Conventions: A celebrity perspective

                      Recently I updated an article I wrote a couple years ago titled “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”.  https://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2016/01/do-conventions-ruin-celebrities-for-fans.html A handful of people have read it and it’s had some really good and positive responses. One being from some longtime friends of mine who happen to look at from the celebrity side of the spectrum. They are husband and wife Mary Deese Hampton and James Hampton. You would know Mary from her performances on General Hospital, Harold & Kumar 2, & Dallas to name a few. You would know James from such classics as Teen Wolf 1&2, Hanger 18, and The Longest Yard (original). 

                      Mary and Jimmy have been on the convention circuit for quite some time now. They have made many friends and have seen many changes over the years. After reading my article, Mary wanted to give their side of it. 

Riley: Hello Mary, how are you?

Mary: Wonderful Riley.  So glad to be keeping in touch with you!

Riley: Thank you for taking the time to give my article a read. It truly means the world to me. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Mary:  Yes, it really brought back memories of the years we spent on the celebrity autograph “circuit” and the many fans we have that became friends, like you.

Riley: So what kind of changes have you and Jimmy seen over the years and what kind of effect has said changes had on the convention circuit in regards to the celebrity/fan relationship?

Mary:  Well, because of the body of work that Jimmy amassed over his almost 50 year career as an actor, director, writer and producer, he was invited to many conventions with genres that ran from Western, Horror/ SciFi, Sports, Vintage TV, and Comic cons.  He even attended a show in Houston once that was solely devoted to astronauts and actors who had played astronauts in film and tv! 

Jimmy always thought the idea of the conventions was terrific because they are a wonderful way for fans to connect to their favorite actors and vice versa.   People are always interested in “behind the scenes” stories and the cons are a great venue for fans to hear those stories - either in a one on one conversation with an actor or in a Q and A panel that the conventions usually host throughout the weekend. 

One of the changes we’ve seen through the years is that the conventions are getting bigger and bigger.   For instance, Jimmy was a guest at the very first Texas Frightmare Weekend.  There were only 6 celebrities and a few bands. It was held at the little ol’ Grapevine Convention Center.  Today, that convention is one of the largest Horror/Sci Fi conventions in the Southwest.  It’s amazing!

I can’t even begin to guess how many conventions there are out there now!  Because of the number of conventions being held each year, fans now have lots of opportunities to meet their favorite celebs.   That’s a good thing!

One of the other changes we’ve seen are the “photo ops” provided at the shows.  Some celebs don’t charge for photos with fans if they purchase a photo; however, often there are long lines  and  some celebs  can’t stop to take a photo with each and every fan.  So, they step away from signing for a few hours over the weekend just for that opportunity via “photo ops”.

I think one of the biggest changes we’ve seen over the years is the trend to bring entire casts of a television show or film to conventions.  While this seems to be very attractive to some fans, it’s not always so good for the other celebs.  If a promoter is “forced” to take 8 people from a particular television show or film but really only wants 1 or 2 of them, then that eliminates spots at the convention for other celebrities that want to attend or that the promoter would like to have attend.  Which also might keep fans hoping to see those “missing” celebs from coming to the convention at all.

Finally, another huge change in the shows is the startling number of…how do I say this…”mega stars”…that now want to come to the shows.  They’ve realized how much money is to be made and are capitalizing on the opportunity.  Good for them, but that’s also, in my opinion, what’s driving up the prices of the entry fees to the conventions.  Which leads to your next question.

Riley: So to reference the title of my article, in your opinion, with the way conventions are now and their current pricing structure, “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”

Mary:  Oh, I wouldn’t use the word “ruin” but the explosion in the number of shows, the number of celebrities who attend them, and the trend to bring in entire casts has certainly impacted the wallets of both the fans and the celebs.  If the cost of the entrance fee is too high, then the fans don’t have money left to purchase photos…which, let’s be honest, is a big reason why the celebs are there.  If the prices of the “mega stars” that attend are too high (which $150.00 for a signed photo is ridiculous, in my opinion), then the fans that buy those photos probably aren’t going to purchase many more from other celebs.  The photo ops, while convenient for the celebrities who have long lines, also add to the cost of attendance if a fan wants a photo with a celeb that can’t…or won’t…take the time to snap one at his/her table. There’s got to be the right “formula” in order for a show to work well for the fans, the celebs and the promoters.  I am sure that it’s a struggle for the promoters trying to bring in the headliners and still not raise the cost of the entry fees.  That’s only one of many balls they have to juggle.  What some fans may not know is that the minute a convention is over, the promoters start planning for the next year. No rest for the weary!

I believe that fans will always enjoy attending the conventions and I personally know that most celebrities enjoy them as well. 

Unlike acting on the stage, an actor can’t see or hear responses of his or her audience when they are filming a television show or a movie. Getting together with fans as the cons gives an actor an opportunity to listen to what their fans thought of their past and current work.  Jimmy once said it was like hearing “delayed applause”.  Wonderful!  

Riley: Thank you so much Mary, for an insight to the convention world that most con goers don't know about. It's nice to hear an opinion from the other side of the table. And I completely agree about the high pricing for a single autographed photo to be ridiculous.

It's great to be a friend to you and Jimmy and I thank you so much for your time and friendship. Til the next time.

Just standing in line making memories.

            It’s funny how photos can help you remember details of events just by looking at them—especially photos from sci-fi/comic conventions. For everyone else, this photo is of myself meeting Brent Spiner, a fellow Texan who is mostly known for portraying Lt. Comm. Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But for me, this photo provides a few more details.

One is the shirt I was wearing. It was just a shirt I’d picked up from Old Navy that had some random BBQ restaurant in Texas on it. Whether it was a real place or not, I honestly didn't know. Well, when it was finally my turn, Brent Spiner started asking question after question about my shirt and the restaurant on it—asking if it was good and where it was located in Texas so he could go there.

The second memory I have about this photo is of the guy and his wife who were standing behind me. At most conventions, I usually go by myself and keep to myself, especially back then. But we all started talking about this and that, passing time while waiting in line. Afterwards, they went on their way, and I went on mine.

At that time, Facebook hadn’t really taken off yet; I don’t even think it was around. But the convention had message boards (I miss those days) where you could post comments and photos about the shows, and you could actually keep up with the conversations without them getting lost in an algorithm. I had commented on the board about the show, and a person replied saying he had taken a photo if I wanted it. Sure enough, it was from the couple behind me.

Who’d have thunk it? On Oct. 23, 2004, at Dallas Comic Con, when a random photo was taken of a random person, a friendship would start. And even though we don’t hang out as much now, I still consider both of them really good friends. Here’s to another 20 years, my friends.

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Dallas Comic Show: Holiday Special 2018 review

My Dallas Comic Show 2018 Holiday special review.

                As some may know, I don’t get to that many Comic/Celebrity conventions that much anymore. One reason is the money factor. They have just skyrocketed in cost nowadays, I just can’t afford it. The other is time. Time, especially free time, is almost nonexistent these days. But one I do try to go to is the Dallas Comic Show. This is actually only my second time being able to attend the DCS. Once again as I said before, there are two main factors. D.C.S. is put on by a friend of mine, Mark Walters. I’ve known Mark since the first Dallas Comic Con way back when. He puts on a great show that is affordable and has a variety of guests. Plus the venues are remnant of “back in the day”. To be honest it’s what I preferred back then. The cost of admission is great and most of the celebrities that are brought in are affordable.

                Now to the actual experience at the show. I purchased my ticket months ago around the time when they went on sale with the anticipation that some really cool guests would be added. It wasn’t long after actor Ray Wise was added. Being a fan of his from so many roles including Robocop and Swamp Thing and now Fresh off the Boat, I had to meet him. I noticed a theme lately is actors from the show Twin Peaks, to which Ray was on as well. I personally never really got into the show. I had seen a few episodes back in the day. But that’s about it. I know people who just absolutely love it. Another addition was Twin Peaks alumni Harry Goaz. He’s mainly known for Twin Peaks but I remember him from the short lived Eerie, Indiana. Then there was Michael Biehn (Kyle Reese from Terminator), Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Jason Douglas (The Walking Dead), and a handful of voice over artists including Monica Rial and Cynthia Cranz. Plus many many awesome artists (including my friend Terry Parr from Shonuff Studios).  

                Since I had purchased a VIP ticket, I was able to get “perks”. Usually this means you can get into the show early as well as priority placement for certain autograph lines and Q&A’s. You also get a special lanyard and “goodie” bag. The bag is usually some comics and a couple other things. When I had walked in I instantly saw all the familiar faces. First face I had seen was Paul. I’ve known Paul for years through the convention scene. He provides Mark with security for the show now. We usually don’t get to chat much, but it’s always good to see him. So I decided to take the opportunity of my “extra” early time to walk around without bumping into people and checking things out. Firstly, I go visit my buddy Terry with Shonuff Studios. It’s always good seeing him at the shows. His wife didn’t make the show this time. But it’s good seeing her too.

                I then decide to walk back to the media guest area and check it out. I walk straight up to Ray Wise’s table and look at his photos. He had a wide variety of Twin Peaks photos and a couple really good shots of him from a show called “Reaper”. Didn’t know the show. He had a couple photos from Swamp Thing as well as Robocop. Two out of the three from Robocop were fuzzy. I get it, it’s hard to get high res scans of older shows and movies. So I picked the third option of the Robocop photos. I was chatting with him for a few minutes and was talking to him about my son and that I was bringing him back the next day. He told me to make sure I brought him by to meet him. Will do I said. Shook his hand and was on my way.

                I then walked over to Michael Biehn’s table. He had some pretty cool photos to choose from his most iconic roles (Kyle Reese, Johnny Ringo, Planet Terror to name a few) and some lesser known ones as well. He also had some shots with his wife Jennifer Blanc-Biehn. I then saw his price list. Some may think it was a decent price to pay. But I wasn’t willing. I heard that he raised his price again from the last time someone had recently seen him. So I reluctantly passed. The same with Alan Ruck. Like Michael Biehn, I’ve loved just about everything I’ve seen him in. Ever since I had first seen Ferris Beuller at the drive in when I was a kid. He wasn’t as much as Biehn, but I just couldn’t do it. So I passed on him as well.

So I just I just wondered around the dealer’s room like some kind of on foot nomadic nascar driver. Just around and around. I had brought a handful of my Funko Pops that I didn’t want anymore and sold them to a dealer. Made a little money. Went over to Mark’s table and checked out what he was selling. Because as well as being the promoter of the show he also sells autographs he picks up at various shows he is part of and attends. I knew he had some Doctor Who autographs, so I pick up a classic shot of Michael Jayston as The Valeyard. As well as a cool signed shot of the first live action Spider-Man, Nicholas Hammond. After that I just walked around a little while longer then I headed out. I had seen a couple guys I know, but everyone was kind of doing their own thing. So the day got boring fast. The next day is going to be better I thought to myself.

I had designed a shirt for my son who is 20 months old today. I put the design together and bought some comic book heat transfer vinyl. I gave my design and vinyl to my sister in law and she printed it out on her cricut (sp?) machine and ironed it on his shirt. I also wanted “Sign here” with a line across the back. It turned out awesome. My plan was to take him to his first Comic Book convention and maybe some of the artists could sign it for him. So we wake up and get ready to go to the show. The night before, I find out that my daughter wishes she could get Cynthia Cranz’ autograph on her Yu Yu Hakusho book. Cynthia voiced the character Botan on the anime. My daughter has been a fan since it first came out. I wasn’t planning on getting anything signed that day, but I took my daughters book as well as a comic I wasn’t able to get signed the day before.

Of course the little guy falls asleep in the car on the way. But we make it to the convention in about half an hour. We get there and he wakes up. He’s happy but wanted me to hold him. Of course that’s no problem at all. Once we get into the venue I take his sweater off and I hand him “his” sharpie then we start to walk around. As soon as we walk in, we see some friends of mine I haven’t seen in a long time. I introduced my son to Scott and David and Joseph gave them his trademarked high five and fist bump. It was good seeing them, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Afterwards we go over in the direction of Ray Wise’s table. Ray remembers our conversation from the previous day and he sees my son. His face as well as the face of the young lady assisting him lights up as we walk over. I’m introducing him to them and Joseph quietly responds back. Again he does the high five and fist bump. They do it back and Joseph smiled. Ray had read Joseph’s shirt and loved it and he also noticed the “sign here” on the back. So he asked Joseph “Do you want me to sign your shirt Joseph?” Joseph shook his head yes. Even though he had no idea what he was talking about. He then asked, “Can I use your marker?” Joseph hands his the marker and he signed it for him. His handler was taking photos of the entire thing for me and then Ray posed with the two of us for a photo. I was already a huge fan of Mr. Wise before this, but even more so now.

We then head down toward the dealer’s room. Most people reading this know what that is. If by chance you do not, it’s a huge room consisting of various people peddling comics and other comic/sci fi collectibles. Every now and then you can find a bargain, but a lot of times the prices are quite inflated. But you can find some hard to find collectible there. So on the way to the dealer’s room we stop and talk to my friend Terry Parr with Shonuff Studios. Terry is an amazing local artist that I have known for many years. I walk over and introduce my son to him. After a couple minutes I ask Terry to sign his shirt and he was more than happy too. We were then on our way. We didn’t want to take up too much of his time as he was there to make money.  We also stopped by and said hello to Mark. Mark absolutely loved his shirt. So much so that he had to take a photo of it.

Well, little man wanted to walk now. So we walked into the dealer’s room. His face looked like mine when I first when to Toys R Us as a kid or when I first went to Kennedy Space Center as an adult. Lol. He grabbed my hand and we were off. He had his sharpie is the left hand and my hand in the right. It was his show, we went where he wanted to go. So we walked around checking everything out. Then he wanted to go out of the dealer’s room and walk around the autograph room again. So we walked out there. As we were walking Jason Douglas from The Walking Dead and Preacher said hello to him. So we walked over and said hello. Fist bumps and high fives. Then Jason asked him if he wanted to sign his shirt, Joseph said yes and so he did. I took a pic of Joseph, and Jason was pointing at Joseph in the background, just a cool guy.

We then made our way to Cynthia Cranz’ table to get my daughter’s book signed for her. We chatted for a minute about voice over and acting as well as Joseph and Sydnie. She absolutely loved that my daughter Sydnie was such a hardcore Yu Yu Hakusho fan and she just absolutely loved Joseph’s shirt. Even more so when she found out that it was a custom made shirt. She signed my daughter’s book as well as my son’s t-shirt. As we were walking away there was a small bantha next to the table of the 501^st. Well they weren’t there but Joseph wanted to see the bantha. So we walked over. Not sure what he thought at first. He was looking at and then started to pet it. Lol I took some great photos of him with it.

As we were leaving the bantha, Joseph walked right over to Harry Goaz’ table. Harry waved at him and said hello. Joseph waved back. I picked him up and walked him over and introduced him. Harry was talking to him and Joseph was being shy. Answering a little but in a very low voice. Without missing a beat my son hands Harry his sharpie. When Harry grabbed it, my son started to reach for Harry’s cup of sharpies. They chatted for a few minutes and Harry asked him if he wanted him to sign his shirt as well. Joseph said yes and immediately laid down on my chest so Harry could sign it. Lol. He picked up on that fast. I shook Harry’s hand and told him thank you so much. Joseph reached out and gave Harry as well as the young lady helping him high fives and fist bumps.

I decided to get one more thing completed that I wasn’t able to get done the previous day. I needed Frank Cho to sign my one comic. It was a Wizard World Texas Jungle Girl sketch variant that I’ve had for ten years. Every time I went by Frank’s table he wasn’t there. Multiple times I would ask if he was charging to sign and if he would charge to sign my one book. Every time I asked, same answer. No he will not charge. So my son and I walk over to his table and he is there. There is a huge line around the corner. I ask the lady running the line if I could use my VIP skip to get my one book signed. The answer I got was a little shocking. “This is a small show, you really don’t need the skips”. WOW! Ok. I really wanted my book signed so we got in line. You ever try to stand in a line juggling a 1.5 yr old. Then I noticed a guy taking money from people in line. So I asked him what the money is for. He said its five dollars per signed item. I told him every one has told me there would be no charge. “Don’t know what to tell you”. That and the lady’s response just rubbed me the wrong way. So we immediately got out of line and said our goodbyes to everyone and left.  

As a whole, I had a great time. Especially the time I spent with my son. Everyone we met was absolutely fantastic. Some people only think there is only one choice for quality comic conventions in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Let me tell you that is not the case. A certain big box convention not saying any names (But it rhymes with Dan Fexpo Allas) only cares about your money. I would recommend the Dallas Comic Show convention to anyone.  You should definitely check them out. Follow them on social media on most of the platforms. (FYI: I am no way connected to the show and am not being endorsed for my review.)

To Pay or Not to Pay: An Autograph Tale (revisited and updated)

             


          I can remember as a child seeing my favorite celebrities on television. Whether it was my favorite actors, voice over, or even sports celebrities. Sitting there imaging what it would be like to meet them, talk to them, or who knows maybe even get their autograph. From what I’ve heard, when I was a kid in the eighties, autographs were easier to obtain. If you saw your favorite celebrity, you just walked up and asked for his or her autograph. They would usually go all “Joe Green” on you and say “sure kid” and give you an autograph.

          For me personally, the main celebs that I would have access to were the Dallas Cowboys or the wrestlers of the WCCW. I would get autographs from my favorite players like Randy White, Danny White, or Roger Staubach or some of my favorite wresters the Von Erich family, the Dingo Warrior, or Chris Adams. Fast forward to current times and the game has completely changed. Instead of automatically getting the “sure kid”, you get the “is this going on eBay” question. Even if you say no, you get inevitable “you’re lying” look. It especially happens if you’re not a kid. But I’ve seen it happen to kids as well. In all fairness, I can see it from the celebrities’ point of view. If people are getting their autograph for free, and then sell it, then they believe they are entitled to some of that proverbial cash.

          Sometimes I think the celebrity fails to realize that if it’s the value of their autograph they are worried about, then the more they sign the less their autograph is worth. It’s all supply and demand in the world of collectibles. For example, take former Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson. C.J. would sign for just about anyone who would ask. Now don’t get me wrong C.J. wasn’t the only player that did that. In my opinion, the people who would ask for his autograph were his true fans. He was one of the most fan friendly players at the time.

          It wasn’t until 1998 that I had a chance to meet a “Hollywood” actor. In the mid to late nineties one of my favorite television shows was the X-Files. I watched it every week, read the official magazines, etc. I later found out they were making a movie. This was information that made this X-Phile very happy. To top it all off there was going to be a nationwide promotion tour. The tour would consist of actual props from the television show, exclusive trailers, and actors from the show. The way it worked was you paid for admission and just about everything inside was free (even autographs). Though Mulder & Scully weren’t there, three of my favorites were. Even though autographs weren’t guaranteed, I was able to meet two out of the three actors that was there.

          In 2002 I came across Dallas Comic Con. “Con” was short for convention. I did some research beforehand and found out that some legends from the comic book industry were going to be there along with some great science fiction writers. Most importantly to me I also found out that some actors and actresses were also going to be on hand signing autographs for a price. My wife and I attended this show; little did I know this was going to be a regular thing.

          Up until then I had never paid for an autograph from a celebrity but I understood the reasoning. I didn’t fully agree but I understood. Besides 10 to 20 dollars per autograph wasn’t that bad from someone you truly admire. Plus, you may never get to meet that person again. The choice is pretty fairly simple, if you want to pay, pay. If you don’t, then don’t. It’s just about like everything else in the world. The choice is entirely up to the individual and no one else. No one is forcing you to attend and pay for anything. Like it or not, it is a business. Since that first X-Files Expo, I have attended many conventions over the years. I have met a lot of my favorite celebrities at the conventions I have attended. I have also obtained autographs from most of them. For example, at one show in particular I was able to meet one of my favorite actors, Adam Baldwin. Now it’s not often you see Adam Baldwin walking the streets of Dallas. I know this, which is why it was a no brainer for me to gladly pay for his autograph.

          I have so many fond memories from that first convention, unfortunately there are a few regrets as well. My few fond memories was being able to share this memory with my wife, meeting Carrie Fisher for the first time, and meeting the late great Dave Stevens. Three regrets in particular always stay with me as well. Not meeting veteran actor Ben Chapman (who has since passed away), not getting a sketch or an autograph from the late great Dave Stevens (even though I spoke with him several times throughout the day), and not meeting actor Glen Shadix (also who has since passed away). Now I know you can’t tell who’ll pass away unexpectedly, it’s just something you’ll have to deal with if it happens to you.

          I can honestly say though, the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to the convention circuit. So, if you do decide to go to a comic book or science fiction convention, have fun. Will there be things that you don’t like? Maybe. Will there be things you like? Definitely. Just go there with an open mind, the readiness to embrace your inner nerd, have a great time. Be sure to do your own research beforehand. Check the conventions website, read their social media pages, talk to the regulars. Most of them probably know the ins and outs of the circuit better than anyone. They can help you if you have any questions. All you have to do is ask.

            There are good conventions and there are some conventions that will just nickel and dime you without delivering the goods. On the other side though, there are some that are as much for the fans as they are for the money. You just have to look for them. Word of mouth is the best type of advertising, so researching a convention beforehand will make the good ones easier to find. I personally don’t go to many conventions anymore. As stated in the beginning, Dallas Comic Con was the convention I visited the most. But that has completely changed. I do not go to their shows anymore for a multitude of reasons. But I know a lot of people that do. And that’s cool. You have that choice.

          Long story short, if you decide to go, remember the most important thing is to HAVE FUN.