by Maria Ingmire
 | Like many geeks, I was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this was the fandom that enticed me to go to my very first Dragon Con in 2003. James Marsters was a guest that year. It was a very big deal. Spike was not just the 'third red shirt from the left' in an obscure episode of Star Trek; he was one of the most popular characters on an extremely beloved and, at the time, current show. |
I had no idea what Dragon Con would be like, so I walked up and bought a one-day pass. Big mistake. After a day of waiting in long lines to get James Marsters’ autograph and watching him chat in a panel, I was totally hooked on the con experience and should have realized that one day would not be enough. Moreover, I found that at Dragon Con I was among my own people, a multitude of fellow geeks.
While standing in line to get my autograph, I saw a convention employee handing out fliers for something called “a photo op.” Apparently, this was a professional studio photo taken with James himself! I would need to return the next day to have the photo taken, but another chance to see (and touch) James was not a bad thing. Plus, since I’d had little time to check out other panels and get other autographs, this would be my chance to catch up. I bought the ticket for my first ever celebrity photo op, knowing that the next morning I’d buy another one-day pass to the convention.
While standing in line to get my autograph, I saw a convention employee handing out fliers for something called “a photo op.” Apparently, this was a professional studio photo taken with James himself! I would need to return the next day to have the photo taken, but another chance to see (and touch) James was not a bad thing. Plus, since I’d had little time to check out other panels and get other autographs, this would be my chance to catch up. I bought the ticket for my first ever celebrity photo op, knowing that the next morning I’d buy another one-day pass to the convention.
During my three-minute conversation with James at the autograph table, I asked him about the British accent for the Spike character. (What I secretly hoped was that he would actually start demonstrating the Spike accent to me personally, but alas, that was not to be.) Instead, he talked about some techniques he’d studied, and about how as much as anything, it’s the rhythm and cadence of the words that convey an accent. He was also very interested when I mentioned my years as a high school drama teacher. The conversation I had with James at the autograph table was way lengthier than my time with him for the photo op. With all photo ops, there’s little time to converse with the actor, but to me, a photo really conveys the fan experience best.
| In hindsight, the one thing I appreciate the most about this photo is that he still had his bleached-blond hair. In later convention appearances, naturally he went back to his brunette roots. The other thing I notice in this photo is that this was in the olden days when people still wore wristwatches. |  |
Why It’s Rude to Ask a Celebrity to Take His Shirt Off
 | The other memorable experience happened during James’s Saturday panel. As usual, fans lined up to ask their questions. I was new, so I didn’t have the courage to get in line. After several questions about Buffy, about James’ band, and about acting in general, one young woman asked James to take off his shirt. A hush fell at her request. Perhaps some of us realized that she was being inappropriate, but given his public comments about his discomfort with all the nudity on the show, any fans might’ve realized that he would never just take off his shirt, right? |
He looked suitably appalled but asked the young woman to come up on stage, at which she came bounding up the steps to stand next to him. He said, “No, YOU take off your shirt.” She took off her t-shirt and stood on the stage in only her bra. He shook his head, clearly thinking this would be the end of the conversation, saying, “What about the rest?”
Without another word, the young woman removed her bra to the roar of laughter from the audience. James laughed and hugged the now half-nude woman. “You rock!” he told her. After security escorted the woman out of the convention, the panel continued, albeit with a rowdier atmosphere. Okay, it was pretty entertaining. So I guess celebrities are just like us; when asked to take off their clothes in public they will almost always refuse.
Without another word, the young woman removed her bra to the roar of laughter from the audience. James laughed and hugged the now half-nude woman. “You rock!” he told her. After security escorted the woman out of the convention, the panel continued, albeit with a rowdier atmosphere. Okay, it was pretty entertaining. So I guess celebrities are just like us; when asked to take off their clothes in public they will almost always refuse.
Epilogue: James Marsters is now a regular at countless fan conventions. Early last year, I walked up to his table at Wizard World Comic Con, and he offered a friend and me some M&Ms. He said that he was giving out candy to remind himself to always be nice to people. I admitted I wasn’t going to buy an autograph as I already had one, but he chatted with us for several minutes, proving why after all these years he’s still a popular convention guest. True, fans are no longer asking him to take his shirt off at panels, but I think they’ve learned their lesson.
