<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>Great job Arturo! </DIV>
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<DIV>Thanks so much for posting a wonderful report. It's exciting to read the different Groop's "Con" experiences - all the while wishing how fun it would be if we could all go; each and every one of us.</DIV>
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<DIV>I really liked your idea about the dividers (thanks for the link). I made my comic divider's out of cut-up cardboard boxes - they look kind of hokey. Sorry to hear the divider's Sergio drew on were smudged. :( Hope you were able to salvage more than a few of them.</DIV>
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<DIV>Enjoy!</DIV>
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<DIV>Shawn (the girl :)</DIV>
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<DIV><BR>--- On <B>Fri, 4/30/10, Arturo R. <I><mentecato@izrm.net></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Arturo R. <mentecato@izrm.net><BR>Subject: [Groop] WonderCon Report - Better late than never<BR>To: groop@groo.com<BR>Date: Friday, April 30, 2010, 9:17 AM<BR><BR>
<DIV class=plainMail>I hope this doesn't show up twice. I had sent it a couple of days ago<BR>but got a message back that it was being held for moderation.<BR><BR>Hi all! I've been the epitome of a lurker for a while now, but I'm<BR>coming out of the shadows to give a con report.<BR><BR>My family and I were only able to go to the con on Sunday only. From<BR>what I've read this was actually a good day to go because the crowds<BR>were bigger Friday and Saturday. We got there and my younger brother<BR>and I made a beeline to Sergio's table. When we got there he was just<BR>getting up, probably to stretch his legs and walk around a bit.<BR><BR>We hung out around the area while he came back. That's when I noticed<BR>that Mark was also around! This was the first time I've seen him<BR>outside of panels. For some reason I've never had a chance to talk to<BR>him in person. As soon as Mark finished talking to Stan Freberg I<BR>pounced on him. "Mr. Evanier", I
said, <SPAN>exending</SPAN> my hand. He said:<BR>"Mark will do", or something to that effect. I shook his hand and told<BR>him I was a big fan, and how I enjoyed reading his blog (no white<BR>lie). I had brought my copy of Kirby: King of Comics and I asked him<BR>to sign it. I was nervous but also very excited to finally meet him.<BR><BR>Afterward we went back to talk to Sergio, who was back to his table. I<BR>greeted him and he said: "Nice shirt!" I was wearing the MotorCon<BR>shirt and I told him how Gary had gotten it for me. Me and my brother<BR>talked to him for a bit and I asked him to sign my sketchbook and he<BR>doodled a little Chakaal on it. I also asked him to sign my silver<BR>Groop Membership Card for me. I've had it for a while, but it had<BR>never occurred to me to have him sign it. At his point he had a line<BR>forming so I told him I would let him talk to his other fans and we<BR>would be back.<BR><BR>We went around the con for a bit
and came back later. This is the<BR>first time I've seen Sergio and not commissioned any big artwork from<BR>him. Unfortunately, my funds have been limited (got my hours cut at<BR>work, plus I now have a baby at home), but did ask him to make me new<BR>comic dividers for Hogs of Horder and The Simpsons. These are the<BR>plastic pieces like these:<BR><A href="http://www.opentip.com/Office-Products/Ultrapro-Comic-Dividers-p-1129240.html" target=_blank>http://www.opentip.com/Office-Products/Ultrapro-Comic-Dividers-p-1129240.html</A><BR>I had an idea last year to ask him to draw a little something for each<BR>"section" of my Groo collection (Pacific, Epic, Image, etc). I'll take<BR>pictures of them and post them one of these days. I really like the<BR>way they turned out. Unfortunately the ones he did for me this year<BR>got smeared. :( I have to remember to ask him to try different markers<BR>when I ask him to redo them.<BR><BR>Finally, the third most
exciting part of the con (after seeing Sergio<BR>and Mark)..<BR><BR>We were walking around and as we're passing one of the many booths<BR>this guy points at my shirt and gives me the thumbs up. I give him<BR>thumbs up back and squint my eyes because I start to recognize the<BR>fella.. is it.. could it be.. yes! It's world renowned #1 Groo fan<BR>Gary G! He must have realized I had to be a Groop member because he<BR>came out of the booth. I told him, "Gary, right?" and he says,<BR>"Yeah!". I told him who I was and he remembered me! (Or rather, the<BR>things he has gotten for me). It was really cool to meet Gary, he is a<BR>super nice guy. I asked him what he was doing there, since I didn't<BR>remember reading about him going to WonderCon. He said it was a<BR>surprise, and it was definitely a surprise to me. :) We talked some<BR>more and I asked if I we could take a picture. My regular camera is on<BR>the fritz, so the pic is cellphone quality.
:/<BR><BR>And that's my con report.<BR><BR>Wow, this message was long. I feel Tone-like. (I kid Tone! I love<BR>reading your posts). At least the Gary/Arturo posting ratio is now<BR>better than 582/0. :)<BR><BR>-- <BR>Arturo R.<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Groop mailing list<BR><A href="http://us.mc503.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Groop@groo.com" ymailto="mailto:Groop@groo.com">Groop@groo.com</A><BR><A href="http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/groop" target=_blank>http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/groop</A><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table><br>