Saturday, January 12, 2013

2012 Overview and Awards



2012 was quite a year for me. Celeb wise I scored quite a few A level names and scored an amazing random in George Lucas. Sadly, despite the victories I had a lot of failures in 2012, and this is something I hope to improve upon in 2013. Failures were due to various things including but not limited to celebs being total assholes, spots being blown up, and bad timing when running around graphing. 

Wrestling wise my activity was the lowest it's ever been since I started obtaining combos. This is due to two things, namely that there's very few people I need and also because it conflicted with bigger celeb names (for example when LOTR and NYCC were taking place in the same weekend). During 2012 I did only one wrestling con and did WWE rounds twice. At least I took care of one major wrestling want in Paul Heyman. Now I only have three major wants in wrestling: Shane McMahon, Brock Lesnar, and Sable.   



Anyhow, on to my awards:


First meet: Brad Pitt (autograph)

Biggest meet: George Lucas 

Biggest first time photo op: George Lucas

Biggest first time meet: George Lucas

Most favorite meet: George Lucas

Biggest first time wrestling meet: Paul Heyman

Biggest convention meet: Christopher Lloyd (I now have combos with the 3 major characters from Back to the Future, Marty, Doc, and Biff). 

Biggest triumph of the human spirit: Anne Hathaway photo op! Failed on that twice (photo op wise) and waited till 5 AM for my success in November.

Biggest wrestling disappointment: Still didn't meet Shane McMahon, the only McMahon to elude me. 

Biggest celeb disappointment: Too many to mention in 2012, but missing Robert Zemekis, John Goodman, and Denzel Washington in one shot by one hour ranks right up there (although I already met Denzel) 

Most valuable autograph obtained: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Deniro, and Clint Eastwood tie breaker

Best random meet: George Lucas

Best looking item signed: Triumph the Insult comic dog DVD cover 

Most pleasant interaction: Paul Heyman and Robert Smigel (Triumph) tie breaker 

Best HCIT moment: Arnold Schwarzenegger told me "see ya" 


Friday, January 11, 2013

Final round of 2012 meets: WWE RAW


When it comes to WWE I aim myself towards names I don't have rather than big names.

First off let me say wow I miss the ease and friendliness of wrestling. How I wish celebs were like that. Not only that, but wrestlers actually switch pens, something I am no longer used to. So when I present my item they are giving back someone else's pen and I have to whip out mine. Celebs just take one pen and sign everything with it (regardless of pen color and how well the pen works).

So for day 1 I had info for Brad Maddox who I never met and Paul Heyman.

First off is Brad Maddox. He is as nice as can be. I get a photo op, autos on an NXT program, and the inside cover of both my WWE_Es. When getting out the NXT program he goes "am I in that one?" which I told him he was. HCIT


Now here is a big criticism for the inside cover of the WWE_E V2. It is black with WWE logos in white and that makes it HORRIBLE for autographs. I gave Brad a silver and he signed over the white and it's hard to see. Really WWE, if it wasn't broke why fix it 

Next up I was waiting for Paul Heyman. While waiting two old women are being wheeled out on wheelchairs. Then I notice one of those woman is MAE YOUNG! WTF! I get her on the WWE_E v2. Didn't really bother with a wheel chair seated Mao Young photo op. I have so many photo ops with her.

While getting Mae Young I see Paul Heyman walk by and get him on my ECW magazine and two 8x10s (one of which is my photo op with him). Again, nice as can be.

I decide to stick around a little longer to see who else I spot, and I spot the man of a thousand holds, Dean Malenko. I go up to him and ask him for an auto and he gives me his "speak out I can't hear you" routine and I ask again and he signs for me. The past couple of years I've never been turned down by him. 

After this I decided to leave. Cause really who do I need in wrestling that wasn't on a house show at that point? Nobody. 

Now I had the hotel info for The Shield. I still need a photo op with Roman Reigns. So I decided to venture there the next day. There was another hotel where I think the bigger names stayed, but I needed Roman Reigns more than anyone else on the current roster. Dean Ambrose I already had a photo op from an airport in late 2011, and Seth Rollins I got in ROH. 


So I arrive at the hotel and it's dead. No marks, no wrestlers, no nothing. My reaction was this face 

Suddenly a girl shows up and asks who I saw. I was perplexed considering I only had my camera and a bag on me. No exposed wrestling merch, no wrestling shirts, nothing. I asked her how she knew what I was doing she said she was doing the same thing and that it was "obvious" what I was here for. I told her truthfully I saw nothing yet then she said she saw Brad Maddox. 

Then I see Harvey Wippleman and Brooklyn Brawler. I get them on my WWE_E v2 and both are nice as can be. And a handful of marks show up soon after. Ok, some life. That's a good thing. 

Saw Brad Maddox and asked him if he remembered me from last night he said he did. HCIT. 

First member of the Shield that walks around is Dean Ambrose. Got him on the inside cover of both WWE_Es and NXT program. Second member of the Shield that walks around was Seth Rollins. He had a hood on but did combos with everyone while waiting to buy coffee. I was going to wait till he was done ordering but since others asked I went ahead. I got him on both WWE_Es, the NXT program, and the ROH program, completing it. He goes "oh wow that's an old one". Didn't bother getting another photo op since hooded Seth Rollins is not worth an upgrade. Obviously if I had no photo op it would have been a no brainer to get a photo op. 

besides all this I get on the WWE_E v2 the following:

Road Dog Jesse James (he was getting money from the ATM. I asked for one then I told him how disheartened I was when they removed "ass" from the theme song and he laughed. Got him on the Outlaws entry)
Michael Cole
Josh Mathews 
Jerry Lawler (seemed hesitant to sign for me but did anyway). Did photo ops with everyone who asked. 
Finlay (didn't even know he came back!)
IRS (Money, Inc entry)
Ranjin Singh
Brooklyn Brawler (this time on the Abe Knuckleball Schwartz entry)

Also saw Paul Heyman again and I got him on another mag. Again nice as can be.

I saw Dean Malenko as well but didn't bother him since I figure he'd recognize me from the night before. Jamie Noble was also there I went outside to get him (as he passed me by as I was getting Finlay) but he seemed to ignore me. While all the agents crowded outside who shows up? None other than People Power himself, John Laurinaitis. He was staying at the other place and was just passing by here, so I really lucked out. My priority is now changed as I flip my WWE_E v2 to his entry! After he's done talking to his men I ask him and he is nice as can be. Even inscribed "people power". Then I go inside and get one of my buddies and we go outside he's about to enter the car. My buddy got a photo op with him then I asked him and he goes "quickly". This is probably the nicest I've ever seen him be since before the People Power era. He is actually the only repeat photo op I got that weekend. A man tries to get a Jamie Noble autograph and ends up with a John Laurinaitis combo. Not a bad trade off 


Of course a midst all this I am still missing my number one want for this: Roman Reigns. Why is it that the two that I don't need just walk around yet he does not 


Eventually all THREE members of the Shield come down! YES! I of course target Roman Reigns and he says he's late  really turned down by Roman Reigns WTF! Thankfully I plead and I truthfully tell him I waited all day for him. He caves in and I get a photo op. Then I go to the elevator they were going down from and I manage to get Roman Reigns on both my WWE_Es. Success! I thank them all as I head off. 








Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Final round of 2012 celebs ended with some TRAITOROUS LOVE

Celebrity wise I had three more round of celebs in 2012. First off I wanted to get Neil Patrick Harris, who I never met. Sadly by all reports he is not the nicest. But I was also expecting to see James Taylor, who is as nice as can be. I got him before but at least I have some James Taylor autographs to fall back upon in case I fail to get NPH. 

Somehow we all saw NPH when it was too late cause he was just at the door. We tried calling for him but he ignored us (someone also had tried earlier in the day and he blew the person off). I casually walk in the hotel in the hopes of getting him inside. He is at the elevator and a security guard tells me "hi" realizing my intention. I pretended like I wasn't there for him then walked out about 2 minutes later. Sadly the main objective for the evening is a total fail, but at least I didn't burn bridges with security. 

James Taylor shows up and I get a combo and two extras. The photo op of course not being a victory as I had one before. I ended the evening with photo ops with singer Colbie Caillat and 14 year old Rico Rodriguez. 

James Taylor Autographs

Photo ops for the night

Next round I went to try for John Kerry, another wrong from the past I wanted to right. When attempting to self blast his assistant thought I was trying to assassinate him. But he ended up taking the photo op. I also got an autograph. 

John Kerry Autograph

John Kerry Photo op


And my final round in 2012 celeb wise was actress Jennifer Love Hewitt. She was annoyed by our presence but begrudgingly did a photo op with me (and refused autos). She even looked away in the first photo op due to her boyfriend trying to stop her from doing it but thankfully after pleading my case she did a second one. 

While this round wasn't the smashing success I was expecting (as I heard she was nice), I got a first time photo op so it was a big success. 

Jennifer Love Hewitt Photo op

Stay tuned for my final report of 2012 and my own 2012 awards. 

The mad man of EXTREME

Still submerged in depression after the big weekend (due to my Hook LD) I had flight info for one of my last remaining big wants in wrestling: Paul Heyman. 

Sadly, this was a little out of the way and I knew at month's end he would be by me. 

BUT,

Will he die next week?

If not will he still be with WWE? 

If so will he be on the show by me?

If so will I be able to obtain the info?

If I get the info will I actually be free to venture? 

I did not know the answer to any of these questions at that time. What I DID know is I had info, I was free, and I needed some cheering up. 

To add to this, years ago early in my meeting days (late 2006) by a hotel I saw Paul but the stupid black woman who was driving him (who even asked him if he was Vince) did not know how to take a photo with my camera. She pressed and I thought the picture was taken and he was already in the limo (this was long before I was self blasting). 

So in addition to everything, this was a big wrong I needed to right. 

After assessing everything, I ventured! Thankfully Paul Heyman was nice as can be. I got two photo ops and three autographs. Told him how I have been waiting ages to meet him. I christened my new WWE Encyclopedia with a Paul Heyman autograph, got him on the old WWE_E, and got him on a figure. 

I waited more to see if anybody else would come by, and I saw Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. I got them both on the WWE_E v2 (this is how I will refer to the new one hence forth in my blogging). 

Paul E Photo op

Paul E autographs

Paul E figure