The Ins and Outs of FREE Comic Book Day

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Last Saturday, the nerd world celebrated FREE Comic Book Day, an event I’ve participated in since my kids were little. Now they’re all grown up and have sufficiently outgrown me, so what was once a family outing has morphed back into solo ventures. No worries, I’ve been collecting comics on and off since before they were born and can now take part without worrying about what’s ‘kid friendly.’ Thanks to YouTube, I can also approach things strategically, armed with a specific list of what I’m looking for. FREE Comic Book Day kicked off in May of 2002 and has been observed every first Saturday in May since then. I haven’t done all of them, but I did this past one, and here’s how it went…

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Svengoolie & Squad Make Costumed Debut at C2E2!

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The train dropped me off at Chicago’s McCormick Place around 11. Svengoolie and the Squad weren’t scheduled for their first signing until 12:30, which gave me the opportunity to mosey a bit on my way to their signing booth.  I snapped some photos of cosplayers and enjoyed seeing some old school STAR WARS stuff. STAR WARS as an Intellectual Property may have lost its way, but for many of us Gen Xers, the Original Trilogy will always be a part of us.

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Svengoolie’s Friday at C2E2 was all about the Fans!

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Svengoolie greets his fans at C2E2

Svengoolie’s executive producer, Jim Roche, reached out to me in early February regarding the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Anticipating his request to assist the crew, I’d already cleared my calendar and quickly agreed. As the conversation continued, he casually mentioned that this year’s event would also feature the Svengoolie Squad – Gwengoolie, Imp, and Nostalgiaferatoo. Even more exciting, unlike their appearance at last year’s San Diego Comic Con, they’d all be in costume. My excitement level reached a fever pitch, as did my dread. After all, keeping things moving in Svengoolie’s autograph line while photographing fans can be challenging enough when serving just him, let alone three other cast members. These concerns, however, were for Saturday. Friday at C2E2 would feature a solo Svengoolie, albeit with a heavier schedule – two signings and a photo op. And this experience is what I’ll be sharing today.

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Svengoolie’s Flashback Finale!

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Having finished up with his interviews, Svengoolie and crew headed just outside Flashback Weekend‘s main hall to his designated signing spot. It was finally time to greet his patient fans and, considering how long many of them had been standing out there, not a moment too soon. There were three lines (one for Flashback VIP badge carriers) and, despite some initial confusion, went smoothly overall. As with C2E2 a few months back, my job was to take photos of Sven with his fans; using their own cameras. Producer, Jim Roche, fired up the crowd while dispensing some of the ground rules for meeting MeTV’s Saturday night sensation.

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Svengoolie Saturday at Flashback Weekend!

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I apologize for the delay, my last post proved a deathblow to my old, slow-as-hell laptop computer. I have finally upgraded to a new one. Now where was I in this story?…

Day two of Flashback Weekend began better than the previous one as I didn’t have to stress out over parking. Since all of Saturday I’d be assisting the Svengoolie crew, Don Johnston arranged for me to park in the executive lot. Thank you, Don! I wasn’t staying at the hotel so it was great getting a good night sleep without having to drive out so early. I went straight to Sven’s private room on the Hyatt Regency’s third floor to prepare for his arrival. This consisted of opening the drapes and prepping some new paint markers for his autograph signing. When I’d entered the hotel, I noticed a group of fans already waiting despite it being hours from its scheduled time. 

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