Volunteer Spotlight: Ned Cato Jr. Comic-Con would not be the incredible success it is without the involvement of the board of directors, the committee members, the office staff, and the large contingent of volunteers who help make the show happen. This issue we turn the spotlight on Ned Cato Jr., a longtime Comic-Con board member and volunteer who currently works as a floor manager in the giant Exhibit Hall. What were your early interests in comics? My first comic buying memories are those giant-sized DC comics that were reprints of early Justice League and things like the Superman vs. The Flash race, and then I fell in love with the Avengers and X-Men. I have always had a love of super group comics. When I first started going to Comic-Con, I was deep into anime. This was right around the time Macross was huge. It was really cool going to other fans’ hotel rooms and watching episodes with 15-20 total strangers and all having the same interests. I really think that’s the real attraction of Comic-Con: being in a place with over 100,000 friends and strangers, all having similar interests. When did you first attend Comic-Con? I seem to remember first attending in 1987. Clydene Nee (Comic-Con’s Artists’ Alley and Art Auction coordinator) had told me about the show a year or two earlier, but I first attended at the urging of my best friends in the universe, Chris and Mary Sturhann [Chris produces Comic-Con’s Onsite Newsletter; Mary is on the Comic-Con board and is secretary of the organization], who were already volunteers in the Films Department and dating at the time. I had always been a geek, but I had never been to a show like Comic-Con. My earliest brush with greatness was being able to meet Jack Kirby and shake his hand and thank him for all he did for comics. To this day that is my greatest Comic-Con moment. When did you first start volunteering for Comic-Con? I started volunteering in 1988 or 1989, doing various duties. That was when I met many of the other volunteers and employees who have made such an impression on me. I knew I would be a part of the show for the rest of my life in some way or another. That led to a job in the office for a few years.
What are some of the jobs you’ve done for Comic-Con and what do you currently do? I’ve done many jobs for the show, starting with various gofer duties when needed. I then moved on to the Programming Department as an assistant, running programs and seeing to the panelists’ needs. I ran Programming for one year, then worked in Small Press, helping publishers get exhibit space at Comic-Con. I ran that department until it was folded into the Exhibits Department. I also worked in the office as the receptionist, and I also worked on APE and the Expo. Currently, I’m a board member and have been for 13 years. I am also a floor manager/assistant to Justin Dutta [ComicCon’s Director of Operations: Exhibits]. What does a floor manager do at Comic-Con? Floor managers are basically the eyes of Comic-Con in the Exhibit Hall. We make sure exhibitors adhere to the rules and regulations of the convention. Overall, we provide a general convention presence on the Exhibit Hall floor. What kinds of things do you collect and enjoy that you may find at Comic-Con each year? I will buy anything that piques my interest. I collect action figures that strike my fancy. I love Asian cinema, especially monster movies such as Godzilla. I am also a British sci-fi
fan: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Thunderbirds, Tomorrow People, Blake’s 7. I collect objects from those shows and others. But my favorite thing to do is to collect the freebies at the show, especially anything made of metal. Pins are my favorite; I like posters, too. What do you do in real life? I worked in retail for over 10 years, starting at the Warner Brothers Studio Stores, then Sam Goody record stores, ending up at Suncoast Motion Picture Co. Right now, I’m a lighting tech at a night club. I also produce and host a podcast with my friends called “Geek Roundtable,” where we talk about everything from the newest and hottest movies, books, games, and comics to who would win in a fight between Batman and Wolverine. (My money is on the Bat!) Read any good books—or comics—lately? Darwyn Cooke’s New Frontier series is the best thing in comics right now. It takes me back to a time when comics were simpler and more fun. I also love the Chronicles of Narnia books; I read them over and over. I am also reading Podcasting for Dummies, which I recommend for anyone looking to get into podcasting. And I love old Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke books. Spring 2008 • Comic-Con Magazine 21