Category: Uncategorized

 When I joined the 501st Legion in 2014, one of the many, many reasons was the chance at the opportunity to be able to troop the “Weird Al” Yankovic show.  If you don’t know, when Al performs “The Saga Begins”, he has members of the 501st on-stage with him and they dance during the song. The legion first performed on-stage with Al in 2003 during an encore performance of “The Saga Begins”. In 2007, the 501st provided on-stage support for multiple stops on the “Straight Outta Lynwood” tour. It is now a staple of his tour.

I’ve been a big fan of Al’s since 1984 when I first heard “Eat It”. My dad introduced me to him.  I’ve loved his work ever since.   Well, this year I was lucky enough to strike off another mark on my bucket list.  In February, “Weird Al” announced the second leg of his Mandatory Fun world tour and Phoenix was on the list. I’d been bugging our commanding officer about the show as soon as I knew the date.  It was going to be a long six months waiting for the sign up to open.

July 20th, 2016

Registration for the event opened July 20th and I knew a lot of the garrison were interested in going.  We have almost 200 members now  and only thirteen slots were open.  Whilst I love my garrison, it was every man and woman for themselves.  Luckily my laptop is a touch screen and I was able to have one finger on the refresh button and another where I expected the new thread to appear.  At a few seconds after eight, I hit refresh one last time and the thread shows up. I frantically log in and select my Stormtrooper for the costume.  Just a few seconds later, all eight Stormtrooper slots, one Darth Vader, three costume wranglers and a photographer position were filled. I was in. I did a few happy laps around the house.  I was about to check off another bucket list item.

August 3rd, 2016

The big day arrived.  I work two blocks away from Comerica Theater and left work a little early to scope the place out and figure out parking.

3:00 p.m.  I arrive at Comerica Theater and am told to park next to Al’s tour bus.  That was parking sorted out easily enough.  I check in with security and am by handed my backstage pass.  

3:30 p.m.  The rest of the garrison arrives and we meet out the front of Al’s dressing room.  We are moved to our own dressing room.

We are greeted by JW, Al’s ringleader for the VIP experience. He gives us a quick rundown of the events for the evening and we wait around for a rehearsal.   

Al’s stage manager visits us and we practice the dance routine for the show.  Afterwards, we go down to the stage and are given our marks that we need to hit when the performance starts. I was advised to get to the left of Vader to have the best position on stage, but I’ll get to that later.

The auditorium looks a lot smaller from the stage, but while there I am able to see the bands set up and get a really good look at the band’s setup. I knew I would never get another chance like this.  As we leave the stage I see the table Al uses for “Foil” and just behind is his accordion.  The holy grail of polka! I admit to being a complete fan boy at this moment.  The crew didn’t bat an eyelid at me geeking out, so I doubt I was the first person to do so.  They let all of us take photos and take everything in.  In a few short hours, Al would be standing where I was standing and putting on a show. I doubt I’ll ever stand there again. 

5:30 p.m.

Our passes gave us unrestricted access to the VIP section and we were able to watch the pre-show entertainment and look at the traveling Al museum of memorabilia.  It was full of costumes and items from his numerous videos.  It was wonderful being able to check everything out.  I’ve been to over 150 concerts over the years and have done a lot of VIP shows and I’ve never seen a VIP section quite like this.  This was most definitely done for the fans and it was great being allowed to be a part of it.

7:30 p.m. Showtime

Mike Prekup, a 501st friend of mine, gave me some advice while waiting backstage for the show to start. I won’t post it publicly, but 501st members are welcome to email me to get the details to make your experience even more enjoyable.  “Weird Al” begins the show with “Tacky” from outside the arena and I was able to position myself where he starts.  At a few minutes after 7:30, I hear Al singing from down a hallway, seconds later he comes striding past singing “Tacky” accapella while the band is playing in the auditorium.  He storms down the hallway and enters the theater to thunderous applause. The show was on.   

I join up with the rest of the group who are watching the show. Apparently I was on screen when Al entered much to the delight of the group. I was able to watch him perform “Lame Claim To Fame”, “Now That’s What I Call Polka”, “Perform This Way”, “Dare To Be Stupid” and “Fat”, but then I had to go get in my armor. What I saw of the show so far looked awesome. I really wish I could have stayed.   Al’s band is exceedingly underrated.  For a band to seamlessly switch between rock, rap, pop, country, metal and polka is just incredible to see.  The show was fantastic, but what was to come was going to hopefully be even more exciting.

9:00 p.m.

After kitting up we wait backstage for our call. The hallway is covered in autographs of performers who have played at Comerica before us. I am a huge music fan and could have spent hours there looking at all the names. I spotted dozens of bands I’ve seen play there over the years. Axl Rose, Jet, Kasabian, Oasis.  

Al’s set ends and as the encore begins, we are given the sign to walk out on stage and take our places.  I was pitch black and I was terrified my moment of fame was going to go down with me tripping on a cable and face planting on stage. Fortunately I make it to my mark unscathed and wait.  Al enters the stage between me and Vader and starts singing “We All Have Cell Phones”.  And then “The Saga Begins”… er… begins.  For the next five minutes we’re pointing our blasters in synch and dancing like lunatics. It was absolutely wonderful. I was grinning from ear to ear. I could never have imagined being able to do this in 1999 when I first heard the song. As a huge fan of both Star Wars and “Weird Al’, it was a once in a lifetime experience and one I won’t soon forget.

10:00 p.m. VIP Meet and Greet

After the show, over a hundreds fans were in line to meet Al.  Kids and adults alike dressed in costumes representing Al through the ages.  I stood as security behind Al while he signed every autograph and treated each fan as though they were the only ones there.

11:00 p.m.  501st Meet and Greet

After a long and exciting evening, it was finally our turn to meet the man himself.  He had been at it for hours and you could tell he was tired. He had been there long before we arrived and left as I was leaving the venue, but to his credit, he stayed to the very end.  I had a million things to say to him, but all I had time for was “thank you”.  He smiled and shook my hand.  That was enough.  

 I handed Al my blaster for the group photo and then took my photo with him.

The experience could not have been any more enjoyable.  Great company, great show, great meet and greet.  This is one very big item I am crossing off my bucket list. I have done so many amazing Star Wars events, I don’t know how I can top this. Have I peaked?  If so, this is one heck of a way to do it.  Mr. Yankovic, I doubt you will ever read this, but if you do, thank you. Thank you for years of music that have brought a smile to my face when I didn’t feel like smiling and thank you for this opportunity to meet you.  It could not have gone any better.

Eat it!

CWC

Are you happy in your own skin? Are you completely comfortable showing the world who you are? I am. My name is Craig W. Chenery and I am a geek. There, I said it. Wedgies and screams of “nerd!” be damned. Now, had this been twenty years ago, I may have been less willing to be so public about it. I wasn’t any less of a geek back then, I just happen to have become far more comfortable in my own skin and less concerned about what people think about me. I am actually quite proud of my geekdom. I find it extremely liberating and I can be passionate about something and focus on positive things I enjoy. I love Star Wars, zombies, superheroes, robots, fantasy and monsters. I’m counting down the days until Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens and I will be there at midnight to see the first showing. I watch The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones and mourn the loss of popular characters at the water cooler the day after they have been unceremoniously killed off on-screen.

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say I like who I am. No, scratch that. I love the person I’ve become. My geekdom makes me who I am and it has defined me as a person. It makes me interesting and it has given me an almost limitless archive of topics to talk about. I am walking, talking encyclopedia of pop culture knowledge and trivia and a day seldom passes by where this trove of knowledge is not called upon. If I ever find myself without anything to say, pop culture is a great way to break the silence.

I’m not alone in my confession. Being a geek has never been so widely accepted. Chances are you know one or are indeed one yourself. It’s okay, you can admit it. Over the past decade, something wonderful has happened to pop culture and its fans. It has suddenly become cool to be yourself. It’s okay to be a fan of a film franchise, books series or T.V. show and show it to the world. It’s no longer considered childish to wear a Star Wars T-shirt in your 40’s. The social stigma of being a geek has all but vanished. If you need further proof, you only have to take a look at the number of conventions and comicons occurring across the world. In the U.S alone, there are five events with attendance of over 75,000 people. The largest of those, San Diego Comic Con, has capped at 130,000 people. 130,000 people all gathered under one roof to share their love of pop culture. New York, Salt Lake, Chicago and Phoenix are quickly catching up. If those numbers don’t impress you, 60,000 Star Wars fans recently gathered in Anaheim for the Star Wars Celebration event. 60,000 fans all comfortable sharing their love of Star Wars and not caring who noticed.

So what changed? After all, pop culture has been around for decades. Why is it now no longer considered disposable and mindless entertainment? In the 1970’s and 80’s, pop culture and in particular, how it was presented to the public, changed significantly. We didn’t just get movies, we got franchises. Star Wars wasn’t just a film, it was an entire universe of toys and accessories where children could role play and create stories far outside the established universe that George Lucas created. Television shows also had their own toy lines and accompanying movies. It wasn’t just limited to boys, this sweeping change affected everyone. Sure, we had Star Wars, Transformers, He-Man and GI Joe, but girls had My Little Pony, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite and Cabbage Patch Kids. Pop Culture followed us from the movie theater or television into our homes. We weren’t just given toys, we were presented the most amazing gift of all, imagination. We could create our own scenes that picked up where our respective television shows or movies ended. We were no longer shackled to the ideas filmmakers presented to us. We were encouraged to go out into the world and imagine our own stories. Luke Skywalker wasn’t just a farm boy from Tatooine or a pilot in the Rebellion, he was now a bodyguard to Teddy Ruxpin and fought off the giant Puppy of Doom on the remote planet of Livingroomfloorus. He had his lightsaber duel with Darth Vader two years before The Empire Strikes Back was even released. Han Solo could lift cars over his head and Chewbacca moved at the speed of light.

The imagination we were gifted as children has followed us into adulthood as we now create our own movies, books and television shows. Pop culture franchises are making billions of dollars in the worldwide box office and millions of fans tune in weekly to watch stories of zombies, superheroes and ancient warring kingdoms.

Since becoming a published author, I have immersed myself in my geekdom even further. I have also joined the 501 st Legion international Star Wars costuming club and taken my fandom to the next level. I create screen accurate costumes and visit children’s hospitals. I have become Phoenix Comicon’s ‘go to’ person for zombie panels and have been invited to present for the past fiveyears. I am now able to share my love and enthusiasm with a wide audience. My geekdom has been very good to me.

Am I comfortable in my own skin? Does Darth Vader carry a lightsaber? Are you? If not, poke your head outside, it’s a very different world out there and you may be surprised at how well you fit in.

Yours comfortably,

CWC

It’s been a month since Comicon and I’ve hit the ground running. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to one of my panels. This year was my most successful zombie panel by far with the room at capacity with 100’s of attendees.  I was humbled by the interest and interactions.  I’ve already been in discussions with Phoenix Comicon staff to return next year. It will be my sixth consecutive year presenting.

Yours humbly,

CWC

Yesterday evening at a few minutes past five, I finished the final draft of “Don’t Make Me Come Down There”.  If you’ve been following my blog or Facebook, you will know that this is a project very near and dear to me and has been in development in various forms for over six years. Although, I really didn’t hit full stride until I finished writing “Blood Splatter” and completed the promotion events and book signings.  I’d say it has been about three years in total.   It’s a very different story than the one I first started in 2010 when the story was called “Angel Askew”. 

The first draft was finished last March and I have spent the last sixteen months getting feedback and rewriting it.  The draft I have now is almost 10,000 words shorter and 43 pages lighter.  The last draft was edited with a very critical eye and I am extremely pleased with how it has pulled together.  It has far exceeded my expectations and has spurned me to continue writing.  I currently have four projects in development.  “Mephistopheles” -the second book in the Oceanview Trilogy,  “The Gate at the End of the Garden”, “The Star Wars Video Game Encyclopedia” and the screenplay adaption of “Don’t Make Me Come Down There”.  I’ve decided to work on the screenplay first while “Don’t Make Me Come Down There” is still fresh in my mind. I wrote the book with a movie in mind, so the adaptation should not be too challenging. I am undecided if I will work on  “Mephistopheles” or “The Gate at the End of the Garden” next.  I have started outlines for both. If “Don’t Make Me Come Down There” starts to generate interest, it would likely be in my best interests to start with the sequel. I have visions of turning into George R.R. Martin and having my publisher chomping at the bit for the follow up. I’m not saying my work will be as popular as Game of Thrones, but it never hurts to think big, right?

I don’t think I have ever felt more alive and bursting with creativity.  I have nothing holding me back now.  I have a mind full of ideas, a digital recorder at my bedside for midnight brain dumping, an empty notepad screaming to be filled with words and a laptop with a blank Word document open.  I am a writer. I was born to be a writer. I am doing what writers do. They write. 

The next part of the journey is both exciting and terrifying.  Writing was the easy part. The next part is where it becomes a challenge. I am under no delusion that finding a publisher or agent for “Don’t Make Me Come Down There” will be easy.   There are a thousand people like me seeking representation.  I just need to make sure my writing stands and out and I believe that it does.   I will get rejection letters. I will get notes of encouragement. I will need thick skin and a patient mind. But someone will like it and will be the right person to represent it. I have no doubt.

“Don’t Make Me Come Down There” finds me at the happiest I have been in my entire life.  I am happily married, my wife and daughter are healthy.  My friends are plentiful and supportive. I have held my current job for fifteen years. Everything is falling into place. I believe there is a reason this journey has taken so long.  I needed to get myself sorted out first.  I am not the person I was when I started this adventure and that’s a good thing. The next few months are going to be some of the most amazing of my career so far.

Yours humbly, happily and heathily (is that even a word?)

CWC

To my dearest Lily,

You won’t see this letter until you are much older, but the sentiments will remain. 

When I met your mom, I didn’t think I could love someone as much as I love her.  Until we had you.  You have made my life wonderful in ways I could never have imagined. You are kind, funny, generous, considerate and smart. You are beautiful inside and out and my heart swells with every accomplishment you make.  I couldn’t be more proud of you.

But alongside this pride, I have great shame.  I have brought you into a world I am greatly embarrassed for, and I have lied to you. The love and safety we have in our home is not a true reflection of how the world currently works. The world is beautiful as your mom and I have taught you, but it is also full of unspeakable evil.  Evil I am terrified you may encounter.  Humans are capable of great things, but we are also capable of great unjust.

Hate is now as commonplace as love. People hate because they disagree with others. They hate other people because they are of a different sexual preference. They hate because others follow religion, the wrong religion or no religion at all. They hate based on skin color or nationality.  The features and traits that make us unique and interesting make us targets. Gunmen are storming schools, workplaces and public events and we’re doing nothing about it.  Countries commit genocide and we do nothing about it.  Women are raped and our justice system blames them for being in the wrong place. War, famine, corrupt politics, the list goes on. We’ve become a black or white society.  “You’re either with me or against me”. “You are my friend or my enemy”.  “I am right and you are wrong even when I am wrong”. People used to talk. People used to listen. People used to value opposing opinions. There is a whole world of grey we avoid like the plague.

Lily, the world’s biggest failure is communication.  I teach you to use your words, to tell me what you need and want. That you will never be punished for being honest and open with me. But we as adults can’t follow our own directions. Gun crime in the US is at epidemic proportions.  But we can’t talk about it. You’re either an NRA right wing gun nut who doesn’t want a single civil right trampled on or a left wing tree hugging hippy pacifist that wants to strip away all civil liberties.  But if we searched deep inside we must know there is a middle ground that can be reached and that many of us don’t fall into either label. We can agree to disagree. We can live with different religions, races and beliefs and we can do it in peace.

Hatred isn’t genetic. We’re not born hating.  You were not born hating.  It’s conditioned and taught.  It is taught by families, friends, communities, school, politics, news, media, history and religion. But what we learn, in time we can unlearn. Lily, you have my word that I will never condition you to hate.  I will teach you to see beauty where others only see darkness and maybe you can teach others to see the same beauty.  If enough people start to see the same beauty maybe the balance can shift.  I don’t think we are past saving.

All any reasonable adult can hope for is to leave the world in a better way than they found it. Be it through being a teacher, a doctor, a scientist, an artist, an entertainer, a friend, a parent, philanthropist or any number of ways. But also through our children.  I’ve tried to be a good person. I try not to hate. I don’t rape, kill, discriminate or oppress.  I create, love, laugh and learn, but my greatest gift to the world is you. For as much as the world scares me at times, I have gifted it the most valuable thing to me. You.  My generation has failed to right the ship. I hope your generation can bring about the peace mine could not. I want you to live in a world where our words are not replaced with bullets, where you can be celebrated for being who you are. I don’t know if you will grow up straight, gay, religious, atheist, liberal, conservative, but know I will love you no matter what.  I just want you to be the best person you can be.  If the world has more people like you in it, I think it is in good hands and maybe, just maybe everything will be okay.

Love always, Daddy

*not edited for content.. Ignore spelling and grammatical errors.