Pulitzer, anyone?

Journalism is a tough racket. Young reporters must suffer through endless City Council meetings or high school field hockey games and then interview the principals for a newsworthy story. Is this how Woodward and Bernstein started?

Lehigh Valley news reporters will face their most challenging interviews yet this coming weekend when Comic Con comes to Allentown. Alas, this is a minor league Comic Con. Instead of an appearance by Captain Kirk or Mr Spock from the original "Star Trek", the best that Allentown can do is the doctor from "Star Trek - Voyager". Now, an interview with Dr McCoy from the original or with the sexy redhead doctor from "Next Generation" might be a career-maker for a local journalist, but Pulitzer-seeking reporters would be better served interviewing the guy dressed like a Klingon who lives in his parents' basement in Macungie.

There is hope for local scribes, however. Also appearing at Comic Con are the guy who played Chewbacca and the guy who did Yoda's voice in "Star Wars". It's not exactly "What did the President know and when did he know it?" but these probing questions could lead to a Page 1 by-line:

Q - "Chewbacca, is it The Force that makes Imperial Storm Troopers such crappy shots while every blast from you and Han drops a bad guy?"

A - "A-a-agh."

Q - "Yoda. you are three feet tall and have hands the size of a Kindergartener's. Still, you wield a full-size light saber and slay adult-size bad guys. How is that?"

A - "Matters not size. Special effects overcome."

Q - "Chewie, you are bigger, stronger, and a better pilot than Han Solo yet he's the one who gets all the glory and, no surprise, the girls. What do you have to say about that?"

A - "A-a-agh."

Q - "Yoda, Luke wasn't fully Jedi trained, yet George Lucas killed you off in "Return of the Jedi", why did he do that?"

A - (Out of character) The Department of Education claimed that kids across America were mangling grammar while claiming that it was part of their Jedi training. Verbal SAT scores were plummeting. The Feds threatened to give future "Star Wars" movies an X rating unless George killed me off. Then George killed off the franchise anyway by introducing Jar Jar Binks. Instead of hauling in millions doing Yoda's voice, here I am in Allentown working for peanuts. Thanks, George."

Now, there is a Pulitzer-winning interview.