The next tape on the stack was something of a mystery. It’s a two-hour tape neatly labeled “COMICS CLOSE-UP December 10, 1989.” I had no idea what that was. That two-hourness was intimidating, which is why I left it this long before tackling it.

Turns out it’s a radio show, originally broadcast on WQRI FM in Bristol, Rhode Island. It’s also only half an hour; the rest of the tape is blank except for about 90 seconds of a Roy Orbison song at roughly the fiftieth minute. No idea what that bit of music is doing there; I didn’t copy it.

And I have the radio show because it includes three brief interviews recorded at Noreascon 3, the 1989 Boston Worldcon: Kurt Busiek, Marc McLaurin, and me. Also an interview with Matt Wagner recorded elsewhere.

Kurt and I were discussing Open Space, the Marvel project we both worked on — Kurt was the editor, I was one of the contributing writers.

Marc McLaurin talked about his work at Marvel.

Matt Wagner, recorded at a Great Eastern Comics Convention, discussed Grendel and Mage.

The recording-to-MP3 did not go smoothly for me. The tape needed to be rewound, and didn’t spool properly, so it had to be rewound again, and then I played and recorded the entire two hours, and screwed up the first attempt to save it, losing the entire thing.

Fortunately, I now knew I only needed the first thirty-two minutes, so the next attempt was easier and went perfectly.

The hardest part was probably coming up with cover art. I made my own, compositing the cover of Open Space #1, the WQRI logo, and the name of the show.

Five to go — the last anthology, and Dad’s memorial service.