Patrick Warburton – second times a charm – Dallas Fan Days 2019

Patrick Warburton does a lot of voice work. He is also well known for The Tick.  I got a photo from the Tick signed. Very friendly guy and he chatted with everyone one.

He saw the photo of Matthew Modine I was carrying and asked what I thought of the third season of Stranger Things.  Our opinions differed but we have different wants from the show.  It was a nice chat. We shook hands and I left.  
I was riding down the escalator when I noticed he never signed my photo.  He wrote the quote but the signature was missing.  That’s what happens when we get distracted. I laughed.

When I got to the bottom of the escalator, I went right back up. I walked into the room and up to a buddy that was near the front of the line.  As I was showing the picture sans signature, the volunteer heard what I was saying.  She took my photo and talked to the handler.  They moved me to the front of the line.

The handler thought my name was missing. He pulled out the post-it and wanted to write down my name.  I smiled and said, I don’t need my name.  He was confused. I said I got the quote but not the signature.  He did a double take and apologized.

Then I was in front of Patrick.  He seemed to recognize me. He had a concerned smile on his face but I had a big smile on mine.  The handler explained but it didn’t sink in. I re-explained and asked if he could sign it under the quote.  He looked and read what was written and then he saw the missing signature.

He apologized and I told him it was because we started talking Stranger Things. We both politely chuckled. We shook hands again and I left…again.

AH

Matthew Modine Dallas Fan Days 2019

You were in line for Matthew Modine, either Full Metal Jacket or Stranger Things.  It was a toss-up for me too.  I decided to do Stranger Things as The Wife would understand that. I had a fun time in line.

Matthew was placed next to Adam Baldwin, who also was in Full Metal Jacket. Adam said something to a fan and Matthew overheard and quoted something back from the movie. It seemed like a non sequitur to the young fan in front of Matthew. It made me laugh. Matthew sheepishly said it was an inside joke. The young fan did not get the reference at all.

There was a family was in front of me. The daughter was dressed as Eleven from Stranger Things.  She was floating on cloud 9 the whole time.  Her happy grin was plastered to her face. When she got her photo signed, Matthew asked her a few questions.  She answered and then walked off.  Mom and Dad called her back, they needed to get the selfie they planned. I’m sure the camera did not show her pink face.

As I chose a photo from Stanger Things to get signed, I saw another on the table that caught my interest.  It was a dark image of a young man sitting on the floor of a cell.  It was from the movie Birdy.  Don’t worry, I know you haven’t seen it.

After Matthew signed my photo, I mentioned Birdy.  He sat back and asked if I really saw it.  I nodded yes.  I told him I loved the sound track; it was Peter Gabriel.  He got exited and told me at the cast party, he met a guy. They were chatting and he found out the guy wrote the sound track.  At the time, Matthew had no idea who Peter Gabriel was or that he was with Genesis. The excitement of the meeting came months later when he learned more.

AH

Jaleel White Dallas Fan Days Oct 2018

While I was never a fan of Family Matter and Urkel, I did enjoy the series Total Blackout on the SyFy channel. Jaleel White was the host on this game show.

As I waited in line, I noticed a lot of people were HUGE Urkel fans. I had not realized Urkel touched so many people.

I mentioned how I enjoyed Total Blackout and he smiled. He liked the show too. He went into some details on why a show with good ratings was cancelled. He explained how studios make money selling the show to foreign markets and how the money train dries up. It did not make sense to me but I’m not Hollywood or an accountant.

AH

Jennifer Morrison Dallas Fan Days Oct 2018

I watched Once upon a Time for a few seasons. The Wife and I really enjoyed the show.  The cast does not do many signings outside of SDCC or NYCC, so this was wonderful opportunity. As expected, there was a line for Jennifer Morrison. She was friendly and graciously accepted the accolades from her fans.

AH

Eugene Brave Rock Dallas Fan Days 2017

Sometimes I amaze myself. It might be luck. It might be I’m subconsciously letting people direct me where they want to go.

Eugene Brave Rock attended Dallas Fan Days. Most likely you recognize him from Wonder Woman (WW). After we said our hellos at this table, he asked what my favorite scene in the WW movie was. I only saw WW once. Since I was here to get his autograph, the most memorable scene with Eugene was at the camp fire.

He seemed surprised. He followed up with ‘why’. (I didn’t know I was going to be quizzed. I’m surprised I didn’t start sweating.)  I told him I liked his air of mystery; that his character wasn’t intimidated or bedazzled with WW.

I was reward with a big smile. Then he told me some things that I didn’t pick up from the movie and I wouldn’t know.

He was the only one that WW ever shook hands with. Why? Because they were equals. she didn't accept offers to shake from two other males in the movie.

WW knew his language and knew of this tribe and spoke to him as a peer.

Those were some interesting tidbits I had missed in my one viewing of the movie. He might tell this to everyone but I felt like the curtain was drawn back a little for me. We chatted a little more about sundry boring stuff and then I left.

AH

Graham McTavish Dallas Fan Days 2017

Did you watch The Hobbit? Then you saw Graham McTavish. Are you watching Preacher? Then you recognize the photo I got signed.  If you are watching Outlander, then you might know him from there too.

I have watched all three. I like him most from Preacher. But I did have to mention Outlander to him. If you remember, The Wife got a poster signed at SDCC last summer. It was a nice coup. And I toyed with the idea of bringing the poster to have Graham add his signature. I only toyed with the idea.

I mentioned the poster to let him know we were fans of Outlander too. I could not let well enough alone. I told him we have really enjoyed the series, well except for one episode. I told him that was a tough one to watch. I let him know we fast forwarded through a lot of that episode. He knew what I referenced.  He shook his head and said it wasn’t tough, it was brutal. He mentioned he never watched that episode. He saw parts in the script and that was tough enough. He avoided that episode.  

It was an odd conversation to have at a fun festive event. I apologized for going ‘there’ but that episode made an impression. We chatted about Preacher a little more to clear our palettes.  With the lighter topic, we smiled and shook hands as I left.

AH  

Ruth Connell Dallas Fan Days 2017

Heavy sigh. What is not to like about Ruth Connell? Red hair, Scottish Accent, big eyes (smack to the back of the head).  Okay, okay. I turn and see The Wife eyeing me warningly.

Let me begin again…Ruth is an actress in one of my favorite shows, Supernatural.

There are times where you just want the chemistry to work. I adore her on Supernatural. I was excited to see her coming to town. I wanted to ask if they did things to make her look taller next to the Winchester Boys. She is 5’ 2” they are both over 6 feet. I wanted to say she looks much younger in person. Do they try to make her look older on screen?

But I didn’t. She was friendly. She posed for photos with fans. I mentioned she was shorter than I expected. She told me she was: only 5 two, love.. Or something like that.

And then she signed and I was gone. It’s probably for the better. I would have only said something silly and embarrassed myself. But I am very happy I did get to see her.

AH

Bruce Greenwood Dallas Fan Days 2016

The first signature I picked up at Dallas Fan Days was Capt Pike’s.  How can I pass up an opportunity for an autograph from one of the captains the Enterprise?

The line wasn’t long and I got a chance to say hello to Bruce Greenwood fairly quick.  I’ve enjoyed him in a few things but I only had Star Trek on the brain. To be truthful, the ‘character’ of Pike and his importance in the Star Trek universe, fanboy-ed me and I really didn’t say much. I mumbled how cool it was to meet ‘Pike’.  Yeah, I’m sure my parents felt that college money was well spent. He was nice. He knew I was not in communication mode. With a knowing smile, he shook my hand and handed me the signed photo. I left with a barely controlled grin.

AH

Steve Blum Dallas ComicCon Fandays 2015

While I’m not a huge Star Wars fan I really enjoyed the animated series Clone Wars and now Rebels. Both shows remind me of the ‘toons I watched as kid that had a moral compass.

Steve Blum, who has been done voice work in a million different projects, is in Star Wars Rebels. He was friendly and chatted with fans. I could overhear some of it and his fans were more interested in Cowboy Bebop or Ghost in the Shell.

As an added bonus, when he signed for me, he switched from his normal voice to Zeb’s voice (the character he plays in Rebels). It is fascinating how quickly he can change his voices. I smiled and left a happy kid.

AH 

Aaron Ashmore Dallas ComicCon Fandays 2015

Since I watched Warehouse 13 from start to finish and being a Killjoys fan, I was excited to see Aaron Ashmore at the show.

He was friendly and after he signed I wondered. I paused. I looked back. Both he and his twin were at this show. I never saw then at the same time. Could it be that only one was the show and doing a Patty Duke? Nah.  I know that didn’t happen.

 You have to admit, it would have been funny.

AH

Bonnie Wright Dallas ComicCon Fan Day 2015

Bonnie Wright also had a long time at this show. I was surprised how many little ones were in line. I would have thought all of the Harry Potter the fans were grown up by now. It seems the series is still growing new fans.

Bonnie was sweet and friendly. She talked to the little ones. So many fans were dressed in Hogwarts uniforms that it seemed it was a Harry Potter convention.   

AH

Renee O’Conner Dallas ComicCon Fan Day 2015

I mentioned I wasn’t a big Xena fan. However, I did enjoy watching Gabrielle, played by Renee O’Conner on the show. I’m sure the reason I liked her was  her red hair. Ouch!.. Yes, the wife smacked upside the head.

Renee’s line wasn’t nearly as long as Lucy’s, which is a shame. The character was important throughout the show and she was much more than a side-kick. The character had a lot of growth which can’t be done totally with the help of the actor.

While I had a few things I wanted to say to Renee, somehow I forgot them. I did lean in as she handed me back the photo and said that I thought she was so much prettier than Lucy.  The first thing Renee did was look to see if Lucy Lawless heard.  It was funny.  She politely said I was wrong.  

I guess maybe it’s the old Betty vs Wilma or Ginger vs Mary Ann argument. I stand by my comment though.

AH

Lucy Lawless Dallas ComicCon Fan Day 2015

I will say upfront, I am not a big Xena fan. I watched it because I enjoyed Hercules and the there was a lot of cross over stories and characters between the two series. At times you needed to watch both shows to follow the plot lines.   However, Lucy Lawless has a long resume and appeared in a lot of other TV series I have watched over the years.

Her line was long. I expected that.  I was prepared. Lucy was aware of the length of the line. She expected that.  She was prepared. Over the years, she learned how to chat and sign and give a moment for people to say a few things and still keep the line moving. As I watched, she never seemed to rush people off and everyone seemed to get a chance to say something.  All the while the line moved. I waited a long time but it could have been a lot longer. I appreciate that.

When I finally stepped up to her, we just exchanged a few words. I told her I really enjoyed one particular movie she was in.  She mentioned it was fun but with the sly smile she added she was in it because the people that asked her to do it were very good friends and you couldn’t say no to good friends.

I left so the line could continue to progress.

AH

Shawn Ashmore Dallas ComicCon Fan Day 2015

I know a lot of fanboys know Shawn Ashmore from the X-Men movies but I know him from the TV series, The Following. I was able to (with help from a friend – thank you M and A!) get him at the WB booth many years ago in San Diego. That was the year that James Purefoy signed.

When I stepped up to the table I mentioned that to him.  First, he thanked me for seeing him at SDCC. Then he thanked me for seeing him again at this convention. Shawn reminisced about how long ago that WB signing was.

I didn’t say much more as I had others signatures to track down. It was a nice encountered and I thanked him for coming to Dallas.

AH

William Zabka Dallas ComicCon Fan Day 2015

After I got Martin Kove’s autograph, I had to stop by William Zabka’s table.

I had gotten to his table very late in the day. Several people had already packed up and called it a day. William was still there just in case someone like me wandered up. He stood in front of his table and didn’t hide behind it. He introduced himself and we shook hands.  He was friendly and talkative. He signed and then just chatted with me. Since no one was behind me I chatted back. We talked about the movie, Karate Kid. We talked about the soul of the movie, which we both agreed is missing in a lot of big budget productions.  We talked about how the movie still strikes a chord with people. He mentioned he was very proud to have been a part of that.

AH

 

Martin Kove Dallas ComicCon Fan Days 10/2015

The movie, Karate Kid struck a nerve with a lot of people. Until Dallas ComicCom brought in the main actors from the movie, I didn’t realize how universal that appeal was. For me, the movie reminded me of the best of 2 years of karate I took in high school.

Martin Kove was friendly. When I saw him, he was finishing up a conversion with a fan about places to go to hear live music. Martin was very interested in seeing a little bit more of Dallas than just the hotel and convention center.

I liked that in him. This wasn’t just some stop to grind through and endure.

AH

Anna Silk Dallas ComicCon Fan Days 10/2015

I think Dallas ComicCon did great in getting Anna Silk to attend. She has not done very many shows and none that I know of it in the USA.

Her line was slow. I got in line while she was doing photo ops but once she returned sand starting signing, the line moved just as fast. (Hyperbole.) Anna took a lot of time with each fan. It seemed her fans didn’t know how to end when their conversations were over. While you see some people not know when they are dismissed, her fans were denser than average and just soldiered onward.  A lot of her fans had 5 minute inactions with her. I spent close to 2 hours in a ‘short’ line.

Am I calling the kettle black? Maybe. I love having interaction with the celebs.  I also know when people are waiting and I move along fairly quickly.  

Anna was extremely friendly and open with her fans. She posed with people for selfies and had a constant smile on her face.  That smile never faded as the next guess walked up.

My interaction was brief and perfunctory.  The night was getting late and I still had some work to before I left.

AH

John Rhys-Davies Dallas ComicCon Fan Days 10/2015

John Rhys-Davies had been scheduled a few times in Dallas but cancelled. It was nice to finally have him attend and pick up his signature.

The line was short. I fact I left another line (the actress was away) and got into autograph first.  John was chatty and charming. He spoke with everyone and joked with me about NOT having my name added to the photo. He said it would be easier to sell on eBay. While that is true, it’s not likely to happen until anytime soon.  The plan is the wife, Kae, gets to sell off everything to pay for my funeral.  I do plan on living a while longer.

AH

Emma Caulfield Dallas Fan Day 2015

I’ll admit I’ve a weird dysfunctional relationship with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think the lead character was miscast.  I think Xander is an unsung hero and the only productive member of humanity on the show. One of the reasons Xander got his act together was his relationship with Anya. So my last autograph of the day was Emma Caulfield’s who played Anya.

At this time of the day, the line wasn’t that long.  Lots of people were getting table photos with her.  Emma was constantly sitting to sign and then standing to pose for a photo. She was getting a good work out.  At the end of the day, you know everyone is tired.

As she stood to pose, she would exchange a few words with the fans. She’d take a second and turn on her smile.  After every 3 or 4 people, she would reapply her lip gloss to ensure she was doing her part to make the photo look good.

When I got my photo signed, I had so much I wanted to say. I wanted to say she brought Xander of the shadows of a cliché character and into a 3D world. But I didn’t. I was also tired and just said thanks and went on my way.

AH

Ken Page Dallas Fan Days 02/15

Once I was done with the long lines, I had time to breathe and expand my scope.  I wandered over to Ken Page’s table. He was in the middle of an interview.  The interview lasted at least 10 minutes. A few fans waited patiently.

When he started signing, he was very friendly.  His fans all wanted to talk about The Nightmare Before Christmas. In fact, my photo is from there too.

AH