As Indiana Jones prepares to local theaters Thursday in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a few real-life Indiana Jones stopped in at the Blockbuster Video, 7552 W. Oklahoma Ave., on Friday evening.
There was free Andrea's pizza -- which might have helped draw some of the 100 to 150 kids and adults that turned out -- but the real attractions were much more slitherly.
Ken Fowler of Hoffer's Tropic Life Pets and Nelle Young, a wildlife rehabilitator from Wildlife in Need Center in Oconomowoc, had live snakes for kids to touch and hold (including a 10-ft. python -- a constrictor! -- that some daring kids draped around their necks!).
Kids came dressed up to compete in an Indiana Jones look-alike contest. And there were drawings and prizes and 150 skull keychains hidden throughout the store for the young adventure-seekers to unearth.
There were also five real-life Indiana Jones from UWM, including Bob Jeske, who heads the archeology lab at the university. Jeske, along with John Richards, Brian Nicholls, Laura Villamil and Pat Richards, showed off spearheads and other artifacts.
If the movie turns out to be half as fun, it oughta be good.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
