Dick Perez & Marq Evans are back! E334

Sports Card Nation, Hobby, It's the people, Wheely News and Interviews. It's your number one song. Sportscarnation Hobby is the people. Sports Guarnation? What is up? Everybody? Welcome to episode three thirty four of Sports Cardination.

We are back again with legendary artist Dick Perez acclaimed director Mark Evans. This is a continuation of our conversation from last episode. The new movie The Diamond King is out on any platform you can download or purchase a movie. This is the final cut version, So even if you saw an earlier preview, whether it be at the National like I did in Cleveland last year, or somewhere else, this will be slightly different, not completely different, but a little bit different.

So whether you're a baseball card collector, Diamond Kings fan, fan of Dick Perezz, fan of Mark Evans, you know, go out and see this movie. I'm happy to be a backer. You'll see my name in the credits at the end, and it's, you know, just well done. Mark is excellent at what he does.

And you know, while I knew a lot of stuff about Dick Perez, or at least I thought I did, this movie really sort of peels back the layers and we get to see some of the inner workings and and you know, learn about Dick the person, Dick the man, and and you know that that was pretty cool and you know, even emotional. I won't give out you know why, but it got me a little choked up. Seen it in Cleveland. So we're back again with Dick and Mark today to talk about the process, the hobby and all that fun stuff.

So quick commercial break and then we'll be back with Dick and Mark. Hobby Hotline is the Hobby's only live, interactive call in show. Join some of your favorite hobby personalities every Saturday eleven am Eastern eight am Pacific to discuss the hottest hobby topics. If you miss us live, catch us after the fact on all major podcast platforms.

Follow us on socials at Hobby Hotline. Here is our conclusion of our conversation with artist Dick Perez and filmmaker Mark Evans. This question my friend. When I told him I was going to be talking to you, Dick, who's a collector, you wanted me to ask you this? And after he told me the question, I thought it was kind of like, obviously, you're uber talented.

I'm sure no one gets you super thrown up. But is there a particular athlete or player that gives you difficulty in drawing and painting? More more over, another one that sticks out? Or yeah, just the good looking ones you want to ping Yogi berra all the time? Well, Hank Bauer, I have problem with getting exact likenesses of men who I mean or women who have pretty perfect figures, I mean noses and eyes and what have you. You want something that you enjoy, you know, copying and getting. A laugh on.

Yeah, that question came from someone who can't even draw a stick figure, by the way, So uh, there you go. Mark has been doing this film. You know, obviously you're not new to filmmaking, but maybe this is a new genre with with the hobby. Is it something maybe you want to revisit at some point again, whether it be a biopic or just maybe a hobby film in general, we're starting to see a few more kind of be made and whatnot.

But is that, you know, is that on your mind that maybe this is something you'll you'll revisit. You know, I do remember at one point during the process of making this, and you know, it was probably during. Baseball season, I was reading just baseball books and everything was just baseball, and I thought, maybe I'll just make a bunch of baseball movies. Is because I just enjoy it.

So if anything I can see additional baseball related subjects, I don't know, you know, there's not there's not like the perfect idea for a baseball related film right now, but I would certainly be interested in doing. I take that back. I've got I've got one. Loose idea that's probably going to be fifteen or twenty years away because it takes collecting stories throughout history of baseball, and it takes reading hundreds and hundreds of books and baseball books in order to get to where I want that project to be.

So that might be something you know, two decades from now, but but you know, just the subject to baseball lessly fascinating. Dick talks a lot about how it's the best, you know, collectible sport because it goes back to the eighteen hundreds, and and I think that's very true. And so many of my favorite stories are just reading stories that of you know, the early days of baseball are endlessly fascinating, you. Know, one of one of the other nice benefits of this film being made obviously other than the film itself, which is great, is we've got some more, you know, Dick Perez artwork being done as part of support from the film, some jumbo cards, some regular sized cards which I'm a proud owner of, you know, was talk about and this goes for both of you, like, was that something early on you knew that would be or did that kind of just the light bulb kind of just went off? And for Dick alone, like the what was that process? Like, you know, you've done obviously artwork before, but now it is part of a movie release and that sort of thing.

Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. No, I think that the purpose of projects that we did were to finance the film. Health financing them because all the stripping was making to the East Coast and hotels and what have you. Give me somebody's got something that's got to.

Be done, and it gave me an opportunity to you know, I like, right now, I'm working on a very large painting of Scott Rowland, who is one of the new inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame. And I've got a collection paintings at the Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies, and I hadn't really painted anything baseball until that, I mean, aside from the film, I didn't have a project yet and I think I almost finished it today. It's great. Well, I mean again, the work that is aligned with the film is as all of your stuff is has been great.

And the terrific for for you, Mark, was that something you thought would be an idea or it just kind of came along where you're like, hey, you know, I'm doing this film. It's about Dick Perez. He's obviously a renowned artist. This short just kind of makes sense like where where did where did that come in in the process.

Yeah, it was a little bit of both. I knew I wanted uh. I thought it was important to see his process of starting and then eventually completing a. Painting in the movie.

I just thought people would be interested in seeing what his process is and I was interested in that, and so we decided on that and you'll see that in the film on on an Aeron Judge painting. And so he started an Aeron judge painting and he ends up scrapping that painting that he'd started because during the during the course of making that, Aaron Judge hit the record breaking home run Verse sixty two a couple see ago, so he decided, well, I want to I'd rather do that paint because that's historic. And so we see his process of starting one air and Judge painting, scrapping that, starting another one, and then ultimately completing that. And so that was an early idea that we wanted like to see him painting, you know, to see him painting something that fit with the movie.

And then I can't remember. How the Diamond Immortals card set, which I think is just an awesome card set, twenty five players from spanning the history of baseball through Dick's work. I think we just might have been Dick's idea when we were going to Kickstarter, what about a new card set? And originally I think it was going to be existing. Art that he had, but then we thought, well, we'd like Atani to be in the set.

So he paints a new Otani. He wanted Tom sever to be in there, but he maybe wasn't happy enough with the one you previous one that he was going to use, So he paints a new Tom Siever, and then he paints a new Babe Ruth, and then he paints a new and he paints Julio Rodriguez, and then he paints a new rovertal Clemente. And so that's just Dick. You know, that's just the prolific artist that he is.

And so so that was awesome. You know, it was awesome to be part of that see those paintings, and and. I think there's some of his best work. I think, you know, I've told.

Him this many times. I think he's doing some of his best work right now. He's got a new series that he's been making of Hollywood Legends. So these these.

People, for the most part, are are a little bit more beautiful than you know, some of the baseball. Players in the past. But he's but he's doing a good job with those too. So and again I think those are some of his best works of you know, you're talking, uh, you know, Hollywood just like baseball, from you know, the beginning days of movies until now.

It's it's what he's doing. So yeah, it's it's just it's it's really awesome and inspiring to see him work as a creative person and to be able to learn from. Yeah, no doubt. I saw the film at the Nashville and Cleveland that rendition of obviously well done and loved it.

You know, it's a movie about you know, mister Perez. It's a movie about his life sort of work and the person, but it's also you know, the thing I took from it is, you know, and I don't want to give away the whole movie, but a lot of people you came over from Puerto Rico's young boy on a plane by yourself. I'm in I'm fifty two and I'm scared to fly by myself. Right, So you come as a young boy on the plane to New York and you know you wanted to be a ballplayer yourself.

That didn't work out, although I think Plan B was was pretty good too. But the thing I took away that I said to myself for for people watching it, right, is that you know, follow your dreams, right, You can do whatever you want to do. Maybe not. I wanted to play Major League baseball too, so Dick, don't field bad.

We're in the same boat there. But I can't paint. So that's that's why I talk. But when the movie was over, I just said, and it affected me a little more emotionally than I actually anticipated that that caught me a little off guard, but I remember saying, you know, the little voice that we all have in ahead is that this.

You know, anyone that sees the film, whether you're regardless of age, right, it should it should show you that, you know, chase your dreams. You know, maybe you hear no uh sometimes, but keep keep pressing on and you know things things can happen. And you know, while you're not a baseball player, uh, you're involved with with baseball in a in a big sort of way. And I think that's just a testament to both of you gentlemen, right, I think predict the perseverance uh to to do what you want to do.

And for Mark, just making a great film that sort of illustrates that in itself, almost like a painting in film form. And so it might be a bait, it might be a little bit of a baseball movie, it might be a little bit of a biopic, but I also think it's educational in that way that you know, chase your dreams, don't they you know, don't let the first know be the only no uh. You necessarily here and keep keep going. You never know when that break might come, that that catapults whatever you're doing it.

It doesn't even have to relate to to being an artist. I mean whatever career, uh that that you're in that yeah, I mean, uh, I mean thoughts on that as a filmmaker and as a subject for both these gentlemen. Yeah, well, I think you're right on, John. I mean, obviously, I think baseball fans.

Will love the movie. I think, you know, collectors should love the movie. But I hope it goes beyond that and people are inspired by Dick's story and that that was really what I wanted to get across, is just to tell this inspiring story about learn about this artist and his life and and you know, we can all learn from it. And I and I agree with you too as far as just like sometimes it's got to.

Stay in the game. You know, you gotta you know, and and and you can create your own luck. And you know, Dick talks about like the luck of meeting certain people. But of course, then when that opportunity was there, he completed every single painting on time and at a high level and always did what he said he was going to do.

So so you know. We all can do the little luck and then you got to do great work. Once that you know what do you have. That you are listening to? The sportscard Nation podcast will be right back after this break.

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I'm sure for you Mark as a filmmaker, right when you were first starting out, like I'm sure you've got no's and or we don't like this idea, and now you had to press on And it might be a little bit easier now because you have a track record. And never never gets easier all the time, like. A little bit maybe a little bit, a little bit easier, but so well. So I teach film also at a college here where I called up at college, and you know, I'm students that you know, they like I actually remind them sometimes like look, Dave David Lynch who just passed away, you know, last month or the month before, you know, he died not being able to get films made.

And he's one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of his generation. And so it's a tough industry. And yeah, it gets a little bit easier doors open for you, and but you just gotta whatever you're doing, like you said, it is just not give up on it, because you know there. Are opportunities that you can make for yourself.

Yeah, Dick just kind of speak to you know, the takeaway of that, Uh, you should never really give up on your dream. And and it's not always going to be easy. I think that was highlighted in the film that you know, there there's tough times and you gotta kind of keep plugging, uh, and and you maybe catch your break. So, like Mark said, sometimes it might be a lucky break.

But doesn't matter, right, Sometimes that's what you need, just you know, for you. I mean, was that something you just in your genes kind of like in your makeup talk talk about that for for you personally? Well, I think that was very fortunate in that I was doing work, not not painting, but doing work for the Phillies, for the for the Eagles, and art for the Baseball Hall of Fame. I took advantage of that. I worked my butt off and and I think did some pretty good work.

And one of the things that I I that no one knows about or is that my research for a for for a human product of even a Yogi bearre I want to see a new Yogi bearer. My research And it's a lot fun going through, especially now with computers where you you just go into into sites that have dozens and hundreds and thousands of images and you can and you can, and I like, I also don't like to necessarily. Sometimes you have to do it, but you don't want to. I just don't want to copy a photo.

I mean, I enhance it. If it's a black and white photo, it's in color. I do. I mean, so you do do something, you do contribute something, to it.

But I like to create my and I can take the head of Dick Allen and put them on the body of somebody else or the background, change the background, you and you. And I kept doing that all the time so that what they saw I want what you see, something you've never seen. And that's my way I do it. Yeah, it makes it original.

You put your own personal spin on it. And you know, much like sometimes we even see like with artists, right, we can tell the style and know who that particular artist might be and that's sort of their their signature. Uh, if you will, well, gentlemen, this is I mean, you know, I've I've sort of been a small slow hard for this for two years, but it's been, uh, you know, a great honor to have you guys on the show to talk to you, uh in person. And like I said, that's not lip service, Dick, that that first Diamond King made me look at some another company, uh other than Tops, as a kid from from Brooklyn, New York.

And uh glad that it happened. Wouldn't change wouldn't change the thing about it. And I think, like I said earlier, I think a lot of people have similar stories. And if you would have told, you know, that eleven year old kid then that hey, you know, maybe forty years from now you'll be talking to the gentleman that did this and turned your head.

I would have probably thought you were out of your mind. But here we are, and four times at that, and like I said, uh, every each of these has been privileging and honor and a thrill and glad I get to do it, and so thank you. The film is great For those that haven't seen it yet and are going to you. If you don't love it, I don't know what your problem is.

I'll just say that it's it's because it checks. Like I said in some of the questions, it it's a baseball movie, it's a hobby movie, it's a personal movie, and it's it's an educational movie. It's a lot of things kind of wrapped up into one and it's well done. And you know, glad glad to be a very small part of it.

But uh, just to say, uh, you know, I'll give you guys kind of the final word here. April twenty fifth, Uh, this has come out. This you may be hearing this and we're weak into it. Go out there and download it and watch the film and that sort of thing.

But I'll let you guys have sort of the last words to start. I'm glad I met you. Hey, me too, me too? And I'm always why and like you. And a I'm always asked, what did you think when somebody up to you and they want to make a movie about you? What am I gonna say? Yeah? Of course, Well let me ask you this one last question.

Now that you're a movie star, have you thought about doing any kind of action films? Yes? One thing I found out is, you know, Dick is a great number of movies. And you know he's got this again, this new project where he's painting Hollywood legends. But him and some friends go to a movie together almost every week or maybe even every week, and have. For a long time.

Dick and I in our cinematographer Jason Rourke, we were on a shoot somewhere in Pennsylvania and we went to Barbie together when it came out. So Dick, Dick is a big It was just the three of us, three of us dudes, uh and going to see Barbie. And so he's a film lover and when I did call him that first time, he was very intrigued and but we just hit it off right away, and that's what made this process so enjoyable. You know, Dick somebody, you know, I hope we're in each other's lives, you know, forever, and I'm sure we will be, you know, beyond just this film coming out.

So that's been that's been the most rewarding part. And then this film will last forever. You know, his heart's going to be you know, out there forever, and. So of this film.

So we're we're excited to share it with more people. You know, again, when you have these like sneak peak screenings, you've got to be there. But now available digitally April twenty fifth, where I'm just excited for more people to learn about Dick his story. We've got a pretty fun opening week plan too, where there's going to be kind of bonuses and giveaways for people that buy it and rent it.

So anybody that rents that first week, they can send proof of purchase and just like the receipt basically to proof at the Diamond kingmovie dot com and they'll automatically get a download link to jpeggs of all four hundred and five Diamond Kings that Dick did their scans from his from his personal collection. So people will get that, and then people that buy the movie should be like twelve ninety nine, they'll get the Diamond Kings plus automatically entered to win all kinds of different rewards. I've got some Dick press prints here from the movie that I'm going to give away. We've got some of most Jembo card sets that are in a box that Dick autographed.

Also comes with John Ortiz, our narrator. He autographed the card of his Too So Free giveaways that people can enter into in addition to getting getting the movie. Yeah, no doubt, Dick will let you. We'll let you have sort of five this whole you know, just ten of your thoughts as the premiere comes out and you know, be in a movie star now.

Yeah, I I think, I I think what the one of the economics for sure, But but an important one was that the reason I got into that genre of painting sports was because I wanted to bring art back to. Sports, and this movie proof of that. It was that it happened and it was enjoyed by the many people. And not only that, it was it made a company successful that just joined the group of baseball.

I mean that to me, that my work, because that's what I hear all the time when you made that is that I get is that they they switched to Don Russ, well they bought Din Russ also in addition to double their spending money. And uh, you know. So so I look at it as I achieved what I said out to do. And I'll close with this too, guys, I think with with maybe a young person that sees this movie who doesn't know who you are yet, they'll learn right and and they'll learn not only that of your work and your impact on the hobby.

But again what I said is that, hey, you know, perseverance pays off, uh in the end. So this this is just on different planes and on different levels. I think this movie's gonna be great. It is great, but I think for people I haven't seen yet, I think that impact is yet yet to come.

We haven't even seen the impact, the true impact of the film, I think because there's a lot of younger kids in the hobby that will learn, uh, you know, about the greatness of Dick Perez and the greatness of the filmmaking of Mark Evans as well. In the process of it so that's that's gonna be fun to see that, uh, you know, for years to come. Thanks guys, we'll see you, okay, see you again, all right. And I know that wasn't their first time on the program.

Really enjoy talking to both those gentlemen to learn their processes, how they go about doing the great work they do, chopping up some hobby with them. And now you know, the the completion of the movie is done. The movie is out and maybe you've seen it already. It came out last week.

If you haven't seen it yet, it's The Diamond King, and it's a it's an excellent film. And you know, I think even if someone wasn't a hobbyist or a collector, I think the film's that good. I think it's it's you don't have to necessarily be a hobbyist or a collector to enjoy it. I'm sure that helps, as I am one, but I don't think that's a prerequisite to enjoy the film.

So if you haven't seen it yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. Time for all the people of the week, card Killer, Remember the hobby is the people. If you'd like to be the hobby is the people announcer of the week to a one or MP three file and send it to Sportscard Nation PC at gmail dot com. Iron Sportscards is your number one source for all your PSA and other grading submissions.

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