Thoughts on Force Collector by Kevin Shinick

I just finished reading a Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novel Force Collector by Kevin Shinick.  I will do a quick review of my thoughts on this Star Wars novel, but just to start I will say that I really liked this book.
Early in the story, we learn that the main character, Karr, gets headaches to the level of passing out when he touches, what he believes to be Jedi artifacts.  He believes that he may have a connection to the Force.  His best friend, Maize, whose father works for the First Order, believes that the Jedi are legends and didn't really exist.  They were evil wizards at best if they actually did exist, she believes.  Her opinion of that changes over time.  As the story progresses, Karr continues to collect items as he visits locations in the galaxy where he believes Jedi artifacts exist.  He becomes more adept at controlling himself to the point where he begins seeing visions and hearing dialog that are connected to the memory of those items.  He catches the name Kenobi and Skywalker in several visions.  The story becomes less and less about him learning about the Jedi and more about him discovering the truth of the Force and learning his place in the galaxy.
As a reader of other books and comics of this time period, I have struggled idea that the general galactic opinion is the Jedi were either evil or a made-up legend. Author Kevin Shinick does a nice job explaining that with the character Maize as she explains her point of view through the stories that were passed down to her by her family.  It becomes very clear that Palpatine's anti-Jedi propaganda of Order 66 and that of the Empire, basically erased the general feeling that the Jedi were the keepers of peace and justice.  In fact, a discussion at the end of the book shows how that belief went much deeper than originally thought. These explanations made sense and were shared in an authentic non-argumentative way in the story which added emotional belief in the characters.
I have seen some criticism that Karr doesn't really face any challenges or major conflicts in the story.  While I agree there is a lot of plot convenience (it is a young YA novel), Shinick makes up for it in plot and character discovery.  As Karr travels the galaxy, he makes some amazing discoveries for himself that really capture us as readers! For example, we as the readers recognize many of his visions so we are able to make many connections as he tries to piece the puzzle of the Jedi together.  He also comes across some very recognizable artifacts that are fun to see where they have landed. 
For us as readers, the conclusion of the book is fresh.  It opens some new doors for us as fans of the Star Wars galaxy that make us think of the galaxy in a different way.  It has a touching ending that I didn't see coming.  It wasn't a twist or anything like that, but I was not expecting it to end this way it did.  Let me just say, the ending is satisfying.  I recommend the book as a story that develops what is happening in the galaxy at this time.  It isn't a must-read for any particular storyline in the way that Ahsoka or Bloodline might be considered, but it definitely is a good read and it
helps paint a larger picture.

My Top Three Moments of Star Wars Celebration Chicago

A little more time than I would like to think has passed now since Star Wars Celebration 2019 in Chicago, and while the excitement of the moment has moved on, I am still filled with the buzz that comes with such a convention.  Here are my the top three moments of Star Wars Celebration 2019.

1. The Episode IX panel and trailer Friday morning.  I feel this was the most anticipated moment for many Star Wars fans, and for my experience, it happened right away on Friday morning. I did not get the lottery to get into any of the stage presentations of the panel, so my friend Cory and I decided to try to get to the Star Wars show stage to experience this much anticipated panel.  We ran a little late getting there because we made our way through the show store before the panel was to begin.  As we headed to the stage, it became clear that we would not get anywhere close to be able to see or hear.  So we went to a clear area and hunkered down with our phones and earbuds.  We had about a 20-second delay from the show stage presentation to our phone stream, so we could hear the crowd react and we knew when something good was coming.  I will never forget the interplay of the cast.  The relationships they display are strong which have shown in the chemistry between characters in the Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.  I look forward to seeing how that has grown in the Rise of Skywalker.  I will never forget the cheers and gasps of the crowd, 20-seconds ahead of my own cheers and gasps.  Ian McDiarmid appearing on stage following his Emperor cackle to say, "Roll it again."  The hairs on my arm raised as each moment passed.  After the panel concluded, Cory and I wandered the show floor directionless for a bit as we let the moments of the trailer sink in.

2.  The Podcast Meetup in the Arc Bar on Saturday night.  This was an amazing get together of dozens
of podcasts and fans.  It was inspiring to meet the variety of podcasters to learn their angle on Star Wars fandom.  I enjoyed the respect that we all share for each others' work.  Then to meet the listeners of our show was such an honor.  So many of the fans I know through Twitter handles and the positive comments on social media, but to meet these fans face to face was an honor.  It took me until about midnight to wade my way through the crowd from one end of the room to the other.

3.  The Coffee with Kenobi podcast live recording on the podcast stage on Sunday afternoon.  It all started with greeting fans who were lined up in the hallway prior to the show.  Then before the show as we were setting up, our guest, James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars) showed up with a friend, Catherine Taber (voice of Padme Amidala in the Clone Wars).  This was a huge surprise!  As the show started, I made sure to ask JAT how Obi-Wan Kenobi likes his coffee.  I was so excited that I don't even remember what he said.  I just remember the voice and reactions. The show was great as we shared our four biggest moments of the Star Wars Saga from the films, books, animated series, or comics.  First, it is such an honor to be a part of Coffee with Kenobi, but to see the fans of the podcast and Star Wars in the crowd is the real honor.  I am so happy that we bring a fan supported show that people enjoy as much as I always have.

What were your favorite parts of the Star Wars Celebration Chicago?  Share your thoughts below.  If you missed Star Wars Celebration 2019 in Chicago, I am sorry.  It was a great time, and I suggest catching as many of the panels through the Star Wars Youtube channel.  It is well worth the viewing.  Also, you can catch our daily reactions, panels and live broadcast at coffeewithkenobi.com

Baseball Broadcast #1 Sunday, April 28

Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles

This last weekend, I had the opportunity to listen to the Minnesota Twins radio broadcast for two parts of a couple games.  The first was Friday night April 26 and the other was Sunday, April 28.  The Twins were playing home at Target field against the Baltimore Orioles.  The Twins swept the three-game weekend series.

This is part one of a summer-long series where I will be sharing my experience and thoughts on different radio broadcasts of Major League teams.  So here are my supposedly interesting thoughts on the Minnesota Twins radio broadcast:

My first impression of the broadcast was that it has a professional delivery with a very soft tone.  There was nothing loud about this broadcast.  Cory Provus, the play-by-play announcer, delivers the description of the game in a conversational style that didn't have what I would consider significant highs or lows.  Any Cubs fan who has spent time listening to broadcasts on WGN radio, might recognize some a bit of this conversational tone from Pat Hughes the Cubs radio broadcaster.  Provus used to do the pre and post game shows for the Chicago Cubs on WGN and he also sat in for Hughes during the middle innings of many games.  While the dynamics of Pat Hughes are quite different from Provus, the description, respect for the game and professionalism on air are very similar.

Where Provus may have picked up his conversation and descriptive style from Hughes, he developed his own soft-spoken delivery.  At one point in the game Friday night, Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron jacked back-to-back-to-back home runs. This is an exciting and rare show of power from any team in the major league.  Provus gave a slightly elevated but overall level description of the event.  What surprised me even more was that broadcast analyst, Dan Gladden, who I remember to be a pretty energetic player on the field for the Twins from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, was as level in his analysis and description of the trio of home runs.  This is not a good or bad judgemental observation by me, because it is the style of the broadcast.  It is the environment they have created, and it works for the broadcast.  My enjoyment of the game was not hindered by any lack of dramatic description of the play.  Even the engineers of the game, choose the soft approach with a quiet crowd mic throughout the game.

That said, Provus does a nice play-by-play delivery with plenty of description for the listener to create the image of the game in his or her head, and Gladden adds good color commentary that compliments the description of the play on the field.

It seems from this weekend of listening, that Provus calls the game for innings 1-4, then Gladden goes solo to describe the events in innings 5 and 6, then Provus rejoins Gladden in inning 7 to do comment, finally, Provus retakes the captain's seat to finish the game with Gladded back on game analysis.  Gladded brings a contrasting play-by-play call to Provus with a short descriptive style of telling the listener just the facts.  While a vast difference from the conversational style of Provus, it is a nice contrast in the middle of the game.  I don't know that I would want an entire game called in the style Gladden uses, but it works for the middle inning as contrast.

This broadcast would be a perfect middle of the summer kind of broadcast where it is a nice Sunday afternoon settling into the hammock by one of the 10,000 Minnesota lakes.  The delivery style of this broadcast encourages that middle of the game nap where you might doze off in the third or fourth inning and wake up in the seventh or eighth inning to catch the end of the game.

Are you a Twins fan or do you listen to the Twins broadcast with Cory Provus and Dan Gladden?  What do you think?  Did I catch the feel of the broadcast or did I commit an error.  Leave a comment, keep it clean and constructive, and let me know.  Stay tuned for my next installment where I will listen to another MLB broadcast and give my supposedly interesting thoughts. 

Star Wars Celebration Chicago

It is almost here!  My first Star Wars Celebration.  It is no secret to listeners of the podcast Coffee with Kenobi, that large crowds are not my jam, but celebrating Star Wars with thousands of Star Wars fans can only ease my worry.  I am going to fully enjoy the crowds because we will all be in Chicago for the same thing...Star Wars!  I am really having a hard time wrapping my brain around what it will be like to hang out with thousands of people who probably love Star Wars even more than I do!  That's hard to believe because I love the Star Wars story.
Here are my Top Five things I am looking forward to:

1. Meeting some of my favorite voice actors like Ashley Eckstein and James Arnold Taylor
These are the people who bring Star Wars to life.  The best part is that they are fans of Star Wars as well as the talent that makes the story so much fun.

2. Getting lost in the Star Wars table-top gaming world of Fantasy Flight games
I love games, so any game that includes Star Wars is good with me.  Fantasy Flight is king of bringing strategy to these great games.  I look forward to seeing what X-wing 2.0 looks like and I can't wait to get a look at the new release of Star Wars Destiny. 

3.  Meeting so many of the fans that I have connected with over the years.
I look forward to hanging out with the best fans in the world but making some personal connections with those I've shared some laughs online.  Some of us have met but never gotten to fully share our love of the Star Wars galaxy.  Some I have yet to meet but this will be the perfect time and place.  It is going to be fun.

4. The panels!!
Seeing the stars, writers and producers talking about the productions that we love brings so much excitement.  What trailers will we see?  What secrets will they tell?  What surprises are in store?  I have no idea, but that is what makes this one of the highlights for me. 

5. The Cosplay
I've been to cons before, and I've seen some pretty cool stuff.  But this will be all Star Wars all the time.  I have such an appreciation of all the work and creativity that people put into the costumes to celebrate the myth.  I am ready to be awed and I will have my camera (phone) at the ready all the time. 

What are you excited about?  Leave a comment.  Also come check out Coffee with Kenobi Sunday, April 14 at 1:00 on the Podcast Stage!

Marvel Unlimited Plus Package

So I got home from work the other day to see a small package sitting on my front porch.  I wasn't really expecting anything, so I had that "Oh oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon is-a, coming down the street" moment of excitement.  An unexpected package!
To my delight the package wasn't for my kids or my wife, it was for me!  The box was covered with comic panels and the title "Marvel Unlimited."  I have written about how much I enjoy the Marvel Unlimited e-comics subscription before, but this is definitely a perk of renewing my subscription.  I apparently signed up for the Marvel Unlimited Plus subscription.  I didn't even know I did it, so the cost is either very close to the regular subscription or I unconsciously just clicked and went down that road.  Either way, I am now a plus member and got this cool box.

So, you may be wondering, what comes in this cool box? I will quote from the letter that was found inside with my Marvel Unlimited Plus Member card attached.  "To kick off the new year, we're bringing you all new plus member kit featuring a stunning Marvel Unlimited Plus box redesign.  Inside, you'll find your official membership card, an exclusive Hasbro Marvel Legends Rescue figure not available anywhere else, 3 exclusive variant comics of Invincible Iron Man #1, Captain America: White #1 and Agent Carter: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary #1 with connecting covers by Paul Renaud, and a collectible set of 2 exclusive S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter pins."
This is a nice package.  As a plus member there are discounts to digital comic store as well as the Marvel comic store.  Here is a Q/A from the Marvel Unlimited Plus webpage that explains everything.
To me the real benefit comes from the massive digital comic catalog that is open to anyone who subscribes to Marvel Unlimited, plus or regular member.  I have been reading the new arc of the Deathlok, the New Warriors, Moon Knight, the original run of Marvel's Star Wars and much more.  I also use the collection as reference to story lines and character/villain connections.

Do you use Marvel Unlimited as your comic source or another digital comic source like Comixology?  Or do you say, no way, paper copies, please?
Comment below and share your experience.

Comics: the Good Old Days

Do you ever come across a comic or title or comic character that takes you down memory lane?  I didn't really start reading and collecting comic books until I was in college.  I know, those are the years where most discretionary money is spent on beer and pizza. A solid portion of the paycheck from my dorm, service job was spent on beer and pizza, I saved a bit to start collecting comics.  One of my best friends (and drinking buddies), Pete,  started this habit of collecting comics at the same time.  So we worked out a deal that I would purchase a certain list of titles and he would purchase a certain list of titles then we would read, swap and read, then give back.  It was a two-for-one deal story-wise.  Every Thursday, we would walk off the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois (yep, home of Jimmy Johns) and head to the local drug store where there was a rack of comics.  It was about a mile from campus, and there were some really snowy and cold days where we would trudge through the weather, but we never missed a Thursday.  Once there, we would pop a few quarters into the X-Men arcade game then rummage through the comic racks.  Month to month, there was pretty decent consistency with titles, so we were able to start putting together chronological stories.  Some months a title might sell out or the store wouldn't get certain issues, but it actually wasn't too bad.  The issue was the variety of titles.  The mainstream titles like Spider-man, Batman, Superman, and the X-Men were there but some of the smaller titles would be hit-and-miss or just not there at all.
Luck came our way when a couple of guys decided to try opening a comic shop in Charleston just a couple blocks from campus! Visits to Midgard Comics fed our addiction for more stories and more books.   Even though their website is woefully outdated today, I was in Charleston a couple months ago and the shop, to my delight, was still open.  I wish I had time to stop in, but I was in a hurry heading home from a board meeting for work.  Anyway, my friend and I would head over on Thursdays after classes to pick up our new books, then walk back to my apartment on 7th Street.  We would spend Thursday evenings eating Mac and Cheese or Domino's Pizza (courtesy of my apartment-mate who worked there), laying on the floor with the TV muted on whatever seasonal sport was on, and reading our books.  It is such a great memory for me because it was more than just the books, the art, and the characters.  It was the discussions and hanging out with friends.  It was debating what the cliffhanger endings were, and what we would see as the next book came out.  It was the agony of waiting 30 days for the answers.  It was all priceless and I long for those conversations today.
We generally read Marvel Comics.  I have always been more of a Marvel fan, but Pete was a huge fan of Batman, so I read some of the Batman titles.  Other than Batman, Pete read the X-Men, X-Factor, Avengers West Coast, and Wonder Man.  I have always enjoyed Spider-Man and reading the Amazing Spider-Man title launched me full-fledged into a fan of the webhead books: Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man.  Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the X-titles, I did enjoy Cable and X-Force.  But one day, Pete came in with a completely new comic that blew him away.  I was skeptical, so I didn't read it for a couple months, but then I couldn't resist any longer.  I picked up his new issues of Guardians of the Galaxy.  I fell in love.  Vance Astro, Starhawk, Charlie-27, Martinex, Aleta, Nikki, and the others drew me into this new 31st-century universe.  I loved the connections to the late 20th century with Vance and the introduction to new villians like Taserface and The Stark.  It is the Guardians of the Galaxy that always draws me back down memory lane.  Not the contemporary Guardians with Star-Lord, Rocket, and Groot, though I love them as well.  It is the "old" Guardians that flash my brain back to the 1990's, Charleston, Illinois, and my long-lost friend Pete.
I was at the public library browsing their graphic novel section a couple of weeks ago, and I came across the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1 compilation by Jim Valentino.  It collects "Guardians #1-7 and Annual #1; and material from Fantastic Four Annual #24, Thor Annual #16 and Silver Surfer Annual #4." (see Guardians cover above).  These are the characters and stories I discovered 20 some years ago.  I highly recommend this story!
Some other old stories and books that take me down memory lane are the Maximum Carnage story that crosses through the Spidey titles and the Operation: Galactic Storm crossover.  These are some awesome stories.

What comics take you back?  What are some of the great stories you remember?  They could be 2 years old or 20 or 40!  What characters lead you to your comic beginnings.  Where were you?  Where were you in life and who were the friends you shared those comics with?  Comment below and enjoy!

Supposedly Interesting thoughts on The Force Awakens

Mind blown.  Is that enough?  What more do I need to say when it comes to the newest episode of Star Wars?  If I had to wait 33 or 53 or 103 (I realize that would be impossible) years more, it would be worth the wait.
Like all of our experiences with this movie, it started with rumor a couple years ago to be verified by an actual trailer Thanksgiving weekend of 2014.  I soaked in every trailer and picture up to the world premier on the Tuesday before opening weekend.  Because of the certainty of leaks, I blacked out all media and social media starting Tuesday, the day of the world premier.  It seems that was a good idea because some pretty major spoilers were out there, but I had no idea what they were.  I only knew they existed.
I purchased my tickets online to see the very first showing at 7:30, Thursday, December 17.  I was going to experience this full force (pun not really intended).  I was going to watch the film with some of my best friends and hang out with the crew from Coffee with Kenobi during their pre-show podcast and sit, in reserved seating!, for the 3D, IMAX showing.  Boom!!  It couldn't be better.
Then the bomb hit about three weeks prior.  My 4-year-old's preschool Christmas Worship service would be the same night as the opening night of The Force Awakens!  I wrestled with this dilemma, but I knew from the start there was only one right decision.  Even though my wife assured me that I should go to the movie, I decided to sell my ticket and attend my daughter's program.  I was crushed.
But from the depths of the Dark Side, there is always hope.  I have another daughter, 8 years old, who I have been raising to be a Star Wars fan.  Read my post on that here.  So I bought tickets for both of us to see the movie for the first time together.  I said earlier that "It couldn't be better" to go with my friends, but this was better.  While it was tough to say farewell to my friends from work as they were all heading off to see the film on Thursday, the wait and excitement with my daughter couldn't have been more fun.  Plus, I didn't miss my younger daughter's program and that was a great family event for us!
Anyway, my daughter and I were scheduled to see the movie Sunday morning and my friend Jason joined us.  We sat in the back row of the 3D IMAX showing, and I think it was the first time in my life that a Sunday morning, 9:30am show was full.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a fantastic weekend and continues to shatter records.
After avoiding my friends at work on Friday and continuing my media blackout over the weekend, Sunday morning came.  The lights dimmed and the IMAX screen lit with the Disney logo.  The scrolling preview.  I loved every word I quietly read into my daughter's ear.  She could read it, but she was afraid she might get behind and miss something.  She arranged that I would read it to her before the movie.  What a blast it was to do this.  I tried to make myself aware of everything going on in the film, so walking out after our first viewing these are our basic feelings:

We were both amazed.  We were left speechless and kind of dumbfounded as we left the theater.  We wish we would have brought a tissue or ten.  We fell in love with new characters and cherished old "friends."  We wanted more!!!!

After some debate and disagreement, we narrowed down our top five moments of the story.
Don't read if you haven't seen the film yet! What are you waiting for??

5. Han and Chewie first meet Rey and Finn on the Falcon, (didn't go how we thought)
4. The reveal that Kylo Ren is the son of Han and Leia,  (I knew it!!!  not really, but I wanted to get this one      right!)
3. When BB-8 first uses its "compressed liquid cable launchers," (thanks DK visual dictionary for giving me
     the official language and saved me from typing "BB-8's rope thingy"
2. When Rey says, "The droid is not for sale,"  (she is so cool and so is BB-8)
1. The death of Han Solo.  (can't believe I am typing this)

My daughter anticipated before the movie that Rey would be her favorite character, and she was not disappointed.  I wasn't disappointed either.  From the moment that we meet Rey scavenging on Jakku and learn that she has a mysterious background, we were drawn in to her story.  I also believed that she was strong in the force and picking up so much power along the way.  Sorry, Hayden Christensen, I never felt Anakin was getting the force.  We also fell in love with Poe Dameron's BB-8 droid.  Our favorite moment was when the droid was reunited with its owner at the Resistance base, BB-8 went speeding to Poe.  If it had arms, BB-8 would have thrown them around Poe.  It was so real...we want one.

I was a little disappointed in the Sunday morning crowd who were either still sleepy, dumbstruck by the spectacle, or just polite (doubt that).  No one seemed to react at key moments like when Rey and Finn are running to escape the Tie fighter attack and the Quadjumper ship is blasted to bits.  Rey and Finn turn to the ship that is "garbage" which is the Millennium Falcon!  I pumped my fist, squeezed my daughter's hand, but reserved my vocal cheer because I had no sense that I would be joined by others.  Next is when Han and Chewie enter the Falcon with the line already made famous, "Chewie, we're home."  Again, silence.  There was no way, though, I could contain the silence or shock of the moment when that blistering, angry, lightsaber suddenly burst through the torso of Han Solo.  I was completely blindsided by this turn of events that I am sure that I shouted something, most likely a pained, "NO!!!"  Foolish or not, I was drawn in regardless of an apparently emotionless audience.  I cried at the rage of Chewbacca and the loss of Rey and Finn's father figure.  Heck, over the years I would ask myself, sometimes with poor results, "What would Han do?"  I had/have an empty spot in my heart as well.  Now my daughter and I aren't sure how we will get through the next year and a half when episode 8 is released.  Rouge One will help.  As will the remainder of seasons two and season three of Rebels.

What are some of your favorite moments of the film?  What characters did you enjoy the best?  Leave a comment below.