Ashley Eckstein

               I actually wrote this a few years ago when reading about the release of E.K. Johnston’s new Ahsoka book. It reminded me of the times I’ve met actress Ashley Eckstein. You might remember Ashley from when she did an episode of Drake and Josh or even her run on That's So Raven. But to me and countless other Star Wars fans she will forever be Ahsoka Tano, the Togruta Padawan of Anikan Skywalker in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels, & Forces of Destiny.

                The first time my wife and I met her she was great. It was 2008 I believe. She was really approachable and listened to every word of her fans. Just the nicest anyone could ever be. Not to mention her husband David was there too. I was hoping he would have been because I was a fan of his. So I brought a baseball in hopes that he was going to be. Even though I was a huge Texas Rangers fan, David was one of my favorite non Rangers players. When we walked up to her table we chatted, took photos, etc. David even signed my ball. (To which I still have to this day.) Just an all-around great experience.

                 Fast forward a couple years later. She and David came back for another show of the same promoter. My wife couldn’t make it this time. The promoters made this a kind of “The Clone Wars” reunion. Actually I believe nine of the main cast was there. A Clone Wars fans dream. When you went into the room, they had all the actors (sans Wood & Acord) with their tables lined up against the walls next to each other. The first was the brilliant Tom Kane. Next to Tom was the Eckstein family. As I got to her table she gave me a weird look and said “I know you”. Before I could even say anything she snapped her fingers and said “Riley!!” Holy crap I thought. Ahsoka my butt, this lady is Yoda. She proceeded to ask how I was doing and asked if my wife was there as well. Like it’s only been a couple weeks. Lol But it had been a couple years. Mind was just blown away blown. Memory like a steel trap. When I think of all the awesome people I’ve met over the years. Ashley and David Eckstein will always be in the top of the list. May the force be forever with you both. 

     

Movember 2019

With November 1^st getting closer and closer (also known to many as Movember) I am letting everyone know that I am participating in the charity again this year and growing out my mustache for men’s health. I am also hoping to raise a little bit of money along the way for this awesome organization. Here is a link to my personal page where you will be able to find out a little more about the organization as well as be able to donate to a cause that often gets overlooked by society as a whole, Men’s Health. And if you want to join me and grow your Mo for men's health for the month of November, by all means please sign up. Thank you for your time and have an awesome day. https://mobro.co/rileyc?mc=1

Made in England

 Dr. Martens: Made in England

               As most who have known me for a while know that I love Dr. Martens. I have worn Docs since I was in the seventh grade. My Granny bought me my first pair of ten eyed Docs back then. Back then all Docs were made in England. It was in 2003 I believe, that DM was about to go bankrupt and they started production in China and Thailand. As most know the quality suffered severely when they did that. While my original boots lasted for many many years, the ones made in Asia only lasted maybe a year (if that) before tearing up. Then I think in 2004, the original Cobbs Lane factory in Wollaston England started production on the vintage or "Made in England" line. Even though there is small type machinery used, the Made in England line is essentially made by hand in limited quantities. I just love the made in England line so much I own three pair. I will not buy another pair that is not made in England. You may pay a little more, but you definitely get your monies worth in quality and craftsmanship.
           
             Most people also know that I collect autographs from some of my favorite celebrities. Some of my fellow collectors may not get what I will say next. Someone doesn't have to be famous or on television for you to ask for their autograph. Which brings up my recent acquisition. I wrote to the cobblers that made my Dr. Martens in the original Cobbs Lane Factory. I only had one name and that name was only a first name. So I took a chance and I wrote to her asking for her autograph. Yesterday I received something in the mail that has easily made it's way into my favorites list. I received the below letter as well as three Polaroids of inside the factory. I am beyond flabbergasted with this. Totally unexpected and so cool in my book.

Wow......it’s been two years?

I know most have read about this so darn much you’re probably sick of hearing about it. Today marks the two year anniversary for the closing of the Doctor Who Experience. As you can read here in my review of ( http://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2017/?m=1 ) when my daughter and I visited on that last day. It was such a great day that I will remember for a very long time. From being able to see actual props and costumes from one of my favorite shows since I was a kid to meeting and having a conversation with Nicholas Briggs aka the voice of the Daleks and getting to meet and have a conversation with Jamie Hill to whom I did an interview with ( http://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2018/10/interview-with-doctor-who-actor-jamie.html?m=1 ) and am glad to call a friend now. That’s just a small snip it of an absolutely brilliant day. I even remember walking  past a person who I consider a good friend now, Paul. We never met in person though. Only after I already left weeks later. I honestly don't think the day could have been better.

Do Fans Ruin the Celebrity/Fan Relationship?

              A while back I wrote a piece titled “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?” https://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2016/01/do-conventions-ruin-celebrities-for-fans.html and then recently provided a follow up piece titled “Conventions: A Celebrity Perspective”   https://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2019/06/conventions-celebrities-perspective.html. The first was about the rising costs of attending conventions and if it ruins the celebrity/fan relationship. The second was an interview I did with my friend and celebrity Mary Deese Hampton giving her perspective on conventions and the changes that have occurred in recent years on the convention circuit. This time I am going to play the devil’s advocate a little. So I ask, “Do Fans Ruin the Celebrity/Fan Relationship?”

                For this one, let’s start with conventions. I’ve been going to conventions for quite a few years now. Presently not as often as I have in the past. It would be a pretty fair assumption to say that I know a little bit about them. Now I know there is a lot more to it than this. So I’m just going to give you the shortened version. Celebrity A is approached either in-person or via his/her agent or manager to be a guest at a convention. If he or she agrees, a contract is written up and signed. It could state something like Celebrity A will attend Convention X on these days for this amount of time for a guaranteed amount of money. Convention X will sometimes pay for lodging, meals, and airline tickets, etc. To recoup some of those expenses, the celebrity agrees to sign autographs for their fans. Someone (that’s a whole other argument) sets the price of how much to charge for the autographs and the process starts. If they go over the amount agreed upon, the celebrity either keeps the extra or they split it with the promoters. But those details are usually in the contract and not public information.

                Basically what it boils down to is that it is a job to the celebrity. You may not like to hear that but in reality, it is. The celebrity is being paid to show up at a specific time, meet the fans, and sign autographs and call it a day. It’s a pretty straight forward process, wash, rinse, and repeat. In theory, it’s simple. It doesn’t always work out that way though. There are a multitude of things that could go wrong. Even before the convention has even started. Usually the convention has a designated person picking the celeb up from their hotel to bring them in to be there at said designated time. Now if something goes wrong and the celebrity is later than their set time, a little chaos in sues. The attendees who are there to see said celeb are waiting and getting more and more anxious because he or she hasn’t shown up when they were scheduled to have. They are taking it out on the volunteers, the showrunners, the person designated to help the celeb at their table. Basically anyone who they can complain to, they do. Meanwhile a line is forming at said celebs table and as soon as they get there it’s full on convention mode. There’s not a lot of time to get situated, get settled, and get prepared for your day. So now everyone who is meeting that celeb or the celeb themselves, isn’t in the best of moods.

                Now this is where this gets a little touchy. There many different people that that attend conventions.  Many different personalities. Nothing to do with race, sexual orientation, religious aspect or anything. That’s one thing I can say about the Sci-fi/Comic Convention world is that we are all the same in that aspect. Our shared common interest puts all of that out of the way. Which is the way it should be with life. But there are many different levels of fans. If you actually think about these levels, you might understand why the convention world isn’t for every celebrity. For example, maybe there’s a celebrity that you have met one time and would like to meet them again or you’re telling someone about your prior encounter (or vice versa) and they don’t do conventions anymore or haven’t in a very long time. The following personalities could be a reason why.

                First you have what I call the inexperienced con goer. Most inexperienced con goers that I have witnessed is that their main interest is meeting celebrities. They would be the main ones in this category. This person seems to usually have a budget but not always. Most know before they even step in the door what celebrities they are going to meet and how much they are going to spend. Then again some are completely oblivious to the price structure. As for the celebrity part of it, they wait in line excited to meet one of their favorite celebrities and getting to actually talk to them. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first convention or your 100th convention, that excitement is still there especially if you’re a fan. You approach the celeb, hello Mr. /Mrs. So-and-so how are you, shake hand, nice to meet you etc., get autograph, have a great day. Usually lasting three to five minutes tops. The celeb is happy, the fan is happy, and all is well for everyone.

                 Second you have what I call the Uberfan. This person is really into the celebrity and a specific role that the celebrity has performed. What I have witnessed in my experience is this type of person will approach the celeb really super excited. Sometimes they will have a multitude of items that they want signed. (Usually at conventions, celebs will sign whatever amount of items you have as long as you pay. But they may ask you to break them up. Sign some now, the rest later for example) This fan will also start asking a barrage of specific questions. Usually about a role they did. For example, as they approach, they might quote their favorite quote or line from the television or movie they did. Then they may ask them specific questions about a role they did 10-20 years ago (maybe longer). “Do you remember in episode The Gamesters of Triskelion of season 2 of Star Trek, did the Master Thrall really shock your collar or was it just for show?” Taking up so much time that the line is getting longer without moving. Most of the time the celeb will keep his/her comments to themselves. Their assistant or handler will try to nicely move them along.

                Third you have what today would be called “the creeper”. This one is mainly certain guys when they meet female celebrities. For lack of a better word, some can get a bit “handsy”. I have seen and heard about certain guys that will put their arm around a female celebrity before they are ready and kind of catch them off guard. Or they will initiate it without their permission. Sometimes even with their permission or their initial invitation, the guy will do something that will make the person feel uncomfortable. If you want a photo with a female celebrity, don’t be that guy. Be respectful.

                Fourth you have what I call corn chips. Now I know that not everyone has the bathing habits that I do. This is one type of person that I have seen quite frequently at conventions. This person doesn’t seem to know what good hygiene is. There is usually a very pungent odor similar to corn chips. Not fritos, I mean off brand corn chips and sometimes onions. Most don’t even try to cover it with deodorant. If you’ve attended more than one conventions then it’s a pretty good guess that you know exactly what I’m talking about. Sometimes this person has traits of my third example. Which is always something that a celebrity loves. (Yes, that was sarcasm)

                This is just a few things that I have personally witnessed at science fiction/comic book conventions that may cause a celebrity to either A: stop attending or B: Be distant a standoffish to a fan. So maybe if things like this didn’t happen, maybe the possibility of a bad experience might lessen and everyone will have a better time. What do you think? Have you witnessed my examples? Do you think things like this could cause a rift between the celebrity and fan?  

                Then there's the dealer/collector who tries to get autographs from celebrities at their hotel or airports and doesn't know the definition of the words "boundaries" and or "limit". A lot of them (not all) have the sole purpose of selling their autographs and a lot of times take advantage of a celebs generosity. Which I have seen time and time again make the celebrity lump all the autograph collectors as dealers. But that's a whole other conversation. 

Cosmic Masque 8 (My article)

Conventions: A celebrity perspective

                      Recently I updated an article I wrote a couple years ago titled “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”.  https://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2016/01/do-conventions-ruin-celebrities-for-fans.html A handful of people have read it and it’s had some really good and positive responses. One being from some longtime friends of mine who happen to look at from the celebrity side of the spectrum. They are husband and wife Mary Deese Hampton and James Hampton. You would know Mary from her performances on General Hospital, Harold & Kumar 2, & Dallas to name a few. You would know James from such classics as Teen Wolf 1&2, Hanger 18, and The Longest Yard (original). 

                      Mary and Jimmy have been on the convention circuit for quite some time now. They have made many friends and have seen many changes over the years. After reading my article, Mary wanted to give their side of it. 

Riley: Hello Mary, how are you?

Mary: Wonderful Riley.  So glad to be keeping in touch with you!

Riley: Thank you for taking the time to give my article a read. It truly means the world to me. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Mary:  Yes, it really brought back memories of the years we spent on the celebrity autograph “circuit” and the many fans we have that became friends, like you.

Riley: So what kind of changes have you and Jimmy seen over the years and what kind of effect has said changes had on the convention circuit in regards to the celebrity/fan relationship?

Mary:  Well, because of the body of work that Jimmy amassed over his almost 50 year career as an actor, director, writer and producer, he was invited to many conventions with genres that ran from Western, Horror/ SciFi, Sports, Vintage TV, and Comic cons.  He even attended a show in Houston once that was solely devoted to astronauts and actors who had played astronauts in film and tv! 

Jimmy always thought the idea of the conventions was terrific because they are a wonderful way for fans to connect to their favorite actors and vice versa.   People are always interested in “behind the scenes” stories and the cons are a great venue for fans to hear those stories - either in a one on one conversation with an actor or in a Q and A panel that the conventions usually host throughout the weekend. 

One of the changes we’ve seen through the years is that the conventions are getting bigger and bigger.   For instance, Jimmy was a guest at the very first Texas Frightmare Weekend.  There were only 6 celebrities and a few bands. It was held at the little ol’ Grapevine Convention Center.  Today, that convention is one of the largest Horror/Sci Fi conventions in the Southwest.  It’s amazing!

I can’t even begin to guess how many conventions there are out there now!  Because of the number of conventions being held each year, fans now have lots of opportunities to meet their favorite celebs.   That’s a good thing!

One of the other changes we’ve seen are the “photo ops” provided at the shows.  Some celebs don’t charge for photos with fans if they purchase a photo; however, often there are long lines  and  some celebs  can’t stop to take a photo with each and every fan.  So, they step away from signing for a few hours over the weekend just for that opportunity via “photo ops”.

I think one of the biggest changes we’ve seen over the years is the trend to bring entire casts of a television show or film to conventions.  While this seems to be very attractive to some fans, it’s not always so good for the other celebs.  If a promoter is “forced” to take 8 people from a particular television show or film but really only wants 1 or 2 of them, then that eliminates spots at the convention for other celebrities that want to attend or that the promoter would like to have attend.  Which also might keep fans hoping to see those “missing” celebs from coming to the convention at all.

Finally, another huge change in the shows is the startling number of…how do I say this…”mega stars”…that now want to come to the shows.  They’ve realized how much money is to be made and are capitalizing on the opportunity.  Good for them, but that’s also, in my opinion, what’s driving up the prices of the entry fees to the conventions.  Which leads to your next question.

Riley: So to reference the title of my article, in your opinion, with the way conventions are now and their current pricing structure, “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”

Mary:  Oh, I wouldn’t use the word “ruin” but the explosion in the number of shows, the number of celebrities who attend them, and the trend to bring in entire casts has certainly impacted the wallets of both the fans and the celebs.  If the cost of the entrance fee is too high, then the fans don’t have money left to purchase photos…which, let’s be honest, is a big reason why the celebs are there.  If the prices of the “mega stars” that attend are too high (which $150.00 for a signed photo is ridiculous, in my opinion), then the fans that buy those photos probably aren’t going to purchase many more from other celebs.  The photo ops, while convenient for the celebrities who have long lines, also add to the cost of attendance if a fan wants a photo with a celeb that can’t…or won’t…take the time to snap one at his/her table. There’s got to be the right “formula” in order for a show to work well for the fans, the celebs and the promoters.  I am sure that it’s a struggle for the promoters trying to bring in the headliners and still not raise the cost of the entry fees.  That’s only one of many balls they have to juggle.  What some fans may not know is that the minute a convention is over, the promoters start planning for the next year. No rest for the weary!

I believe that fans will always enjoy attending the conventions and I personally know that most celebrities enjoy them as well. 

Unlike acting on the stage, an actor can’t see or hear responses of his or her audience when they are filming a television show or a movie. Getting together with fans as the cons gives an actor an opportunity to listen to what their fans thought of their past and current work.  Jimmy once said it was like hearing “delayed applause”.  Wonderful!  

Riley: Thank you so much Mary, for an insight to the convention world that most con goers don't know about. It's nice to hear an opinion from the other side of the table. And I completely agree about the high pricing for a single autographed photo to be ridiculous.

It's great to be a friend to you and Jimmy and I thank you so much for your time and friendship. Til the next time.

"Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold."- Meeting Jeremy Bulloch

         

               Over the years, I have met or obtained autographs from quite a few actors from the Star Wars franchise. Though they have all been great. The ones from the O.T. (Original Trilogy) will always be my favorite. Simply put, those are the movies I grew up on. Out of all of those from the original trilogy there is one name that will always be on top of my favorite encounter list. That is the incredible Jeremy Bulloch. I have met Jeremy several times over the years here in Dallas. Every single time he has been nothing but awesome. Out of all the times that I met him, two things stick out the most. I’ll just tell you my favorite to keep it short.

                I remember when what was called at the time Dallas Comic Con announced him for one their shows (Richardson-2008 to be exact) I was so excited. There are a small handful of actors that I could meet over and over and be just as happy as the first. And Jeremy Bulloch is one of them. Like almost every Star Wars fan, Boba Fett was always a favorite of mine. It was his mystery (like Han) that really intrigued me. You didn’t need a complete detailed backstory to know about him. You could tell by his appearance and his character that he was not one to be trifled with. I was huge fan of Jeremy's obviously from Star Wars, but also from one of my favorite British shows, Robin of Sherwood as Edward of Wickham. Doctor Who fans would know him as Hal and Tor. And also as Robert Fett in the short Tale of a Time Lord.

                While I was waiting in line to meet him, I noticed everyone was getting Boba this and Boba that. Obviously with Star Wars and Boba Fett being as big as they are, it’s pretty safe to assume that is what he is mostly known for, especially here in the states. While I was waiting, I took the time to look over the photo selection he had. ALL Star Wars. Not exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t notice as it was happening, as I was looking over his photo selection, Maureen was apparently noticing the look of concern on my face. Maureen is Jeremy’s wife. She said hello while Jeremy was finishing up with the gentleman in front of me and asked if I wanted one of the pics on the table. Before I could answer Jeremy had finished with the guy and asked my name and reached out to shake my hand. So I didn’t have a chance to answer her straight away.

                I was speaking to Jeremy and Maureen for a couple minutes and I told them that I was really hoping they had a photo of him as Edward of Wickham from Robin of Sherwood. Robin of Sherwood had been a favorite of mine since they first started airing it on the local PBS station here in Dallas. Maureen gave a little smile and proceeded to reach down into her portfolio and said “Well Riley, I do have ONE. But it’s a weird size. No one over here (U.S.) really likes this size as it’s not an 8x10.” She actually brought one copy of this photo from the UK and it was exactly what I wanted. So obviously I said “I’ll take it”. Jeremy made sure I was positive that I wanted it and of course I said yes. He said he will sign another one for me for no extra charge. Cool. He signed them and took a photo (at no extra charge. I really missed those days). He thanked me, Maureen thanked me, and they both said see you next time. That was just one time. As I said, Jeremy is an awesome guy and you can tell that he and Maureen both love their fans and not just their money.

World Class Revolution: God Bless Texas II

               World Class Revolution presents God Bless Texas II. My son and I went to the first God Bless Texas event last year that was held at the Gas Monkey Live venue. We had a couple issues at that one and was assured that it was a one-time thing and it should not happen again. So we decided to go ahead and buy tickets for this one as well. It was at a different venue this time, so fingers crossed it will be better. My son and I arrive at Gilley’s Dallas around 4:00 pm on Sunday April 15^th. Since we had ringside VIP tickets we were allowed to enter the venue at 4:30 pm before regular admission. Everyone else was allowed to enter at 5:00 pm. So we go ahead and make our way to the venue’s entrance. A line started to grow behind us. We could over hear people making comments like “Do you think they will actually let us in on time?” Laughter and “I doubt it” was the answers we heard. Since we usually don’t know anyone at these shows, we just keep to ourselves. Well 4:30 came and went. We noticed some of the wrestlers starting to walk by to go in. They finally let us in at about 4:45 pm. As we enter we see most of the talent at their respective tables to greet their fans. I had already pre-planned who I wanted to meet. First and foremost was Chavo Guerrero Jr., Marshall and Ross Von Erich, Iceman King Parsons, John Morrison, & Eric Embry.

                When we walk in Ross and Marshall were already in a conversation with some of their fans. Not sure how that happened considering we were the first VIPs to enter. So we walked over to Chavo’s table. Who was set up right next door of the Von Erichs. I had an old WWE program from 2004 that I have been getting signed by some of the wrestlers in it. This time I needed Chavo and John Morrison to sign it. So my son and I were talking to Chavo and I had asked him what he would charge to sign my book. He gave me a price and took a photo with me. The price was really good. Even though we were only speaking for a few minutes, you can tell that he really cares about his fans.
 

                After that we walked back over to Ross and Marshall and were speaking to them for a while. It’s always good to see them. Like others who grew up here in Dallas, it’s good to see them keeping up the Von Erich moniker and keeping the tradition alive. I’m glad we were able to catch up a bit and able to speak about this and that on a personal level. We took a couple photos and let them get back to business. We were also able to get a photo with the Australian wrestler that goes by the name Hunter P.S. Hayes. Who, in the ring, is the “son” of former Freebird Michael P.S. Hayes. Just three of the coolest guys you will meet.

                Speaking of Freebirds. We were walking around the autograph area (which didn’t take that long) and who do I run into. (Not literally) Miranda Gordy. Miranda is the daughter of legendary Freebird (RIP) Terry Gordy. She was there at the show and was going to be part of the match against Ross, Marshall, and Hunter. She was supposed to have accompanied Buddy "Jack" Roberts Jr., son of former Freebird Dale Hey aka Buddy Roberts. But I didn’t see him. In the match he was replaced with Lance Hoyt. But Miranda was really cool. She and I took a photo together, shook hands, and said our nice to meet yous and went our separate ways.

                I totally missed Iceman the first time walking around. But I did see him the second time. So my son and I made our way over. I had a really good photo of the two of us from the first God Bless Texas back in 2018. We were chatting for a minute about it and he was talking to my son. Then I asked him if he would sign my photo. He said of course. It will be $25. I instantly thought “WOW” he went majorly up from the last time we met. Not to mention it was my own photo. But I really wanted him to sign it. (Something that I have since grown to regret doing) So I reluctantly paid it. I then asked if I could get a photo with him with my phone. He looked at his manager and his manager said that will be an additional $20. I was at a loss for words. So I passed on that. A different light seemed to be shinning down than it did before. Last time I make that mistake.

                We made our way over to speak to the Boss man. Jerry and I have never spoken that much in person. Mainly via Facebook. So it was good to finally speak with him and catch up a little. Our conversation spanned quite a few topics. Some personal, some wrestling. It was during one of those conversations that Jerry told me that John Morrison wasn’t going to make the show. Little bummed out because I really wanted his autograph. But it is what it is. So we knew Jerry was busy and we didn’t want to take up to much of his time. Especially by asking frivolous questions. Lol So we went and made one more go around the autograph area. Jerry did give us a promotional poster that came with our tickets. So I could try and get that signed.

                As we were walking around, I had noticed the former wrestler "The Flamboyant" Eric Embry walking around. I walked up to him and we spoke for a few minutes about the good old days of WCCW and the Sportatorium. He was a really nice guy that still seemed to care about his fans from back in the day. He took a photo with me. I got from our conversation that he was a little put off by the charging of autographs and photos. Back in the day I met just about all the wrestlers from the WCCW but I honestly couldn’t tell you if I met Eric before. But I’m glad I did now. I didn’t get an autograph though.

                As we finished up meeting Eric Embry, I really wanted to get my promotional posters signed by some of the talent that I didn’t really know. I walked over to “Retro” Randy Price’s table and spoke with him for a minute. We were talking about the last GBT. Which was his first event with World Class Revolution (At the time it was Imperial Wrestling Revolution). We spoke and he signed my poster then he had to go. I kept looking at all the wrestler’s tables to see how much they would charge to sign it. Not a one had prices for your own item or anything. Plus they would all have a lot of people around their table and it would be really awkward asking how much to sign it. So I wasn’t able to get anyone else on it.

                It was getting closer to start time and my son and I headed to our seats. We had really good ringside seats. They were unfortunately zip tied together. Which made for a very awkward evening. I was so close to the guy next to me, if I was at work, HR would have been involved. Lol Also, the view would have been better if the camera man wouldn’t have been in front of us most of the time. Occasionally he would move and we could see without having to lean this way or that way. But regardless, we had a great time. About mid-way through there was an “intermission” and the VIP ticket holders got to go in the ring and take a photo. We thought it was going to be just us, but wrestler Marti Belle joined the VIP’s in the photo. She was really nice. Then after about 15-20 minutes (maybe?) the wrestling started back up.

                When the final match started, it was Chavo against MVP. I instantly leaned over to my son and said I don’t know who to root for. I like them both. But it was a great match. Not to mention there was a guy behind us that was so funny. He had everyone just cracking up. But after the match, Chavo took the mic and did a speech thanking everyone as did MVP. They also said that they would take in ring photos with anyone who wanted one for $20 with both of them. So my son and I took the offer. As we were waiting for MVP to come back to the ring, Chavo told my son and I to come up in the ring. We got in the ring and was talking to him for a few minutes. Chavo is just a really awesome guy, I can’t stress that enough. So MVP made his way back in the ring and we took the photo. Some random guy walking by took the photo. The photo was ok, it could have been better. But it was cool none the less. Just a really cool night of wrasslin’. We got to have some well-deserved father/son time and see some really talented wrestlers. Can’t wait for the next Dallas show. Great job Jerry and all the talented wrestlers. See you all next time.

We're in this together

Red Letter Media-Mike Stoklasa

Riley: We’re here with Mike Stoklasa. Creative genius behind the website www.redlettermedia.com . Most would know Mike as the voice of the infamous Harry S. Plinkett in the even more infamous Star Wars prequels movie reviews. Mike has also directed, along with Jay Bauman, the movie Feeding Frenzy. Feeding Frenzy co-starred Plinkett alums such as Rich Evans (Mr. Plinkett), Jay Bauman (Martin), & Nadine herself Jocelyn Ridgely as Jennifer.  

Riley: So Mike, how the hell are you?
Mike: Doing well, thanks.
Riley: You’ve done reviews for all the of the (makes me cringe) Star Wars prequels as well as all the "Next Generation" Star Trek movies. I know it all started as something just for yourself, did you ever think it would be as big as it is now?
Mike: No, never. When I started with the Star Trek: Generations review it was 2008 and youtube was still relatively new. There was no Facebook or Twitter so it was hard to imagine viral videos like they are now. Not to say I would have expected that (especially with a video about Star Trek: Generations) but it wasn’t in my mind. I was just making it for fun.
Riley: With the obsession of pizza rolls by Harry S. Plinkett, has General Mills, parent company of Totino's, ever complain to you or RLM about the use of pizza rolls in your reviews?
Mike: Never heard from them, no. But as they say there’s no such thing as bad press! I would imagine they don’t mind the pizza roll name out there more cause of the Plinkett reviews, even if they are being eaten by a psychopath, but crazy people got to eat too. Crazy people love Pizza Rolls!
Riley: Speaking of Plinkett and his pizza rolls. On Half in the Bag, when Rich portrays Plinkett, he never mentions pizza rolls. Any reason for this or did it just happen that way?
Mike: Rich does a slightly different Plinkett. I don’t think we’ve ever said, “you should or shouldn’t mention Pizza Rolls” its just never come up? The Pizza Roll comment in the Generations review was just a non sequitur that I thought was funny to randomly blurt out. It’s sort of latched on with people for some reason, but its nothing I find I want to use more or less. It’s just pizza rolls! mmmmm
Riley: With the ever growing popularity of the Star Wars reviews and Half in the Bag with Jay, what's next on the agenda for you and RLM?
Mike: The biggest thing coming up is our next feature film called “Space Cop” which we’ll be shooting this summer. In addition to that we’ll keep making Half in the Bag, Gamestation 2.0, as well as more Plinkett reviews. I get bored with one thing and like to move on to other things too, but we’ve got a full schedule.
Riley: With your film school and editing background, which do you find more enjoyable  voicing the reviews or filming/editing the reviews?
Mike: I like both! Editing is my first passion though. I love editing and making something out of nothing essentially. Taking all the parts and putting them together and making it work. Voice acting and acting in general is a lot of fun, but I’m not an actor. I don’t enjoy that part as a craft, just as a means to an end. I know the kind of performance and read I need to get and when I got it I move on.
Riley: I know a lot of purist Star Wars fans that agree with everything you say in the Star Wars reviews, what have been some negative reactions?
Mike: The most noteworthy negative reaction was probably the guy that wrote the rebuttal stuff. The real hardcore fans think I was trying to pull some kind of trick or something when I think I made some valid points as to why the movies didn’t work for me or work as movies in general. I know some people love their Star Wars universe and see no wrong in the prequel, but I wasn’t trying to take that away from anyone, just present my opinion. People are free to like what they like! But the key was that it was in a character and in a comical fashion. Some people didn’t get the sarcasm or intentional errors and such. Those humorless, uptight uber-nerds kind of frighten me.
Riley: I know Plinkett is just a character you play. I know a lot of actors that occasionally put a little of themselves into the  character they portray. I know the Harry Plinkett character isn't your everyday guy. Is there any part of Mike Stoklasa in the Harry character?
Mike: Plinkett is a bit of an alter ego I suppose. He’s sort of the embodiment of complaining about stuff. Personified irritation. I’m a little more reasonable in real life, obviously, and he’s just a character. It’s part performance, part commentary.
Riley: Is there anything that yours or RLM fans would be surprised to know about?
Mike: I guess one thing that some fans might not know is that Jay and I essentially do everything in Red Letter Media. Occasionally we have some people help out on a more complex shoot, but when we make Half in the Bag it’s usually just me and jay operating the cameras, then editing, Jay updates the website, I take out the garbage and so on. We really do everything pretty much ourselves. I’ll get emails that say, “Not sure if this is really Jay or Mike reading this or if your assistants filter your mail” and its funny to me. Maybe someday we’ll get some help!
Riley:  With filming of  the short "fuck bot 5000", is there any plans to make a feature length film about FB 5000?
Mike: There are no plans to make a feature about Fuckbot 5000. Fuckbot is actually the brain child of my friend Jack and my girlfriend Jessi. They made him up and we used him in our 48 hour film. He makes appearances here and there, but FB is not really Jay or my thing.
Riley: Well Mike, that's about all the time we have today. Thank you for your time and keep making such awesome films. Is there anything else you would like to tell your fans before we depart?
Mike: Please continue to visit our webzone and purchase our products.

Kaci?

I’m just looking for assistance to tell this person thank you. When my daughter was in the third or fourth grade, she went to the "Texas Stampede" on a field trip. (Maybe 2004?) There was a barrel racer there by the name of "Kaci". My daughter came home and said "I got an autograph for you Daddy". My daughter just graduated college and is now going for her masters and I still have this autograph. I have no idea who this woman is. Other than a barrel racer named Kaci. But it will always be special to me.

Ralph Bakshi's Wizards: A Haiku

Being a HUGE fan of Ralph Bakshi and his illustrious career. So much so I have two tattoos of Avatar and Blackwolf from his movie Wizards tattooed on my leg. Well a few years ago ( 2014 to be precise) I wrote a Haiku about one of my favorite Ralph Bakshi movies.

Old avatar walks
To the land of scortch he goes
Blackwolf must go down

The Furchester Hotel

                When my daughter was young, she absolutely loved Sesame Street. More specifically, the character Elmo. I can remember when the Tickle Me Elmo doll first came out she really wanted one. Everyone who remembers back then, should remember that the Tickle Me Elmo was darn near impossible to just find. Well in the store that is. I can remember people standing in massive lines for hours and hours and actually getting into fist fights over the things. It reminded me of when I was a kid when the Cabbage Patch Kid dolls came out. Luckily my boss at the time just happened to be in Toys R Us right when they were putting them out. Without even me asking him, he graciously picked one up for me and just charged me what he paid for it. I took it home and my wife and I wrapped it for her Christmas present. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. She tore into the wrapping and her face just lit up. She loved it. Well...until she squeezed it and it started laughing and moving around. It scared the heck out of her. It took her a couple months to have anything to do with that doll, but she did end up loving it. I even wrote to Sesame Street for her and they sent her an autographed photo inscribed to her from Elmo. (hopefully someday I can do the same for my son) That love of Elmo continues to this day and she’s in her early 20’s. 

                 Fast forward to 2017, both of my children are young adults now and my wife and I decide to welcome a three day old baby boy into our home. When he is about a year old he starts watching Sesame Street. Of course the format is a little different now but most of the old staples are still there. I.e. Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, & of course Elmo. At the time, he liked Elmo, but he really liked other shows like Daniel Tiger and Mickey’s Clubhouse a little more. We even bought him a Tickle Me Elmo doll for his first Christmas. Which oddly enough was half the size of the one my daughter had. Just like my daughter, he loved it as well. Not to mention I can do an ok Elmo impression. Then one day in December 2018 out of the blue he asked to watch Elmo; it’s been Elmo ever since. 

                   He’s been watching Sesame Street on the PBS app as well as his PBS tablet and really enjoying it. Then one night the PBS Kids app was down and his tablet was not charged so I decided to look on some of the other Apps to find maybe the Elmo movie or something. As I was searching Netflix I found a British show I had never heard of before called The Furchester Hotel. It’s about the Furchester family and their nephew Elmo. They all run the hotel along with Cookie Monster as the chef of the hotel. It’s a cute little show and my son really loves it. I will admit though, I like it too. Lol. My wife and my daughter says it reminds them of Fawlty Towers if Fawlty Towers was “G” rated and puppets. I can definitely see that. So if you have little ones that like Sesame Street, The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Mister Rogers or any other PBS children’s television programming, I highly suggest checking out The Furchester Hotel on Netflix (If you’re in the US). A friend of mine told me it’s on CBBC in the UK. And always remember: “A Furchester never gives up, never gives up, never gives up.”

2018 Autographs: A Year in Review

Ok folks, I hope your 2019 will be an awesome one and you get all the autographs you want. Here is my, albeit small, 2018 autograph review.

January:

This was my son and I’s first time going to an IWR (Imperial Wrestling Revolution) event. The name has since been changed. But that night was really cool for the most part. The autographs I got that night were from WCCW legend “Iceman” King Parsons and Lisa Marie Varon aka WWE’s Victoria. I also got to see Ross & Marshall Von Erich.

February: zip

March: zip

April: Actor Ed Gale was having a sale on his website. Four 8x10’s for $20+shipping. Could not pass up that one of a kind deal. 

My friend Paul in the UK went to a signing with Russell T. Davies. Out of the kindness of his heart he got Russell to sign the photo of him and I when I visited Cardiff last year. 

May: I purchased a small handful of sports autographs including Byron Hamspard (8x10 card), Bert Emanuel (8x10 card), David Murphy (8x10 photo), Keshawn Martin (signed card), Ian Kinsler (8x10), Michael Choice (signed card), Todd Collins (8x10 card) , Vernand Morency (8x10 card), Yatil Green(8x10 card), & Albert Connell (8x10 card)

June: Tina Packar from the Doctor Who series “The Web of Fear” as Anne Travers. She signed my 8x10, a print out, & two index cards. 

My friend Paul attended Utopia 2018 in Whitney and had Waris Hussein sign a postcard for me. Waris directed 11 of the original series including “The Unearthly Child”

July: Bonnie Langford aka Melanie Bush from Doctor Who. My friend Nigel attended the London Film and Comic Con and picked up this awesome autograph for me. 

Corpus Christi Hooks pitcher Riley Ferrell. I met Riley when we visited watched the Hooks take batting practice off of the USS Lexington. A couple weeks later my friend Greg surprised me with a signed card from Riley since I wasn’t able to get his sig in Corpus. 

August: I had won tickets and meet and greet to the Lost 80’s Live concert. I met and got autographs from the following people. 

Mike Score (A Flock of Seagulls) , Nick Feldman (Wang Chung) , Valerie Day & John Smith (Nu Shooz) , Astrid Plane & Bill Wadhams (Animotion), Clive Farrington & Andrew Mann ( When in Rome) , Dale Bozzio ( Missing Persons ) , Christopher Anton, & Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel) 

I placed an order for a small handful of Doctor Who autographs from Tenth Planet in the UK. I got signed 8x10’s of Frazier Hines (aka Jamie McCrimmon), Louise Jameson (aka Leela), & Daphne Ashbrook (aka Dr. Grace Holloway). To make my order even sweeter they had a private signing with Paul McGann (The Eighth Doctor) and he signed my photo at no charge.

September: David Newell aka Mr. McFeely from Mister Rogers Neighborhood. He sent me and my three kids signed photos, me a personal letter, two books of Fred Rogers, and a children’s book of Mr. McFeely. To say that I was very floored by this would be the understatement of the year.

My friend Craig in England had an extra David Gooderson autograph and he sent me one. Mr. Gooderson played Davros in Destiny of the Daleks on Doctor Who. 

October: This was a total surprise. Actor Jamie Hill. I have spoken of Jamie so much that even those who have never heard of him before know who he is now. For the few that might not, Jamie played some really cool characters in recent years on BBC’s Doctor Who. I met Jamie when my daughter and I visited Cardiff, Wales for the closing of the Doctor Who Experience. That day I had taken a couple photos with Jamie. I had sent my photos of him and I along with a photo of a Mondasian Cyberman (that Jamie portrayed). As a surprise to me Jamie signed all three of photos along with seven additional signed photos of various characters he has portrayed.

November: I purchased a ticket to the Dallas Comic Show: Holiday Special 2018. I personally only got one IP autograph from the show and that was from actor Ray Wise.

The next day I took my son to the show for his first “Comic Con”. I made a custom t-shirt that said “My First Dallas Comic Show” on it. I give him a closed sharpie and we just walked around meeting everyone. Five celebs signed his shirt. Actor Ray Wise (Fresh off the Boat, Robocop, & Swamp Thing), Harry Goaz (Twin Peaks), Jason Douglas (Preacher, The Walking Dead), Cynthia Cranz (Dragon Ball Z & YuYu Hakusho), and local artist Terry Parr. He had an awesome time meeting everyone and seeing everything. And everyone seemed to have loved meeting him.

My friend Mark (Who owns and runs the Dallas Comic Show) also sells autographs that he’s pick up over the years at various conventions. Well I was able to pick up two gems from him. Actor Michael Jayston (The Valeyard in Doctor Who) and actor Nicholas Hammond (The Amazing Spiderman & The Sound of Music).

Most who know me know of my fondness of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Well to round out my November, I received some really awesome autographs from Officer Francois Clemmons himself. Mister Clemmons sent seven really cool autographed photos that I will always treasure.

December: This month started off pretty darn cool. My friend Angel who goes by the name Saqman sent me a Christmas gift. It was a t-shirt with his latest Doctor Who (Jodie Whitaker) designs on it.

To my surprise my friend Dave surprises me with two Doctor Who Christmas cards (I didn’t even know there was such a thing) signed by the great Penelope Wilton yes Harriet Jones herself and by the talented Lee Evans aka Malcom from Planet of the Dead. Then to go even further, he sends me two Doctor Who Target books (Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear & Doctor Who and the Time Warrior).

As I said with my success from November, most know of my love of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Well I had sent “Handyman” Joe Negri a First Day Cover of Mister Rogers’ stamp. To which he graciously signed as well as sent me a signed photo of himself as well. Absolutely love this as well.

And to round December off with a bang. Dave comes through again. He was doing some in person autographing around London and thought of old Riley. He was able to get me three index personalized signed index cards of a few Doctor Who (and other things) actors. He was able to get:

Ron Cook (Sean the Irish bastard in the first series of The Black Adder or George Merchant in Hot Fuzz, or even as Mr. Magpie in the episode “The Idiot’s Lantern” in Doctor Who)

Phyllis Logan (Some would know her from the Doctor Who episode and series finale “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos”, or in Lovejoy as Lady Jane, or even in Downton Abbey as Mrs. Hughes)

 Bill Bailey (Some might know him as Droxil in the Doctor Who episode “The Doctor, The Widow, & The Wardrobe”, or in Hot Fuzz as Sergeant Turner, or even on the hilarious Never Mind the Buzzcocks)

And also an interview I did with Jamie Hill was printed in the latest issue of Cosmic Masque from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. http://www.dwasonline.uk/CM7_STD_format.pdf 

Well that’s it for 2018. For autographs it was a pretty good year I must say. Got a new son, got some cool autographs, and made some cool friends. 2019 has got to be better and I wish it better for you. Thank you for your time and good luck with you collection.

MERRY NEW YEAR

BEEF JERKY?