The first two issues of my mini-comic memoir are available—watch the trailer!
It's hard to give up on your dreams. Especially after 40 years of dreaming. I moved to San Francisco in 1977 to attend the film program at San Francisco State University, with every intention of becoming a film director. Life, as they say, got in the way.
Although I managed to have a very successful and rewarding career as a designer, journalist and part-time filmmaker, I have always been chasing the dream to tell big stories on my own terms. After 10 years of short filmmaking, and working adjacent to Hollywood for 20 more, I've found my creative outlet. And it ain’t movies.
“Write about what you know.” That’s the most common advice given to storytellers in any medium. So I've written a 250-page graphic memoir about some of my earliest, craziest and most meaningful experiences as a fanboy attending the first Star Trek, Comic Art and Monster movie conventions in New York City.
I’ve excerpted portions of my memoir in 16-24 page chapters, illustrated them on paper with ink, and will be publishing eight parts on a more-or-less monthly basis. The first two issues are available at Birdcage Bottom Books, as well as select comic book shops around the country. Please take a peek at the trailer above.
When We Were Trekkies is the (mostly) true story of cosplay, conventions and coming of age from a time and place undreamt of: 1970s NYC. It follows the exploits of five bridge-and-tunnel kids who imagine a magical realm where starship captains, interplanetary goddesses and comic book monsters can co-exist and thrive. But first, they need to get permission from Mom to stay out past curfew.
I have not had this much fun since I first put on my Klingon uniform and ran around the Commodore Hotel with a green Orion girl by my side. I hope that you might enjoy reading that story, as well as our encounters with William Shatner, Isaac Asimov, New York’s Finest, and a cadre of fellow fans and dreamers.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the funny pages!
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If you know anyone who might enjoy reading stories about fans and fandom, I hope you’ll help me spread the word and share this post. I appreciate your support!
