Anastasia Baranova and Russell Hodgkinson Walker Stalker 2016

So, why won’t Z Nation be represented at Walker Stalker?

Anastasia Baranova and RussellHodgkinson were signing at this show.

Anastasia is much thinner in person. (Ouch, a slap to the back of the head and being told that I shouldn’t say things like that.  I’m thinking, at least she isn’t bigger in person…Ouch, another slap to the head AND a glare. The glare that says: I know what you are thinking. Okay, I’m guilty of thinking.)

She was very friendly and chatty.  She had just flown in from a wedding in Europe and still jet lagged. Nonetheless, she was up to the task of meeting her fans.

Russell was very outgoing. He was also selling Z-Weed and some T-shirts which fits his character. Again, he was very happy to see his fans.

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

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

Keith Allan SDCC 2015

Z Nation is a guilty pleasure for me. I guess that they don’t have any issues with being campy and silly.  One of the main characters was signing in the sails pavilion. I walked up to Keith Allan just as a fan was walking away.

He’s taller than I expected. He’s as tall as me or slightly taller. He seemed quiet and as I mentioned enjoying Z Nation he seemed to open up. I’m sure the whole SDCC vibe was strange and he was trying to absorb it.

AH

Dark Matter at Dark Horse – SDCC2015

In my opinion, Dark Matter is the best that the SyFy channel has to offer right now. When I saw that the Dark Horse booth was having the cast in for a signing, it was a no brainer.  Dark Horse usually has one or two TV show signings each year.

This was not a tickets or raffle event.  My friends and I were surprised about that. We kept an eye on the booth to make sure people weren’t queuing hours in advance. No one was. I guess people aren’t watching this show yet.

We finally decided to get in line about 30 minutes early. Since it was toward the end of the day, the heavily padded carpet in the booth was really appreciated. They pay extra for that. I wonder if their workers understand the luxury they have.

We knew in advance that only 4 of the 7 cast members would be there.  They showed up separately.  So we saw a few of the actors milling around as they waited for the others.  We also saw the SyFY channel crew that was filming the event.  In fact, the film crew asked my friend is they would do an interview in exchange for a front row seat at the panel. My friends declined only because the timing was bad; the whole ‘miles to go before we sleep’ thing.

Melissa O’Neil was first and gorgeous. I asked if she studied martial arts and if she was doing some of her own work.  She said yes.  I told her it showed and looked good.  She seemed surprised anyone would notice.

Next was Anthony Lemke.  He just finished talked hockey for several minutes with my friend.  Well, ‘talking’ is too mild of a word.  He was TALKING hockey with his whole body. Hands moves, torso rocking back and forth as he spoke.  As I step over to Anthony, I said ‘hi’ and I mentioned that it was cool he got to talk hockey with my friend.   You may not believe this but it was like he received a caffeine IV.  He lit up again. 

Then I slid over to Jodelle Ferland. She was quiet and seemed shy. I know she talked to both of my friends but we just didn’t have anything to say.

Lastly was Roger Cross. He is in everything: Continuum, The Returned, The Strain, and Dark Matters. He was friendly and it was good to see him in person.

Maybe next year, Dark Horse will have the rest of the cast and we can complete the photo.

AH

Paul Amos ComicCon 2015

Paul Amos is another cast member from Lost Girl.  This is a series I watch regularly and enjoy.

As I stepped up to his table, I noticed he didn’t really have his iconic tattoo under the eye.  With the prevalence of ink on people nowadays, I was actually surprised that wasn’t real.  As he signed I did ask about the tattoo.  He said the show did want him visibly inked.  They wanted something a little larger but he did have some say in what he wore.  They provided several choses and he found one he liked. He mentioned there was backstories for the choices he had.

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

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

Ksenia Solo Rose City ComicCon 2014

There was no reason at all for me to get Ksenia Solo’s autograph again. I was able to see her in Houston less than a year ago and she was a super sweet. In fact, some friends even got to hang out with her in the hotel bar and she bought them drinks.

However, I saw this photo and I couldn’t resist.

As I waited in line, I saw her interact with people she met over the weekend and little ones.  She genuinely seemed to enjoy being at the show and getting to know fans. She didn’t hide her face in a phone or chat with her co-star, who was sitting next to her. She was up front and accessible.

As she signed for me, I mentioned how my friends got to hang out with her in Houston. While she couldn’t remember (and I told her I didn’t expect her to remember them) she tried hard to recall the event.  Then one of my fellow hounds came up and joined the conversation. He mentioned how jealous we all were. As a group, in Houston, we had just separated. Then we see photos on Facebook of what we missed.

She signed and we left. No drinks this time either.

AH

Neil Napier Tyler Rose City ComicCon 2014

The next autograph was slightly embarrassing for me.  I kind of knew who Neil Napier and was all set to get his autograph.   Things were going well. Despite a small paper airplane interruption, we were chatting.

He mentioned being in Canada for a show. He apologized for not having photos from that series.  So of course I had to ask. It was mandatory I follow up with the leading statement with a question. He said Helix.

Okay, I watch Helix. I enjoy Helix.  I didn’t recognize him. 

He read my eyes and saw what I was thinking: bit part. He told me he was the brother that was infected. Wow, once he said, I saw it.

In person, he’s a big guy. On the show as he lies on his back, he doesn’t seem that big. So he promised some nice surpass for season 2 and didn’t tell any spoilers. He did promise he would spend as much time on his back.

AH

Jennifer Spence Tyler Rose City ComicCon 2014

Another Stargate Universe alumnus was Jennifer Spence.

I really said nothing to her other than comment on the paper airplanes buzzing around.  I’m not quite sure if a ‘war’ is the way to describe it. There were 2 or 3 planes in flight at all times. She even paused to pick one up, read it, add a quick reply, and then send it back in the general direction from which it came.

Did I mention read the plane?  Yes, the celebs and vendors on that part of the floor were using the planes to send messages and generally disrupt any sense of decorum. It was great. I was unusual. It is a memory I will keep of Tyler, Texas.

AH

Peter Kelamis Tyler Rose City ComicCon 2014

As Peter Kelamis signed my photo, we chatted about Stargate Universe and all of the unexplored potential.

Of his selection, I liked this photo best.in the show, anything that made the characters’ lives easier, was slow in coming and hard fought.  The ability to explore outside of the ship was a milestone. For me it was a nice reminder of the show.

AH

Emmanuelle Vaugier #SDCC 2014

One of my favorite booths at SDCC is Holzheimer’s. The friendly staff, the celebs, and relaxed atmosphere make it a ’must see’ each ComicCon.

That last sentence sounds like a restaurant review. Sorry about that. The point?  I like the booth.

I was excited to see that Emmanuelle Vaugier from Lost Girl was going to sign there. I enjoy the show, I think the actress is stunningly beautiful, and if there is a chance I could chat with someone for a moment, it would be at this booth.

As I walked up, Emmanuelle was idly chatting with her handler.  The handler is someone I have a nodding acquaintance with.  We’ve bump into each other at dozens of conventions over the years.  She’s handling celebs and I want celebs’ autographs. We are bound to see each other often. We rarely exchange words as she is busy working and I’m busy collecting.

This day, the handler was a chatter Cathy.  As I said hello to Emmanuelle, the handler gave me a big hello back. We actually chatted for several minutes regarding other shows and celebs.  It was funny.  While I was enjoying getting to know the handler better, I also felt I was ignoring Emmanuelle, the main reason I was there.

After a couple of failed attempts to steer the conversation back to Lost Girl and Emmanuelle, I succeeded. As expected, I loved the time I got to spend with her and I verified she was just as gorgeous in person as on the show.

AH

Ksenia Solo ComicPalooza 2014

Yes, I watch Lost Girl. And I’ll also admit I find KseniaSolo much more attractive than the lead character.

I like a girl that changes her hair every week and wears high heels.  And let’s not forget those eyes…sigh

(Swack! Ouch! – the back of my heads stings - wife leaves room in a huff…oh well.)

My friends (Dee and Dee) and I were standing in line for Ksenia. We are all enthralled by her beauty. To pass the time we started chatting. Actually, I started chatting as the line moved.  Before I knew it, the people in front of us were gone and there was a 10 foot gap between us and the table. Ksensia was just idly sat and watched us with chin in her hand… looking gorgeous (I quickly duck my head in anticipation of another swack.)

We rushed to the table and apologized.  She said she didn’t want to disturb us.  We embarrassingly laughed.  She added the convention seemed serious.  Again, we laughed. She said it so sweetly, that you had to believe she was willing to wait for us.

When I got my turn I mentioned how much I liked that she was always changing her hair on the show.   She didn’t quite get what I mean and pulled her hair from her shoulders and said they lighter color she was wearing now was recent and probably won’t be on the show.   I pointed at the photo she signed with the green weaves and sad, on the show she is always changing it.  She smiled and said yes.

There was so much more I wanted to say but didn’t as I already held up the line. I felt I was fanboying out…it’s usually better not to gush too much. So I left with my photo.

AH

PS –my friends and I had left the convention. We were done for the day. We were chatting on a street corner for 15 minutes. They were staying the night and I was about to drive back to Dallas. They suggested continuing the conversation at the hotel bar, out of the heat.  It was sooo tempting but I realized I was doing most of the talking and they could use a break from me. I begged off.

They ended up meeting Ksenia at the bar, getting a photo with her, AND she bought them a round of drinks. So jelaous.

AH

Allison Scagliotti Sci Fi Expo 2014

I actually needed to come back on Sunday to finish my autographs.  One of the autographs I still needed was AllisonScagliotti.

When I entered the building, I saw her line was short and I jumped right in. There were about 15 people in front of me. It should only be 10 minutes.  I figured at worst, I’d be out of line in 30 minutes.

This convention had 4 people from Warehouse 13.  The actors are extremely personable and fan friendly.  One of the fan friendly things they did was table photos. Usually, a table photo is a ‘lean in’ and done quickly.  It’s cheaper than the official photo op and also saves the fan time.

The warehouse team wasn’t into ‘lean ins’ where you lean over the table.  They were into coming out from behind the table or bringing the fan back behind the table. This is far nicer than the standard lean in.  It’s time consuming but a much richer fan experience.

Tony Curran Sci Fi Expo 2014

To finish out the Defiance guests at Sci Fi Expo, I got TonyCurran.

As I waited, I people watched.  As I watched, I was reminded of something Neil Gaiman said; the first thing anyone asks anymore:  what was it like to work on Dr Who?  While Gaiman has won a Hugo and written several books that always seem to be asked.

As I listened to Tony answer questions, it was mostly about Dr Who.  A lot of the people getting autographs were cosplaying from Dr Who.  One man was dressed as van Gogh.  And if you don’t know, Tony portrayed Vincent in a Who episode several years ago.

AH

Jesse Rath Sci Fi Expo 2014

Next up was Jesse Rath. I only know him from Defiance. He plays the son.  Apparently he’s done a few things without all of the makeup and has a nice following of fangirls.

TMZ alert!  One of those fan girls seemed to be Allison Scagliotti who sat next to him for a while and whispered in his ear.  She had one hand wrapped around his bicep as they spoke.  End of TMZ  alert! 

I really doubt that was a secret.

For some reason I blathered.  I doubt his charm did it to me.  I asked about the makeup for his character and acne.  Being a long time acne sufferer, I asked if he did anything special for his skin.  He only said the makeup was a beating over time and the breaks in filming were a time of recovery.

I took my photo and left.

The next morning I was back the in the autograph area and noticed a fan girl kissing the poster behind him. She left a nice amount of lipstick on his photo his face.  As I looked loser I could see several lip prints on the poster.

Then Jamie Murray got up and moved to the poster.  She paused and gave a glance to Allison.  Then Jamie kissed the forehead on the poster… a motherly kiss.

Some of the silliness that occurs at a convention.

AH

Jamie Murray Sci Fi Expo 2014

After I finished with Saul Rubinek, I jumped in the very short line for Allison Scagliotti. The reason it was a very short line…she was leaving for a panel or photo op or something….so I got out of that line.

I then got into Jamie Murray’s line.  She is currently in Defiance and she plays HG Wells in Warehouse 13.  Defiance is another show I enjoy from the SyFy channel.  This convention had a several people form that show attending also. 

She is just a pretty in person as on the show.  I was told she doesn’t like to sign over her body so she always signs off to the side.

AH

Saul Rubinek Sci Fi Expo 2014

When it was announced that Saul Rubinek would be attending this convention, I was excited.  I enjoy Warehouse 13 and he is a big part of that.

As I was standing in line, the person in front of me asked about Saul’s appearance in Eureka.  I watched Eureka but I can’t say I remember the cameo.  Saul mentioned that his appearance was actually as Arty from Warehouse 13.  The guy in front of me knew his stuff and basically called ‘bull’.  Saul smiled.  He looked up and started to include me in the conversation.

Saul talked about the episode and the mysterious item.  At the end of the show, the item was missing and so was Saul’s character.  It was all part of a recovery of an artifact and Arty was undercover as part of the mission.

Whether it was bull or not, it was fun to hear.  The guy in front of me was not convinced and walked off. I, however, enjoyed the insight and thanked him for that. 

Once he signed my photo, As I told him I thought he and Allison had the most chemistry on the show, he smiled and told me that was very true.  He smiled and called to Allison Scagliotti who was seating next to him. She looked up.  Saul repeated my comment and she smiled too.  Both gave me fist bumps.  They seemed to really enjoy themselves off set too.  It really seem to be a tight knit cast that has lots of fun.

AH

Jason Momoa Space City Con 2014

When I first entered the autograph area, Jason Momoa was the first autograph I wanted.  I figured he’d have the longest line and he was one of the big reasons I went to Galveston.

I was right; he did have the longest line while I was at the show.  About 40 or 50 people were line already in line. Before I queued up, I scan the other celebs.  Their lines were fairly short. So as is often the case, I made a game day decision.  I would come back later and hope Jason’s line was shorter.

Maybe an hour later, I passed by the table and the line was only 10 people.  Then I joined.  The line moved slowly; mostly because people hemmed and hawed over the photo selection. Jason provided a nice range of photos and several people just couldn’t decide.

As Jason Momoa waited for a couple to decide, he flexed his wrist.  He rubbed it and joked that he had to quit because he had carpel tunnel.  I smiled knowing he was teasing.  An older lady in front of him nearly panicked because she didn’t understand.  Quickly he admitted he was kidding.  I rolled my eyes in disbelief.  Some people need to get away from the TV more and experience real social interaction.

As he signed for me, I asked if he ever visited Galveston before.  He said once, to visit a relative.  He wanted to try surfing. I don’t know Galveston well, but all I could think of was the sea wall and the nasty blocks of rocks all over the shore.

Another lady behind me crowded in and said that was a stupid idea. That it was too dangerous.  Jason paused and said yeah and admitted he never really got a chance.  I took my photo and left as that lady kind of moved me out of the way.  I was done anyways but she was another person that needed to get outside more and away from the TV.

AH