Hey! Look at me ... or rather, listen to me! I'm featured on another podcast, which premiered on Tuesday, July 19. The podcast is called The Musical Innertube, and no, you're safe ... I won't be singing. I was interviewed a few weeks back by Don Rooney and John Timpane, "who talk with people you'd... Continue Reading →
When I worked for Comic-Con, I would regularly post this little graphic I made from a photo I took behind the San Diego Convention Center. This year will mark the first time I've gone to a "real" Comic-Con International: San Diego (its proper name) as an attendee since 1997, 25 years ago. I'm looking forward... Continue Reading →
In the winter of 2005, my boss (Fae Desmond, the executive director of Comic-Con) and I went to San Francisco for a site check for Comic-Con’s sister shows, WonderCon and APE, the Alternative Press Expo. We were looking at various hotels, in addition to stopping in at Moscone Center for a pre-WonderCon meeting. When not... Continue Reading →
This photo is from a trip to San Francisco and was taken near the Golden Gate Bridge, on a site that offered a huge vista of that magnificent structure (ironically not shown here). Those pay binocular thingies that you find in tourist areas always fascinate me and they always signify travel to me. I have... Continue Reading →
You probably won’t find them on Amazon or in your local indie bookstore or comic book shop, but the entire Innocent Bystander oeuvre is still available … only from me! For complete information, just click on the BUY MY BOOKS! link in the menu on the black bar at the top of this page! There's... Continue Reading →
COMIC-CON RESOURCES I’ve written a lot about my career at Comic-Con (and the event itself) on this here blog, so for those of you who know nothing about it, here’s a list of resources, all of which were created by me during my time overseeing Comic-Con’s publications and website. The 2019 Souvenir Book celebrated the... Continue Reading →
I have many fond memories of Fourth of July picnics in backyards. Outdoor grills, fireworks at night, trying desperately to avoid sending a bottle rocket onto someone's garage—or worse, house—roof. All those days are gone forever, at least for me, days that meant family (good and bad ... I'm talking about you, Uncle Louie) and... Continue Reading →
A short month this time, at least reading-wise … June flew by much quicker than I could imagine. Here’s what I read. The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History I will confess that I didn't read all of this fascinating history of the storied (pun definitely intended) New York Times Book... Continue Reading →
I recently went through my entire photo archive and found a ton of photos I forgot I had ... hence the new "From the Archives" category. I don't remember when this was taken, but I think it was after yet another wildfire here in Southern California. This twilight photo always reminds me of a bear... Continue Reading →
I had survived my first year as director of programming at Comic-Con, coming through it largely undamaged. It was a strange experience. As I recounted last time (click here to read it), my bosses had left me pretty much alone. However in my second year as head of programming, they paid a lot more attention... Continue Reading →
This row of colorful surfboards was found behind the Hotel del Coronado, in one of their newer sections. I'm not sure what exactly it's called, but the hotel has been adding a lot of new buildings and additional rooms to their already-impressive layout. I love the idea of an old-fashioned resort hotel, even if some... Continue Reading →
I am sometimes more fascinated by the history of chain restaurants in this country than the restaurants themselves. One exception to that is Howard Johnson’s. When I was a kid, the Howard Johnson’s chain was the epitome of high-class dining (maybe because I was a low-class kid). So it was with a certain amount of... Continue Reading →
I came across this little impromptu art gallery one day while I was out walking in my neighborhood. I'm not sure what happened to it after I snapped this photo, but it sure was a pleasant surprise. I'm imagining some kids came along and snagged a piece of original art for themselves ... or at... Continue Reading →
Blogs were invented for self-aggrandizement, the art of promoting oneself. And while I will never bore you with pictures of my avocado toast breakfast or my yummy kale salad with heirloom tomatoes lunch (I would rather eat the cardboard box in which the local farmer delivered both the avocados and the kale), I will take... Continue Reading →
Every once in a while, I make the trek down to the beach behind the Hotel del Coronado, just to make sure the Pacific Ocean is still there. Some days it's bright and sunny, like this one, with crystal-clear blue skies and plenty of people out enjoying the beach ... other days it's moody AF... Continue Reading →
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