Why is no one discussing the fact that Len Wein’s wife, Chris Valada, is on Jeopardy as the defending champion right now?
UPDATED AS OF 10/29–How did Christine do? Answer below.
PADChristine won for the fourth time, bringing her four day total to around $66,000 (I don’t have the exact number in front of me.) Alex told the story of the house burning down today and at the end of the episode, when she correctly answered the Final Jeopardy question regarding Pulitzer Prize winning dramas, she was clearly choked up.
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Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out tonight!
where is she from
Who is Len Wein? And I still want to know where she is originally from. It was stated at the beginning of the show, I missed it.
Well played!
It’s a conspiracy.
Worldwide.
No, it isn’t worldwide. Everyone in Walton, NY,her hometown, is excited about her appearance and rooting for her!
All part of the plan.
It’s being discussed a little bit at http://mcvalada.blogspot.com.
I didn’t know she was Len Wein’s wife. Although I guess that explains Alex’s cryptic comment about how important this money is to her.
Incidentally, does she wear prescription lenses? I ask because she’s not wearing any on the show, and it looks like she’s straining to read the clues.
Brent Frankenhoff has been keeping a running log of her appearances thus far over on CBGXtra (www.cbgxtra.com) in the Non-Comics Stuff thread.
But I have to agree with Michael. Until Brent’s posts, I didn’t know the marital connection either.
You’d just think more comic sites would have picked up on it.
.
PAD
PAD,
I actually had no idea until you brought it up. I will make a point of watching it now. Christine is a great lady. The first time I ever heard from her is when I wrote something positive about Len in my column and to my surprise I got an e-mail from Christine, who introduced herself and thanked me for the kind words. We have stayed in contact since, and I send Len and her my column on a regular basis. again, awesome lady. I hope she wins a loooooooooot of loot!
Well, it’s been mentioned on both Len and Mark Evanier’s blogs. I’ve exchanged a couple of emails with Christine about it, posted about the connection on the J! message board, and let Ken Jennings know about it, so I figure I’ve done my part. : -)
I was wondering when she was going to mention it, actually. No, not “I’m married to Len Wein” – cool as that is – but “I’m married to a famous comic book writer.” Well, he DID help create the new X-Men and bring Wolverine back to the public eye, now didn’t he?
Alex Trebek teased that tonight we’d find out why this is a really special experience for her. IIRC, didn’t she and Len just have a fire? It’s not as if the money is going to hurt them at all…
She does seem to have a bit of a time trying to read the board, yes. On the other hand, I think her timing is rather controlled, and may even be psyching out the other players a little. She seems to be very deliberate in the way she answers – quickly or slowly, depending on the time. (Note that if she’s answering at the end of the round, and she’s ahead, she reads the entire category name for x hundred… takes time away from her opponents.)
Hey, I’ve been rooting for her hard! Still am! Go Mrs. Wein go!
I remain,
Sincerely,
Eric L. Sofer
x<]:o){
The Bad Clown…
Mike,
“Who is Len Wein?”
Wow. Incredible. Len Wein is simply the man who not only brought Wolverine to the world but wrote the comics that got me hooked on the medium with his fun, classic Hulk and Spider-Man stories.
Hugh Jackman actually left the stage at San Diego in 2008 for creating the character Jackman wisely credits with having the career he does today.
The other nice thing is that as a four time champion she has a really excellent chance at come back for the Tournament of Champions at the end of the season. Ever since Ken Jennings run, there haven’t been as many big multiple day winners. If she gets five, I’d say it’s a lock.
Good for her.
It was mentioned on the Comics Should Be Good web page today.
So Thursday night, Alex and Christine discussed her house fire, and how they lost so much. The items that she said she lost included books and art.
No mention of all those comic books? I understand putting a little bit of a generic spin on it, I guess, but does association with comic books really carry such a stigma with it that they can’t be mentioned on TV…? That she can’t say that her husband is one of the more famous comic book writers and has been since the early 70s? Is that realy so shameful any more?
I remain,
Sincerely,
Eric L. Sofer
x<]:o){
The Bad Clown…
I wear gas-permeable contact lenses. By the third game, they were glued to my eyes and I was having a difficult time seeing the board. I felt better after the lunch break, but by game 5 it was a problem again. Switching to my glasses was not likely to be a good idea because my double astigmatism would interfere without a longer break.
Alex gets to ask what he wants to ask from a list of options for each contestant.
By the way, the art lost in the fire included the splash page of Giant-sized X-men #1, all of the first Wolverine story in Hulk, and the cover of Nevermore. Those can never be replaced. And I am sick about it.
Money can’t make up for such losses, but at least it helps with other stuff. And you certainly did great.
.
PAD
Ms. Valada,
It was kind of heart wrenching to think of what you lost in that fire, and my regrets are with you that they cannot be replaced.
But thank the Light that YOU and Len were part of the salvage! Losing the art was bad; losing a couple of people would have been worst by far.
And congratulations on a really good four game run! Hope to see you back on the Contest of Champions!
I remain,
Sincerely,
Eric L. Sofer
x<]:o){
The Bad Clown…
Chris – Too much, too little, too late was sung by what pop duo?
Jeez I am impressed and dismayed at the same time by your tragic loss. I tried to get on Jeopardy in ’92 when the try-outs were in
Atlantic City – a bus ride away at the time – made it to the finals,
played a mock game on stage, told them I collected books with
strange titles which I thought would pique their interest, and was
told I would appear on the show in the next year. Well, they lied
to me and to others, I’m sure. After a year of boning up with books
acquired from friends – if children’s lit. ever came up, my goose was cooked – I never got that magic call. But I didn’t have your insatiable persistence to keep trying so my hat goes off to you.
I guess the money came in handy rebuilding your lives and how
close you came to being a 5-time champion, a privilege and a
honor.
By the way, I decided a more deserving homeless person could use
the scarf more than I, so I donated it to a local charity when we
moved to Florida in ’08.
The other Larry is running musical programs for the 55+ crowd, of which there are many, and I’m involved in the formation of a community theater right here in my little town, Wellington, about a half hour west of Palm Beach. I’m also a budding ghostwriter, not so different from the creditless world of advertising, except when you win an award and your name is publicized, in which case the e-mails from agents are clogging your inbox. I had a few of those moments but not enough, devoting my true creative juices to New York Magazine Competitions, of which I was the most frequent award-winner by far. I even had a fan club in Zap, ND, though I suspect someone was messing with me. After 30+ years in the business, it was time. I left the business and well, you know the rest. The pace is slower here, the people are more polite and you actually build up personal relationships with your pharmacist and dry cleaner. What more could one ask? By the way, I don’t know
if you watch Madmen, but I can’t. Too many painful truths.
Would love to hear from you though you stock your blog with many
personal anecdotes, so I feel I know what’s going on already. Your experience with Jeopardy alone could make a mini-series.
Best –
Larry
P.S. Are you still in touch with anyone from the ’72/’73 class?