2012: My Year of Family and Anniversaries

March 2011 (left to right): Katy Curtis, Maggie Thompson, Paul Curtis, Grace Thompson, Stephen Thompson, Valerie Thompson, Devon Jaruk, Roy Jaruk, Jonah Thompson

This is one of those years of coincidental landmark line-ups. Consider: Mom and Dad were born in 1917. I was born in 1942. My sister Mary was born in 1947. I met Don in 1957. We were married in 1962. Valerie was born in [harrumph] Stephen was born in [another harrumph]. The Cleveland Press folded - and Don and I were hired by Krause Publications - in 1982, the year we moved to Wisconsin. It seemed to me that this is a logical year to celebrate all of that - and to get into more communications with family and friends. It was a shock to learn that my last remaining aunt (Dad's sister) and uncle (Mom's brother) died in 2011, so again: It's time to make an effort to reconnect - and this is a perfect time. I was thrilled to hear this month from a cousin I'd been trying to locate.
When was the last time you reached out to your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins ...? This would be a great year to do it!

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Goodbye, Friends of Old Time Radio - But Hello, Friends I've Made

Jay Hickerson, Valerie Thompson, Arthur Anderson

Sigh. As I Tweeted earlier this evening, the Friends of Old Time Radio event has come to an end. Well, there's a sort of post-convention panel Sunday morning - but the official end comes Saturday night, and that's when this is. Everyone is trying to be upbeat, savoring the fun and treasuring the friends we've seen only once a year - but there were many of us who were too teary to join in when Organizer Jay Hickerson began the finale by playing and singing his own version of "Thanks for the Memories" and then invited us all to join him in "I'll Be Seeing You in All the Old Familiar Places" and "We'll Meet Again." The evening was filled, not only with food at the dinner and two re-creations, but also tribute after tribute to Jay and Karen Hickerson, who have brought us all so much pleasure. Among the tributes was a scrapbook of FOTR memories presented by radio personality Arthur Anderson (the voice of the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, among countless roles) and daughter Valerie Thompson. There was a cake. There were tears. There was laughter. When shall we meet again?

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Looking Back at Comic-Con's Thursday

Valerie at the blood drive

Prying open my eyes following the first full day of Comic-Con, I realize that Valerie and I basically lolled about, taking things as they came, checking out Angry Birds items for Valerie's son, desperately pursuing a giveaway Tintin bag (unsuccessfully; on the agenda for this afternoon again), and hugging old friends as we came across them. If my goals had been to get as many photos as possible and troll for the latest news, well ... Didn't happen. But Comic-Con is what you make it - and we made it fun. We started the day with a Blood Drive appointment, and Valerie overcame her concerns about whether her iron level would let her be accepted. Woo hoo! We actually ended up facing each other in a donation race. (She won.) True Blood T-shirts in hand, we returned to the con.

Sergio Aragones and Stan Sakai
(with Gordon Kent hidden but laughing)

And it was really a "whatever happens, happens" day, complete with attending our own "Spotlight" panel (with a surprising attendance, considering just how many events were counter-programmed). As Valerie and I chatted about being raised as second- and third-generation fans, the room slowly began to fill even more - and we asked what the next panel was scheduled to be. Why would the room be so packed? Oh, of course! It was to be Mark Evanier with a Groo team. So, of course, we stayed for the fun. In the course of much hilarity were hidden a number of to-be-noted factual treats, such as that Tom Yeates will draw Conan and Tarzan for upcoming Dark Horse crossovers for Groo. Yes, Conan will have to deal with Groo - as will Tarzan - with, of course, the basic Groo material provided by Evanier and Aragones. Also noted: Sergio Aragones Funnies (available at the show). And a Bongo Maggie (no relation) comic book done by Sergio. Stan Sakai said that Dark Horse's Usagi Yojimbo #141 will actually be his series #200, and there will be treats.

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