So it’s been a crazy month and I haven’t done any reporting. I have been testing, so I’ll try to get my reports out soon. But I wanted to share the events that occurred at Comic Con. Mostly because John asked me to share. haha.
I drove down there around 5am and got there a little past 7 am. I hung around and waited for my editor at the skate magazine to show up around 9ish. It gave me ample time to walk aimlessly and try to find coffee or food. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea, so the lines were ridiculous and my will shot from 3 hours of sleep and the car ride.
Around 9:30 I sprayed myself with 2 pumps of mx297 (neck and wrists) and 2 pumps of shine. It’s already 80 degrees out. My editor walks over and we walk over to the convention center. He’s been exceedingly chatty, even for him. He invites me over to the conference room his comic company he works for is having. He kept leaning over and giving me details about the guys on stage. A lot of personal details and his sentiments on each and every one of them. It was surprising to hear him say so and so was an asshole, he was a jarhead, etc. lol. As a favor, he asked me to take photos of the guys talking.
We eventually jetted off to the company booth, where I was introduced to everyone that knew him, the photographer who’s there for the after party and works with him at the skate mag to some. Smiles, nice to meet ya’s. The conversations didn’t go far, but they were polite. It seems Mx297 works great if someone already has prior experience with you. I’ve run across that in the many times I’ve used it around strangers; it doesn’t seem as effective.
He had to take care of business at the booth, so I meandered around the whole day. I was absolutely worn out. The mones seem to drown when there are that many people. I did recall chatting up a cute faux ginger at the Tara McPherson booth. I didn’t pursue the convo a whole lot and so she skittered off. It’s a bit of a blur at the moment as to what I did besides walk around, take photos and eat at a greek place.
By 4-5pm, I was wiped. I just wanted to sleep and even found some floor space to take an hour nap. Missed the suicide girls booth which would give you a free book if you gave them a password. Damn. By 7pm I walked over to my car and relaxed for a bit. Chatted on the phone, wiped down anywhere I had my mones on. I had to meet up at the venue around 8, so I hurried and phero bombed myself.. If I remember right I had on…
1 spray, Ammo (wrists)
2-3 IG (neck, chest)
2 sprays p78 (sides of neck, vest)
2 sprays, P74 (chest)
1-3 sprays, IH (what I didn’t know was it was 4x)
Off I went to the venue. Unfortunately where I parked would later get me a ticket. Damn it. lol.
The event coordinators put me on red carpet duty. Unfortunately no one knew there was a red carpet, the coordinators didn’t push anyone my way and I ended up standing there half the night looking at my phone. But I did get to talk to random people who did ask for photos and the strangers walking on the sidewalk. It seems people were willing to listen to my directions, but as a photographer they usually do. The drunker people got (Open Bar), the more they let loose and let me take some bizarre photographs.
A couple hours in, I was tagged by the other photographer to take photos inside. Thank god. I had a drink (only one I knew I’d be able to have) and got to work. I buzzed around and photographed whoever I could. That part’s fuzzy, and I was tagged to go back outside. I chatted up a girl who could have been my Ex’s best friend’s doppleganger. Same name too. The convo went on for a good half hour or so, and even got a hug and email. I was just curious if I could wearing what I did. What I did wrong though was put on another spray or so of ammo. Mind you, I’m 28 and probably at the peak of my none production…remember this, it’s key!
The other photographer bails at midnight and I’m left wondering what to do. I barely have any photos. So I go back in and mingle, blind people. I work my way to the back of the bar and keep at it. I talked to my editor for a while and his wife. I never really have talked to her. Quite the funny woman. I excused myself and went back to shooting.
I see a couple and go over to take a shot. He puts his hand out and I step back. He says “delete that photo!”
“I didn’t take a photo”
“I saw the flash, delete it!”
“you want to see? Here’s my camera!” and I turn it on and set it at preview, scrolling through the photos, front and back.
“You’re skipping past it on purpose! Show me the photo!”
“I didn’t take one you stupid fucking idiot!!”
“Don’t call me a fucking idiot!”
He takes the camera and starts to scroll through my photos, including the ones I took earlier, including those of props from a certain BBC Show.
A guy chimes in and says, “You have to understand, it’s a family show”.
What the hell is he talking about? He kept saying that as the other bloke was scrolling, who even comments on the props, which seems to calm him down some. When he’s satisfied that I didn’t take a photo, he hands the camera back. It finally clicks in my head who he is. He’s the star of that show. And so I apologize for the argument, we shake hands and I said I didn’t know it was him and I understand his position. He explains he couldn’t be seen with a beer in his hand. The other guy’s comment about a family show hits it in.
“Are we going to take this photo?”
“Yeah sure..”
I snap off a few of him and his female companion. I didn’t think anything of her, considering what had just happened. They walk off immediately after and I talk to the other guy, who is their liaison. He tells me they just landed and it was their first time doing Comic Con. We banter a bit about the show and again, apologies about the argument and the drink in hand with the implications of the show. We say goodbye and that was that.
I think the couple thought I was a paparazzi. Whoops. I call ElectraComplex and tell her what had just happened. Oh hell. I was freaking out for a good 15 minutes. I had met the star of my favorite show and apparently, that girl was the other star. Hell of a story to tell my friends.
If you’re wondering why I’m keeping names and shows off, it’s because this would be bad PR for the guy and the show. But if you have guesses, message me and I’ll be glad to tell you more 
The rest of the night, I listened and talked to the editor and his friend, Andrew, also from the UK. Good guy. Turns out he used to skate too and did the graphics for some of my favorite skate videos. He even handed me his card and told me to email him sometime, he gets bored and it would be good to see a non work related email. cool but weird lol. I need to email him by the way.
I wasn’t paid on site like I was supposed to and my editor blew a gasket. He hunted around for the coordinators long gone and cursed a lot. He talked to his boss and let him know about this “fuck up” as he put it. He was also quite pissed drunk. But he was still coherent. He asked if I had money to get home and I said no. So he personally went out of his way to walk 10 blocks with his wife, Andrew and me to an ATM and gave me $100 out of his own pocket so I’d get home. He said he’d get refunded, so it was all good. But he was furious and embarrassed that he had gotten me this gig and they had screwed up like that. A lot of cursing at the end of the night.
I was exhausted and said my goodbyes. I hopped in my car and got gas. I made it 1/3 of the way from San Diego to LA and passed out in the parking lot of a Jack in the Box. haha. Yeah. Hell of a night. Followed by that day, well night when I got into a car accident, which shook me up good. Hence the lack of reports. But here I am!