Photos taken by Dave Fuentes (top photo taken by Steve Gill)

Superheroes and Super-creative people abound at C2E2 (Chicago Comic Enetrtainment Expo)!

Photos by Dave Fuentes & Steve Gill~

Photographs by Dave Fuentes & Steve Gill~

When I was growing up, our town (like many at the time) had it’s own local theater. It wasn’t one of those big multiplexes you see today but rather a one screen wonder offering standard-sized viewing and a small popcorn machine/soda fountain serving as concessions. I remember the lobby having a musty odor and being adorn in red velvet; the theater seats so old you’d invariably be sitting at an angle. I also recall my grade school friends and I snickering at nude, Greek statues (missing their heads) that stood at opposite sides of the entrance.

The Homewood Theater was already in it’s decline when I was a kid back in the ’70s but, one Saturday during summer months, would provide throwback experiences once commonplace during my parent’s youth. On these occasions, they’d offer affordable “all day” movie experiences featuring family friendly films along with cartoons, Three Stooges shorts, and old serials in between.

Painting of theater looms over the space it once stood

Some of the films were pretty hokey (I seem to recall one about Snow White and Rose Red that was particularly grueling) but occasionally were, in my opinion, better than any new releases. In almost all of those cases, they featured the amazing stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen. His Sinbad films; particularly The Golden Voyage of Sinbad which was always my favorite of the series, along with Jason and the Argonauts and the Valley of Gwangi spelled Nirvana to a dinosaur/monster fan like myself.

Harryhausen died today at the age of 92, almost a year after his his friend of 75 years, Ray Bradbury, passed away at 91 (Terror Dave homage given HERE). I don’t often make a point to do tributes of fallen celebrities unless they’ve had a personal impact on me. That being said, I hope everyone reading this will take a moment to pause and reflect on the one man guaranteed to have affected us ALL in some way.

Cuddling my brother, Keith, with Family Classics on the TV behind us

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Back in my junior high and high school years, I admit to being a pretty serious collector of comic books. This was back in the early ’80s and well before The X-Men, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Batman, and The Avengers would all become modern day pop culture & box office phenomena (as I write this post, Iron Man 3 just pulled in $175M on it’s opening weekend here in the US). Unfortunately, back in my day a guy needed to downplay his love of super heroes lest he receive daily wedgies from the school bully while consistently repelling members of the opposite sex.

I discussed my comic book history back when I reviewed The Avengers movie last year (seen HERE). This year I decided to use the C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) occasion to not only cover the Return of Svengoolie (see last post) but also as an opportunity to reconnect with my comic book past.

I’d be attending the event with my friend, and devoted comic collector, Steve Gill. Steve and I met over 15 years ago via a mutual pal but only recently (thanks to the wonders of social media) discovered we had enough in common to successfully hang out together on our own.

Since that Avengers post, I did eventually dig up those old, dusty comic boxes and go through them. The majority were Marvel titles as I tend to be a “loyal to a fault” kind of a guy and that had been the comic company I was most drawn to. I loved ROM the Spaceknight (which I covered in the earlier days of my blog HERE) as well as Spider-man, The Uncanny X-Men, and The Avengers. So I decided to focus on one of those titles while using C2E2 as a means of filling in some gaps. But where to start?

My first impulse was to gravitate towards The Amazing Spider-man. Now there was a super hero that understood the meaning of human suffering! Actually I should mention that, even in the comic loving realm, my fandom of Spider-Man made me something of a pariah. I was one of those weird guys that preferred his black costume (I thought it made him look more like a real spider) over his red & blue duds, found his enemy The Hobgoblin more menacing than his predecessor (The Green Goblin) and thought The Black Cat was more alluring than Mary Jane Watson…with Kristen Dunst’s portrayal in Spider-man 3 solidifying that assessment.

Tell me this is not one badass looking villain!

Hmmm…movies aside, I wondered what Spider-Man had been up to in the comic books these days? After a quick Google search, I discovered that he (Peter Parker) is currently dead and Dr. Octopus has since inherited his body…carrying on the legacy of Spider-Man.

Hoooo-kay, guess good ole Spidey is going back into storage!

Next up…The Avengers! After looking through my stash, I discovered that if I strategically purchased just a handful of comics, I’d have over 200 issues of the series running straight through. So, without bothering to go through my X-Men titles, I decided that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would suffice!

Steve also had a specific list of comics he was looking for (mostly Captain America) and wanted us to arrive early which would prove a wise decision as, by afternoon, the place was packed!

The event took place at The McCormick Place which, for those unfamiliar with Chicago, is ENORMOUS! After walking what seemed like two football fields just to get from the parking garage to the convention hall, we finally made it inside.

The Hall of (physical) Injustice

What I like about this event is that it inspires a LOT of genre enthusiasts to dress up in homemade costumes. I think I mentioned in last year’s C2E2 post (covered HERE) that, since we geeks inherited the Earth, comic fans have gotten a LOT more attractive. There were plenty of good looking guys and hottie female fans decked out in revealing super hero outfits; a far cry from 25 years ago when I’d of done anything to find a gal to talk nerdy to me.

As we walked in, we were greeted by Godzilla, himself! This Godzilla, played by Billy Dubose (who must have lost 20 pounds in sweat that weekend), is someone I see every year in July at G-FEST (Godzilla Festival)!

What’s great about C2E2 is that it’s a hodge podge of different genres that all come together for a single event. So fans of super heroes, science fiction, horror, and just about anything else you can think of, fit right in! Seriously, where else can you find Superman having a casual conversation with a pair of STAR WARS stormtroopers?

You definitely don’t need to see HIS identification!

We decided to start at the far right of the hall and weave our way through every aisle. I’d always want to stop and take pictures of fans but Steve was focused solely on the comics; often disappearing after I snapped a photo of someone. Note for next year: also bring along my son, Alex, as my indentured photographer.

Soon I started locating some of the issues on my list and my eyes rolled back white as my old “thrill of the hunt” collector instincts kicked back in! Of course it was probably a lot more thrilling when I was younger rather than today when you can pretty much find whatever you want on-line. Regardless, I was having all kinds of nostalgic flashbacks and, I’m sure most will agree, its much more gratifying when you hunt old school.

Since every time I’d stop to photograph someone, Steve would disappear, I eventually gave up and told him we’d separate and meet later at a designated spot.

During our split, I went over to the “Artists Alley” to meet up with an artist named David Rodriguez. David’s Aunt Maria has a desk next to mine at the hospital we work at. She often brags about her talented nephew who’s made his dreams come true by leaving Chicago for New York City in pursuit of a career in comics. With few people in this world ever living out their childhood ambitions, her pride is certainly warranted.

Terror Daves: Rodriguez & Fuentes

David had his own series of comics called Starkweather and will soon see the release of a zombie comic called Zombie Dawn Safehouse to accompany an independent film titled Zombie Dawn.

After snapping more pictures of fans (btw my next post will feature more of those shots) I pulled out my list and went back to searching for more missing issues. This lead me to a dealer called Big Ben’s Comix Oasis. Looming above the comic books was a sign that read, “All comics $3 each or 10 for $20.” Unbelievably, I thumbed through the boxes and found the rest of the missing comics I’d been searching for…and at this amazing price! Better still, they weren’t “geechie” (Steve’s word for worn out comics) and in decent shape!

Speaking of Steve…

“I was just trying to call you!” I turned around and he was standing nearby holding a pile of books he’d just selected.  “I can’t believe the deals they have here!” he said, mirroring my own sentiment. His enthusiasm was understandable. Believe me, since the advent of The Internet and television programs like “Antiques Roadshow,” finding good deals at fan conventions is about as easy as selling a drowning man a glass of water. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember seeing anything this good back in the day either!

As if sensing our concerns that if it looks too good to be true it usually is, the man running the table announced, “The more I sell the less I gotta carry out of here!”

Within twenty minutes I managed to fulfill my Mighty ambitions while also adding a few from where I’d left off in the early ’90s. Woohoooo! Steve managed to get a lot checked off his list as well which was great as he gravitated towards rarer and pricier landmark issues.

Steve strikes Silver Age Gold!

After this haul (in which we made a pact that we’d visit these guys FIRST before anyone else next year) we went outside for some fresh air. Then it was time to focus on the Svengoolie portion of the event (already covered). Ultimately, it was a busy but fulfilling day and, while I don’t intend to return to serious comic collecting any time soon. It was a lot of fun reliving those days while looking forward to sitting back and reading twenty years worth of Avengers comics in a row.

But this time I can do it outside in broad daylight without having to pretend I’m looking at Sports Illustrated instead.

Coming Up…MORE Fan Costumes!

Dave Fuentes~

It was just after 3pm last Saturday when my friend, Steve Gill, and I began plowing through a juggernaut of fans (and even fans dressed like Marvel’s Juggernaut) in an effort to get to “Table 12.” C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) is a popular annual/weekend event here in the city and this was clearly their “prime time.” It was little wonder that it took us over ten minutes to navigate a single aisle.

Of course it also didn’t help that I was stopping every few yards to take pictures of costumed fans either but I’ll cover that portion of the event in an upcoming post. Today I’m going to cut right to the chase and focus on my main objective for being there…the return of Svengoolie! And, while conventional wisdom states one should always save the best for last, I have no desire in prolonging what we fans have waited long enough for as it is.

The celebrity autograph area was located at the end of the Main Hall and we’d just been outside to get some much-needed fresh air. Steve’s a musician who’s played in both punk & metal bands and had just been recounting for me stories of his being bashed and tossed around at shows; thus teaching him early on how to muscle his way through crowds. I couldn’t help but think how that experience must have served him well today.

The celebrities attending C2E2 were all sharing numbered tables at specific times. Svengoolie was slated for 4pm at Table 12 and, by the time we arrived (just under an hour before), a line had already formed. Fortunately, that would not be a concern for us today. Svengoolie and I had pre-arranged to meet ahead of time as there was some unfinished business from Horrorhound Weekend we had to attend to. Aside from that, his crew and I have built a rapport over the past year and they’ve been graciously allowing me to stay with them. I guess this sort of makes me like the Dian Fossey to their mountain gorillas; not officially part of the troop but permitted to hang with them none the less (and if anyone else out there compares Sven & company to gorillas I’ll smack em!).

The line to see Svengoolie!

Steve and I waited off to the side where there was the C2E2 equivalent of an oasis in the desert…that being an unoccupied CHAIR! Believe me, I’d done so much standing and walking at this event my legs & feet were in agony and, even a full day later, all I could do is think of one of Sven’s most famous show sound effects: “Ow, Ow, Owwww!!!”

This was Steve’s first time meeting Svengoolie and, as a fellow childhood fan, I could tell he was a little nervous. He asked me a couple times, “Are you sure we aren’t supposed to wait in line?” and only looked like he half believed me when I said “No.” I swear, Steve must have had this image of me going, “Yeah, dude. Svengoolie’s like a close personal friend of mine.” And then having the host spit at me while his assistant booted us out the back door! Fortunately that hasn’t happened yet.

I received a message from fellow Sven-Goolie, Joan Yingst, who text’d that she and her husband, Bill, were at the head of the line. This was good news because I wanted her to be there when I presented Sven with his Horror Host Hall of Fame plaque.

My passionate speech for Svengoolie at Horrorhound

While sitting on that glorious, aforementioned chair, I saw what looked like yet another mirage – the image of Svengoolie walking towards me. This, however, did NOT look like the same Svengoolie I’d last seen at the Muvico theater back in October (see story HERE). This Sven looked much younger (effectively younger looking than me for sure!) and utterly Sven-tastic! Maybe my fantasies of him becoming a bionic Sven weren’t too far-fetched after all? His identity was confirmed when some random guy bumped into him and said, “OMG! Are you the real sh@t!?” with Sven giving a confused look before replying, “Um…yeah.”

I gave him a hug and didn’t waste any time telling him how great he looked. He returned the compliment and I was like, “Are you kidding me? With all the emotional eating I’ve been doing these past months, it’s a wonder your eyes on my Svengoolie T-shirt didn’t bulge out your head when I put it on today!” We all laughed and then went behind the autograph curtain.

Hanging in back with Sven

Sven was 20 minutes early and we waited in a make-shift lounge that was set up for the celebrities. This was a good opportunity for Steve to meet him and he presented Sven with his original drawing that was done for the current Svengoolie Scary Monsters Magazine #87 Tribute issue!

Steve Gill with Svengoolie!

Steve’s drawing of Sven!

Sven delighted Steve by telling him he was going to show the picture on an upcoming show and Steve would later tell me (as only Steve can), “Man, Dave, Svengoolie is awesome and just a really cool dude!” We hung by while Sven was being interviewed before the big moment arrived for him to at last be reunited with his fans! He walked out and there were big cheers while I motioned Joan to come up so we could give him his plaque.

Joan breaks down while Sven receives his plaque 

After that I stood to the side while the fans each took their turns. Some brought along some great items to sign like old Svengoolie newspaper clippings, a poster for Son of Svengoolie’s 3D airing of Revenge of the Creature (which Sven admitted that he, himself, doesn’t even have), and a poster from his last event at Muvico.

There were also a few items fans brought that had nothing to do with Svengoolie. Usually this was in the form of a DVD cover (even for movies Sven never aired) and I even remember a fan having him sign a box of Boo-Berry cereal a couple of years back. Then again, having once had Svengoolie sign a Brookfield Zoo Mold-a-Rama, I guess I shouldn’t judge!

One gal even brought along a print-out from Sven’s Facebook page! After Sven announced he was showing up at C2E2, she “commented” on it and was “thrilled to death” when he responded directly to her.

Anne Como shows off her Social Media prize!

Of course, since this event inspired a lot of folks to don costumes, some Svengoolie fans were more colorful than others…not unlike the time I watched him sign at The Nightmare on Chicago Street event, six months earlier.

Being a landmark Svengoolie occasion, many of my fellow die-hard fans (now referring to ourselves as “Sven’s Goolies”) showed up as well. This included Joan Yingst, Jamie Lee Cortese and Angela Urban (with husband, Ron). All three of these gals have appeared on this site so many times, I should seriously consider putting their faces on my blog’s logo while referring to them as “The Terror Davettes” (though I’m thinking they’d rather be called the “Svengoolie Sisters“). We’re all pals but it was too crowded for us to do much in terms of catching up.

Jamie Lee did, however, proudly tell me that she’s been accepted as an intern at Sven’s station and shared the news with the host as well. I do remember her mentioning that she’d applied for it when I saw her last month at Horrorhound but that was another event that permitted little time for conversation (I’m thinking the Cortese family need to invite me over to dinner some night). Regardless, I’d like to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Jamie!

Will this become the new official uniform at MeTV?

Months earlier, I’d approached her, Joan, and Angela (among others) to contribute to Sven’s Scary Monsters issue (Jamie is showing off her article above). They all participated and I had each of them sign my own copy of the magazine at C2E2. Publisher, Dennis Druktenis, had supplied his own John Hancock before sending it to me and it was the only thing I asked Svengoolie to sign at this event.

After I came home, I read what he wrote, “To Dave, who wrote most of this!” I’m not quite sure if he was being a smart-aleck there but, let me just state for the record, I wrote those two articles BEFORE Dennis decided to turn that issue into a Sven Tribute! Sheesh!

…Although, after reading it through, even I admit to getting Fuentes Fatigue!

There was, unfortunately, one notable person missing today.

Sven’s right hand man, Jim Roche, had a prior commitment and (just like Sven’s last appearance in October) was unable to attend. For those who’ve been to as many Svengoolie signings as I have, Jim’s absence was palpable. The man’s hilarious and he and Sven volley comments back and forth with such precision it’s like watching a championship match at Wimbledon. As time went on, I noticed the line to see Sven did not appear to be getting any shorter which was yet another reason to miss Jim. In keeping with the theme of this event, let’s just say that Mr. Roche has an uncanny, mutant ability to know exactly where to cut a line in relation to Svengoolie’s signing schedule. I’ve seen him do it several times and I’ll be damned if he doesn’t get it down to the final second!

Over an hour in and NO end in sight!

Another one of my favorite Sven crew members (Chris, who’s also Sven’s camera man) pointed out to me the celebrities that were signing at the tables on either side. To the right was Jane Espenson who spent five years as both writer and producer for one of my all-time favorite TV shows – Buffy the Vampire Slayer and responsible for penning one of the series best episodes – Earshot.  Both Svengoolie and I are big Buffy fans and prefer the vampire Spike over Angel. We also both site the epsiode Hush as our #1 favorite. Ms Espenson agreed to snap pictures with Sven (and me too after I called her a genius).

I LOVE this woman!

Even more impressive was the gentleman seated to the left of Svengoolie, Peter Davison a.k.a. Dr. WHO from 1981-1984. As the autograph lines for Sven’s neighbors paled next to his, both stopped over to say hello! The fans weren’t in the least bit upset about them cutting in line with one stating, “Dr. WHO can cut in front of me any day!”

With Peter Davison…Dr. WHO!

Davison has the distinction of being the SECOND Dr. WHO, WHOM Svengoolie met, the first back in his WFLD days. ”I’m a long time Dr. WHO Fan,” said Sven. “The first Doctor I met was the Third Doctor (1970-1974) Jon Pertwee. He was a guest on my ‘Son of Svengoolie’ show. I still want my own K-9…”

With Jon Pertwee (Photo courtesy of Rich Koz)

Later on, Sven asked if I’d approach actress Janina Gavankar from True Blood (seated a few tables down) to see if he could have a word with her after signing. I love True Blood and this was one request nobody had to twist my arm for. Ms Gavankar was born in Joliet, Illinois and attended The University of Illinois in Chicago. As a native of The Windy City, it was likely she knew of Svengoolie.

I said hello and asked her if she’d heard of him. She squinted her eyes before saying, “Hmmm…that name does sound familiar.” I flashed her my Svengoolie T-shirt and her eyes lit up. “Oh, YEAH, I know who that is!”

She happily agreed to meet with him and the two had a spirited conversation. “I first noticed Janina Gavankar in the short-lived supernatural series, The Gates, which my brother Mike worked on as an effects editor,” Svengoolie/Rich Koz later told me. “She played a policewoman with a secret that was never revealed because the show was cancelled before they got to it. I have seen her recently in True Blood and Arrow, and am a fan of her work. She was SO nice!!!”

The Expressive Ms Gavankar!

I would have to agree! As we were leaving (knowing my place in the troop, I made sure to stay dead last in Sven’s entourage) she turned to me and grabbed my arm before saying, “Thank you SO much for that!” Why I didn’t use the opportunity to worm my way into a photo with her remains one of my biggest C2E2 regrets!

While Sven did end up staying past his scheduled time, he was able to greet EVERY fan that came out to see him. Let me also add that he appeared to be just as energetic after it was over as before it began. Me, on the other hand, could barely move without crying out in pain!

Sven went out into the convention to say hello to friends and I bid him farewell. While he displayed a spring in his step, I felt like I needed a wheelchair’…the man is the same age as my dad and can clearly kick my butt! In a related story, I started hiking 3 miles every day and stocked up on Lean Cuisines that following Monday.

As Steve walked (and I crawled) back to my van, I reflected how, in many ways, this was the perfect venue for Svengoolie to make his return. God knows what that man endured since I’d last seen him 6 months earlier. Now here he was shining brighter than I’d ever seen him before. I suppose if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my years of reading comic books, it’s that the best stories always have the hero getting knocked down before eventually making his/her triumphant return. Maybe like life imitating art, we sometimes have to completely hit the floor before getting back up on our feet and preparing to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This however, is one story where reality managed to trump fantasy.

And, in a world where many of us can use a little inspiration these days, surely…This is a Job for Svengoolie!

Dave Fuentes~