I was able to JAM with a GHOSTBUSTER

With a weekend in October came yet another chance at two big wants of mine that I have been unable to attain photo op wise, namely Bill Murray and Steve Martin. Sadly I was not optimistic. But the day before the event I ventured out to see what I could possibly get. 

Day 1

I go to the first spot and I was the only one there. I also needed to be at this spot to find the info for the evening spot.

As I wait I see someone and don't recognize him at first. But then I look at some photos and realize "holy crap it's Eddie Vedder". I ask him for autos and he is nice as can be, even gives me a free guitar pick. I asked for a photo op he said he was smoking. Wanted the upgrade but no biggie I got him earlier in the year. I saw David Letterman and asked him for autos but he denies. I had no reason to ask for a second Santa bearded Letterman photo.

I thankfully manage to find the info for the evening spot then head there. Entries were a disaster as no one stopped. We wait and eventually Eddie Vedder comes out to smoke. He ends up doing one autograph per person. When I got up to him I say "Eddie, can I have a photo op INSTEAD of an autograph" and he responds "yes I got you earlier" obviously remembering me from earlier in the day. I consider this an upgrade over my shot in January.

Besides that I needed a Jimmie Walker upgrade sadly he didn't do photos and signed my picture in a horrid spot, on a dark spot using blue.

Got Jimmy Kimmel auto, Paul Shaffer upgrade, a fresh Norm Macdonald, and failed to get Martin Short (I have perfect Martin shots so this was an autograph failure).

Now it was the witching hour. We see Bill Murray and Steve Martin at a distance. Bill actually does come over as someone offers him Peurto Rico money while Steve runs away. Bill takes his money and signs. I tell him I have $100 for a photo op to which he replies "you don't get to make the rules". I didn't know it at the time but Bill rejecting my $100 for the op was one of if not the greatest favor anyone has ever done for me.

I am then driving home halfway there in total defeat (at least Bill/Steve wise) in preparation for the next day where I expected to fail again. Figured I could at least get a good night's sleep. As I'm halfway home I get a call from a Master who told me about Jimmy Kimmel talking about going to a club. He passed by said club and said he saw cars. He said both Steve and Bill might be there but it might also be a wild goose chase. Said parking was bad and that he's just going home as he is satisfied with his haul for the day (plus remember he has multiple shots with both Bill and Steve so possible autographs weren't enough motivation to stay). 

I thought hard but didn't think long about what to do. A minute later I turn back and arrive in the area, spending perhaps the next 30 minutes trying to find a legal parking spot (he wasn't kidding about parking). As I'm doing that I talk to another combo hunter who told me he actually pursued both Bill and Steve. He said Steve went back to the hotel, and he had Steve one on one with hotel employees lashing out on him. Steve denied him one on one. 

But Bill and Jimmy apparently got dropped off on the same street where the said club was located! I figured if I got the name of a club from one person and physical confirmation of Bill being in the vicinity of the club from a second person, this must indeed be a good lead. I finally park legally, go into the club, and search all the club except the one area I couldn't enter due to being over capacity. 

I wait outside and find out from people within the club that Bill and Jimmy are in fact in there and in the area I couldn't enter. So I wait outside, enduring things cigarette smoke, pot smoke, and spats that almost lead to violence till the police got involved. In asking people what they saw inside (ie are they still in, are they doing photo ops) some drunk people start yelling at me screaming "paparazzi! paparazzi!" and proceed to record me and take my picture. One person even tried to tell me "let him live his life". 


It is over 3 AM and finally a drunk Bill Murray is out! He is walking to his car as I plead for the picture and he ignores my request as he has in the past. Then I offer him $31 for his Puerto Rico charity. He STOPS and agrees to the shot! After multiple failures in multiple cities, here it is, finally! 

After the fact I was jumping up and down on the street praising the combo Gods, as if I got high on a photo op, even proposing sex to random girls on the street. I showed the photo op to the folks yelling paparazzi and said "paparazzi! paparazzi!" myself! I continued to scream and jump on the street as I took a picture of a picture and uploaded to IG/Twitter/Facebook 

I then went to the 24h CVS and made a 4x6 print for less than 50 cents (expensive by Costco standards which is 15 cents for a 4x6). Since it was already late and I had to be at a spot in the morning, it made no logistical or economical sense to pay gas money to get minimal sleep at home. So I secured prime parking next to the spot I need to be at, displayed my Bill Murray 4x6 in front of me, and as I fell asleep in my car. Last year when I failed at Bill I had tears of sorrow as I drove home. This evening I had tears again, but they were different. I had tears in my eyes as I dedicated my Bill Murray score to so that the bliss I feel may be transferred to him in the after life.

Full list of day of Day 1 photo ops

Bill Murray

Eddie Vedder


Day 2

It was a wonderful day as I started this spot fresh off a Bill Murray photo op! I was showing off my 4x6 print to all and even kept it next to my merch all day.

The day's highlights was more donations to Puerto Rico on two occasions where I got two Bill autos for $20 each. Chris Elliott from Groundhog day was an unannounced name but I got him at a past NYCC with a cap on (here he had a more intrusive hat). Grabbed some scrubs from the Letterman show as well as a couple of barely valids from another event at the spot (remember, Kate Upton and Felicity Jones!)

Eddie Vedder, David Letterman, Steve Martin, and Amy Schumer snuck in and out most of the time so we never saw them.

On exits I get an upgrade with Chris Elliott (no hat or cap), I upgrade my Jimmy Kimmel op as he goes in a spat with a combo hunter. The spat was rather humerus as the combo hunter basically slammed him for doing only one per as he is not a huge name. Jimmy told him to suck his dick.

The evening did end on a sour note as Bill Murray came out, took my $15, signed for others, but did not sign my cubs cap.

Chris Elliott

Jimmy Kimmel

Full list of day of Day 2 photo ops

Bill Murray autographs

Signed 8x10s