March 17 – March 23 (2025) – Wally On The Web

RANDOM PIC OF THE WEEK

I stumbled across this picture on-line somehow, and I had never seen it before. It could very possibly be a BTS shot from the original 1978 “Halloween” movie, but then again it could be a very cleverly-staged cosplay photo. Not sure, exactly. But it’s a great shot of Michael Myers!

After the brief encounter I had with the Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit in the lobby of the Sacramento Hyatt, I was humming his song “I Can’t Tell You Why” the entire weekend. I know I just featured this song on “What’s Wally Humming” a few months ago, but it was in my head again…so yeah…

Monday the 17th – DAMN YOU, DST! – Though it was much too early for me to be up and around, my eyes popped open and I couldn’t get back to sleep. DST was clearly still messing with my head. I’m happy to see so much buzz on social media about DST’s imminent demise. Abolishing it is an idea that’s long overdue. I scanned some checks for a bank deposit, made some phone calls and sent a few emails, and then cleaned up for the day. I went to the bank to make the deposits, and then I hit Staples to buy some new signing pens for this weekend’s trip to Sacramento for the Sacramento Comic Con. I picked up a few supplies at CVS, and then hit Jack In The Box for lunch. It was raining a little bit; obviously I was experiencing the last of the rainy spell. I got back home to eat, do some work, and talk to the vet about my cat Spook’s condition. His leaky bottom is a concern because he’s leaving poopy spots around the house. The vet suggested that I start adding some powdered pumpkin to his diet to “solidify” things. I recorded some auditions, relaxed a bit, took my nightly WOG (walk/jog) and then typed out Wally’s Week.

Tuesday the 18th – PATY’S, PADS & PUMPKIN! – Back in the early 80s when I was married and living in Sioux Falls I recalled the day that I was arrested by police after my shift at the radio station and hauled off to be fingerprinted, photographed and incarcerated. It all stemmed from a bounced check (oddly enough for about $32) that I wasn’t able to cover because the radio station for which I worked was bouncing our paychecks and things were very lean. VERY lean. As they hauled me away the manager of the radio station (the one bouncing our checks) assured me that the station’s attorney would get right on it and have me out in a short while. Furthermore he promised that the whole affair would be expunged from my record. But still I was handcuffed and transported in the police car. When I got to the facility I had my mugshot taken, was fingerprinted, and thrown in a small cell for a short time until word arrived that the station had settled everything on my behalf and I could go. I don’t recall very much about the incident because, frankly, I was ashamed at the time and didn’t tell anyone. Not even my parents or my wife were aware it had happened! Well, over the past few years I was thinking that, if that mugshot still existed, it would make a lovely t-shirt. It would also serve as a reminder that, no matter how dark things may seem now, the future has possibilities! I had been inquiring around with my friends in Sioux Falls law enforcement to see if they knew how I might go about getting a copy of the arrest file, IF it still existed. The manager at the station at the time lied about so much stuff, I was never sure if he was lying about “having the whole thing expunged from my record” or not. After making several inquiries through various websites I got a call back from someone in the know in Sioux Falls. She said any of that info would require a court order for its release (South Dakota law), but that she didn’t see anything on my record from around that time other than a traffic ticket and a fix-it ticket. So apparently it WAS expunged from my record. So there was no reason to go through the hassle of getting a court order considering nothing was there to get. I called my pal Chris Malmin to see if he wanted to meet for lunch at Paty’s. The rain was gone and it was a gorgeous day! After lunch I headed to Rusty’s, a local pet supply store, and picked some more potty pads (to cover certain areas for protection against Spook’s leaky bottom) and some powdered pumpkin. I hope it works. My friend and assistant Emily came by to get the update on Spook’s condition, seeing as how she’d be here at the house this weekend while I was away in Sacramento. Later I recorded my daily auditions, worked around the house, did my WOG and edited a few photos before bed.

Wednesday the 19th – GIVING VADER A LIFT! – After picking up a package at my box I headed over to Wienerschnitzel for lunch. My dad and I had been talking about Chinese hot mustard, which you can normally only find at Chinese restaurants. But he and I really like spicier things, so when we have egg rolls we like the hot mustard on it. I bought us both a pack of 100 packets of hot mustard that we can use on our food at home. I had his shipped to him in Sioux Falls, and mine arrived today as well. Also in the box were some new insole lifts for the boots on my Darth Vader costume. These seemed like they would work much better than the other ones I purchased. These gave me the height boost I needed, as opposed to the previous ones I bought which were only ½” thick! False advertising. The ad promised that they would boost your height by 2 inches, but I didn’t find that to be the case. And now they’re arguing with me via email about the 90 day money back guarantee. I’m onto their scam, but it was too late. They already have my money, and it seems like they’re just waiting out the 90 days so I can no longer utilize the guarantee. What a rip-off. But these new ones will work nicely, I believe. On the drive home I was driving directly into the setting sun, which was uncomfortable. I took it real easy! I spent some time organizing my photo case for the upcoming weekend convention, just to make sure everything was in order and ready to go. I came inside and organized the packing list for my clothes and toiletries. It always works best when I plan ahead and write out a list of items I’ll need, so when I get around to packing I just need to follow the prepared checklist. I relaxed a bit, and then recorded some auditions. It was gorgeous out and my WOG was delightful! I can’t wait for the days when I can actually spend some time outside after my WOG enjoying the evening in my anti-gravity chair. I did some work on the computer, and then made a “Paladin saladin” and watched a few more episodes of “Have Gun – Will Travel” on DVD.

Thursday the 20th – PACK FOR SAC! – More bad news on the Spook front; the issue he’s having isn’t caused by his anal glands. I took him to the vet and had that checked out and they said it was all good. So I got an appointment with the doctor on Monday to try and further ascertain the cause of the problem. Needless to say it’s getting tiring having to clean his bottom every hour or so in order to keep him from tracking his messy bottom all around the house. I’m hoping the pumpkin works, but I fear that since he’s 19.5 years old (going on 20) that this may be an old age-related issue, and there may not be much I can do about it. It makes me sad to think about it. When I got back home I recorded my auditions, relaxed a bit, and then went to the store to get some rice and pureed pumpkin. I found the rice but had no luck finding pureed pumpkin. Drat! I took my nightly WOG, and then packed for Sacramento. But when I went on-line to check in for my flight the information wasn’t coming up based on the confirmation number I had put in. I decided to try and call their phone line and talk with an actual person, but as I was punching my confirmation number into the phone it dawned on me! The zero that I had been punching in, was actually an “O” and not a zero! Once I went back on-line and put in the correct character, it all worked fine and I got my boarding pass printed.

Friday the 21st – SACKED OUT TO SAC! – Since I had awakened early I decided to finish packing up a few things and get Spooky situated for Emily, who would be arriving about 3:30. On my way to the airport I picked up a package at my box, and as I pulled into the parking structure I saw my fellow “Bleach” Voice Actor David Vincent who had also just arrived. We’d be on the same flight to Sacramento! Fun! The flight to Sac was running on-time and all was good. But I was so tired I slept virtually the entire one-hour flight! David and I got our luggage and looked for our ride to the hotel. When he called the driver we found out that he had just picked up a few other actors and was en route to the hotel. Luckily he hadn’t gotten far, so he turned around and came to pick us up as well. Our fellow “Bleach” Voice Actor Michelle Ruff was in the van and we apologized for the delay. I had just been in Sacramento at SacAnime two years ago, so I wasn’t sure if I was coming back too early or not. Sometimes you like to put some space between appearances in a city in order to let the fan base turn over a little bit. But this was the Sacramento Comic Con, and even though it’s run by the same people who run SacAnime, this convention would be in a different location; the Safe Credit Union convention center. My first trip to Sacramento was 10 years ago, when I attended the same convention in the convention center location. I remember having a great time, and I also remembered that the Hyatt hotel was right across the street from the convention center and was an easy walk. The vibe in the lobby was laid back and fun, and there was a solo singer/guitarist playing for people as we waited to check into our rooms. I spotted a guy with long salt & pepper hair with very fine facial features. I thought to myself, “That guy looks a bit like Timothy B. Schmit from the Eagles!” I went up and whispered to the guy playing guitar, “Is that guy Timothy B. Schmit from the Eagles?” He looked and said, “I don’t know. Should I play an Eagles song and see what he does?” I said, “Yeah!” But soon I found myself face to face with him in the elevator area so I took my shot. “Are you Tim?” I asked. He said, “Yeah.” WOW! TOO COOL! Not wanting to take much of his time I said, “Big fan. “I Can’t Tell You Why” is far and away my favorite Eagles song.” He said, “Thank you!” I said, “Thank YOU!” and walked off and left him alone. Pretty cool when you’re just in a hotel to get settled before a convention appearance and you run into a certified rock star! It’s funny that, just a few weeks ago, the video for “I Can’t Tell You Why” kept popping up in my social media feed, and I’ve always admired TBS’s pure tenor voice and gentle delivery. I feel he needs to have more songs to sing! But the encounter had me making calls with friends to inquire about seeing the Eagles in Las Vegas this year at the Sphere. Might be fun! I walked over to the local 7-11 to get some supplies, and then walked over to the movie theatre by the hotel to buy a hot dog and some movie theatre popcorn. I was set for the night! I headed back to my room and got unpacked and ate my “dinner.” With everything going on this past week, I was pretty beat.

Saturday the 22nd – SACRAMENTO COMIC CON: DAY 1! – Bright and early we all met in the Hyatt lobby and walked over to the convention to get set up. It was a gorgeous day and there was already a huge line of fans wrapped around the building waiting to get in. It was a great day, and I got to meet many terrific fans. Alex and Kayla were fraternal twins who were dressed as Ichigo and Rukia respectively. They were delightful to speak with and we had lotsa laffs. A photographer named Justin showed me a shot he had taken at SacAnime two years ago of me onstage during the “Bleach” panel hawking the delicious corn dogs. It was a fabulous photo and I had forgotten he had taken that. It was nice to finally see it and get a copy of it! Thusly, I thereby decreed Justin “The Hot Dog Photog.” My table assistant was Mimi and she was absolutely delightful. It wasn’t until I returned back home to L.A. that I realized she and I never got a picture together! What a shame! Right around 12:30 the “Bleach” actors got together for a panel that was fun and funny! Then we grabbed a short lunch and headed back to our tables. My old pal Dale Schornack arrived at the convention mid-afternoon and we chatted at the table. Some quick history on Dale: when we were kids we both worked at KABR 1420 AM in Aberdeen, South Dakota in the 70’s. He is older than me, so when he quit the station to go to college, I was given his position. He went to college to learn broadcast journalism and later became a TV news anchor at KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Shortly thereafter I started working at KELO-AM in the same building. He always had a face for TV, while I always had a face for radio. He moved around some, but eventually ended up on a station in Sacramento, where he worked for many years. He recently retired from TV news and now travels around and enjoys life. Anytime I’m in Sacrament we get together for a chat and some laffs. I told him about the Timothy B. Schmit encounter and Dale said that Sacramento is his hometown, so he was no doubt in town visiting family. The journalist in Dale popped out as he got a few great photos of the activity at my table. When it was time to wrap up Dale and I walked over to the hotel. He enjoyed a drink in the restaurant while I went upstairs to clean up. Then we had delicious steaks and a terrific conversation! As we were leaving we ran into some of the other actors from the convention, and we ended up chatting with my old pals Robbie Rist and Brian Tochi for about a half hour. GREAT fun! But Dale had a considerable drive back home, and I needed to get back to the room and pack up for my Sunday exit. These two-day cons are nice and short, but it seems that you barely get unpacked before you’re packing back up again to head out.

Sunday the 23rd – SACRAMENTO COMIC CON: DAY 2! – In an entirely unusual twist for me, I was up early and ready to rock! In fact, when I got to the convention floor I was the first one there! That NEVER happens! Usually I’m the LAST one to arrive. When I got up I noticed that my voice was rugged (from talking non-stop all day Saturday), and my back was sore from the mattress in my room. But it was all good, and everything eventually worked itself out. I stashed my luggage so we could be picked up from the convention center at 4 and head to the airport. As is usual with Sundays at conventions, it was a bit slow, but it allowed me to really chat with people and get to know their stories. I met a kid who bore an uncanny resemblance to the 1980’s version of “Weird Al” Yankovic. We got a photo together and I told him I was going to send it to Al and ask if he had any relatives in Sacramento. I think I have the kid talked into trying a “Weird Al” cosplay soon. That would totally rock! His friend Layla even said she had an accordion he could use! WOW! Alex returned dressed as Ichigo, but his sister Kayla had to work so she was unable to attend the convention on the second day. Alex hung out at my table and we chatted for quite a while. I was shocked to find out that, even at the young age of 23, he was into the rock group Rush! He said his dad raised him right! Apparently! I got to say hello to several cool doggies, and the gorgeous Akira even sat in my chair for a few photos! Right toward the end of the convention two young ladies approached my table and pointed out that I didn’t have any photos from “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children,” in which I played Rufus Shinra. MY GOSH! They were right. What an oversight! So I told them if they could find good images of Rufus on their phones, I could have photos printed by “The Hot Dog Photog” and then sign them. But the convention was close to closing, so time was of the essence! Their names were Celai and Laura, and when they brought the photos to me I was amazed! The photo that Celai had printed was a close-up of Rufus, but the photo that Laura had printed was especially odd. It was a fan-made image of a homeless Rufus, and in the background was Flik the ant from “A Bug’s Life.” When Laure brought it to my table I was flabbergasted. I said, “Did you know I’m also the voice of Flik for Disney when Dave Foley’s not available?” She was floored. What are the chances?! Unbelievable! It’s funny how it always gets suddenly busy toward the end of the convention just as we’re all trying to pack up and get to the airport. So we had to hustle out of there to make our ride to the airport. But everything went well and we got to the airport and got checked in with plenty of time to spare. David Vincent and I even had time to grab a quick dinner before the flight. Once again I slept most of the way home on the flight. I expend so much energy during the convention hours, then when I finally get a chance to settle down, I usually crash hard. I’m talking “open-mouth-snoring-and-ugly-drooling” type of sleeping. But if I have good tunes playing on my iPod and my cap pulled down over my eyes, I’m good to go. The plane got in right on time and everything was wonderful. I got my car and drove home. Emily had given Spook a bath earlier in the day, and the photos she sent me were hilarious. I’d be taking Spook to the vet on Monday afternoon to chat with the doctor about options for his problem. I’m really hoping there’s a simple medical solution to the “leaky bottom” issue, but in the back of my mind I’m fearing the worst; that Spook’s time may be winding down. I was pretty tired from the weekend, so after a short nap I recorded my auditions and then took my WOG. When I got back inside I did some work and then headed to bed. What a week!

And how was YOUR week??!!

PIX FROM THE WEEK

Blok 4, the company that’s doing the work fabricating my new Roger M00re Jame Bond figure, sent me this shot of some test heads they pulled out of the mold. They’re working with different pigments to find the right skin tone for the figure. Amazing! And exciting!

When I was picking up supplies at Rusty’s Pet Supply, I picked up a little bit of catnip for Spooky. I put some in an old sock and gave it to him. He enjoyed it, and then he promptly fell asleep on it!

I was really looking forward to seeing my ol’ pal Brian Tochi at the convention over the weekend! Great seeing him again!

Speaking of seeing old pals, I’ve known Dale Schornack for about 50 years! Wonderful catching up with Dale again!

I swear this kid must be related to “Weird Al” Yankovic somehow. The resemblance is uncanny!

It was a thrill meeting the delightful Akira, and offering her my chair.

When at SacAnime, try the corndogs! This pic was taken two years ago and was just delivered to me at the convention last weekend. But it was worth the wait!

Here are twin siblings Alex as Ichigo and Kayla as Rukia. What a delightful duo!

It’s always great chatting with the fans at these conventions. I never get tired of it!

No seriously, these kids were a hoot!

Getting the quote just right on a Renji Funko Pop is very exacting work! It’s gotta be just right!

I finally found the weird shot of Rufus Shinra that Laura had printed for me to sign at the convention. What are the chances that two of my characters would be in the same photo!? WEIRD!