Remember: It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential benefits are staggering. A pat on the back to an artist now could one day result in your favorite film, or the cartoon you love to get stoned watching, or the song that saves your life. Discourage an artist, you get absolutely nothing in return, ever.
Kevin Smith
All year I braced myself to turn 57. Until 4 weeks before I turned 57 when I realized I was actually going to be 58. I then needed a real pick-me-up, yeah howdy.
I have never used the expression “yeah howdy” until the sentence above. It’s a weird time for me. Anyway, I saw that Kevin Smith was going to be at GalaxyCon. I actually called it “GalaxyQuest” until 4 weeks before the actual event. I’m starting to see a pattern emerge here …
I love Kevin Smith. I like his movies, yes – but it’s his TALKS that never fail to hit me in the feels. I remember watching an interview that turned into him just waxing philosophical. For almost an hour. The primary gist was “Never give up.” And part of it was about not being too old to start.
Well … I’ve already started and wavered – but I’ve started.
So one fine day, Kevin Smith liked a Regarding the Secret Life of Rabbits’ comic tweet! A super hero mash-up, in fact. Yeah Howdy!
As an act of gratitude I made a comic of Sam and Silent Bob.
And he RETWEETED IT!
and then it was picked up by some Hollywood website!
I went viral for a hot second. I mean, if you consider a tweet getting retweeted by a celebrity and some attention from a Hollywood gossip website going viral. Alas, fame still eludes me. Although, for $8.00 a month Elon Musk will let me have a blue checkmark!
I decided I wanted to meet this man. Kevin Smith – not Elon Musk.
I bought a “for $$$ get something autographed” ticket. The big day arrived. I cosplayed as … well … you know … That Lady.
Ok, it really wasn’t cosplay. I always look like That Lady. Kevin Smith was in a curtained-off booth, hidden from view. It was all very mysterious. Apparently mystery makes my palms and upper lip sweat. “OH. NO.” I thought to myself, “I HAVE A HAG HAIR.”
*Hag Hair: the thick black hair that sprouts on a person’s top lip or chin when their estrogen level crashes. Usually the thickness of a corded rope.
My turn! Kevin Smith smiled and extended a hand to shake mine. I looked at his hand. I looked at him. I blurted out a startled, “Oh!” and shook his hand. I am smoothe as silk.
I put “SAM AND SILENT BOB” in front of him. His hands lightly slap against the table.
“YES!” He looks at me, “I remember this!”
ME: You liked one of my tweets and I did this one to thank you!
KS: YES!
ME: <complete fangirl delayed reaction> OHMYGODYOUREMEMBER?!
KS: YES! <indicates comic> IS THIS YOU?!
ME: YES!
KS: THIS IS GREAT!
ME: OHMYGOD!
We seriously stood there exitedly yelling in each other’s general direction. Kevin Smith actually acted as geeked out about the comic as I was over him.
He shared that he had forwarded it to his daughter (the person I was actually focused on back then because – bunny mom) and she apparently found it … HILARIOUS.
I then explained my following grew because of that. I got a fist bump and he put his hand on his heart and said, “I love that.”
So FINALLY we get around to the signature and I haven’t once thought about that ebony serpent poking out under my nose.
He wanted to know whom to make it out to … “Could you make it out to my rabbit, Sammy?”
He put his hand out again. I looked at said hand again. I looked at him again. I blurted out a startled, “Oh!” and shook his hand again.
ME: Ok. I’m going to go cry now.
KS: Awwww. Don’t do that!
But I did.
I came away from this experience with a couple of things:
A. How does a person do as much as he does (podcast, comics, movies, speaking, autographs, publicity tours in general)? Everyone wanting and taking a little piece of you. How does he not lose his mind?
and
B. I never told him my name. He only knows Sammy.
If you wait long enough, everything you hope will happen, will happen. It just requires patience. It doesn’t require money. It requires patience and longevity. If you wait long enough in life, patience and longevity will absolutely deliver it to you.
Kevin Smith Again
Yeah Howdy.
PS. Don’t wait for someone else to make a way for your dream – make your own way.
Absolutely beautiful!