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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Hi (again) Folks!</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Well, I will try to keep this short.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We went to San Francisco to see my son, Ben, who wanted to go to the Con to see Sergio and also Larry Marder, as he is an old Bean World fan.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I wanted to surprise Sergio, so I didn’t tell the Groop.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Sergio was really, really surprised, which was a lot of fun and we just happened to get there when Natalie (Lucky Cat) and her husband and daughter were at Sergio’s table, which was really cool.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That was a great and a fun surprise for me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As Mark has said many times, WonderCon is smaller and less mega-crowded than San Diego, but it did get crowded.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The crowds reminded me of what San Diego was like in the late 90’s. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Sergio’s table was also smaller, but he had his usual things set up, except he did not have a supply of DH Trade paperbacks of Groos and Louder Than Words/Actions Speak, which are always big, big sellers at San Diego.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He had a big stack of The Groo Game for $40 each!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(If he still has those at San Diego, I’ll take orders.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He also has a brand new 11 x 17 print.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Similar in style to last year’s Gorilla Warrior Fray & Groo & Friends prints, this one has Groo and other Sergio creations and also sells for $25.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He said he had 150 made.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(He also had a few of the others.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I thought those were gone). Yoda can link you to a scan of it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Sergio usually had folks at his table, but not like at San Diego and I was actually able to talk to him more in the two days at WonderCon than at the 4 days of SD!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Another example of the difference between the two was evident with seeing celebrities.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The cast of “Chuck” was there for a panel (except the hot blonde) and Adam Baldwin was at a table for part of the time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My son and his girlfriend are big fans, so The Long Suffering Mrs. G. went in at the start of the previous panel and got great seats (she brought a book).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I don’t know if Chuck rises to this level, but at SD, there are situations where you have to wait in line for hours to get a ticket (no charge, just a pass) to get into a room for the panel of movie or TV folks, and then wait in line for hours again if you want a good seat.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can’t do what Mrs. G. did because they clear the room for each new celebrity panel.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(They don’t do that for Groo related stuff) .<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And the line for Adam Baldwin was not very long at all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(btw, he seems like a very nice, down to earth guy and was surprised when I told him how much I liked his very first movie “My Bodyguard” from 30 years ago.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Unfortunately there was no Quick Draw!, I guess because Scott Shaw! wasn’t there. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And much to my amazement, Mark did only six (6!) panels in three days.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I mean, I actually saw him numerous times <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">outside</I></B> of a panel room!!!! <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(Btw, the lovely Carolyn was not there either.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Groo panel was a lot of fun and the situation before it got started demonstrated once again what a great guy Sergio is.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When he looked in the tiny room near the end of the previous panel, and then looked at the line waiting for the Groo panel, it was pretty clear not everyone would fit and that upset Sergio a great deal. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So before things got started he was bopping all around, setting up the few extra chairs that could be found and working with the con staffer to make sure everyone who could possibly get in got in.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’m not sure how many, if any, were turned away, but it was less than it would have been thanks to Sergio.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>In addition to some funny stories we learned that the last Groo Movie deal fell through (again).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As most of you know, it basically comes down to this:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The movie folks want some creative control and all of the profits.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sergio and Mark want all creative control and some of the profits.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mark said that in the movies, deals get 98% done all the time, but the last 2% is murder!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Oh, well…Also the Groo Treasury & Magnor Trade paperbacks are still on hold because it’s been hard to track down the negatives/discs they are on.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But Groo v. Conan is on the way!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sergio showed me the pencils (his and Tom Yates) for some of the pages.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The exact title has not been decided, but Groo will definitely get top billing because, as Sergio said “It is <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">my</I></B> comic!”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Yates’ table was around the corner from Sergio’s and I met him and he seems a very nice guy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I ran into Arturo and that was cool.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He is also a very nice guy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Scott Hudlow, another cool guy and longtime Groopie was there with a booth selling comics just like he does at San Diego.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I worry about Scott.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He works too hard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I saw him he was so busy he couldn’t stop to go to the bathroom!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Geez, Scott!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And Eric “Man of Leisure” Chun was also there and took some pictures of me and the family with Sergio.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He is a great guy too.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>And speaking of great guys, I met a very nice young self published comic book creator, Blair Kitchen, from Toronto.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His comic is a cartoony, not so super hero, The Possum.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sergio liked his work very much and gave him some pointers and advice.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>The weather was cool enough that I had an excuse to wear my Groo Dragon jacket and Groo Thinking sweatshirt.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I must admit taking great pleasure in the oohs and ahhs I got from folks, not to mention those who were green with envy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>That’s about it I think.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sergio and my son Ben (the up and coming cook-someday Chef) talked about Mexican and Spanish dishes and spices and then joked a lot about how Ben is learning both Spanish food words and Spanish cuss words from the Mexican guys he works with.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was quite humorous seeing Ben & Sergio swear back and forth in Spanish!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Well, so much for a short report.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope to hear from others on their con experiences.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is always fun.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Take care all,</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT color=#002060>Gary G. </FONT></P>
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