Hello…and sorry about the frantic game of Beat the Clock in the last posting. You'd think that in midtown Manhattan, you could get a decent Internet connection…and you can at all the local Burger Kings. But in the Hotel Pennsylvania, it's a bit more difficult.
Let me back up and go into more detail about some parts of my trip. This is my first time in New York since…well, I think since the last Mel Brooks musical opened. I'd forgotten the bustling foot traffic, the ubiquitous smell of honey-roasted nuts and chicken skewers on every corner, and the impossibly narrow and steep stairways one must occasionally handle. Apart from those things and wet weather, I like everything about the town. And even the bustling foot traffic can be enjoyable if you actually know where you're going and can bustle along with the rest of 'em.
I told you about Young Frankenstein and am about to tell you about Xanadu. Not much to add about Christine Pedi's wonderful cabaret act other than to lament there aren't more good rooms for folks like her. We could certainly use a few more of them in Los Angeles.
The comic convention was jammed. It sprawled over several floors of a once-proud hotel with the longest lines being for Hayden Panettiere and Kristen Bell, and you'll have to excuse me for being more excited at the presence of Soupy Sales and Larry Storch. Among those I talked with: Alan Kupperberg, Darwyn Cooke, Jimmy Palmiotti, Alan Weiss, Irwin Hasen, Kyle Baker, Robin and Elayne Riggs, Heidi MacDonald, Michael Netzer, Danny Fingeroth, Jim Salicrup, Ken Gale, Peter David, Peter Sanderson, Rich Johnston, Steve Saffel and Dave Shelton, plus we had a last minute surprise appearance from Don McGregor and some fine conversations with the folks who operate the online Jack Kirby Museum, Rand Hoppe and Richard Bensam. Forgive me, all those I omitted. It was especially great to see Dick Ayers, Joe Sinnott, Herb Trimpe and Gary Friedrich again.
A lot of folks asked me about my Jack Kirby book so here's the deal: It's done and I hope to see some proofs tomorrow morning before I get on a plane for Ohio. The official release date is now March of '08 but we may see copies before February is out.
Oh, you'll like this. Everyone who stays at the Hotel Pennsylvania receives a little pocket-size fold-out map of New York that also contains a big ad for the Broadway show, Hairspray. Here's what it looks like folded out, and you'll notice there's a pull quote from critic Clive Barnes that says, "A great big fat gorgeous hit!"
That's a great quote until you fold up the map. I noticed that when you fold it along the pre-existing creases (in other words, exactly the way you're supposed to fold it), it looks like this…
Someone owes Al Jaffee a royalty.
I think that's about everything for now. As I think of more things, you'll see them up here.