Henry Winkler ComicPalooza 2015

As silly as it may seem, the Fonz was very high on my priority list at ComicPalooza.  I had seen that he was making the convention rounds but not doing every show in every city.  While I was already going to Houston for this show, this was some icing on top.

While his line wasn’t long, it was constant over the 2 days I was at the show.  Lots of other people were just like me, they watched Henry Winkler for 10 years and now wanted to say hello and get an autograph. Many were also sharing a memory.  Henry Winkler was gracious and caring and listened.

He never hid behind the signing table. He stayed in front of it and greeted people.  He didn’t rush people.  As one family perused his photos, he saw that it was going to take some time so he walked down the line saying hello to people and thanked them for their patience.  Someone had a service dog and he started a conversation with them.

When he signed for me, he mentioned he used a paint pen and not a sharpie.  He was making sure I knew the signature would take longer to dry.  He also offered some covers for the photos if I needed one.  

It was very cool to meet him and even better that he seemed so fan friendly.

AH

Jason Isaacs ComicPalooza 2015

Well, we all know Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter but legions of Star Wars fans know him as the Inquisitor from the animated series Star Wars Rebels.  Most of the photos on his table were from Harry Potter but he had one from Star Wars. 

After he signed for me, I pointed to the lone Star War photo.  I told him I was enjoying that series.  He paused, wondering if I was one of those 50 year old guys watching cartoons in footie pajamas with an oversized bowl of cereal in front of me.

As I added a few other comments, he realized that even if I was that 50 year old guy in footie pajamas, I can still put together a string of words that are intelligible. We only exchanged a few more words and then I left.

AH

Richard Harmon ComicPalooza 2015

I’m always intrigued by actors that appear on more than one show at the same time.

I know that work is hard to get so they never refuse a job. The actor’s life is not as glamourous as the 'rags' make it seem.  Not every actor is making a million per episode or movie.

Richard Harmond is on The 100 and Continuum. While both of the shows are filmed in Canada it doesn’t mean it’s easy traveling between sets or getting into 2 different characters.

We chatted about both shows and I must admit I confused him about which show I was talking about. Regarding Continuum, he mentioned that the writers and creators had a strong idea of where they wanted the show to go and have been able to get it there.

Regarding 100 he was happy the show was better than I expected.

AH

David Anders iZombi and ComicPalooza 2015

Because ComicPalooza always has a deep field of guests from lots of different shows, I was able to get David Anders’ autograph.  I’ll freely admit I’m enjoying iZombie and I do look forward to season two.

As with just about everyone, he was nice and friendly. To follow up with the nice and friendly comment, as he was walking through the convention, people would stop him and take selfies.  Even when he was moving with a purpose, he took a few seconds with fans.

The reason this was nice was he was charging people for selfies at his table.  He could have politely redirected the fans to his spot on the floor and let his handler collect the money.  Instead of worrying about lost income, he making a few people happy.

AH

Rocky Horror ComicPalooza 2015

Barry Bostwick and Nell Campbell were also at ComicPalooza.

I can freely admit to seeing Rocky Horror Picture Show more times than I have fingers.  I can also admit to having the soundtrack and knowing most of the words to the intro song.

As I tell my wife, I HAD to get both Barry and Nell’s autographs.

Barry was standing in front of his table.  We chatted about Spin City a little.

Nell was nice but I didn’t have anything to say to her.

At this time, I have 3 signatures from that movie, as I picked up Patricia Quinn at another show.

AH

Rick Howland ComicPalooza 2015

I really enjoy Lost Girl. I consider myself lucky to have gotten so many autographs from that show. Rick Howland is the latest one from that Canadian production.

He was nice and friendly and signed.

Later that night I saw him at the hotel restaurant bar.  It’s oh so tempting to walk over and introduce yourself.

It’s also oh so tempting to be a pest too.

While sitting and having a nice nightcap called: Pepsi on the rocks,  I chatted with a friend and we kept our distance; which really is a good thing to do when you have too much caffeine in the blood system.

AH

Gotham ComicPalooza 2015

Okay, let me admit up front, I haven’t watched Gotham. I know everyone tells me it’s awesome.  I’m sure it is and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.  I really don’t have time to watch even more TV.

The first auto I picked up at ComicPalooza was Sean Pertwee. He was one of the few still at the show when I got there about 4PM on Friday. Just a quick factoid, and not to diminish Sean, his dad was Jon Pertwee from Dr Who.

On Saturday I got the other 4 cast members from Gotham.

The first was Donal Logue. I would say a ¼ of the crowd was there to see him because of his role in Vikings.

Cameron Monaghan was next. Everyone was peppering him with questions about next season.

Cory Michael Smith was friendly. He mentioned he had just flown back from France for a film festival.

Lastly was Camren Bicondova.

For a show I have never watched, I got 5 stars signatures.  And not long after ComicPalooza, I picked up a 6^th autograph from the show at another convention.  This might be karma saying I need to start watching.

AH

Hayley Atwell ComicPalooza 2015

Hayley Atwell was picked up by a fellow hound. I was not able to make it to Houston for ComicPalooza early enough for me to get her in person.  The friend was very willing to help and while he got his autograph he purchased a second one for me.

Personally, I love the photo. The iconic red had and the contrast of the blue jacket makes for a fun photo.

AH

Jesus Christ Superstar Alamo Draft House 2015

Various cast members from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar have been touring the country and doing movie screenings. They came to Dallas in May and did a screening at the Alamo Draft House.  The Dallas (actually Richardson) showing had KurtYaghijan, Larry Marshall, and Ted Neeley in attendance.

Before the show Ted Neeley was doing a ‘meet and greet’ but Kurt and Larry were available and signed for us.  Both were friendly and talked about how much fun it was to do the tour and to see the movie on the big screen again after so many years.

Alamo Draft House is a theater that serves meals. So we got our tickets and sat and ordered a dinner. There was a short Q&A before the movie which was informative.   They talked about the cast, the director, filming in Israel, and shared a few anecdotes.

Having never seen the movie on the big screen, I really enjoy it.  While the music is great, we didn’t attempt to sing along.  We contained ourselves to tapping our feet or hands.  Sadly, some people didn’t realize how distracting their attempts at singing really are.

After the movie, we rushed out to get in line for Ted Neeley.  From the fan interaction we saw before the show, we knew his line would be slow.  He is warm and generous with his time. He has a calm about him and he tries to radiate that peace to others. Obviously, he feels a sense of responsibility from having been in this role.

After we were done, we talked about the movie among ourselves. My perception changed slightly after hearing the actors talk about their roles.  Kurt comes off much sleazier than I previously imagined.  Larry’s performance was way more over the top than I remember.  It’s needs to be noted that he was directed to do it that way.

Overall, it was a good night of entertainment and autographs.

AH

USA film Festival April 2015

Dallas has a few film festivals every year. Some years are better than overs and some festivals are better than others.

This year, I went to the USA film Festival just 1 night. To be truthful, the whole event fell off my radar.  If a fellow hound hadn’t asked me if I was going, I would have totally forgotten.  I went when the festival screened ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’.  Yes, the movie from 1959 with Pat Boone.  And yes, Pat Boone is who I was looking to get.

He arrived early and willingly signed for everyone.  He was friendly and open and patient.  He fielded a few ad hoc questions from the fans and was in no rush.

My goal was met and I should have left.  But I had printed some photos of 2 costars, Arlene Dahl and Diane Baker. I was  hoping to also get them.  So I waited with my fellow hounds.

In the meanwhile, Peri Gilpin, from the series Frasier, arrived.  No, she wasn’t in ‘Journey’ but was there for another screening at the festival.  She looked fantastic.  I just stood on the side watching my friends’ stuff as I didn’t have anything for her to sign.  One of my buddies had an extra photo he gave to me. So I was able to pick up the autograph. 

Peri seemed very surprised people knew she was there and that they wanted her autograph. She posed with everyone.  Before she slipped into the theater, she turned back to us and asked if she missed anyone.  She really seemed to enjoy the interaction.

The night wore on. ‘Journey’ is a long movie. We waited a long time. We were told that both Arlene Dahl and Diane Baker were present for the movie and Q&A.  That was good news. Our vigil wasn’t for aught. Even though it was late and we had been there much longer than we wanted, we waited.

When we finally saw the last 2, they came out a side door.  Security was busy shouting at us to make room.  Someone shouted they would not sign. We asked anyway.  Both Arlene and Diane stopped and signed.  Arlene seemed truly thrilled that people were there for her.

Security finally got the group moving again and the signing was over.  We left and compared signatures. A small crowd had amassed wondering what was happening. We answered but the crowd didn’t get it and left shaking their heads.

AH

 

Rachel True Texas Frightmare 2015

This was a quick signature opportunity.

As I picked my photo, Rachel True commented on how popular the bikini photos were with the guys.  I smiled.  Slightly embarrassed but it didn’t keeping from getting it signed.

AH

Alexandra Breckenridge Texas Frightmare 2015

Alexandra Breckenridge was on my list for 2 shows. One was Walking Dead and the other was American Horror Story.

Her character in American Horror Story was quit memorable as she played every male’s fantasy – the sexy maid. While I really wanted to get her to sign a photo in her maid outfit, I knew there would be more peace in the house if I got the photo from Walking Dead, a show really not known for its romance or sensuality.

She had a long line and you could tell everyone was basically saying the same thing. She seemed unfazed by the repetitiveness. She engaged each fan and it seemed she basically said the same thing back. Everyone loved her in American Horror. Everyone was excited about Walking Dead and where that might lead.

And for the record, she agreed, the Walking Dead photo would lead to more harmony in the house.

AH

Alex Vincent Texas Frightmare 2015

Everyone knows the horror movie Chucky.  Alex Vincent was the little one in those movies. And since he’s also a Jerseyan, I picked up his autograph.

AH

 

Reggie Bannister Texas Frightmare 2015

I HAD to get Reggie Bannister because I gotten everyone else from Phantasm.

So I got him.

He was nice. He had a constant line all weekend. He hawked the new movie.  And one day, I’ll probably see the movie.

AH

Kim Coates Texas Frightmare 2015

Another confession: I’ve never watched Sons of Anarchy.
So Kim Coates was lower on the priority list too.  However, the line was short and I was hanging with a friend.

Kim was friendly with everyone.  He was animated with everyone. He admitted to being a Cowboy fan and he talked Cowboys with me.  I was suitably neutral and didn’t let him know my true feeling about the Cowboys.

I’m actually glad I picked this one up and had a few seconds with him.

AH

 

Lisa and Louise Burns Texas Frightmare 2015

So I kinda wanted the signature of the twins from The Shining. Kinda.
It was a low priority and as I passed, they constantly had people at their table.

When finally I passed and no one was there, I walked up and picked a photo for them to sign.  Both ladies, Lisa and Louise Burns, were seated but you could tell they were short.  They had British accents.  They were charming.

Before I knew it we were talking shopping and travel and food.  They loved that I was so tall. They loved my ’staying out of trouble’ line. They tagged teamed me with questions.  I’m sure, if I had more time, we would have met for dinner and chatted the night away. They were a lot of fun and the big surprise for me at this show.

AH

Kathy Lester Texas Frightmare 2015

Since I was picking up other Phantasm signatures at this show, I needed to pick up Kathy Lester’s also.

Please ignore the fact that she was wearing clothes that were very flattering.  Ignore the fact that when she smiled at you, you couldn’t say no. The photo does not do her justice.

As we chatted she mentioned she was exhausted.  The floor was relatively active all night and sleep did not come easily.  One of the ‘fun’ aspects of Texas Frightmare is the active social life in the hotel and if you stay at the hotel, you don’t need to worry about driving home. One of the negative aspects is not everyone has the same goals while attending.

AH

 

Brad Dourif Texas Frightmare 2015

I really wish I had a better photo for Brad Dourif.  And while I have a love/hate relationship with the movie Dune, this was the best photo he had at his table.

As he signed for me, I mentioned how much I enjoyed the series Deadwood.  I said I loved the dialogue.  He handed me the photo and said the dialogue was a pain in the ‘***’ to work with but it was an important part of the show.

I left a happy campy.

An aside…As I was waiting in someone else’s line, I saw Brad step out from this table and stop one of the volunteers.  He then signed the back of their shirt.  I actually saw him do that 2 other times.  I asked the volunteer and about it. I was told he was doing it for all of the volunteers as a ‘thank you’. 

Very classy.

AH

Don Coscarelli Texas Frightmare 2015

I owed Don Coscarelli an apology.  While I liked Phantasm, I thought I was ‘cheap’.  Now that I met him, I realize how young he was when he made that movie. I think I understand more of what he was doing as a writer/ director. With that in mind, I have much more respect for the movie.

When I was in line, I was much more interested in getting a quick signature and then moving on to someone else.  However, Don is outgoing and interactive. He draws you in and then you both are talking.

Before I knew it, I was there for 2 or 3 minutes; which was a good thing.

AH

Marshall Bell Texas Frightmare 2015

I was pretty excited about seeing Marshall Bell. Since I watch a lot of sci fi, I’ve seen him for decades.

He was friendly and had a thick drawl. When I welcomed him to Texas he said he felt like a native as he grew up in Tulsa and spent a lot of time in Texas for various projects.

When I saw the photo for Total Recall, I had to get that signed.

AH

 

Neve Campbell Texas Frightmare 2015

Texas Frightmare getting the lead from the Scream movies was a nice coup. The lines were lighter than I expected, but I might have just lucked out as I got in line late on Friday night, or price tag was higher than most fans expected.

The signing was a true cattle call. Only a few people were let into the room at a time. There was very little interaction with Neve Campbell. It was library quiet.

She signed and you left.

AH

Vail Bloom Texas Frightmare 2015

Okay, I was distracted by a beautiful woman. I stopped and got Vail Bloom’s autograph just because she was pretty… sue me. I’m a guy. I’ll do things like that.

And as you can see from the inscription, she mentioned I needed to stay out of trouble, which I told her I always try to do.  It makes things so much easier to explain to wife.  Yes, she liked that line.

Then she told me how she got in trouble. She rose one foot that was in ‘boot’. She told me she was doing some cart wheels and hurt herself.

See, we all do some foolish things now and then.

AH

 

William Sadler Texas Frightmare 2015

William Sadler has been in a lot of different roles.  I think the most memorable for me was Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank is one of those movies that always makes you pause when you flip past it and before you know it 30 minutes has gone by.

As William signed this for me, he said he has wanted a sequel to be made of Shawshank. He was curious how his character, Haywood, would have done when paroled and if he found happiness outside of the prison.

AH