Marble City Comicon 2014

A couple of years ago, I went to Marble City Comicon with New Monster Project.  New Monster put out a video of the con, but these interviews didn't quite fit with the overall feel.  So, after far, far, far too long of a delay...I finally got around to putting together my interviews with Ricou Browning (Creature from the Black Lagoon), George Perez (comic artist), and C. Martin Croker (animator and voice actor).

I have had the footage for quite some time now and I had wanted to put out my interviews ever since the con, but other projects and other life events kept getting in the way of editing together my interviews.  Plus, after a certain amount of time had passed, they didn't really seem quite as relevant.  But then, something happened that made me want to share my experiences.



Yesterday, I heard that C. Martin Croker had passed away.  With all of the "big name celebrities" that have passed away recently, and with all of the other terrible things in the world that are making headlines, I can understand why there hasn't been a lot of coverage.  But, unlike all of the other celebrities that have passed away  over the passed year, I was actually able to meet C. Martin Croker.  While each loss of talent has been incredibly saddening (especially the passing of Gene Wilder), the loss of C. Martin hit me a little differently.  It was more personal.  I only met him once and only for about 10 minutes, but that experience had a lasting impression on me!  During those 10 minutes, he was not only willing to talk with me, but welcomed the opportunity to share stories and advice with someone who appreciated his somewhat offbeat sense of humor.  He had an amazing talent for animation and comedic timing.  The shows that he worked on (most notably Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Aqua Teen Hunger Force) had a tremendous impact on my sense of humor and creativity and helped to shape me into who I am today.  I cannot even begin to explain how much of an honor it was to be able to meet C. Martin Croker, or how bummed I am that he is gone.  While my questions to him certainly are not groundbreaking, I wanted to honor C. Martin Croker by sharing what little time I was able to spend talking to him.  Rest in peace, C. Martin Croker.  You will always be missed, but never forgotten.

J.R. Mounts. Everything.

I first met JR Mounts a couple years ago at Marble City Comic Con.  He had a pickle mannequin in a trench coat and a fedora (the mannequin...not JR) and I was intrigued...so I had to talk to him.  Rather than just trying to get me to buy something from him, JR actually talked about art, puns, and the creative process.  Even though I had never met him, JR was treating me like I was one of his biggest fans.  That is one of the things that sets JR apart from so many other vendors that I have met...when people stop by his booth, he is genuine and not just treating the person like another potential sale.  And that is one of the things that makes his books so great - they have that same genuine personality and humor.

Since that first meeting, JR and I have grown to become friends and have gotten together a couple times to work on various projects.  The first time, he joined Daniel, Tim, Jeremy, and myself on Mass Listeria as we discussed our top 5 influences (listen to that episode here).  The next time we got together, we recorded an episode of Saturday Morning Cereal (listen to that here) and then worked on some videos highlighting the artistic process and the ups and downs of what it means to be an artist.  We also got a sneak peak at his newest project, "Stuck in My Head" and were one of the first media outlets to see some of the completed art!  We also recorded a..."crappy"...commercial.  We had a lot of fun making the videos, so hopefully you have just as much fun watching them.


Scairy Tales Noir commercial
 


"Yuck It Up"



"Full-Time Schtick"



"Stuck in My Head"



"Labor of Love"



"On the Road Again"



"Ducking Around"




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