In 2009, ECCC had a great line-up. I had just gotten an autograph by Steve Niles, whom I had been excited to finally meet. After he signed my DVD and book, he directed me towards Ben Templesmith, the artist of 30 Days of Night. I briefly talked to him while he signed my book and thanked him while he was at it. After that I found he had a twitter account and continued to follow and reply with him throughout the next year, learning that he was Australian and not even noticing his accent. He assured me that it wasn’t like the stereotypical accents from the movies. Thinking that I offended him, I decided to make it up to him next year he came into town. This, being a good intention, was my downfall.

2010 comes along and I stand in line to not only get another autograph, but apologize for my misunderstanding over twitter. After he acknowledged my lame apology, I offered to by him a beer sometime. “Can I buy you a Foster’s,” I asked. “We don’t drink that toilet water,” he replied. I asked what beer he does drink while he gave me a list of Guiness and other microbrews.” I also asked if I would get in trouble if I brought him a beer, and he said yes I would, as I thought he was joking, because he’s done that before. This is where everyone says “Chris, you are an idiot!”

Yes, I am.

I returned the next day with a microbrew in a brown paper bag and tracked down Ben Templesmith. Walking over to the DC table,  I pulled out my brown bag special.  As he realized what I had brought, he threw his hands in the air and said “Sorry, Mate! I can’t take that!” I felt like embarrassed and was viewed as a psycho fan from the group of people around me. I tried to explain why I did this, but he reacted so shocked that it couldn’t sink in properly. I disappeared faster than Batman in a smoke bomb, never to return to that area again. I learned my lesson. I don’t have a drinking problem, and I’m not a psycho. I just wanted to make nice with a cool guy. I just broke the rules to do it. Sorry ECCC, and mostly, sorry to Ben Templesmith.

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