Two celebrity stories from ComicCon 2009

[pasnat54]

I wanted to make sure these didn't get buried on the picture thread, because they were both kind of cool.

First, Edward James (Adm. Adama) was at a booth signing autographs (at $55 each; Col. Tigh's went for $30 each). Since I could barely afford ComicCon, I didn't get one. But I did want to ask him a question.

So after he finished signing for one guy, I slipped over from the side and said, "Mr. Olmos, can I ask you a quick 'settle-a-bet' type of question?"

"Sure."

"Did you name your son after the mining ghost town in Northern California?"

"Yes, I sure did! Up there in the Sierra Nevadas!"

"That's cool! I have a friend who lived there, in a genuine haunted house for three years. Great place."

"Yeah, that's it exactly. That's what we named him after."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCon%202009/DSC_1027.jpg

He was really excited that someone not only knew about the place, but had also spent the night on one of the houses, which are off-limits to the public. (My friend the ranger was assigned one as a residence while he worked there.)

[pasnat54]

While looking for a way to pass some time between a seminar and the masquerade, I saw a notice about a Simpsons' Collectors Club meeting. Since my sister had worked for Fox in the Simpsons licensing division, handling international (not domestic) Simpsons stuff, she had a lot of things not available in the US. She had wondered how to sell it, so I went to the meeting for tips.

At 6 pm, when it was supposed to start, the back door opened and a film crew strolled in. I assumed they were from ComicCon's closed-circuit broadcast crew. The moderator asked everyone questions about their favorite characters, lines, episodes, what they'd learned from watching the Simpsons, etc. I got in several good (I think) answers.

Then they said they were putting together a 20th anniversary Simpsons special that was going to be broadcast on Fox next January. We all had to sign releases. I don't know if any of my answers will make the cut, but I'm hoping at least one will. Wouldn't it be funny if I got on TV before secrets?

Anyway, just before the end of the meeting, one guy says, "Well, look who's here." I turned around and in walks the man himself, Matt Groenning. He had come by to chat with the collectors for a few minutes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCon%202009/DSC_1158.jpg

I pulled out three pictures I had taken when I first met Matt back in 1996, at a Simpsons recording session my sister had gotten us into. We ran into him and Dan Castellanetta in front of the Fox commissary, and they graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures. Matt even drew Bart on a napkin for my niece.

I'd been waiting since then to ask him to autograph the pictures I took that day. I brought them to the Con in the hopes I'd see him at a booth or signing session, so this was beyond anything I could hope for.

He not only signed and personalized the pics, he drew a picture of Bart on each one.

I'm only posting the one with my niece (now 25, a graduate of Amherst) because it shows Matt's work best; the others have dark backgrounds and you have to strain to see the drawings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ebay%20posts/TheSimpsons.jpg

The man's a class act, and this was the highlight of my convention.

[nocutename]

Two great stories!

[mordo]

Very cool stories.

[pasnat54]

I forgot to mention the ghost town in the Eddie Olmos story is Bodie. Bodie Olmos played Hot Dog Costanza.

Regulars know about my Bodie experiences, but for you newbies: Bodie is 13 miles deep into the Sierra Foothills, and about 20 miles from the nearest town. It consists of about 100 buildings that were left as they were when the town was abandoned as the gold ran out.

Downtown Bodie.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/Bodie/DSC_03260177.jpg

The building to the right of the church steeple, the one with two windows on the second floor, is where my disturbing encounter took place one morning just before dawn.



There's only one road leading in, and when Bodie gets its first heavy snowfall, the one that closes them off from civilization for the winter (the state does not clear the road), the rangers and their families get together in one house and watch "The Shining."


My friend's house during winter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/Bodie/013_10A.jpg

[Duffman_Comics]

Nice stories, Pasnat. I have liked EJO since "Stand and Deliver".

So, your sister worked in international licensing for Fox? She must have had a hand in the removal of the following from the market:

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u158/pwing75/100_0652508x381.jpg






Yes, still got it, an unopened case bought "off the stands" back in the day and an extra single can "for reference". For what it is worth, this was not a very good beer - this comes from one who has sampled a lot of them.

For those unfamiliar, here is the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duff_Beer

We now return your thread to your usual programming . . . .