On Friday, August 31, 2007, some of the cast and production members of the tv series Heroes came to Toronto. If you read the post below this one, you'll find out that I was able to get a wristband that secured some facetime with these people. This is that story ...
I left work around 11:45 - the instructions I received with the wristband said to get there around noon, and no later than 12:30. By the time I walked from my office to Dundas Square, it was around 11:55. I (with the assistance of a Best Buy employee) found the lineup for people with wristbands, and, with my iPod earphones firmly planted in my ear, waited.
It actually didn't take that long for things to start to happen. Rick the Temp (from City TV originally, but now I think City's been bought out by Global, so I guess he's with Global now - okay, 'cause this is what the 'net is all about, I did some quick research and found out that Rick is now with ET Canada) came out on stage, introduced the whole thing, had a clip from the shows' creator, Tim Kring, which was interesting, then brought the stars out for a Q & A. I listened and enjoyed what they had to say, but having only watched one episode, I wasn't really getting into it as much as some people were.
After the Q & A they took some photos, set up the tables for the stars to sign at, and started letting my lineup on stage in groups of five. After a few minutes, after having a security guy look through my bag, I got up on stage, and the first person to sign was Jeph Loeb (he's the co-executive producer/writer). Jeph was the main reason I was there (Tim Sale - the comic/graphic novel artist didn't make the trip to T.O.), and as I came up to him I asked if he had a moment to sign a Long Halloween page (this is a page of original artwork from the comic book "Batman: Long Halloween", written by Jeph and illustrated by Tim Sale).
"You've got a Long Halloween page? Here?" he asked.
"I do", I replied, and then extracted the page from the portfolio I had brought. I placed the page down on table.
"Wow, what's that?" a cheerleader behind Jeph asked.
"It's an original page from a comic I did" Jeph replied, eyeing the page. "Do you have a pencil?" he asked me.
"Pencil?" I looked in my bag. "No, I don't think I do."
"I don't want to sign this with a sharpie. A pencil is best for paper like this." He turned to one of the many people standing at the perimeter of the stage. "Can you find me a pencil?" he asked. The women he spoke to turned and immediately went off stage to look.
"I'll keep the page here, if you're okay with that, you can get your DVD signed, and then come back around here until someone finds a pencil." Jeph indicated a spot for me to come back to - right beside him on the stage.
"Sure, thanks, I don't mean to cause any trouble" I stammered apologetically.
"No, no trouble at all. I just want to sign it in pencil."
I thanked him and went to the next person seated at the table. While Jeph and I were talking, a few more people, included the cast members looked over at the page now right beside Jeph. I got the DVD signed by the four actors, and talked to them briefly (Zach Quinto was very pleasant - I asked him if he was having troubles with the eyebrows (for his upcoming role as the young Spock), and he said no, not all, but he wondered if he'd have eyebrows at all (Nimoy's eyebrows were mostly eyeliner in the original series), and James Lee was as well - they're going to a Jays game Friday night. Noah was a little bit shy, and Dania didn't seem to want to talk too much – maybe she was shy too?). Then at the end of the table, as the security guy was about to herd me off the stage, Jeph stood up and waved me back over to him.
I walked back across the stage, through the line of other fans getting autographs, and stood next to Jeph at the table. They were still looking for a pencil.
"Got any other stuff in there?" Jeph asked, seeing that my portfolio obviously did.
"Sure, you want to take a look?" I took the portfolio out and set it next to him on the table. The security guy gave me a look, but Jeph started to flip through, and the security dude relaxed.
Jeph looked through the portfolio, and when he had to sign another DVD, I flipped the pages for him to look at. We kept a conversation, him commenting on the various pieces I had (he loved the Tim Bradstreet cover, and said that he liked Diana's artwork (I had a few of her pages in there for some reason)).
A woman showed up with the pencil, and as Jeph was signing it, said that it was a really nice page, and Jeph, with great pleasure, said that it was actually a pivotal page in the story.
"Yeah," I piped up, "it's where Two-face realizes that ..." then I looked a Jeph. "Why am I explaining your story?" I asked both myself and him.
"No, that's right", he allowed me graciously. "Harvey realizes that he can't go back."
"And than Glinda was behind it all along. Is that right?" I asked him.
"Exactly. When did you get this?"
"Well, my brother got it for my wife and me in ..." and I looked at the page where Tim Sale had signed and dated it, " '98."
"Oh, so Tim did sign it."
"Yes but I've never met him and I was hoping that I could thank him personally. You'll have to mention to him that I was sorry I didn't get to meet him."
"I will."
"Thanks," I said, sticking out my hand, "it was a pleasure to meet you. And thanks for all of this", I said, motioning to the stage and the cast.
"It was nice meeting you." Jeph shook my hand warmly with a smile, and I finally made my way off the stage, receiving slight smiles and nods from the security dudes.
I think it was apparent to Jeph that, for me at least, he was the star that I most wanted to see today. And he was, and this is the most apt way to put it, genuinely tickled to see that page.
How cool is that?
If I find any pictures, I'll try to post them here.
And, BTW, I'm experimenting with what I think are kinda different styles of writing, so feel free to let me know (nicely) what you think.
