Claudia Wells Sci Fi Expo2013

The last Back to the Future alumni that I got was Claudia Wells. She was all bright and shiny; friendly and smiling.

 I watched as the person in front of me bought a ‘package’ from her. It was an autographed photo, a posed photo with her, AND her autograph with a brief message to call her at some fake phone number. The message was written on the back of a Save the Clock Tower pamphlet from Back to the Future.

While that was interesting it wasn’t for me. I just grabbed this photo and got it signed and moved on my way.

AH

James Tolkan – Sci Fi Expo2013

Another alumnus of Back to the Future, James Tolkan was looking at me as I walked up to the table.  He asks about the shirt I was wearing.

James: The 'A'. Does that stand for something? [brief pause] Arizona?

Me:  Yeah. It’s where I went to school.

James: Tucson?  I lived in Tucson. [Said emphatically]

Me: Oh yeah? [Big smile on my face].  Spent 5 years there. Even meant my wife while in college there.

James: Tucson, it’s changed a lot.  I went to Amphitheather High School.  Hear of that? [no challenge in the voice but curious if I really knew it.]

Me: Tucson has changed. And everyone knows Amphi. Big football school. They got a program that almost rivals the UofA. You play football?

James: Yeah, played for Ampitheater. Then got a scholarship for a school called Eastern Arizona State. [I shake my head 'no', as I never heard of it.]  It’s near Safford.

Me: Safford – mining town?  [He nods encouragingly] I’ve passed through Safford. Never stayed.

James: Yeah mining town. But close to Eastern Arizona.

He signed the photo and passed it back to me.  We shook hands and I left.

AH

Lea Thompson Sci Fi Expo 2013

The guys from Sci Fi Expo put together a Back to the Future reunion.  They had 4 actors from the movies including Lea Thompson. 

The line for was Lea was long and I really expected to have to come back the next day for her.  When I was making the circuit through the convention center about 45 minutes later I noticed the line was empty.  I walked over to the volunteer asked why.  I was thinking maybe she was packing up for the day or had to do a panel or something.  The volunteer said that Lea came back early and no one knew it yet.

Well, I wasn’t going to think twice. I walked up and got my autograph.  Lea wore black framed reading glasses, that and her warm smile melted many hearts that day.  I asked if she ever been to Dallas before and she mentioned once for the musical Cabaret.  Who knew she could sing and dance?  All I think of is Back to the Future and Howard the Duck.

AH

James Callis Sci Fi Expo 2013

James Callis actually did something that I really wish more celebrities would do. He started a signature and hesitated for some reason and it didn’t look right.  He then tossed the photo aside and picked up another, which he signed for me.  He just mentioned that he didn’t like how that turned out.

Wow. That was a good thing.

So he threw me off my game. I wanted ask him about the Cincinnati Red cap he was wearing but then I hesitated. I did bring up that I had bumped into him, literally, at SDCC in front of Café Diem. I said he was going to have dinner with Allison Scagliotti from Warehouse 13.  I mentioned it was probably 3 or 4 years ago.  He mulled that over and said that sounded about right. Then I said, sorry about that. I’m sure he was nonplussed about the comment.

Then I left with my unhesitatedly signed photo.

AH

Tyrese Gibson and Rev Run Manology B&N Northpark

I had no idea what I was getting into when I went to this signing. I know Tyrese Gibson as an actor. I did not realize the Rev Run in attendance was Run of Run DMC.

When I saw the book cover I was thinking this was some tongue cheek book on any tongue in cheek topic.  Okay, no big deal. One of many tongue in cheek books written and promoted every day.  I had not realized the book was really about relationships and possibly even about personal responsibility.

Being the token white and one of the very few males in attendance, it was interesting to watch the women balance their inner desires of seeing Tyrese ‘up close and personal’ and their morale centers with the topic at hand: how to avoid relationships with the wolves/players (guys only wanting sex) in their lives.

The Rev and Tyrese gave some very basic advice. This was the same advice I’m sure they heard their whole lives. The same advice came from Oprah, Dr Phil, and Dr Laura but ‘here and now’ they were interested in protecting themselves and their daughters from these 'men' and also preventing their sons from becoming these 'men'.

While I normally try to avoid Q&A’s and readings, I enjoyed hearing what was said. The two were engaging and dynamic and shared their thoughts freely and selflessly. They spoke in a manner that resonated with the crowd and I’d like to think it would have a lasting effect.

Things went smoothly until the actual signing though. Somehow the karma or maybe the chi of this B&N was off this night. While it was a small crowd, there was more chaos then there should have been.  The 2 police officers were constantly getting people to 'move along'.  The plain clothed bodyguard(At least I think he was a body guard) was extremely polite and skilled with the public. It was a treat to see him work through the crowd explaining why someone could not stop in the middle of a line and take their photo. He had talent and grace.

I got my book signed while someone complained their book was taken.  The police officer addressed the crowd and asked who had the book. A surreal comment if you think about it.  Tyrese just pointed to a book on the table and said to take that one.  She said that wasn’t her book.  He smiled and said succinctly: It’s a book. It’s signed. What else do you want?

Can I admit I laughed?  I wasn't very loud.

The lady was about to say something but all eyes were on her and she took the offered book and left.

It wasn’t said meanly.  Tyrese politely de-escalated a situation.  

He handed me my book and I left.

AH

Katrina Hill Action Movie Freak SciFi Expo

There are a lot of reasons why I like Katrina Hill.  She is pretty, down to earth, can hold her own in a conversation (which means she’s smart), classy, and she knows how to listen.

I have bumped into her a few times at different locations over the last couple of years.  I have never made an impression with her so she doesn’t remember me. She always seemed willing to talk and never looked like a cornered rabbit as we chatted.

When I first started my blog I was trying to learn about social media.  I stumbled across her website and her Twitter feed.  After I followed her on Twitter, she followed back and sent a thank you. She was one of the first to follow me. I have tried to follow that example.

As I learned more about social media, I notice how various females genre icons grow and keep their followers.  Some females show off their physical assets with tight deep plunging shirts or pseudo-naive double-entendres to keep their fans slobbering.  Some rant and rave about injustices and are negative about everything just to generate comments.  Or some show you content and interact with their base with open questions on a variety of topics real or imagined.  Katrina Hill is of the later.

So I was thrilled to see she would be attending SciFi Expo as a guest.  I had her book and got her to sign it. She spent a few minutes with me. The conversation skipped topics quickly. We talked SDCC and how life is different for her as a panelist compared to my life as a fanboy autograph hound.  We talked about G4TV and their changes and future.  I did forget to ask about the movie Bad Kids Go to Hell which she has a small part in. Next time.

As normal, I heard the ticking of the clock loudly in my head, even when there is time.  Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I thanked her and left.

I hope we bump into each other at SDCC. Of course that would be like a needle in a haystack but it’s already nice to see someone from back home.

AH

Leeza Gibbons Take 2 Frisco

Saturday was a busy day for me; a sci fi convention in the morning; Leeza Gibbons in the afternoon; and friends over for cards in the evening.  A lot to do to in a short amount of time.

I rushed from the convention to the B&N in Frisco. I didn’t want to wait and then be so far back in line that I was late for dinner with the friends. I got there about an hour early and was the first one there. Okay, that’s a good thing.

The store had set up chairs.  I had mixed feelings about that.  It gave me a chance to sit but it also meant I was going to listen to a reading.  I’m not big into readings.  I’d rather get my book and get out.

I was in the first chair which meant I was going to be the first in line. Yeah me.

Then they packed up the chairs and told us to stand ‘over there’.  I dutifully got up and stood ‘over there’.  Even though I had to stand, I was also happy because it meant no reading.  oddly no one else gathered behind me.

Is it too early - LoneStarCon – World Con 2013?

Is it too early to talk WorldCon?  Ah, no.

WorldCon will be in San Antonio this year. It will be known as LoneStarCon 3. 3 you ask?  Because it’s the third time San Antonio hosted WorldCon.

For those that don’t now, WorldCon is a literary event, meaning no media stars. It is NOT just a big book signing though. This is about the printed word and the authors and fans getting together and interacting.  The interaction is the best part.

Even though it’s too early to see the schedule of panels and panelists, you can look over the Attendee List and see who has registered.  Beside just plain folk like me, you’ll see lots of local sci fi writers and many internationally known writers too.

Some authors that already plan on attending (I didn’t list nearly everyone):

Connie Willis

David Brin

Elizabeth Moon

George R. R. Martin

Gregory Benford

Harry Turtledove

Joe Haldeman

Norman Spinrad

Robert Silverberg

This is why it’s not too early to talk WorldCon. If you aren’t familiar with these people, you have a chance to look them up and read some of their books before the convention.

If you are familiar with these people, you have time to acquire the books you want to get signed.

WorldCon is one of my favorite conventions to attend. I don’t attend nearly as often I want but I always enjoy it and the people I meet.  Besides coming away with lots of autographs, I also discover new authors and books to read which leads to anticipation for the next time.

AH

Kim Harrison Ever After B&N

I didn’t realize how big a name Kim Harrison was. I knew about her. I’ve seen her name in the stacks forever.  She is a name. She actually brought just as many people into the B&N as Nicholas Sparks did a few nights before.

Kim Harrison did 3 things that I thought were very cool.

First, she has a fan club of sorts. Somehow friends or fans get Tour T’s.  It’s a t-shirt and if you wear yours to a signing, you get a group photo before the signing starts. Pretty niffy idea. As long as your t-shirt lasts, you are a member.

The second bit of cleverness was the bunny cam. It’s a camera that gets passed around the crowd and you can take a photo to share the event with Kim. Since she is busy with the signing, she doesn’t get much time to socialize. Yes, the crowd was warned to keep the photos PG friendly.

The last thing was a chair to sit in as she signed. She is another author that will sign a stack of books so she lets you sit as she signs.

She has hardcore fans.  The Q&A seemed like a scene from Galaxy Quest.  The crowd asked emotional questions and hung on every word spoken.  I admired her honesty in her answers.  I liked she didn’t dance around her ‘dead is dead’ policy. Meaning she is not one to magically bring back a character just because it was painful to kill them.  She killed them for a reason.

Much like the night before, I spent 2 hours waiting in line. Although this time, I didn’t mind as much.  I was still tired and hungry but I think the people watching was more interesting.

AH

Darren Shan Zom-B 1/30/13 Frisco

I’ll be truthful; I didn’t know what I was getting into with this one. I didn’t recognize the name of Darren Shan but I know Zombies are big and that the Frisco B&N had fairly big names.  So I went.

I had to work late but figured getting there at the start time was more than enough time.  Well, it was. Darren Shan arrived a smidge past 7PM with his Sonic milkshake in hand.  He looked unto a crowd of 50 or 60 people; mostly pre-teens and young teens.

He started talking and then he talked more. He did 2 readings and answered questions for a full hour. I am sure he thrilled every fan. For someone that started his day at 6AM, and worked late, and hadn’t eaten yet, I was not thrilled. I was cranky and tired.

He was friendly and reachable and patient. He answered all questions and sidestepped the ones he didn’t want to answer with humor and the reason why he wouldn’t answer the question.

The line was slow; which also thrilled his fans.  He chatted with every one and posed for pictures with everyone; often 2 or more photos.  The kids were thrilled. Again, I was not. 

He was averaging 1 minute and 45 seconds a person. Really.  I had enough time to figure out how to use the stopwatch feature on my phone and then do 20 laps.  I was bored. To make matters worse I was very near the end of the line. 60 people at 1.75 minutes per person…Yes, I got out of there about 9:45PM. Way past this hound’s bedtime.

Enough about me and my crankiness.

My mood brighten as I found out he wrote the Cirque du Freak books. One of which spawned a movie.  He was nice enough to sign a copy of that too.  He was more than willing to sign all the back list books you would bring.  He would only personalize the first one though.

So even though my feet hurt I’m glad I went.

AH

Nicholas Sparks – Safe Haven

Nicholas Sparks is a Rock Star. He did something I hadn’t seen before. He got to the signing about 45 minutes early and walked the line and posed for photos.  And he posed for photos.  And more photos as more people crowded around him.  He just continued walking through the through the line.  It didn’t matter if you already got your photo once; he stopped and let your friend take another photo as he smile and nodded.

I was really impressed. This was a no personalization, no photos signing.

People watching was good. Mostly women.  All ages and backgrounds.   Four ladies were in a group near me.  I watched as they frantically thumbed the photos into Facebook and IM’ed all their friends.  I watched as they laughed and then got frustrated as they couldn’t answer the glut of responses they received.

I listened as they dissected Nicholas Spark’s answer about the last time he was in North Carolina.  He told the crowd he just flew in from there. They confidentially told me that was impossible as he spent the night in LA.  I joked about being stalkers and they quickly shut up.  Then 10 seconds later, with guilty grins, they admitted to Facebook stalking

Like I said: Rock Star.

Once he was done walking the line, he sat down and started signing.  He was quick.  He only chatted briefly and for a few. Mostly he signed and smiled.

I told him I thought it was classy to pose for photos with the crowd, he just nodded a thank you and handed me my book.

AH