On the Beat in the Dugout

Today, I am taking you into the dugout for the pre-game press session with Sveum.
These sessions are not usually seen.  The reporters generally use them to get quotes and thoughts on the current situation.  Johngy's Beat doesn't follow the norm though.
We taped it and are presenting it here for all to see.  We are raising the curtain on these secret sessions.  We are exposing the realities often unseen.  Oh okay, maybe I got too excited there.
Anyway, Sveum is seated in the dugout with Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times seated next to him.  There are about 8 of us there, including Contributor Extraordinaire Matt Parker and me.
Someone asked a question about the possibility of a Roger Clemens comeback.  Another asked about Alfonso Soriano's year.  A little talk about fantasy football ensued, before the questions got steered back to baseball.
Matt ended the group interview with a question about playing time for rookies in September.  Well done, Big Money.
This is always exciting for JohngysBeat.com.  Back five years ago Chuck Gekas and I got to be a part of two such sessions in Los Angeles.  We were a bit too green to get in our questions, but our presence was felt by Joe Torre and Lou Piniella, especially when Chuck and I flipped camera for tape recorder, thus confusing Sweet Lou.

On the Beat with Lauren Holly at Wizard World 2012

Lauren Holly instantly became a celebrity crush of mine when she appeared on tv's All My Children.  That crush is still ongoing.  Lauren is definitely on my Mount Rushmore of crushes (but I'll save that for another time).

When Contributor Extraordinaire Matt Parker and I became official video bloggers for Wizard World, I set my sights on interviewing Lauren.  I have been lucky enough to interview many of my favorites and I knew that this would be my best shot at interviewing Lauren.

I endured a handful of obstacles along the way to actually interviewing Lauren, including being blocked by Luke Perry (more on that in a future post) but I eventually got my chance to sit next to Lauren and interview her.  Many thanks to Matt for his perseverance and logistical maneuvering.

Lauren was pleasant, funny and beautiful.  She even apologized for the delays.  We talked about her time on All My Children, her favorite role, her current project and more.  She was a pure delight and an easy interview.  I floated away when the interview ended.

People ask me why I do JohngysBeat.com.  This is why.  I interviewed Lauren Holly!  Not only is Lauren arguably the biggest celebrity I have ever interviewed, more importantly she is one of my favorites.

I really appreciate Lauren for doing the interview, despite being very busy at the convention.  I thank PR Director Jerry Milani.  I also thank Matt for helping me get this done.

After you watch the interview, you can follow her on twitter @laurenholly.  Right now, she does not have a website, but I believe one is on the way and I am sure she will announce it on twitter.

On the Beat with Kane Hodder at Flashback Weekend 2012

How can you not like a guy whose website is KaneHodderKills.com?  Don't ask me, because I like him.  In fact, Matt Parker and I both like Kane very much.
We first met Kane last year at Flashback Weekend.  Despite having a long line of people, he took enough time with everyone to make sure you got what you wanted.  Kane even patiently got up and put choke holds on anyone who asked and a lot of people asked (including us).
There was no choking for us this year though.  This year we were professionals.  We were covering the event for a few sites, including JohngysBeat.com, of course.
When I saw Kane was returning this year, I contacted him for an interview and he quickly and politely accepted.  I figured Big Money (Matt) should handle the big man.
We got there just as Kane was asked to do some interview for the convention.  He apologized profusely for making us wait.  Either he is extremely polite or JohngysBeat.com is really gaining respect.  I think it is the first choice there.
Anyway, when he returned, despite having a line of fans, he gave us the interview.  Kane told us a couple good stories and talked about his book, Unmasked: True Life Story of the World's Most Prolific Cinematic Killer.
I picked up a copy of the book (written by Michael Aloisi).  Kane has had an interesting life.  There is much more to this man than just the guy who played Jason in four of the Friday the 13th movies.  Of course, watching the interview or just talking to him, you can tell he has a good story to tell and it is told in Unmasked.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
After you watch the interview, head over to KaneHodderKills.com to learn more about Kane and his book.  We really appreciate Kane and Michael for the consideration, time and patience they showed us.

On the Beat with Sal Lizard at Days of the Dead 2012

On Christmas, who better to be featured in an interview than Santa Claus?  Sometimes he is known as the Vampire Santa.  Sometimes he is Sal Lizard.  This multi-talented man is an author, actor, comedian and real life Santa.
Lizard has accomplished a lot in a little time and later in life than most, but he will tell you about that in the interview below.  I am here to report on what fun he was to meet and interview.
Actually, I first encountered Lizard at Days of the Dead in Indianapolis, but I did not have a chance to talk to him.  When I saw he would be in Chicago, I put him on my list (a bit ironic, putting Santa on a list).
It would be easy to write that Lizard was a jolly, old soul.  While this would definitely be true, Lizard deserves better than a bad pun like that.  Actually, he is jolly, although his white beard belies his real age.
Lizard talked to us for several minutes and I felt completely at ease, although I never sat on his lap.  He discussed how he got started, what he has done and more.  He even shared a story from Being Santa Claus, his book.
Being Santa Claus is a book about his time as a real Santa.  There are funny stories, as well as poignant ones.  I am sure that Lizard has heard and experienced quite a lot while donning the big red suit.
To learn more about him, go to SalLizard.com.  On Facebook, you can also check out Sal Lizard, Being Santa Claus and The Vampire Santa.

On the Beat with Maryann Pisano

The title should be "Finally On the Beat with Maryann Pisano," because I first learned about Maryann about 10 years ago.  I was running an education program at Lerner Newspapers and Maryann was an area high school student and author.
Yes, you read that right.  Maryann authored The Decision, when she was 15.  (By the way, The Decision is still available in Kindle and paperback on Amazon.)
I thought Maryann would be a great choice to appear in the ad series.  You don't often find high schoolers who have authored a novel.  Maryann's ad was one of the most popular ones in the series.
You could easily tell that Maryann was going to go on to great things.  Recently, I finally had the chance to interview her and found out exactly what she has done since then.
It turns out Maryann has done a lot.  She is the creative force behind Emme-magazine.com.  Allow me to borrow a line from the site to describe Emme-magazine.com.  "This site is a fabulous one stop shop for young women looking for insights to make their lives that much more amazing."
The primary audience of Emme-magazine.com is women, but I would not say it is exclusively women.  For example, currently running is a feature where Dr. Hughes analyzes your personality based on your favorite Christmas movie.  Among the things I learned was that my love of The Grinch reveals that I have a "deep sense of whimsy as well as a profound belief in the spiritual."  Hmm pretty accurate there, I would say.  Anyway, my point is that men can enjoy Emme-magazine.com, too.
Emme-magazine.com has sections on beauty, fashion, health and more.  There is even one on celebs and media, which fits in well with Johngy's Beat.  There really is something interesting for everyone on Emme-magazine.com.
In the interview below, I turned the table on Maryann and asked her the questions.  Maryann talked about The Decision, Emme-magazine.com and more. It was interesting to hear what went into each step in Maryann's career and where she sees her future going.  It will also be very interesting to see the next steps she takes.
Maryann is young, eager and talented.  She has an incredibly bright future.  I cannot honestly say I know where she is headed, but I can say she is headed for great things.  I find her very interesting and I think you will, too.
I plan on revisiting Maryann again in 2013.  It will be fun following her career as it progresses.  Until then, please check out Emme-magazine.com to see for yourself.  Also, you can go to twitter and follow her at @maryannpisano and @emmemagazine.

On the Beat with Brian Steward at Days of the Dead

While checking out the artists at Days of the Dead in Chicago, I came across Brian Steward.  While checking out Steward's body of work, I came across Giada.  Then I stopped.  This guy who did all sorts of odd, horror and zombie stuff, had a cool drawing of Giada!
I talked to Brian at Days about his work and how the Giada piece came to be.  I liked his answer and could not argue against it.  After the interview, he gave me Giada.  (pausing for effect...he gave me Giada...what a nice thought that is...).  Actually, he gave me a print of his Giada drawing.  This was still extremely cool (although I have to admit that giving me Giada would have been cooler).
I'm sorry, somehow I have made this piece about Giada, when it should be about this talented artist, Brian Steward.  All I can say is that he started it.
Anyway, focusing on Steward, as I wrote, he is very talented.  On his site, you can see images of a lot of his work.  There are a lot of great horror-related works, but there are also a handful of other cool drawings, like the Giada.  It all comes back to Giada, doesn't it?
I really appreciate Steward talking to us and I especially appreciate his gift of the Giada print.  I have had a little fun here with Giada (ohh fun with Giada), but I really do like Steward's work.  I look forward to seeing him again at future conventions and I promise to cover more topics.
Until then, check out BrianSteward.com to see all of his awesome masterpieces!

On the Beat with Joseph Spencer at Days of the Dead

I love discovering new authors.  While Joseph Spencer has done plenty of writing over the years, he is indeed a new author, as Grim, his debut novel, was just recently released.
The Southern Illinois University grad covered some exciting events, such as the NBA draft and a Midwest League All-Star game, it is Grim that has him and readers really excited.  I will let Spencer describe Grim in the interview below, but I have talked to some who have read it and the reviews are great.  I keep hearing that it is very gory, very thrilling and very interesting.  I like the sound of that combination.  As I stated in the interview, I bought a copy and look forward to reading it.
I am excited about the mini-scoop Spencer gives about his next novel.  I really look forward to Grim and to following Spencer's books as his career develops.
To learn more about him and Grim, check out JosephBSpencer.com!

On the Beat with the TimO and Harley Show at Days of the Dead 2012

The TimO. and Harley Show is a weekly podcast found on InfernalDreams.net.  It is billed as a horror-themed show, but I believe that is far too narrow of a description.
They are billed as "the new voice of horror."  They discuss horror movies and horror-related stuff, but they also talk about movies and music and much more.  That sounds like a lot to cover, but these shows are jam-packed with entertainment and fun.
I could write more, but then I would not need to interview anyone (and I like interviewing people).  Instead, check out the interview with Harley.  Harley talks all about the show.
Whatever info Harley does not tell us can be found on TheTimoandHarleyShow.com.  Check out the show there or on InfernalDreams.tv or get updates on the TimO and Harley Facebook page.
I encourage you to give these guys a listen.  They are super funny, interesting, informative and just really nice.

On the Beat with Sarah French and Joe Knetter at Days of the Dead 2012

I interviewed Sarah French and Joe Knetter at Flashback Weekend a few months ago.  Not a whole lot happens in that short of a time span, not even for a horror couple like Sarah and Joe.  Still, that did not stop me from wanting to talk to them again.  They are always so much fun.
Of course, with no clear direction, the interview was sure to quickly veer off into some silliness, which is just fine by me.  What could be sillier than a tattoo of Joe's face on his butt?  Yep, that is included.  I am just here to warn the weak of heart and stomach.
Some legitimate topics were covered, too.  Sarah talks about her recent movie, Opposite Blood and Joe talks about his recent book, Room.  They even talk a bit about their recent vacation.
Spoiler alert: Near the end, one of them raises their shirt to expose their chest.
Seriously, I love these two.  They are talented, funny and very nice.  I encourage everyone to go to SarahFrenchOnline.com and JoeKnetter.com.

On the Beat with Kurt Dinse at Days of the Dead 2012

I always seek out interesting artists and illustrators at the various conventions I cover.  At the Days of the Dead con in Chicago, I interviewed artist Kurt Dinse.
Kurt has some intricate artwork.  A lot of his subjects are horror-related, but he also has strayed from that genre, such as a beautiful portrait of Peter Criss of KISS.  This just shows his versatility and talent.
One of his most recent projects involved zombie-fying the Blackhawks logo.  He also said he is working on doing the same with the Bulls and Bears logos.  (What about zombie-fying the Johngy logo?).
Dinse is a talented and personable guy.  I like his work and I look forward to seeing him at future conventions.
To learn more about Kurt and to see more of his illustrations, you can go to PungentBasementArt.com.

On the Beat with Undead Johnny at Days of the Dead 2012

I first met Undead Johnny when I wrote about him in Horror Fun Coming Soon for the Skokie Patch.  Undead Johnny (or his alter ego Chad Byers) performs out of the Wilmette Theater with a whole cast of characters.  At Days of the Dead, I caught up with Johnny and met several of those characters.
Undead Johnny is the host of the World of Weird Monster Show, which has been airing on cable television for over seven years in the Chicago area.  It can also be seen on MonsterChannel.tv, the first 24 hour interactive horror movie internet channel.  On the second Friday of every month, the WOW Monster Show presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show featuring a live cast (some of which appear in the video below).
If it all sounds like a lot, it is because it is a lot.  Undead Johnny and the gast are always busy performing in one way or another.  There is a lot of fun to be had via the internet, cable tv or live theater.
In the interview below, Undead Johnny talks about all of this and more.  Also, the Undead One and the rest give us their favorite horror movie picks.
For more info on Undead Johnny, check out WowMonsterShow.com, their YouTube channel or MonsterChannel.tv.
Did you notice, I made it through this whole post without trying to make an Undead Johngy joke?

On the Beat with Ashley C. Williams at Days of the Dead 2012

Sometimes I do research, but still get wrong info.  When I interviewed actress Ashley C. Williams at the Days of the Dead convention, I asked her about being "the stunning scream queen for the next generation."  Unfortunately, that was only a title bestowed upon her by a fan and she was unaware of it.
The good news is that Ashley did not make a big deal out of it and allowed me to overcome my choppy beginning.  I was so relieved and impressed by her attitude.
Ashley had a starring role in The Human Centipede and has already had several other roles in her short career.  In the interview below, she talks about what directions she would like to go in her acting career.  Despite being okay with being labeled a "Scream queen," Ashley certainly wants to do more varied roles than just horror.  Ashley is a talented, young actress and so very nice, too.
To learn more about her, check out AshleyCW.com.  This is her website and you will find all of the accurate info and updates, unlike my misguided research!

On the Beat with Brad Thacker at Days of the Dead 2012

I have seen comedian Brad Thacker perform twice.  Both times were at Days of the Dead conventions and both times he had a rough crowd.  Of course, he also had a rough following act.
In Indianapolis, Thacker opened for Rowdy Roddy Piper.  In Chicago, he opened for Piper and Mick Foley.  You don't get much tougher than that.
As for the crowd, I cannot imagine opening for several hundred fans who were just waiting for Piper and Foley.  This is not the best crowd for a real comedian, but Thacker did an excellent job of warming up the crowd and keeping the mood going.
Thacker was very funny.  Oh sure, he hit a few clunkers with the crowd, but with that crowd, I am surprised there weren't more.  The audience really just wanted to hear wrestling stories.
Thacker had solid material and basically stayed away from wrestling humor.  That was an interesting choice, but a good one.  There was no need to cover ground that Piper and Foley would cover.  The crowd gave Thacker a very nice applause send-off.
I ran into Thacker the next day and told him I had appreciated his set at both shows.  Then I got an impromptu interview with the talented Thacker.  He talked about his start in comedy, his influences, working at Days of the Dead and more.
To get updates, info and humorous blurbs, follow Thacker on twitter @bradthacker.

On the Beat with Chris Sarandon at Days of the Dead 2012

When I saw that Chris Sarandon was added to the Days of the Dead celebrity guest list, I immediately tried to contact him.  As you will learn in the interview video, he has no Facebook or twitter or website.  That pretty much ended my chances of contacting him about an interview.
I had to go with Plan B, which is to approach him at the convention and ask for an interview there.  This is always a long shot, because the celebrity has no chance to check out my website to make sure it is legit and clean.
Matt and I went to his table before the convention officially started and took our shot.  Despite being busy trying to get things set up, Sarandon gave us a couple minutes of his time for the interview.
I asked him about doing conventions and his favorite role.  He was pretty diplomatic about singling out one role (although a lot of actors are).  I did not cover any ground-breaking news in the interview, but I got to talk to an Academy Award nominee (for Dog Day Afternoon).
I really appreciate Sarandon's time and willingness to talk.  Like he says in the interview, if you want to learn more about him, you'll have to check out imdb.com.

On the Beat with Thomas Ian Nicholas at Days of the Dead 2012

In Rookie of the Year, Thomas Ian Nicholas (in one of his first roles) played young Henry, who became a major league phenom for the Chicago Cubs.  Come to think of it, I should make a Celebrity Jersey Card for him, but I digress.  Nicholas has worked steadily ever since, appearing in many movies, including the American Pie movies.
Nicholas also fronts the Thomas Nicholas Band (TNB).  They recently did a tour of the UK.  You can check out some of his music at ThomasIanNicholas.com.  I listened and I really liked it.
JohngysBeat.com Contributor Extraordinaire Matt Parker took the lead and landed an interview with the versatile Nicholas at Days of the Dead.  They talked about conventions, his music, his film roles and more.
This was an unplanned interview, but one that we really wanted to get.  We were unable to contact Nicholas prior to Days of the Dead, but Matt approached him and Nicholas agreed after checking out JohngysBeat.com.  We really appreciate the time and consideration of Nicholas.
He is a great guy and very talented.  After you watch the video below, check out Nicholas and his band at ThomasIanNicholas.com.

On the Beat with PJ Soles at Days of the Dead 2012

I have been very fortunate to meet and talk to many of my favorites from all genres of celebdom.  At the recent Days of the Dead convention, I added one more very special actress to that list.
I first became a fan of PJ Soles when she co-starred with the Ramones in Rock 'n' Roll High School in 1979.  Later I realized I had already seen her in Carrie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Breaking Away and Halloween.  I would go on to watch her perform in many other movies and television series.
Despite a lengthy, successful career, my favorite PJ role remains Riff Randell.  PJ doesn't mind being associated so strongly with that movie, that role or the Ramones.  In fact, at the convention, she sported a cool Ramones shirt.  We even talked about her feelings towards the Ramones in the interview below.
I talked to PJ as the convention was ending on Friday.  Despite being tired from a long day of meeting fans, PJ was kind enough to give us a couple minutes of her time.
As I sat there talking to PJ, I kept thinking how surreal it all is.  I remember seeing her onscreen for the first time.  I remember having her as a high school crush.  This really was one of the coolest moments I have ever had.  I am also happy to report that PJ was incredibly sweet and polite with every fan.  She took time to talk to everyone and give them a moment to remember.
After you watch the video, check out PJSoles.com for more info and updates.

On the Beat with Mick Foley at Days of the Dead

Mick Foley is a semi-retired wrestling legend an a best-selling author.  He is also a great guy and always willing to talk to us.  This year, we talked to Mick at the recent Days of the Dead convention (right here, near Chicago, Illinois...borrowing the cheap pop from Mick).
Contributor Extraordinaire Matt "Big Money" Parker took the lead on this interview.  He asked Mick about his match at the last WWE ppv, horror conventions and other fun stuff.  The beginning and the end of this interview are especially entertaining, as Mick has a little fun with Matt and the audience.
Mick is a lock to get into the WWE Hall of Fame sometime soon, possibly even in 2013.  He is also building momentum for an induction into the JohngysBeat.com Hall of Fame.
More interviews from Days of the Dead will be coming in the near future.

On the Beat at AAW Wrestling

We were very excited when Tony Rican, match maker at AAW Wrestling, invited us to one of their shows.    A couple weeks ago, we attended the AAW show in Berwyn and had a great time.
We first met Tony many months ago at another independent wrestling show.  We have kept in touch and when the opportunity arose, we took him up on his offer.  Tony's only request was an honest review (good or bad).
My review is simple.  AAW put on a fantastic show.  I would really have to think hard about finding any negatives on this night.
The crowd was large (about 400+) and really into the action, without being out of control.  I didn't see any incidents of poor behavior anywhere.
The card was jammed with 12 matches and none seemed like time-filler.  Every match had a short vignette to explain some history, which really helped.  I never felt lost in any of the fights.  The wrestlers fought hard, moved well, told stories with their actions and really did a great job.
Champion Michael Elgin kept his title in a match with Sami Callahan.  This match is definitely a "Match of the Year" candidate anywhere.  I had to give extra applause to these guys!
After the matches, Tony helped us with interviews with some of the talent.  We hope you enjoy these interviews as much as we enjoyed doing them.
Silas Young is the multi-time champ and one of the cornerstones of AAW.  When you talk about AAW, you start with Silas Young.

Truth Martini is a manager in AAW, along with Ring of Honor (ROH) and XICW in Detroit.  Find out all of the Truth at the Truth Martini Facebook page.

Arik Cannon is one-half of the unorthodox tag-team champs.  You can learn all about him on the Arik Cannon Facebook page.

Jimmy Jacobs is the unique tag team partner of Arik Cannon.  You can see how unique by checking him out on the Jimmy Jacobs Facebook page.

Despite being in a hurry, Christina Von Eerie gave us a couple minutes of her time.  To learn more about the talented, young star, check out the Christina Von Eerie Facebook page.

I really appreciate Tony and all of the great folks at AAW.  The wrestlers we got for interviews represent an interesting cross-section of their roster and we hope to get a lot more in the future.
I hope this is just the beginning of a long relationship with AAW Wrestling and I encourage everyone to check out AAWrestling.com and to go to their live events.

On the Beat with Stretch Suba of the Houston Astros

Stretch Suba just completed his 36th year with the Houston Astros organization.  That includes one year of playing with the Astros Rookie League team.  We have seen Suba many times during our trips to Minute Maid.  We finally got the chance to talk to him on the record about travel and baseball.
I love men like Suba.  He is a baseball lifer and all with the same organization.  That type of longevity and two-way loyalty is a rarity.  Suba is a rarity and he is well-respected and loved by the organization and the fans.
All of the answers we received from these baseball people are included in Travel Favorites of Baseball Greats, an online piece I wrote for Global Traveler magazine.  All of the interviews can be found here on JohngysBeat.com or the JohngysBeat.com YouTube channel.

On the Beat at POWW Wrestling Entertainment

Matt and I spent Saturday evening covering POWW Entertainment's Wrestle Rage X.  This is POWW's big event of the year and it kicked butt.  Pretty much any match could have been main event material.

I wrote about this night for the Patch at Out"rage"ous Wrestling Fun and for Wrestling Figs at POWW 11/10 Report.  I have been telling people since then about how good the show was.  Now I am sharing it with my JohngysBeat.com audience.

There were four title matches and the title changed hands in two of them.  There was a "Chicago Street Fight" and an 8 man match.  Five wrestling legends, including Chavo Guerrero, Val Venis, Hardcore Bob Holly, Billy Gunn and Armando Estrada competed for the newly created POWW Superstar title.

After the matches, we chatted a bit with some of the POWW roster, including Threat Level Black (Mikey Wild and CJ Idol), Stonewall, Vinnie Riot, Warden Ortiz and Brawn the Lumberjack.  We even talked a bit to Sexy KC (but only to introduce him to Matt).  Every wrestler looked drained, but charged from putting on such a show in front of a huge crowd.

Applause goes to every performer, staffer and fan for making Wrestle Rage X one of the best shows I have seen all year.

After the night of matches, we got the first interview with Commissioner Bob Parrella.  The former ref talked about his career and his future plans for POWW.  We have been after Parrella for some time and to catch him on his big night was great!

We also had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Tufano, POWW's ring announcer.  Louis talked to us about his start at POWW, his action figure collection and more.  Louis is a class act and we wanted to talk longer, however the noise level due to the excited crowd forced us to keep it short.  We would love to revisit Louis and talk more about his career and his collection.

Finally, we would like to thank Jimmy Blaze, the main man at POWW.  Six months ago, I walked into POWW for the first time and Jimmy has been very accommodating ever since.  It has been a pleasure covering POWW and attending POWW events.  I encourage everyone to check them out at POWWEntertainment.com.  Despite the cash exchanging hands n the picture below, this is an unpaid endorsement.  Quite simply, we just love the product.

Jim Blaze and me at Wrestle Rage X in Melrose Park, IL-November 2012.