I was able to BUST the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Show!

On September 19 I decided to attend the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Show in Hunt Valley, MD. I chose that day because Ray Parker Jr, who sang the Ghostbusters theme song, was doing a concert. So I could hit multiple birds with one stone. 

I had three wants from that con: Robert Loggia (Elfego Baca: Six Gun Law, Scarface, Independence Day), Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman, original Mickey Mouse Club), and Diana Sowle (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). 

I managed to mooch my way in. I see 2 of my 3 wants sitting side by side. A good start. 

I first go to Robert Loggia. I get him to sign my Elfego Baca/Swamp Fox Disney Treasures DVD set. Get a photo op. 

Next I go for Johnny Crawford. I make sure that a photo op is included in the package and he goes "no photos". My reaction is this face  I end up telling him that's the main want of mine and that's why I came and I had to do some pleading. He ends up getting up to take a photo op then takes a cowboy cloth and covers his face with it  I go "aww c'mon". He then takes it off and tries to decide which side is his "good side" to decide which side I should stand on. He takes a shot then decides he wants a second shot without his glasses. 

All in all a very unusual encounter at a convention. I cannot believe I had to do some pleading for a photo op - IN A PAID SETTING! WTF  One reason I like going to conventions is the fact that things are guaranteed and there's no pleading required. Now even there you have to plead? Either way I got the combo which is what's important. Then I look for Diana Sowle. Sadly, it seems with every Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Show at least one person I want doesn't show up. And this time it was her! The staff even tells me she would be there Friday but as Joresky found out she was not. Apparently she had food poisoning. No idea if she showed up Saturday. Hopefully she makes Chiller and I can get her there. 

After getting the combos I wanted, I looked around for some deals, found a deal where I was able to score FOUR vinyls for $1! That's pretty damn tough to beat. So I chose four I could potentially get signed and I was out of there. 

I got a tip for some Warren Buffet info. I go to the spot sadly none of us see him leave. So that was a total bust. 

Then it was off to the concert for Ray Parker Jr. I meet up with one grapher. I suggest the possibility that he will do a meet and greet after the show. He tells me that this venue never does that. But I point out that Ray Parker has been to Chiller so it's possible. The show ends and we mooch our way into the venue. And sure enough they announce he will be signing! The guy tells me "good call". We line up and he's doing a signing with two other Jazz musicians that are  names for me, namely CJ Chenier and Joe Sample. Though they are perfectly valid combos since they have entries on wikipedia. They were all as nice as can be, doing combos with everyone, multiple takes, no security around, it was heaven! Why can't all of them be like that. I got signed an 8x10 and my Ghostbusters laserdisc (already signed by multiple people). I went behind Ray to get a the group shot. So I have one group shot and I can crop it out to be just a Ray Parker photo op. 

When this ended the other grapher was marveling at how, in his own words, this took " so little work" and "so little effort". I can of course agree with that notion cause more often than not it is such hard work and so much effort to get combos, the times it is easy and the celeb is nice really do seem special. 

Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Show photo ops

Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Show autographs

Photo ops from Ray Parker Jr signing table

Ray Parker Jr photo op

Ray Parker Jr autographs