Stalegum Shop Grand Opening

If over the years you've liked my cards but have struggled with letting that be known to the outside world, I've got you covered.  Heck, even if you don't like my cards but have a rad shirt collection that has a roster spot open, I've got you too.

Introducing the official Stalegum of Doom shirt!  

https://pcbstalegumshop.myshopify.com/

This is a high quality print with a design styled after Def Leppard's "Women of Doom" shirt from the Hysteria album (as seen being worn by Joe Elliot in the "Pour Some Sugar on Me" video).  

I've always been drawn to awesome graphic art.  That Women of Doom shirt was pretty much the coolest thing I'd ever laid eyes on, but seeing as you couldn't get that kind of thing at K-Mart, I sadly never owned one as a kid.  I thought what better way to pay homage to that design than to remix it into my custom card universe.  I enlisted the talents of the uber talented Matthew Skiff and he knocked this out of the park for me.  Could not be happier with the final result.

This actually occurred back in the wacky days of Covid.  Back then I had more free time than I knew what to do with so my card stuff was my main focus.  Things got weird and I had to shift focus to going to work-work.  I closed up the online shop and these shirts just sat in a box.  

Fast forward and I'd been talking to the awesome creators of the Santos Sisters --the best comic in the universe-- and the idea was floated to feature Jackie Stalegum in an upcoming issue.  I'd been a fan of their comic since issue #1 and even collaborated with them on a Santos Sisters card back in 2023 that was given out during a comic store signing for the release of the 3rd installment of their book.   So now, my creation ... in my favorite comic?!?  Pinch me!  In addition, there was extra space that the guys generously offered to me.  What better way to get my Gen-X centric swag to the masses!?  The timing couldn't have been better with the release of Santos Sisters #9 hitting shelves coinciding with the fellas taking home the coveted 2025 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series (and rightly so!).  We even made a limited edition limited edition Stalegum x Santos Sisters card that the guys handed out at the San Diego Comic Con done in the style of the Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 cards from 1991.

The shirt is available in white or black/white raglan baseball style in adult sizes S-3X.  

Each shirt will come with a Stalegum of Doom trading card, a 1.5" button and 3" prism sticker.

This is the first offering in my shop for now, but I'll be adding more items as time permits.

2025 Motor City Nightmare Review

This past Saturday I attended the Motor City Nightmares horror convention.  I got there pretty much when they opened at 10 am because I started vacation on Sunday and still had a crap-ton to get done before rolling in the next morning.  So, the goal was to get in and out before the Saturday crowd showed up.  

I could be wrong, but the lineup seemed slimmer than years past.  Even so, there were three autos I wanted to add to the collection.  Those being Melanie Kinnaman, Ron Sloan and Dee Wallace.  Melanie and Ron were my 7th and 8th autos from Friday the 13th Part V and getting them this year was significant being that the film turned fourty back in March.  

I headed to Melanie's table first.  I actually just got her auto on one of my horror auto cards during last year's Monroe Comic-Con that matches my other Friday V cards, but I've been messing with tweaking the design just a bit.  So this one will serve as an auxiliary to the others as a special edition "Final Girl" card.  

The main change was making the picture frame a little larger and a bit rounded like an older tv screen's shaping.  I added some other little accoutrements as well to set it apart from the regular design, but the larger picture was the main objective.  

Melanie seemed to like the card but honestly got a bigger kick out of the previous one; taking a pic and posting it to her Facebook page.  As for me, I like this one a little more finding it to be a tad more stylish... plus it's got the added coolness factor of being signed during the movie's 40th anniversary year.  

I'm one of those horror film obsessed types and I've been making my horror autograph cards for quite some time now with very little change outside of dressing it up specific to the particular movie with coordinating colors, logo and art.  I really like the design as it's an original of mine.  But, going forward, if it's a movie I've not made horror auto cards for before I'm going to start using the 2.0 template.  But, there's not a ton of horror movies I haven't covered, so I suspect they'll be few and far between.  If I've already made auto cards I'm going to continue to use the original version so it'll match the previous cards made.  I'm a bit anal about that part.  The exception would be making alternate "Final Girl" versions when applicable like I did here.  

Ron Sloan was next.  His table was three down the line from Melanie's, bookending the two other New Beginning alums in attendance; Bob DeSimone and Dick Wieand (both of which I've got cards signed from).  Ron was really, really nice and was really loving the card.  He stood there looking at it and smiling for what seemed like an awful long time.  Finally, to sort of break up the awkwardness I was feeling, I asked "could you use red to sign?" and that seemed to snap him out of his trance.  I love that he inscribed it with his character's name.  After signing he asked if I wanted to take a selfie with his Junior prop head.  As politely as I could I just declined explaining that I wasn't much of a selfie taker.  His table assistant guy piped in questioning if I was sure that I didn't want to take a picture with the head from the movie, to which I replied "that's THE head?" then getting a sly nod as confirmation. "HELL YES I do!", and just like that my shyness was remedied.  [I thought it was just a replicable prop he brings with to dress up hi table] If I had it to do over I would have also bargained for a picture of my card with the head.  Next time!

Last was Dee Wallace.  I've gotten her auto a number of times through the mail.  I've got a Topps E.T. card, one I made of 1985's Secret Admirer and The Howling.  The seventy-six year old horror icon was very sweet, like a kindly grandma.  She complimented my card.  I got the Cujo card done to match the one I have signed previously by Jerry Hardin. If I see her again I'll get a Critters card done.

Each card also has a unique back giving them provenance to the event in which they were signed at. 

Before heading out I added some DVDs, a Blu-Ray and a VHS to my physical media hoard. Then it was home to pack.

Astronomicon 8 Review

 

After my my 10 year old son's soccer game today, he and I hustled on over to the Astronomicon.  With me were three of my customer cards I was looking to add ink to.  I went 2-for-3.

The first autograph I got was Jamie Pressly on a card from my Joe Dirt set.  This in itself was exciting because it was my first card form that set I've been able to get autographed. The interaction was pretty business like.  I handed the card over and she asked if I wanted it personalized to which I politely declined.  She signed, we exchanged thank yous and she extended her hand.  The thing most of note was her grip.  She must work out.  Very happy with that auto.  Placement is good and everything.  

Next was Cerina Vincent.  I made one of my horror autograph cards from Cabin Fever which she starred in.  She really like the card, taking a picture of it with her phone.  She asked if I brought an extra, which I did.  I gave her the extra to keep and in exchange she was nice enough to let me pick something extra from her table.  I chose a Cabin Fever poster which she autographed with a quote from the movie.  She also talked up my son a bit and complimented him to me.  She suggested we check out a Disney show called In the Middle that she's in.  Neither of us had heard of it, but if I see it on I'll give it a watch because she was very kind.

I also wanted to meet Tommy Chong.  Up In Smoke is easily a top 10 movie for me and Chong is a legend.  Unfortunately we didn't see him until we decided to leave.  He must have been doing photo ops or something.  He already had a long line that had formed, so we skipped this time.  Hopefully I'll get another shot to meet him in the future.