Yes I've seen and met Gregg at the NNL in Toledo several years ago and I know that he's attended other show stateside as well. He is real and has been having serious back problems for a long time now. I hope things get better for him soon.
I am very thankful for this forum as it IS a great place to be and a lot of fun as well as very informative. I buy my issues of Model Cars Magazine at the hobby shop when it's available.