Growing up, Madness Comics in Plano, TX was my hometown comic book store. My parents live only a couple of miles away and the surrounding shops never seemed to have the same … grandeur as it did. Walking into it is an experience in itself, high ceilings and seemingly endless space makes it markedly different than the majority of local comic shops.
I remember when they moved across the street to their current building, from a relatively cramped shopping center to what literally used to be an indoor children’s theme park (and the site of my seventh birthday party). As their size grew, their inventory grew, as well, and, really, I have not been to another place like it. It was here that I played in my first (and last) competitive X-Wing tournament, bought as many #1 issues of the New 52 as I could and attempted to ween myself off of lenticular variants (to mild success).
Adding to an already impressive store and pull list, they’ve also begun bringing in talent from movies and TV shows. Scattered throughout the year, whether Free Comic Book Day or otherwise, it’s always a nice surprise to hear that a few cast members from Star Wars and beyond are making a relatively rare appearance so close to my house (and, equally as rare, not in a typical convention setting).
This atypical setting allows for a laid-back environment that I love. Talking to the actors and performers without being herded around in queues, really makes for an enjoyable, unique experience. My favorite thing in the entire world is talking about Star Wars and, really, who better to talk about Star Wars with then some of its … stars?
And so, loaded up with pre-bought, officially-licensed 11×14 photos (never trust 8×10 table photos), Super Kaiju set out during rush hour to Plano.
Brian Herring
Our first stop was Brian Herring, the puppeteer behind The Force Awakens’ BB-8. The longest line, he was taking his time to talk to each person waiting, telling awesome stories from filming. Working on all three Disney / Lucasfilm movies, he had some great behind-the-scenes insights (including a surprise reveal that he had been one of the puppeteers of the Porgs and Bor Gullet.)
After making a mistake while signing a Funko Pop, he actually made sure to remove the autograph before drying and resigned it, a move I was very impressed by. His passion for the fans was very evident.
Lee Towersey
One of my favorite Star Wars stories ever, Mr. Towersey was literally plucked from fandom by Kathleen Kennedy and JJ Abrams. From building his own astromech droid as part of the R2 Builders Club … to actually building the real droids for Episode 7, he had some awesome stories. We also nerded out about Star Wars dirt, which is, as we all know, the most important part of Star Wars.
That is not a joke.
Derek Arnold
Our longest conversation of the evening, Derek Arnold was a real delight to talk with. The performer behind Pao in Rogue One and the Luggabeast in The Force Awakens, he told us so many great stories about filming and costume mistakes, while we bonded over the great Kiran Shah, stunt double to the stars.
He’s coming back to town for our friends at All-Con in a few weeks and we’ll probably be back to see him and hear more stories.
Paul Kasey
Rounding out the evening was Paul Kasey, who, besides being a huge part of the new movies, also was a performer during nine “series” of Doctor Who. From Cybermen to Mon Calamari (my favorite Star Wars species), he’s really done it all. I’ll be back when they release some high quality photos of Admiral Raddus.
We had such a fun time, thanks to all the actors and Madness Comics. And a very special thanks to Zach and Galactic Productions for continuing to bring some awesome talent to D/FW. We’re looking forward to seeing who is next.
