Astronomicon 8 Review

 

After my my 10 year old son's soccer game today, he and I hustled on over to the Astronomicon.  With me were three of my customer cards I was looking to add ink to.  I went 2-for-3.

The first autograph I got was Jamie Pressly on a card from my Joe Dirt set.  This in itself was exciting because it was my first card form that set I've been able to get autographed. The interaction was pretty business like.  I handed the card over and she asked if I wanted it personalized to which I politely declined.  She signed, we exchanged thank yous and she extended her hand.  The thing most of note was her grip.  She must work out.  Very happy with that auto.  Placement is good and everything.  

Next was Cerina Vincent.  I made one of my horror autograph cards from Cabin Fever which she starred in.  She really like the card, taking a picture of it with her phone.  She asked if I brought an extra, which I did.  I gave her the extra to keep and in exchange she was nice enough to let me pick something extra from her table.  I chose a Cabin Fever poster which she autographed with a quote from the movie.  She also talked up my son a bit and complimented him to me.  She suggested we check out a Disney show called In the Middle that she's in.  Neither of us had heard of it, but if I see it on I'll give it a watch because she was very kind.

I also wanted to meet Tommy Chong.  Up In Smoke is easily a top 10 movie for me and Chong is a legend.  Unfortunately we didn't see him until we decided to leave.  He must have been doing photo ops or something.  He already had a long line that had formed, so we skipped this time.  Hopefully I'll get another shot to meet him in the future.

2022 Astronomicon Wrap Up

This past Sunday I took in the Astronomicon to get a few of my custom cards signed.  This was the 5th annual version of this particular convention, but my first one.  I just recently found out about it and was pretty impressed with the lineup, so I decided to check it out seeing as I have custom cards of a few of the celebrity guests that I wanted to add to my autograph collection.

First off, I thought the convention was well laid out and well organized.  I guess I expected a smaller scale than what I encountered.  It was first class all the way.

The three signers I keyed in on were Nick Castle from Halloween, Peter Dante from The Waterboy and Kevin Nash.  If you're new to my cards or this blog, this is where my genesis for making custom cards really came from, to be able to create cards of things that didn't exist that I wanted signed cards of - in a nutshell.

So, I took to the convention armed with special edition versions of the above three cards.

No complaints about the signers.  My interactions are typically brief because I really don't know what to say to these people.  I'm truly awkward and introverted, in a textbook sense and not in a 'I'm just so introverted' trendy meme sense.  I assume they know I'm a big fan since I'm waiting in a line in order to pay them money to write their name on something for me.  I get the autograph and get the hell out of there.  I leave the the schmoozing for the people in line behind me who actually understand how small talk works.

The only time I break from my signer protocol is if I'm asked about my cards.  Typically the signers really dig them.  I usually get a "I've never seen one of these, where did you get it?" type of responses, and that gives me an in where I don't have to feel like a weird tongue-tied fanboy.  Unfortunately that didn't happen this go 'round.  The only pop I got was from MI native Kevin Nash.  "Big Daddy Cool" remarked "whoa, blast from the past" when presented with my custom college basketball card of him.

I got a photo signed by Danielle Harris for my buddy that was under the weather and couldn't come with.  I've gotten her auto before via private send-in, I just mention this as a lead-in to an observation.  This was the first time I ever saw Danielle Harris in person and she's is definitely a small breed.  I'm thinking if I had brought a backpack I could've snuck her out in it.  Other than that she was very sweet to me and everyone else I saw her interact with.

Then there was Peter Dante...  Even though he didn't mark out to my Gee Grenouille card, the dude was definitely in the zone.  He had earlier purchased quite a few boxes of girl scout cookies from the scouts that had gotten a vendor table right across from where he was signing.  He was then passing them out to any and all in the vicinity.  He offered me a samoa cookie and my first inclination was to go with the "nah, I'm good" but then I thought this *is* El PresiDante giving me a cookie, plus he wasn't really wasn't taking no for an answer anyways.  I handed him the card to sign.  He got through "Pete" before stopping and legitimately trying to get to know me as a person.  Where I'm from, what I do for a living; the whole nine.  I gave him the info he wanted and we chatted for a moment about me and my state of professional affairs.  He then went ahead and added "Dante #12" and I thanked him.  But, even as I was walking away he continued to call out to me by name and hype me up like we were old buddies.  If the convention was a party, Peter Dante was easily the life of it.  I'll 100% get an autograph at all future conventions I attend that he's signing at.