Chanel Ryan at Motor City Comic Con 2013

Motor City Comic Con, May 17-19 is one week awy. I can't wait for the weekend of fun, but for now I recall some of my favorite moments over my many years of covering MCCC.
It's hard to believe, but model and actress Chanel Ryan has been entertaining audiences for almost 30 years. She is beautiful and talented. Her "Benchwarmer Trading Card" was one of the most popular cards in the series and she has been named "Sexiest ..." by many sources. Not just a pretty face, she has acted steadily since 1989.
Chanel was very pleasant when I approached her for an interview. Unfortunately, I was still a little inexperienced and my interview wasn't exactly fascinating. Still, I am happy to have landed Chanel on one. That interview can be found at On the Beat With Chanel Ryan.
Chanel was easily one of the most popular guests at that MCCC. A career as a model, coupled with some key roles in popular movies will create that type of interest. I really appreciated her taking time away from her fans for our interview.
A vegetarian since her teens, Chanel is very dedicated to world causes. A portion of the proceeds from her convention appearances goes to animal funds.
Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for all of the info, including the celebrity guest list and scheduling. You can also find Motor City Comic Con on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Chanel Ryan and me in Novi, MI-May 2013.

Emily Reppert Loves Johngy's Beat

Emily Reppert is an Emmy-nominated reporter and host. Currently, she is the In-Game host for the New York Mets.

A graduate of Temple University, Emily started her career in Minnesota, then moved on to FOX Sports Southwest. Her first national role was at the inaugural BattleFrog College Championship on ESPN in 2015. She has remained very busy as she builds her career and gains recognition.

Emily was kind enough to do a promo for Johngy's Beat. It was extra nice of her to mention that the site is the "316th best site for pop culture nuggets," a fact she learned on her own. It was a funny and cool extra personal touch, which was above and beyond even doing the promo.

It's that kind of effort that has earned her respect in the industry. She is dedicated to her craft and is fan-friendly. I have been a fan of her work for a while, but now I am a bigger fan. She ends the promo with a "Go Mets," which is expected given her current role. As a lifelong Cubs fan, it's hard for me to say that, but just this once, just for Emily, Go Mets!

Go to EmilyReppert.com for more info on her. Also, like Emily on Facebook and follow Emily on twitter.

"Hulk Hogan" at Motor City Comic Con 2018

The Motor City Comic Con runs May 18 through May 20 in Novi, MI. As always, I will be "On the Beat" there, meeting celebrities and participating in all of the other fun to be had. Until then, I will be recalling some of my favorite times at MCCC over the years.

Last year, although he was not announced as a guest, I was shocked to see wrestling legend Hulk Hogan among the attendees. Hulk looked great, although he was shorter and not as muscular as I remember.

Seriously, this "Hulk" was just one of many cosplayers at MCCC. Many years ago when I first attended MCCC, there were some people in costumes, but nowhere near as many as there are ow. Cosplaying has become a major part of MCCC.

Cosplayers can go for elaborate costumes or simple ones. They can be parts of groups, in contests or just dressing for fun.

A few years ago, The Joker and Harley Quinn were the most popular costume choices. Fortunately, lately people have been more creative and unique in their cosplaying.

Every year, I always look for an Aquaman. In the early years, I always found one guy dressed as Aquaman. I heard his name was Scott. Now with the release of the Aquaman movie, I expect to see several attendees donning Aquaman garb. I only hope some are brave enough to go old school.

I would think wrestlers would be more popular in cosplaying. The colorful characters and outfits lend themselves perfectly. In Chicago, Too Sweet Cosplay has upped the game for wrestling cosplayers. We'll see what happens in Novi.

At least last year I saw Hulk. He even went for the older classic Hulk look, instead of the newer, edgier NWO type Hulk. Kudos on that.

Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for more info on MCCC, including the celebrity guest list and schedule. You can also follow Motor City Comic Con on Facebook for more frequent updates and info.

"Hulk Hogan" and me in Novi, MI-May 2018.

Grammar Police Watch: Update-Bollywood Salon and Spa

Earlier this year, I presented the first Grammar Police Watch.  In Grammar Police Watch: Bollywood Salon & Spa, I took a local business to task for a neon sign with a spelling error ("availabe").
I understand mistakes are made and I have made many spelling and grammar mistakes. This is a neon sign though and either the error was never noticed or (worse) it was noticed and the sign was used anyway.

This morning on my walk for a bagel, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new sign at Bollywood Salon & Spa. The new sign eliminated the spelling error. The new sign is no longer a neon lettered sign, but is now an LED message board. I applaud the improvement.
In this age of technology, why deal with a permanent neon sign, when you can have an LED changeable sign. Even if they never change the message, having that option is always a good idea. Plus, they now have the ability to correct any misspellings on future messages.
The big question is if JohngysBeat.com influenced this? Could the powers that be there have seen my previous rambling? Having had the sign like that for a long while, the timing of the change is interesting.

Friend Encounters: PL Myers and Chazz Moretti

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have et celebrities.

Take your pick for friend or celebrity for PL Myers and Chazz Moretti. Actually, this is one of those cases where they are both.

PL and Chazz are two of the best managers on the independent wrestling scene. While their characters are different, they possess similar qualities. Both have charisma, command attention, have great mic skills and basically have all of the necessary components of a great manager. They both can even get in a match on occasion. They also both have a tremendous respect for the business and their craft.

As friends, they also share similar qualities. Both men are funny, humble, supportive and loyal.

I have learned a lot by watching them and have enjoyed every minute of it. I don't think they have ever worked against each other and that's a shame. I think they could do great work. I'm pretty sure they never even worked for the same company at the same time.

Young wrestlers or managers can learn a lot from these two. The big companies seem to underutilize the manager role, but it is still used effectively on the indy scene.

Both men are very active around the Chicago area. They might not be working together yet, but at lest they appeared together for the picture below.

PL Myers and Chazz Moretti in Rosemont, IL-September 2019.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #426 Anson Williams & Don Most

This is a regular series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing jerseys. We continue to make our way alphabetically through Major League Baseball.

Anson William Heimlich was born in Los Angeles and grew to fame in show business as Anson Williams. He originated the role of Warren "Potsie" Weber on a segment on Love, American Style and is one of only three actors (with Ron Howard and Marion Ross) to reprise their roles when Happy Days became a series. Williams has remained very active acting and directing. As a trivia note, Williams' uncle, Dr. Henry Heimlich is the namesake of the famous maneuver for saving choking victims. Willliams' Celebrity Jersey Card come from a special Happy Days Night the Brewers held..

Like his castmate Williams, Don Most was born in Los Angeles and rose to fame on tv's Happy Days. Ralph Malph was the jokester. Most has remained active in acting, along with doing voiceover work and singing. Most's Celebrity Jersey Card comes from the special Happy Days Night the Brewers held.

Parker Stevenson at Motor City Comic Con 2013

Motor City Comic Con, May 17-19, is about 2 weeks away. While I count down the days, I look back on some of my favorite moments over the years at MCCC.
Like millions of other boys, I was a big fan of The Hardy Boys book series when I was a youngster. I was a young teenager when The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries aired on television. It was an interesting show in concept, because the stories attracted the boys, while heart throb actors Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson attracted the girls. Basically, it appealed to all youngsters.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Parker at MCCC 2013. That interview can be found at On the Beat with Parker Stevenson. I like to think I improved a lot since that interview. Now, I would have asked more about the show's target demographic, because I think it is very interesting hwo they did that. I'd also ask more about his photography. Obviously, he is very talented and I am sure he would have talked more about this, because most interviewers wouldn't have brought it up.
Under the constraints of the convention, I did okay and it was very short. At least I was able to log in an interview with Parker. I am very happy with that.
Parker has remained busy in show business and with his photography. He has been very cool at every convention where I have seen him.
Check out his photography work at ParkerStevensonShadowWorks.com. Photography is a hobby and passion he developed at an early age. He really has done some beautiful work.
Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for all of the info, including the celebrity guest list and scheduling. You can also find Motor City Comic Con on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Parker Stevenson and me in Novi, MI-May 2013.

Alloy Ash at Motor City Comic Con 2013

The Motor City Comic Con, May 17-19 is quickly approaching. As I count the days, I look back on some of my favorite moments from previous years at MCCC.

Alloy Ash is a model and a welder. That's an odd combination, but she has found success in both fields. She was a Michigan state champion welder.

When I learned of her unique resume, I asked for an interview at MCCC. That interview can be found at On the Beat With Alloy Ash.

A native of Detroit, Alloy was a very popular guest at the MCCC. It is always funny when local celebrities appear at MCCC. Many area residents know her and greet her as a friend. To the rest of the attendees, she was a star. It is cool to see the difference in reactions, but Alloy was pretty much the same no matter who approached her. She was friendly and upbeat all weekend.

The MCCC always seems to have a couple celebrities from the area. It's a great idea to promote their own, yet still bring name value to the convention.

Go to AlloyAsh.com for more info. You can also follow Ash Alloy on Facebook and @AlloyAsh on twitter.  Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for all of the info, including the celebrity guest list and scheduling. You can also find Motor City Comic Con on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Alloy Ash and me in Novi, MI-May 2013.

Jay Brant At Motor City Comic Con 2017

Motor City Comic Con, May 17-19, is about two weeks away and I cannot wait. While I look forward to this year's MCCC, I am recalling some of my favorite moments from previous years at MCCC.
Whenever I see an artist with superhero creations, I immediately look for Aquaman. Such was the case when I first saw Jay Brant and his wall of superhero heads. I did spot a cool Aquaman head and it was old school Aquaman, too!
I quickly learned that Jay focused on heads, reflected in his studio name of Head's Up. It's a neat concept. Jay wanted to do something a bit different than draw superheros like everyone else. With Head's Up,. he has accomplished that.
Drawing only the heads can be a challenge though. They all have to be different. It would be easy, but boring, to start making them all look similar, but Jay somehow manages to make them all unique, despite doing hundreds of them. That's a credit to his talent and artistic vision.
Over the years, Jay has become one of my favorite artists. His booth is one of my regular stops and I always look forward to new heads he has drawn/
You can get more info on Jay and see his artwork at HeadsUpStudios.com. Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for all of the info, including the celebrity guest list and scheduling. You can also find Motor City Comic Con on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Jay Brant and me in Novi, MI-May 2017.

Dwight Schultz at Motor City Comic Con 2012

Motor City Comic Con 2019 runs May 17-19. As I look forward to another weekend f fun in Novi, MI, I recall some of my favorite moments from previous MCCC's.
It was always extra fun when more friends joined the MCCC trip. My longtime bud Jason Fleigel came with us for several years.
Dwight Schultz has a lengthy resume of acting and voiceover work. His voice can be heard in many animated productions, as well as many video games. His voiceover work often overshadows his acting, but he has been equally as successful appearing on camera, including roles in the Star Trek franchise.
Schultz was extremely popular at MCCC 2012. When you have that lengthy and varied of a body of work, you will attract all sorts of fans and Schultz did. It also helped that he was extremely fan-friendly and very happy to tal;k about any of his projects.
Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for all of the info, including the celebrity guest list and scheduling. You can also find Motor City Comic Con on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Jason Fleigel, Dwight Schultz and me in Novi, MI-May 2012.