Remember how I told you I’d only worn a costume to a convention once?

I’m going to have to amend that statement. Samuel Maronie, old pal and proprietor of the pop-culture blog Sam Maronie’s Entertainment Funhouse, mentioned over on Facebook that he had a photo of me in costume threatening legendary Marvel Comics inker Joe Sinnott with a broadsword—a moment in time of which I have no memory!

The strangest thing about not remembering this encounter? When he sent me a copy of the pic, I saw that I’d signed the thing in 1993! Which makes two things I no longer remember.

In any case, feast your eyes on this …

I was 19 years old.

And yes, that is a rabbit on the tip of that sheathed sword.

Sam tells me that, “This photo was taken, I believe, at the 1974 New York Creation Convention at the Hotel Commodore.” If true, that would make it earlier than the other costume I shared. Who knows? This might be where Jim Starlin or Howard Chaykin got the idea to enlist me for their bizarro panel.

Better be nice to me, or I’ll recreate the look at an upcoming convention. After all, I still own that broadsword.

And keep an eye out for a couple of upcoming books from Sam—Stumbling through Pop-Culture, “which will be a compilation of what I think are humorous and unusual anecdotes about my encounters with the movie, television, comics and celebrity world from the past 40 years,” plus one gathering all of his convention photos, which I assume will include the image of me above.

And that’s that for me, conventions, and costumes, I think. Unless, that is, some other photographer pops up with an outfit I’ve completely forgotten!