Last time I spoke a bit about Dave Marchant and the circumstances under which I first met him. Today I’ll go forward from that and talk a bit about Comic Con 2008 and my experiences there, one of which would involve my biggest celebrity introduction to date.
Upon arriving at the hotel in San Diego, Dave, Dolly and I took turns pushing Forry in the wheelchair down the hallway and into the elevator. We passed Stan Lee along the way; the grand old man of Marvel Comics was sitting with several friends in the foyer, holding court. Only a few seconds into the hotel and I was having a close encounter with someone honest-to-God famous! Our room was several floors up. Remember too, I had only left Kentucky a few weeks before…Comic Con, San Diego, the lavish accommodations and the promise of bona fide celebrities in the proximity were all really heady concepts.
The room we were accorded had a splendid overview of the Pacific Ocean. I’d spend many hours each night I was there just sitting on the balcony, marveling at the wondrous new turn my life had taken.
We had two adjoining rooms, with Forry and Dolly in one and Dave, Joe and myself in the other. I, being the youngest, slept in a cot while Joe and Dave took the twin beds. The situation was agreeably comfortable and even stimulating in a number of ways; the three of us would often talk long into the night about subjects ranging from UFOs to the dissolution of families in the wake of a mother or father’s death.
While we were at the Red Velvet table, John Landis stopped by to chat with FJA.
Forry was due to make two important Con appearances that year. The first was a special panel which would reunite him with Jim Warren and Verne Langdon and the other being an autographing session at Joe Moe’s Red Velvet table. That first event was a bit of a nail-biter, as Forry had to be helped up two or three stairs and onto a dais. This he achieved with the aid of a cane and my support. Dave and Dolly were, I perceived, very worried but the move was made smoothly enough.
Once Forry was seated in between Jim and Verne, with Phil Kim on the side, the panel began. It was largely carried by Verne, who proved that he could still work a crowd with the best of them, and Jim with his inimitable way of presenting the past. Forry, hampered by his subpar hearing, largely just smiled and punned his way through the talk but still managed to win over the hearts of everyone in the room. Following this panel, I helped Forry off the dais and into his wheelchair. From there, Dave and Dolly wheeled him off to the Red Velvet table for the signing session. Joe Moe asked a frankly astonished me to guide Verne and Jim down to the same locale. Me…with two genre legends in tow!
I did the best I could to lead the two through the dense crowd and down several flights of stairs, though the anxiety on my face must’ve been palpable when Verne asked, “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” “Oh, yes,” I replied, “I only look stupid.”
The 2008 Comic Con was notable for its heavy promotion of The Wolfman starring Benicio Del Toro. He, Rick Baker and other of the film’s cast and crew were there at the Con for a special panel and to introduce preview scenes from it. Many a jaw dropped among our little circle of Forry friends when we were told that Mr. Del Toro wanted to meet with Forry in his hotel room.
More on that to follow.
Recent Comments