This week’s controller is one from my personal collection, and it’s one that means a lot to me as you’ll see from the images. There used to be a trade show from Ziff Davis (A company known for their “great” planning skills!) called “Digital Life” that ran out of the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. In 2004 I had a comped booth with Pop’n Music 9 set up running on a DASC, obviously, and I caught wind that at the XM Satellite Radio booth Opie & Anthony were going to be doing an autograph signing during the show. Wanting to get something special autographed but having nothing on hand, I shut down my booth for 15 minutes and grabbed the Pop’n DASC I had and had them sign it. They were obviously confused as to what it was I was having them sign, but they joked about it and were very friendly. I didn’t want to be “that guy”, plus I had a booth to run so I split after talking to them for a minute or two, but I was very excited to have met them and had such a unique interaction!

The following year they started promoting (kind of) that they would be at Digital Life signing at the XM Radio booth again, so I asked Sarah to do some special artwork for me so I could get their signatures on yet another controller. I had just begun making IIDASCs, so I threw together an XM202 themed controller (black with golden yellow plexiglass, like their iconic black and yellow WOW stickers) and lugged it to NYC and all around the Javits center to bring it to the appearance.

As you can see, it’s been signed by lots of people from the show. Of course besides O&A, Ron & Fez, Jim Norton and Lazlow these people aren’t exactly celebrities, but being a huge Opie & Anthony fan since 2000, this controller will always have a special place on the display shelf in my work shop!