On the Beat at PopCon Milwaukee

I was ensconced in pop culture greatness today while at PopCon Milwaukee. The day included athletes, celebrities, artists, merchandise and friends!

My first stop at PopCon Milwaukee was the booth with Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins and author Marla McKenna. Accompanying them were my long-time friends Steve Gassman and John Schenk.

Marla is the author of Mom's Big Catch, a lighthearted story of a family's day at the ballpark. I had the pleasure of interviewing Marla. I learned that it was inspired by a day at Miller Park in Milwaukee and features her daughters. The book has also been endorsed by the Chicago Cubs. It also benefits the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation. Mom's Big Catch is a fun book, written by a delightful sports fan and it helps a great cause. As a Cubs' fan, I would raise the "W" flag for that!

I had the honor of interviewing Fergie. It was touching to hear his warm thoughts on the World Series victory last season. Fergie is one of the all-time greats, but he gives kudos to the fans for supporting him all these years. Fergie is a total class act.

I also witnessed a big announcement from Fergie. He officially signed his fifth book deal at PopCon Milwaukee. Team Fergie (Publisher John Schenk, 15-Time Author George Castle, nationally renowned Artist John Hanley and myself Fergie’s Personal Assistant Steve Gassman) couldn't be happier or more proud. I was excited to be there and will be following the progress through publication. It's especially cool for me, because it involves great friends and quality people working together.

I eventually tore myself away from the Team Fergie section to venture through the rest of the convention. I would return to my friends, but I wanted to make the rounds to make sure I met everyone.

I weet to meet Chicago Blackhawks Hall of Famer Bobby Hull. Meeting Bobby Hull would have made my late mother cry. She was a huge fan and I grew up cheering for Hull and his mates (even after he left the Hawks for the WHA). Hull talked about the recent success of the Hawks and being embraced by the team and the fans.

Next up was wrestling legend Baron von Raschke. I had some fun with him as he showed me the finer points of applying "The Claw," a hold he made famous. The Baron spent most of his career wrestling in this area and he still has a legion of fans, despite retiring more than 20 years ago.

Mt next stop was at Jackson Bostwick's booth. Bostwick played the superhero Captain Marvel on Saturday morning television's Shazam! I have never seen Bostwick at any convention and meeting him brought me right back to my childhood.

I also met Dr. Destruction and Lilith Lovecraft, hosts of the longest running Wisconsin Horror Host Show Dr . Destruction’s Crimson Theatre, among other joint projects. I love meeting horror hosts and these two are that and much more. Their program is an eclectic mix, which even includes a little wrestling, courtesy of Lilith's Pro Wrestling Report.

I unexpectedly bumped into media legend Mancow Muller. I have worked several events with Mancow in the past, but I just don't quite have the legendary status he does. Still, It's always good to cross paths with him and he always greets me warmly (or at least fakes it).

The last celebrity I met today was also unexpected. Longtime Major League Baseball player Larry Hisle appeared at the Chicagoland Sports Appearance Connection (CSAC) booth. Hisle talked about his many years playing for the Brewers, as well as his time in the Philadelphia Phillies organization with Fergie Jenkins.

I did all of this and there was still so much more to do, but that is for Sunday. Burt Ward and Lee Meriwether from tv's Batman, John Schneider from The Dukes of Hazard, Danny Seagren (Spider-Man) of The Electric Company and Pete Rose will be there. Many great artists and vendors selling cool stuff will also be there. I know I'll be picking up some new Aquaman merchandise.

PopCon Milwaukee has a stated goal of "to recreate the personal nature of the collecting experience while providing convention goers the rare opportunity to personally meet celebrities from all fields." PoCon Milwaukee met and blew past that goal. This will become a fixture on my calendar!