Me, my 20 year old daughter and my 14 year old all went to GenCon on August 4, 2001. We live in Chicago so we got up at 5:30 am to go, knowing that there would be a lot to do. We've never been to a gaming convention before so weren't sure what to expect. Shannon (my oldest) was all indifferent; pretending not to care about "mom's obsession with Spike", she was going there to meet a friend that was in the "Magic:The Gathering" tournament, but Becky, my teenager, was excited.
We got to Milwaukee and found a parking place about 8:30 (no attendant and no tix in the machine so we just pulled in without) and then started looking for the convention center. We walked into one wrong building, but the nice people in WI pointed us in the right direction and we were off. We walked into the convention (on costume parade day, no less) about 9:00 and got our passes along with a program. We sat down and read through the program trying to find out where James' events were going to be held. We asked around and they told us that the Q&A, scheduled for 2:00 was at the Hyatt and that the autographs would be in the exhibit hall at the autograph stage at 3:00. We found that the exhibit halls were not opening until 10:00 so we walked around a little and got a feel for where things were then planted ourselves near the Art Show because the crowds waiting for the doors at the exhibit hall to open were oppressive.
We wandered the art show (totally MISSING Bob Hobb's (Gillian's husband's) art) and then, hoping the crowds had cleared, made our way to the card room to meet up with Shannon's friend. We all walked up to the exhibits then, hoping that the crowd had cleared. (It had.) We split up and Becky and I walked through the aisles of exhibits. We were pretty unimpressed, as we don't play fantasy or RP games very often, although we recognized a few names.
We walked past a booth with 8x10 color celeb photos on sale (Sarah's was $90!) and then spied an overhead banner with the Buffy logo on it. We walked (quickly) using the sign as a beacon and got to the booth. The section designated for Buffy was deserted! There was a monitor showing an eps (Never Kill a Boy on the First Date) 3 cardboard cut-outs (Angel, Sarah...and Sarah). A BtVS cast pix, a Spike Game Card pic and an Angel Cast pic hung in the booth. There were cards on some tables announcing the Buffy Card Game coming out soon and some examples of what the Spike card might look like. We grabbed a few and lingered for a bit, waiting to see if anyone we knew was there. A few people stopped by and took pics, but no one we knew so we caught up with Shannon, whose friend had to go back to his cards and we went to get something to eat.
Our trek led us over to the Hyatt, we wanted to see if the line for James had started. There was hardly anyone around, so we read the directory of events (which didn't include the Q&A and started to worry. We took the escalator upstairs to the ballroom entrance and a nice red-shirted GenCon staff member explained to us that James' shooting schedule made him late, that he was flying in just this morning and wouldn't make the Q&A, but the signing would be rescheduled 'til 6:30. We were disappointed and decided to go get our lunch then just hang around the exhibit hall until that evening. As we were leaving the hotel, a tall, pretty blonde ran after me and yelled "One Good Day?" (I was wearing my Sinner shirt) and I turned around to meet Maggie. Wow! She explained that she and Tracy were waiting in the lobby for Trish and Raven so we went back to join the crowd. Can I say again how much I LOVE you people! We started talking about what they'd been doing so far (Saturday was the third day of the convention) and...well, I'll let them tell you the dirt. :)
Anyway, after she was an HOUR late, we gave up on Trish (thinking she might already be standing in line, and started to walk back through the skyway (over the streets) to the convention center. About halfway back, Trish and Jamie caught up with us...some problem with their clocks?!? Anyway, now that we were all together, we made our way back to the exhibit hall where we commandeered one of the demo tables in the deserted Buffy booth as our own. Trish was putting the finishing touches on the OGD book for James. We talked to the guys demo-ing the Buffy cards and they let us drool...I mean look through their prototype deck. Trish, Maggie and Jamie are SO good! They named every eps from every pic and...can I say...there were some amazing Spike pix (although not nearly enough!). Anyway, when we gave the guys their cards back, we sat and talked for a while, when I saw a short red-head walk by with a guy carrying a large, flat cardboard box. Over her shoulder was a OGD shirt! "Gillian," I shouted, but she didn't hear me. Maggie and Trish were on their feet immediately and dragged Gillian and Bob back to the booth. We were sitting there watching the only other eps they had (The Witch), all bemoaning the fact that James' Q&A had been postponed and decided that with the change in schedule we should cancel our dinner reservations and kinda make it up as we went along.
We talked with a few people who were walking by the booth (I really think the demo guys wanted their table back, so they sent over another guy, but...well Trish engaged him in conversation and before you know it, we were at the table to stay for the afternoon and the guy was telling us secrets about his job (making up the cards meant that they got to watch all the old eps, PLUS read the script for Season 6, eps 1.) We asked for spoilers. He wouldn't give except to say that B/S have a "moment" when she comes to him for advise and to remember that seeing (as it related to "The Gift") is NOT believing. Before he left, Trish pointed out a few of the mistakes on his cards and he said they were in the process of correcting them and thanks for the help. After that we felt comfortable putting up a sign on our table that said "Stump the Slayerettes".
A few other people walked by but we were all hungry by then (about 3:00) so we got up to eat and told everyone to meet later downstairs at the door to the room where James was going to be. (They had moved him from the exhibit hall to the room because he wouldn't be signing until after the hall closed for the day.) So we went our separate ways, got lunch, played some card games, won some prizes, FINALLY found and appreciated Bob's fantastic artistry in the art show. Around 4:30 we ended up down by the autograph area with two hours to go. The GenCon people were chasing early fans away unless you were si tting somewhere "official" like a bench, so there we sat (on a bench) for a while with some other die-hards. One lady had two books full of trading cards and several signed photos already! Then we saw Jamie sitting with her guitar and moved over by her.
After a while, at 5:00, people near us started to form into a line (1/2 hour before they had told us would be allowed). We got up and stood there for a bit and then another red-shirt came along and said "You people think you're in a line. But you're not. The line goes the OTHER direction." So we picked up our stuff and raced to the end of the other line on the opposite side of the door. On the way we must have passed at least 200 other people (all this 2 1/2 hours early!). We found the end of the line and we sat down to wait. GenCon people came along and said encouraging things like, "You know, he only has an hour...?" and placing poles along the lines, at certain breaks in the numbers (I think it was every 100 or so). (They were SO not prepared for such a crowd. Probably 500 or so!) We were relieved to see one pole go past us, thinking it was the cut off point, but then we saw one in front of us.
We didn't know where the rest of the gang had gone, so we waited...then Maggie came up and said..."Get up and come with me." We asked why, but she kept repeating herself, so we did...get up and go with her...saying "This better be good." It was. We moved up in line about 100 people with the help of the OGDers. (This is important to know later!) So there we sat around 5:30, planning to wait for another hour, noticing that the BAPS (Bloody Awful Poet's Society) and JM.com people were right behind us in line. We met a lot of people whose names we've seen online and had a blast waiting. There was a strange man in front of us, about 60 or 65 I'd say, who had driven there from Canada. Apparently he had been to a number of these and he gave us some tips on how to save our film until it was a good time. Then around 6:05 there was a scream from the front of the line. We assumed that James was there. The doors to the room opened around 6:15 and the line began to move! They began to let people in in groups of 10 or so and we kept watching the clock, knowing that there would be a cut off soon. Becky was already turning all shades of red.
About 7:00 Gillian started laughing. Bob was inspecting his painting one last time and realized that he had packed the 30" x 40" x 1" box with boards on either side of the painting to protect it. He'd just realized that one of the boards was one of his unfinished nudes. By consensus we decided that this was a not so bad present too, and suggested that Bob sign it. James' time was only scheduled until 7:30 but by then we were so close! My daughters and I were in the front of the OGD group and each time the line moved, the excitement grew until we finally reached the door about 7:00. Craning our necks around the people in the doorway, we could see lots of people in front of us, and there, above them all, on a stage was a draped table where you could make out, between the heads, an muscular arm and some tousled blond hair. Shannon (our athlete), leapt up into the air to catch a glimpse. Some red-shirt in the front of the line was saying how crazy we all were and shaking his head. (I accused him of being jealous. ;)
When the old crow who was guarding the door (the same
lady who was preventing people from forming a line at 4:30) let
us through at about 7:15, we were relieved that our whole group
had made it in and that everyone in the room would get to meet
him! Our relief was quickly replaced, however, with simple awe
when we saw him. Then staring and taking pictures became our
full-time activity. Near the door was a table and Shannon, Trish
and Raven quickly jumped up on the chairs to take pictures over
the heads of the crowd. The rest of us were stuck with peering
through the people and catching views from time to time, when
we began the serpentine walk from the door we were probably about
25 feet away from him. He sat at a table on the stage with a
few other people hanging around, some guy handing out headshots
(for free!) for James to sign, a woman from the show staff whose
sorry job it was to keep him happy (rough job), another guy who
could've been a body guard...maybe? and a few other show staffers.
But he could've been there all alone because he was all I saw.
GOD he was gorgeous! He was laughing and joking with the crowd. Each person he met was greeted with a sincere smile and interest. It seemed as though nothing else existed in that moment of greeting than the person he was talking to. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with a black leather vest, a silver necklace and rings (the necklace, he said later, was a copy of one a demon wore on the show. We looked behind us a few minutes later and the door was closed. The BAPS people had made it in just after us, and that was that. (See how important moving up in the line had been?!) So now we're living a fantasy, locked in a room with James. We were told to have him sign only one thing, because time was running short, so everyone began to decide which thing to have him sign. We saw someone at the front of the line hand him her baby and heard the whole room say "Awwwwww" simultaneously. I guess the baby started crying and he kissed her (lucky girl) and handed her back to her mom. (I looked over at the mom after she stepped out of line and she was practically crying too. It was soooo sweet for him to have held the baby.) Meanwhile our line was moving forward and, as we reached each corner of the serpentine line, closer. We stood back and watched for a while as people approached him and got autographs.
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Someone asked him something about the show and he was talking about how the show they were now shooting was the first one that Joss had directed in which James had had more than two lines. "What? Don't you like me Joss?" he'd wondered! One thing that happened...the lady who was helping him fell of the back of the stage and he was up on his feet immediately to help her, genuinely concerned. There was a "little ol' lady" getting a signature on a calendar. He did and then blew her a kiss. Ah, what a pucker! One girl asked if she could touch his hair and he leaned his head down for her to put her hand on it (ahhhh). After each person had their turn, they would exit the line and then turn back for a last look or a moment. I heard a very audible SIGH. As we neared the front of the line, we passed in front of the stage only about 5 feet away, just behind those who were with HIM. He was joking around and we could hear most of what he said.
He was thanking people for their kind gifts. (He already had a stack of birthday presents next to him, someone gave him a stuffed dog and there were piles of other things.) Someone said something to him about Xander and he said something like "Xander will never get some." Everyone laughed and the "bodyguard" guy commented that the room was now officially PG-13 since the baby had left. I leave the rest to your imagination until official word comes in. Anyway, James laughed at his own joke and then, embarrassed, he put his head down on his arm on the table. He's so incredibly adorable when he blushes!
We juggled our positions around so that Trish could go first, as our list mommy, and then Maggie (who had the video camera) was right behind her to take pictures. Gillian and her husband Bob went next and he signed her OGD shirt, then Bob presented him with his painting. He said it was cool and thanked him two or three times! Then was Becky's turn. He shook her hand and asked her if she had a big poster of him at home. (She doesn't.) But he autographed her photo for her, smiled sweetly and shook her hand again. Then Shannon went up for her turn. He shook her hand and autographed her picture. Then it was my turn. I'd been deliberating over what to say all day and I was still clueless. I grabbed a photo for him to sign and walked up. He shook my hand and looked at me. "Uhhhh..." went through my mind.
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He
had incredible blue eyes! His hair was yellower than I thought
it would be, I think it's moving away from platinum. I had a
present for him (a Spike (from Tom & Jerry) Pez dispenser
that I bought on eBay). It was in mint condition and had a changeable
suit of armor. I had made up a quick card for it and put a bow
on the card. The first thing he said was, "A bow!"
He was like a little kid at Christmas. When I showed him what
was under the card he laughed and he laughed again when I told
him the character was Spike. Then he pointed out the armor. "With
armor!" he grinned. "Gotta have the armor," I
agreed. Then he signed my picture and I asked him if he was going
to be doing any stage work in Chicago and he looked disappointed
and said he couldn't with his schedule. Then I asked if he had
performed at Bailiwick when my daughter's godfather (who is a
starving actor) had. He hadn't, but seemed interested about the
possible connection. Like Chicago held fond memories for him.
He thanked me again, and I him. Then it was over. Well, the autographing
was.
Anyway, my daughters and I stopped at the end of the line with Trish and others that were done, waiting for the rest of the OGDers to finish. We watched as Raven smiled up at him and asked him for an OGD favor. Jamie got her guitar signed...and then Tracy had her cast poster signed...I'll let them tell you THOSE stories...but OMG! Then we stood around with shaking knees and dry mouths and Becky said, "I'll never wash this hand again!" Then the staffers suggested we leave. We went out into the hall and compared stories. AHHHHHHHHH!!! My knees were still shaking. We knew that his next destination was to be the restaurant back at the Hyatt so we staked out the skyway and sang songs (to Jamie's newly signed guitar) and flipped change into her guitar case for about an hour, but he must have taken another route. By then it was 8:30 and since my family had a 2 hour drive home, we said so long to our new (well newly met) friends, went back to our "free" parking lot and left for Chicago, EXTREMELY contented.
