for other artists. Neil keeps a sketchbook and was excited when Eric Powell contributed a killer piece! [Michael Oeming also keeps a Lord of the Rings sketchbook from other artists!]

I checked in with Jason Pearson. He had sketched out my Stallone piece and had decided to do Rocky hitting the meat. It was looking great. The big beefy Rocky punching the beef! LOL!

Dinner Saturday night was at Fuel for some pizza or subs. This time it was Beatty, James Howell, Steven Lee, Hal and others. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and spent an hour or so in the lobby talking with fans and pros. Then a bunch of us headed up to James and Hal's room to look at their portfolios and latest acquisitions.

On Sunday Jason had my Stallone piece ready. Several people came up to me and told me it was done and looked great. When I picked it up I saw that they were right. Jason Pearson is such a talented guy.

Craig Hamilton was not going to be able to get to my piece before the end of the show. He offered to do a take home piece but part of the joy of Craig's work is watching his process so I decided to wait... I may be able to up to DragonCon later this year.

As you can see from this picture Craig and Big Beatty hit it off pretty well!

I had been by Tommy Lee Edwards' table. He was doing some really cool sketches and I hoped that I'd be able to get on his list. Luckily he could fit me in. Tommy and I talked about which character he would do... he wasn't sure and so I suggested Jack Carter if he couldn't decide on one. I went back to Beatty's table and told him I had the hook-up with Tommy.

Beatty was stoked. He's a big Tommy Lee fan and so we walked over. It turns out that Tommy likes Beatty's work as well. We all talked for a bit and then Tommy said I should check back in a little while. When I did, I found that Tommy had started to do Deke from "Nighthawks" but then remembered that I suggested Jack Carter and so he changed it to Carter. Man, I can't tell you how much I love this piece. The energy and colors and... just look at it! Beautiful!

The auction was a lot of fun. So many artists donated work to help support the con. Some of the highlights included Phil Noto's painting of "The Bride" from "Kill Bill," Brian Stelfreeze's painting of Mary Jane, Mike Wieringo's huge Fantastic Four piece, Craig Hamilton's Fairey [done in crayon -- you'd have to see it to belive how nice it was!], Alison Sohn's Harliquinn, and many others.

Believe it or not Big Beatty was even recruited to serve as one of the auctioneers with Tim Townsend!

As you can probably tell, if you've read this far, it was another great show.

We make Heroes Con part of our annua; family vacation -- it's that much fun. If you haven't ever attended you should give it some thought. Next year Heroes will be on June 24-26, 2005.

Maybe I'll see you there!