Ken Smoller (aka “Stadium Vagabond”) is a photographer and writer based in Brookline Massachusetts, with childhood roots in Chicagoland. In over three decades of extensive traveling, he has photographed more than 2,350 stadiums in 48 states and 24 countries. His mantra is that one of the best ways to understand the culture and fabric of a place is through its sporting arenas and stadiums. This quixotic, never-ending photographic scavenger hunt began while Ken was a Photo Editor at the Michigan Daily in the early nineties, the newspaper for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In those days, he had... Read More
Last Comiskey
April 28, 2024
Print
$39.90
The “Last Comiskey” project, initiated by first-time documentarian Matt Flesch during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in a documentary capturing the final season of Comiskey Park, including the White Sox’s unexpected pennant chase. Through home movies, stories, and photographs contributed by fans like Ken Smoller, the film highlights the park’s significance. The accompanying book aims to serve as a lasting companion to the documentary, blending Smoller’s photos with new content to capture the essence of Comiskey Park and remind fans of its magic amid discussions of a potential new ballpark.
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Ken Smoller
Author
Summary
The “Last Comiskey” project initially started as a diversion for first-time documentarian Matt Flesch during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the producer, writer and director of the film, Matt created a documentary that captures all of the key moments from Comiskey Park’s final season, including the surprising pennant chase by the plucky young underdog White Sox. The backbone of the film are home movies, stories and photographs from fans. One of those contributors was Ken Smoller, a photographer and writer who is the founder of the sports travel website Stadium Vagabond (www.stadiumvagabond.com and on social media @stadiumvagabond). Ken took thousands of images during Comiskey’s final season and its last decade.
The goal of this book is to serve as a permanent companion to the documentary that will provide a physical and tangible reminder of the final surprising season at “Sox Park.” The book blends both Ken Smoller’s photographs along with the content from the “Last Comiskey” documentary film, supplemented by new material to provide greater context. The book is intended to capture the spirit of the documentary and the reflections of the many participants in the interviews Matt conducted for the film.
This book is being released at a potentially auspicious time, given current White Sox attempts to replace new Comiskey Park. For many years, White Sox faithful have longed for a ballpark that evoked the same kind of pride as Comiskey Park. With the news of a potential move to the South Loop, Sox fans are dreaming of a new ballpark that is more like Comiskey 1.0 than 2.0. This book will help remind everyone of the magic of the “Baseball Palace of the World.”