Monterey Park, CA signing Nov 6

[Stan Sakai]

I will be signing at the Heritage booth at the gift fair at Langley Center in Monterey Park on Saturday, November 6 from 10-noon.

If you can't make it and still want something signed, you can order a book or calendar from Heritage Source. They'll even ship internationally. We've dealt with Heritage Source for many years and have yet to hear one complaint against them.

[Sebastian]

Sounds great, too bad I don't have a credit card and therefore can't order anything.

[Maka]

I will be signing at the Heritage booth at the gift fair at Langley Center in Monterey Park on Saturday, November 6 from 10-noon.

Hello Mr. Sakai,

Is it possible to pick up original art at this signing? If so, what is a price range at this time? It's my goal someday to own some original UY art.

If not, do you have any UY baseball caps available?

Okay, enough begging. I grew up in Monterey Park and I long for some chili cheese fries (with tomatoes and pickles) at The Hat or maybe some wonton noodle soup (with extra noodles) and spicy shrimp at Sam Woo's BBQ. This signing is also a good excuse to visit my parents so my kids can see their grandparents yet again.

Peace,

maka

[Stan Sakai]

Is it possible to pick up original art at this signing? If so, what is a price range at this time? It's my goal someday to own some original UY art.

If not, do you have any UY baseball caps available?

Okay, enough begging. I grew up in Monterey Park and I long for some chili cheese fries (with tomatoes and pickles) at The Hat or maybe some wonton noodle soup (with extra noodles) and spicy shrimp at Sam Woo's BBQ. This signing is also a good excuse to visit my parents so my kids can see their grandparents yet again.

Peace,

maka

I usually do not bring originals to sell at these events, but I'll bring some this time. Introduce yourself as a Dojo member.

Sorry, I do not have any more baseball caps.

I prefer the pastrami at The Hat. I also like the spicy shrimp--are you talking about the ones fried in the shells? Sam Woo has become a chain with three or four restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. There's one just down the street from Gary's (of Gary's Corner Bookstore) house, from where I still get the occassional duck.

[Maka]

I also like the spicy shrimp--are you talking about the ones fried in the shells? Sam Woo has become a chain with three or four restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. There's one just down the street from Gary's (of Gary's Corner Bookstore) house, from where I still get the occassional duck.

Hello Mr. Sakai,

Yes, the fried one's with the shell on. I can get it in Santa Barbara, but it will cost me $13, they give only 5 shrimp, and it doesn't taste as good. Monterey Park has the best Chinese food period.

I haven't been to Gary's bookstore (I know, it's not there anymore) in about 12 years. I felt like that was the closest "real" comic book store (with boxes of comics ALL over the place) to Monterey Park. Gary's was were I discovered got all my new and back issues of Swamp Thing, Watchman, Miracleman, V for Vendetta, as well as the first issue of The Brady Bunch (for $3.25 in very good condition) and few other jems (the Tick, Akira, Taboo, Batman, moonshadow). Unfortunately, I didn't read you back then. I discovered UY when I visited my folks (how lived in Hawaii at the time) and went to their local library. They had a few UY graphic novels. I was hooked immediately.

Ah, comic nostalgia: I re-live my college years.

Looking forward to meeting you again and picking up some art. Do you take credit cards or should I bring cash/check?

Peace,

maka

[Stan Sakai]

Looking forward to meeting you again and picking up some art. Do you take credit cards or should I bring cash/check?

Peace,

maka

Sorry, but I'm not set up to take credit cards. I do take cash or checks.

Gary's store is not there, but he still operates a small comics business out of his home--mainly taking orders from the Previews catalogue. He lives just a few blocks from the old store. His is still the only "store" I regularly go to.

[Usagi]

:Wave: Hope you have fun Stan!

[miyamoto musashi]

watch out for eskimos

[Maka]

I will be signing at the Heritage booth at the gift fair at Langley Center in Monterey Park on Saturday, November 6 from 10-noon.

It was a very nice event. I made a donation to the girl scouts, got two cute Japanese-style magnets from HugaSumo, and I picked up a Create In Me bath towel (bocha) for a friend who just had a baby.

The Heritage booth was busy (meaning there was a line) with people having Mr. Sakai sign and sketch (which were full pages and a different sketch in each book) in there books. The woman in front of me said she first discovered UY from this crafts faire and she comes back every year to buy the new graphic novel and have Stan sign it. She also said her kids re-read UY all the time and give the signed copies of books to friends to introduce them to UY. The other woman in front of me bought the last UY calendar. It looked like they had maybe ten 20th Anniversary T-Shirt left (all small). I saw one other person wearing one (not small). Many people asked about them and were disappointed that they didn't have their size.

When It was finally my turn, I gave Mr. Sakai an old book from Hawaii. Mr. Sakai sketched in my sketch book, signed three hardcovers to my daughter, and let my daughters and I take a picture with him. Mr. Sakai let me look through the original art he brought. I ended up buying a nice piece (the San Diego Comic Con art). I love it because:

1) Complete three panel story (knowing Mr. Sakai doesn't sell original art from the series, this is closest I can get. Plus it's a complete story.)
2) Humor - one of my favorite parts of UY
3) Major characters
4) "Death" of a major character
5) Reference to UY 20th anniversary
6) And Mr. Sakai signed it to me

Now I need to get on to eBay and get a SDCC program to frame with the art.

I'm not much of a conversationist when meeting famous people I admire. I said very little. But it was great to see other people (non-comic fanboys) appreciating Mr. Sakai stories/graphic novels.

Afterwords, my family went to A-1 (old Sam Woo's - same cook) and I got my spicy shrimp.

Life is good.

Peace,

maka

[miyamoto musashi]

is your closing phrase going to get longer and longer as time goes by....three years from now


I am so smart S-M-R-T.

woooooooop!!!

nuclear waste tastes funny.

i wonder where that fish did go.

take me down to funky town.

is that lemon scented?

no more spaceships.

beef stew.

i hate elephants.

Life is good.

Peace,

maka

[ruehara]

I was going to Gary's Comic Corner once a year (since I no longer live in Rosemead - last I was there was March '03), but this year I went and it was gone! . I'm glad to hear that he's still around and that you (Stan) are still frequenting his shop . I would love to get in touch with him so that I can get my yearly Usagi order. Do you think you can ask him to e-mail me (ruehara@ix.netcom.com)?