Cubs Tweet of the Week

April 8, 1994. Steve Trachsel leads the Cubs to 4-0 victory over Pedro Martinez and the Expos in Montreal. Top story in the news that day: Rock star Kurt Cobain is found dead in his home outside Seattle. #EveryCubEver pic.twitter.com/6mL4b0NVrC

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) April 8, 2022

Off Campus Writers Workshop

 Dave and I had a great time yesterday at this event. Thanks to everyone who came out, and the huge Zoom audience too.

Do not register for this session if you wish to attend via Zoom.

Eckhartz Press co-publishers Rick Kaempfer and Dave Stern will take potential authors through the maze of the publishing world. They are hybrid-publishers, something that didn’t exist just fifteen years ago. Rick and Dave will…

*Define the three different types of publishing (Self-publishing, hybrid publishing, traditional publishing)

*Explore the pros and cons of each

*Tell the story of Rick’s background and Dave’s background, and how that led them to forge this professional partnership.

*Discuss the evolution of Eckhartz Press and what they have learned along the way.

*Fully explain the hybrid press model they have adopted.

Rick Kaempfer is the co-founder and publisher of Eckhartz Press in addition to being the author or co-author of Eckhartz Press releases, “Everycubever”, “Father Knows Nothing”, “Records Truly Is My Middle Name” (with John Records Landecker) and “The Living Wills” (with Brendan Sullivan). Rick had been published several times before founding the company (including a novel “$everance” and a how-to-book about radio called “The Radio Producer’s Handbook”). In addition, he was also a member of the media for more than twenty years as the producer of two Hall of Fame radio shows (Steve Dahl & Garry Meier and John Records Landecker), and still covers the industry as the media critic for the Illinois Entertainer. He has watched the media landscape change over the past thirty years from a front row seat, and is excited to use that experience as the publisher of Eckhartz Press.

David Stern is the co-founder and publisher of Eckhartz Press, and the author of “The Balding Handbook”. After a 20+ year sales and marketing career, and a ten year stint as a principal in a Chicago advertising agency, Stern comes to Eckhartz Press uniquely qualified to tackle the realities of an ever-changing publishing landscape. He and Kaempfer have been collaborating in one form or another since they met at the University of Illinois in the early 1980s (when both must have been mere children). Stern is also one of the officers of Eckhartz Press’ parent company Just One Bad Century, Inc, and proud to call himself a life long (“City Boy”) Chicagoan.

Brad Edwards

 Former Channel 2 main anchor Brad Edwards had a classy response to losing his main anchor position. From Robert Feder's column today...

Despite losing his role as main news anchor at WBBM-Channel 2, a gracious Brad Edwards said he will “always be CBS 2’s biggest cheerleader.” After three years alongside co-anchor Irika Sargent, Edwards will shift next month to primary anchor for CBS News Chicago, the 24/7 streaming news service, and continue as an investigative reporter at the CBS-owned station. The move was prompted by the hiring of Joe Donlon, announced this week by CBS 2 president and general manager Jennifer Lyons and news director Jeff Harris. “I have always known that chair was not mine,” Edwards replied to my inquiry. “It was an honor, and Joe is a fantastic ‘next’ to join my dear friend Irika, and new pals [meteorologist] Albert [Ramon] and [sports anchor] Marshall [Harris]. They will make a great team. I’m excited about the new chair Jennifer and Jeff have pulled out for me — delivering our critically important content to new audiences. Let’s go!”

I interviewed Brad Edwards for the Illinois Entertainer when he first got the gig a few years ago. If you'd like to read that piece, it's here.

Free Kicks--The World Cup Draw

 Our latest episode (our 150th!) is out. You can listen to it here. 

Rick and Adam analyze which teams are the favorites of the announced World Cup groups. They also discuss the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals [Ep150]

Eckhartz Everyday

 *Today two rock stars share a birthday, Julian Lennon and Steve Howe. Both men are featured in Bobby Skafish's great book We Have Company. (Photo: Bobby with Julian)

*On this day in 2013, Annette Funicello passed away. She is featured in John Landecker's book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. If you'd like to read that excerpt, it's here. Also, if you'd like to hear John's interview of here, that's here. On the same day she died, John was making the rounds in Northwest Indiana promoting his book. A few photos of that NW Indiana tour can be found here.

Eckhartz Everyday

*On this day in 2014, Eckhartz Press author Joel Daly made an appearance at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago to do a Q&A in front of a live audience. More photos from that day are here.

*On this day in 2018, Eckhartz Press author Todd "Fritz" Schneider (Gruen Weiss Vor) was thrown a going away party. He and his wife Kathryn moved to San Diego.

*On this day in 1933, Budweiser introduced the Clydesdales. Eckhartz Press co-founder David Stern later read to them at the Cubsessions book launch party at Murphy's Pub in Wrigleyville.

*Author Tim Bascomb released one of his books on this day in 2020. He previously gushed over the Eckhartz Press book In Small Boxes. This is what he wrote about Ann R. Wilson's debut work...

Here, in an honest sensitive voice, Ann Wilson recalls being yanked out of her 1970’s teenage life in Western Springs, Illinois, when her dynamic architect father is assigned to a two-year project in Hong Kong, transplanting the family. ‘You’re afraid,’ he tells her on their first night in the new vertical city with its teetering apartment buildings and rickety bamboo scaffolding. ‘Of what?’ she asks, and he mumbles, ‘Of the unknown.’ Little does this American teenager know how much her father will become that ‘unknown.’ Wilson looks back and chronicles it all in brave, vivid prose—not just the strange flavors and sounds, but the unanticipated changes in herself and the impact Hong Kong ultimately has on her family.

Bruce St. James

I was actually going to call him soon to ask him for an interview. Guess I needn't do that anymore. After only 16  months as morning man at WLS, Bruce St. James is out. Robert Feder has the details.

RIP Ivy

Chili Dog MVP

 

The headline in the Orland Park Patch says it all: Illinois Authors Hit Home Run With Chicago White Sox Book.

Studio Walls

      Every week I send my Minutia Men Co-Host Dave Stern a list from our audio archives for this week's Studio Walls feature. These are the possibilities for this week. Which one will he choose?

*April 3 is Billy Hayes birthday. Billy wrote the incredible Midnight Express, and was a guest on Minutia Men Celebrity Interview a few years ago. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 3, 1983, the Tubes released their biggest hit, She's a Beauty. Fee Waybill told us the story about the creation of that song with famed producer David Foster Wallace. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 5 is Jane Ashcr's birthday. Author Paul Salzman was in India with her and Paul McCartney in 1968 and told the story of meeting her there, and then again in London. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 6 is Marilu Henner's birthday. We have the audio of her most memorable appearance on the John Records Landecker show (AUDIO)

*April 7, 2017, the Mick Rock documentary was released on Netflix. Mick told us all about that film during our interview. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 7, 1993, the classic baseball film The Sandlot was released. We talked to one of the stars of that film, Shane Obedzinski. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 7, 1976, another classic baseball film, The Bad News Bears, was released. We spoke to one of the stars of that film, David Pollock (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 8, 1969, Willie Smith hit a walk off homer on Opening Day to spark one of the most memorable seasons in Cubs history. (AUDIO of Cubs play by play)

*April 9, Mark Pellegrino birthday. We spoke to him about one of his pet causes, anti-bullying. (Entire interview is here)

*April 9 also would have been Mutual of Omaha's Jim Fowler's birthday. He did a nice promo for our advertising agency back in the day (AUDIO)

*April 9, 2021, the Steven King series Them featured actor Gene Silvers in a terrifying role. We spoke to Gene about that (Entire interview is here)

Eckhartz Everyday

 

*Today is Phil Regan's birthday. Phil played for both the Cubs and the White Sox, and is featured in both Eckhartz Press books, EveryCubEver and Chili Dog MVP. His nickname was The Vulture.

*Today is also Marilu Henner's birthday. The former Taxi star merits a section in John Landecker's book Records Truly Is My Middle Name for the incredibly memorable appearances she made on his show over the years.

Eckhartz Everyday

 

*On this day in 2009, I participated in an event called "Cremating the Curse". We held the event at a funeral home to eulogize the Cubs 100+ year curse, and put it into the ground. It worked. 7 years later we won the World Series. It was a fun little lark to promote a book I contributed an essay to, Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Until Next Year. See more pictures from this event here. Among the other particpants: future Minutia Men Celebrity Interview guest Tom Dreesen, and future Eckhartz Press authors Randy Richardson (Cubsessions) and Donald G. Evans (An Off-White Christmas)

*On this day in 2013, Roger Ebert passed away, and John Records Landecker was asked to appear on WLS Radio to eulogize his old friend. See more photos about that day here. We also posted this excerpt from John's book Records Truly Is My Middle Name about Roger.

*Today is the birthday of former Eckhartz Press author Dan Burns. Dan has gone on to become a board member for the Chicago Writers Association and has published several other books under his own label. His Eckhartz Press novel Returned to Life was his first.

Dana Kozlov

 Thanks to Robert Feder for his mention of my Dana Kozlov piece in the Illinois Entertainer...

Dana Kozlov, recently promoted to weekend news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, rates the profile treatment from Rick Kaempfer in the April issue of Illinois Entertainer. (Here is the link.) Kozlov, who grew up in Palatine and graduated from Fremd High School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, cites CBS 2 legends Bill Kurtis, Walter Jacobson and Pam Zekman with sparking her interest in news. And she credits Dina Bair, midday news anchor at Nexstar Media WGN-Channel 9, with helping her land her first Chicago reporting job at WGN in 1995. The two had worked at competing stations in Peoria. “I was determined to work my butt off and make it, and I did,” Kozlov told Kaempfer.

RIP Mrs. Costanza

Sorry to hear the news. Estelle Harris passed away over the weekend at the age of 93.

Eckhartz Everyday

*On this day in 1992, Eckhartz Press founder David Stern gets married. Fellow Eckhartz Press founder Rick Kaempfer serves as Best Man. (Dave: “He was an OK man, at best.”) 

*On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. John Records Landecker was on the air with Stevie Wonder when that news came across the wire, and told that story in his book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. You can that excerpt here.

*On this day in 2009, future Eckhartz Press author Joel Daly retired from Channel 7. The station aired this great time capsule to honor him. 

Minutia Men--Get My Wife's Name Out Your Podcast's Mouth

 Yes, we have some fun at Will Smith's expense. The latest episode is out. You can listen to it here.

Should you ever hire family members, Fake plaques on park benches, Carl Giammarese from the Buckinghams tells about his Ed Sullivan show appearance, Kids say the darndest things, Jenkins in Miami, Hillary in Arkansas, and a tremendous listener story about Abe Vigoda are discussed by Rick and Dave.

Dana Kozlov

The latest issue of Illinois Entertainer is out and includes my interview with WBBM-TV Channel 2 anchor/reporter Dana Kozlov. Thanks again to Dana for doing the interview.

You can read it here.