Memories Of A Warrior

Tonight, I was saddened to learn the passing of a WWE legend. WWE has confirmed the passing of Hall Of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior. It was shocking to me because he was just on Monday Night Raw yesterday. Although he looked slow walking and getting into the ring, I just attributed it to ring rust or maybe a life time of being a wrestler, which will give you a lot of permanent injuries. He spoke pretty clear (well, for him anyways.), so I didn't think anything was wrong with him. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

I remember seeing the Warrior for the first time in the old UWF territory. There, he teamed with another young wrestler by the name of Steve Borden, who you all might know as Sting. Then they were Rock and Flash and were called the Blade Runners. I remember them brawling with the Fantastics, while Eddie Gilbert attacked the owner of the company, Cowboy Bill Watts at the end of a UWF show and Jim Ross going absolutely ballistic on the microphone. That was the last time I saw the team together.

The next time I saw him, it was in the old World Class territory. He was known as the Dingo Warrior at that point and hell if I know what he was supposed to be then. But, he eventually won the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Championship. The only time I saw him, he was defending the title against Rick Rude and won the match on a countout. I wasn't impressed with him and didn't think I would ever see him again.

Boy, I was wrong.

The next time I saw him was in the WWE, then named WWF, on the old Wrestling Challenge show that aired on Saturday mornings on Fox 5 here in NY. Then, he was more dynamic and finished his matches really quick. Usually, it was a clothesline, bodypress, opponent falls on his face, run to the ropes, splash and the cover. Match over. But what I remembered most about him at that time as that entrance music. It was awesome and I don't think I will ever forget that song and seeing him run down the aisle to the ring and shaking those ropes.

I finally saw him at a live event at Madison Square Garden. He fought Dino Bravo and beat him in under 10 minutes. Bravo was the first wrestler that put up some offense against the guy, but it wasn't enough really. From there he was off to the races and won the Intercontenental Championship from the Honkey Tonk Man in 27 seconds at Summerslam in 1988.

I know people talk about the famous match he had against Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI and won the title or the matches he had against Rick Rude, Andre The Giant or even that weird feud he had with Papa Shango. To me, my favorite match of the Warrior's was at Madison Square Garden and it was against Bobby Heenan.

What?

You read right. His opponent was Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and it was in a Loser Wears A Weasel Costume match. Now, if you don't know who Bobby Heenan is, Heenan was a manager, not a wrestler, although he used to take some of the greatest bumps a manager could take. I didn't even suspect he had a chance of winning. I wanted to see Heenan in that weasel outfit since he was being called "Weasel" anyways. Warrior did not disappoint and using a sleeper hold (probably the only time he ever used a technical hold in his entire career), he put Heenan out and stuffed him into this furry bodysuit with a tail and claws. He woke Hennan up and the hilarity began as Heenan realized what he was wearing. He chased his tail, he swung a punch wildly at the Warrior, missing and falling flat on his face, then tried to take off the outfit and had more pratfalls during than a Three Stooges Movie. I am chuckling as I type this.

He had a great feud with Randy Savage later on but left the WWE over money issues. He later returned and had some matches with Ric Flair and another match with Savage at Summerslam 1992. Then, he was let go by Vince McMahon for reasons still not known. Some said it was because McMahon let him go over steroid use, other say it was money again. Whatever the reason, it stopped whatever momentum his career had for the last time.

He would return to WWE later and feuded with Hunter Hurst Hemsley and Jerry "The King" Lawler, but really couldn't get his career back on track. He would try one last time, this time in WCW where he faced the NWO. It was weird because when he woul appear, it would be in a cloud of smoke and he would leave the same way. In reality, it was through a trap door in the ring. This trap door would almost paralyze Davy Boy Smith when he was bodyslammed on the handle. To say the Warrior's run in WCW was unmemrobale would be accurate. I held out hope that he would one day show up back in WWE to end his career on a high note, but unfortunately, it was not the case.

Thankfully, he returned to the WWE last year in a non wrestling position. He did a memorable commercial for the WWE video game and was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame just this past weekend. He made what would be his final appearance on Monday Night Raw on Monday to thank the fans for their support over the years.

And now, at the age of 54, The Ultimate Warrior is gone.

I could not find a cause of death online. I assume the information has not been released, but will be in the upcoming days. Either way, it was a much too early ending for him. I wish he could have basked in the adulation he deserved for just a while longer. But I'm sure wherever you are, you know that the fans appreciated your career. I may not have been the biggest fan of his, but I did appreciate what he bought to us and will always be a fan.

God Speed Ultimate Warrior.

Who Am I? You Sure You Want To Know?

Yes, I realize I stole that line from Spider-Man, but I find it fits this particular blog post. I also realize I am late in my response. Please allow me to explain myself.

A couple weeks ago Brian over at Cool And Collected asked us to write a tell all blog. Who are we? What makes us tick? What are our favorite colors? Who is our favorite Spice Girl? Do we really think Miley is out of her mind? This is an assignment I really wanted to be a part of. But life took over and I missed the deadline on getting this blog in.

So, I said to myself, who cares? I will still write it up.

So here it is. The blog that will end all rumors about who I am and if there is no rumors, then I will start some.

-I call myself The Sexy Geek, yet I really don't believe that I am. Handsome, in a weird way, maybe.

-I collect Batman, Spider-Man, Luke Skywalker, The Beatles, and The Monkees, but I also have smaller collections of Iron Man, Superman and KISS.

-Yes, I am passionate about pop culture and superheros, but I a just as passionate about sports. I do collect the New York Yankees, New York Jets, New York Knicks, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils Among my possessions, I collect cards, autographs, bobbleheads, figurines and vintage items pertaining to my teams. I also collect players like Tino Martinez, Mark Teixeira, Wayne Chrebet, Patrick Ewing, David Lee, Mike Bossy and Martin Broduer.

-I also write a sports blog about my collection and hauls, in case you didn't know. Here is the link: http://thesexygeekssportsroom.blogspot.com. I don't post there as often as I would like and I am going to change that.

-I work as an accounts payable clerk for a background check company in Lower Manhattan. I hate my job.

-I cuss like a filthy sailor, but you will never read a swear word on my blog.

-I love music. I am always listening to my ipod, rocking the obnoxiously large Yankees headphones my kid sister bought me (I love them). The music I have on my ipod differs. I could be listening to the Man of Steel soundtrack, next song might be a Beatles song, then Metallica, then Harry Connick Jr, and round it out with the Monkees. Yeah, I said Monkees. Stop that laughing.

-My favorite bands/musicians are The Beatles, The Monkees, Depeche Mode, KISS, Billy Joel, The Foo Fighters, Nirvana, The Cure, Inxs and Genesis.

-I have a wonderful girlfriend who lives out in the Los Angeles area. I know in my heart she is the one and that we will be living happily ever after one day.

-I love beer. Blue Moon is my favorite, although I have been known to enjoy a nice apple cider or a Sam Adams Seasonal brew like Summer Ale or Oktoberfest.

-I have two tattoos and I want more.

-WWE Raw is a guilty pleasure.

-One of my goals in life is to visit every major league baseball stadium. So far, I have Yankee Stadium (old and new), Citi Field, Shea Stadium, Fenway Park, Citizens Bank Ballpark, SafeCo Field, Wrigley Field, Angels Stadium and Dodger Stadium crossed off my list.

-I am a huge fan of classic cinema. Some of my favorites are Sunset Blvd, The Apartment, Rebel Without A Cause, Pride Of The Yankees, Starlagg 17, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, The Maltese Falcon and Some Like It Hot. Anything Hitchock, Dean, Marx Brothers, Wilder and Lemon is alright with me.

-I really want to expand the Sexy Geek's House Of Swag. I just don't know how.

-I have never owned a car, but when I do, it will be a Jeep Liberty in Yankee Blue. I will settle for black if I can't get the blue. Batmobile, baby.

-New York City maybe the most exciting city in the world, but I'm tired of it. I long for a more peaceful life.

-I'm part of a baseball card team collectors group and have been for the past 7 years, I think. My Yankees collection has grown exponentially since I joined. The members are some of the most generous people I know.

-I love cartoons. I only watch the superhero cartoons that come out today, but I will watch Tom And Jerry, Loony Toons, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Battle Of The Planets, Superfriends anytime they are on.

-I don't have idols, but if I had to pick someone it would be Kevin Smith. He's done everything I have wanted to do. Made films, wrote comic books, opened a comic book store, wrote books and hosts podcasts. The man is freaking awesome.

-I love music from the 50's, 60's, 70's, and the 80's. Yes, I know I sound like a radio commercial.

-The two talents I wish I had was the ability to draw and play guitar.

-I love to cook.  I am limited in what I can make, but what I can make, I make very well.

-I am a carnivore to the fullest.

-I love my family and would do anything for them.

-I will only watch Star Wars Episodes III, IV, V and VI.

-I love YouTube.

-I like animals more than most people.

-I have to have coffee in the morning, I will be quite the grumpy geek if I am cafeless.

That is who I am. There maybe more, but I can't remember. It's late and I am a tired geek. As I go, I will leave you with these words of wisdom, never make a bet with a man who have "The" in his name.

It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me. I am now and forever The Sexy Geek. Stay Sexy my friends.

Yes, I Like Pro Wrestling And Here Is My Favorite Wrestler

I don't discuss Pro Wrestling very much, but here's the truth. I love Pro Wrestling and have since I was about 12. It's not because I'm ashamed or anything. It just never really came up here. And boy, have I have watched it all since then: WWF then WWE, NWA, WCW, WCCW, Mid South, Mid Atlantic, Pro Wrestling USA, AWA, UWF, ECW and any other promotion that was shown on TV here in NYC. Technical wrestling, brawling, Fall Count Anywhere, Last Man Standing, Steel Cage Matches, Ladder Matches, Tag Team Matches,  I love them all.

I remember my first time watching it too. It used to come on here on WOR-TV Saturday nights after Racing From Aqueduct, which would usually be around 11:30 PM unless a Mets game either was from the west coast or went to extra innings. I don't remember what the date was or who was wrestling. What I do remember was Pat Patterson, who was working as a commentator next to Vince McMahon, went to interview Ivan Kolloff. There was a discussion regarding Russian wrestlers vs American wrestlers. Patterson defending American wrestlers vs Kolloff upholding the virtues of the Soviets. After a few minutes, Kolloff hauled off and slapped Patterson and stormed off set. Patterson gets up and rips his suit off and is screaming bloody murder and being bleeped after every second word. McMahon is screaming "Pat Patterson is angry and Ivan Kolloff better have left the arena" Me? I'm just sitting on my bed with my mouth wide open. I was hooked immediately.

I had seen wrestlers like the Masked Superstar, the Wild Samoans, Pat Patterson, Sgt. Slaughter,the WWF Champion Bob Backlund, George "The Animal" Steele, Andre The Giant, The Magnificent Muraco, who was the Intercontinental Champion, Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas and colorful managers like The Grand Wizard, "Classy" Freddie Blassie and Capt. Lou Albano. I did have a favorite at the time. The "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka was a guy who had just turned face right around when I started watching, was having the first vicious feud I had ever seen with Muraco. I loved that rage he had when he was angry, but I loved his Superfly Splash off the top rope even more. But I wouldn't say I went GaGa over the guy. Then one show, there was a wrestler who was called "Dr. D" David Schultz. He was beating up a ham and egger (Bobby Heenan representing, yo!), so I wasn't too interested. Then I saw his manager. Here was a loud mouth who was yelling instructions, had a sneer on his face and was wearing a kilt. Who the heck was this guy? During the interview after the match, I found out he called himself "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and he was the best manager in the business. I found out much later he was managing only because he was recovering from injuries sustained during his vicious Dog Collar match with Greg Valentine at Starcade months earlier. He later added Paul "Mr. Wonderful" Orndorff to his stable and his career in the WWF was off and running.

Piper interviewing Frankie Williams right before pummeling him

Then, he started to host an interview segment called "Piper's Pit" and that's what made he's known for. At the time, it was pretty innovative. Buddy Rogers had a segment called "Rogers Corner", but it was boring as heck. I would have rather watched paint dry. "Piper's Pit" was anything but boring. His first segment, he insulted a writer for the WWF Magazine, who used to host a segment at that spot. The next week, he called an injured Eddie Gilbert's dad stupid for letting him wrestle The Masked Superstar. Piper was so funny as the host. He would complement the rule breakers and embarrass the good guys. He would assault wrestlers like Frankie Williams,  insult Rocky Johnson, and tell Andre The Giant he had a teeny tiny brain. His most famous segment was when he attacked my former favorite Jimmy Snuka by breaking a coconut over his head and then whipping him with his belt. That started off a feud with Snuka that lasted a year. Piper's Pit may have made Piper's career, but it made him my favorite wrestler and I watched everything and listened to everything he said as well.

I was there at Madison Square Garden the night he beat up Capt. Lou Albano, kicked Cyndi Lauper and power slammed her manager Dave Wolfe as well as the next show when he wrestled Hulk Hogan in the first wrestling match aired on MTV. It was called "The War To Settle The Score" and it was a classic. I realize that using the word "classic" and Hulk Hogan in the same sentence is stretching it a bit, but trust me, it was. The electricity in the crowd that night was so electric, you could cut the air with a night. By then, cheering Piper openly was becoming dangerous as I would have cups thrown at me or I would be cursed out. The end of the match had Piper disqualified when Orndorff and Bob Orton interfere in the match. They were about to beat up Cyndi Lauper when Mr. T made the save. Piper and Orndorff beat up on T until Hogan made the save. The interviews leading up to Wrestlemania was classic and Piper stole the show on Saturday Night Live. I wish I could have been at Wrestlemania. But my mom decided my grades weren't up to snuff, so I couldn't go. Back then, there was no pay per view, so I had to wait until the results were posted in the NY Post the next morning. I was crushed to read that Piper and Orndorff had lost. Piper and Orndorff feuded for a while and he "boxed" Mr. T at Wreslemania 2. After, Piper left to film "They Live", which is a Sci-Fi Classic.

If you have not seen They Live, see it!

When Piper returned, he became a fan favorite and hosted Piper's Pit where he now complemented the good guys and insulted the bad guys. He also feuded with wrestlers like "Adorable" Adrian Adonis, Bob Orton, Ric Flair, Harley Race and Bad News Brown. He won his only singles title around this time when he beat the Mountie for the Intercontinental Title. He then had his best match when he wrestled Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 7 and dropped the belt to Hart. After, he would only wrestle sporadicaly, mainly serving as color commentator with Vince McMahon on WWF TV. He left and later showed up in WCW to feud with Hogan before returning to WWE after. He shows up every now and then to host a Pit which is always entertaining.

God, I still wish I had this

I really don't have much of a Piper collection. When I was a kid, I got the Piper LJN figure and had the poster that came with the figure on my wall. I also got the Hogan figure and had Piper beat him for the belt, which he wore. I also had a picture book that the WWE put out. I also had a cup that 7-11 had sold with a Big Gulp and the later Hasbro Piper figure from the 1990's. All of this got lost due to various moves and I hope to one day get them all back in my collection, as well as other things so I can have a shelf dedicated to Piper. Here's what I do have:

I have always loved the Unmatched Fury line. The figures were pretty realistic and had a base to pose them on. When I found out that Piper would have a figure in this line, I knew I had to have it and grabbed it when I saw it.

The Entrance Greats was a Christmas gift my buddy, George got for me. The figure also has a stand, but this stand plays a few seconds of his entrance music. I love this figure and was thrilled when I tore open the wrapper and saw Hot Rod underneath.

Speaking of Hot Rod, this was a t shirt I had wanted ever since I was a kid and saw him sporting it on Piper's Pit. Thanks to the magic of eBay, I now have this shirt as a part of my geeky wardrobe.

I had shown this pin off in a blog from last year. I picked this pin up for a buck at SuperMega Fest in New Jersey. There wasn't a lot to be had at the show, but I was more than happy to add this pin to the Piper collection.

One of my most cherished experiences was meeting Roddy at the Big Apple Comic Con a few years ago. I was extremely nervous, which I never get when meeting a celebrity. Waiting on line, I met his son, Colt and struck up a conversation with him until it was my turn to meet Piper. When I got up there, I basically spilled my guts to the man like a little girl meeting the Beatles circa 1964. Piper was the best. He listened intently to everything I said, laughed at a few comments, was genuinely pleased when I told him he was my all time favorite and even asked about my family. He signed these 2 pictures for me and posed for a photograph with me.

When I get my man cave, there will be only 2 photos of myself on my walls. A picture of me at the old Yankee Stadium and this picture of me and the "Rowdy Scott". I want to blow it up and have him sign it for me before framing it. I got Albano to sign the Piper's Pit photo at the same show. I just need Cyndi Lauper to sign it so I can add it to my future man cave wall.

I do have the Piper DVD that the WWE put out not too long ago as well as Hell Comes To Frogtown. I'm always looking for the Pit's burnt on a DVD as well as They Live, but I want that on Blu-Ray and I'm not sure its been released on Blu-Ray just yet.

I apologize for the long read. I guess when you admire someone for as long as I have, there's a lot you want to say about the individual. I know if he was a jerk when I met him all this would have been flushed down the toilet like when I met Graig Nettles. But when you know the man is as decent in real life as he's bad in the world of Pro Wrestling, then you know he's doing something right. Ether he's beating up someone or insulting them with his quick tongue or acting in a movie Piper is one of the most entertaining individuals to ever have stepped into the squared circle. He's as big a reason for the popularity of wrestling in the 80's as Hogan was. To this day, he is wildly cheered when he appears on Raw and that is a well deserved cheer for a man who gave his life to wrestling. He was Rowdy before being Rowdy was cool and that's a fact. When you can't throw rocks at a man who carries a machine gun, the only thing I can do is say thanks to for making my childhood a different, yet entertaining one.

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare Some Room?

I spent a better part of last weekend doing some much needed clearing up of my room. I did this for a few reasons. A-My room had gotten really cluttered. B-I wanted to swap out stuff I had in my closet for future blogs for stuff I had already shown. C-I wanted to see what I had. What should have taken a few hours had taken a couple of days and it was shocking and frustrating.

I had boxes and bags on my dresser, chair, desk and other places in my room, so I packed all of the stuff and opened my closet door to put all my stuff away. When I opened my closet, I realized I had a problem that you would think you could only find in cartoons or comedies. My closet was already filled with boxes upon boxes of sports cards, unopened and opened figures, as well as boxes for most of my bobbleheads. That is when I realized I was in big trouble.

I had just about run out of room and I was stuck holding the bag, literally.

What started out as collecting what I liked had turned into an episode of Hoarders, starring The Sexy Geek. It was an unplanned and most unwanted appearance. I had to figure out what had happened and how I could stop this slippery slope I was on before I was left blubbering over an intervention by friends and family because I was sneaking in a moldy issue of Amazing Spider-Man #500 and a Mego Robin with a broken leg...wait I have one already. Oh God, Help me! (drops to my knees, crying hysterical as I hold Robin in my arms, whispering to him that everything would be O.K)

Alright, seriously, I know how I got here and it's a pretty simple explanation. What started as my collecting stuff I actually loved grew into my picking up something of anything I remotely liked. I have my sports collection which consists of anything Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Islanders and Devils as well as a few player collections. In my sports collections, I have cards (a lot of cards), autographs, bobbleheads, figures, pins, yearbooks, programs and other stuff I can't remember. My pop culture collection consists of Batman, Spider-Man, The Beatles, The Monkees, Luke Skywalker/Star Wars and Back To The Future.

Now, the problem is not only do I have a large collection of stuff that I like, but I have managed to start side collections of stuff I that while I like, don't have the attachments that I have to my favorites. For instance, I love KISS, but did I really need to buy a huge Love Gun Mister? It's never even been out of the box. Granted, the box is wrecked, which is why I got it for half off at Spencer's, but I honestly didn't need it nor have I used it. Plus, I really don't go out of my way for KISS stuff anymore.  I have a side Iron Man collection. I was never a huge Iron Man fan when I read the comics. I fell in love with the character after I watched the movies and then started reading the books. I'm a huge WWE fan and I never even started a collection save for a few Roddy Piper and Steve Austin figures. Imagine how messed up I would be if I had?

Because I really cannot afford a storage room, I have some boxes and rubber maid bins that have toys, video tapes, autographs, books and other items. I also have my T.V., DVD's, Blu Ray's, clothes and other things. As you can imagine, room is very limited in my area. I'm lucky I have room to move around right now, but if I keep adding stuff I may not.

What I am going to have to do is step back and take a bit of a break from collecting. Reestablish my collecting goals and focus on that. Anything else, I may either put away, trade or sell. I would have to figure out just what I would be willing to part with. That will not be easy. I always did not want to be the collector you all saw on Collector Intervention that would have a hard time letting go of a piece, but the more I think about what I may or may not part with, I can now understand why they always had a problem with letting go. But I also realize I need to take control before the collection takes control of me.

If I decide to let anything go, I will throw it out to you guys to see if there would be anything anyone wanted. I would rather anything I have would go to a good home and a collector who would appreciate it before I give it to Goodwill or turn to eBay. It sucks that I let things get out of control, but at least I was able to catch the problem before it was too late and that is always a good thing.

2 TTM Mailday.. 1 Amazing Success

I wasn't expecting any mail today. I haven't really been sending out any requests in a while. I do know I have quite a few requests still out there, I haven't been getting any of them back. So, when I opened my PO Box and found 3 envelopes in there, I was pleasently surprised. On fortunately, one had the dreaded RTS sticker on there.

RTS-Phil Simms. Kind of bummed I didn't get him to sign. I have seen successes for him and he was one of my favorite players growing up. I also enjoy his work on CBS calling games, but alas, he returned my letter. Oh well, maybe I'll try again later.

Success #1

Former WWF World Champion, Bob Backlund. When I first started watching wrestling back in 1982, he was the World Champion. He won the belt a few years earlier at Madison Square Garden from "Superstar" Billy Graham and held it until late 1983 when he lost to the Iron Shiek. He returned to the WWF 8 years later and became WWF champion again, beating Bret Hart. Backlund turned into a crazed heel in a prior match after losing to Bret Hart. He lost the title 3 days later to Diesel (Kevin Nash) at MSG in 8 seconds.

Mr. Backlund signed my 2 photos in about 4 months c/o his company, Backlund Energy.

Success#2

Legendary Spider-Man Artist John Romita. To me, the definitive Spider-Man artist. From 1966-1970, Romita drew some of the character's legendary stories like "Spider-Man, No More" and drew the story that revealed The Green Goblin finding out Spider-Man was Peter Parker and revealing himself to be Norman Osborne. Some of the more significant characters introduced during Romita's run was Joe Robertson, Gwen Stacey, Capt. Stacey and Mary Jane while some of the more notable villians introduced were The Shocker, The Rhino, The Prowler and Kingpin. Prior to his run on Spider-Man, he had a successful run on Daredevil.

Mr. Romita signed my Artist Card in about 3 months. It is now my favorite TTM and is one of the centerpieces of my Spider-Man collection.

These autograph successes weren't returned right away. In the case of Bob Backlund, I hadn't seen a success for him in a few years and I just took a shot in the dark with Romita. I actually gave up on both knowing the chances of success were slim. But when I saw them come back I was thrilled. Sometimes, the longer the request takes, the sweeter the rewards. And today was pretty sweet.

Recent TTM Autographs

I know what your thinking. You're thinking, "Hey, geek! Where are the autograph successes. We know you're sending them out still. Put down the Spidey figure, turn off Raw and show them". Well, in my defense, they just haven't been coming in. I have a bunch out there right now and I have only been getting 1 in. Maybe 2. But that really about it. It's frustrating because I watch youtube and I see these guys getting in 7 packages at a time and I only get 1 and that's per week!

Well, I am not giving up! I will continue to send out requests and be happy with the one success a week, dagnabbit!

So, here are the more recent successes:

Not sure if I have shown this one already, but just in case. This is legendary comic book writer/artist Walter Simonson. Notable works include Thor, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, Superman, Star Wars, Batman and Battlestar Galactica. He introduced Beta Ray Bill to the Marvel Universe and turned Thor into a frog for a bit, Walter drew me a quick Thor sketch and signed it in about 2 weeks.

I gotta tell you, I love getting these cards back from the artists. They are so cool when you see them in person. I have about 7 requests still pending. Hope I get them back.

Bobby Shantz was kind enough to sign this photo for me in a few days time. I had originally sent out 2, but I was unaware he had a brother who also played for the Yankees. I did find a pic of him in a Yankee uniform so I will be sending another request out to him soon.

I have always been a Burt Reynolds fan so I was thrilled to get a nice return from Mr. Reynolds. Loved him in movies such as Deliverance, The End, Cannonball Run, Boogie Nights and even Sharkey's Machine. But to me, he will always be the Bandit. I was pleased he signed these 2 photos for me as well.

Those will stay in my collection, I can assure you.

When I heard Steve Garvey was signing through the mail I quickly jumped on the opportunity to send out this photo. As happy as I am that I got it back, I am a bit upset that who ever opened the letter in his end left a long scratch on the photo.

Yes, even the Fonz knows I am powerful!

I was thrilled when Henry Winkler signed my photos. I have been a fan since I was a kid, watching Happy Days and clutching my Fonzie Mego doll. God, I wish I still had that figure. And his Jalopy too. Also loved Night Shift. I can still hear Michael Keaton's obnoxious humming to "Jumping Jack Flash".

I was able to get the Honkey Tonk Man to sign these 2 photos for me. Had to get one of the longest reigning Intercontenental Champion holding the belt and I like how it came out. I miss the days when that title ment something.

Former Knicks guard Richie Guerin signed these 2 photos for me in about a weeks time. Guerin was a star for the Knicks in the 1950's and 60's, becoming a 6 time All Star. and became the first Knick to score 2,000 points in a season when he scored 2,303 in the 60-61 season. He also signed a bookplate for me so I could start my Knicks project.

I was able to add another legend to my collection when Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat signed these 2 photos. I wasn't the biggest Steamboat fan growing up. All my affections were for Roddy Piper. But I always respected "The Dragon". I watched that thrilling match he had with Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3 and was blown away. I think that was the greatest match in wrestling history and it's a shame the WWE doesn't give it the proper respect as such.

I marked out for this guy in the 80's. Ted DiBiase had one of the greatest gimmicks in the business as well as one of the greatest heel laughs of all time. His theme song still cracks me up. Money, Money, Money, Moneyyyyy. The WWE really should have let him be the champion for a little while. Not only was he a great heel, but he was also a great technical wrestler. A match he had against Bret Hart was one of the best and it wasn't even aired on TV. Mr. DiBiase signed these 2 photos sent in care of his ministry.


I have also had my share of failures:

I was thrilled that I got this return from Richard Dreyfuss, until I saw i didn't match up with any certified autographs of his. Upon further investigation, I found out his autos in the mail are secretarial.

This one is up for debate

I have heard that these are phonies while some say that they match up with some in person autos they have seen so who knows. I need to do some further investigating to come up with my own conclusion on if they are real or fakes.

I hope to be able to show off more through the mail successes in the very near future. I have a bunch of requests still pending and I plan to send off a bunch more this weekend. Hopefully, the mail will start picking up shortly and I will have my own 7 return days as well. There is nothing like the thrill of finding one of your self stamped addressed envelopes in your mailbox. Its why I continue to send out requests and I hope you too will experiance it for yourselves. Once you get that first return, you will never stop.

Super Mega Show Report

This past weekend, I attended Super Mega Show in Whippany, NJ. Adam West, Burt Ward and Lee Meriweather headlined the show and I wanted to be there. For the longest time I had wanted to start a Batman The Movie project. I never really persued it because Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Alan Naiper, Neil Hamilton had already passed and I never was able to meet Frank Gorshin. When he passed, I kinda gave up on the project. Seeing that the remaining 3 were appearing got my gears turning. When I learned that there would be Bat vehicles as well as the Delorean from Back To The Future there I was sold.

My buddy George and I arrived at the Hotel the show was being held at about 9:30. As VIP ticket holders, we could enter at 9:45, but we decided to check out the vehicles and grab some grub before going in.

Check out the inside of this Batmobile

The car was signed by both Adam West and Burt Ward

The back of the car

Batcopter

Unfortunately, the Deloran never showed but that didn't damper our spirits. We were here to buy some collectables and meet the stars of Batman The Movie.

We went inside and found the stuff being sold way over priced, which was a bummer. My buddy managed to pick up a few things, but I kept it cheap. I did pick up a few things, which I'll show later.

I think Brian from Cool and Collected would have loved this poster

On Saturday, only Adam West and Lee Meriweather was appearing, so before hand I went and bought a print of the Batman The Movie poster for the three to sign. I should have checked before buying because when I was in front of Mr. West and I went to pull the poster from it's protective case I was horrfied to learn that the paper used was really flimsy, not the sturdy cardstock I was used to with these 11 X 17 prints. I was already in front and I wasn't in the mood to argue with the dealer who sold me the print, so I had Adam sign it anyway, then Lee. Both were very nice. I was a bit concerned about West as I had heard he could be a bit abrasive. But on this day, he was real cool even fist bumping my friend. Lee Meriweather was an absolute sweetheart, talking to me for a few minutes and actually taking the time to try and find a good spot to sign.

After getting the signatures we wanted (my friend also picked up Linda Thorson from the Avengers TV Show), we took another spin on the small dealer area and called it a day.

We returned Sunday for Burt Ward. Here was the line that greeted us.

Everyone got the other 2 and was back for Ward only. We waited a while and finally saw both Adam and Burt walk in together...with a few people between them. Seems that they still aren't on speaking terms. If you can see in the pic above, Meriweather sat in between them.

Ward was alo very nice. I told him I followed his Gentle Giants foundation on Twitter and he gave me the link to the website. If anyone wants it, let me know and I'll post it in the comments section. Also, the man has a firm handshake.

Again, after getting the autograph we wanted, we roamed around for a bit, then left to see the Avengers, had dinner and called it a day.

Here is the poster I got signed

Adam West's signature

Lee Meriweather

Burt Ward

Before I show off the goodies, I'd like to explain why there are no pics of the three signing the poster. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures. The show had photo ops at a certain time and that was another price on top of what you already paid for the autographs. You couldn't even step off to the side and take a pic because I heard Burt Ward was notorious for snitching and having you thrown out of the convention. As far as pics of the tables, there honestly wasn't much to show you guys.

Here's what I did pick up.

I picked up these Green Lantern and Sinestro 3 inch figures from the movie series for a buck each. I saw Killowag and forgot to go back for him.

Another dollar purchase was this Roddy Piper pin from the late 80's. I actually had this pin at one time and it got all bent out of shape as I wore it on my denim, then leather jacket. This one will stay on the card. Nice addition to the Piper PC

I remember seeing this Luke Skywalker Soakie bottle as a kid and never getting it. I love these bubble bath/shampoo bottles that are shaped like diffrent characters and if it's vintage, I love it even more. I have been looking for a 1960's Batman Soakie bottle and have been eyeballing a Superman on ebay. In fact, we saw the Superman at the show, but neither one of us was paying 100.00 bucks for it. So, for a cool ten spot, I had a vintage Luke Skywalker Soakie to add to my Star Wars PC.

This was not even picked up at the convention. After leaving Saturday, we hit a Target because I had heard the new Batman Hot Wheels were out and I want the 1966 Batcopter. Unfortunately, the Batcopter eluded me, but I picked up this Batmobile for the collection. I want an army of Batmobiles to do my bidding. Batmobiles, pick me up a cheeseburger. Batmobiles, find the remote. Well, you get the idea.

I have never been confused as a smart man. I left behind a 12 inch Chewbacca figure from 1978, complete with man purse and gun. The guy was asking 35 bucks for it. Should have grabbed it. Same dealer had a vintage 1970's Batman alarm clock that I have been wanting...since the 1970's and it still worked. He was asking 50.00 for it. I said no thanks, but was secretly hoping it would be there Sunday and I would try to barter him down to 30-35.00. But, alas, it was not there Sunday. He told me sold it right before he closed his table for the night. Again, not a smart move on my part. Oh well, theres always ebay.

To be honest, I was pretty disapointed with the show. The dealer area was very small and it was in the same room as the signings so if you were on line for an autograph, chances were you were getting bumped into by people trying to look at the tables the lines were blocking. As for the dealers, they really had nothing great. I was hoping to score a few goodies for the collections and came away with a lot less than I had hoped. The stuff that was there that I might have been intrested was way to pricey and sometimes not in the best shape for what they were asking. Some dude had a 1980's LJN Roddy Piper figure, on card and was asking 50.00 for it. Upon further inspection, you can see the face was terrible faded due to sun exposure. No thanks, Chief.

Hopefully, next years show will be better. In the meantime, I will send my Batmobiles to fetch me a pizza pie.