Friend Encounters: Greg Valentine and Herb Simmons

Friend Encounters is a weekly series about friends meeting celebrities.

Herb Simmons is the man behind Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling. One of the great events is the Fan Fest. This year, it is May 8-9 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Last year, Tony and I made the trek south to cover Fn Fest. Our main goal of Kevin Von Erich had to cancel due to horrible weather in St. Louis. We actually almost drive into a tornado one day. Anyway, despite his cancellation, we had a great time meeting so many other legends like David Schultz, B Brian Blair, Ricky Morton and many others.

This year, the guest lineup is just starting to get released. So far, Johnny Rodz, Spike Huber, Mick Foley and a few others have been announced.

Herb works tirelessly to make this a great event. Usually on the first night, some of the wrestlers are at their booths, but there is also a special session. Last year, it was a Q&A with the legendary ill Apter. This year, Foley is doing something special.

I don't see a lot of pictures of Herb with wrestlers. He is probably too busy making sure everything runs smoothly...and it does. I did manage to find a pic of him with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. That makes two legends and Hall of Famers in one picture.

We are planning on being "On the Beat" again at Fan Fest. It's a fun roadtrip and there are great wrestlers to meet. It is also always good seeing Herb.

Go to SICW.org for more info on Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling and the Fan Fest/. Check here for my recurring coverage.

Greg Valentine and Herb Simmons in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.

Happy Birthday, Louie!

Today I celebrate the birthday of Louie, my longtime friend and work partner. I am sure he is celebrating with his family, but I celebrate him here.

Around 40 years ago, while I was at DePaul, I often ate at The Seminary, a restaurant across the street. It was owned by Louie's father and Louie worked part-time there. I saw him, but didn't put any significance to it.

In September 1987, I started at Lerner Newspapers and began working with Louie, who also worked part-time there. When we got to know each other a bit, I made the connection that I had seen him at The Seminary.

Over the next many years, Louie became one of my closest friends. His extended family welcomed me and his friends became my friends, too.  I also became an honorary Greek. We basically worked side-by-side for 17 years, followed by many more years working together at Global Traveler. At a low point in my life, Louie put me on his softball team, despite my lack of skill (I eventually got better lol). I stood up in his wedding. Most recently, he included me with his family when he was inducted into his high school's Hall of Fame. I could not have asked for a better friend or co-worker.

Many years ago, we started using jersey numbers in our birthday greetings. I won't reveal Loui's age, but Ron Rivera is happy to see him.

I will text Louie a pic of Rivera later today and we will have a birthday dinner soon. For now, I wish my dear friend a great birthday!

Celebrity Jersey Cards #782 Patrick Stewart & Jo Koy

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series on which I create digital trading cards fo celebrities wearing jerseys. Today, I salute the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Born in Yorkshire, England, Patrick Stewart has enjoyed a career spanning 65+ years. He has racked up a bunch of awards, including two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, three Golden Globe Awards, four Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was also knighted in 2010. Stewart donned a Seahawks jersey and joined Ian McKellan, who wore a Denver Broncos jersey (see earlier Celebrity Jersey Cards) for a photo shoot. Stewart's Celebrity Jerey Card goes old school before the Seahawks even existed.

Joseph Glenn Herbert was born in Japan, when his military father was stationed there. He took his stage name Jo Koy from a nickname given to him early in life. Koy was a regular guest on Chelsea Lately. When Koy hosted the 81st Golden Globe awards, his work received criticism, but Koy handled it all well. Koy was a 12th man flag-raiser for the Seahawks to earn his Celebrity Jersey Card.

Kylie Rae Appearing at Squared Circle Expo 2026

Kylie Rae is one of the best and one of my favorite independent wrestlers. I am excited to see she is appearing at Squared Circle Expo VI in Indianapolis in March.

After a long wait, I finally met her a few years ago. I have seen her once or twice since then. The last time was at 2econd Wrestling's show at St. Demetrios last year.

Kylie had her first child a couple years ago and came back strong. She won the newly-created WWE ID title for indy wrestlers. Then she got pregnant again and had to give up the title (a trade I am sure she gladly made).

When we met Kylie at St. D's, we talked a bit and learned she is a bit shy about meeting fans. That is funny, because she is so engaging while wrestling.. I guess I give her even more credit for that. She never fails to entertain when she wrestles. I think she is better as the good guy, but I have seen her as a heel and she is quite good, too.

Kylie is one of about 75 wrestlers scheduled to appear at SCX VI. It is a great 2 day wrestling convention, featuring two full wrestling cards at night. It is a must on my yearly convention circuit.

Go to squaredcirclex.com for more info. Check back here for my updates.

Kylie Rae and me in Chicago, IL-January 2025.

Stacey Marie Brown at Wizard World (Fan Expo)

Several years ago, I met an interesting author. Somewhere it was written she is a "writer of hot cocky bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick ass." With all due respect, I think that last part might also describe Brown.

She has written several book series. There is some interconnection, but her website does a much better job of showcasing and explaining those. She also has some scheduled for release this year.

I haven't seen her in almost 10 years, but I am hoping she will make an appearance at FanExpo or perhaps do a book-signing in the Chicago area.

Brown is one of many authors I probably would never know if not for FanExpo. Artist Alley contains many authors and is always a good source of discovering new ones.

Go to staceymariebrown.com for more info on all of her books. For more info on FanExpo go to fanexpohq.com. Also, check here for my recurring coverage.

Stacey Marie Brown and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2016.

Happy Birthday (Not So) Young Master Jason!

Today, I celebrate the birthday of the man who will always be known as Young Master Jason (or YMJ). I will not mention he is closing in on 50.

I cannot take credit for hiring Jason at Lerner Newspapers, that was our other friend Jason. I'd like to think I taught him a thing or two while we worked there. He came in as a slightly rambunctious teenager/ I often had to remind him by saying "tact," whenever I knew he was working outside of our department. Although slightly a challenge to handle, he was a great worker who became a great friend.

I sometimes still think of him as that young kid, but he is a married man with two children. He's grown a lot, without losing any of his energy.

I know we wiill celebrate whenever our group finally gets together again. For today though, I wish him a great day. Happy birthday, YMJ. I love ya, pal. 

 Jason and Heather in Illinois-Summer 2013.

Cryptkeeper John Kassir

Actor John Kassir has a lengthy resume stretching back more than 40 years. He is probably best known as the voice of the Cryptkeeper in HBO's Tales from the Crypt franchise. The voice and laugh are iconic.

While some celebrities eschew being typecast or at least very well known for one certain role, Kassir embraces his time as the Cryptkeeper and rightly so. At comic cons, he is constantly asked to do the voice, leave a voice mail, record a greeting or other such bits. He never seems to tire of it or at least he doesn't show it. I was one of those folks. Kassir did a promo for my site.

Kassir has been the ideal guest at conventions. He's prompt, engaging and fun. He makes each encounter a special moment for the fan. That's all anyone could ever want.

 John Kassir and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2018.

Cards That Never Were: Johnny Rodgers Topps 1977 & '78

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

After starring at Nebraska, including winning the 1972 Heisman trophy, wide receiver Johnny Rodgers was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft. He opted to play in the Canadian Football League instead. After four seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, Rodgers joined the Chargers. In his second season with the Chargers, he suffered a career-ending knee injury ending his career. All told, he played 17 games in the NFL, getting 17 receptions for 234 yards and no touchdowns.

For his efforts, Topps did not give Rodgers any cards. Once again, the master of card creations Lynn, of Custom Baseball Cards on Facebook, created these gems before I could get to them. The man has created thousands of cards. I wonder exactly how many, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is 10K+.

Friend Encounters: Nic Nemeth and Michael Kingston

What do you get when you combine a wrestling fan with a lot of creativity and talent? One correct answer is Michael Kingston of Headlocked Comics.

I have known Michael for many years now, having first seen him at a comic con about 10 years ago. I have seen him many times since, but more important are the hundreds of other cons he has worked. The man is one of the hardest working folks on the comic con scene and it is paying off for him.

Years ago, Michael was frustrated with wrestling comics. They were unrealistic to him. Instead of griping, Michael was proactive and created his own. It was so well-done and well-received by fans and wrestlers, he quickly gained a following. He also gained contributors, but not just any folks. Wrestlers came to him to be part of this. Talented artist-wrestlers like Jerry "The King" Lawler started doing artwork for the comics. Lawler was followed by dozens of others. Such was the case when Nic Nemeth joined Michael in Richmond, Virginia in 2024. If you look at Michael's FB page, you will see him with all the big names in wrestling.

I couldn't be happier for him. Michael has worked very hard and earned every bit of success. He has also been very kind with his time for me.

When Michael does comic cons, he usually is not alone. Many times, wrestlers will appear with him. 

Go to headlockedcomic.com for more info on all od Micgael's work. Look for Headlocked Comics and Michael at a comic con near you.

Nic Nemeth and Michael Kingston in Richmond, VA-March 2024.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #781 Ozzy Osbourne & Melissa Reese

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing jerseys. Today is a musical tribute to the Super Bowl teams.

Ozzy Osbourne was a musical legend. Born in England, he performed for more than 55 years until his death last year. His Crazy Train has been used for two decades as the into for the New England Patiots. That explains the Patriots jersey. The #1 might be for a player, but I'll bet it is a tribute to Ozzy. In either case, he gets an old school Celebrity Jersey Card.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Melissa Reese has been performing since she was a todler. She started writing music when she was 12 and is currently with Guns N' Roses. Reese earned her Celebrity Jersey Card while singing the anthem at a Seahawks game. She has been known to dye her hair and obviously here she matches the Seahawks colors.