The North American Breeders Conference and Trade Show also known as NARBC amongst its guests has been over now since Sunday evening. I’m posting this now because I needed the few days off to gather all the thoughts and material into one cohesive frame of mind so I could post something halfway intelligent. I’ve created some podcasts from the interviews we did and Austin is creating galleries that are going to blow you away. I met some of my heroes whose careers I have followed since I started a decade ago and to say that the show was anything but mind-blowing for us would be an understatement.
I don’t recall ever going to a show where I have seen so many people enjoying honesty and passion in one spot. Being
in Anaheim and so close to the Los Angeles I half expected the stereotypical attitude of the Los Angeles that we all hear about. This was not the case by any means. Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry posted on Facebook that he was in Los Angeles, jet-lagged, and that he was coming to the NARBC. I thought I misread for sure and reread the post several times, finally believing what I had read I debated with myself about how to approach such an icon in the industry. I emailed him via Facebook requesting an interview and he casually replied “No Worries.”
Later on that day I met with Dr. Fry and was given exclusive insights you will never read in any magazine. Dr. Fry’s candor and professionalism is something that everyone could learn from. This is going to sound like a fan boy geek and I just don’t give a shit, because I guarantee most people who read this will never get the opportunity I did that day. I will never forget that interview. Did I mention that Dr. Fry was speaking with Jules Sylvester at the time we met? Some might say that you don’t know who Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry is and I would argue that you do you just may not recognize the name. I would say 7 out 10 shows on television that are of any quality are usually done with Dr. Fry somewhere in them. Whether he is speaking of fish venom or proving to the world that Komodo Dragons are truly venomous or maybe you’ve seen him snatch a sea snake out of the ocean as boat passes it at speed. Jules Sylvester of course is the man responsible for all the weird critters that show up on late night television show host desks.
Speaking of candor, Bill Love of Blue Chameleon Ventures, Marcia McGuiness (MOGL) of Golden Gate Geckos, and Scott Waters of Herp Nation Magazine also met with us and gave freely of their time to share information about what they were doing. Bill Love gave us tips on photography and explained why he loves Madagascar (the island not the movie). Marcia McGuiness explained what’s behind MOGL.com and why she cares for and treats her geckos as if they were her children. Scott Waters explained a little bit about how fieldherpforum spawned the only magazine dedicated to advanced techniques and field herping.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the man behind the curtain who made this all possible Brian Potter who managed to squeeze a not so little amount of time for us into his crazy schedule for us to interview him as well. We talked with about what it’s like to put together a show of this stature with 100 + vendors and keep everything running smoothly. I think the best way to sum up the entire show is with a direct quote from the man himself
“We try and class up the reptile show.”
Brian, we here at Reptileapartment.com couldn’t agree more with the vendors and smiling customers. You have definitely accomplished adding class to the reptile shows. Keep up the great work! For those interested in attending an NARBC event here’s the link. Look for new posts in the coming weeks from the names mentioned above as well others. We have an extra special treat from Tiki-Tiki Reptiles which you have to hear to believe!