News

John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce were spotted filming for their upcoming Jack Ryan movie on Sunday (May 4) in New York City.

The two actors are reprising their roles from the Prime Video series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan for the untitled movie, which is said to be the “next stage evolution of the franchise.”

While on set, John and Wendell were joined by a local New York City icon - Radio Man, aka Craig Castaldo!

It’s unclear if Radio Man was just stopping by for a visit or if he will make a cameo in the movie, like he has done in hundreds of other projects.

Last month, John was also seen filming in London alongside Sienna Miller, who joined the cast in a new role.

Later this month, John is set to star in a one-man show Off Broadway for three months, and he just started rehearsals, seemingly...

Robin Williams wasn’t just one of the greatest comedic and dramatic actors to ever grace the screen, he was also one of the greatest guys to ever grace a film set.

Ever since Williams’ death on August 11, 2014, friends, family members and co-stars have been sharing stories about his tremendous grace and empathy to keep his memory alive. The impression that we, as fans, get about the brilliant artist’s personal life is that, for as wonderful and joy-inducing as Williams was onscreen, he was an even bigger joy after the cameras stopped rolling. The tales of the Good Will Hunting and Mrs. Doubtfire star’s selflessness are the stuff of Hollywood legend, but, as his children remind us, they wouldn’t be so extraordinary if other A-listers followed his example and used their position to do the everyday acts of kindness that made Williams who he was.

During the...

Are you ready to hear the rags-to-riches—ok, maybe not riches, but certainly fame—the story of the most famous homeless movie star in Hollywood? Meet Craig Castaldo, better known as Radioman, the bearded vagabond of New York City who’s more of a fixture in Tinseltown than the Hollywood sign itself.

Craig Castaldo, the Radioman | Credit: YouTube

Well, ever wondered how a homeless man can win the respect and friendship of top-tier celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, and Johnny Depp? Well, they say the only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them, and Radioman has turned his obstacles into hallmarks of fame.

Armed with his trusty radio strung around his neck—a quirk that earned him his moniker—Radioman has been a background actor in NYC since 1989, starring in more films than you’d believe. Even a documentary on him, Radioman, takes a wise...

There is very little about Riff Raff,the latest from director Dito Montiel and screenwriter John Pollono, to commend it. The film is bleak, mean-spirited, and simply not good. This cast is very malleable to comedy; many have contributed to some hilarious movies, but the script offers them nothing but one shameful joke after another.

Riff Raff

Director Dito MontielRelease Date December 12, 2024Writers John PollonoCast Bob Leszczak, Lucinda Carr, Miles J. Harvey, Derrick Simmons, Sage Spielman, Eli Massillon, Tom Johnson, Craig Castaldo, Angelic Zambrana, Emanuela Postacchini, Scott Michael Campbell, Ed Harris, Bill Murray, Michael Angelo Covino, Lewis Pullman, P.J. Byrne, Gabrielle Union, Pete Davidson, Jennifer CoolidgeGenres Comedy, Crime

Riff Raff follows a former criminal, Vincent (Ed Harris), on his blissful New Year's vacation with his new wife, Sandy (Gabrielle Union), and stepson DJ (Miles J. Harvey). His vacation is thwarted by the presence of his biological son Rocco (Lewis Pullman...

Find out where to watch Spike Jonze’s turn-of-the-century film, Being John Malkovich, and what streaming service to catch it on.

Known as a surrealist fantasy comedy film, Being John Malkovich was very favorably received when it was released on the silver screen in 1999. Spike Jonze and his cast blend philosophy and film and address very abstract ideas such as the relationship between the mind and free will and do so in a very digestible — at times hilarious — way.

Being John Malkovich was incredibly original when it was released in 1999 and still is so to this day, and with dozens of philosophies running throughout the film the final 30 minutes are as interesting as the first 30 minutes.

The film was directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) in what was their feature-length debut. This debut kicked off a working relationship that inspired other thought-provoking films like Adaptation.

Sony Pictures Animation is on the move.

The movie studio division led by president Kristine Belson — as well as affiliated VFX firm Imageworks and anime streaming service Crunchyroll — is set to depart its offices at The Culver Studios Building in Culver City for mid-Wilshire. Sony Pictures Animation’s lease at the location had been set to expire in May 2024. About 700 workers will be relocated in the move.

“After a comprehensive market search, I am pleased to report that we have signed a lease for approximately 225,000 square feet at Wilshire Courtyard, located at 5750 Wilshire Boulevard. We plan to relocate in April of 2024,” wrote Craig Schwartz, Sony Pictures evp of real estate and facilities, in a memo to staff on Feb. 2.

The move will bring the studio and its affiliates to another area, the Miracle Mile, populated by creative offices (NBCUniversal), museums (Lacma and the Academy Museum) as well as the SAG-AFTRA building,...

"Being John Malkovich" remains just as inventive and thought-provoking in 2022 as it was at the time of its 1999 release. The movie marked the feature film debut for screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, and they have each gone on to impressive careers as both writers and directors in the years since. Starring John Cusack as Craig Schwartz, an unsuccessful puppeteer who finds a secret passage way into the mind of actor John Malkovich, the movie also stars Cameron Diaz as his dowdy wife, Lotte. I know what you're thinking: How could Cameron Diaz possibly look dowdy?

Diaz's appearance in the film may have been completely different from how audiences were used to seeing her, but her part was about so much more than Lotte's looks. The actress gives an impassioned and sincere performance as Craig's mild-mannered wife, who goes on quite a journey of self-discovery as the film progresses.

"He doesn't belong here..." FilmRise has unveiled an official trailer for an indie thriller titled Nighthawks, the latest from Tony-winning theater director / filmmaker Grant S. Johnson (Frat Star). Chace Crawford plays a "wide-eyed Midwest transplant" named Stan who agrees to be the wingman to his "calculating and privileged" roommate Chad as they embark upon an exploration of glittering New York City nightlife, whose darkest secrets are held captive by an elite group of millennials known as "Nighthawks". If you think that sounds boring, just wait until you watch the trailer. The cast includes Kevin Zegers, Janet Montgomery, Lola Bessis, Michele Weaver, Blue Kimble, Craig Castaldo, Melanie Blake Roth, Max Sheldon, Juliette Labelle, and Nicole Balsam. This looks way too extravagant and cliche and glitzy for my tastes. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Grant S. Johnson's Nighthawks, direct from FilmRise's YouTube: Wide-eyed Midwest transplant Stan (Chace Crawford) agrees to...

In Spike Jonze’s debut feature “Being John Malkovich,” John Cusack’s character Craig Schwartz enters the mind and body of actor John Malkovich and begins controlling him from the inside, eventually forcing him to publicly switch careers from acting to puppeteering. The central joke in the film is that no one in Hollywood bats an eye when Malkovich suggests such a radical career change.

Read More: John Malkovich Plays Agent Dale Cooper of ‘Twin Peaks’ in First ‘Playing Lynch’ Video — Watch

While becoming a fashion designer isn’t exactly as radical a shift in professions, Malkovich and the website builder Squarespace have released a three-minute short film entitled “John’s Journey” that details his decision to start his own fashion line and the struggles he faces to be taken seriously. “I don’t really care how they take me,” he says to a friend of his in the film.

To mark the release of Being John Malkovich on 14th March, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD. Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order tomake some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door… a portal into the brain

The post Win Being John Malkovich on DVD appeared first on HeyUGuys.

As incredibly bizarre and unique as Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich is, the reality is that it was almost much, much weirder. Details about the conclusion of an earlier script have come to light online, and to call it fascinating is an extreme understatement. This new Being John Malkovich early script info has surfaced thanks to Badass Digest, which has a fully detailed breakdown of the movie's original ending in all its weirdo glory. Beginning at about the start of the third act - which has Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) lock his wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz), in a chimpanzee cage and leave with Maxine (Catherine Keener) to permanently take over John Malkovich's body. The big change, however, is that Craig doesn't turn Malkovich into a great puppeteer, but instead publicizes that Malkovich is a puppet and becomes famous as his controller. He gets his own show in Las Vegas,...

The Overlooked Hotel is a new column in which we throw the spotlight behind the front line, champion those unfairly lost in the shallow focus of fame and feed the hungry underdogs.

Our second guest in the Hotel is George Armitage’s 1997 none more black comedy comedy Grosse Pointe Blank.

John Cusack may occasionally slum it in by-the-numbers films (2012, Serendipity, America’s Sweethearts – discuss), but when he is really applying himself he is amongst the most accomplished actors working today. Endearing, personable, yet edgy enough to convincingly portray characters as diverse as Craig Schwartz, Roy Dillon and Robert Hansen, Cusack’s best work has perhaps tended to feature in the lesser-known, unheralded films on his CV, which is where we come in. More to the point, that is where Grosse Pointe Blank comes in.

Released in cinemas in 1997, Grosse Pointe Blank has Cusack’s fingerprints all over it. He starred in it,...

Movie critics often use “unique” or “original” to describe a film that doesn’t subscribe to common film making patterns or techniques. Being John Malkovich is such a film, but it takes those descriptors one step farther by also being “entertaining” and “exciting” in ways that few other films are.

A common theme in movies is the protagonist wanting to be famous or popular. Being John Malkovich is no major deviation from this major theme except that the protagonist actually gets to be famous without changing himself. As you can most likely infer from the title, this occurs due to someone actually becoming someone else. Yeah, it’s a weird idea, but thankfully this film doesn’t dive off into the deep end with it. This is a film that you can enjoy if you are looking for something a little bit off the beaten path, but still want something...

Appropriately enough, this fascinating documentary is the first feature of a British film-maker whose previous work has largely been in casting, because its subject is a New Yorker legendary in the movie business for hanging around the sets of pictures made on location to get free food and be seen on camera. Aged around 60 and from a lower-middle-class Brooklyn family, he's known in the business as "Radioman" because of the portable radio he wears round his neck, but his real name is Craig Castaldo (or perhaps Craig Schwartz).

A short, bearded, scruffy motormouth, he first became interested in moviemaking when he mistook Bruce Willis, who was playing the boozy writer in The Bonfire of the Vanities, for a fellow drunk living on the streets. From then on he has stalked locations and appeared in over 100 movies, becoming acquainted with dozens of stars and something of a talisman for film people shooting in New York.

Everyone in the New York film industry knows the gentle vagrant Radioman – but as this documentary shows, that doesn't mean he's one of them

British film-maker Mary Kerr has given us a shrewd insight into the sentimentality and superstition of the film business, and the brittle world of movie status and prestige. The subject is a gentle New York vagrant named Craig Castaldo, bearded and wild-haired, with matted and dirty clothes but intelligent and articulate. He is nicknamed "Radioman" on account of the radio he keeps on a string around his neck. Over the past 20 years, Radioman has become a cult figure in the New York film industry for always hanging around Manhattan film sets, and since striking up a boozy conversation with Bruce Willis on the set of The Bonfire of the Vanities, he keeps getting cast in tiny non-speaking parts, almost as a talisman. Scorsese used him quite prominently in Shutter Island,...

Radioman doesn’t look like your average A-lister.

With his dishevelled beard, gnarled fingers and lived-in sweater, it comes as a surprise to hear him talking about sharing yoghurt with Dame Helen, having chats with Marty, and his recurring role on 30 Rock.

But looks can be deceiving. Radioman, born Craig Castaldo and one of New York’s enduring wanderers, who has overcome homelessness and alcoholism, has appeared in around 150 films, as an extra around New York City, playing himself or variations thereof, and is now the subject of his own documentary, which premieres tonight in London, in aid of Shelter.

Radioman and Matt Damon

Marty, Leo, Robert, Ron Howard… they all know Radioman, and they’re all happy to work with him, and many famous faces were happy to contribute – for no money –to the film, as Radioman knew who they’d be.

“He’s a cultural institution…You get...

Forgotten Classics is a recurring feature, a look back and reflection on great motion pictures that often slip under the radar and become under-appreciated, ignored relics of a previous era or simply damned by lack of face time in the spotlight.

Being John Malkovich

Directed by Spike Jonze

Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman

Us, 1999

It takes real skill to come up with a film of indisputable weirdness and make it high concept, so from this salient fact we can safely conclude that Charlie Kaufman is one hell of a writer. 1999’s Being John Malkovich, Kaufman and director Spike Jonze’s screen debut, can be described in one curt sentence: ‘Struggling and restless puppeteer discovers a portal leading into the mind of actor John Malkovich’.

That’s it, that’s the premise. Throw in a five foot high office floor, an ape with abandonment issues, bald Charlie Sheen and one of cinema...

This week, two of the year's most critically praised films hit DVD, plus Criterion releases a modern classic for all of us to enjoy.

Check out all of this week's releases below.

Pick of the Week

"Chronicle" (2012)

Director: Josh Trank

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

Story:

Three high school friends obtain telekinetic powers in this surprise found footage hit from director Josh Trank.

On the Disc:

The Blu-ray edition of "Chronicle" comes with an unrated director's cut, pre-viz footage and a reel of test footage. The package also includes a digital copy.

Past Coverage:

-Exclusive 'Chronicle' Test Footage And Interview With Director Josh Trank

-Exclusive 'Chronicle' Clip: What Every High School Guy Would Do With Superpowers

Reviews:

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: 69

Where to get it

Amazon: Blu-ray - $22.99, DVD - $14.96, Digital Download - $14.99

Apple: Digital Download - $14.99

Netflix Instant: Not available

"The Grey" (2012)

Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Liam Neeson,...

Demi Moore was nowhere to be seen on Wednesday as her husband Ashton Kutcher was honoured for his work with the couple's charity initiative to fight child prostitution.

The Hollywood stars have been dogged by rumours of a split ever since they spent their sixth wedding anniversary apart on 24 September.

Neither actor has spoken out about the alleged marriage trouble or addressed speculation about Kutcher's infidelity, but they appear to be trying to work through any problems and Moore was recently spotted visiting the funnyman on the set of his TV show Two and a Half Men.

However, Kutcher was solo at the GQ Gentleman's Ball in New York on Wednesday as he was recognised for his efforts for the Demi and Ashton Foundation campaign, which pushes the message: 'Real Men Don't Buy Girls'.

During a speech, Kutcher told the crowd, "Our global issues are getting tougher. A lot of the things we're doing we can't talk about, but I can promise you we're fighting and we're going to make a change, so that's a little about what I'm working on."

After the event, Kutcher was stopped by U.S. radio personality Craig Schwartz, who quizzed the star about his wellbeing, to which the actor replied, "Yeah. Yes. I am doing Ok, thanks. Thank you for caring. Thank you for caring, really. It means a lot."...

Ashton Kutcher needs to shave the face and get rid of the ring. He was spotted once again with silver on the ring finger and it is getting a little ridiculous.

According to Us, Ashton showed up for the GQ Gentleman's Ball on Wednesday night looking not so GQ in a beanie hat and that grizzly hair of his. He was there to to be honored for the charity that both he and Demi Moore cofounded but she was not present. He looked on with the rest of the crowd when a video of them was presented.

Awkward.

By the end of the night he headed out and was of course asked by someone if he was okay with 'everything that's going on.' That person was radio personality Craig Schwartz. He simply stated, "Yeah. Yes. I am doing Ok, thanks. Thank you for caring. Thank you for caring, really.

Film debuts don’t come much better than Being John Malkovich, which saw music video director Spike Jonze team up with TV writer Charlie Kaufman to create one of the most funny, disturbing and thought-provoking American movies of the last twenty years. The duo went on to collaborate again on the superior Adaptation - one of my all time favourite films – but all the ingenuity, metatextual commentary and black comedy that underpins that later work can also be seen here.

On a plot level, Being John Malkovich is about a struggling artist, puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), forced to take a crummy office job on floor 7 1/2 of a New York office building working for a bizarre and sexually frank old man (Orson Bean). Whilst working there he meets and falls in love with an aloof, cynical colleague, Maxine (Catherine Keener), who rebuffs his advances and generally makes him feel pathetic.

Tom Hanks sent 30 Rock fans into an excited tizzy on Friday when he posted this message to his Twitter account:

"RadioMan delivers msg from T.Fey. Result? I'm on 30 Rock! Thanks, RMan Hanx"

For those wondering who "RadioMan" is, that's the nickname of Craig Castaldo, a homeless man who's gained notoriety for his TV and film cameos, including multiple appearances on 30 Rock.

TV Line notes that if Hanks does go to 30 Rock, it will be his first network TV appearance since he played alcoholic Uncle Ned on Family Ties in the early 1980s. Before that, the Academy Award winner got his start on the sitcom Bosom Buddies, in which he and Peter Scolari dressed in drag to live in a cheap all women's apartment building.

In its five seasons, "30 Rock" has had some big guest stars. It's about to get its biggest.

Tom Hanks announced on Twitter Friday night that he would be appearing on the NBC comedy in an unknown role. "RadioMan delivers msg from T.Fey. Result? I'm on 30 Rock! Thanks, RMan Hanx," the Oscar winner wrote.

Radio Man refers to the homeless man that often camps outside David Letterman's "Late Show" studios; Fey, the star and head writer of "30 Rock," posed for a picture with him while at the studio earlier this week.

Fey has had a number of high profile guest stars play her unsuccessful love interests on the show, with John Hamm, Matt Damon and Michael Sheen each getting a recurring role arc as they tried to romance the helpless Liz Lemon. No word on whether Hanks will take on the challenge of being Liz Lemon's next man, or...

Photo by Craig Schwartz/Center Theatre Group

Being slightly on the vertically challenged side, we've never forgiven Randy Newman for "Short People." Sure, he has since written gems like "I Love L.A." and "You Got a Friend in Me," but it's all too little too late. "No reason to live," Randy? Really. Kind of harsh if you ask us.

But if you can get past his unkind words to the under 5'4" set, you may want to check out Randy Newman’s Harps and Angels at the Mark Taper Forum. The (perhaps) Broadway-bound show is not just another in a string of musicals that take a catalog of work by a single artist and build a story around it.

This show is simply a musical revue. Its sole purpose is to honor the music of the Toy Story composer. There is a bit of a through line based purely...

Photo by Craig Schwartz/Ahmanson Theatre

Everyone has their favorite Brooke Shields era. Whether it's the Pretty Baby/Blue Lagoon period, her Suddenly Susan career comeback, her turn on cable's Lipstick Jungle, or the time she became the object of Tom Cruise's anti-psychiatrist-fueled rage.

But lately Brooke has started a new phase on the stage in shows like Chicago, Cabaret, and Grease. She's adding to her list of live performances starting September 11 at the Ahmanson Theatre when she stars in the world premiere of Leap of Faith alongside Tony-nominee Raul Esparza (Company and Taboo). The show is a musical adaptation of the Steve Martin movie from 1992 about a less than holy tent revival con-man trapped in small town Kansas.

The production is directed by Tony-winner Rob Ashford with music by eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, and Little Shop of Horrors).

Previews start September...

Chicago – The stage may is noticeably stripped, and the absence of technical advancement well-viewed. But the brass creativity emanating from “The 39 Steps”, the rollicking adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s quieted film, is consummately endowed. In a certain albeit undeniable sense, the Master of Suspense’s screen canon has always been ripe for the satirical plucking. Permeated with harrowing plot twists, forlorn femme fatales, and disoriented- though always dignified- heroes, Hitchcockian thrillers offer the sort of dramatic abundance about which most Broadway producers can only daydream.

Play Rating: 3.0/5.0

Both John Buchan’s original 1915 novel and Hitchcock’s 1935 screen adaptation followed a quick-paced, English-flavored thriller conceit. The narratives employed heady espionage, boiling international conflict, and the staple of mistaken identity. The stage conversion of “The 39 Steps”, adapted by Patrick Barlow and with conceptualization by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, renders much of the same recipe. But slapstick and schtick are the go-to ingredients here.

Robert here, continuing my series on great contemporary directors. This week an interesting director who doesn't necessarily fit into the mold of most modern directors. After all, how many current maestros cut their teeth making skating videos?

Maestro: Spike Jonze

Known For: darkly comic visually striking independent films about the contents of people's heads.

Influences: of all the directors I've featured, Jonze seems least likely to list other filmmakers as influences and more likely to name songs or literature. And although I've seen no evidence of it anywhere it wouldn't surprise me if he was a fan of, say, Alejandro Jodorowsky

Masterpieces: Being John Malkovich

Disasters: None.

Better than you remember: The dissenters for Where the Wild Things Are have some good points, but the film is far better than many people think.

Awards: Oscar and DGA nominated for Being John Malkovich. Globe nominated for Adaptation.

Box Office: Over 77 mil...

Russell Crowe gave his winter coat to Radio Man when he found that the celebrity follower/homeless man had travelled to Pittsburgh on his bike to meet him.Crowe was shooting for The Next Three Days in the city. “Apparently, Radio Man loves Russell so much that he went all the way there just to stand outside the set,” the New York Daily News quoted an insider as saying.Radio Man is now flashing his new jacket, a grey down coat with a fur hood, all over town. ...

Russell Crowe was full of Christmas cheer during the festive season as he handed a homeless man a plush coat to help keep out the winter chill. The Gladiator star was filming scenes for new movie The Next Three Days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earlier this month when he learned a popular down-and-out known as 'Radio Man' had travelled to the city to catch a glimpse of the shoot. And Crowe immediately showed his generous side - handing the grateful vagrant a warm coat with a furry hood. A source said: 'Apparently, Radio Man loves Russell so much that he went all the way there just to stand outside the set.'...

London, Dec 29 (Ians) Hollywood actor Russell Crowe was full of Christmas cheer during the festive season and he handed a homeless man a plush coat to help keep out the winter chill.

The ‘Gladiator’ star was filming scenes for new movie ‘The Next Three Days’ in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earlier this month when he learned a popular down-and-out known as ‘Radio Man’ had travelled to the city to catch a glimpse of.

Russell Crowe was full of Christmas cheer during the festive season - he handed a homeless man a plush coat to help keep out the winter chill.

The Gladiator star was filming scenes for new movie The Next Three Days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania earlier this month when he learned a popular down-and-out known as 'Radio Man' had travelled to the city to catch a glimpse of the shoot.

And Crowe immediately showed his generous side - handing the grateful vagrant a warm coat with a furry hood.

A source tells the New York Daily News, "Apparently, Radio Man loves Russell so much that he went all the way there just to stand outside the set."...

It pains me to admit that I almost didn't catch Being John Malkovich during its theater run. Even worse, it was a last-minute selection because Sleepy Hollow was sold out. Naturally, I soon realized the fortuitous nature of this little inconvenience. Even more thrilling than this virgin experience at the hands of a Charlie Kaufman script was the pleasure of witnessing fellow theatergoers filing into the lobby and asking each other, "What the fuck was that?" As the first collaborative effort between Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich is bizarre not only in its concept but also in its fierce originality. This darkly amusing film, which has amazing performances from all of its actors, revolves around the rather horrifying prospect that one's consciousness is vulnerable to invasion. As the film's title suggests, the violated mind in question belongs to John Horatio Malkovich (Malkovich playing a variation of himself...

Whatever you do, don't mention Balthazar Getty to Sienna Miller. Yesterday on Australia's Matt & Jo radio show, Adam Richard interviewed the bombastic blonde and her G.I. Joe castmate, Rachel Nichols. Wisely beating around the bush, Richard asked Nichols about sharing screentime with Getty when they both worked on Alias. She responded sweetly—if you consider "he's definitely not ugly" sweet. However, when the DJ dared asked Miller if she knew the married man with whom she's been spotted trotting topless around the globe, things went a bit sour. "Oh piss off," she ranted. "Honestly, we're here to talk about a film. You've called us...

So here we were, writer/editor Jack C. Harris and myself, caught in a warp of eternity. Had we committed some hideous transgression to be doomed to this Purgatory? Well, no. What we’d done is agree to be guests on a radio call-in program about 30 years ago. Subject, of course: comic books.

We arrived at the small, shadowy studio early, earlier than the host, who breezed in a minute or so before air time and then, without notes, he was speaking into a microphone, introducing Jack and me, urging listeners to ask us questions and giving a phone number they could call if they wanted to speak to one or both of us.

We waited for that ol’ switchboard to light up. And waited. And waited. And waited. It seemed that nobody was interested in comic books, not that night in that city. We waited, and tried to make small talk,...