So back in January I had learned via a post on Mark Evanier’s blog that the annual San Francisco-based WonderCon was going to be held this year in Anaheim. Specifically— the Anaheim Convention Center— just 3½ miles from my house. Upon closer look I found that Sergio Aragonés was going to be attending and that is when I immediately purchased my ticket!

So I attended the show on Friday the 16th and had a blast. It was actually a show, sans-Sergio, but that didn’t deter me from going. Mark has been keeping everyone updated on his blog about Sergio’s recuperation from back problems. In fact I was very excited to meet and run into Mark at the show. More on that in a bit.

This was my first comic convention I had ever attended. I usually had been accustomed to the various celebrity shows and conventions that had been held up in Los Angeles/Hollywood for years (The Hollywood Collectors Show, Mickey Sindardi’s Showstoppers, etc). In fact when stepping foot out at WonderCon it had been well over five years since I attended any kind of convention! So WonderCon was a nice break from the norm.

I really had looked forward in meeting a few people that were slated to appear as Autograph guests— namely Katie Leigh, Dino Andrade and the one I waited years to meet, Cassandra Peterson. She’s known for her alter-ego since ’81 as “Elvira”, but it was Cassandra the person, not the character, that I was most interested in meeting. Last fall was said to be the last of her in-costume appearances at these types of shows. Can’t blame her.

When I first found my way into the Autograph area I found it mostly empty. Only one celebrity had shown up by high noon and actually had his table fully unloaded and his pictures and other items stacked along with a semi-prominent price list on display. It was Lou Ferrigno… primarily known for his role in “The Incredible Hulk” from nearly 30 years ago. I had met Lou before a decade prior at one of the Hollywood Collector Shows and already had him on a couple 8x10s and even a “Hulk” poster. I discovered earlier that morning at home that I was missing his signature on a very important picture I already had signed by a dear friend of mine who passed away in 2009, Dick Durock. Dick guest starred in an episode of “Hulk” as ‘Frye’s Creature’ and Dick found someone who had a color negative from that episode and had color prints made and I was the first person to get a signed copy. Let’s just say when I presented it to Lou for signature, in which I was fully prepared to pay for, that it was a less-than-flattering encounter. No emotion. All business.

Had a nice chat with Dino Andrade. He and I had corresponded via email back in 1999— after he sadly had lost his previous wife, the legendary Mary Kay Bergman. I had done a tribute page on my old website and it caught Dino’s eye at the time and to my surprise at Friday’s show— he remembered! He since remarried and has a two year old! I’m very happy for him. He never forgot Mary Kay. He brought his hands to his chest and said he keeps her, always.

Kate Leigh was really sweet; loved her. I had with me my own copy of this picture of which I had received from Greg Berg at a Hollywood Collectors Show in 2002/03. I wasn’t all the way over to Katie’s table where the back of my picture had caught her eye.

“Oh my where did you get that?!!!”— she asked me.

She said that she had her own copy somewhere back at home and with her husband sitting with her they both said they pretty much couldn’t find it. Katie had her Sharpie uncapped and ready to sign when she had her husband take a picture of the photo with his iPhone, and I could just tell that she really wanted a copy. So what I pretty much did is tell her that I could probably garner up a pretty good copy of my picture (basically doing a high-quality scan, which I have done, and carefully remove Greg’s signature and inscription, digitally, and email her a copy). I had hoped to do this before the weekend was out, but I only attended Friday’s show. Thankfully she gave me her card, and her e-mail address, and she will have it very soon! So… Katie’s signature will have to wait!

As I mentioned before I had run into Mark Evanier. Mark is an extremely busy guy. So I was very glad, and fortunate, to spend time in speaking with him as I got him to sign his page in my 25th anniversary “Garfield” book. If you don’t know about Mark and Garfield— go here. He then spun his iPad around and showed me some great pictures. That was really one of the cool things about Mark; busy as he was… he didn’t have to do all that. But you know what… that’s how I understand Mark is: generous.

Before capping off my day at WonderCon… the last thing I went and did was go back around to where Cassandra Peterson was seated. She had her booth directly across from Lou Ferrigno’s. And by about this time, 4:40-ish or so, Lou already high-tailed and left.

Cassandra had a pretty elaborate set-up at her table. It was lined with various Elvira 8x10s, t-shirts, Zippo lighters and even fan club memberships. I waited as three ladies in front of me (probably much younger than I) who lollygagged and kept window-shopping at the items. One of Cassandra’s assistants, a very nice tattooed lady, had asked the girls if they were going to pick anything. A couple of them grabbed 8x10s, in a very hurried fashion, paid their money and moved down for Cassandra to autograph them and then they were gone.

Then it was my turn. My heart felt like it stopped. I seriously have waited many years for this opportunity. There’s a whole history with me following Elvira since seeing her episode on “CHiPS” and all the shows and specials from the 80s on into the 90s, the memorabilia I once owned (and later was stolen by movers) and my near-miss in 1997 when she did her “Elvira Dead Legends of Rock” show at the 25th anniversary of Knott’s Halloween Haunt— where I actually worked at the time. I told her bits and pieces of all this, in very short order, but I didn’t get to say everything. But when I walked up at first… I didn’t know what I was gonna say.

“I have waited 31 years for this…”— I said as I greeted her.
“My gosh… you must have been a fetus!”— Cassandra told me with a huge smile.

With my mind racing a bit at this point, I remember saying in my head that I could just tell her that I was actually gonna be 33, but 31 years ago was when she debuted back in 1981— but I 86′d that notion in a millisecond. Its funny how weird and abstract your mind is when you finally get to meet an icon of yours from the time you were four. I had actually picked two 8x10s for her to sign— one as a classic shot as Elvira, and the other being a very nice out-of-costume shot of her as herself— a very radiant blue-eyed redhead. I had with me multiple copies of some of the Halloween Haunt park maps from ’97. She signed one for me and I gave her about 7-8 copies to keep, or sell.

Seeing as we had a very warm and engaging interaction going on— I was getting more into my story, but then all the sudden I felt this presence along my backside. An awkward, uncomfortable and encroaching feeling. I turned around and found 5-6 people just standing upon my heels and not giving the proper distance and respect. That’s Con-Attending 101 right there. I mean these people seemed to be dogpiled right on behind me. That’s one thing I learned at the many years of attending Ray Court’s Hollywood Collectors Show is you give people their space when they’re up meeting someone. But, C’est la vie!

So I turned back around and asked Cassandra if she had any devout Halloween Haunt folk who inquire about stuff from her Knott’s days and she said she does get asked quite often. I looked down at the stack of maps I gave her and said you’d probably make a good buck signing and selling those right here at the show. She turned to her assistant and showed her what I had given her and they appeared to agree to add it to the merchandise. Before I left she stood up and gave me a nice hug and I thanked her for everything and before I turned around and left I had final few words as the crowd grew larger.

“I’d sell those maps, signed, for at least $50 a piece. There aren’t many copies, if at all, around anymore.”

I’ll never forget the look on her face as I I said that.

Much to my surprise I ended up at Disneyland late this past Friday morning (the 2^nd), and I had no idea I was even going. One of my best friends and I needed to get away for the day as we’re losing someone very near and dear, and what better way to get your mind off things than go to “The Happiest Place on Earth.” So one minute we’re sitting at his kitchen table in Placentia and next thing I know— we’re riding the parking lot tram over to the entrance of the park. He brought his 2 year old son along and off we went. He’s held the Premium Annual Passes to the park and he and his wife and son go quite a bit. But we all have something in common: We were former Cast Members of the park. He, a conductor on the Disneyland Railroad, and myself an associate in Costuming. His wife was an attractions host. My heydays at the park were during most of 1999.

The last time I was ever on park property was my last day as a Cast Member. It was Sunday, October 10, 1999— just after 7pm. I had left after nearly a year where I previously began another job just a month before. The height of the summer busyness had waned and so were some of our hours. My status as a Cast Member was noted as Casual Regular— meaning I worked full-time hours during peak periods, but I was not guaranteed a 40 hour work week at any time. But during the spring break and summer seasons you bet I did.

It was just after 11am on Friday when I found myself standing out in the tram line out by the parking structure near Ball Road. My friend and I were reminiscing about our Disneyland days and I actually began to remember how it was being at the park. Thoughts, sounds, sights and feelings— all coming back. Good ones.

Before I knew it we were in the park. It mostly looked unchanged from over a decade ago, but then I noticed little things. Some new shops. Some attractions renamed and others having been taken out. We went on some rides— Pirates, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and even capped the day off out on Tom Sawyer’s Island.

On our way I out I stopped into the Adventureland Bazaar and picked up a rather large, and vividly painted, hanging porcelain toucan that was an import from Mexico.