Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Rhode Island Comic Con weekend

In what was the final stop in a sweeping wave of combo hunting weekends, after Chiller weekend I decided to pull a Joresky and attend Rhode Island Comic Con. The reason is because it was PACKED with names I wanted to meet that I never ever saw in any of the major cons. Essentially about 70% of names that Joresky traveled all over different states for were present in that con. So I ordered my bus ticket from NYC to Providence and back for $10.50 round trip. 

Friday

My adventure actually starts an hour from my house. I set out to meet Oliver Stone. The reason being I had a Scarface laserdisc signed by Al Pacino so I wanted to add him to that. 

He was doing a book signing. Problem is the venue charges $22 to enter. Add to the fact that I would have had to pay $12 to park the car and $30 to buy a hardcover book, it didn't seem very appealing. There wasn't even a guarantee non-book items would have been signed. So I parked the car and stayed next to it and waited. As I would later find out people did get extras therefore it may have been a good idea to go inside and get a couple of books. But I chose to go the cheaper route so I made my bed now it was time to lie in it. 

Finally he leaves the venue and I spot him, call over other graphers, run to him, and get my LD signed. Since we were only four people he was nice and accommodating. I didn't bother with the photo op as I'm happy with mine. Then it was off to pick up Joresky and head over to NYC. 

We arrive in NYC not knowing if me missed the celebrities coming out of the spot. But when we arrive we see several dealers. Meaning the action did not start yet. 

The first person that comes out is Jennifer Tilly, which is about the fourth time I've seen her. I had two 8x10s and an 8x12 for her. She sees the 8x12 and says she doesn't like the photo but signs it anyway. I then get my other photos done. Since I have photo ops with her I didn't bother with that. 

After her Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) and Julie Hagerty (Airplane movies) both come out at once. Me and Joresky go to Wallace Shawn since Julie is being mobbed. I improve my photo op with Wallace and get my two 8x10s done. Now it was time for Julie. Joresky gets his photo op then I get mine. I ready my stuff to get signed. She signs one for Joresky then says she has to leave  But I was not deterred. I run after her across the street and beg until she breaks down and signs for me, completing my combo! My reaction was this face 

Since I already had photo ops with Robert Hays (that I got a week before) and Leslie Nielsen, it was cool to get Julie. 

We go to the next spot in the hopes of seeing Andrew Dice Clay. But we apparently missed him by a few minutes. We then decide to call it a night. We park in a spot that's free for the weekend, and sleep. 

Wallace Shawn 

Julie Hagerty

Scarface laserdisc (Al Pacino's horrid autograph below Stone's)


Signed photos


Saturday


We then get up early to take the bus to Providence which as I mentioned the ticket cost me $10.50 round trip. Joining us was none other than the now infamous  He was smart enough to find a bus ticket for $2 round trip, but not smart enough to remember to bring his own camera. So I had to help him out with his photo ops. 

In the bus, I get some sleep. Though personally I find the car more comfortable. 

We arrive and sadly the mooching Gods abandoned both me and 
 as  far as admission goes. To boot, I would get a record amount of autographs as far as cons go. I got SIX autographs from five different people. I normally don't get autographs to save money but the items I had were priority items. I probably got more paid autographs this con than I did all other 2013 cons combined. 

We finally make it and I go for my top want above all else, Alan Oppenheimer. He provided the voice for several characters in the 80s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon and also in The Neverending Story. The most notable is the main villain of Masters of the Universe, Skeletor. When you think if the most iconic villains in movies/tv, Darth Vader is #1 and honestly Skeletor comes right after. Plus this would mark my second Skeletor since I have Frank Langella who played Skeletor in the 1987 He-Man movie. I got signed by him my MOTUC Skeletor and my MOTUC Man-At-Arms, another character from He-Man that he voiced. He was impressed at the figures. At first glance he looked at the Man-At-Arms figure with this face  and asked who it was and I said "Man-At-Arms, you did voice that didn't you?" he then goes "oh yes I did". Shocking that he would not remember voicing one of the main MOTU characters after He-Man and Skeletor. I suppose not many people must ask him to sign that, so I have a unique item right there. I of course got a photo op as well. 

Next up I move to the Superman guests, namely Jack O'Halloran and Sarah Douglas. They played 2 of the 3 Kryptonian villains in the Reeves Superman movies. They sure look different than they did in Superman II wow how time can take a toll on people. I got combos with both on my Superman laserdisc. I did have an 8x10 that Joresky picked up for me at a previous con already signed by Jack O'Halloran, but I didn't want to spend extra to get Sarah Douglas on it.

Then it was off to two Back to the Future guests that have eluded me. Claudia Wells who played Jennifer in the first movie, and James Tolken who played Strickland (and was also in the Masters of the Universe movie). Got photo ops with each. James went out of his way to give fans an experience.

Then to was off to Paul Blake, a Star Wars name who alluded me. Greedo, a famous Star Wars characters, was played by both Maria De Aragon and Paul Blake. I already have Maria's autograph on a Greedo figure, and Paul is the more important Greedo since he played the character in the shots with Harrison Ford. So a combo with him was pretty essential. 

Now another unique thing about this con was the plethora of Power Ranger guests. It had almost all the ones that I cared to meet. The only one I previously had was Jason David Frank so this was a real treat. 

To cut down on costs I of course stuck with photo ops. I got: 

Robert Axelrod (voice of Lord Zedd)
Barbara Goodson (voice of Rita Repulsa) 
Catherine Sutherland (second Pink)
Steve Cardenas (second Red)
Walter Jones (first black)
Kerrigan Mahan (voice of Goldar)
David Yost (first blue)

And of course Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy (Bulk and Skull). They were ultra friend and took some an awesome phtoo ops of them strangling me with my sweat shirt string.  

With all these Power Ranger meets there are only an handful I still care to meet (first Red, first Pink, and second Yellow being the main 3 I still want). 

Next up, Weekend at Bernie's actors. I believe Andrew McCarthy no showed but I already had him. I got photo ops with Jonathan Silverman and Terry Kiser. The latter of which I got 50% of costs back whenmooched the photo op after I got it. So essentially this was a half mooch for each of us. Then got photo ops with Ilan Mitchell-Smith and Vernon Wells from Weird Science. Already had Anthony Michael Hall so didn't get him. Then another voice actor. This one is a semi  but has eluded me for a while. Larry Kenny who voiced the iconic Lion-O in the 80s Thundercats cartoon. He did come across as slightly money grubbing but at the same time appreciated anyone coming to his table and treated fans like royalty. His price was what used to be the basic standard and now a very rare $20 for an autograph and free photo op. I got him on my Bandai Lion-O figure. His handler asked if this was the new Lion-O but he explained to her that it was in fact the classic Lion-O but a new figure of the character (which of course makes it correct). Essentially I got two iconic 80s cartoon voice actors in the same con! How awesome is that. 

Next up, William Zabka from Karate Kid. I split the photo op with and he took two photo ops with different poses. Did not need Martin Kove as I got him already. 

I ask William Forsythe (Flattop in Dick Tracy) for a photo op and he does one FREE

Joresky is in line for Glenn Morshower who has been in a ton of movies. He wasn't in my initial plans but upon looking at his bio he has had sizable roles in many many things. So I decided he was worthy of a photo op. Joresky paid the price for a combo, and I mooched the photo op after he got his. I then gave him 50% of the photo op cost. 

I went up to Alan Oppenheimer (who remembered that I got the figures signed at his table) and asked if I could record him doing the Skeletor voice. I had seen vids of him doing that so I thought it was no big deal, but he was reluctant to do it. Then he goes "personalized to you?" and I go "that's fine"

Then I got FREE photo ops with James Hampton from Police Academy 5 and Teen Wolf, and Leslie Easterbrook from Police Academy. Already had Leslie but since  got a free photo op I figured I might as well get one as well. 

After I got the guests there was still a tad of time until the bus left. I got photo ops with a very nice costumed Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. Then I saw a booth that was selling reptiles and I got a photo op holding a giant snake and an alligator! I also saw Barrie Holland who had a few roles in Star Wars and got a FREE photo op with him. He then goes "quick, disappear" 

Then got a few other random photo ops, included a hot looking Jessica Rabbit and at the headquarters of Hasbro. 

Other things of note, Jett Lucas no showed I wanted a photo op possibly combo from him. I also saw James from Legends of the Ring among the wrestling guests. Said hello to him and chatted with him for a couple of minutes. 

After dining at subway with  it was then back to the bus to go back to NYC. 


Alan Oppenheimer video 

Full list of photo ops part 1

Full list of photo ops part 2

Full list of photo ops part 3

Alan Oppenheimer

Larry Kenny

Jack O'Halloran

Sarah Douglas

Claudia Wells

James Tolkan

Pulling a Jake Roberts and holding a real snake

Now to showcase the autographs at RICC, which for me is a record as far as paid autographs go:

Superman laserdisc and Greedo figure

Figure now completed with Paul Blake and Maria De Aragon (the voice actor is dead). Superman II laserdic was already signed by Margot Kidder in silver. Hope to add more people to that, such as Gene Hackman and Terence Stamp. 

Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, and Lion-O figures (they don't photograph too well but look better in person).  

The bus ride back was pretty torturous. I don't know how Joresky can handle 8-12 hour bus rides one way. 3.5 hours was plenty. I did manage to get a bit of sleep which was nice, since combo hunting takes a toll on a person. 

Back in the city where we try for Sarah Jessica Parker and Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents). Blythe Danner was a fresh meet for me, and SJP I had gotten before but failed photo op wise. When SJP comes out she was rushed but did a combo with me! SUCCESS! I got her on a magazine but when I tried for an 8x10 she goes "I think I did enough for you". In these situations I don't bother to beg cause after all she did do a combo. Next up was the ultra friendly Blythe Danner who is ultra friendly. Get a photo op and two autographs. After this sweeping success it was actually downhill for the rest of the evening. I should have gone to a party I was thinking about going to. 

We did finally get Joresky's poster signed by Arthur Darville. Then in the final spot for the evening I saw Kerry Washington who did nothing (I had her already but had a magazine for her to sing), Eminem who no showed, and Rashida Jones who slipped inside but I didn't see leave. Only photo op I got was with Oliver Peck

We did have info for Tom Hiddleston AKA Loki but it was early in the morning and we were all too worn out  So we went to sleep. 

Sarah Jessica Parker


Blythe Danner


Sunday

First thing Sunday morning I decide to try for a $70-$90 convention value, namely a Patrick Stewart autograph. I wait and while waiting I meet one guy who runs tons of vendor stands in Manhattan who goes by the name of Kenny (also wating for Patrick Stewart). He was telling me the kind of profit he makes selling hats, jackets, etc etc. Apparently he owns like 10 stands. He even walked Times Square and everyone told him hello. He also said that at his stands he talks to people from all over the world and can always correctly pin point where they're from by their accents, but that my accent rang no bell for him. 

Anyhow, Patrick Stewart comes and I get an autograph from him. So success! 

We then try a spot for James Ransone (The Wire, Generation Kill), James Badge Dale (World War Z), Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), and John Pollono (episodes of How I Met Your Mother). These are all good "you never know" names. Best to get them while they are happy to be doing combos. Got photo ops with all of them, James Badge Dale on two, and had another autograph on the second item but can't figure out which of the three signed it 

As a last ditch effort to get an Ed Harris and Amy Madigan photo op, we try for them again but don't see them. We did see Bill Pullman and Glenne Headly. I got photo ops just cause nothing else was going on but I had them already so no big deal. After buying some $1 pizzas, this ended our trek. 

Full list of photo ops for Sunday

Autographs from Saturday night and Sunday

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