deaconkole

I figure it is time for another update. Normally, I wouldn't think anyone would care, but TigerAngel demands to know just what is up. So here we are. A long winded update.

Okay, so what is going on? The huge thing right now is this Friday. Late that night (or very early Saturday morning) we will find out if all our efforts at the shop have earned us the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retail Award. For those of you not in the know, it is basically the Hall of Fame of comic shops. It is awarded once year, and you can only win it once. Last year was the first year anyone thought to nominate us. We placed as a finalist, but didn't win. We were pretty crushed. We put a lot of work into our submission package and video. We did the same this year, and we REALLY hope it pays off. We shall see. If you'd like to see last year's video, go to www.austinbooks.com and prepare to be amazed. The store has changed a lot even in just the past year. We'll post the new video after this weekend. I never ask for wellwishes, because that is needy as shit, but THINK GOOD THINGS, people!

I am obsessed with the PS2 game Guitar Hero. It's a musical/beat game, but the controller is shaped like a Gibson guitar, and you essentially play it, trying to hit all the notes for over 30 excellent rock songs that span from Jimi Hendrix to Helmet, from the Edgar Winters Group to Pantera. It just plain rules. Mikey got me hooked on it, I got Lauri hooked on it, and come to find out Daveinaustin is hooked on it. After we record my podcast on Friday nights, we play it competitively. We're looking forward to the sequel, which will feature co-op play. I'm so into this game, I purchased a rare discontinued controller for the game that closely resembles my dream guitar, the '68 Cherry Red Gibson SG. Anyone that knows me at all knows I've always dreamed about being a guitar-slinging rock star. This is probably going to be as close as I get. Let me tell you, I fucking OWN Boston's "More Than a Feeling". If you have a PS2, get this game, as it is massively fun. I will be taking an updated picture soon, and put it up here. Yes, I'll still be wearing the cowboy hat.

As I mentioned, the podcast is still going well. The shows have been consistently decent the past couple weeks, following a really shitty show. We need better equipment, though. If you have any interest in comics, or just like listening to me either talk about comics or verbally abusing Mikey, we're at www.myspace.com/staplepop or you can search the itunes podcast directory for staple pop. It's somewhat entertaining!

Try as I might, I will never have a completely clean apartment.

I was in the Alamo Drafthouse Superman preshow. That's right, my excellence has been captured on film and been played on the Big Screen hundreds upon hundreds of times here in town. I asked a couple ridiculous trivia questions, one talking about the many loves of Superman (including a mermaid), another basically calling Superman an asshole, and then providing documented proof. So, for anyone that has known me all my life, I will still ass myself out for a little promotion and recognition.

I may be going to Baltimore in September for a business meeting! I always wanted to say I was going on a business meeting. It's a retailer summit following the comic con. I hope everything pans out and I get to do it. I've got to make more East Coast connections!

Anyways, I'll leave it at that, I suppose. Just wanted to keep you all up to date on the current goings on of your favorite Texas comic shillin', fake guitar jammin', ass-of-himself-makin' funboy. Hope you all are well. Drop me a note! We'll hang!