Holding an “Ultimate Pass” at Fan Expo meant early access, but I didn’t take advantage of it on Saturday, to my detriment. The general pass holders were admitted at 10 am. When I showed up at Scott Snyder’s table at 10:15, I was informed of three things: one, Mr. Snyder would not be signing until 1 p.m.; you had to be given a red ticket to be granted a spot in that line; and they’d already handed out their limited number of tickets for that day. The man who gave me this information suggested I use my Ultimate pass to show up earlier on Sunday and have a better chance of getting a ticket for that day’s signing.

With no chance of scoring the comic creator autograph at the top of my list, I scoped out another. I spotted artist Michael Golden’s booth and approached. Golden’s heyday was back in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, when my comic book journey began. He is credited with co-creating the X-Men character Rogue and is best known for Avengers Annual #10, when she famously wiped out Captain Marvel’s mind and powers. He is also known for co-creating the popular “Micronauts” MARVEL comic series with writer Bill Mantlo. I’d lugged over two hardcover omnibuses: Micronauts Vol. 1 and the original MARVEL STAR WARS Vol. 1, which he contributed to.

Although no one was standing in line, Golden was busy haggling with a younger man who wanted him to do an original sketch. He described what he wanted, and Golden quoted him $500. The man agreed, then told Golden the specifics he wanted for the sketch, and Golden interrupted him, saying, “I’m not going to remember any of this.” The man offered to write everything down, but Golden held out his hand and bluntly said, “Once the $500 is in my hand, I’ll remember everything.” I understand being an older comic creator likely means little in the way of pensions and retirement plans. Michael Golden, however, took “shrewd” to entirely new levels. 

While those two were doing business, I looked for any signage about autograph pricing. For example, Scott Snyder’s booth had a laminated paper stating a raw autograph was $20 and a graded one was $30. Jimmy Palmiotti’s signage said he’d sign your first comic for free and $10 for any additional. Golden’s table had nothing. A woman stood next to him who I assumed was an assistant. “Do you know how much he charges to sign an Omnibus?” I asked her. The woman waved me off. “When it comes to pricing, you have to go through him,” and she pointed at Golden, who had concluded his business with the younger man and turned to me.

I’d left my Omnibus books in the room as they were too cumbersome to carry around casually, but Golden saw I had my copy of “Avengers Annual #10” in my hand. “That comic is $60,” he said without hesitation. It was higher than I intended to pay, but it’s a “Key Issue,” so I agreed. 

I asked how much he charged to sign an Omnibus, and this time he answered more slowly. “Well, it depends on which one?” he replied. I said, “Micronauts Vol. 1.” He looked up in the air as if making calculations. “That one is about… $30.” I said, “Okay, how about STAR WARS?” This time he didn’t hesitate. “That’s $40 for that one.” I thanked him and left, with no plans to return, and when I got home, I put those books back on my shelf, unsigned. The experience put me off, and I sort of regretted even getting the comic book signed until it was announced soon after that they had cast the star of “Obsession,” Inde Navarette, as Rogue in the upcoming MCU X-Men films. This caused “Avengers Annual #10” to boost in value (though speculative rises and drops can be fickle), and I’m thinking whoever got that issue signed at the next Fan Expo was probably charged $100. As a side note, some people complained about Navarette’s casting (not me), but this time MARVEL has an easy solution. All they have to do is recreate that famous scene in the comic book I’d just had signed with the unpopular Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, and everyone will give her a standing ovation.

With a couple of hours before the Kurt Russell photo shoot, I spent some time with my son, his girlfriend, Jadelynn, and their roommate, Luke. I knew Luke well because twenty years ago, when I was a Cub Scout Den Leader, he was one of my scouts. Of all the time I spent at Fan Expo, this was when I was the happiest.

I also said “Hello” to Mr. C Dives In’s Chris Connolly, who’s becoming a regular around here these days.

I headed over to where the Photo Ops were taking place, only to find out that Kurt Russell’s was happening at another Photo Op area upstairs. I wasted fifteen minutes getting this information. Five minutes to track down a volunteer, and another ten finding one who actually knew anything. This was my biggest issue with Fan Expo. There weren’t enough crew members, and most of them didn’t know what the Hell was going on.

When I got upstairs, I saw what looked like an unruly mob. Everyone was pressed together, trying to understand directions from an unintelligible guy using a megaphone. Thankfully, an electronic sign showed which group # (as specified on your ticket) could enter the actual signing line. In the meantime, everyone was pressed so tightly together that it was a minor miracle to actually move once your number came up. We were all scrunched in a ball, and every time someone moved, we’d all involuntarily sway together like a school of fish. At one point, a man nearby said dryly, “So…this is our life now.” I cracked up, which inadvertently caused me to knock my head against the person in front of me’s shoulder.

After what felt like the most arduous moments of my life, I eventually made it to the actual line, which, thankfully, moved quickly. Everyone was instructed that it was okay to speak with Russell, but not to touch him. I got up beside him and used those seconds to tell him how much I love him and Goldie’s (life partner/actress, Goldie Hawn) work. He gave a warm, genuine-sounding, “Thank you, I really appreciate that.” The photo turned out well, and I paid extra for a digital copy so I could crop in without losing any quality.

The autograph line was nearby, which led to the second time today I ended up in a mob ball. I found an overwhelmed volunteer and showed her my ticket. “Where should I be standing?” I asked. She pointed to a line off to the side and barked, “Just go over there!!!” I did as told, and after a few minutes of commiserating with the other fans, I was surprised when we abruptly started moving. It wasn’t until I reached the entrance to Kurt Russell’s signing area that I realized they mistook me for a VIP Pass holder and jumped me ahead of the other regular and Ultimate Pass people. This wasn’t intentional, but I wasn’t complaining either. Even the woman who took my ticket and could clearly see my pass said nothing. Instead, she took my poster and told me to keep moving. So, I did. This time I didn’t have much time to talk to Russell beyond “Thanks for coming” and “please sign here.” On this day, I had him sign my son’s poster. I had to do the whole thing again on Sunday so he could sign my own (don’t ask!).

I limped my way back through the convention hall and the hotel room. I ordered deep-dish pizza from the Giordanos down the street and took a hot shower. After the pizza arrived, I linked my phone’s YouTube app to the hotel TV and was surprised to find a free download of The THING (1982). I relaxed and watched it with the knowledge that I’d just seen “McCready” that same day. I looked over at the poster and basked in the feeling that I’d just successfully completed a huge challenge. Unfortunately, I was only just past the halfway point.

Coming Up…Scott Snyder and the “Absolute” Terror of making it back to Kurt Russell on time!

~Dave