The Pinball Dream

I am writing these words on January 21st, 2014.  I couldn't sleep tonight, so I logged eight blog posts that have been auto-posting over the last two weeks.  Today, on February 7th, I am actually somewhere in Europe, promoting the French edition of my graphic novel Basewood.  I will be doing a few signings in Paris and Brussels, but the main event is the International Festival of Comics in Angoulême, France.

I was supposed to go to this festival last year, but at the last minute I had to cancel my trip.  Imagine my surprise, when a few days after the festival, our European pinball correspondent Max de Radgiuès sent me this photo from the show:

Yes, that's right.  At one of the bars, in the tiny town of Angoulême, there is a Medieval Madness machine.  The same pinball machine that I own and have beat a number of times.  I only pray that it is still there, and still in working order while I am at the festival this year.  In my mind, the scene will play out something like this:

"Oh! What is this strange machine?  Huh, maybe I will play a game or two!" AND THEN I WILL DESTROY ALL OF ITS HIGH SCORES.  I only get to come to Angoulême every five years or so (when I have a book come out in French) so I need to get a score SO astronomically high that my Grand Champion intials (ABL) will still be in the machine next time I roll through town.  Look out, France!  Here I come!

As I said, this is all assuming the machine is still there.  I'm scheduled to get back from my trip in a few days, so I'll let you all know how it goes.  Wish me luck!