Stan Lee
It is quite possible that there is no autograph that has been more important to me than that of Mr. Stan Lee. My first encounter with Stan Lee was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, in the convention world. It encompassed so many of the elements that make this hobby such fun.
First, the fact that Stan Lee was going to be available for autographs at the first annual Long Beach Comic-Con, in 2009, was a surprise. Prior to seeing a sign announcing his appearance at the con, I’d only seen him behind ridiculous crowds at SDCC. In fact, I was so surprised to see the sign advertising his autograph tickets that I was convinced they must have already sold out; thankfully, this was not the case. For a mere $30, we were able to secure a ticket to get his autograph the following day.
Immediately, the question arose as to what to have Mr. Lee sign. This was going to be (or so I thought) a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I needed something for him to autograph that would somehow match this experience. Not having any thousand dollar comic books available, Carmelle introduced the idea of having Stan Lee autograph my arm and having his signature tattooed.
As crazy as it first sounded, it did encompass the significance of what this event really meant. If it weren't for the world that Stan Lee was so pivotal in building, I might never have learned to read. So, if we were to get this autograph made into a tattoo, there were many logistics to work out. The biggest of these was to find a place to do the work immediately following the actual signing.
A quick Internet search found that Kari Barba’s "Outer Limits Tattoo and Piercing" was just a few blocks away. Although this was an exciting find, there was no guarantee they would have the availability to fit me in for a tattoo on, what I assumed would be, a busy Saturday afternoon. Once we got to the shop, we found it to be one of the most amazing tattoo shops we’d ever visited. Later, we would find that the vintage look wasn’t just an appearance, but it was rooted in a great tradition of tattooing history. That being said, the awesome shop wouldn’t do us any good unless we could talk an artist into fitting us in his or her schedule.
That component came to fruition as a long-haired artist explained that he had a packed schedule, but that the idea was “too cool” to pass on. He gave us a surgical marker, to have Stan use because that ink would better endure the tattooing process, and wished us luck on the journey.
All of our planning would be worthless, if we were not able to get close enough to Stan Lee to have him write on my arm. Carmelle and I decided to get a second autograph ticket, if they were still available. Although our Avenger’s toy set wasn’t very valuable, it still seemed like a nice platform to have the Lee signature adorn and, more importantly, it would lock up more time with the Master of Marvel. Once again, our luck held out and we were able to purchase the second ticket; and hoped for the best, for the following day. After a few more hours of Con shopping, we left for a friend’s baby shower and plotted the next day’s endeavor.
As we drove to the Long Beach Convention Center, we had trepidation about pulling everything together. There were so many variables that could go wrong, that it seemed like a 50-50 proposition, at best. As we neared the front of the line, Stan Lee’s handlers announced that things were taking too long and that there would be no more photographs. Furthermore, every item was going through two handlers before Lee would touch the item. In short, no one was getting close to Stan Lee. Although I was worried about being turned away, I gathered the alcohol wipes and surgical marker from my backpack and readied myself to make the request. I hoped security didn't think my intent was to kidnap the author, as I proceeded with my odd request.
As we approached the handler, I handed over my two autograph tickets and the Avenger’s toy set, explaining that one of the autographs was for my arm. The handler didn’t hesitate, at all, and let me get right up in front of Stan “The Man” Lee. It was a humbling experience, as Mr. Lee was gracious and kind. He apologized for being a bit shaky, but took the surgical marker, just the same, and placed his patented signature on my left bicep. Furthermore, he shook my hand, thanked me, and wished me luck.
Because of the unique nature of this autograph, I was able to have far more interaction with “The Man” than anyone else that day. As soon as we left the line, we hurriedly rushed out of the convention center and down to Outer Limits. There was one last piece to this puzzle and we weren’t going to waste any time in finishing it.
The rest of the story finishes with little drama; we walked in and the artist rushed me to a chair, where he finished the last touches to this grand plan. He said it was one of his favorite tattoos he'd ever done because of the process and nostalgia involved; and it is, by far, my favorite as well.
First, the fact that Stan Lee was going to be available for autographs at the first annual Long Beach Comic-Con, in 2009, was a surprise. Prior to seeing a sign announcing his appearance at the con, I’d only seen him behind ridiculous crowds at SDCC. In fact, I was so surprised to see the sign advertising his autograph tickets that I was convinced they must have already sold out; thankfully, this was not the case. For a mere $30, we were able to secure a ticket to get his autograph the following day.
Immediately, the question arose as to what to have Mr. Lee sign. This was going to be (or so I thought) a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I needed something for him to autograph that would somehow match this experience. Not having any thousand dollar comic books available, Carmelle introduced the idea of having Stan Lee autograph my arm and having his signature tattooed.
As crazy as it first sounded, it did encompass the significance of what this event really meant. If it weren't for the world that Stan Lee was so pivotal in building, I might never have learned to read. So, if we were to get this autograph made into a tattoo, there were many logistics to work out. The biggest of these was to find a place to do the work immediately following the actual signing.
A quick Internet search found that Kari Barba’s "Outer Limits Tattoo and Piercing" was just a few blocks away. Although this was an exciting find, there was no guarantee they would have the availability to fit me in for a tattoo on, what I assumed would be, a busy Saturday afternoon. Once we got to the shop, we found it to be one of the most amazing tattoo shops we’d ever visited. Later, we would find that the vintage look wasn’t just an appearance, but it was rooted in a great tradition of tattooing history. That being said, the awesome shop wouldn’t do us any good unless we could talk an artist into fitting us in his or her schedule.
That component came to fruition as a long-haired artist explained that he had a packed schedule, but that the idea was “too cool” to pass on. He gave us a surgical marker, to have Stan use because that ink would better endure the tattooing process, and wished us luck on the journey.
All of our planning would be worthless, if we were not able to get close enough to Stan Lee to have him write on my arm. Carmelle and I decided to get a second autograph ticket, if they were still available. Although our Avenger’s toy set wasn’t very valuable, it still seemed like a nice platform to have the Lee signature adorn and, more importantly, it would lock up more time with the Master of Marvel. Once again, our luck held out and we were able to purchase the second ticket; and hoped for the best, for the following day. After a few more hours of Con shopping, we left for a friend’s baby shower and plotted the next day’s endeavor.
As we drove to the Long Beach Convention Center, we had trepidation about pulling everything together. There were so many variables that could go wrong, that it seemed like a 50-50 proposition, at best. As we neared the front of the line, Stan Lee’s handlers announced that things were taking too long and that there would be no more photographs. Furthermore, every item was going through two handlers before Lee would touch the item. In short, no one was getting close to Stan Lee. Although I was worried about being turned away, I gathered the alcohol wipes and surgical marker from my backpack and readied myself to make the request. I hoped security didn't think my intent was to kidnap the author, as I proceeded with my odd request.
As we approached the handler, I handed over my two autograph tickets and the Avenger’s toy set, explaining that one of the autographs was for my arm. The handler didn’t hesitate, at all, and let me get right up in front of Stan “The Man” Lee. It was a humbling experience, as Mr. Lee was gracious and kind. He apologized for being a bit shaky, but took the surgical marker, just the same, and placed his patented signature on my left bicep. Furthermore, he shook my hand, thanked me, and wished me luck.
Because of the unique nature of this autograph, I was able to have far more interaction with “The Man” than anyone else that day. As soon as we left the line, we hurriedly rushed out of the convention center and down to Outer Limits. There was one last piece to this puzzle and we weren’t going to waste any time in finishing it.
The rest of the story finishes with little drama; we walked in and the artist rushed me to a chair, where he finished the last touches to this grand plan. He said it was one of his favorite tattoos he'd ever done because of the process and nostalgia involved; and it is, by far, my favorite as well.
