Indycast / East Coast trip

I recently returned from yet another trip to the East Coast, having traveled through four states in less than two weeks. I managed to spend some time with family, revisit old friends, and film some additional interviews for my Richard Amsel documentary.

My first stop was Connecticut, where I finally met fellow Indiana Jones fan Mitch Hallock -- an enterprising movie fan who developed TerrifiCon, the Nutmeg State's answer to ComicCon. I've known Mitch for years, but never met him face to face until now. He took time out of his schedule to meet with me, discuss my documentary, and provide an impromptu tour of the Yale campus -- namely, locations used for the last Indiana Jones film.

Mitch used the occasion to record a segment for "The IndyCast" / Indiana Jones podcast, and it took me a little by surprise. We're huffing an puffing in the cold rain, briskly strutting around the campus, and I don't exactly share Mitch's expertise in showmanship, nor in making improvisational jokes on the fly. Still, it was a lot of fun...though one could make a dangerous drinking game out of every time I utter "ummm..." in the recording.

You can listen to the podcast here, where we ramble on about all things Indiana Jones, the work of Richard Amsel, Drew Struzan, Paul Shipper, as well as an ancient wall painting of one Princess Leia Organa...

I also revisited the Yale Peabody Museum, a beloved site from my childhood. I was a dinosaur freak as a kid, and was excited to return to the museum's famous Dinosaur Hall. Alas, it is in the early stages of renovation, and some of my favorite hallmarks -- including the large Pteranodon skeleton -- had been removed. The museum is also much smaller than I remembered; my experience is obviously tainted from a child's lost perspective, and my more recent visits to the respective dinosaur exhibits in NYC and Los Angeles made me a bit spoiled. Still, the Zallinger "Age of Reptiles" mural is no less stunning to behold.

There was a lot more to my trip, which I'll have to get to in the next few days...