Obama Signed Comic Book

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

tsukinofaerii said she would "Badger [me] forever" if I didn't post this here. I told her I would post it after midnight because this definitely is not photoshop or an April Fool's joke.

I live in Maine; today President Obama flew to Portland for a rally regarding the Healthcare bill.



ETA! OMGz! I tweeted the scan to Brubaker who retweeted it!

@brubaker This is pretty neat: http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1628/capcomicobamasig.jpg Someone got Obama to sign Cap's pardon for real.

The TL;DR "Rest of the Story": My Mum is a state representative, so I went with her and all of her state rep colleagues. We were right on the rope line. Twenty-five feet away from stage. AWESOME.

The President gives his speech. He works the rope line. I have my comic out, my sharpie ready, everything...

Then the secret service agents tell me to GTFO with the marker. I wasn't allowed to get the sharpie near him. It's hilarious in hindsight, but I panicked while it happened. The President is about six inches away from me. He has his hands on the comic. He reaches for the sharpie -- To pull away! I think he realized the "No-No!" so he told me to "give it to Regee Reggie Love."

BLINK?

WUT?

Regee Reggie Love arrives! He TAKES MY COMIC (and my name). IT GOES BEHIND THE CURTAIN! WHERE DID IT GO? AM I GOING TO GET IT BACK? HOW? AND DAMN IT THAT WAS A ONE-SHOT! CAP COME BACK! Do they mail it, do they give it back, what's going on? We wait. I hail over a secret service agent -- who has no idea who Regee Reggie Love is.

Shit.

Great.

Comic gone.

President gone.

Oh, well. At least I tried...

THEN! I run into a friend who used to work for Obama. He said they always have Obama sign things and then bring them back out. You just have to wait. I look at Mum and say, "I'm just going to go check again."

They are calling my name. The aid hands me it! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I run back to everyone. I think I might be hopping. Definitely Jumping up and down.

So that's my crazy day and my story.

ETA: Thanks tavella for confirming who "Regee" is.

Comments

[cosmicbiscuit.livejournal.com]

You lucky, lucky bastard. ::jealous as hell::

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

I was!

Afterward, I go to the comic book store to keep up my weekly comics and show Rick, the owner, Obama's signature. He takes it, stares at it, gasp-slash-sighs and asks, "How did you get this?" I told him.

He said, "Now do you want to hear my sob story? My wife and I waited all day in the rain yesterday to get tickets. We got them. And then today they would not let us in. They said there was no more room. They turned away like 500 people."

I just gasped! No. Way! But THEY DID! I went bullshit and called Mum to Demand An Answer. Rick didn't get in! I ADORE the guys and gals from my comic book store. OMFG NO! Apparently it was the National Party that put the rally together so they was no one on the state level my mother could yell at. Grrr!

There was TONS of room in the Expo. They had a whole section not in use! When I got home I scanned the page and printed it out on glossy photo paper. I'm going to bring it into Rick next Wednesday. I don't know if it will help or hurt what happened, but at least they have the only copy and the scan looks amazing. The color is just awesome.

[tonks07.livejournal.com]

This is awesome!

[viva-la-yaoi.livejournal.com]

Wow, congratulations! Oh man you're so lucky, but that must have been panic moment when they just took your comic without telling you what they were gonna do with it.

Also, hopefully your friend at the comic store will enjoy the copy even if he didn't get to go (seriously, 500 people? I could understand if there was no room, but you said an entire section was free! Not cool!). And really, that is just a gorgeous scan.

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

I've been to events in that facility before and never seen it set up that way they set it up yesterday. Very bizarre. And I've been attending Democratic functions in this state for almost fifteen years; been to rallies with governors, congressmen/women, senators, even met Bill Clinton two years ago. NEVER have I heard of 500 people with tickets being turned away. NEVER. Someone on the organizing staff royally fucked up there. I know when Obama came during the campaign they have 5,000 people for him -- and they had to turn folks away. But they didn't have tickets (and the building was over capacity). Royally screwed up. [There also wasn't a clutch, probably due to his schedule, which I found odd. A political party *not* fundraising!]

I hope he'll enjoy! If I had predicted the shenanigans I would've tried to bring two copies, one for me, one for the store. I *also* went and picked up one of the Spidy/Obama ones, but I didn't think I'd need it. Go figure.

[viva-la-yaoi.livejournal.com]

With 5,000 people I can understand the need to turn some away, especially when they have don't have tickets, but turning away only 500 people with tickets? Not only did they pay for the tickets (and I hope that everyone who was turned away got their money back) but having a ticket means that they should have seats for them! This leaves me baffled I'll admit. With an open section I'm not even sure that this is a organizational flaw because they clearly had room for the people. I just... don't get it. At all.

Well, you may not have been able to get two copies, but at least you'll be able to give them the next best thing? I'm sure he'll appreciate you making a copy of yours for the store (and really, that's very sweet of you to do that for your friends at the shop).

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

Luckily no one had to pay for the ticket. They were free. You only have to pay if they host a clutch/fundraiser where you get to meet him and talk to him for a few seconds. Still NOT COOL that they had to turn folks away.

[viva-la-yaoi.livejournal.com]

Well that's good! It'd be horrible it they had had to pay and didn't get their money back! And you know, I've had a day to think about it, and I still can't understand why they would need to turn so many people away with so much open space. Really, what a strange and kind of moronic thing to do.

[nenya_kanadka]

So. Damn. Cool. :DD

[schala-kid.livejournal.com]

I dunno but I have the feeling Obama probably read the comic a bit before signing it, lol!

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

LOL! tsukinofaerii were having that debate! Because I had the page open to the panel I wanted him to sign, buuut... He signed it in the PERFECT spot, so I wonder if he at least read the panel before signing it. Or, you know, he is a Marvel fanboy, so he could've read it weeks ago! :LOL!

[manaie.livejournal.com]

Holy shit that's awesome. And bloody genius idea on your behalf.

[megan-moonlight.livejournal.com]

Damn, you're so lucky! *o*
I think if it was me, I'd squee for a week or somehing after something like that XD

[shinealightonme]

COOLEST THING EVER.

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

(buffs nails nonchalantly)

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

that is AWESOME.
rock the hell on.

*here via liviapenn*

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

That's AWESOME!

[rocaw.livejournal.com]

So awesome!! XD

[chaviola.livejournal.com]

!!!!! omg

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic story!

[re-white.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. You don't know me. I followed a link through my flist, and, um, that is fucking epic.

[suspectmelk.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, that's amazing.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

[truthiness-aura.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, that is AWESOME.

President Obama, you are the best stealth nerd EVER.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Cool.

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

That is a fantastic story, and you're so lucky to have his signature on such a perfect panel!

[velithya]

oh my god!!

[tavella.livejournal.com]

That's awesome!"Regee" probably was Reggie Love, Obama's body man.

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

Is that who is it? I have no idea.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Likely! Tall black guy, shaved head?

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

That's him! I will edit the entry to say that you confirmed his identity! Thanks!!

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

That is the coolest thing ever.