Brian F. Colin at Chicago Pop Culture Con 2017

The Chicago Pop Culture Con runs November 24 and 25 in St. Charles, IL. Last year, they had a cool mix of guest celebrities, including several ex-Chicago athletes.
In doing my pre-con research, I saw Brian F. Colin was a celebrity guest. Brian is a video-game designer, artist and animator. He has worked on many video games, including the popular Rampage. Of course, I am a fan of Arch Rivals, a slightly lesser-known game, but one that I played frequently back in the day. My longtime bud Louie and I used to have quite the battles and I believe I hold the series edge by a game or two.
Arch Rivals was a basketball game, which featured a handful of court issues which could cause turnovers. Most importantly, the game had a punch feature which would allow your player to steal the ball from the opposition. It was so much fun, accept when you knew the punch was coming but you couldn't escape it.
Brian had some exciting news about Rampage, which he discussed in the interview we did. He also talked about Arch Rivals (as I stood in awe). My interview can be found at On the Beat With Brian F. Colin at Chicago Pop Culture Con.
Go to ChicagoPopCultureCon.com for more info and schedules. I'll be "On the Beat" and hopefully, I'll see you there.

Brian F. Colin and me in St. Charles, IL-November 2017.

On the Beat With Brian F. Colin at Chicago Pop Culture Con 2017

When I walked into Chicago Pop Culture Con, I saw a lot of my old favorite video arcade games, including Arch Rivals, my all-time favorite game.  Louie and I used to have serious battles on Arch Rivals during lunch breaks 25 years ago.  I believe I lead the all-time series 44-41 (or so).

As I stared at the game in awe, Chicago Pop Culture Con Promoter Tim Zurko introduced me to Brian F. Colin, the man who did the artwork for Arch Rivals.  Of course, I had to talk to him about the game, but I also learned some other fascinating things.

Aside from Arch Rivals, Brian worked on so many other great video games, including Rampage.  He talked to me about Rampage and the upcoming movie.  I love Brian's thoughts on the movie.  I think his take is what all gamers initially think.  I know it is what I always think about movies made from video games, but because of Brian's opinion, I am now interested in seeing it (and not just because it stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).

Of course, Brian has done a ton of other stuff and gamers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.  He is responsible for so many of the images of my video arcade youth.  Brian and Jeff Nauman are the founders and principal game designers at Game Refuge.  For over 25 years, they have designed and developed the games we love to play.

Back when I was having a video game blast at Aladdin's Castle and Wright's Barnyard, little did I realize I would someday meet one of the men responsible for my enjoyment.  This was a real pleasure and just one of the many reasons why I totally loved Chicago Pop Culture Con.

For more info on Brian and his work, including future appearances, check out the Game Refuge Facebook page.  Also, if you see him at an appearance, make sure to thank him for the years of entertainment he has provided.

Thank you to Brian for his time.  Thanks to Tim Zurko and Chicago Pop Culture Con for the hospitality.  I had a great time and look forward to next year.  For more info, check out ChicagoPopCultureCon.com.