July 18, 2008 by bob.

…but it’s too early.

We rolled into Louisville about 7:30 last evening.  Plenty early to get settled, have a bite to eat, get some work done on the Seaview (talk about under the gun - it should have been finished a few days ago, but my progress on this one has been two steps back for every one forward…), get to bed at a decent hour, wake up refreshed…  Nothing too complicated, right?

You know what they say about the best laid plans…

Bumped into a friend in the lobby as we were checking in.  Got started BS-ing, kept BS-ing, didn’t get settled into the room until 9.  Went out with a bunch of folks to grab a bite, drank one too many double-vodka tonics, got back to the hotel about 11:30, where discretion dictated that (1) I shouldn’t attack the Seaview with a soldering iron to finish up the lighting system while drunk, and (2) 6:00 AM was going to be arriving far sooner than I was ready, so I said a silent prayer to the model gods that I have enough time Friday evening to “get ‘er done” and passed out almost immediately.

Now I’m struggling to wake up, getting ready to head down to Kitbuilder’s U, and wishing like hell I had just stayed behind, called room service, got some work done, and got more sleep.  Ah, well.  It a vacation, right?  Who wants to be responsible on vacation?

The fun starts this evening, with the Meet-n-Greet.  Updates soon to follow thereafter…

It’s Wonderfest!

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July 18, 2008 by bob.

To borrow a page from Bob and Bing, “We’re off on the road to Kentucky…”

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July 14, 2008 by bob.

It’s almost here.  The Big Show is this weekend, and I’ve been working non-stop to get ready.  I’ve managed to finish two last-minute buildups of new kits from 2 Fat Guys so we have some display pieces to show off at the Lizard Lounge, and despite my blowing up the lighting system-twice-on my Seaview build, I’m optimistic that it will be ready for display Saturday morning - even if it means re-soldering the lighting system in the hotel Thursday night. (Yeah, I’ll be there Thursday. I’m attending Kitbuilder’s U on Friday, before the official happenings get underway. So if you’re an early arriver, too, look for me in the Exec Inn bar. Just find the big bald guy with the beard and the glass of bourbon in his hand…) There’s two other projects that I was hoping to have, but I just ran out of time. One’s a definite for next year, the other’s a 1/6 scale bust that I might bring along and try to work on. Who knows? It might even be finished (but wet and tacky) in time to put it on the contest table. if not, I can always show it off at the SSM (Not-at-the-)Pool Party Saturday evening…

I’m looking forward to hooking up with Terry Webb and David Fisher again this year - we have something planned (if it works out) that should make for a killer podcast. Stay tuned…

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June 20, 2008 by bob.

As of tonight, Wonderfest 2008 is less than a month away.  I don’t know if that makes me happy, or nervous.  I can’t wait to get back to Louisville and see friends, old and new - but I’m in the same situation I was last year (some things never change…) in that despite spending the last six weekends in the shop, I’m still going to be cutting it close in regards to having some models ready for the Big Show. One of my projects, the big Moebius Seaview, is also a review piece for IPMS, and I’ve got a commitment to having it finished before the show. Consequentially, I’m feeling rushed, and every time I think something is good enough, I see a flaw, and have to fix it… I’m going to have to learn how to balance my want for perfection with the reality of meeting the deadline…

My pard Jimi and I are also gearing up production on our new line of original Kits from 2 Fat Guys , so we can have some inventory to bring to the show. All in all, we have our plates full between now and departure day.

Finally, the Wonderfest on the Web site for this year is in development. It’s “live” in that you can go there - the bells and whistles don’t really start until the show does, but I have high hopes for another successful site.

It seems funny to keep a blog that only gets updated over a single month every year, but I think it’s a good way to keep y’all up to speed. Enjoy! More soon….

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January 14, 2008 by bob.

It’s still six and a half months away, but it’s time to start preparing for Wonderfest 2008.  This year, it’s a bit later than usual, occurring the 19th and 20th of July, in the newly renovated Crowne Plaza nee Executive West Hotel.  This year promises to be exciting, with Lorne Patterson, SFX guru and author of “Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop,” SF actress Linda Harrison, and the alter egos of Astronauts Frank Poole and Davis Bowman: actors Keir Duella and Gary Lockwood.  I guess this means I need to start working on that five-foot model of the Discovery I bought at Wonderfest last year…

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May 28, 2007 by bob.

Well, the weekend had officially unofficially come to a close with my safe arrival at home base…Ah, well.  Only 417 days until Wonderfest ‘08 starts…

I would like to thank some people whose time, generosity, and assistance made this year’s web coverage possible:

John Pekich, Jeffrey Griffin and Pat Amaral for sucking up the slack in the photo department while I was running hither and yon…

Steve Wilson for chipping in wherever he could, helping me move equipment and monitoring the web cam broadcasts…

The gang from the Starship Modeler forums for their encouragement and enthusiasm, which kept me going when I was chugging along on will power and only a few hours sleep…

John and Linda Lester for fostering a home on the web that welcomed me in and introduced me to the amazing experiance that is Wonderfest…

Lee Stanton, Dave Hodge, Dave Conover, Donnie Waddell, John Davis, and their crew of volunteers for putting on the best event for monster/sci-fi/GK/B-Movie geeks on the planet…  You guys do a helluva job every year, and it keeps getting better!

Matt Usher, Steve Iverson, Terry Webb and David Fisher for taking time out of their busy schedules and patiently answering my  questions… several of which I’m sure they have been asked a thousand times before.  Despite that, they were each enthusiastic, informative, and very supportive of my efforts to cover the show.  Terry also gets big-time credit for sparking my interest in garage kits a few years back, and all the blame for my wife’s annoyance at the growing mountain of resin in my workshop…*grin*

I’ve got what will amount to a few hours of video - A walk-through of the Dealer’s Room, and several Sci-Fi U seminars.  As soon as I can get everything edited, they’ll be posted in the video section.

I’ll also be adding captions to many, if not most, of the pictures, to help put some perspective on things.  Considering the amount of photos I have to go through, it’ll probably take a week or two, so please check back often.

Finally, thanks for all the kind words from the site visitors.  I’m glad I could help feed your Wonderfest hunger.

I’ll do it again next year!  Till then, get yer butts in the shop and build something!

Bob

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May 28, 2007 by bob.

All of the models from the Amazing Model Contest are posted in the Pics section.  There’s also a couple of podcasts featuring Matt Usher from Fine Scale Modeler and Steve Iverson from CultTVMan.  There will be a special extended podcast with Terry Webb and David Fisher from Amazing Figure Modeler in the next couple of days, once I get a chance settle down and edit the big audio and video files.

Also coming soon:  A video walkthrough of the Dealer’s Room, and several presentations from Sci-Fi University.

Thanks to everyone who allowed me to shove a microphone under their nose or a video camera in their face!

*sigh*

Another Wonderfest is history.  The day after has got to replace June 21st as the longest day of the year.  Saying goodbye to friends you won’t see for another year, packing all the Dealer’s Room swag into the car, and making the long trek home… The weekend goes by way too fast.  This year’s show was amazing.  I’ll be counting the days until Wonderfest ‘08!  (And naturally, I’ll post the countdown clock on the new website: wonderfest08.paulystuff.com!)(It’s not up yet, but it will be in a few weeks…)

For those planning for next year already, remember:  Wonderfest ‘08 is over July 19th and 20th!  (Yes, that’s right!  Not Memorial Day Weekend.  We have a FOURTEEN MONTH wait, sports fans…)

Keep checking in for site updates.  I’ll start putting the remaining pictures and other goodies on line once I get home and settled in…

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May 27, 2007 by bob.

I had to share my ultimate Wonderfest Moment.

Last night, while sitting around at the pool party, A friend of mine, Pat Amaral (who has taken a ton of the pics on this site. Thanks, Pat!) walked up to my table. On it sat a couple of models that I hadn’t had time to finish for the contest, but since a big part of the pool party is “show and tell,” I thought I’d share. One of the models was the 1/72 scale QuestJet by Annubis Productions, from the classic cartoon series. Pat was up with another fellow, who starts to tell me how much he admired my QuestJet build up. I thought it was very nice of the guy, and explained all of the flaws and unfinished things that still needed work, but the guy was insistent that I had done a beautiful job.

I was flattered, until Pat introduced the guy. Then, I was flabbergasted.

“Bob, have you met John Eaves?”

John Motherfrakking Eaves. Designer of the USS Enterprise. Production designer extrodinaire. PROFESSIONAL Model dude. The guy responsible for designs and models I have probably drooled over for weeks of cumulative time. One of my inspirations as a modeler. Complementing my work.

It was akin to having Shakespeare tell you he admires your writing.

I wish Pat had a camera ready at the time, because according to John, I looked pretty damn funny with my jaw bouncing on the floor. I literally had to go outside for a smoke after that, because the shock of finding out who this incredibly kind admirer of my model was had the same effect on my nerves as a post-coital moment.
And the best part? After talking with him for awhile, I realized that John is also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. I’m honored to be able to say I met him.

Thanks, John and Pat, for making my Wonderfest this year!

John Motherfrakking Eaves Kung-Fu!

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May 27, 2007 by bob.

I’m still trying to get material for the podcasts.  Terry Webb and David Fisher of Amazing Figure Modeler, Tracy Hodges at Federation, and Steve Iverson from CultTVMan have all agreed to chat, but as you can imagine, they’ve all been busier than a group of one-legged men in an ass-kicking marathon…I hope I can catch them at a peaceful moment today.  More later…

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May 27, 2007 by bob.

Pictures of Iron Modeler, Sci-Fi U, and a bunch of contest pics are up in the photo section.

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