Post by jainitai on Apr 8, 2009 12:25:19 GMT -5
I finally need to vent. I've been wanting to post this on Templesmith's message board for awhile now, but I realized that no one there would appreciate it and that they'd also probably just respond by banning me. I mean, I don't care if they ban me, but it's more just the point that they wouldn't believe, nor care about what I was saying.
So I finally met Templesmith in person for the first time at the New York Comic Con back in February. See:
I had even played a big part in getting him to the show, as I was the one that contacted the organizers (mainly Peter Tatara) whereas Templesmith had no interest in going to the show and kept saying that they probably wouldn't invite him because he already did the Wondercon or something like that. So anyway, he basically kept saying he wasn't attached and that if something did work out he'd definitely try to make it.
So after a few weeks of correspondence with Mr. Tatara I ended up getting him in touch with Templesmith. Tatara was really into the idea of having him there and they ended up inviting him as a special guest and paid for his hotel. Ben was really appreciative of the whole thing and said to me (paraphrasing), "Thanks so much for arranging this. I'll give you an original drawing as a way of saying thanks."
I thought, "Wow, that's sweet!" So it made me want to go to the show even more. So some months go by and we're still corresponding through email. He then says instead of a drawing he'll owe me a beer. I respond that I don't drink, but I'll still take that original drawing. He replies that he'll "see what he can do" and puts one of those little wink icons.
So anyway, the time of the con finally arrives. I'm excited to meet him in person and to get this drawing. I'm all geeked wondering what he drew for me. So I approach his table and start talking to him. He's going to do a panel and I needed to take my step-daughter to the "Kid's Day" activities. So we agree I should come back later.
I come back later and we continue chatting. The whole time I'm expecting him to stop sketching and say, "Oh right...I almost forgot. Here's that drawing for you." But it never happens. Then I pull out a gift/bribe that I had brought for him. It's a Darrow piece of the Shaolin Cowboy, because I know it's one of Ben's favorite characters/books. I explain to him that it's a bribe to put a Hare Krishna character in a Wormwood story. He says he probably won't be doing more Wormwood for at least a year. I say it's okay, but that he just has to promise. He keeps saying he doesn't want to take it, but I insist.
He still doesn't mention the drawing, so I finally say before leaving, "Did you have time to do a drawing for me?" He looks at me blankly then says, "I won't be able to do anything for you now. I can do a little sketch for you, but that's about all I can do right now since I have so many commissions to finish." Then he doodles a little 30-second sketch of Wormwood.
I leave dejected and wondering, "WTF?! How could he forget that?! I'm the one that was the catalyst for getting him to the show in the first place! And even if he didn't do a drawing specifically for me he could have offered me an original piece of work that he already had done and with him in his portfolio! What an ass!"
But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it came later after I emailed him and expressed my disappointment that he didn't have a drawing for me. He was saying things like he doesn't remember that conversation and that I was out of line for asking him to put a character of my own into one of his very personal books and that I was building up our meeting into something it would never be. Basically he was saying I was a delusional fan for thinking that we could be friends in real life.
It was like a slap in the face. That's really annoying when someone is all friendly and cordial online and even in person, but then afterwards you find out they were just being fake and in-genuine. Like they're smiling at you, but in their head they're thinking, "Please shut up and get the fuck away from me!".
It was a big disappointment. I guess I was thinking it would be like my interactions with Tim at shows, like I could just sit down with him at his table and shoot the shit, but Templesmith really had that air about him like he didn't have time for that or that he really didn't WANT to be like that with his fans. I don't know if it's because he feels like a movie star because of the 30 Days of Night movie or what, but he really gives off that vibe like "I'm better than you and you should feel privileged that I'm talking to you". Meh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just bitter.
Anyway, I had to get that off my chest. Now every time I see his name or his work I think of all these unfortunate things.
So I finally met Templesmith in person for the first time at the New York Comic Con back in February. See:
I had even played a big part in getting him to the show, as I was the one that contacted the organizers (mainly Peter Tatara) whereas Templesmith had no interest in going to the show and kept saying that they probably wouldn't invite him because he already did the Wondercon or something like that. So anyway, he basically kept saying he wasn't attached and that if something did work out he'd definitely try to make it.
So after a few weeks of correspondence with Mr. Tatara I ended up getting him in touch with Templesmith. Tatara was really into the idea of having him there and they ended up inviting him as a special guest and paid for his hotel. Ben was really appreciative of the whole thing and said to me (paraphrasing), "Thanks so much for arranging this. I'll give you an original drawing as a way of saying thanks."
I thought, "Wow, that's sweet!" So it made me want to go to the show even more. So some months go by and we're still corresponding through email. He then says instead of a drawing he'll owe me a beer. I respond that I don't drink, but I'll still take that original drawing. He replies that he'll "see what he can do" and puts one of those little wink icons.
So anyway, the time of the con finally arrives. I'm excited to meet him in person and to get this drawing. I'm all geeked wondering what he drew for me. So I approach his table and start talking to him. He's going to do a panel and I needed to take my step-daughter to the "Kid's Day" activities. So we agree I should come back later.
I come back later and we continue chatting. The whole time I'm expecting him to stop sketching and say, "Oh right...I almost forgot. Here's that drawing for you." But it never happens. Then I pull out a gift/bribe that I had brought for him. It's a Darrow piece of the Shaolin Cowboy, because I know it's one of Ben's favorite characters/books. I explain to him that it's a bribe to put a Hare Krishna character in a Wormwood story. He says he probably won't be doing more Wormwood for at least a year. I say it's okay, but that he just has to promise. He keeps saying he doesn't want to take it, but I insist.
He still doesn't mention the drawing, so I finally say before leaving, "Did you have time to do a drawing for me?" He looks at me blankly then says, "I won't be able to do anything for you now. I can do a little sketch for you, but that's about all I can do right now since I have so many commissions to finish." Then he doodles a little 30-second sketch of Wormwood.
I leave dejected and wondering, "WTF?! How could he forget that?! I'm the one that was the catalyst for getting him to the show in the first place! And even if he didn't do a drawing specifically for me he could have offered me an original piece of work that he already had done and with him in his portfolio! What an ass!"
But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it came later after I emailed him and expressed my disappointment that he didn't have a drawing for me. He was saying things like he doesn't remember that conversation and that I was out of line for asking him to put a character of my own into one of his very personal books and that I was building up our meeting into something it would never be. Basically he was saying I was a delusional fan for thinking that we could be friends in real life.
It was like a slap in the face. That's really annoying when someone is all friendly and cordial online and even in person, but then afterwards you find out they were just being fake and in-genuine. Like they're smiling at you, but in their head they're thinking, "Please shut up and get the fuck away from me!".
It was a big disappointment. I guess I was thinking it would be like my interactions with Tim at shows, like I could just sit down with him at his table and shoot the shit, but Templesmith really had that air about him like he didn't have time for that or that he really didn't WANT to be like that with his fans. I don't know if it's because he feels like a movie star because of the 30 Days of Night movie or what, but he really gives off that vibe like "I'm better than you and you should feel privileged that I'm talking to you". Meh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just bitter.
Anyway, I had to get that off my chest. Now every time I see his name or his work I think of all these unfortunate things.
