Fresh off a John Densmore signing I set out to NYC for some meets. The initial plan for day 1 was to try for Chip Zien (who voiced Howard the Duck) and then Christopher Lloyd. But then we got some info for a bigger event so we decided to leave Lloyd for another day. No big deal since Lloyd is a repeat meet.
Anyhow, we stand at a spot for Chip Zien. The venue has two exists and we basically have to hope we have the right one. He has a common look and there were like 7-8 people that looked like they could have been him. Finally we actually get a confirmed visual, and he sees us with our Howard the Duck items. A first happened here. He smiled and then HE APPROACHED US 
This has never happened before in any meeting attempt! The celeb approached us before we even asked! He then took his time to chat, to sign, and do photo ops. Essentially we were happy to get combos from him, and he was happy to be giving out combos. Why oh why can't every encounter be like that? Got him on an 8x10 and a Howard the Duck DVD already signed by Ed Gale.
This has never happened before in any meeting attempt! The celeb approached us before we even asked! He then took his time to chat, to sign, and do photo ops. Essentially we were happy to get combos from him, and he was happy to be giving out combos. Why oh why can't every encounter be like that? Got him on an 8x10 and a Howard the Duck DVD already signed by Ed Gale.
We head to the next spot. On our way I see Constantine Maroulis. He was doing combos with people, so I snagged a photo op.
Arriving at the spot where we would spend a good chunk of the rest of the day, there was already a crowd and it was slim pickings at first. I got a couple of photo ops but nothing too huge. After it was over things turned around when I got a Cary Mulligan photo op! Emma Roberts snuck out when she saw fans. Joresky wanted to check out another spot, but my instincts told me to stay with the known rather than venture into the unknown. After all we at least knew who was in that building. After a couple of hours we were expecting mass exists. Katy Perry was coming out the back. But I chose to stick to the exit I was at since I prefer a shot at many rather than a shot at one.
A very wise choice on my part, especially since Katy Perry only got a handful of people waiting there. I got Baz Lahumann who directed Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby. Piper Perabo from Cayote Ugly and Cheaper by the Dozen. Upgraded my photo op with John Leguizamo (FINALLY got a good photo with him). Just barely got a Kylie Minogue photo op as she was rushed (I snapped while being shoved/pushed didn't see what I was getting but got something half decent), got a combo with Cuba Gooding Jr, among others.
Then Oliver Stone walked down the street. He is someone I was never able to get a good photo with. So I run down away from the crowd I ask him. He had two Asian girls with him. He looks back to make sure no one else is coming then takes a picture with me!! This spot ended with a David Schwimmer photo op (from Friends), somebody who is usually a dick.
Off to the next spot, where I also do decent. After a Kelly Rutherford photo op I got a PERFECT Gwen Stefani shot. Then got Danny Stong from Buffy. Wanted to upgrade my Michael Shannon shot but he was rushed into a cab and I screwed it up. No big deal though as I have that. Then got Nina Dobrev (again) and Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood).
Katy Perry did nothing and she come out. She says “You know I don’t usually do this" and got in her car. She was standing right in front of me 
Cuba Gooding was in a restaurant and I waited till he came out to get an autograph. Sadly my silver died and it came out bad 
But overall a very good day with both fresh and upgraded photo ops.
Day 2 starts off rather slow. We see Peter Tork randomly at a restaurant but I had him already so didn't bother. Next spot we were expecting to see Kerry Washington. I had a photo op so I thankfully didn't need a front railing spot. I love how stress free "auto only" meets are. To my astonishment she came to the crowd and did combos. I got an autograph. Then I got a photo op with John Krasinski. At another spot we hope to see Jenna Fischer but we saw actress Marilu Henner (TV's Taxi). Got a photo op.
Next up most my crew wanted to go to a spot where you couldn't even get close to a celebrity. Essentially you could gaze from across the street. Big whoop. Luckily I found some info on a Michael Keaton film shoot and managed to talk some sense into them to try for that instead, where you actually have a 50% shot as opposed to a 0% shot at getting close to anyone.
We headed to the spot and it looked promising. After waiting a couple of hours we see Naomi Watts, but I already had a good photo op so didn't need to bother. Shortly after we see Michael Keaton! An epic name that is worth the entire ordeal! My first photo op was a self blast and he was not looking. I plead to him "it didn't turn out" he goes "let him take it" so I hand my camera and get a perfect shot. He replied "sorry I can't" when it came to autographs, but I got a photo op I've been wanting for a looooonng time! Everyone else thanked me for this awesome and wise decision that I made. After I got that photo op I was really trying to control myself from bursting out with joy. One old lady asked me who that was, I replied "that was Michael Fucking Keaton" in a controlled overjoyed voice. With the addition of Michael Keaton I am now missing only one actor that played Batman: Christian Bale.
Over the the next spot we see a bunch of people running to a garage. We follow and it's the car of singer Nicki Minaj. She was willing to come out and do photo ops, she stepped out the car and the crowd began acting like true animals so she went back in her car. Now I am not president of the Nicki Minaj fan club but I've never seen a celebrity offer to go out of her car for photo ops. For the crowd to behave like they did, it is utterly disgusting. And coming from me of all people that's saying a lot. We declared the garage worthless as the crowd was running everywhere like a pack of wild dogs, so nothing good was going to happen.
After this we went looking around for different spots. We found one spot with 5 or 6 fans waiting and Jennifer Lopez entered the building. One fugly female generated tears on the spot and J-Lo takes a photo op with her. After the photo op the tears disappeared and she laughed about it. Incredible how these girls do things.
We then go to a spot where we had lots of success last year. It is semi blown but we did well last year. Sadly this year the setup was so bad you could really get nothing. The railings were setup where you couldn't get near anyone unless you go on the street and attempt as they enter or exit the car. Tried also pleading with Jennifer Lawrence as she walked down the street but to no avail. Some names we saw included Madonna, Katy Perry, Tobey Maguire, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Morrison, among others. Only photo op I managed to get from this mess is Debbie Harry, the lead singer of blondie. She's looking all wasted in the photo op. HCIT.
Most of my crew decided to ditch this spot but since I saw Radioman out back I decided to stake it out. Last time I stuck with Radioman I got a Russel Crowe combo. I figured out Radioman was waiting for Leonardo DiCaprio. Sadly as I waited a couple of people did do stuff up front. Emilia Clarke did photo ops and Toby Maguire signed autos. Not sure if he did photo ops though (or if he would have). When the event ended more people were waiting for Leo. He comes out and the crowd is unruly. This is an auto only mission (as was expected). I got punched, I got shoved, and I had to yell and beg, but I managed to get an auto on my magazine. One of his friends who sounded gay yelled "OMG Leo just get in the car".
I had to REALLY fight tooth and nail for that autograph, and my head and torso was aching for a couple of hours after that. For a short while my ears were even ringing.
I then moved to the hotel where Joresky and the rest of my crew were stationed. It was looking dead. We were about to give up and drive off when Nicholas Hoult showed up! I had no idea who I was getting, but after I got him I was overjoyed! That's Beast in X-Men: First Class and Jack in Jack the Giant Slayer. He is a future A lister. So that was an awesome way to end the evening.
Again, lots of hits and misses. Autograph wise it was sub par, but overall an awesome haul without Michael Keaton, and an epic haul with Michael Keaton.
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