June 2010
10 (or so) questions with... Mark Zahn
By Steve Lange
Rochester Magazine: Who was rebuked by Darth Vader with the line “I find your lack of faith disturbing”?
Mark Zahn: That was on the Death Star in episode four. One of the admirals, I think. Admiral Motti?
RM: Wow. Yes.
RM: When we interviewed you back in 2005, you had “10 large Rubbermaid tubs full of thousands of Star Wars toys.” Has that collection gotten bigger, smaller, or stayed the same?
MZ: My wife, much to her chagrin, will tell you that it’s increased. The stupid Clone Wars cartoon got us. We’re collecting for my daughter and son, now, as well as myself.
RM: Which one of these Down by the Riverside concerts are you most likely to see: Night Ranger, the Guess Who, or Starship?
MZ: I’d probably go see the Guess Who. I’m actually in a little bit of a daze right now, because I went to see the Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie concert last night. It was off the hook. I don’t even know if people actually say off the hook any more, but it was. Rob Zombie actually closed the night with Alice Cooper’s song “School’s Out,” so that was pretty cool.
RM: Is it true that you and Melissa, after you exchanged “I do’s” walked down the aisle to the foreboding strains of Star Wars’ “Imperial March”?
MZ: That is true.
RM: How did you talk her into that?
MZ: I did not even know about it. Her brother snuck that into the church’s sound system, and when I kissed the bride and the pastor introduced us, that started playing. I stopped dead in my tracks and said ‘What the heck?’
RM: So your love for Star Wars is obviously common knowledge?
MZ: The action figures on top of the wedding cake were from me.
RM: What action figures?
MZ: Strangely enough, it was Luke and Leia, which is weird now that I think about it.
RM: Quickly, what’s 60 percent of 50?
MZ: I’d have to get my Darth Vader calculator.
RM: 30.
RM: Tell me about Zahn Manor.
MZ: That’s our annual Halloween gig that we do. And it gets bigger every year. In fact, I’ve already started working on it for this year.
RM: Is it in your yard in Kasson?
MZ: The graveyard is outside on the front yard and we have a haunt in the garage Halloween night that kids can go through. It takes a good month and a half to set every thing up. Last year we had about 175 people come through. [You can see pics at www.Hallowzing.com.]
RM: I’ll give you three Star Wars quotes, tell me who said it. “Into the garbage chute, flyboy.”
MZ: That was Leia.
RM: “He’s too old.”
MZ: That was Yoda.
RM: “Yub yub.”
MZ: That’s Ewokese.
RM: Yes, it was some Ewok.
RM: I found some of your writing online.
MZ: I write when I have spare time. I write every day for two hours when the kids are down for naps. I just finished my first novel and I’m trying to get that published. I don’t know which is harder, writing it or finding someone to publish your book.
RM: But you’ve written other books, right? You wrote a few books online in a series for kids, the Three Investigators series?
MZ: I did some just for fun, nothing professional. That’s kind of how I cut my teeth on writing, because I was never a very good writer in school. I didn’t really pay attention in English class, which I kick myself for now. So I had to learn the hard way.
RM: What’s the new novel about?
MZ: It has to do with Edgar Allan Poe. That’s all I can say for now. I don’t want to give too much away. I spent a good six months researching his life and digging into his history.
RM: I’ll give you some names. Tell me if it’s a local judge or TV personality: Joshua Stevens?
MZ: He’s a news guy isn’t he?
RM: I’m glad you got that one. He interviews me once a month on the morning show. Robert Birnbaum.
MZ: No idea. Drawing a blank on that one.
RM: Birnbaum’s a judge. Joseph Wieners.
MZ: Must be a judge.
RM: Yes. That’s not a name a TV person would pick. Lund. MZ: Lund?
RM: I can’t tell you the first name.
MZ: TV.
RM: Actually it’s one of each. Pat Lund is on KTTC. Kevin Lund is a judge.
RM: It’s 8:45, and you said you go to bed at 9. Do you really? MZ: Most nights, yes. I do daycare with my wife. We work together. I quit my last job over a year ago now.
RM: So you two both work together all day long? My wife would love that.
MZ: You’ve got to have a pretty tight marriage to count on one another and lean on one another and stand one another all day every day. We’ve managed so far. She’s the best boss I’ve ever had.
RM: I’ll leave that part in. Maybe she’ll give you a raise.