As I read our PopWatch Duel with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, who revealed their geekiest/most-prized possessions, I started wondering what mine would be…
If we’re talking about something that I own and wouldn’t want to have to pay to replace, it would be my 20-disc Kids in the Hall Megaset. If we’re speaking of things that are priceless, I would say my now-abandoned collection of "Thanks for last night!" autographs, some of which decorate my office door. (Note to impressionable young EW staffers and all aspiring journalists: I did not obtain any of these autographs while conducting an interview. I am a professional.)
I’ve mentioned my collection before on PopWatch. It started 10 years ago, when I was at a book signing for Jon Stewart’s Naked Pictures of Famous People.We were given Post-its to write our names on, so he’d be able to spellthem correctly. I heard him ask the person in front of me what heshould sign in his book, so I wrote "To Mandi, Thanks for Last Night!"on my Post-it, and when it was my turn to hand my copy to Stewart, I told himI’d made it easy for him. He wrote it, added "Va Va Va Voom!," and wewere both happy. Two days later, I went to a signing for Steve Martin’sPure Drivel, and asked him to sign "Thanks for last night!" Helooked at me, in silence, then finally said, "Just don’t hold me to itin court." A collection was born.
Other autographs include:
• Stephen Colbert — A 30th birthday present from a colleague three years ago.
• Trey Parker and Matt Stone — A present for being a friend’s maid of honor four years ago.
• Anthony Stewart Head (that’s him, dressed as Frank-N-Furter) — I got that one myself, at a Buffy fan convention, five years ago.
• Jimmy Fallon — He and his sister both signed a copy of their 2003 book I Hate This Place: A Pessimist’s Guide to Life. Twisted, but funny!
• Ryan Seacrest — A present from a colleague, from the early days of Idol.
• Dave Coulier — A present from a colleague, just because he was friends with Coulier’s publicist.
• Justin Timberlake — This was back in, like, 2000, maybe. He signed it "Thanx 4 last night!" — how cute was he? — and told the colleague who got it for me not to let it fall into the wrong hands.
• Coolio and Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell: I put them together because they were dining, separately, at a restaurant in D.C. years ago, when a friend had them each sign a cloth napkin (that I have framed in my office). Coolio wrote, "Thanx 4 last night & yesterday & the day B4. It was good!" Harwell added, "You bend like no other!"
• John Wesley Harding — He signed "Thanks for last night… when youlet me play ‘Little Musgrave’" because I’d had the friend who met himask him if he really wanted to play that song at every live show or ifhe just did it because there was always someone in the crowd yellingfor it.
• Rudy Boesch — I accompanied a friend to the former Survivor contestant’s book signing (The Book of Rudy: The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch) in 2001. He kept repeating it: "Thanks for last night?" "Yes." "Thanks for last night?" "Yes." But he did it.
• Dave Karpen — A former colleague, also obsessed with Paradise Hotel, got it for me when she ran into him doing a signing at Sephora five years ago.
Your turn. (After the jump, a guide to my door.)
Row 1: Ryan Seacrest, Anthony Stewart Head, John Wesley Harding
Row 2: Stephen Colbert, South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Dave Coulier
Row 3: Paradise Hotel’s Dave Karpen
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My John Carpenter’s THE THING snow cone maker of course!
http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=334
It would have to be this:
http://larryfire.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/stan-lee-is-a-nice-guy/
My most prized & irreplaceable possession is my autograph from Hanson that says “Thanx for the quickie!” – it goes to show how an off-hand comment during an informal interview can snowball. It’s now a conversation piece on my home office wall.
As for replaceable-but-still-”priceless”, I’d say my Paul McCartney The Space Within US concert DVD, because I’m in it twice.
My picture with Justin Timberlake. We have our arms around each other, and we’re both cheesin’ like six year olds. We’d look like old friends if I wasn’t wearing an NSYNC tee shirt. For shame.
My Batman:the Animated Series collection on DVD
An autographed double CD – Deep Dish Global Underground 26: Toronto
A Doctor Who Scarf (don’t ask it’s a long story)
It’s not a specific thing per se, but I’d have to go with each of my nearly 700 DVDs. Seriously, I love those things, and I even talk to them sometimes (while my girlfriend pretends not to notice).
This answer was solidified a few hours ago when I popped in the “Dreamgirls” DVD and discovered a small scratch that made the movie skip during “And I’m telling you, I’m not going.” I was visibly upset for the rest of the evening until I made it work.
My X-Files Barbie & Ken dolls.
A TWoP Tuby shirt for ‘The Amazing Race’ that I gifted to one of my good friends. He then wore it to the TARCon in Fall of 2003 and had it signed by a ton of racers from TAR4, including Phil. He then regifted it to me a couple of years later.
Also, my Netflix disc holder from back in like 2001 when all the .com companies sent you swag just for being a member.
Snarf…I’m jealous of your complete collection of “Batman: The Animated Series”. I LOVED that show when it was on and only have vol. 2 on DVD (why Vol. 2 and not vol. 1 or vol. 3? I don’t know)
I have an official Survivor buff (present from my brother) signed by Rupert Boneham (waited in line for that myself). But it’s in a box somewhere–I think–so I’m not sure how “prized” that means I consider it.
OH! I would kill for that ASH picture. I’m insanely jealous of you.
My Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster (original, BTW) and my autograph from Andy Kaufman.
My collection of Adam Ant tour shirts from the 1982 Friend or Foe tour through the Wonderful tour in 1995. If I had any artistic talent I would make shirts for the years since that he has not toured but I also don’t want to appear nerdy. Hmmmm…Too late? I also have an Evita cd signed by Mandy Patinkin who I was too awed by to actually talk to when I handed him my copy. I’d like to take that moment back.
My autographed copy of the 40th anniversary edition of “The Outsiders”. S.E. Hinton was appearing at the Book Expo last year in New York, but you had to get a ticket to get her autograph and we got to the ticket counter too late. We happened upon her purely by accident on the show floor – she was signing copies of her new book at a booth for a small publisher and I got a chance to talk and fangirl her for much longer than if I had gone to the big autographing. She’s a sweet, funny lady.
I have a few: a photo of Bono and I during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005, my Almost Famous vintage hotel room key, and my copy of the Clerks/Chasing Amy screenplays autographed by Kevin Smith. It says, “Melissa … Don’t believe a word of this.”
I’m a NASCAR fan and have several things signed by drivers, but the most prized would be decals that would go on the car AND a personal note someone had taped on Greg Biffle’s steering wheel for a race. I matted and framed those, they’re just that freaking cool.
An eye burrito made by Amy Sedaris during a performance at Symphony Space, which she was doing to promote her new book at the time, I Like You.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/boobookittyass/S4010003.jpg
I got a YM magazine signed by NSYNC when I was in middle school. Awesome.
I have too much Alias stuff to name, now I know why my friends think I have a problem:
-DVD set in special edition collector’s box
-Photo with and autographed playbill from Jen Garner after seeing her in Cyrano on Broadway
-An “Alias” crew hat scored for me by a co-worker through a friend
I also have a really cool “Elizabethtown” movie poster autographed by Cameron Crowe and Nancy Wilson. Yes, the movie was crappy, but they personalized the poster for me!
Collection of original anime cels – I have some from Vision of Escaflowne, Silent Mobius, Record of the Lodoss War and genga from Fushigi Yuugi and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. My most prized cel is a beautiful cel of Deedlit from Lodoss Wars dressed in the ballgown with background.
First Edition hardcover UK Editions of “Something Rotten”, “First Among Sequels”, and “The Fourth Bear” all autographed by Jasper Fforde
Star Wars collection – numerous action figures, posters, comics, t-shirts, etc.
Manga and anime collection – Most prized of this lot is a rare release copy of the manga Deedlit’s Tale: Volume 1 autographed by Lisa Ortiz (English voice actress for Deedlit) with a numbered certificate of authenticity (number 286 of 500 copies)
Japanese RPG Video Game collection including some rare and hard to get games
An origami crane autographed by Iron Chef Morimoto (random I know)
My St. Louis driving directions that Bono, Edge and Adam Clayton signed on 12/14/05. Bono drew a Christmas Tree for me. Still the best Christmas gift ever.
Clive Cussler signed my worn out, taped together paperback copy of “Raise the Titanic”. He inscribed it with “We will always have that starry night in Waikiki.”
1. i don’t have anything signed per say–not that i would want anything signed–but i would be bummed if my collection of artistic magazine photo spreads (EW, Vanity Fair, GQ, etc.) was lost/damaged. I’ve been collecting them for almost 5 years.
2. i have a sailor moon fabric banner that i’m having a hard time letting go of–considering I’m 22 and I haven’t watched an episode in 7 years.
3. i have a harry potter and the prisoner of azkban action figure (lol).
4. i’m starting a collection of movie posters. My first is the dark knight’s joker poster that says “Why so Serious?” I’ll probably get The Goonies next.
5. I have superhero t-shirts (superman and batman) that i’ll stop wearing to preserve once i sense they’re getting a bit worn.
6. The same goes for my Real Madrid soccer backpack. I’m afraid the painted-on logo is going to rub off. lol
I have a pink inflatable guitar that both Weird Al Yankovich and Steve Poltz signed, and I have a celebrity golf program that Matthew McConaughey signed. I was standing right in front of him but was so intimidated that I almost didn’t get it signed! And yes, he was wearing a shirt at the time….
Autographed – A thank you note from Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys.
Toy – My Sonic Screwdriver.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/8cff/
In 1990, I think, Mojo Nixon was signing autographs at Newbury Comics in Harvard Square. My boyfriend “Slick” was a big fan. I told Mojo Nixon that our college (Brandeis) comedy troupe, Boris’ Kitchen, had recently performed a “Family Feud” game show sketch with Mojo appearing as Richard Nixon’s illegitimate son. He thought this was hillarious and signed his photo: “Slick, slicker than two eels f*cking in a bucket of snot.” Such poetry! I don’t know where the photo is now; you’d have to ask my husband, “Slick”.
I have a caricature I drew of NSYNC that someone had signed (I drew one for her daughter and she made me a copy as a surprise gift.) I also started a Buffy cast drawing that I had several cast members sign, including ASH and Nicholas Brendan. The coolest stuff I own though isn’t autographed; I have almost all the Muppet action figures produced by Palisades Toys and every Spice Girl doll and action figure. I have a pretty good sized Spice Girls collection packed away in storage… *sigh* I miss it. I just wish I had some autographed paraphenalia.
My original script of the Simpsons of the episode Weekend at Burnsie’s. I got it from Mike Reiss who also autographed it back in 2000, but the episode aired in 2002, so there’s a lot in the script that isn’t in the episode. Best. Possession. Ever.
My Frodo action figure from Lord of the Rings — a Valentine’s Day gift from my husband. What a great guy!
Plus we have all the extra stuff that came with the Extended Editions of LOTR–the miniature of the White City, the book ends, etc. We also have gorgeous editions of the LOTR books from a publisher called Folio.
i also have some Harry Potter Christmas ornaments with Harry, Ron, and Hermione drawn by some random artist, rather than pictures of the actors because the movie wasn’t cast yet.
Forgot to add that I have EW magazine issue #1 (with kd lang on the cover). That might be worth something someday.
Original Star Wars comics signed by Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett). They are in storage right now in one of 15 rubbermaid containers full of Star Wars stuff because my very ungeeky wife won’t let me display my SW goods until we sell the condo and move into a house.