One Tough Autograph: Director James Cameron

Avatar director James Cameron was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Sunday, February 28. Security is generally tight at this hotel and it's easy to stick out like a sore thumb, standing in the lobby during one of these awards galas. We decided to take our chances and showed up for departures. We spied several other collectors in the lobby, all attempting to look inconspicuous to varying degrees. After a lengthy wait, the banquet's guests began leaving. We weren't spotting even a single celebrity leaving this event, even with a touted guest list of James Cameron, Dr. Ed Catmull (President of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), Bill Paxton (“Big Love,” "Titanic"), Amy Smart ("Just Friends", "The Butterfly Effect") Tom Arnold ("True Lies”), Katee Sackhoff (“24,” “Battlestar Galactica”) Steve Wozniak (“Dancing with the Stars,” Founder of Apple, Inc.) and many others. Finally, when all was looking bleak, here came James Cameron off the escalator. Even more surprisingly, he stopped and said that he would sign one each. My sister and I each had Cameron sign an index card with our blue sharpie. Cameron signed quickly, declining photo-ops, and was out the door. He didn't sign any more autographs once he was outside the hotel either, though a collector did manage to snag a photo with the elusive director. We never did see any of the other celebrity guests but after getting Cameron to sign, the evening was already a success. Cameron is a notoriously difficult autograph to obtain and we have personally seen him on four previous occasions and this is the first time that he actually obliged autograph requests. I guess the lesson is that persistence is the key and with some luck, you might score that desired autograph.

First Annual “Get Lucky For Lupus” Celebrity Poker Tournament

All the big celebrity poker guns came out for "Get Lucky For Lupus" Celebrity Poker Tournament and Party on Thursday, February 25th. It was an eclectic mix of celebrities, from Playboy Playmates, wrestlers and actors and actresses, all showing up for a good cause and to flex their poker-playing skills.

Some of the guests had already arrived, but I managed to catch Gilles Marini and get him to sign a still from the "Sex and the City" movie. Unfortunately, we did not see him again and assume that he might have left from another entrance. Gilles attends several events in Hollywood and is always good to collectors.

Lou Diamond Phillips also was a fabulous signer, taking his time to sign a super-legible autograph that contains every letter of his name. This is a rarity in Hollywood these days, as most celebrities will give you a scribble, if anything at all. I had previously met Lou on Broadway in 1997, when he was starring in "The King and I". He was as friendly and accommodating just as he had been 13 years ago. It's good to see that some things never change. Phillips also signed and chatted with fans on the way out as well. I was the first one up to Lou, he took my blue sharpie and signed the "La Bamba" shot I had for him. He was engaged in a conversation with fans and paparazzi, so when Lou would turn his head to look at them, I would flip another photo. He kept turning back to me, signing the next photo and then turn, returning his attention to the conversation. He was very gracious and it was kind of funny that I got all four photos completed before anyone else had even gotten one! Lou Diamond Phillips is a great guy and signed everything for everyone, but it was sure nice to get everything finished nonetheless.

A surprise guest was Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol fame. He came out with Lou Diamond Phillips, who was hugging on him and saying, "Sanjaya's my boy". Wrestling superstar Torrie Wilson was also with them and the three of them seemed to have genuinely bonded during the poker event. The three of them mingled for several minutes in front of the hotel. Torrie signed a very scribble, illegible autograph and did not really seem to want to sign autographs. Her reluctance may be due to her having a bit of alcohol in her system, as she came out of the hotel still holding and drinking a glass of red wine. Sanjaya graciously signed autographs for fans, posed for pictures and even spoke to the paparazzi at length about his style and time on American Idol. He smiled his big smile and was a pleasure to meet. I noticed Sanjaya's sister, Shyamali Malakar, who went unnoticed by most everyone else. I remembered her from American Idol, as she made it past the initial audition rounds to Hollywood week but was ultimately cut. I approached her and asked politely if she would sign an autograph. She asked, "Are you sure you want me?" I replied, "Yes, I remember you from American Idol". I handed her my blue sharpie and as she took it she sighed, "Oh, a blue sharpie...I know what you do with this." "Are you serious?" I responded. "I'm a fan and if you don't want to sign it, I don't care." She looked at me, with a distrustful look, and proceeded to sign an autograph for me. To be honest with you, at this point I truly could have cared less. She certainly does not qualify as a star and her autograph would be worthless on the market. The only value her signature has is to a fan that remembers her from the show. All that being said, I was the only person who asked her and most collectors did not care about or even remember her from American Idol.

Playboy Playmate Joanna Krupa is one of the best signers I've ever encountered. As we stopped her on her way in, she joked, "Now, you don't have any naked photos of me, do you?" This is funny on two counts. First, many celebrities pose for nude photos but then refuse to sign them. Secondly, Joanna's Playboy shots are wonderful and what everyone had for her to sign. Joanna is a sweetheart and grabbed a blue sharpie and began inking her signature on everything put in front of her. Even when her escort urged that it was time to get inside, Joanna did not stop and kept signing up a storm. Eventually, after being told 3 or 4 times that it was time to get into the event did Krupa finally wind down. Even then, she said that she would sign on the way out. One of the collectors said that they spotted her leave out the front, as everyone was chasing down another celebrity's autograph. So I missed her on the way out but Joanna is a class act who appreciates her fans and a sweetheart to boot!

Corey Feldman also signed upon arriving to the event but I missed him. He also signed when departing the event and I got him to sign an index card. Feldman personalizes each item and is very friendly, engaging in conversation and joking with collectors. He even spoke to some of the paparazzi assembled who were asking him about "Lost Boys" and the sequel which recently came out, straight to DVD. Corey was married to Playboy Playmate Susie Feldman but they broke up within the past year and Corey had a new, blonde girlfriend with him. Ever the gentleman, Corey took off his jacket and put it on his date, before coming over to the assembled collectors to sign autographs. Corey seemed to genuinely be interested in the photographs he signed for collectors, even mentioning a couple of times that he had not previously seen some of the photos fans were having him sign.

Brie Bella and Nikki Bella, collectively referred to as The Bella Twins or The Bellas, are wrestling with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) organization. These twin sisters are fantastic with fans, signing every single autograph requested and posing for photographs with fans as well. Nikki signs her autograph with "Besos!", which is Spanish for "Kisses" while Brie signs her autograph with a peace symbol. Their autographs are quite nice and dually-signed items by these ladies are a fabulous addition to any collection.

Jesse Metcalfe from "Desperate Housewives" initially turned our requests down but eventually broke down, signed both photos I had for him. I saw James Kyson Lee on the way in but did not ask him to sign as the lady in front of him put her car in reverse and slammed into the front of his BMW. I knew that it was not the appropriate time to ask Lee for an autograph. However, on the way out the "Heroes" star signed, limiting it to "one each". Stephen Colletti from "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" signed all four photos that I put in front of him. Scott Grimes, known for his appearances on "ER", signed and posed for pictures with collectors upon arriving and departing the poker charity event. Tia Carrera from "Wayne's World" signed autographs with the salutation, "Party on!" Melissa Joan Hart did not sign on the way in and when asked if she would please sign on the way out, responded, "Maybe." We never did see her leave and assumed she snuck out the back. Baseball legend and self-admitted steroid user Jose Canseco eventually relented, after some coaxing, and signed an autograph per person as he left the tournament. Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole also signed for us as she left, as did Shanna Moakler.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan is an international action star, world renowned for years for the fact that he did his own stunts. Recently, Chan was back in the US promoting his new Disney film, "The Spy Next Door". He made the typical promotional rounds in Los Angeles, culminating with an unveiling of his wax figure at Hollywood Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum on January 12, 2010. Not having previously attended one of these ceremonies, I was a bit unsure of what to expect when I arrived. The entire area was packed with spectators and several media and camera people in front of them. It was difficult to even get a clear view let alone have any access for the chance of meeting and obtaining Jackie Chan's autograph. I had heard the stories over the years of Chan being a difficult signature and several years ago in New York City had even experienced first-hand Chan ignoring collectors after an appearance on the David Letterman show. I walked around to the side of the building and noticed a security guard who seemed to be on heightened duty. Since there was a parking garage entrance there, we thought maybe they were going to bring Jackie Chan in through the garage. When the security guard walked away, my sister made her way down the ramp to investigate. A few minutes after she left, a black limousine pulled and Jackie was in the back. As Jackie opened the door to exit the car, security made a move to block me from approaching Chan. However, at the same time a couple of collectors ran from another direction, distracting the security guard so I was able to call out to Jackie and ask for an autograph. He was walking down a ramp that lead into an opened garage door. I reached out over a railing, extended my sharpie and an index card. Jackie paused a second and it was apparent that he considered not obliging but he took my pen and item and made his way into the building. Once inside, he bent over, putting the index card on his knee and signed the autograph. He dropped the pen, retrieved it, handing both the pen and autograph to a security guard who brought it back out to me. I was thrilled as this was the only autograph he signed on the way in. After the ceremony, Chan exited via the same garage door and we called out for him to sign. He took my sister's pen but did not take an item from her. Chan then took the two posters I was holding, handing one back to me and then went down the line of collectors randomly taking items. Jackie took all the items into his awaiting limousine, where he signed them and then handed them to a security guard to give back to their proper owners. We got "The Spy Next Door" poster signed at this time. Chan is a difficult autograph to say the least and when you ask him for an autograph, he kind of looks around with an expression on his face like he doesn't understand. However, Chan is proficient in English and does understand. It seems this is part of his ruse in attempting to avoid having to sign autographs for fans and collectors.

Sammy Hagar and Chickenfoot

Sammy Hagar had a successful solo career long before joining and leading Van Halen to some of their best selling albums. After Hagar left or was kicked out Van Halen in 1996 (depending on whether you believe Hagar or Eddie Van Halen's version of which occurred), he began performing with his new band, Sammy Hagar and the Waboritas. In 2009, a super group called Chickenfoot was formed, consisting of front man Sammy Hagar, fellow Van Halen alum Michael Anthony on bass, guitarist Joe Satriani and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the drums.

Prior to beginning a full North American tour in 2009, Chickenfoot had a few "warm-up gigs" to prepare and hone their show. On May 20, 2009, Chickenfoot played one of these pre-tour shows at the Roxy on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. This show at the small venue Roxy was a big deal for several reasons. Sammy Hagar has a loyal fan following, Hagar's former band Van Halen had gotten their big break at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go club right down the street from the Roxy and the Roxy is a small venue that holds a few hundred fans compared to the concert halls, arenas and coliseums that Hagar and his band mates normally play.

I knew that the band members would most likely be dropped off near a side door of the Roxy. From previous experiences, I knew that bands typically arrive to shows in SUVs or vans. As I was standing in line, awaiting for the Roxy to open the doors, I quickly got out of line and hurried to the side of the building any time I spotted a vehicle that I thought would be Sammy Hagar arriving for the concert. After several "false alarms" I spied a black SUV with tinted windows. When I got within 20 feet of the vehicle, I spotted Sammy Hagar and his trademark blonde locks in the backseat. The SUV pulled up to the stage door, the vehicle's door open and out popped Sammy Hagar quickly. I yelled to get his attention, "Sammy, Can you sign?" Sammy took my pen and commented "Wow! The 'Foot" referencing the Chickenfoot magazine that I was getting autographed. And with that he was inside the Roxy. A couple of fans who realized a few seconds too late ran up but didn't get signatures as Hagar was gone and the door closed.

After the concert we waited at the side door for the members of Chickenfoot to appear. Hagar signed 5 or 6 autographs as he was escorted to his car and whisked away. Joe Satriani came out the front of the Roxy unrecognized by most and he signed multiple items for us when we asked. Chad Smith came out later and signed a couple of items for everyone. As he was signing, Michael Anthony came out the front and joked, "Look! It's Will Ferrell" talking about Chad Smith who does indeed resemble the comedian. Anthony went upstairs to a bar above the Roxy and was up there for some time. When he finally left, it was quite apparent that Michael Anthony had partied a bit upstairs. Being an extremely nice guy, Anthony willingly signed for fans even though a lady with him kept telling him that it was time to go. In fact, Anthony was leaning against my sister, who was holding him up as his balance was off.

The band released their self-titled debut album, Chickenfoot, on June 5, 2009 with an appearance on Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show and an in-store album signing at Best Buy. My sister attended the signing, arriving at the store early to secure her place in line. Chickenfoot would be signing one item per person and it was limited to the new album released that day. Wisely, my sister asked a Best Buy worker if they had any copies of the Chickenfoot album on vinyl, not the standard CD. She was told yes, that the store had received only two LP copies of the album. My sister purchased the vinyl record album, which was produced in much smaller quantities than the CDs. To put this scarcity in perspective, there were hundreds of CD copies of the Chickenfoot album that day, yet just 2 of the copies were on vinyl. Besides being rare, the LP cover is much larger than that of a CD, thus being more aesthetic and allowing for larger and better autographs. It's a fact that the number of LPs that Chickenfoot will ever be asked to sign as a group will pale in comparison to the number of CDs that fans desire for the band to sign.

Fans were quickly rushed through the line as the members of Chickenfoot autographed each fan's Chickenfoot album. My sister's LP generated much attention from several fans as she was asked several times, "Where did you get that?" It was obvious that Hagar, Anthony, Satriani and Smith also realized that the LP was much more rare as all placed beautiful signatures on the LP cover. Hagar has variations of his autograph as nowadays he will typically sign what appears to be sloppily signed "SyH". A capital S and lower case y, followed by a capital H and line, which is how he signed my Chickenfoot magazine cover. Hagar, when signing for several people or signing autographs quickly, will sometimes give you a signature that is even worse - looking like nothing more than a "SH". This was not the case at the in-store signing, as Sammy signed a full signature that looked like the autographs he used to sign all the time during the late 1990's when I met him on several ocassions. As you can see, the Sammy Hagar autograph on the Chickenfoot album from the in-store appearance is a neater and more defined version of Hagar's signature. Michael Anthony always gives a nice, consistent signature and he did not disappoint. Joe Satriani also always seems to give a nice, flowing autograph that is visually appealing, as it is large in size with a prominent "J" in Joe and "S" in Satriani. Chad Smith put a great autograph on the Chickenfoot LP, even adding a smiley face drawing. All these signatures in a thick, silver marker just seem to pop off the black background of the LP cover.

Dr. McDreamy and Lake Bell

It was a good night when I went after two guests appearing on a television talk show here in Hollywood. Lake Bell was fantastic, signing one item per person. I'm told that she typically will sign multiples for collectors and I am sure that the limit was instituted because the security person with her was barking, "One each guys". Lake kind of groaned and said, "I don't like signing those" when she spotted a sexy modeling shot that I had for her to sign. "What?" I said. "You're covered up by water". She then proceeded to autograph the photograph with a nice, big autograph and I thanked her for the gesture.

We called over to Patrick Dempsey as he exited the television studio and he walked over to the barricade where we were waiting. Most collectors had shots from "Grey's Anatomy", so when Dempsey came to my sister and her still from "Can't Buy Me Love" he was pleasantly surprised. "Oh wow, that brings back memories", he said. Dempsey didn't pull a "Ronald Miller scam" in the least bit, inking one autograph per person. Patrick Dempsey was a staple of 1980's romantic comedies, so it was nice to see that he also appreciates them as much as we all still do.

A Couple of Sweeties, a Grouch and Batman!

When encountering celebrities, sometimes the experience is good and sometimes not so much. It can be a major disappointment when you meet someone who you admire and their actual personality differs significantly from that of the characters they portray in movies or on television.

Two actresses who do not disappoint collectors are Evangeline Lilly and Rose McGowan. At a recent television show appearance, Lilly patiently signed autographs for awaiting collectors afterwards. With the television show "Lost" being in it's final season, now is the time to acquire this Canadian-born actress. As Lilly is extremely dedicated to social causes, she has said that once the show ends that she would like to concentrate on overseas humanitarian work. She was doing two each due to the large crowd but it was possible to get even more. She even was sweet enough to chat and pose for photographs with those who asked. Rose McGowan from the movie "Grindhouse" is another celebrity who signs autographs for fans and will take pictures with them as well. McGowan is a frequent guest at Hollywood movie premieres and after parties and always good to collectors with her signing habits.

Harry Dean Stanton is best known as "Brain" in the film "Escape from New York". I was recently at Dan Tana's restaurant in West Hollywood when Stanton arrived. When approached for an autograph, Stanton mumbled, "I'm not Eastwood". Normally, this might seem like an odd comment but the fact was that Eastwood had arrived minutes earlier to the restaurant. So, I assume that Harry was meeting Eastwood at the restaurant. I used the opportunity to get this legendary actor from the movies "Red Dawn" and "Pretty in Pink" on an index card for my collection. Even though he is 83 years old, he looks bad and kind of appears to be in poor health. He signed the autograph and since I am a big fan of his movies, I asked if I could take a picture with him. He said to hurry up, mumbling something undecipherable, dropping a profane f-bomb in the process. Harry was basically complaining and being grumpy to collectors, something that I've been told is the typical experience when meeting him. While Harry Dean Stanton accommodated both my request for an autograph and a photograph, his attitude was not what I would describe as friendly.

I met actor Christian Bale at the after party for "Terminator: Salvation" in 2009. Even with masses of collectors, Bale took his time to make sure that each collector got a signature. There's not too much definition to Bale's autograph and he personalizes each autograph, adding the salutation "Regards" above his signature. "The Dark Knight" was a wonderful film so I welcomed the chance to add two autographs from "Batman" to my collection.

Featured Item From Our Collection: How I Met Your Mother

While every attempt is made to blog about as many experiences as possible in a timely fashion, sometimes there isn't much of a story to tell. Other times it's a matter of not having the time to both stay at home and blog and attend events for the purpose of acquiring autographs. And even other times, it's just a matter of living life, doing other things besides autographs and just taking some time to relax and enjoy life. So sometimes we have gotten some nice autographs but never got the chance to blog about it. With all that being said, from time to time we will share some if these random items from our collection for your enjoyment.

"How I Met Your Mother" is one of the top comedy sitcoms on television today. In January 2010 there was an event held in Beverly Hills, California celebrating the 100th episode of this series. This was a rare opportunity for the chance of completing a cast signed photo, as all members of the show were in attendance. Even though the show features an ensemble cast, Neil Patrick Harris steals the show and is it's true star. The exploits of the womanizing "Barney Stinson" have become some of the funniest scenes of "How I Met Your Mother". We were lucky enough to wait in the lobby of the Paley Center for Media, while the cast members walked the red carpet and conducted interviews and posed for photographs with the media. Upon exiting the media room, Alyson Hannigan was a sweetheart. She signed several autographs, including a smiley face with each one. Neil Patrick Harris also stopped and signed for 3 or 4 fans. As is typical, he asked each person's name and personalized each autograph he signed. Jason Segel rushed out of the media room, signing only one autograph on his way to the screening room, where a screening and panel discussion was held. Waiting out back after the event, Jason Segel did sign several autographs stating, "One each" to collectors. However, we were able to obtain a couple. Neil Patrick Harris left in his car without signing, as did Alyson Hannigan. Alyson said she was sorry but had to get home to her newborn child which is understandable. Harris and Hannigan both signed for collectors before the event so most of the collectors already a a chance to snag their signatures. Josh Radnor was a great signer, with both of us scoring a couple autographs from him. As you can see from this almost-complete cast photo, it is missing Colbie Smulders. She was the lone disappointment since she did not sign for collectors in the lobby beforehand and was escorted by security to her car afterwards without picking up a pen either.

A Class Act: Johnny Depp

"Life is like a box a chocolates, you never know what you are going to get". The same adage can be applied to autograph collecting. Tonight, an adventure to Hollywood for "The Hills" star Lauren Conrad ended up with no Lauren Conrad autographs but three from one of the top actors on the planet...Johnny Depp!

Upon arriving in Hollywood, we found out that not only was Lauren Conrad taping a television appearance but Shia LeBouf was as well. Unfortunately, both celebrities had already entered the studio and would not be out for about an hour and a half. Across the street was an in-store appearance and signing by the cast of the new "Alice in Wonderland" movie at the Hot Topic store in the Hollywood Mall. Originally, I had heard that the actress who portrays "Alice" would be the only one appearing but, in fact it was several members of the cast, including Johnny Depp. With the purchase of a $25 t-shirt, you would receive a wristband which allowed you to have a poster signed by all attending cast members. The wristbands were already gone when I checked about a week ago but the value seems like a good deal for all the cast members.

The El Capitan Theatre across the street from the signing was going to show a 20 minute sneak preview of "Alice in Wonderland" after the store signing. Word had it that Johnny Depp would be leaving out the back door of the theatre afterwards, which was exactly the same alley behind the buildings where we were waiting for Lauren Conrad and Shia LeBeouf. I made the long trek down the alley to find Johnny Depp signing away and the crowd was out of control. I secured a place on the fence line and was able to secure two autographs at different times. My sister soon joined me and snagged a beautiful autograph on a "Pirates of the Caribbean" photo. Depp was about to ink another one for her later on until a pesky security guard pushed her photo away for some unknown reason. People in the crowd were shoving one another and it was a challenge to even position yourself at the right place to obtain an autograph. A couple of people even snapped photos with Johnny amid all the pushing, screaming and yelling.

I have to say, Mr. Depp is a class act who truly appreciates his fans. He must have signed over two hundred autographs for his fans and collectors and he didn't seem to be phased whatsoever even with all the chaos going on around him. The crowd cheered for Depp when he finally stopped signing. To understand what a great guy Depp is, a few collectors chased after his vehicle as he left and Johnny rolled down the window and obliged their autograph requests...even after having just signed over 200! Be sure to check out the "Mad Hatter" in the new "Alice in Wonderland" movie...I know I will!

"Say hello to your mother for me" - Marky Mark minus the Funky Bunch

Tonight we anxiously awaited Mark Wahlberg's arrival to a television talk show. Soon he appeared and we called him over. Confirming the stories that I heard about Wahlberg being a nice guy, he came over to the awaiting line assembled and began to sign autographs and take photographs with anyone who asked. Mark took a black sharpie from the first person in line and kept the same marker, working his way down the lengthy line. Even with 15-20 people waiting, I have to say that Wahlberg is the epitome of cool who truly appreciates his fans, generously signing an item or two for each person. My sister got 2 photographs signed and I did as well. We chose some still photographs from "Boogie Nights" and "Invincible", two of my favorite films by Mark Wahlberg. Since Wahlberg was still signing, I pulled out an index card which he also inked. My sister took some great pics of Mark Wahlberg signing. It's always nice to meet a celebrity but it's even better when a star of Wahlberg's caliber takes some time out for collectors.

Unfortunately, the same can not be said for this year's "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition" cover model Brooklyn Decker. Ignoring collectors both upon arriving for her television appearance and when leaving, I guess that a person's outer beauty doesn't always transcend to the inside. We all wanted to meet and hopefully get an autograph or picture with this model who dates tennis star Andy Roddick. Many collectors left after Wahlberg signed so signing autographs wouldn't have taken more than a couple minutes of Decker's precious time and it certainly would've gained her some new fans. It's also disappointing when collectors are blown off by Decker yet the bigger star, Wahlberg, was more than happy to sign and greet fans.