World’s Greatest Toys!

Appearing on Javier Hernandez’ “Planet Comic Book Radio” radio show was the most fun I’ve had in quite some time. If you couldn’t check it out live, you can now Podcast the show in two parts:

Listen to/Download: Part One

Listen to/Download: Part Two

But the real fun — for me — happened after the microphones were silenced. Javier took me to his favorite local Mexican dive. This was positively the best Mexican food I have devoured during my short tenure in Mexophilic southern California. Since moving here in 2001, I’ve had my fair share of excellent Mexican fare… but this place was the bomb. Stand-up and outdoor seating only, it was the perfect setting for Javier and me to unwind after the show.

Javier and I just let loose. On the food and the conversation. No holds barred, we enjoyed the opportunity to shoot the shit without fear of retribution or consequence. All the filthy, fascinating dirt surrounding our projects? The ones we really shouldn’t discuss? Yeah, we talked about it all.

What really happened during the making of Javier’s comic-book movie, El Muerto? What really went down with Benjamin’s first publishing offer? What’re those taboo stories about Mego? Wait: what did Wal-Mart do?!

Hanging out with Javier was a ‘highlight’ experience in a period of particularly special moments and experiences for me. Now that the book is out, I can finally enjoy the book for what it is. I no longer look at it as a task or responsibility or shamefully unfinished project. It’s done and I can finally enjoy the fruits of labor, the opportunity to meet and hang out with accomplished and incredible people like Javier Hernandez.

What a thrill! Here’s my proof it actually happened:

Above: Benjamin (left) and El Muerto creator Javier Hernandez (right), with a signed print of the original San Diego Comic Con El Muerto promotional poster.

Benjamin

Man, I really do love USA Today’s Pop Candy blog, maintained by Whitney Matheson. Not only is Whitney downright adorable (yet woefully married), she captains one of the hippest ships in the blogosphere.

As a big fan of Pop Candy, today was a good day for me. Whitney granted Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys! a nice blurb (text below the image):

Here’s what Whitney wrote in her blog:

Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys by Benjamin Holcomb (TwoMorrows, $49.95). Either you’re familiar with Mego or you aren’t, and folks who used to collect these colorful, superheroic action figures in the ’70s will appreciate this large, full-color, unbelievably complete guide. (One of my co-workers lit up when he saw this on my desk, then proceeded to flip through it and tell me about each of the figures he used to own.) Holcomb goes through everything from the history of Mego to the construction of each toy, making the book valuable to both serious collectors and pop-culture enthusiasts.

Now how cool is that?! It seems every office has at least one Mego-head.

And that’s a good thing.

Benjamin