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!

Tampa Con & More

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Big John Beatty and I will be motoring down to Tampa for Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention. Big Beatty is a guest but before I get to that...

Saturday night Beatty and I are going to attend a little get together put on by Randy Martin. Randy is an avid art collector whose theme happens to be Edward Scissorshands. How cool is that? John Higashi will be there with his Star Wars theme [which includes are from just about anyone who is ANYONE. How many collections do you know that feature Drew Struzan originals [note the "s" as in many]? John Dell and other artists will be attending as well. It's going to be a lot of fun.

The next day is Tampa Con. John is a guest [which makes me a guest of a guest, I suppose]. Other real guests include MARTY NODELL [creator of the original GREEN LANTERN], ETHAN VAN SCIVER [X-Men], ALEX SAVIUK [Spider-Man], JIM FERN [Scion, Wolverine], AUSTIN JANOWSKY [Superman], DICK KULPA [artist and publisher of CRACKED], MARK and STEPHANIE HEIKE and others.

If you happen to be in the area, stop in and say, "Hi." I'll be the guy in the StalloneZone shirt angeling for more Stallone sketches!

Tampa Con, Here We Come!

In just a couple of hours I'll be heading down to Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention. Tim holds the show three times a year and it's always a fun time. Although the show is on Sunday, "Big" John Beatty, "Johnny Star-Warz" Higashi, "The James" Howell and I go down the night before. It's always a blast with these guys and the convention is like an added bonus.

This trip could turn out to be even more fun than most since our buddy, "Wild Bill" Black is going to film some scenes for one of his movies. Bill is a guest at the show and decided that while he was in Tampa he could combine work with pleasure [or in Bill's case pleasure with pleasure]. He's even enlisted "The James" to play the role of a 70's lounge singer who gets attacked by a vampire!

Then tomorrow we'll head to the show. It's got a pretty impressive guest list for a small one day convention. There will also be a costume contest, door prizes and a film room. I'm really looking forward to seeing an old [as in longtime, not because he's 81] friend of mine, Jim Ivey.

If you're within driving distance of Tampa, come on over and join us. If you want to hook up with our group, more than likely I'll be wearing a StalloneZone shirt, or just look for a 70's lounge singer who was bitten by a vampire.

Tampa Was a Blast!

Last weekend, Big Beatty, John Higashi and I made our way to the Tampa Comic Book and Toy Show.

As many of you know, it's my favorite little convention. But if Tim Gordon continues to put on such great shows, it won't be little much longer. It's held three times a year and has added the Tampa Indie Film Fest to a program which already includes celebrites signing autographs, artists sketching, a costume contest, prize drawaings... there's ALWAYS something going on to interest everyone.

Beatty, Higashi and I drove down the night before. It's become a tradition that we go down a day ahead of the show, hang out with other collectors and eat dinner at a place called Sweet Tomatoes.

This time Randy Martin joined us for dinner. Afterwards we went over to his place to hang out. Randy has thecoolest Edward Scissorhands art collection that you can see if you click HERE.

The next morning, Beatty, Higashi and I headed over to the show. Higashi was on a mission. His goal was to get to Ethan Van Sciver to add to a sketch that he'd started a few shows ago, and to set up a commission with Pablo Marcos. My plan was to meet Pablo Marcos and possibly get a Stallone sketch from him. Beatty was there just to stir up some fun.

Higashi started getting that predator look in his eyes and I knew that soon he would be in full con mode. The doors opened and the crowd headed in. As we were walking to the artist area, I saw Randy Martin had set up and so I stopped to chat with him. Higashi continued to make his way to Ethan's spot center stage.

A few minutes later, I headed over to the stage area. Higashi was waiting for Ethan to arrive. I said, "Hi" to Marty Nodell and his son. I was just hanging out waiting for Big Beatty to mosey over when Cindy Morgan walked up to me and introduced herself. Cindy was a guest of the show and is best known for her role as Lacey Underall in Caddyshack. She asked if I was with the show. I told her I wasn't. As luck would have it, Tim
Gordon [who runs the show] was passing by. He stopped and was able to answer Ms. Morgan's question. There was a bit of small talk and then she excused herself to set up. Tim and I spoke a bit before he went on stage to introduce the guests and welcome the crowd.

I decided to head over to the film room when suddenly Captain Battle and his Battle Team appeared.

His Battle Team was filming fan reaction as he walked through the crowd meeting and greeting young and old alike. I shook hands with the good
Captain and was awarded his first dvd movie. I'll write more about that soon.

In the film room, Beatty and I watched a retrospective on Irwin Allen. Allen was first known for his tv shows, Lost in Space, Voyage to the
Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants. He then went on to become the King of Disaster Movies with The Posideon Adventure, and The Towering Inferno. Higashi came in. He'd been successful in getting Ethan to add more to his Star Wars piece. The three of us watched a short film called Contact from Beyond. The people who made the film were in the audience and the crowd enjoyed the experience.

That's the look that Wild Bill Black had on his face when he saw Beatty and I re-enter the convention hall. Bill was talking to Marty Nodell and had made the trip to Tampa just to hang with Marty for the afternoon. It's always great to see Wild Bill, who is busier than ever with his comic and dvd businesses.

I spent some time talking with Jesse "Cadre" Hansen and Mitch "Bubba the Redneck Werewolf" Hyman. It's always a blast speaking to these guys as they love what they're doing and their fan base continues to grow. Beatty came over to see some new stuff that Cadre had created. When Beatty gives praise, you know it's earned. He and Mitch talked about Beatty doing a cover for a future issue of Bubba -- so that looks like it's going to happen.

Then is was time for the costume contest. It's surprising to me, because of the size of the show, how many really good costumers are always there. You have to admit that it adds something to a show, when you see characters walking around and they look like who they're supposed to be. The winner was a guy dressed as The Shadow -- at the last show he came as Marv. In the picture above, that's me with The Scarecrow from Batman Begins and Kevin from Sin City.

The only thing left to do was for Higashi to set up his Star Wars commission. That's Pablo and his lovely wife pictured above. Higashi and I were in line as Pablo sketched for fans. Higashi asked me if I was going to try for a Stallone sketch. Because of the time factor, I said that I didn't think so. We watched as Pablo completed a beautiful Vamperella sketch... then a Zombie pencil sketch... and then a Conan. Man, each sketch was a beaut. Higashi set up his commission which
Pablo was doing as a take-home piece. I then arranged to have a Stallone sketch done and mailed with Higashi's. I don't know which character Pablo is going to do... but you can be sure, it'll be sweet.

Sadly it was time for us to get on the road. Higashi had been able to get Ethan to add to his piece and Pablo to commit to a commission. I had been able to arrange for a Pablo sketch as well. We'd been able to visit with old and new friends, see some fun films, check out some wild costumes, and just have a great day. Tim's next show is in November. If you're able to make it, I can promise that you'll have a fun time. Heck, you may even get to be in a picture with Steve, Big Beatty and Wild Bill!

Tampa, Here I Come!

This weekend I'm heading down to the Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention. Tim Gordon puts on the show and it's ALWAYS a blast.

This time the guest list includes: Cindy "Tron" Morgan, Marty "Green Lantern" Nodell, Ethan "Green Lantern" Van Sciver, Alex "Spider-Man" Saviuk, Pablo "Conan" Marcos, and many others. The second Tampa Indie Film Fest will also run during the show.

If you're in the area, you ought to join in on the fun!

Meeting a Legend, Sir!

Have you ever seen a better looking group of middle-aged playas? Ok, ok. Maybe you have. But that's what we looked like last Saturday night when we stopped over at Mike Zeck's on the first leg of our Tampa Con weekend. From left to right: John "Johnny Star-Warz" Higashi, Mike Zeck, James "The James" Howell, me, and John "Big" Beatty. See the full picture [if you dare] at Big Beatty's Blog-O-Rama.

We stopped at Mike's house to pick up copies of his latest sketchbook to have on display at the Tampa show. Mike is one of the coolest, most down to earth guys you'd ever want to meet. Beatty and I have known Mike for nearly 30 years [yeesh!] and Higashi has known him for a couple. It was The James' first time meeting Mike. Normally The James is very cool about meeting artists... even big name artists. In fact, The James is friends with some of the best artists in the business... yet something came over him when he met Mike.

Here are a couple of brief exchanges that they had:

The James: Uh, Mr. Zeck it is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I... uh, I am a big, no huge, uh... fan of your work, Mr. Mike Zeck, sir.

MIke: Thank you. And please, call me Mike.

The James: Ok, I'll do that Mr. Zeck.

Mike smiles as The James goes on.

The James: Uh, Mr. Mike Zeck, sir, I'd really like to purchase a copy of your sketchbook, sir, that is if you don't mind and uh, if it isn't too much trouble, sir.

Mike had just pulled out 15 copies which John Higashi had purchased for Tampa. Other copies were easily within reach.

Mike: No problem at all James. In fact, you can have one at the dealer discount.

The James: Uh, no sir, Mr. Mike Zeck, sir. I insist that I pay full retail price, sir, uh... that is if it's okay with you, sir.

Mike shrugged his shoulders as The James forced a twenty into his hand.

The second exchange took place as we were leaving.

The James: "Wowee. It has been such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mike Zeck. I've admired you, I mean your work... you know, your art... for a long time. Uh, but don't think I'm a stalker, sir. It's just that, it's just that, you know, sir, you're THE MAN."

Mike: Thanks, James. And please just call me Mike.

The James: Yes sir, I will Mr. Mike, sir.

The James then turned to leave, but quickly spun back around and said: "I really dig your shirt, sir!" and then he was out the door.

It was cool to see that even a middle-aged playa like The James can still break into fanboy mode.

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!

Almost Time for Tampa

If all goes according to our plan, in two weekends [November 12th to be exact], I will join my buddies, "Big" John Beatty, John "Star Wars" Higashi, and "The James" Howell for our tri-annual trip to Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Show. That's Tim pictured above. He's the guy not wearing a mask.

The show is always a blast. If you're a long-time ZONE reader, then you've heard me speak about the show many times before. If you're new to these parts, then click HERE and you'll get a preview of the fun.

Hope to see some of you at the show. I'll be the guy looking for Stallone sketches!

Time for Tampa

On Sunday, August 19th, I'll be joining Big Beatty and hundreds of other fans of comics, movies, sci-fi and other interesting hobbies as we converge on Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book & Toy Convention.

You've heard me rave many times about what a great show Tim puts on. This one could be the best ever! In addition to John Beatty, guests will include Bill Black, Alex Saviuk, Herb Trimpe, Gary Friedrich, Chuck Dixon, Pablo Marcos, and many others. There will be something for everyone... artists sketching and signing autographs, a costume contest, a continuously running film room and more.

If you're able to make it, swing by Big Beatty's table and be sure to say, "Hi!"

Back Home from Tampa Con

Well, I'm home from Tampa. Although it was a quick trip, and I didn't get much sleep; I did get to accomplish my major objectives of assisting Bill Black with filming some scenes for two movies he's currently shooting and seeing my old buddy, Jim Ivey.

That's Brenna Barry, star of Bill Black's Gargantarama, and Jim Ivey [looking pretty content at 81] in today's header photo. I'll tell show and tell you more about the trip later this week. You'll also get to see some cool reports over at John Beatty's Blog. As for now, I need a rest!

A Nazi, A Werewolf, Big Beatty and Much More

Looking for something to do tomorrow and you can make it to Tampa, Florida?

Well then... if you'd like to meet a Soup Nazi, a former Teenage Werewolf, several comic book professionals, some independent filmmakers and comic artists, or maybe even Big John Beatty, you should heard over to the Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention.

I'll be driving down [in the Jack Carter car] with Big Beatty, John "Johnny Star Warz" Higashi, and James "The James" Howell. The trip looks to have some additional fun since we're planning to swing by Mike Zeck's for a quick visit.

The con runs on Sunday from 10AM to 4PM and is the best one day showing going! Click HERE and see why!

Tampa Con Report

Hey Zoners... ok, I'm picking up the tale of our four middle-aged playas after they've arrived at the show. If you want to read more tales of the trip then click HERE and John "The Dude Abides" Beatty will fill you in.

Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention is the best one day show that you'll find anywhere. There are media guests, comic artists, costumers, independent filmmakers [with a continuously running screening room] , and dozens and dozens of dealers.

Yes, that's the look of fear that crossed Mark and Stephanie Heike's faces when they discovered that the Mild Bunch [John "Johnny Star-Warz" Higashi, James "The James" Howell, John "The Dude Abides" Beatty, and yours truly] had arrived.

Larry Thomas, better known as "The Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld, had a table. He was selling autographed pictures and soup ladles for $20 a pop. I'm a huge Seinfeld fan. I loved the series and thought "The Soup Nazi" episode was a riot. However, $20 bucks for an autographed picture? Five samoleons and I'm there, heck, I'd have even bought a couple, but twenty of my hard-earned smack-a-toons for one? No thanks.

So, I'm waiting for Pat Broderick to arrive and up walks Beatty. He says that every time he tried to get a photo of "The Soup Nazi," the "Nazi" turned or raised his hands to insure that the picture wasn't a good one. I laughed it off. Later Beatty came up to say that he'd tried for a photo several more times, but each time the "Nazi" thwarted his efforts. This, of course, makes me want to get a candid. I did, but as you can tell from the full shot, Mr. Thomas did not seem to happy about it. If that's the case, I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas... and I really would have bought a couple of autographs had they been cheaper!

Now the guy that I really was there to see was Pat Broderick. I've known Pat for nearly 30 years! We first met at an OrlandoCon back in the 70's. Pat's a great guy and a heck of an artist. He and Beatty even teamed up on a couple of comic series over the years! I was curious to see if Pat would be interested in doing a piece for my Stallone gallery. Lucky for me he was! I'll post it later this weekend with my SZ update. Higashi and Howell also set up sketches with Pat.

The next guy on our hit list was Karl Moline who was sharing a table with Randy [Edward Scissorhands Collection] Martin. While John Higashi and I set up sketches with Karl, The James scooted over to arrange a take-home commission with Pablo Marcos.

Then it was over to the film room where we caught some of Joel D. Wynkoop's film "Lost Faith." Joel was at the show, and as you can see HERE has made a lot of films. Joel is very approachable and obviously has a love of film. It might be cool if he and Bill Black ever hook up for a project.

Beatty got that look in his eyes that said it was time for lunch. Howell said he was ready for a bite too. Even Higashi said he'd eat [which is a rare thing for Johnny SW to do at a show]. I wasn't hungry, but said I'd join them for a Coke. We ended up in the hotel's sport's bar. As we were yacking away waiting for the food to arrive, the NY Giants were on tv playing the Philadelphia Eagles. Howell suddenly blurted out, "I've got five bucks for anyone who'll yell "Go Giants!"

I immediately yelled, "Go Giants! Go Giants!" and before I could collect my fiver, a loud chorus of "Go Philly!" "Giants Suck" "Go Philly" erupted from behind me. I turned to see probably 30 or 40 grown men [most of whom were wearing Eagles jerseys] looking our way. Of course, this just made Beatty an instant Giants fan who began to LOUDLY cheer for the Giants way and BOO the Eagles.

Two things saved us from the situation getting ugly. 1] Beatty's sandwich arrived and 2] Mrs. Pat Broderick came by the table to say, "Hi."

After lunch we headed back to the show. Pat and Karl had finished my sketches. They had [independently] decided to draw Deke from Nighthawks! And both did really, really cool sketches. I'll post them tomorrow with the SZ update.

I'd been wanting to get a sketch from Derrick Fish for a while. Luck was with me because when I checked with Derrick, he had a spot on his sketch list open. Derrick completed my sketch trifecta by doing a really nice cartoon of Rocky knocking out Dandy.

Soon it was time to say our goodbyes and load up the "Jack Carter" car for our trip home. As we snaked our way around the con to say we were heading out, we made sure to let the Heike's know that we'd see them at the next show in May!

MallowCon Report

Last weekend I had the good fortune to attend the first Comics Collector's Comic-Con in Port St. Lucie. The show was put on by Keith Mallow [pictured above probably wondering how he ended up in a StalloneZone t-shirt]. You've heard me talk about Keith [and his lovely wife Monica] before. They're good people [well, at least Monica is...]. I was there with my best buddy, Big John Beatty, who was a guest at the con. Here's how the show went...

Beatty and I arrived early. The room was already packed with dealers. Keith led us back to Big John's table. I was surprised to see Jesse "Cadre" Hansen set up at a table behind us. I should have known that Cadre would be at the con since he is "the hardest working man in comics." Jesse had his latest project on hand, the #1 issue to Cornerstone which features four stories by the Cadre Corner Crew [say that three times fast!]. It's a nice package, and I'd have said that even if Jesse didn't give me a shout-out in the "Thank You" section!

Soon enough Ethan Van Sciver arrived. His table was next to Beatty's. My buddy, John Higashi, had asked me to get a sketch from Ethan for him. Ethan agreed to the Star Wars piece [adding another figure to this one that he had drawn earlier].

I decided to take a walk around the room before the doors opened. There were quite a few dealers set up. Tim Gordon was there. Tim's a great guy and he puts on the Tampa show that you've heard me brag about over the years. Keith Mallow and Tim are working together cross-promote their shows and see that they don't overlap. Pictured above is a shot of the America Man table. They were giving away free copies of their America Man comic. Since the doors were getting ready to open, I headed back to Beatty's table.

From the time the doors opened until almost closing time, the show stayed busy. Every fan I talked with said he/she was having a great time and making some good purchases. Dealers seemed to be doing good business as well. When both the fans and dealers are happy, you know it's a great show!

Ethan was able to finish Higashi's sketch, but then about an hour into the show suddenly had to leave. Hopefully, whatever emergency called him away was been positively resolved.

Beatty had a sketch list that kept him busy through the show. That coupled with a ton of autograph requests [and even a couple of newspaper interviews] made the day flow by quickly. Beatty was in the zone when it came to his sketches. Each one was a winner, but this Punisher sketch [purchased by uber Punisher fan Bart ] was my favorite of the show.

As the show came to an end, everyone started to say their good-byes. We told Tim that we'd be at his show in August, if we didn't make the one in May. Cadre said that he and his crew would be down for the next Sketch Society meeting. We told Joe "Ladder Leg" that we'd see him at the next show. There was just one last thing to do before hitting the road... and that was to thank Monica and Keith for putting on a great show... I decided that it would be best for Beatty to thank Keith...

On Saturday, my son, Mike (far left), AC Comics CEO, Bill Black (second from the left), John Beatty (see him?) , and I drove to Tampa for a small comic convention. The main draw was Marty Nodell who created The Green Lantern but John Dell, Rick Magyar, Derek Aucoin and others were also scheduled to attend.

The con was on Sunday, but we went down early to avoid a long drive on the same day. The trip down was a blast. We entertained each other with stories, and literally laughed the whole way.

We went out to dinner... and planned to eat at a Chinese restaraunt called "The Crazy Buffet," but when we found out it was $21.95 per person [what are they? crazy?], we decided to find another place for chow. We ended up at another Chinese buffet and who do you guess was having dinner there? That's right, Marty Nodell who would be Guest of Honor at the convention the next day. We spent a bit of time talking with Marty and his lovely wife and then had a more reasonably priced meal.

The rest of the evening was spent laughing and planning things that will probably never take place [short films, comics, etc.], debating the difference between a farmer and a cowboy [Clint Eastwood vs Roy Rogers for example], watching Evander Hollyfield turn an opponent into the Elephant Man, and basically acting foolish. What a great time... we were up until well after 1 AM and I can't remember laughing so much or so hard in recent years.

We were up early to be on time for the show which was well attended but very hot. A tightly packed room without any place to sit and talk made it seem even hotter. Marty was there and swamped by fans looking for original art, autographs and pictures. The other artists came in, but only one was sketching. I enjoyed talking to John Dell, Derek Aucoin, and Rick Maygar [who may do a Stallone piece!]. I also met Randy Martin who had several really nice sketchbooks full of commissioned sketches of Edward Scissorhands! My son found a few comics for his collection. At around 2PM we decided to head home [after a brief stop at Bill's to check out his autograph collection]

Overall it was a fun experience, but anytime Mike, Bill, John and I get together we have a great time. Oh, and in case you're wondering... John isn't the guy in the Spider-Man suit... John took the picture.

2 Comic Conventions

There are two comic cons within driving distance of most folks living in the central Florida area. The first, on November 11th is the ever-popular Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention put on by Tim Gordon. You've heard me rave about it over the years and there's no doubt that this one will be another good 'un.

Another buddy of mine, Steve Meyers, owner of World of Comics [where I've gotten my comics for the last 20+ years] is putting on a small show which will feature two big guests! Legendary comic artist Dick Giordano will be on hand along with Big John Beatty! You can learn more by clicking HERE.

The Ghost of Gargantua

A trailer for Wild Bill Black's "The Ghost of Gargantua" is now on-line. "Ghost of Gargantua" is the sequel to Bill's ever-popular "The Amazing Colossal Woman." Long-time ZONErs may remember this post where I talked about filming that was going to take place at one of Tim Gordon's Tampa Cons. It did and much of it appears in the trailer below.

Here's some trivia before you watch:

* The screaming crowd scenes were filmed on August 20, 2006 using fans in attendance at Tim Gordon's con.

* At 2:09 in the trailer there is a close-up reaction shot of "The James" Howell. If you look closely at the collar of his shirt, you'll notice its red. The red was from fake blood. Earlier in the day, we had shot a scene of "The James" being attacked by a vampire in a hotel room. That scene will appear in a future Bill Black release.

* You may recognize the four mugs featured in the trailer and pictured below: starting at the top and going clockwise - 1] "The James" Howell - comic book and art collector, writer and director and all around great guy 2] me 3] John "The Master" Higashi - comic art collector, master of sketches, leader of the pack 4] John "Big" Beatty - comic book artist, king of nonsense, and my oldest friend [although not as old as Jim Ivey or Bill Black].

* John Beatty is wearing a patch in the trailer. It's a running gag that his character, "Patch," shows up in several of Bill's movies. This is his second appearance with a third soon to follow!

* John Higashi gets a close-up in the trailer where he yells "Godzilla." It was totally ad-libbed and brought down the house.

So sit down, relax, let your mind take you back to the days of drive-ins, Nightmare Theater and watch the trailer for "The Ghost of Gargantua!"

Today We Die!

My buddy, John Beatty, and I have been taking trips together since we were teenagers. So about 30 years ago, before we headed off on a short trip to Orlando, one of us looked at the other and said, "I really feel like we're going to get in a wreck today." Of course we didn't, but that didn't stop the creepy feeling that that simple statement gave us.

It became a kind of joke with us. We'd be pulling out for a trip to Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, or any destination and one of us would say to the other "I really feel like we're going to get in a wreck today." Over the years the statement even occasionally changed to "I really feel like we're going to be killed in a car wreck today." Of course whoever is driving then has to make sure that the prediction doesn't come true. So far I'm 100% and John is pretty close to that.

So in honor of a stupid statement that we continue to toss at each other [of course NEVER when my wife or kids are riding with us], I give you Today We Die!

"Gargantarma" is Coming!

I've told you many times before about the Comic Book and Toy Show that Tim Gordon puts on several times a year in Tampa. Tim started doing the conventions about 3 or 4 years ago and they were pretty small affairs - but boy, were they fun.

My son Mike, John "Big" Beatty, John "Johnny Star-Warz" Higashi and James "The James" Howell and I would always try to make the shows because we always had a blast. Over the years the convention has gradually gotten bigger [adding multiple guest artists per show, costume contests, an independent film room and more], but was able to retain that small show feel.

Tim will have his next show on August 20th. My buddy, Bill Black will be on hand [along with star Brenna Barry] to screen "Gargantarma" a documentary which explores the history of giant women in cinema. Legendary comic artist, Nick Cardy, will be the guest of honor! Several other guests will be on hand. You can see the full details by clicking HERE.

If you're able to make it, you should plan on joining us!

Heroes Con 2005 Report

Mike and I arrive in Charlotte at a little after 7PM on Thursday. While checking in to the Weston we see Hal, Matt and Kwan from the Comic Art List. Brian Stelfreeze

and Cully Hamner are also in the lobby.

I call James "The James" Howell and he tells me he'll arrive at the hotel in a few minutes. Mike and I put our things in our room. We freshen up a bit and head back down to the lobby. It's been about 10 minutes and still no "The James." Matt, Hal, Mike and I head back up to my room to wait for "The James" arrival.

Matt remembered to bring me a Stallone piece that Steve McNiven did for me at MegaCon after I left. Heroes hasn't even started and I already have a new addition to
my gallery! ; ) "The James" arrives and so we head down to the lobby.

As we're all getting ready to go out for dinner, "The James" says, "Have you all seen Batman Begins? Wasn't it great?" Everyone has seen it and agrees... except for me.

I say that I liked it, but had some problems with it. "The James" gives me a look like I just threw up in his cereal [he's the king of giving people looks]. "What problems did you have?" he asks. So I begin to lay out a few of them. With each one "The James" looks pained and then gives me a rationalization.

As we're walking, Brian Stelfreeze, Cully and their crew appear. We all say, "hi" and stop to talk for a minute. Brian then says, "Have you all seen Batman Begins? Wasn't it great?" ["The James" gives me a smug smile.] Everyone nods and says, "yeah"... everyone except for me. I say, "I liked it, but had some problems with it." Since we're all going out in different directions, I say that I'll talk to him about it later.

We head over to dinner, and all through the course of the meal the discussion is Batman Begins. Everyone but "The James" agrees that I've brought up some valid concerns. "The James" just doesn't see it. He's like Tom Cruise talking about Katie Holmes when it comes to Batman Returns. We all head back to the hotel and end up talking art, comics, movies and playing a movie trivia game. "The James" is nearly unbeatable.

The next morning, I'm up early. Mike is sleeping in and coming over after the show starts, but since I've scored a special guest pass via John Higashi [who is arriving on Saturday], I can get in early. "The James" and I meet in the lobby and decide to pass on the $16 breakfast buffet and go for the $2.75 bagel. We hang out in the lobby and talk to different folks as they pass through. Rico comes by looking for some dish soap to wash his baby's bottle. Casey Jones passes through and says that he's going to have a Stallone piece for me by the end of this show! Matt and Hal come down.

Brian Stelfreeze and Cully come through. Someone brings up Batman Begins [it wasn't me, I promise]. I tell Brian some of my concerns.

He listens and says, "You know, you're right. I hadn't thought of that!"
[I give "The James" a smug smile.] I say, "Overall I liked it though and expect the sequel to be even better."

We all head over to the show. I get in James Jean's line for Paul Singh who can't make the show. Man, it seems that everyone wants something from James Jean. I give him Paul's reference and money for Paul and say that John Higashi will take the art back with him.

I stop by and say, "Hi" to Adam and Alison. I get on Rick Leonardi's list. He says he's going to draw Rambo. I look for Nat Jones who hasn't arrived yet. I talk with Mike Ploog and lay the groundwork for John Higashi to get a take home commission. I get on Cliff Chiang's list.

I spend a lot of the day hanging out with the guys from Tsunami Studios: Gary McKee, Jason Walker, Mike Torrence and Brian Walker. I set up a water color Stallone piece from Gary and Jason and I agree to a future Stallone piece. I check back on Nat Jones throughout the day, but he looks to be a no show... as does Craig Hamilton.

Dinner that night is at Uno's. There are 14 of us so we get two tables. The place is packed, but we get seated pretty quickly. I'm at the quiet table [yeah, Gary McKee is at the other one and no Beatty this year].

After dinner we head up to the Tsunami Studios room. Brian Walker gifts me a Stallone piece that he did! We're all laughing and talking junk when some of us discover that two of the people sitting at Gary's table for dinner, work in the porn industry! Gary is also shocked and we're all laughing because he didn't know that when he shared his beef tips with the woman. Gary gets all flustered which makes everyone laugh harder.

The next morning I am awakened by a phone call at 6AM from John Higashi. He's driven through the night [on 2 hours of sleep after a full day of work] and is ready for some breakfast. I get cleaned up and head down. John arrives and we find a Burger King for some "nourishment." As we're eating John maps out his strategy. He's a day late [but NOT a dollar behind] and he writes down names and locations of artists on his "hit list." Military invasions have been planned with less strategy and I know that Higashi is on a mission.

The show opens and I discover that Higashi hit the ground running. Literally. And carrying several bags of art. Higashi is already on several artists' lists and he's also picking up commissions and pages that he worked deals on before the show even started!

I see Rick Leonardi who has completed my Rambo piece! Cool! Very cool!

I meet Howard Chaykin. He is one of my comic idols. If Howard writes or draws it, I'll buy it. Meeting Chaykin is so cool. He tells me about a new comic that he has coming out. It's in the tradition of Peckinpaugh. It's called Generations and sounds awesome. Chaykin also tells me about a noir comic that he'd like to do, but so far he hasn't found a publisher. It's a very and dark realistic story. I hope that it finds a home. Chaykin says that he's doing head sketches for ACTOR, but we'd be better off with a home commission. I decide to wait and see if I can work out something later. Meeting Howard Chaykin has been a highlight of ANY convention I've ever been to.

Nat Jones arrives! I head over and talk to him. Nat says that he usually doesn't sketch at shows, but because he knows I am a fan of his work [and maybe because it's obvious that the piece won't end up on ebay], and because my theme is different, he agrees to a sketch! Yeah, baby. I pick up the sketch later in the afternoon and love it. Cobra by Nat Jones.

I get word that Craig Hamilton has arrived. "The James" and I head over to his table. Craig has a piece that he completed for "The James." It's Snow and Big Bad Wolf and it is sooo sweet. I set up a commission with Craig, who decides to do it as a take home piece since he couldn't get to me last year at Heroes. Craig promises it will be really nice. How could it not be, since Craig is doing it?

Gary McKee has been working all day on my Stallone watercolor piece. He opted to do Sly as The Punisher. It was cool seeing Gary work on it from concept sketch to finished piece. And I agree with Gary, Sly would have made an excellent Punisher.

I see a lot of friends including Tim Gordon [from The Tampa Comic and Toy Convention], Robert Jewell, and others. Richard "Jaws" Kiel is there. I guess it goes without saying, that he's HUGE. As the show winds down for day two, we head back to the hotel for the Art Auction. The room is packed. Higashi bids on a few items and wins one. After the auction, Mike and I decide on pizza in the room. Normally we'd hang out with the guys again, but tonight we opt to play some poker [for fun] and watch "Tombstone." Man, Val Kilmer owns that movie. He should have won an Oscar!!

The next morning, we check out of the room and head over to the last day of the show. The group immediately gets in Mike Ploog's line. Mike's old school. I grew up on his "Werewolf by Night," "Frankenstien" and work for Warren. Mr. Ploog is [and has been since the con opened] drawing FREE headshots for fans. Up to this point, I've never asked an artist to draw Stallone when they're sketching for free. It's one thing to whip out Batman or Spider-Man or a character that they've probably drawn dozens of times. It's a whole different can of worms to ask them to draw a real person. But this is Mike Ploog!! I decide to ask him to draw Jack Carter and I use Brian Stelfreeze's piece as reference. When it's my turn, I hand over my sketchbook and reference and Mike draws me a nice little Stallone headshot! Whoo-hooo! I have Mike Ploog in my Stallone Gallery!

I check in with Casey Jones and he's done me a great, great piece.

It's Sly from Oscar and the design on the sketch is awesome.

Casey, you are the MAN!!!

Cliff Chiang has completed his Stallone piece. It's a really sweet piece of Rocky and Adrian. Cliff has really captured the essence of both of these characters. I absolutely love it!

Heroes has once again been a great show. I was able to hang out with my son and friends, meet artists who've I've admired and even get new artwork for my Stallone Gallery. I should have better pictures of the artists and scans of my new pieces posted within the next week.

I'm already looking forward to next year to do it all again!