Ryan Hurst WW Tulsa 2018

Previously, Ryan Hurst was not on my radar. Never watched Sons of Anarchy. Probably won’t watch it.

BUT he will be on Walking Dead. Now, I care.

Ryan was over an hour late. The volunteer mentioned he was like that the day before too.

Ryan showed. He signed a jacket for the people in front of me. Took a selfie and they were off.

Our conversation was quick.

We said ‘hi’.

Me: I hear you will on Walking Dead.

Ryan: Yes, you heard right.

Me; I’m excited about this.

Ryan: I’m excited too. (The signed photo handed to me)

Me: Thanks.

Ryan: You’re welcome.

AH

Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause WW Tulsa 2018

Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause do a lot of Wizard World conventions together. Their tables are next to other. They actually seem to like each other.

I got Brian first. I mentioned I watched about 5 seasons of Charmed.  He asked if I got tired of it. I told him the truth, once I got a job, I stopped watching a lot of TV on Netflix. Priorities change.

Then I moved to Holly’s line.  She was distracted as she needed a new sharpie and she appropriated it from Brian's table. He was busy with another fan.  Once he was done she got his attention, he took mock umbrage. Then the fun began. 

They had a lovers’ quarrel/spat.  It was done with tongue in cheek. They smiled as they threw verbal shots at each other. The fans heads ping ponged back and forth. I won’t say it was rehearsed but it probably happens several times a show. It’s was something they enjoyed doing and sharing.

I liked the comment that she was short. He’s not exactly tall.  He talked about having to wait for the apple crate to be brought to the set.  He mentioned to save time, he would do a straddle (legs spread wide) to lower himself into the frame. Then Holly mentioned he was good at that and could do it a long time. She said it in a ‘suggestive’ way and the ladies around Brian enjoyed the innuendo.

AH

Brianna Hildebrand Wizard World Tulsa 2018

I should have been embarrassed but I was oblivious. I told Brianna Hildebrand she was too skinny. She smiled a patient smile. I followed up with, the outfit in Deadpool makes you look broader, stockier.  She said she hears that a lot.  While she was not annoyed, I did realize I was being tacky.  I switched to generic speak: thanks for coming to Tulsa. I appreciate you signing this or me.

Then I left before I said something else.

AH

Hale Appleman Wizard World Tulsa 2018

I traveled up to Tulsa, OK. It was a rainy morning but an easy drive. 

While Hale Appleman was about 20 minutes late, he more than made up for it with being personal and outgoing.

The lady in front of me was from Denver and he was shocked that someone from Denver would travel that far for a comciccon.  He also seemed shocked that I came from Dallas.  In all fairness, he might not know how far away Dallas is.

We chatted about the show he is in, The Magicians. He signed the photo I brought. I printed it off for San Diego but never bumped into him.  I watched as this fellow lefty wrote. His palm never touched the photo to avoid smearing the ink. We chatted about the photo and the episode where he grew old.

Then because he was excited, he come out from behind the table and asked if he could hug me.  We hugged.

AH

Loni Anderson Wizard World Austin 2017

And yes, Loni Anderson was next to Howard Hesseman at Wizard World. And yes, she still looked beautiful. She was wore tight blue jeans and knee high boots with a medium heel.  And no, I wasn’t stalking her; I saw her walk back to her table after her lunch break.

I could have chosen the swimsuit photo or other images that were move revealing. Since I always thought of Loni as a classy woman, I chose this one.  As I handed over this photo, she paused to tell me it was her favorite.  The photographer was ‘ blah blah’. She told me his name. He is very prestigious and famous. He did a lot of photographer for Playboy. But I have no clue who he is so I don’t remember his name. The point, she enjoyed that photo shoot. The photographer was great. She was proud how the photos turned out.

I told her I liked this image because she looked glamorous. I followed up that she still looks glamorous.  I also said, I always thought of Jennifer in WKRP as classy. She wasn’t the bimbo that you would expect. I thought that made the character much more interesting.

AH

PS: And no, I didn’t tell her I was a Bailey guy.

AH

Dr Johnny Fever Wizard World Austin 2017

Yes, Wizard World had Howard Hesseman from WKRP in Cincinnati. I loved this show. I watched while I was in high school.   This show spawned another Ginger or Mary Ann debate:  Bailey or Jennifer.

When I found that Joe Flanigan had left his table I came over to Howard’s table. He was stepping away to also get lunch. It happens. But I didn’t need to buy an autograph ticket. As I was there, I looked over his selection of photos. It was nice but nothing jumped out to me.

Since I needed to wait, I checked out some of the other vendors to see if they had a photo that I liked. I did find one. I paid the outrageous amount.  While the public doesn’t think much about the price I have an idea what the vendor paid. I don’t mind paying for convenience, I hate paying that markup.  But the fault is my own. I could have searched for something and went to Costco and printed something for myself.

When Howard got back, I walked up and handed over my freshly bought photo.  He liked it. He asked where I found it. I mentioned a got it at a vendor at the show and point in a general direction.  He turned to his handler and said they should get some of these.  That made me feel good.

As he handed over the photo, I mentioned really enjoying Head of the Class.  He talked about the respect he had for teachers and what they need to do. It was good meeting him.

AH

PS: I’m a Mary Ann and Bailey type of guy.

AH

Joe Flanigan Wizard World Austin 2017

I enjoyed the original movie Stargate and I also enjoy the various TV series it spawned. I’m looking forward to the new series coming out ‘soon’.  When I saw that Joe Flanigan was appearing in Austin, I wanted to go. He was the lead in Stargate Atlantis.

Wizard World can be irritating. The shows have gotten smaller in Austin. That might be true for all of their locations. And they also have some guests that you need to buy an autograph ticket instead of paying cash at the table. I’m sure there is a reason some guests accept cash and some don’t but I’m often surprised by who requires it.

Regardless, I needed a ticket for Joe. Okay, no big deal. No one was in line. I figured I’d walk over and buy a ticket and be back in 2 shakes. I went to the booth to buy a ticket. There was a line there. I waited about 20 minutes to get my ticket for Joe.

I walked back to the Joe’s table and he was gone for lunch. Ugh. It happens.

When he returned, I got walked up, still no line, and got his autograph. He thanks me for watching the show and I went to other things.

AH

Sebastian Stan – sorry I didn’t get you a present

The main reason I drove up to Tulsa and risked getting lost was Sebastian Stan. Because I was unorganized a few months earlier, I lost track of time and failed to get him when he was in Austin, TX.  That would have been more convenient as I was already there for Matt Smith. However, that is the past.

A tradition that I’m seeing more and more, (outside of Dallas) is fans bringing gifts for the celebs. I find that funny as I’m giving them a nice gift when I pay for an autograph. Some people are gifting the celeb a second time when they do the photo ops. These non-monetary gifts are mostly coming from very young fan girls. 

The presents are in gift bags or small wrapped boxes.  The girls are usually in pairs and nervously chat while in line about what they want to say and their hopes of getting a hug or kiss. They suspiciously eye their competition as they see other offerings handed over. Comments about the wrapping or the girl are quickly exchanged.

I watched several girls hand over their gifts. Sebastian graciously accepted. Took a moment to look at gift bag or wrapping. Make a short comment. Nod as he said thank you. Then the girl would open her arms and lean forward in the universal signal: reward me with a hug.  The handler would very quickly (dare I say lying in wait) swing an arm toward Sebastian to prevent him from standing and returning the requested hug.  She would make a short comment about trying to keep the line moving. The young one would walk away with a case of ‘failed smile’.  Forgive me for finding this amusing.  

The 3 pairs of girls in front of me all delivered presents.  Then there was me, the little drummer boy, the fan without a gift.  As I walked up and handed over my 8x10, I quietly apologized for not having a gift.  I told him I didn’t know I was supposed to bring something.  He laughed.  Then he stuck out his hand and we shook. 

Yes, you read that right.  Gifts didn’t get a hug but a semi-funny comment got a hand shake.

AH

Evanna Lynch Wizard World Tulsa 2016

This was the second time I had traveled to Tulsa, OK. The first time I got lost because of a detour that didn’t have the signage to get me back on the Intestate.  Yes, you can scuff and say I missed the sign pointing the way.  Shouldn’t there be multiple signs in case you miss one?   So I was slightly paranoid about traveling that way again.  This time the only issue I faced was paying the tolls and whether my Dallas ‘toll tag’ would work up North.

After I got to the convention center I walked around and found where the celebrities were signing. This was a typical Wizard World layout. I have been to a few of their shows and I knew what I was doing.

There were only two autographs I wanted.  Yes, that was a long drive to feed the autograph addiction. As you make plans and commit to attending a show, you hope some additional names are added to make a 4 hour drive worth.  One of the additions was Evanna Lynch.

I got to her just before she broke for lunch. She was very pretty in person and had a charming shy smile.  She was willing to talk.  She mentioned she had a school friend that lived in Tulsa and hoped to get some time with her. Knowing that I was the last one before her break, I didn’t take up more of her time. I thanked her and moved on.

AH

Matt Smith Wizard World Austin 2016

It has been frustrating to see Matt Smith listed all over the country and never at a Texas show. When I saw him announced in Austin, I had to go.

I was worried about Wizard World (WW) overselling tickets and not being able to get through the line in time before Matt had to leave.  Since a drive to Austin ranges from 3 hours to 8 hours on any given day, I drove down the night before.

At the crack of dawn I got up and waited for WW to open their doors. Once inside, I found out that people like me, non-VIP badge holders, aka ‘steerage’, weren’t going to queue up until 2PM.  Okay, now I know. I had some time to kill.

When it was time for the great unwashed to get in line, I must admit the line moved fairly fast. Matt was very friendly and tried to chat with everyone. He accepted gifts from fans and told them he would look at it after he was done.

I found a photo I liked online. While I didn’t want the photo personalized, I did want the quote added. Again, I was surprised they were allowing personalization. Often, with a big name guest, the lines are too long and the signing is an assembly line of ‘just the signature’.

Matt took my photo and read the quote. He smiled. I mentioned I thought the photo was apropos as he was in Texas. Before he stared signing he told me he remembered that day the photo was shot. It was a good day. 

As I walked away with his autograph, it was a good day for me too.

AH

Dana DeLorenzo and Ray Santiago Wizard World Austin 2016

I enjoy Ash VS the Evil Dead. For me it’s 3 Stooges in a modern horror movie. Its over the top and silly and not demanding a lot of cerebral attention. When Austin Wizard World has both Ray Santiago and DanaDeLorenzo, I needed to add to them to the collection.

Ray was quiet. He smiled and signed. We barely exchanged words. I’m assuming he is very shy.

Dana was very extraverted. As she chatted with the person in front of her, she paused to make sure others in line were listening and following along. She talked about getting blasted with gallons of fake blood that seemed to all go up her nose. She admitted it took a week to get all out.  She loved working with Lee Majors as he fit right in on the set. 

AH

Sam Jones Wizard World Austin 2016

The short of it: I picked up Sam Jones’ autograph in Austin. Nice guy.  We talked about how many times he and I missed each other over the years. He told me to find him in Dallas for the Marvelous Nerd Year’s Eve convention.

So you are done. You can move along and you know I got his auto. You will notice I have more text on the page. Ignore it. It’s boring introspective narrative backstory stuff that doesn’t give any more details than the first paragraph. Really, move along…

The movie Flash Gordon with Sam Jones has pleasant memories for me. A local TV station in Philly actually showed the old Buster Crabbe Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon series when I was a kid. I enjoyed those serials. When this movie came out I wanted to see it.

It was a snow day; a cold snowy day in Jersey. I woke up and listened to the radio to find out if our ‘school closing number’ was called. If it was, we didn’t have school. Most often when we saw snow on the ground, we still had to get to school.  This day we ‘won’ the snow lottery. School was cancelled.

After I shoveled the porch, drive way, and sideway (for ourselves and our elderly neighbor), I was ready to explore. Just because it was considered too dangerous to drive to school, didn’t mean the rest of the world had closed. Like most good teenagers, I wanted to go to the mall and see a movie.

One of my buddies was up to seeing this movie.  I picked him up and we drove. By now the sun was out. It was very sunny. If you don’t know, snow reflects a lot of light. If you remember, it had snowed enough to cancel school. Up in Jersey, school is not cancelled based on the ‘threat’ of school.  It's not cancelled because of a ‘dusting’ of snow hit the ground. It’s cancelled because the snow plows can’t clear the roads quick enough. Where I grow up, that usually meant more than 6 inches.  Everything was buried in snow. It meant the bright shining sunlight was bouncing off of everything and creating a lot of glare.

The roads were good; no ice. The drive was uneventful.  We parked although we were slightly late for the movie. After we paid and got our soda and popcorn, we entered the theater. The theater was dark.  Pitch black. I could hear the movie but the screen was blank. I stopped. My friend ran into me. He asked what was wrong. I said I can’t find the seats because it was so dark.

Well, it wasn’t so dark for me to miss his confusion. He thought I was nuts. He said there were seats everywhere.  He said just pick a row. Blindly I moved to the right and bumped into a guy sitting and watching the movie. Then my friend whispered and asked if I could see anything. I told I was now seeing some of the screen but faintly.  My friend grabbed my hand and guided me to a seat where I did not need to climb over anyone. 

As I sat, my snow blind eyes slowly adjusted.  Concentrating on the road without sunglasses (who wore sunglasses in the winter?) the glare narrowed my pupils to pinpricks. Never had anything like that happen before or since.

I’m reminded of this memory every time I see Sam Jones name at a show.  
See nothing of value. You should have stopped reading when I told you.

AH

Kristin Bauer Austin ComicCon Wizard World 2015

The next autograph I picked up at Wizard World was KristinBauer. She was also friendly and chatted with fans. I don’t remember much about our exchange. I know I mentioned I liked her True Blood backstory and the loyalty she displayed.  I also remember commenting n her signature and how legible it was.

AH

Rutina Wesley Austin ComicCon Wizard World 2015

For me, getting True Blood autographs has been impossible. I’ve missed out on the San Diego cast signings during their 7 year run.  This Wizard World show had two cast members.  While Austin is only a ‘three hour’ drive on way, it makes for a long day.

Of course, my drive down to Austin did not go as planned.  I was in a 2 ½ hour traffic jam.  After 5 ½ hours in the car, I was slightly frustrated.  The frustration increased as I could not find the box office for the convention. Silly.  I overlooked it as it looked like the weapons check table. It was the weapons check table but it was where I got my admittance wristband.

Once I got in line for Rutina Wesley, the calm was restored. She was friendly. She talked to people and laughed. She seemed to have it all under control. The couple in front of me got on the topic of musicals with her.  She asked what their favorite musical was. When I stepped up, I asked what her favorite was. I forgot which one she said but she mentioned she really wanted to do Chicago. And now you know.

AH

Sara Underwood #WizardWorld Austin 2013

First – as I sit in front of the key board I mystically wave my hands in front of the monitor and say: Mom…Dad… this is NOT the blog you’re looking for…

1200 miles away, Mom and Dad are reading this with a confused look on their faces.

I sense the disturbance in the internet...I then say: You can go about your business.  Move along…move along.

I pause and reach out, feeling the energy field that surrounds us and binds us…no luck. I know they are reading this. Ugh. 

Second – Your Honor, I plead guilty but with extenuating circumstances. I was led astray by associates of lesser character.  I deliver my 400 previous posts as evidence that I’m a ‘nice guy’ that you really can take home to mom. I’m not that guy that leers and drools over Playmates. The behavior recently displayed, while mild among the general public, was an aberration and I also find it embarrassing. 

Your Honor, I would like to further state, that the photo which is the center of this event is rated PG.  Not even PG 13. While Miss Underwood is clearly naked, she is also clearly covered.

So…After vising Ivy Doomkitty, Dee and Dee walked with me as we checked to see if Sara Jean Underwood was back at her table.

It was perfect timing. We saw Sara leading the way behind a rather large handler/bodyguard.  She walked past us. Trying not to stare, I noticed her abs.  Her shirt exposed about 3 inches of stomach.  She proudly showed the abs that most women find impossible to get. Somehow Sara balanced a low carb diet in a way that allowed the muscle to display but keep the softness and beauty in her face.

Ivy Doomkitty #WizardWorld 2013

Cosplay (Costume play) has been around forever.  After all, what is a masquerade party?  Halloween is another example.  It’s been with us for centuries.

I liked the little paw print she added over her 'i'.

Modern cosplay, dressing up in public when you aren’t expected to, probably started with Forry Ackerman at the first WorldCon in 1939. He dressed up in a futuristic outfit and people have been imitating him ever since.

And if you don’t know who Forry is, you’re not a nerd.  Look him up. Nerd-dom owes him a lot.

Cosplay has grown up around me and mutated in something semiprofessional and I hadn't noticed until recently.  It’s no longer the unfortunately shaped person spilling out of their spandex in inappropriate places.   There are ‘legends’ of cosplay and cosplayers are traveling from convention to convention to see fans and sell photos and calendars.

Amy Bruni #WizardWorld 2013 #GhostHunters

Believe it or not, Ghost Hunters has been on the air for 10 years.  And I’ll admit to watching it for most of those 10 years.  When I had the chance to pick up Amy Bruni’s autograph I could not pass it up.

She greeted me brightly and with a nice smile. We chatted about the unusual cold weather Austin was having.  I noticed she had her heavy winter jacket so she was prepared and we joked that she was the only celeb with common sense.

She confirmed the show was renewed for a 10^th season and a 200^th episode was around the corner.  After a moment more of chitchat, I thanked her for the auto and left.

AH

Ian Ziering #WizardWorld 2013

Fresh off his appearance in Sharknado, which was not as bad of a movie as people said, Ian Ziering attended Austin ComicCon. 

While he never had a long line, he did seem to always have someone in line. Mostly it was women that drooled over him in 90210 or maybe from Dancing with the Stars.  When my friend (one half of the Dee and Dee team) and I walked up, Ian was alone.

I choose a photo and he signed.  Somehow the conversation rapidly went to motorcycles and racing. Something neither my friend nor I know anything about. We attempted to bluff at the topic. We would ask a leading question and it was eagerly answered in detail.  One thing I do remember is he has/had a cycle that was too fast and it was a piece of art. It should be hung in his living room so people could admire it…but the wife would not allow it.

He seemed genuinely friendly and I am sure if we even knew anything about cycles we would have been hanging out in bar swapping stories. 

AH

Erica Durance #WizardWorld 2013

As many autographs that I have gotten from Smallville, you’d think I would have seen the show once or twice.  I can now add Erica Durance to the list.

I caught her at a good time. I walked right up.  My friend’s Dee and Dee told me she was very friendly.  I felt pressured to have a memorable time with her.  I said hello and tried to keep eye contact but I did need to scan her selection of photos. Her selection proved she did not have body image issues.  She had a nice selection including one in formal wear and some much more revealing.  The more revealing photos were another reason to try to keep eye contact.  Drooling is never good for a first impression.

I choose a more modest one and handed it over.  I then asked how many SDCC panels she attended.  Well, you know me, I can talk ComicCon all day. So we spent a minute talking about San Diego and the end of the show.  While I never watched the show, I had actually sat through a couple of the panels in Hall H. 

Not wanting to over stay my welcome, I thanked her and left.

AH

Sarah Wayne Callies #WizardWorld 2013

Sarah Wayne Callies had a character I loved to hate in Walking Dead. Her character created so much tension that I was relieved when she died.  A sad thing to say but if you watch the series, I bet you agree with me.

The line was long. It was interrupted because of a short break.  The odd thing of the break was Sarah need directions but the Volunteer didn’t know where to send her. He pointed in one direction and the few people that were listening in each pointed in different directions.   Then she got stuck as the crowd swarmed to take pictures and see her up close.

The delay was 5 or so minutes. Finally, the handler/manager came to the rescue and led her off.  As soon as Sarah was gone the crowd dispersed.  Even though she is a character people loved to hate, she is popular.

As with everyone on the Waling Dead cast, she was friendly and took her time with the fans. She had some side bar conversations with people still in line as she waited for people to finished selecting a photo or paying.

So my turn in front of her, I was surprised how much younger and prettier she looked in person. I mentioned that and she smiled. I guess she gets that all of the time. She said it’s easy to ‘clean up’ when your job is being covered in blood and dirt and wear tattered clothes.  Good point.  Still, she was very pretty women.

AH