After 189 guests and more than 224 hours of ear candy, Eating the Fantastic makes history — by offering you an episode with the greatest discrepancy between the quality of the guest and the quality of the food being eaten.

I’ve known that guest, Danny Fingeroth, for more than 40 years. A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee, his biography of “The Man,” has just been released in paperback. That’s but the latest of his many accomplishments since he started in comics back in the ’70s as an assistant at Marvel to previous guest Larry Lieber.

Danny went on to become group editor for all the Spider-Man titles, and writer of the Deadly Foes of Spider-Man and Lethal Foes of Spider-Man mini-series, plus long runs on Dazzler and Darkhawk. His other books in addition to that Stan Lee bio include Superman On The Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Society and Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero.

As for dinner … our multi-course meal was made up of nothing but Marvel-branded food — which clearly should be ingested for their novelty value only — about which you’ll hear us kibitz during our conversation.

We discussed his start (like mine) in the Marvel British reprint department, what was wrong with the early letters he wrote to comics as a kid, his admittedly over-generalized theory that there were only two kinds of people on staff at Marvel, our differing reactions to the same first comic book convention in 1970, our somewhat similar regrets about the old-timers we worked beside during our early days in comics, the reason working in comics was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time, why he wanted to be not only Stan Lee, but both Stan and Jack Kirby, how he was able to interview “The Man” and get him to say things he’d never said before, why comics was the perfect medium for Stan Lee, and much more.

Here’s how you can eavesdrop on our conversation — (more…)

I’ve gone to at least one convention a year since 1970, when I was 15. But due to the pandemic, that 50-year streak is at an end. Luckily, virtual gatherings have risen to take the place of the traditional meatspace ones, and the next of those I’ll attend will be C’monfluence 2020, which runs from October 2-4.

I’m grateful to the organizers of this event for creating a space where community can continue to flourish even during these difficult times.

Here’s my schedule —

Podcast Panel
Friday, October 2, 2020, 5:00 p.m.
Podcasters talk about how they put together material, how they use podcasting to strengthen their brand and possibly some of their plans to use podcasting for their own nefarious ends.
with Alan Bailey, Gail Carriger, Neil Clarke and J. Thorn

Kaffeeklatsch/Literary Beer
Friday, October 2, 2020, 6:00 p.m.
Bring your beverage of choice and come hang out. This interactive, social chat is limited to 15 participants. Spaces may be determined via a lottery system.
with Mary Turzillo

Book Recs (not Wrecks)
Friday, October 2, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Looking at newer books and what’s worth reading.
with Rachel Swirsky, Mary Soon Lee, and Michelle Sagara

Expand the Fan(base)
Saturday, October 3, 2020, 2:00 p.m.
Welcoming new generations and new books.
with Julie Czerneda, Jennifer Foehner Wells and Michael Arnzen

Information Please!
Saturday, October 3, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Steven H Silver hosts a game show based on an old radio show in which he tries to stump a panel of experts with a series of trivia questions and brain teasers related to science fiction and fantasy.
with Steven H Silver, Cat Rambo, Julie Czerneda, and William Higgins

Feel the Love
Saturday, October 3, 2020, 10:00 p.m.
A late night panel that might be best not discussed in polite company.
with Kelly Robson, Gail Carriger, and Julie Czerneda

Check out the full Friday, Saturday, and Sunday schedules.

Hope to see you (or be seen by you) there!