COMICS CULTURE SHRAPNEL from CBEM 285
Now the really big thing. As most of you know, Warren Ellis is currently on a signing tour of the States, with his very first right here in my hometown, New York City. Maybe that sounds a little corny. But hey, it means I got my butt out of bed early one Saturday morning, plucked a few gems out of my comic box, and hustled over to Jim Hanley's Universe to meet the man himself.
My boyfriend and I arrived one hour early to discover people already lying in wait. No matter, there was only a handful of them, we would still be among the first. Standing there I had conversations about Jhonen Vasquez, Joe Maduriera, Squaresoft, and other geeky goodies. I caught up on my reading. An hour passed quickly, and finally he arrived, walking up the aisle, as if to appraise us. "Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked. No, of course not. (Well, besides watch Cardcaptors.)
The line began to move. I noticed a girl carrying original art from an issue of Transmet, I forget the number. An early one. Other than that, I was completely oblivious to the other fans. Before I knew it, I was there. Ground zero. I gushed. I smiled and babbled and everything you shouldn't do. I handed him the issues I had brought for him to sign, telling him what I liked about each one. I had a letter printed in this one, this issue depressed me. He laughed at the latter. The former became an even funnier story. The short version: I wrote a rather silly letter complaining about the letter column. In his response, he declared me his bitch. According to him, other people started to write in and ask if they could be his bitches too. I now laugh at them, happy that he actually remembered my letter.
After getting my booty signed, I got a picture with him. And a hug! And then I gracefully stepped down and walked away.
Until the line died down. I went back and got him to sign a poster for a friend. I got him to pose for more pictures. (Which was good, because the first didn't come out.) I asked him about any movie projects he had going (None. He had offers, but was basically "smiling politely" at them.). I tried to think of anything else I could get from this opportunity, and came up short. So I left.
A friend who came with me said I exceeded my hug quota. I didn't know there was one. The only thing I know for sure is that he was soooooo... nice. You wouldn't think it from the way he writes, but he was a complete gentleman. I admire him even more, as a person in addition to a writer. Maybe this is the point of all my rambling... love the fans. Not to say other creators aren't nice to their fans, but they should be careful not to let a few bad experiences make them think otherwise.
It's important for creators to make themselves accessable. Many writers and artists have websites, message boards, and e-mail addresses. They post on Usenet or send out notices on a mailing list. It's important to stay in touch with your fans, if only because it reminds you why you're creating whatever latest masterpiece. But most of all I think meeting them in person is most important.
As a fan, I can only give a selfish opinion on this matter. I like meeting my favorite creators. It makes me feel special. I feel good. I'm sure Ellis saw that in me and everyone else who showed up that day. Meeting the creator strengthens the bond between fan and the work itself, because actually seeing the people whose names appear on the cover makes them more real. The work becomes more real because it now has actual human emotion attached to it now.
Wow, who knew a smile and a signature could do so much?