How does a Whimventure® start? What does it take to do something “On a whim?” Well to start off… not much. On Friday, Sue was finishing up a stressful week at work and we had discussed options for the weekend. Of course one of those options was to stay home and get things done around the house (the responsible ADULT thing to do). We knew that Thomas Dambo has just moved his traveling Troll Exhibit from Philadelphia to Nashville so we decided to head south and do some troll hunting. How long did it take? About 5 minutes. We knew the boys would be fine overnight, and all we needed was a change of clothes and (being adults) things like medications and a toothbrush. With a quick pack of our go bags we were on the road.
They say there is a season in the midwest called “Road Construction” and they aren’t kidding. In Indianapolis, currently one of the projects shuts down I-465 going south on the east side of town. Hmmm… guess where we needed to go? We did finally get on I-65 south and headed towards Nashville. We had thought about doing this in May, but Nashville hotel prices for that weekend were crazy expensive. This weekend, at least where we were looking were reasonable.
Always Complications & Maybe Some Beer.
“There are only four rules you need to remember: make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan.” – Leonard Snart. We pulled into Yazoo Brewing for dinner and enjoyed a beautiful view and nice food along with some pretty good IPAs. Unfortunately, when we got back to the car, we had a low tire warning light go off. Did I mention Road Construction is a season? The tire looked and acted fine and it was too late to do anything about it, so we headed back to the hotel. Fortunately? Sue had tire trouble in Nashville when she was at a convention and knew where to get it fixed. So we headed to Discount Tire in the morning.
Me, being anxious, had tire repair as my number one priority. They removed the nail, plugged the tire and we drove off to breakfast, getting a call that the tire place still had the cap for the wheel 🙄. Drove back and then headed off to the hotel, where I had left my wallet in the room 🙄🙄. You see how this day is going? Breakfast was nice, Sue wanted to stop at a franchise she deals with for work and play secret shopper. As we were there I tried to figure out how to reset the blasted tire sensor that still showed I had a low tire. Which I finally did reset on the way home. Today the low tire light came on again… 😱 I know what I’m doing tomorrow.
Finally, we get to Cheekwood Estates & Garden, current home of Thomas Dambo’s “Save the Humans” exhibit. We paid for entry and started to walk around the beautiful landscaped gardens, hunting for trolls. Where are all the trolls in the world? Check out Thomas’ Troll Map. We’ve now pretty much seen all the Trolls close by, but look forward to future trips and the trolls we will see along the way.
Ronja Red EyeIbbi PipSofus LotusBasse BullerRosa Sunfinger
Having now become seasoned troll hunters we enjoyed not only the trolls but the other art and landscaping throughout Cheekwood.
Kamma Can
We picked up the Trash Trolls and Treasure Hunts book, but unfortunately, they were out of t-shirts in any “normal old adult” sizes- no troll shirts for me. On our way out of town we stopped into Antique Archaeology home of the TV Show American Pickers… While nice it seemed to be mostly branded merch for the show and not as many actual antiques as I recall from my visit last fall. We left empty handed and headed home.
One of the nice things about being in Indianapolis is it is close to many places so going on a Whimventure® isn’t too hard. I’ve joked about driving to Chicago or Columbus, Ohio for a sandwich. As for my carbon footprint- I’d consider an electric car brother ways to get places if the infrastructure in the U.S. would better support it.
inner ring 400 miles middle ring 500 miles outer ring 600 miles While I don’t like driving really long distances in one day, on the way home isn’t that bad if I get an early start.
You’ve heard me whine about “Comic Book Conventions” that aren’t really about comic books. The conventions that focuses more on the celebrities than comics. I think it all started with San Diego Comic Con when they started bringing in Stars from TV and Movies for panels and got boatloads of national press for the announcements made in Hall H or Ballroom 20. Every other Con decided that Celebrities were a draw beyond the comic geek and they saw dollar signs. Can’t afford to go out the SDCC, or can’t even get a ticket? Come to your local Con and see people who are sorta kinda famous. My most recent example would be Indiana Comic Con, in which almost everyone there solely attended to see someone who only tangentially was related to comics. I’m all for Cons bringing in stars, especially since for a lot of celebrities this is their way to bring in money charging for autographs and photo ops. As I have said before, call it what it is- which is not a “Comic Con.”
I have heard about a few select Cons that have stuck to being a “Comic Con” a celebration of the art of comics. A2CAF (Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival) in Michigan is an all ages con that celebrates comics for kids and if you have the chance I highly recommend it. CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus) in Ohio is also a fantastic con all about celebrating the Cartoon Arts, not specifically all ages, but still an amazing convention… both of these are free.
Next weekend I’m heading to another con that will be a new experience to me, HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. I haven’t attended this one in the past, because I usually would be at A2CAF or Brickworld in Chicago. For the record, HeroesCon is not free, but it is cheaper than many of those cons that have a bunch of photo ops and celebrities. Behold the power of MATH – 3 days at HeroesCon = 1 day at New York Comic Con this is before calculating hotels, and food.
I’m curious about what I will say in my post con blog, because right now there are some things I find rather exciting. First- I haven’t seen a single post, about a “celebrity” attending. All the announcements have to do with artists, writers, and creators of comics. There are a lot of them (around 400), most you wouldn’t know… but I do I currently have over 15 artists on my short list that I want to see. These are people I am in awe of what they have created. Some aren’t as famous as others, but to me… WOW. I usually get lost in Artist Alley at cons that have relatively small artist alleys- I’m afraid I may never get out- which is why I have a short list. Some are people I am picking things up from, others are people I really would like to get something signed by.
Secondly, the list of panels and presentations mostly deal with the process of making comics. Drawing, lettering, writing, an opportunity to listening to some of the best of the best in their field talk about the art of making comics. No sessions dealing with the last TV show or movie, nothing about reflecting on the last season of some show or or Anime. They have professors from SCAD teaching sessions on comics! Sign me up!
Finally, while it can be a big draw for many people, cosplay doesn’t seem to be a prime focus. I like seeing people dressed up as their favorite characters, but most of the time these come from media other than comics. At HeroesCon it seems they spotlight 50 cosplayers each day to walk across the stage and show what they have created, along with sessions on making things to enhance your cosplay. What I noticed (and was pleased by) was the weapon policy which includes vendors. Most “Comic Cons” have people selling various swords and martial arts weapons. You pass by multiple booths full of swords, throwing stars, and the like. My brother at New York Comic Con bought one (or two). I’m looking forward to walking through the exhibit hall and not having to deal with weaponry lining the shelves. Will there be light sabers of various kinds? I don’t know, probably, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Again, the draw seems to be COMIC BOOKS and art, because it is a COMIC CON. 😳
This Week’s Comics
I Hate Fairyland #15 – Or should we just call it Gertzilla minus One? So After completely annihilating Fairyland with Gertlins, Gert decides to become part of the solution, not the problem? Will she succeed is wiping out the scourge of gertlins and save the world? Will science, magic, and technobabble combine to help?
Love Everlasting #15 – The story so far… Joan falls in love, and questions if love is really everything that it’s cracked up to be. Before she can discover the answer, she is killed by an unknown cowboy. This happens throughout time and really throws a damper on her relationships. We have learned so far that the cowboy is actually in love with her, but it’s a dirty job and someone has to kill her (over and over and over again). He kidnaps her one more time to save her from her fate only to… but there’s a twist… she’s French, which of course makes it all OK, because… c’est la vie!
Sons of Star Trek #15 (ok, it’s really #3, but I didn’t want to ruin the pattern we had started 🙄) – SO our heroes are caught in the middle of a war with the Breen, and QJ has somehow lost his powers. We discover more about the crew and how they are different from those that we remember. We also learn a bit more about this alternate universe what is different in the very fabric of the universe. Nog, Alexander, and Jake start to figure things out, but is it too little too late? Who will live? Who will die? maybe the next issue will shed some light on things.
Batman #148 – Winter is coming… OK, maybe not winter, but a storm of sorts. Batman and the Bat Family reunite to fight Zur-En-Arrh and hopefully save the psychotic villains from being reprogrammed into upstanding citizens. No psychotic villains then Bruce Wayne will need to find a new hobby! The army comes in to help with things. Thank you Amanda Waller- Hmmm… maybe I know which Batman title is part of the current DC continuity- then again on time and following the summer blockbuster
My Adventures with Superman # 1 – I’m old and don’t pay for every streaming service. Which that said, I haven’t been watching the Cartoon that has gotten some good reviews, so I when the comic came out, I decided to check it out. I’m sure I’m missing some connections to the cartoon, but the basic story of Superman/Clark Kent trying to save everyone and deal with a new villain that seems to be part parasite and part Amazo has got me thinking I need to read the next issue- I just hope I remembered to put it on my pull list.
Amazing Spider-Man # 51 (Tony Harris Cover)– Peter Parker is now Spider-Goblin? He’s going after the Sinister Six while Norman (Mr. O), tries to play sane and normal… What about the now walking brain and his cadre of scientists? Who are they bringing in to help Peter from going completely off the deep end?
The Ultimates #1 – In the ultimate universe you had their version of the Avengers called “the Ultimates.” In this new version after the Maker was able to stop most heroes from being created (Accident + Radioactivity = Super Powers if you take out either the accident or the radioactivity you get nothing) Can heroes (thought of as terrorists- remember history is written by the winners) gather together who they need to stop the evil running the world? Great first issue recapping what happened to get us to this point and setting us up for even more.
Amazing Spider Man #51 (Skottie Young Cover) – Peter Parker is now Spider-Goblin? He’s going after the Sinister Six while Norman (Mr. O), tries to play sane and normal… What about the now walking brain and his cadre of scientists? Who are they bringing in to help Peter from going completely off the deep end? Yes, I did cave and buy two copies of this issue (curse variant covers!) One is an amazing cover done by one of my favorites- Tony Harris, and the other is done by another one of my favorites- Skottie Young. Completely different take, both are really amazing. Both on my HeroesCon short list. Sometimes, you do need two of the same comic, I’m not enough of a completist that I’ll ever need 33 copies of the same comic, but two isn’t that bad. The question is do I bring them to HeroesCon to get signed?
When I was growing up (before internet and video games… fine, we had Pong) My father was into building plastic models. He was an airplane guy so he would put together models of various planes from typically World War II. Although I recall a U-2 and F-14 vividly. My brother and I would then play with them and break them. He was meticulous in making sure that everything was historically accurate and perfect. As we grew older my brother and I would also build planes… for me they weren’t great, but in my dad’s hands they were fantastic when he got done with fixing the ones I had cobbled together. I would have them hanging from the ceiling of my bedroom. As we got older we continued, until one day it all stopped. I can guess the reasoning, but they would only be guesses. I was as clueless about social stuff then as I am now. I recall decades later going into a closet at my parents house (long after they had moved from my childhood home) and finding a few boxes of model planes, some half completed and those were ones I recall from when I was a teenager so they hadn’t been touched in decades.
Yesterday I attended WonderFest in Louisville, Kentucky on a “whim.” I had heard about the Con from Michael Possert in one of my Rocketeer Fan groups. He had written a book on the making of Cirrus X-3 from the film (since he was part of the team that had done it) and it was now being published. He was presenting about the book and I figured it was close so I could stop by and pick up a copy. I’d like to remind everyone who thinks that I am some sort of a “Super Geek” who knows all about various geeky topics- I am not. While I am excited and passionate about a wide variety of things and willing to talk (and never shut up) about some things I have learned that there is always someone who is higher up the geek food chain than me. On a scale of 1-10 you might be a 1 or 2 on a topic and I’m a 5 or 6, when I go to conventions, I meet people who are 11’s! I shut up and listen or crawl into a corner thinking “I am not worthy to be here.”
WonderFest has opened a whole world of model makers to me. Like my venture to PowerCon last year’s where I learned about Toy Collectors Now I get to learn about model makers, an area I know absolutely nothing about. Being my first time I’m learning as I go and will still not figure things out by the time I end. I will probably call things by the incorrect name and being an introvert with poor social skills I won’t be doing much when it comes to any social events or actually taking with people (who are on the Geek scale 10’s to 11’s or event 42’s) While they might be the nicest person on the face of the Earth, for me I don’t want to sound as stupid as I know I am. Luckily Sue decided to join me on this sojourn (she wanted to go caching) so I had a reason to not hang around too much. plus I was only planning on a single day.
I dropped into WonderFest Friday evening to pick up a one day badge. It was busy, registration was for badges and for those dropping off pieces to be judged. Options included an early bird entry into the vendor halls. Not knowing what to expect I went with a single day. Now what is interesting is unlike many conventions WonderFest has no online badge registration. You can only get your attendee badge in person. You could buy a badge day of, but I decided I wanted to avoid that and be ready for Saturday morning.
As I’ve said before, each group of geeks (I use the dictionary definition here “geek: a person who is knowledgeable about and obsessively interested in a particular subject, especially one that is technical or of specialist or niche interest.”) has different levels, and also in the realm of pop culture multiple overlapping areas. You could be a Batman geek, but only focus on the 1966 TV show compound that with the toys related to the ’66 Batman show, or just toy iterations of the Batmobile… At WonderFest you had so many of these multifaceted geeks. People who love building models- but focus on classic horror films. Maybe it’s Star Wars (there always seems to be a Star Wars group) or Star Trek. If a model was made from a pop culture TV show, movie, etc. then there is a fan out there who has built it to the specifications outlined in the specific episode it appeared.
The thing here was the art and craft of the model. Anyone who has ever tried their had at model making know it takes some skill to do it right. My brother and I were developing that skill, my dad had mastered it. To this day if I try to build a model I will end up with a glue fingerprint someplace on it that I will have to address. Then comes the modifications that, in the past, required a lot more creativity. Now you can 3D print anything you can imagine and design on the computer. Before that you would have to hand sculpt or find parts from other kits to meet your needs.
Saturday rolls around and I get dropped off (the parking lot is packed, the show doesn’t officially open for about an hour) and I step into a full hallway with people lining the walls and a long line of folks carrying boxes or pushing carts. The convention is divided into a number of areas: Exhibit/Vendor Space Hall A & B, a Special Area set aside for bigger names (yes, like any convention they brought in a few celebrities), Rooms set aside for classes and presentations, and a ballroom devoted to the Model Contest. The Hotel is currently under renovation so it was a bit of a challenge to navigate, I think it might have be harder for those who had previously attended since I didn’t know how to get anywhere in the first place.
The Vendor/Exhibit Halls
So what can you buy? The vendor halls had the some of the typical stuff at any Con, but most of it focused on model kits. I’ve seen a few of these kits at comic book shows, but model making was definitely the focus – Although there were a few booths selling comic books (almost as many as Indiana Comic Con 🙄) There were a few booths selling toys, others selling jewelry and pins, some selling artwork and books. Mostly it was model kits and the tools of the trade – brushes, paints, airbrushes, etc. For me, it was understandably overwhelming. I came into the con to learn and decide what my next steps would be. At PowerCon I left with the peace of mind that toy collecting was not in my future. Here at WonderFest I’m not sure. I did not buy any kits, but I thought back on my past life teaching CAD to kids and some of the stuff I had created. I thought about 3D printing and making things that no one else had thought of- my take on something. Turning my drawings into 3D pieces, I’ve got a long way to go, but…
While people were selling things, there were also some displays some were challenges, others were just things that were cool. The challenge this year was to take the Class F Shuttlecraft from Star Trek (the TOS Shuttlecraft “Galileo”) and have fun with it. Start from the model kit and then- whatever. Being a fan of humor, whimsy, and not taking things too seriously, I loved this.
Learning Opportunities
Lots of classes and I really wanted to try out the “Make it & Take it” room, but I’m a bit older that 16 and didn’t want to take a chance away from a kid. There were also airbrush seminars and how to work in various mediums. On Friday, They had a full day course on Blender (CAD) but I no longer have a laptop and with this being my first time I didn’t want to invest the money (around $200) for the class. Mostly I didn’t want to investment in a laptop. At least at GalaxyCon I didn’t feel that bad paying for the Howard Chaykin Workshop, all I needed was a pencil and paper. There were sessions throughout the day, some just listening to professional model makers talk about their careers, also some history lessons (The Ray Harryhausen Foundation was present) Due to some overlap I only attended Mike Possart’s presentation on the Rocketeer rocket pack. Which was awesome and gave me the chance to see up close (and actually touch, one to the screen used packs! *squee!*). It just made me want to get the stuff to cosplay the Rocketeer even more.
The Model Contest
Wow. While there were some amazing things and displays in the exhibit hall, the over 800 displays made by the attendees were awe inspiring. Divided into categories, some of which I had little interest in, each piece was amazing. Maybe it was just me, but the thing I thought was cool as a Star Trek fan, was the representation from that franchise. Usually, you end up with a boatload of Star Wars stuff, and yes, there was Star Wars stuff, but there were some amazing pieces from the Star Trek Universe. Also so many unloved or forgotten franchises were painstakingly recreated by people who obviously were fans, and wanted to share their love of a specific property. As I said almost 900 models, I missed a bunch. Just make sure you’ve got your badge in a pocket on not hanging in front of you… it would be bad if you damaged some of these by being careless.
The typical question and what most people post about is what they bought… For me it was simple- I about a pin for Sue (I want to pet all the cats in the world”) two books: Michael Possert’s Rocket Factory Book & Fantastic Worlds: The Art of William Stout. So not a massive haul, but for a first timer with no clue, I held back from buying any kits, since I was afraid that I might fall down a rather costly rabbit hole, maybe next time after I decide to cut back on a current expensive hobby. Should I have spent another day? Hmmm… I think if I had, I might have gotten more interested and probably bought a kit, while that isn’t bad, I do think I got a taste of the hobbit of model making is about and I’m now curious to learn a bit more. The issue I have to ask myself is where would my finished stuff go?
Of course, the big question is, will I be back next year? I really don’t know, it matters how much more I get pulled into 3D design and what sessions they might be offering. I older brother says he’s interested in attending, and it is more up his alley currently than mine. He’s in the process of making Klingon D’k Tahg daggers. The biggest positive is that it is a convention dedicated to a specific group and their needs, not one just trying to drag in people for profit. So many Cons are all about bringing in celebrities for costly autograph and photo ops, while there were celebrities here, I’m not sure the average person would recognize them or their work which makes WonderFest even more special.
So as you might have read, I was out last week at the grand and glorious Geocaching event known as GeoWoodstock. Visiting Flagstaff Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Route 66, and a little time in Las Vegas. Keeping that in mind I was not home to pick up my comics and arrived at Comic Carnival Wednesday to get two week’s worth of books.
As we now get into Con season I find it amazing the number and variety of conventions going on during what I like to call the “Off Season” for teachers. This weekend I’m heading to WonderFest to check out the hobby of model making. I’m looking at this in a similar way that I looked at “PowerCon” last year. I want to take a day and see what it’s all about. I’ll get into more detail when I write up my experience next week.
Then we have the weekend in which EVERYTHING is happening, (June 14-16) making it impossible to do it all. There’s Brickworld Chicago, the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF), Heroes Con, and MINIs on Top just to name a few things I would like to attend.
Brickworld is a four day conventions for LEGO fans in which the first two days are exclusively for that group to learn about new techniques, play games, talk and celebrate the brick. Saturday and Sunday are open to the public to see some amazing displays of work. I’m always impressed and feel that I have a long way to go to get to the level of most of the builds there. I will not be attending this year.
A2CAF or the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is an amazing get together put on by the local library system to celebrate comics. It was originally called Kids Read Comics and focuses on all ages books and creators. If you are a parent, or a teacher (or both) and want to learn about comics for kids, meet up and coming artists, and get ideas for activities to do in your classroom this is the place to be. Did I mention it’s free? I highly recommend it although since I have retired I will not be attending it either.
Heroes Con is a comic book convention held in Charlotte, NC and is different than a lot of “Comic Cons” in the fact that they seem to 😳focus on comic books and not pop culture. So instead of a long list of stars attending and most of the effort going to the famous faces of TV and film, they focus on the creators of comics. I’ve never attended, but the list of attendees makes my wallet cry out in pain. I will be attending for the first time this year and will write it up when I return. I’m already planning on getting some artwork from some of my favorite artists (I’m on the commission list for Tony Harris!!! 😁)
MINIs on Top is one of the big MINI Cooper events in the Northeast. I had completely forgotten about it until over GeoWoodstock and friend reminded me and asked if I was going. Like MINIs on the Dragon, this is an event for MINI enthusiasts to get together, socialize and drive their MINI on some really cool roads. In this case it is up to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. While I would like to go, but this year with MINI Takes The States and everything else going on that weekend, I’m just not able to attend. It is on my list to look at next year.
This Week’s (and Last Week’s) Comics:
Man’s Best #2 – Athos & Porthos are still searching for their master on an alien world and come across some trippy lifeforms that well, made me a little hungry. If they can rescue Lovey from the other really weird aliens they can set off and resume their quest.
Star Trek Defiant #15 – Will the crew of the Defiant be able to escape Starbase 99 alive and in control of their minds? What about Spock? What about Belanna? What does Seal have to do with all this?
Rogue Sun #19 – Interesting issue… Since Rogue sun is kind of like a Firestorm character in which the body who is in charge of Rogue Sun, communicates with the spirit of the last Rogue Sun they did a really cool thing in this issue. Half of it is from the point of view of the spirit and the other half is from the point of view of the teenager who is currently Rogue Sun. Interesting way of seeing both points of view.
Undiscovered Country #29 – So our main characters have discovered that all the work to provide food in the bounty district is a sham since the train to deliver the food just ends up plummeting into a chasm. They find out who knew about it and now must escape a death sentence… can they?
Spider-Boy #7 – The conclusion to Bailey’s arc dealing with his origin and Madame Monstrosity! Will Bailey escape (hmm… interesting that a number of issues as Summer begins deal with escape) and save his friends and everyone else held campitive on the farm? Who will come to his rescue? Bailey realizes his true power in the Marvel universe.
Ultimate Spider-Man #5 – The story of Harry Osborne and how he got to the position he currently is in. Nice to see a different point of view in this world, making it even more like the storytelling from the original Ultimate Comics.
Primer #3 – So we finally get to the point in the origin that brings us back to the exciting beginning where Primer saves a crashing plane. We also get introduced to our real villain, and the Night Nights scourge of children’s bedtimes… Yes, if they want to keep going, they really need a better name.
The Flash # 9 – We move along with some more secrets uncovered as the speedsters try to figure out why the world (Amanda Waller especially) has it in for them.
Detective Comics # 1085 – Oh boy… Batman gets together with members of his rogues gallery to stop the Orgham’s continued domination of Gotham City… will it work? Will someone take this opportunity to do something nefarious? Did Batman learn anything while wandering for a few issues in the desert after being hung?
Superman #14 – Oh boy… So Lobo and Superman battle while Brainiac’s plan comes to fruition. What was Brainiac planning? Can anyone stop him?
The Amazing Spider-Man #50 – Peter doesn’t seem to be a naive as he leads on as he goes against the Green Goblin… Yes, the Green Goblin- it’s on the cover so it must be true. Being the 50th issue (Legacy numbering 944) there are some nice side stories that are like the end credits in a Marvel film, meaning read to the end to find out more about what is coming up. I especially liked “Time To Make The Doughnuts.”
Titans #11 – Really?!? Circ-En-Arrh? Batman really knows how to mess around with his sidekicks. Then again Amanda Waller sends a brainwashed Titan Amazo after the group… can they survive? Will Raven be uncovered? Does Nightwing know something, and will he survive long enough to reveal what he has figured out (or what Circ-En-Arrh figured out)?
Alan Scott Green Lantern #6 – The conclusion to this series brings about Alan Scott finally coming to terms with who he is both in the present and in the past. Nice conclusion to this story.
So last week we (Sue, Cecil and I) headed west to attend GeoWoodstock. This event marked the first anniversary of my retirement and made me come face to face with a few things.
GeoWoodstock is an amazing event when done right. I’ve attended a few and even took part helping with GWX. Each event is different since it is organized by a local group that submits a proposal. Each year they learn from the past. The whole idea is to get geocachers together. GWXX in Flagstaff had some great parts to give people things to do besides just finding geocaches. The actual event is only one day, but there were amazing events leading up to Saturday and events once everything was officially over. With Route 66 and the proximity to the Grand Canyon there were things for everyone to do.
The pre-events gave people multiple chances to pick up their badges, and reasons to meet other cachers from around the world. Our first event was “WTF” Welcome To Flagstaff and was held in the middle of downtown. Registration is free, but at various levels you get different SWAG and stuff. We went for the Gold level +1 which gave us lunch, VIP parking, shirts, and a bunch of geocoins. We got our packet and saw the other pieces that the event organizers put together as icebreakers for the around 3,000 people descending on the area. There was the typical bingo game where you go and get people to fill in a bingo board filled with caching accomplishments. Due to taking a hiatus from caching for a couple of years, I was pretty limited to the boxes “design a geocoin or pathtag” and “appeared in FTF Geocacher magazine.” There was also a selfie contest, a decoding map icebreaker, pathtag trading (anyone have yellow?) and rules for a poker run. Each badge had a sticker on it that had a variety of attributes for you to match. None of these were necessarily new, but putting them all together at Woodstock was and made it possible to meet even more people, and a nice way for cachers of all experience levels to get out and meet some new people. Did I Mention that JoGPS (the founder of this event) put it together in the very early days of Geocaching so people could meet face to face and talk instead of just seeing names on a log? Besides caches and events the organizers also put together a bunch of Adventure Labs throughout the area. Which lead to one thing no one had really anticipated- Cellular Network overload. When a town the size of Flagstaff suddenly has 3,000 people all trying to access the internet at the same time things slowdown to a crawl. I look at it like going to a conference and complaining about the temperature in the meeting rooms. There isn’t a darn thing the organizers can do about it, it’s out of their hands. Cachers are used to adapting to the situation, so that’s what we did.
The next day took us out of Flagstaff and over to Williams, AZ as cachers hopped on board the train heading to the Grand Canyon. Sue, Cecil, and I have control issues so we decided to drive, that way we had more control over our schedule. It was an amazing day. We had not been to the Grand Canyon in years and then it was more of a drive by. We stopped at a scenic overlook and went on our way. Thursday we took the entire day to explore the southern rim. Afterwards we headed back to Flagstaff to attend the evening event at a bowling alley it was crowded so after saying “Hi!” to some friends, and signing the log, we called it a day.
If you couldn’t tell, this is the Grand Canyon.
Friday we decided to “Take it Easy” after overdoing it on Wednesday (yes, we’re old). We ended up at the Lowell Observatory (Where the State Planet for Arizona – Pluto was discovered) in the afternoon. Then heading to the GPS Adventure Maze and a quick run to the evening event that I volunteered at (anyone have a yellow pathtag?). As it got dark we headed back to the observatory for stargazing (which was AWESOME).
Moonrise from the Lowell Observatory looking out over Flagstaff. Scorpius is in view on the right side.
Saturday brought everything to a head. The BIG EVENT. Now having done these before, the actual event is just a big celebration and a chance for cachers to talk to each other. A lot of time you can’t put a name you’ve seen over and over again on logs with a face. For the first few years of caching I only knew people by their caching name- and asking where “Foomanjoo” was seems OK at a geo event, but when someone says you need to talk to “Josh” you might get a little lost. GeoWoodstock gives cachers of all abilities and experience the chance to just talk and share adventures.. I spent part of the morning with FTFGuy (Keith) at the FTF Geocacher table drawing monkeys for people and handing out Cecil-EGCM buttons. When I ran out of buttons & paper I wandered the event grounds and the vendor tables. It was nice to talk to friends that due to circumstances I don’t see that often like Sonny & Sandy (Team Podcacher) who produce a great podcast and actually introduced me to Geocaching back in 2006.
There are educational sessions throughout the day (This was my job with GWX) these are nice little presentations or panels on various subjects. I missed the morning ones, but was able to hear a talk about the Adventure Labs along Route 66 with props given the folks who did it on the Lincoln Highway. Then there was the Reviewer Panel which is always a fun part of GeoWoodstock. These are the volunteers and Lackeys from Groundspeak getting hit with questions from the audience. The only rule is not to ask about a specific cache. Like any hobby there are questions that always get brought up or people who try to monopolize the discussion. In the land of LEGO the question of “Will they ever bring back the monorail?” is the one that tends to always get asked. In Geocaching it has to do with Virtual Caches and taking over a cache when the owner vanishes from the face of the Earth- I’m not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens. 👽
The Five Geocachers who were there at the start, and haven’t missed a GeoWoodstock.
The day concludes with thanks to the organizers, honoring of the five people who haven’t missed any GeoWoodstocks, and the unveiling of next year’s location. So GeoWoodstock XXI will be in Morgantown, WV over Memorial Day weekend. Hope to see you there.
That evening the local theatre was taken over for the geocoin/pathtag trading event (Midnight Madness) and the showing of a rough cut of a documentary about the history of GeoWoodstock. <SPOILER> GWX was really hot. 🥵
Do we all then say goodbye and head off? No, there are Sunday Events – a CITO and then an event around lunch. There’s breakfast Monday and even another event about a week after GWXX!
The Adventure Labs I completed (there are still a bunch I didn’t 🙄)
Historic Route 66: Seligman to Peach Springs, AZ (4 out of 7)
What I Learned (more about myself than the event):
Communication is key- know what the objective for the day is, but be flexible. Friday we figured we’d get all the Adventure Lab stages but due to connectivity issues and being old and tired we decided a nap was a better option. The event folks were great about posting updates as needed.
Creating a cache list only works if everyone involved is on the same page. For me, not caching that much makes it more difficult- using different caching apps doesn’t make it any easier. Interestingly enough, there were two events called almost the exact same things happening on the same day at different locations at different times… We went to the wrong location at the wrong time. I had it correct in my list and on the calendar (which we never used), but got confused and decided that “logically” the one location made sense, without checking the cache page until was too late. FYI: The original corner to stand on is in Flagstaff, not Winslow. 🙄 We at least got a good breakfast out of the deal. 😁
Some places don’t have good cellphone coverage (no matter what your provider’s map shows). So read the directions on an Adventure Lab before leaving an area with decent coverage… Some of old Route 66 were difficult/impossible to log the Adventure Lab stages if you hadn’t downloaded the lab, BEFORE arriving in the area- which was what the starting page stated very clearly.
“They’re more like guidelines than actual rules.” Everyone plays the game (Geocaching) differently. When I am doing an Adventure Lab I like to actually walk to the place (whenever possible), other people are fine with driving by and activating the stage then either doing Internet research to find the answer or just guessing until they get the question right. I’m not about numbers, I’m about the experience… That and trying not to hit something (or someone) is a lot easier when you aren’t trying to activate a stage while whizzing by it.
Remember Leonard Snart’s philosophy on planning: “There are only four rules you need to remember: make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan…”
We rented a MINI convertible for this trip and were really excited to not have to adjust to a completely different car. If you own a MINI Roadster (R59) a newer MINI Convertible (F57) is not the same car. 🤬 To those who love the convertible MINI… I’m happy for you, I just don’t get it. Having to put the backseat down to be able to fit two carry-on suitcases and two daypacks?!? I know if it were my car, I’d have to get used to a lot of things, but not being able to put the top down when the boot is full? 😳 Sue has an electric top on her Roadster and she was still trying to figure out why it would throw an error code saying the top wasn’t locked! Having a speed warning pop up every time you try to keep up with interstate traffic?!? I know, some of these things I can fix in the car settings, but for a week, it wasn’t worth it. Someone commented that the early Mini was designed to be simple and all the tech they’ve added just complicated it. As an R59 owner I kind of have to agree.
I’m getting too old for red eye flights. Or I need a first class overseas seat to fly at night since I really can’t sleep sitting up. After being in airports or on airplanes for about 18 hours I crashed once I got home.
Time to head off into the great unknown. Probably won’t be able to post anything here while we’re away so plan on following Cecil’s Facebook presence, or maybe my Instagram (if I can remember to post there- I know you’ll at least get a hotel hallway photo or two). Now the tough question- How many shirts does Cecil really need for this trip?
This Week’s Comics:
Ummm… First it’s only Tuesday (so DC might be available, but that would just confuse people), and secondly, I won’t be able to get to Comic Carnival so I won’t be able to do my “highly intellectual, evidence based, spoiler free summaries and commentary” until I return. I don’t even know what I will be getting this week, so look forward to a “double-sized” post sometime next week along with a little bit on this week’s Whimventure®!
Enjoy your week and stay safe in this crazy world. For those of you ending your school year- Congratulations! Enjoy the “off season” I will miss my cats, but they are being well cared for.
So last weekend we headed to Mansfield, Ohio to go prison. What does this have to do with comics? Not much, but it does have something to with environment and images. You see one of the MINI groups we run with planned a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory. This is the same group that had tour of the Randolph County Asylum, hmmm… coincidence?
Why the Ohio State Reformatory? It was the location for the film “The Shawshank Redemption.” It’s an impressive building from the outside and a work in progress on the inside. Sue and I spent the night before in Mansfield and did some geocaching and adventure labbing. There is an Adventure Lab that takes you to many of the locations used in the film which was cool. It seems that thanks to “Hollywood Magic” Mansfield took the place of Maine with almost every scene being shot there except the final scene on the beach… which was done using primitive AI technology 🤪 (it wasn’t, they actually went to the U.S. Virgin Islands).
I understand the importance of drawing from real life and one of those things I always find frustrating is trying to do that with a group of people wanting to move onto the next spot. or trying to draw while also trying to learn about the place from the tour guide. So I take some photos and maybe use them as inspiration when needed. So far I haven’t needed, but someday I might.
Cecil came along (of course) and since this is a newish group of people I got to explain the monkey all over again. My usual response is “I’m an old elementary school teacher, and this is my class mascot. I take him places and my students like to see where he’s been.” As you get know me, you know he’s a lot more than that. Besides being a character in this comic (when I actually draw the comic) you learn he’s my extroverted personality. He does all the silly things, I don’t do. He’s my excuse to come up to complete strangers and ask for a photo. He’s an icebreaker for when I’m too shy to talk to someone. He’s an alter ego… with a big ego. I have friends, not because of me, but specifically because of the monkey.
I just remember being at a MINI event and someone was coveting the exclusive MINIon badge that each person in the group I drove with had. They met someone from the group and when they found out I was involved asked I was still carrying around that stupid monkey. I found out about it. When they came up to me and asked if they could get a badge, because they had heard I was the guy to talk to (I am the guy to talk to), I replied that being MINIon 4238 I was so far down the line, I had nothing to do with it. They needed to talk to someone with a lower MINIon number. Don’t ever disrespect the monkey.
This Week’s Comics:
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #20 – One of those “filler issues” that I actually like. It gives you a chance to build up characters and relationships without much chaos. Of course there is some chaos, but still and nice art walk with friends and “Shift” stats to gain a bigger role, which is nice. Of course we have to end the whole thing with Vampires since that is the summer mega event. 🙄
Action Comics #1065 (House of Brainiac 3) – we’ve got Lobo, Superman, the whole Super Family against Brainiac and a special guest appearance by the Space Cabbie! It seems that Brainiac has a city collection more vast that we first thought and this will play into future issues (next in Superman #14).
Batman and Robin # 9 – Batman captured by Man-Bat and Robin still trying to figure things out… and finally doing it. getting the Principal to snap (I think it really had to do with low test scores and not getting teacher evaluations done on time) and the identity of “Shush.” So now Gotham is about to be “saved” in some weird psychotic way by Man-Bat. Let’s see- No Zur En Arrh, no Orghams, it’s interesting to try and figure out when in Batman’s timeline all these stories are taking place. It’s a comic, it really doesn’t matter.
Dark Ride #12 – It looks like the conclusion. Who will end up controlling Devil Land? Who lives? Who dies? It has been an interesting ride as we see the story behind Satanic Disneyland.
Fishflies #6 – Yes! a history lesson and we finally learn why a giant bug is running around the county and what his purpose is. I like the way the flashback was done monochromatically. How will the news at the end impact the story?
U & I # 4 of 6 – So the bad guts go after U. Can Isabelle save him? I frankly have sadistically enjoyed the trouble Isabelle’s uncle has gotten himself into- Karma is beautiful. Unfortunately, it might not work out well for U & I in the end, but we have two issues to get there.
The Displaced #4 – It’s been months since the small town of (weird, I don’t remember it’s name) disappeared from the map and memories of everyone in the world, except those who escaped it. Those folks now are forgotten the minute they leave your sight. This has lead to some interesting ways to dealing with life- rob someone, and they don’t remember it, check into a hotel, and they don’t remember you did and give the room to someone else. Now it’s starting to wear on everyone… the way to escape? leave everyone, and go off on your own… although it looks painful, you then disappear too. Where do you go? I think many hope they return to the friends and family they lost when the town vanished.
It’s interesting, when I read this comic I go back and think of how people come in and out of our lives. Sometimes you forget them, others you don’t. I feel bad, because I’m one of those teachers who, try as I might, can’t remember all of my students. After 35 years, 3 schools, and thousands of kids, my memory is faulty. Having taught elementary school doesn’t help, because kids age and change (I think it’s called puberty) which doesn’t help. Worse yet is 20 minutes after a former student leaves, sad that I don’t recall their humorous exploits, I remember everything, and feel even worse. What’s also sad are the number of kids (now adults) who come up and tell me they were “bad kids.” In 35 years I’ve only had a handful of kids who were “bad” and most of them it was their parents who really made them memorable (or the thing of nightmares).
Ultimate X-Men #3 – We learn the story of Mei the white haired girl with lightning bolt earrings. The last word of the speech bubble in the last panel… “mutants” I wonder what that could mean?
Star Trek #20 – Since this takes place in a pre-Picard time period as the Theseus gets and overhaul at Utopia Planitia we get to meet Commander Liam Shaw who seems to be making the rounds in the comics since he can’t make the rounds anymore streaming because <SPOILERS>. So off they go where “No Man Has Gone Before” in hopes to save the Organians. Who will they meet? Dr. Crusher is hoping to be reunited with Wesley.
Last week I rambled on about Free Comic Book Day and all the wonders you can get for free. I do hope you headed out to your Local Comic Shop and partook in some free comics. I headed out to Comic Carnival to pick up six titles that I wanted to read and then Sue and I decided to head to Dayton, Ohio first in order to hopefully complete the quest on the Aviation Trail and get a Wilbear. I had started this off on whim, getting some the the geocaches and Adventure Labs in Dayton. We had missed a few spots, so since we had a day, the idea was to pick up two more and get a Wilbear for our efforts. Unfortunately, the cemetery’s visitor center was closed and that was our first stop. Instead, we had a nice lunch and went out to Bell, Book, and Comic, a local shop, that happened to have a friend of mine as a guest. I was able to pick up a few more free comics and a couple of things I was interested in. So here are the free comics I ended up with by the end of the day:
Flash Gordon – I started reading Flash Gordon when I was in 3rd grade. It was the Kitchen Sink Press Volume 1 of the original Alex Raymond Sunday Strips… It was amazing and changed my life. I have always been a fan of Flash ever since. I watched Buster Crabbe, and the awesomely cheesy 1980’s film (which I also loved). Currently I read the Dan Schkade strips online over at Comics Kingdom. The art style is completely different, and that’s OK. The story he is telling is compelling and sheds a different light on Mongo. So now Mad Cave has gotten the comic rights to Flash and it is also a unique take on it. Starting with the defeat of Ming the Merciless. This comic, like many Free Comic Book Day options is just supposed to get you interested, it does not tell a complete story, and leave you at a massive cliffhanger. Characterize, the non-humans in this comic are more alien, Ming, who used to look like the last emperor of China, now is humanoid, but definitely not human as are most of the inhabitants Mongo. The war is over, but Ming has one last trick up his sleeve and Flash needs to stop him. Unfortunately, the cost may be too high. SO we need to wait until at least July to find out what will happen next. Mad Cave was kind enough to put a publishing schedule at the end of the comic along with som ads for Action figures and the like…
Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe – Major publishers with long histories tend to use Free Comic Book Day to introduce some new series or major event. Marvel decided to do a little bit of both in this issue. The first part is Target: Peter Parker which has poor peter on a date when he gets targeted by assassin robots and needs to be Spider-Man to save the day. Of course, his date doesn’t understand and thinks Peter just left her to fend for herself… The next part deals with the new Ultimate Universe as seen in the new Ultimate titles, the big one missing right now would be the Avengers or as they were know in the ultimate universe the Ultimates. This seems to be a heist storyline where a group of heroes go into a secret base to steal something… They end up in a battle royale with bad guys and end up activating a long lost hero which should make things interesting. Finally a few pages to introduce Venom War which look like a summer event to beat all summer events… because all summer events are ones that beat all other summer events. I did not pick up the DC Summer event prequel, because I’m old and am tired of summer events.
The Night Librarian – The concept is books have power.. and sometimes that power escapes. Basically, if you were a character in a book would you want to live the same scene over and over and over and over again? No, you’d want to get away too. Night Librarians keep the world safe from these things. So we are introduced to the world, and the main characters who happen to be apprentice night librarians. One is anxious, a rule follower the other, of course, isn’t and hence hijinks ensue. This looks like a great book (probably a planned series) for young readers, but like many books for young readers can be perfect for readers of all ages.
Unicorn Crush – The next book in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series. This was a series that tended to disappear off my classroom shelves. so basically think of a buddy story where one is a girl and the other is a unicorn, both with attitudes.
Boom! Box 10th Anniversary Extravaganza – This is an anthology of four different titles celebrating the old and the new series produced under the Boom! Box label. Lumberjanes, Giant Days, Zara, and Midas. Lumberjanes was an amazing series about a girls summer camp and the adventures the girls have. You would thing “ho hum” except for the compelling characters and the fact that the camp was surrounded by weird and strange stuff. Giant Days is about a group of people away at university (that’s a hint it happens in England). Basically a group of people who become friends even though they come from different backgrounds. I recall when I picked up my first issue and was supposed to be a limited series, it was successful enough that it just kept going… Both of these mini stories had to do with music and bands. the complete series for both titles have been put together in trades. The last two stories where introductions to new series
Katie the Catsitter and Max Meow – Katie the Catsitter is a great story about a girl who ends up in the world of superheroes and really amazing cats! One of those ‘Strong female protagonist” comics that is AWESOME! This offering for FCBD joins Katie with Max Meow a cat super hero due to s dimensional portal. It’s a great introduction to both titles.
Snoopy Beagle Scout Adventures – A collection of Charles Schulz Peanuts cartoons dealing with Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts. Being an old Boy Scout myself I had to pick this one up. Peanuts was one of the first comic strips I read so it definitely hits all the nostalgia buttons.
Ultra Duck – Introducing a new world and character- Ultra Duck! A duck with amazing superpowers and his world. Interesting that I was initially thinking this was some kind of a Disney related title. While the artwork definitely reminds me of Disney… it isn’t as far as I can tell.
Eye Lie Popeye – Popeye the Sailor Man done in a rather Manga style… An interesting way to bring a character up to date. This is a preview (and therefore has a massive (no pun intended) cliffhanger at the end.
Asterix – I have always felt a little behind when dealing with the classic European comics, Asterix and TinTin. I know of both of them, I’ve even read a bit, but I also know how big they are outside of the U.S. This is an introduction to the world of Asterix the Gaul through a “Sports Guide” bringing together classic scenes and comedic commentary. Definitely something to take some time to go through and maybe even pick up some other Asterix books afterwards.
Witches of Brooklyn – This Graphic Novel series is great! Another one of those that gets pulled off the shelves of my classroom. For Free Comic Book Day they have put together a short story and a bunch of activities to hook kids on the series. I highly recommend picking this series up for a child you like, or for yourself.
Pokémon – What can I say? It’s the manga even printed in the appropriate Japanese style (for those of us in the US- that would be backwards.
I realize that with Free Comic Book day long past you may not have a chance to pick up these comics, but I do recommend picking up the regular titles if you have the chance. I know I will be continuing using with Flash Gordon, The Night Librarians, Katie the Catsitter, and looking into some of the other books. Unfortunately not being in a classroom anymore, I really don’t have a reason to buy every all ages comic and graphic novel since I have no place for them to go when I’m done with them. If only my HOA allowed Little Free Libraries.
Finally, while not a “Free Comic Book” I did pick up Stuart Sanger’s “The Wise Old Owl” which since it is a limited run, blah, blah, blah I had a bit of concern even opening it since that would cause the value to plummet faster than a car the second you drive it off the dealership lot. I embraced Whimventure® and decided to gingerly read it as far away from greasy food, and stuff as possible. The entire comic is a homage to the classic superhero detective stories of the past.
As a Batmanesque character our hero is of course wealthy, brilliant, and philanthropic. I found it great that Stuart included the fact that he reverse engineers villain’s devices to create products for his company to sell and therefore makes his fortune from doing what the villains could have done. Stuart’s painterly style makes each page a work of art. If you have the chance I do suggest you pick this up so you to can enjoy the quips and playful take on the dark detective superhero genre.
This Weeks Comics:
It’s getting close to summer so that means it’s time for the Summer Universe Altering Mega Event! An event that will change the face of comics forever… like some of those other events that changed the face of comics forever. Things will happen, heroes will die (for about a month or two), costumes will change… the world as you know it will NEVER BE THE SAME (for at least a few months) until they change everything back to the way it was.
DC is going with Amanda Waller pushing for Absolute Power and Marvel is going Goth with Blood Hunt in which due to an extended solar eclipse vampires take over. 🙄 I personally decided after DC had their “Last Final Ultimate Crisis on Infinite Earths Identity War Battle Thingie” that I would no longer participate in these events. I continue to buy the comics I normally do and “miss out” on the whole event. This decision has changed my universe forever… or at least for a few months.
Batman #147 – While Batman is coming up with a plan to defeat is alternate personality, Zur En Arrh, Damian Wayne has come to the realization that this robot may not be his father (for a super genius this kid isn’t very bright, or maybe for a cold calculating assassin this kids is way too optimistic). Zur-Batman goes after Waller in a connection or set up for this summer’s mega event to end all mega events. Batman (Bruce) is staying off the grid and ends up with some unexpected help.
Amazing Spider-Man #49 – Hey! We’ve got vampires! Umm… didn’t we just finish up Gang War? so now we have “Blood Hunt.” 🙄 I really hope the Spider-Man writers could maybe tell stories that aren’t interconnected with other titles? Maybe just a Spider-Man story that deals with umm… Spider-Man?
Strange Academy Blood Hunt #1 – Wait a second, didn’t I say I wouldn’t get tied into any of these crazy Summer mega events? I lied (sort of) I really like Strange Academy and event though this is a tie-in I decided to see how those crazy kids over at Strange Academy handle themselves since they are junior masters of the mystics arts. Here we are introduced to a new student “Pia” and her familiar “Tito Peping” (who looks like a little French Lop bunny with a monkey tail and is translucent). Things go horribly wrong (as they usually do) when they seek out to confront what we assume is the cause of all this mayhem. We then discover things are not as they seem.
Captain America #9 – Cap goes in search of a change agent in Chile with his new sidekick, a penguin… literally a penguin. We learn a bit more about the importance of his mission and how this weird spiritual world he now deals with works. Also no vampires were harmed in the making of this comic.
Quested Season Two #3 – Time to learn what it takes to be a Quester. It seams the most important thing is embrace your own personal style… SO after losing King Varela, the crew go to rescue the king and things go just as you would expect.
I Hate Fairyland #14 – Larry’s cousin Bubba comes for a visit and regales them with tales of the Gertlin’s that destroyed his world… You wouldn’t believe what happens next! OK You probably would, and Gert comes to save the day or not.
See You Next Week… Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel. Or should that be “Same Wise Old Owl Time, Same Wise Old Owl Channel”?
I see a number of my colleagues have decided to pull the trigger and retire (or just leave teaching) this year. Everyone has their reasons and all reasons are valid since I know how long it took me to make this choice. After you’ve spent most of your career being told you aren’t good enough either by Administrators, Parents, Elected Officials, the Media, or Society (“Those who can do, those who can’t teach”). You’ve spoken with a financial planner and have been told you can do it (even with the volatility of the economy). When it is time, you know it.
I decided it was time when I no longer had faith in the system, our elected officials, the district level admins, the building level admins, and had been told what I had invested all my time and effort into wasn’t important. What was important was bus duty, and not complaining about lack of support. If I heard once I heard a thousand times about how much had been spent on LEGO robotics kits for my classroom… which would be like saying the district had spent all this money on Apple IIe computers in the 80’s so they are not going to buy new ones, and we should be content with all we have. I just wanted my kids (at a Title 1 school) to have access to the stuff the more affluent schools in the district had. My hope in leaving is that it may actually cause some change to occur, maybe it did… I’m retired now so it’s not my problem.
Since it is “Teacher Appreciation Week” here are my final stats:
35 years teaching, 40 years in education. In Indiana there is something called the “Rule of 85” the number of years in the classroom plus your age if it equals 85 you get your full pension. I retired at 92. What did I get for sticking out a few more years? Nothing that noticeable.
Three schools as a teacher, 11 schools in a teacher support role (STEM Coach- Which really was more Social Media Manager since they really didn’t care about STEM only Reader’s & Writer’s Workshop 🙄 & Technology Coach or the guy who turned your computer off and back on again to get it to work🤪)
One district (which shall remain nameless)
12 physical classrooms I also survived one school renovation which was a disorganized mess. Lots of pie crust promises 🤬
Grades Taught: As a classroom teacher- 1st, 3rd, 4th, & 5th. As a specialist (Technology Coordinator at one school K-5, Robotics & Design Teacher at another 1-6)
Principals: 11 Some were amazing- some weren’t. The worst one just wanted to move up the ladder and is now a Superintendent 🙄 and shall not be named (Dr. Voldemort, those who worked with you know who you are).
States taught in: Indiana, latest data- ranked 36th in teacher salary (39th in 2022)! But our legislators love to talk about the historic funding levels that don’t seem to make it to the actual people doing the teaching in public schools. Our surrounding states are in the teens (except Kentucky that actually is impressed by Indiana’s rank).
Indiana Credential: Elementary – expires: 5-23-28, technology endorsement, aerospace endorsement. Elementary Administration – lapsed. With the current Law about the “Science of Reading” (which I basically taught before “Workshops” became the vogue) I’d need to take a class to update my license to stay current.
Master’s Degree in School Administration – Which is why I can say I’ve worked with a few really amazing administrators, a couple mediocre, and a few just plane awful ones (see Dr. Voldemort as a classic example)
Awards: District Teacher of the Year 2019 (yes, pre-COVID), Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellow x2, NEWEST 1994, Alexander Calder Creativity Award, IPL Golden Apple nominee x2 (funny thing, I never received the award, but I became a judge for it), LEGO Education US LEGO Master Educator, LEGO Education Ambassador, VEX IQ Coaches Advisory Board, and a bunch of other things, some important, most of it not really.
Please understand these are my personal notes, your mileage may vary, especially since the Legislature likes to pass laws that tend to handicap teachers since they are, for the most part, more liberal and therefore vote accordingly. That and the GOP seems to in general hate public schools. Something about public schools wanting people to think and reason for themselves and be nice to each other.
Finances as you leave the classroom.
First thing you discover is just how much of your own money you used in your classroom. Be it for pencils, books, or “Teachers Pay Teachers” it’s probably a lot more than you thought and definitely more than what the IRS lets you claim as a deduction. Indiana, of course, just laughs at you and says “Sucker!” and your School and District smile knowingly and say “but it’s for the kids.” As I am reminded, not my problem anymore.
When I retired I received a lump sum consisting of the remainder of my contract, this also marked the end of almost all my relationship with my school district. Which meant they did a great job of killing my professional email, and Google account which wasn’t bad, except for any records I had through Google or websites I had used my school account for. I was a bit surprised since many people talk about how they still had access to their accounts years after they left. Then again, the district Technology Department didn’t like me since I was hypercritical about how they supported teachers. SO- before your last day, copy everything you think you might need onto a personal storage device or personal cloud account. Also make sure everyone you would like to hear from has access to a personal email account (you could put it in your “vacation message” but when you don’t have an account, nothing comes back.) For me this hit me in two ways- first, I couldn’t get my email and my paystubs and tax documents were sent there. Second, having done a lot of work with CAD, my TinkerCAD account wasn’t available so all the work I had created was no longer accessible. I could have contacted them and asked, but knowing how well they supported teachers who actually still worked in the district, I could only imagine how quickly my request would be misplaced or deleted.
So you get this lump sum of money… It’s not as much as you think, but it is nothing to sneeze at. Basically it’s your pay (less deductions) from the last check in May until August and the start of the new contract. This is to last you until the State starts getting your pension checks to you. They need to first hear from your district that you have retired and then after processing the paperwork start getting a check to you. These arrive at the beginning of the month expect them to arrive around July.
This would be where I go off on wishing the United States acted like all the other “Developed” countries and had Universal Healthcare. Fortunately, in my school district I was still covered by the district insurance until August, so I had some time to figure it out. In fact I couldn’t do anything really until right before my coverage was about to lapse. I asked around and was put in contact with someone from the group currently handling the District’s pension accounts. The district had changed companies a few years ago and I had kept most of my investments with the old company since their people knew me, and I like simplicity. Talking with the new company ended up being painful. After over 45 minutes going over the services he could provide, he then kept going on about switching to him as my financial advisor, even after I had said I was happy with my current arrangement, and all I wanted with help with health insurance. I don’t do hard sells well, and decided to look at other options which included talking to my financial guy who put me in touch with a nice gentleman who only talked about health insurance and made it a simple process. He put together a couple of options and we met again when I could actually sign up for everything.
What about still using the District insurance, isn’t that an option? Yes, except that my district over the years had added various options and one of those was to keep with what you had. I’m into simplicity so I did. In retirement, this meant I had the most expensive option and it would basically use up all of my pension from the State to keep it. See why I think the US needs to just be like all the other “developed” countries?
I spoke with my Financial guy who really helped calm me down and really just kept saying, “don’t worry.” You get a check from the state with what has been in their account which you can do a few things with, I rolled it over into my retirement account to keep things in one place (Keep It Simple Stupid). I could have taken it as a lump sum payout and then had to deal with taxes on it as income… As for taxes, just expect if you are rolling over accounts (like I did- to simplify things) you’ll end up with a load of 1099-R forms. If you have a tax guy- this shouldn’t be an issue, but if you are doing it on your own… you need to make sure you keep track of all those forms, and make sure that the district sends you what you need (especially if it used to come to you via school email and you no longer have access to that). I have a specific amount of money (as suggested by the folks at INPRS) taken out of my pension each check, to deal with tax liabilities. Yes, I got some money and still get my pension.
I have a bit of anxiety, if you didn’t know, so while other people might be basking in the glory of retiring, I was panicking over how I was going to live. I had the experience of watching my parents burn through what should have been more than enough money to tide them over for two lifetimes, and I didn’t want that to happen to me. I had planned on doing a driving trip to see my father after the school year ended, but after getting the cold shoulder from him (“Well, I’m not sure we’ll be around, maybe some other time.” I hadn’t even told him when I was planning to go.) I made a choice- I had spent 35 years only going on vacation during the summer or school holidays- which I rarely did anyway. So this time I was going to hold off and not go on vacation until school was back in session, celebrating the fact that the school calendar no longer held me. I also took a step back and decided to just see how much it would cost to be retired. I have survived so far (thanks to Sue’s income) and not had to dip into my retirement savings at all. Your mileage may vary, but I just want to make it through to when I hit that golden age and start getting Social Security which according to current estimates I believe is when I turn 142.
I do want to say, the folks at my district’s central office who handle the benefit stuff, do a great job. They at least try to help you out as best they can and have been really good at things like keeping me on my dental insurance and that life insurance policy the district has, I just have to pay into it annually or use the funds in my HRA (until they go away). That has been wonderful and a weight off my shoulders.
Life as a Retired Teacher
As a new retired teacher you will find it liberating… Like finances you just won’t believe how much emotional, and mental energy was used for teaching. As for time, no longer will you spend countless hours grading papers or lesson planning. Will you still have “Schoolmares”? Yes, I just had one last night about having to cover three classes with technology not working while the classroom teachers got a break to celebrate something inane that Special Area teachers weren’t privy to. 🙄 I had a list of words and phrases I said I would not miss hearing… I have not heard any of these since retiring: rigor, champion, FTEM, growth, formative assessment, “Misery is choice,” “If you aren’t having fun you’re doing it wrong,” and many other wonderful tidbits that filled a day in my last school. The last two were a way to shift blame back to the teacher- it wasn’t the admin’s fault, it was yours. 🙄 I have only had one “stand up meeting” and that was because Sue and I were standing up in the kitchen as we talked about something. I’ve been doing things with “fidelity” and “intentionality” but have never thought about it that way until just now.
I have learned that I’m not a morning person. My alarm is set for 8:00 and I roll out of bed, whenever I darn well feel like it, or when the cats darn well feel like it. No more duty where I have to be at the buses at 7:30 and watch the teachers roll in with or after the kids. Sue says I’m happier than she has seen me in forever. All that stuff that you have to put off and feel guilty about because you have school work that needs to get done? You can get it done now, but only if you want.
Over the past 12 months here are some of the things I have done:
Organized and culled my comic book collection. Still a work in progress, currently around 5700 comics, but due to accounting errors probably fewer.
Had a Rocketeer wrap put on my car. This had led me to collect Dave Stevens art and Rocketeer sketches from various artists. (Stuart Sayger, Judd Winick, Mark Bagley, Bill Waldo…)
Built some LEGO sets (for myself) & not bought any LEGO sets for school. I have been shocked at how little I spend on LEGO sets now that I no longer am teaching.
Visited the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I used to take kids and teachers there in the 90’s and hadn’t been back since.
Been a balloon handler in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thanks to friends Sue and I were able to get this opportunity.
Visited the The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside of Dulles, in Washington D.C. This is the annex for the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and having been brought up around airshows and a father who loved airplanes, this was a place I had wanted to visit for a long time.
Visited the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. It’s been on my list for a while since I had first heard of the Toy Hall of Fame. I highly recommend it for those with kids or (like me) are just big kids.
Attended GeoWoodstock in Owensboro, KY and Going Caching in Rome, GA. Sue had me go to GeoWoodstock the day after I had officially retired. Going Caching had a Viking theme so it was a fun event attend. I have gotten back into geocaching, but still not as deeply as I once was.
Attended the New York Comic Con with my brother. I would have loved to take my Niece and Nephew, but their parents wouldn’t allow it. Bought some original art from some of my favorite artists, including an Humberto Ramos page from Strange Academy!
Attended all four days of Gen Con. After living in Indy I finally was able to attend all four days (it usually falls over the start of school) and actually play games and attend workshops. Tried out puppetry.
Visited San Francisco and the Cartoon Art Museum to see the Dave Stevens exhibit which was extended so go and see it if you can!
Attended Cartoon Crossroads Columbus and purchased a Will Eisner original drawing!
Attended The Power-Con Toy Convention. Learned that I’m not as into toys as I thought, and that toys from my youth are really, really, expensive.
Took up Curling. I bought shoes, so I’ll be back next season.
Created the word Whimventure® to describe just going off and doing something on a “whim.” This was in response to my brother commenting (in a somewhat negative way) that I do things on a whim and therefore he can’t have us visit since they can’t plan for it. 🙄
Took the Fan Tour of LEGO House in Billund, Denmark. While I may not be involved in the LEGO Users Group, or displaying in public I still love to play and create. This was a great opportunity and also gave Sue and me a chance to visit Malmo, Sweden so I have actually set foot in the land of my Nelson ancestors. We look forward to returning to the area to spend more time whimming around.
While in Denmark, discovered Thomas Dambo’s Trolls. Since first hunting trolls in Denmark, we have now been to see trolls in Ohio and Kentucky (on a whim) and are planning on seeing more this summer.
Volunteered at the Indiana Comic Con for Comic Carnival.
Started to design signs and other things for Comic Carnival (my LCS).
Attended Cincinnati Comic Expo with my friend Brian, he went to see Adam Savage, I went to see Tony Harris.
I’ve drawn a lot more, not just stuff for Comic Carnival. Attended some Indiana Webcomics Group meet ups.
Attended the Oddities and Curiosities Expo and bought a taxidermic Silly Spotted Nimblebuck.
I’m still working on a daily/weekly schedule to keep things somewhat organized.
Not returned to my old school at all… trying to think if I’ve even driven by it.
Got COVID which kept me from helping out at the FIRST LEGO League State Championship. (darn)
Attended a few MINI Cooper Group Drives/Meet Ups. Decided that I really like the MINI•317 group and will continue to attend all of their events. 😉 The Fort Wayne group, while a bit of a drive, is a close 2nd as they have some unique drives and destinations (Randolph County Asylum, Mansfield Reformatory…). They also are really nice people, alsmot as nice as the MINI•317 people.
Took time for myself without feeling guilty.
Celebrating my In-Laws 60th Wedding Anniversary in Asheville, NC and then driving around to check out retirement location options.
What I have found is that there has been a lot of stuff I liked that got put on the back burner because of school. While going back and exploring things that I used to be interested in, I’ve found that some I’ve rekindled a love of, and others- “meh.” As for relocating (something that comes up when you talk to retired folks), here’s the thing- Sue and I have been married for 34 years (as of yesterday) and she still really likes her job, so we are going to be staying in Indy for the current time. No place is perfect but, Indy isn’t as bad as many places in the US. It’s pretty affordable (we have family in much more expensive places) and for us, it is centrally located with a good airport (it would be better if they bring back the direct flight to Paris). So most places we are looking at are awesome, and we love them, but are lacking in a few things we need for the short term. we’ve started a list of non-negotiables and will keep looking at places as we travel around this summer and into the fall.
Regerts?
So… Retirement? Did I make a mistake? Are you making a mistake? As for me, no mistakes made, and while people ask if I’m “bored” I’m from Gen-X we were left alone for what seems like days, and had to entertain ourselves before computers, and the internet- I’m fine. I have my cats, paper and pencils, along with books, so boredom is not something I worry about. Oh, and since paper and pencils are cheap, I don’t worry much about spending too much. As an individual I don’t need the same number of pencils I did for a classroom. As for you- only you can decide that, I can say “C’mon in the water’s fine” I’m still wary about sharks (Remember I’m Gen-X and grew up when “Jaws” was in the theater), but I also believe that people are smart enough to adjust as they need to in order to be happy. If I need to get a job due to finances or boredom, I will. I’ll adjust as consequences arise. Currently helping out Comic Carnival with graphics has been a lot of fun and a challenge for my imagination (which has not been destroyed by reading too many comic books like some intellectual snobs believe). Do what you are comfortable doing, but mostly, have fun- life’s too short to do otherwise or as the tattoo says – “No Regerts”.
Ummm… Free Comic Book Day. The first Saturday in May has been “Free Comic Book Day” for 22 years. It is a chance for people to visit their local comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) and pick up FREE comics provided by the shop and the publishers. Each year is a little different, sometimes there are previews to new series, or maybe the launch of the summer universe shattering event. I think last year they gave out a preview to “Primer” which just released issue 2 last week and is really good, so with some previews you may have to be patient.
For some (like teachers) this is a great time to stock up on comics for your classroom. Caveat Emptor, while Free Comic Book Day originally focused on all ages titles, now free comics range from those for kids to those that will get you fired if they are found in your classroom.
How Does It Work?
Each shop is different. Some will bring in guests or invite cosplayers to come out. Making it an event. With it coinciding with “May the Fourth” expect to see a lot of Star Wars themed stuff. Some will give away one of every title, while other shops will ask you to choose a limited number of titles. There may be sales, or coupons to get you to come back later. This is not the time to come in and ask about specific titles or have a conversation about your favorite comic. Yes, talk to folks working (be polite). Usually shops are slammed with people and are just trying to keep their heads above water. While it isn’t the time to ask questions, it is a perfect time to check out a shop and decide if you may want to return and ask those questions. If you are a teacher, check out their all ages section and see if they have a lot to choose from… return later to talk to them about your students and what might work for your classroom. The people who work at a comic shop are knowledgeable and if they can’t help you, they can point you in the right direction.
One thing… if you can, buy something, don’t just grab free comics and run. The shop does have to pay for the comics they give away, and it is nice to support your LCS since without you, they may go out of business.
Also, if you are unable to make it to a comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) check to see what your local library may be doing. I know the Indianapolis Public Library Branches will have free comics available on Saturday (while supplies last). I’m not sure of what titles they will have and their selection (due to Indiana Law 🙄) will probably be limited.
So what is being offered this year that I recommend?
Descriptions are from: https://www.freecomicbookday.com/ I’m not one of those fancy influencers who get things early and sent to them free.
These are ones I would pick up for my classroom spinner rack and even ask (the next week) if the shop had leftovers since they will go missing.
Unicorn Crush preview – Love and magic are in the air in this enchanting collection of Phoebe and Her Unicorn comic strips featuring Phoebe and her one-of-a-kind unicorn friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. Young readers will enjoy the caring and comedic adventures of this colorful duo as they rediscover the magic in themselves and in each other. Whether you’re a devoted fan or new to the spellbinding world of Phoebe and Marigold, Unicorn Crush will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, sparkly feeling in your heart.
Witches of Brooklyn – The smash-hit Witches of Brooklyn series returns! Join Effie and friends on a one-of-a-kind, magical adventure in this new story from Sophie Escabasse. Featuring fun activities, new and existing fans can jump right into this exclusive comic!
Investi-Gators – Get a sneak peek at book 8 in John Patrick Green’s bestselling InvestiGators series! Mango and Brash have always been a class act but can these alligator detectives convincingly go undercover as middle-school students to protect a team mascot? And is it a coincidence that the school is the same one Agent Mango (just barely) graduated from? Find out in Class Action!
Katie the Catsitter & Max Meow – Go on a CAT-TASTIC adventure with Max Meow and Katie the Catsitter! Your favorite crime-fighting superheroes are back with two exclusive excerpts packed into one purr-fect comic-featuring more cats, more villains, and who knows? Maybe these meow-riffic heroes will even join forces to save the day! With bonus activities included, readers and cat fans everywhere will love this furr-ociously fun comic!
The Night Librarian – Night at the Museum meets The Land of Stories in this thrilling new graphic novel adventure series in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library. Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds-they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work.But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction!
Boom Box 10th Anniversary Special – Celebrate a decade of BOOM! Box whimsy and fun! This special FCBD issue contains an exclusive look at brand new series from BOOM! Box, alongside some returning favorites and a whole bunch of fun surprises. To help celebrate the milestone, this special will also feature a heartfelt look back at the history of the imprint and the people who made it all possible!
You might have noticed I have avoided most of the major publishers (DC/Marvel) or more of the pop culture (Disney) based titles. I would pride myself on putting comics out to kids that weren’t based on a TV show, or movie because I hoped that kids would see comics as a storytelling medium and not a genre that dealt with superheroes. Although many teachers seem to disapprove of using multimodal literacy (comics & graphic novels) as a way to introduce concepts and some parents think comics are “fluff” that ruin a kids imagination 🙄 as you can guess, I wholeheartedly disagree. I divested myself of most of my classroom library at the end of last year, and unfortunately sometimes the really good titles go out of print, so if you have a chance, pick up these while you can. I’ll have to ramble about comics in the classroom sometime in more depth – you have been warned.
This Week’s Comics:
Sons of Star Trek #2 – When last we left Jake, Nog, and Alexander they had been transported to another reality in which they were members of Starfleet on the U.S.S. Avery with an interesting crew, some of which were dead or never in Starfleet in our timeline. Gul Ducat (Captain not “Gul”), Liam Shaw (Chief Engineer), Tuvix, Jadzia (not joined to the Dax symbiote), Beckett Mariner, Morn, etc. Against the Breen and they’ve only died 57 times. Will they survive, will QJ (Q Junior) be able to guide them into becoming the best versions of themselves? This issue focuses mostly on Alexander’s trauma from following the Red Path and the group deciding to trust each other and the crew as they try to survive the 58th time in this temporal loop and hopefully break the cycle.
Power Pack Intro The Storm #5 – How do the Power Pack save Franklin Richards and get home? One of the joys of reading most comics taking place in the past with characters you know are still active is knowing that they will survive. So it’s more of a chance to see how an event may have shaped them into the hero they currently are. In this case <No Spoilers, really> they all survive and return to Earth safe and sound.
The Flash Annual 2024 – What is an Annual issue? It is an issue with more pages and usually does a couple things- it can kick off a new story line and using those extra pages really help build up the importance of the story. It can complete a story arc using those pages to get into more detail or at least allow the writer and artist more room to finish the tale. It can also be a stand alone story that uses those extra pages to help develop characters and maybe introduce someone new… This is none of those things. I came into it thinking this the whole arc dealing with Wally trying to figure out life, the universe, and everything would come to an end and we would return to something more akin to superhero comic storytelling. I was mistaken, and hope that once this arc is over I may be able to comeback and reread the individual issues and gain something from it. Right now, I’m not so sure. One thing I have learned, is usually the minute I decide to stop reading a title, It suddenly gets good and you can’t find any of the issues you need, so I will embrace the still force and be patient.
The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale The Complete Edition – I’ve read a number of stories written by Chip Zdarsky… none f them all ages, but all them really unique. This is one of those stories. Fantasy dealing with the aftermath of a war and how people deal with it. It also has to do with that great bit about how power corrupts. Let’s just say three old warriors (once friends) go on a quest to find their missing children only to discover the lies that people tell to get things done…
The Whisper Queen: A Black Sand Tale #1 – “The Long Awaited Sequel to The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale” I guess that should mean something to someone who read the first part, as someone who got the “Complete Edition” at the same time I was a bit confused, since I hadn’t been waiting too long, and could have even read them in the wrong order if I just read through my stack without looking at covers. Even more confusing was the “Complete Edition had an ad on the back cover that was a duplicate of the cover of this issue. The folks at my LCS almost thought I was buying two of the same comics!
I wrote that first part before reading anything, because I was confused… This story starts off where the The White Trees ended with a chase to find the those who have run off. Of course we deal with different sides of the story having reading part one, we know what really happened, and now we deal with the next part from the perspective of people who know a lot of the secrets the past, but not what really happened just one issue ago. We are now on another quest to find a child this one not lost but on their own mission. OK, this “child” is as much of a child as those in the first story. As I have told my little brothers- it doesn’t matter how old you are- I can call you “kid” until the day I die since I changed your diapers. Looking forward to the next issue, Zdarsky weaves a wonderful tale. and I am caught up in this one. Glad I read them in the right order.
