Crazy 4 Comic Con

May the Fourth Be With You! What better way to celebrate May the 4th than with a podcast review of Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Japan! I am joined by my long time Star Wars buddies Trevor, Savanna (The Dorky Diva) and Mark (MacGuffin Makers). In this podcast, we discuss the general experience as …

It’s been a week and I’m back from my very first cruise! But not just any cruise but Star Trek the Cruise! Produced by Entertainment Cruise Production, this is the eighth voyage for this ultimate fan experience. As I’ve been sharing pics on social media, the biggest question I have been getting is “was it …

After waiting 18 months since James Gunn’s new Superman movie announcement, the official teaser trailer is here! Being hardcore Superman fans for life, Trevor Kaihoi and I wanted to record our first time live reaction to this momentous event! We both are bringing a ton of expectation AND skepticism to this but we sincerely hope …

I had a great time chatting with Frank & Chris of the Nerdpreneur Podcast. On this extended interview, I share about my background in design, my scary transition into Hero Within and walking away with a 6 figure deal at San Diego Comic-Con 2016. If you are into Nerd Entrepreneurs, make sure to check out …

Wow! What a year! I know I seem to say that every year but one thing is always certain about Comic-Con. While it may not always go the way you want, the surprises never disappoints! Not since 2019 has Comic-Con felt like this and wowza, is there a lot to talk about. To recap this …

My annual tradition is back- interviewing Hall H campers on Friday night. Last year, because of the Writer’s Strike, there were no big panels to camp for. This year, Hall H is back with Star Trek, Marvel and more! Team Hero Within boldly goes into the darkness and void of the Hall H line to …

Have you ever been paralyzed with indecision because you were afraid of making mistakes? Making mistakes is all a part of the creative process and essential to reaching success. Whether you are writing a story, creating art, or manufacturing products, mistakes are inevitable. However, many mistakes are really blessings in disguise. At our San Diego …

It’s San Diego Comic-Con week which means it’s time for my annual Prep Episode! This year is my 15th Anniversary of Comic-Con podcasting and every year I look forward to this final episode before Comic-Con. In 2009, Comic-Con was a much different animal and preparing for it has turned into whole thing that involves charts, …

With San Diego Comic-Con 2024 just days away, we want to welcome Star Trek Wines here for the first time! As one of our Hero Within Energize Lounge partners, I got a chance to chat with Howard Jackowitz and Craig Spurrier about how Star Trek Wines began, their most popular bottles and their new exclusive, …

Next up in our San Diego Comic-Con series is extraordinary Star Trek artist Kavita Maharaj of Retrospect Studios. We are honored to feature her work at the Energize Lounge during Comic-Con. Starting out as a Spock enthusiast, her works have expanded to across the entire Star Trek Universe. In this interview, she talks about growing …

We are continuing our San Diego Comic-Con series with another awesome Energize Lounge partner. Have you ever considered vacationing on a cruise before? I’ve never been but have always been curious what it is like. That’s why I am so happy to have Chris Hearing of Entertainment Cruise Production to talk about Star Trek Cruise …

Captain’s Log 0712202.4: The Enterprise is in Earth orbit just over California and we are about to beam down for an important mission to the Hero Within Energize Lounge at San Diego Comic-Con. In preparation for this away mission, Starfleet Command has sent us a brilliant engineer named Chris Barnardo from The Wand Company. Chris’ …

We are thrilled to feature the art of amazing pop culture painter Jenny R Johnson at the Hero Within Energize Lounge during San Diego Comic-Con. Since Jenny can’t make it down to the show from Canada, I wanted to introduce her to you all. In this episode, we chat about her history with Star Trek, …

It’s the most wonderful time of year! San Diego Comic-Con 2024 is just around the corner and with it, a new series to help you prepare. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be interview our Hero Within Energize Lounge partners kicking off with Rebekah Plants of the game, Star Trek Fleet Command. In this …

It was so great to be back at WonderCon Anaheim! I was honored to host my annual panel, How I Built This. Here is the panel description with the audio link below: The journey of getting into the creative industry is different for everyone. It's a path fraught with peril, serendipitous moments and bold steps …

Our San Diego Comic-Con 2023 Recap!

One of my lifelong dreams has been to share the stage with Levar Burton. I finally had that chance at Awesome Con! We chatted about his start on the acclaimed series Roots. Then he reminisced about his 2 decades of Reading Rainbow. We concluded what it was like to step back onto the bridge of …

San Diego Comic-Con is just next week and I’m back to get you ready for another amazing year. This time, I am joined by the guests of my panel How To Boldly Go Into Star Trek (Thurs 1p). These professional nerds are not only well versed in the Trek universe but also have respective Star …

Recently completing her journey as the Thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker along with her Mandip Gill joined me on stage at Awesome Con. They were so much fun and clearly they are BBFs in real life. We chatted about how they began their life in entertainment, auditioning for Doctor Who and how it has changed their …

Back to the Shire! At Awesome Con, I had the privilege to revisit Middle Earth with cast members Sean Astin, Elijah Woods and Andy Serkis! They each shared how they came upon their respective roles, challenges of shooting and favorite memories from the experience. They were all such a delight and I am grateful to …

I had a fantastic time in our nation's capital at Awesome Con! I had the honor of being the Main Stage Host for the weekend and I had a chance to interview many amazing talent. All the guests were so generous and I’ll be posting the audio from a few of the panels over the …

It’s June and you know what that means? Comic Con season is in full gear! I am excited to announce I will be moderating panels for AwesomeCon (June 16-17). Hosted in our nations capital, AwesomeCon is packed full of incredible opportunities and experiences to create the ultimate fan weekend in Washington DC. I had the …

I’m back with another episode in my Nostalgia Series. This time, I reconnect with a friend I literally haven’t spoken to in several decades! Ross was one of my best middle school buddies and I was so happy to catch up with him. When I knew him, he was fanatical about Lego and in this …

It’s the second installment of my Nostalgia Series and in this episode, I reconnect with Bob, one of my oldest friends. In this trek through memory lane, we focused on our formative junior high years. We went in deep recalling early role playing games, Warhammer 40k, comic books and getting into mischief on our bikes. …

One of things that has made being a Comic Con fan so important to me is how fandom has been so directly connected to my childhood. Over the years, it’s been such a joy to see many of my nerdy passions grow as I have grown up. I’ve finally reached an age where I am …

I’m back from WonderCon 2023 and I’m happy to report it was a FANtastic show. Not only was it an energizing time at the Hero Within booth, but we had an amazing discussion at the How I Built This Panel. Joined by industry professionals Joshua Ovenshire (aka: Jovenshire), Megan Ruiz and David Baron, we all …

It’s WonderCon week and I can’t be more excited! To get you in the mood, my special guest on the pod this week is illustrator and animator Megan Ruiz. This is only her second WonderCon and she shares about her first time experience. We continue with an interesting perspective about her decision to go to …

I’m excited to continue my Road to WonderCon series with special guest David Baron. David and I have known each other for years and he’s a familiar face at comic cons all over the nation. In this interview, David shares about attending his very first San Diego Comic-Con in the 90’s and also recounts his …

Our con season begins with the return of WonderCon in Anaheim! This is one of my favorite shows of the year since it has all the quality that you would expect from Comic-Con International but with more manageable crowds. Hero Within will be returning (Booth 918) along with my panel on Friday called “How I …

After months of waiting, James Gunn finally shares his plan for the reinvigorated “DC Universe”. Shared on his social media on Jan 31st, Gunn revealed the film and tv roadmap for the next few years. My DC BFF, Trevor Kaihoi and I, recorded this reaction podcast about what we thought about all the new pieces …

Comic-Con 2022 is officially in the books! After 3 looooong years, we finally return to the greatest show on Earth- but did it live up to the expectations? The same group of con veterans that joined me for the 100th Episode Comic-Con Prep Special, returned together to do an official review of the show. We …

On Saturday of Comic-Con, I had the privilege to host the “This Panel Will Give You Emotional Damage” Panel in room 5AB. To a full capacity crowd, several Youtube stars- each with millions of followers, shared their journey as a content creator. They dispel myths about social media, when they made the big leap as …

The infamous Hall H line. There is nothing like it in the world. For some, it is the most exhilarating pop culture experience and for others, it’s the most disappointing way to spend Comic-Con. With DC, Star Trek and Marvel panels, Hall H is a high stakes game where winner takes all and losers go …

In just 24 hours, Preview Night of Comic-Con opens after 3 years and you know what that means? Shopping! Whether you are hunting for the latest PopVinyl, an original artist piece, the biggest Sideshow statue or a Hero Within Exclusive, at San Diego Comic-Con there is something everyone. On the eve of the show, I …

Time flies when you’re having fun! In 2009, I posted my first San Diego Comic-Con podcast with my group of friends. Since that time, I’ve been so grateful to attend many conventions all over the nation as a fan, press, moderator, professional and exhibitor. I’ve captured many of those experiences here on my podcasts and …

With only 17 days till San Diego Comic-Con, our final COMIC-CONversation is with my friend Rob Salkowitz. Not only is Rob a seasoned con veteran but he’s the author of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture. He is also an entertainment and pop culture writer for Forbes and ICv2. In this podcast, Rob and …

Can you believe we are just 24 days away from from SDCC?! Have you ever wondered what the experience of being ‘Press’ at Comic-Con? My friend Cherry takes us through the good, bad and ugly of experiencing Comic-Con as the member of the press. If you are interested or new as press this year, she …

Don’t panic, but we are officially 1 month away from San Diego Comic-Con! We will be able to commemorate the conclusion of this 3 year journey together in just 31 days. To celebrate, here is a cosplay focused episode of COMIC-CONversation. Shawn and Lisa met at a comic convention just a few years ago and …

With only 38 days till Comic-Con, we take a break from our regularly scheduled COMIC-CONversation to chat all things Star Wars! For over a decade now, Crazy 4 Comic Con has covered all kinds of conventions so we had to dedicate a podcast episode to Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. I’m especially excited to have …

With Comic-Con just 45 days away, I’m excited to introduce Jason Gutierrez to you. Not only is he a 10 year Comic-Con veteran, but Jason is also a Funko Pop Vinyl enthusiast as well as a Hero Within fan. In this episode of Comic-Conversaton, Jason shares how he got into collecting Pops, his favorite Pop …

In two months, San Diego Comic-Con returns after a long 3 years! I think I can speak for everyone when I say that one of the biggest experienced missed during the pandemic was this show. It’s not only the return of the the greatest show on Earth, but the return of new episodes of COMIC-CONversations! …

After over two years, I return to Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle! During the beginning of the pandemic, ECCC was the first convention to cancel just days prior so it feels good to be back to pick up where we left off. I’ve especially missed hosting panels and while I’ve done some virtual ones, …

Like the rest of you all, we were hoping to post our traditional San Diego Comic-Con Prep podcast. Unfortunately, we have to wait another year since SDCC was cancelled again. Back in 2009, our team posted our very first Comic-Con podcast- time flies while you’re having fun! However, while there have been many amazing shows …

We hope you were able to enjoy WonderCon @Home this year. We missed seeing you at yet another con but hopefully we can reunite all again someday. Here is the audio from this year’s panel: Creating Content In A Constantly Changing WorldThe pandemic has given us more time than ever to create content, however, being …

We hope you had a FANtastic Comic-Con At Home! It was definitely a surreal year but I was really looking forward to participating in this online event. This is our 4th year for the Build A Geek Brand panel and honored to have some amazing guests. Check out the panel description: Do you dream of …

My Build A Geek Brand (that changes the world!) Panel returns to Comic-Con for a 4th year in a row! Hosted by Hero Within, we gathered a talented group of professional nerds to not only share their stories but offer advice to young content creators. Check out the description and audio below: Do you dream of …

We recorded outside so apologize for the wind interference. It clears up later in the episode. It’s San Diego Comic-Con week! Are you ready? Join Tony, Trevor, Abby and Johnny as they reflect on the significance of 50 years of Comic-Con, share what they are looking forward to and offer advice to first timers. They …

[Sorry for the audio crackles, it clears up in about 10 mins] We love nothing more than a great superhero film- but in contrast, there is nothing more frustrating than a terrible one. Our Road Trip Edition continues as Trevor and I head to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo. On our trip through the desert, …

10 years ago, no one would have bet on a Marvel cinematic universe let alone experiencing something as epic as the Infinity Saga. So much has changed. Built on the foundation of 22 films, Avengers Endgame did not disappoint and has permanently changed the future of the MCU. On our Phoenix Fan Fusion Road Trip …

After 8+ long years, winter has come and gone and a new royalty now rules over the realms of Westeros- but was it all worth it? Abby and I continue with our Phoenix Fan Fusion Road Trip Edition where we give our pros and cons of the the finale and decide if it was all …

Hey Friends! The Crazy 4 Comic Con Podcast is back with the Phoenix Fan Fusion Edition! We are on the road to Phoenix, AZ from Southern California and we took the opportunity to record a few relevant podcasts as we speed through the desert. We start off our road trip with an in-depth look at …