To get this out of the Stan Winston (rip) thread, I thought I would start a new one... especially since I have a funny one

About 13 years ago after a summer of cooking at a lodge in Sitka, Alaska a group of friends/coworkers and I went to Las Vegas. We went to a gentlemen's club and were sitting at the bar with a lovely lady gyrating in front of us, all of us were 3 sheets to the wind. I looked over to my left and there was Jack Nicholson flanked by to women; he was hammered and gave me a big toothy grin when he spotted me staring.


(No, I didn't have a camera with me )

One that I remember fondly from my childhood in Boston, Massachusetts was listening to Vincent Price reciting dirty limericks with great poise and dignity at the Boston Museum of Science. I suspect that he would not have done so if he had noticed a child of somewhat less than 10 years of age listening in. What I remember most clearly was him saying 'Contrary to opinion not all limericks are dirty... just the best ones.' He seemed a remarkably cheerful person.

I also got to listen to Robert Block at a book convention. Another very cheerful person, who knew full well that there were children listening in, and doing his best to give them happy goosebumps.

The Auld Grump

I met President George Bush (Senior) at a Blockbuster in 2001.

Cleo Lane is my great aunt but I've never actually met her in person.

I met Colin Firth when I was an extra in "" last fall.

Met Bruce Campbell at a book signing, the man is really TALL.

You see quite a few movies and TV showes being filmed in Oxford. When I first moved here I saw the Bollywood film "" being filmed, but I missed the chance to see Salman Khan.

Oy...this could get kinda long...since...well anyway...

Here goes...

Sold Bill Kurtis ((Chicago news Anchor, Doc Producer and big name at my film school)) books at Barnes and Noble....

Sold John Cleese books at the said same Barnes and Noble.

Gave Jerry Springer first aid on the set of a Music Video I was working on.

Met the Corrs on the set of a Music Video I was working on.

Corrected Andrea Camburn's ((local Columbus news Anchor)) grammar on the set of a PSA.

Watched George Bush Senior Fly in and walk across the tarmack when visiting my dad on base.

Have been to so many cons that I have met nearly the entire cast of the original BSG, New BSG, Buck Rodgers, Babylon 5, Star trek, TNG Voyager, and DS9. And met people from the X-Files.

Asked Peter Jurassik if it was true that sooner or later everyone from Tron comes to Babylon 5.

Met Harrlan Ellison in an elevator.

Met Andy Chambers without knowing who he was until afterwards ((I mean I knew who wrote my books, just didn't see the name and the badge til after I was done talking to him)).

Was commenting on my personal problems with the Wizkids game mechanics while Jordan Wiesman and his kid were playing Warmachine two tables over.

I have one friend in LA...She's the Second AD on CSI:NY and she ran into Kara (( Katie Sackoff)) Thrace in line at Starbucks, and only got starstruck when the guy who played Green Arrow on smallville showed up on set one day.

Lesser (?) celebrities: Painted miniatures for Matt Ruff, author of Fool on the Hill and Sewer, Gas, & Electric. It is very strange recognizing the name of a guy who cadged empty soda bottles off of you at the local game store when you see his book listed as a best seller. (Robo Rally minis to be precise.) Fool on the Hill is a great read, by the way.

The Auld Grump - who misses Gamescape Hobbies

My encounters are pretty minimal, and mostly vicarious, but I am still fairly young (24).

While at GenCon Indy I rode down an elevator with R.L. Salvatore. My brother and I were looking exhausted and he said something to that effect and mentioned that it was one of the great things about GenCon. The funny thing is that I didn't realize it was him until I was walking the show floor later and saw him signing books.

Also at GenCon, possibly the same one, my father was sitting in the hotel bar watching "the game" and David Carradine (Bill from Kill Bill as I know him, blasphemy I'm sure) sat down next to him and talked for a bit. Apparently he had to leave for a signing and he took what was left of his liquor, poured it into his coffee, and went on his way.

Met Michael Ironside at a poolhall in Edmonton. . He played a funny game of denial at first but then conceded. He was shooting some cop flick there at the time. Anyway, seemed like a nice if not prankster fellow. I didn't stick around long enough to bug him.

I also met David Suzuki when I worked airport security. I checked his bags, he looked grumpy as do most people when coming through security

Cools stories all. Way to go Greaisus!!! I'm a huge Winsor Mcay fan, I have a bunch of the Fantagraphics Nemo reprints.

My List

Roger Zelazny: At a con where i was dropping off stuff. He was really nice, I thanked him for "Lord of Light". Charming.

I helped run a con where we got Jim Steranko, he was cool and classy. He was a bit cheesed off when I got all excited about the original pages from Nick Fury. Guess I should have made a bit more fuss about the Outland pages!

Sergio Aragones was at the same con, when there was no line at his table he worked on Groo. Man he's fast! Nice guy too, everyone got a sketch!!

Drank with crazy old Dave Sim, at a Diamond Comics meeting in 1992. This was shortly before he went all nuts, he made a sketch!

Wil Wheaton at an autograph event in the early 90's.

Said hi to David Suzuki in the crowd at the Midnight Oil concert at Clayquot Sound protest in 1993. Later I said Hello to neo-pagan luminary Starhawk.

Rode the West Edmonton Mall rollercoaster with future Canadian PM Jean Chretien, when he was a Liberal minister.

When I worked for HMV West Ed Superstore we had a lot of "instore" events in the late 90's, before the music biz slid into a giant hole.

Britney Spears, age 17. "Yup. they're fake." She looked like a lost teenage girl. Hogged the girl's staff bathroom for an hour, incurring wrath.

Christina Aguilera: She's really REALLY tiny and kinda skanky.

Nickleback: Jerks.

Nick Lachey when he was in the boy band 98 degrees. Charming and VERY slick.

Robin Black: Minor Canadian rocker, he is REALLY skinny and quite funny.

Gene Simmons from Kiss. He wandered by the store one afternoon and caused a minor sensation. Had a funny moment with him, but it was kind of creepy the way he looked at our teen girl staff members.

Jean (Mobius) Giraud Stayed with me for about a week in La Jolla. He drew me a poster sized Lt. Blueberry in black felt marker... Framed on my wall... Nice guy. We hung out a lot. He was all into Jim Morrison as he had just read "No one Here Gets Out Alive". He thought he was a real mysterious poet- type...Our opinions differed greatly:)

Some that I can't really count are folk musicians - celebrities with a small audience. I used to work sound and/or lights for the Portland Folk Club, so was staff at a bunch of concerts.

Some of these might be people you have heard of, but I won't count on it... These are the ones we had dinner with after the concerts:

The late Utah Phillips - perhaps the closest to famous. On stage and off stage personas almost identical. Spent most of his time talking to Kendall Morse after the concert. Not a quiet dinner companion!
Sally Rogers - one of the nicest people I have ever met. She knew many of the audience by name, and the second concert with her she remembered my name - four years later, after only one meeting!
Garnet Rogers (no relation to Sally, but brother to Stan) - I never got to meet Stan Rogers, but his brother also performs. (And is rumored to make some really bad beer.)
Tom Lewis - British Naval folk music - I really wish that he would come back to this area, a very nice fellow, and a big fan of Cyril Tawney. (One of the surest signs of being a decent bloke - liking the same singers I do! )
Kendall Morse - Maine comedian and folk singer - opening for Utah Phillips. Recently got married to an English woman - him I have gone to sing-alongs with. I need to get a few of his albums....
Tommy Makem - Used to sing with the Clancy Brothers.
Catherine Madsen - Formerly of the Grater Lansing Spinsters Guild - Pagan music, some very, very good.
June Tabor - Scots music, very energetic. At the table talked about Scots music and history. Left early after the concert to catch a plane.
Barbara Freeman and Connie Regan - Storytellers
Patricia Herdman - Folksinger, some very nice supernatural songs, my favorite is Waterlilies.
Dave Small - Folksinger - my favorite is Hot Frogs on the Loose!
Jez Lowe - British Folksinger, some very good, very depressing songs, and some very good, not at all depressing songs. Many are about mine work.
Bill Morissey - Best description I can come up with is New England Blues - some of the most depressing songs I have ever heard - but at the dinner table very upbeat and cheerful.
John Roberts and Tony Barrand - again, not quiet dinner companions. Brought older out of print books of British folk music, and sold them to fellow folksingers after the concerts. I have met John Roberts several times since, including at a house concert.
Gordon Bok and Bok, Trickett and Muir - two separate concerts, one just Gordon Bok, the other a trio. Kendall Morse opened for the solo concert, and they sang a few songs together - the high point was 'Over and Under the Ground'.

I am surprised I remember as many names as I do. These concerts were over a six year period, ending when the Portland Folk Club folded.

The Auld Grump

When I was a child, my dad would use his news station contacts all the time to let me meet various celebrities. Mostly a lot of sports stars. Dale Murphy, Billy "Whiteshoes" Johnson...probably the best one is when I was about nine he took me to a David Justice autograph session and I came away with John Smoltz's.

If it's a funny anecdote you're looking for, and I were both buying OJ early one morning at the overpriced hotel convenience store at Dragon Con last year, and I remarked to him how well done his costume was. I figured it out after I downed the OJ and two cups of coffee.

Hey Paul...I just noticed your signature. I had to forcibly chuck Emo out of The Animation Festival I was working in La Jolla! He was pissed and being obnoxious. He asked me if I knew who he was...I said Bob Sagett and turfed him...Heh.

Haha on Emo! If anyone ever tried that 'Do you know who I am" stuff on me I'd just laugh.