January 19, 2019 - Purchases and a TTM Surprise!
Again, it has been a long time since I have received any TTM returns. I have fifteen out there waiting for responses from numerous celebrities that I had given up on until a recent return from one of those I had given up on. In the meantime, I have taken advantage of some purchases that I found available.
First, my friend and fellow TTM'er Troy Rutter offered some of his autographs for sale. When he advertised them, I found that he was offering some Star Trek stars and grabbed them before anyone else did. The first of those is Alexander Siddig as his Deep Space Nine character, Dr. Julian Bashier...
Also purchased from Troy is Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf, a Klingon attorney in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country...
And also from Troy is William Campbell as the beloved character Trelane, the not-so mild-mannered Squire of Gothos...
While scrolling through Facebook one afternoon, I caught a post mentioning that there were several autographed photos of characters left over from the Treklanta convention. I immediately sent for a copy of Robert O'Reilly as the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council Gowron...
And then, there is this TTM return that I had pretty well given up on. I was home on vacation from school and it also happened to be my birthday. When the mailman dropped off the mail, there were some bills, some flyers, a birthday card from my mom, and a TTM return from Tony Todd! This one blew me away; first it is my longest return, 724 days from the date I mailed it, a second, it was a very nice, totally unexpected birthday present. Thanks Tony, you made my day! Here is Kurn, Son of Mogh and brother of Worf, and Mr. Todd with a great smile...
That's all for now. I guess I have learned that when it comes to TTM autograph collecting, there might be a surprise from time to time. There is still hope for the fifteen that are still out there in the mail.
July 24, 2018 - In Person Autographs From Conventions
It has been almost a year since my last TTM return. I have to admit that I haven't sent any requests for a long time, but I do have several requests out there that have not panned out, so far.
Anyway, I have added to my collection this year as a result of a gathering I attended back in March and from two conventions, one my son attended and the other from the O Comic Con in Omaha.
Last March, I learned that there was going to be a celebration of the life of Gene L. Coon in Beatrice, Nebraska. I was surprised to learn that the writer and producer of original series Star Trek, was born in Nebraska. I thought it would be fun, but when I learned that David Gerrold was also going to be in attendance, I made it a must go event. We watched numerous television episodes that Gene Coon wrote and Mr. Gerrold gave a talk about his relationship with the writer. Art the end of the day, Mr. Gerrold held an autograph session and when I asked if I could have a photo with him, he said yes. Here is my photo with David Gerrold (just before the shot was taken, he proclaimed this as our engagement photo).
I got two autographs from Mr. Gerrold including one on a book I bought entitled A Promise of Stars (an outstanding collection of stories) and I also asked him to sign the program for the gathering in Beatrice.
My son, Benjamin went to the Denver Comic Con and asked if there was anyone on the media guest list that I would like an autograph from. After looking at the list of stars in attendance, I chose Ron Perlman as he appeared in the first Pacific Rim movie.
Finally, I attended O Comic Con on July 13th-15th. The list of guests was, for me at least, quite lackluster. However, I made sure that I met Daniel Logan who played young Boba Fett in the Star Wars prequel film Attack of the Clones. I got two with him; the first is his autographed photo and the second is of Daniel, Chrissy and I while Daniel holds my Klingon disruptor. I will say this, if you have a chance to meet this guy, he is worth it. I don't think he sat down for more than a few minutes while spending the rest of the time in front of his table interacting with fans, and passers-by. He was worth the trip this year.
I am hoping to do more sending soon as time permits. I have been quite busy with podcasting and blog-writing lately so we will have to see what happens.
Well, there it is...
Qapla'!
August 28, 2017 - Big Jeri Ryan Return!
Time has been quite limited and it has been a while since I received any TTM returns. It has also been a while since I sent any. When the heck did life get so blasted busy anyway? I had sixteen returns pending and I had pretty much given up on getting anything I sent from what was left out there, but today when I got home from school, I was pleasantly surprised to find an envelope in the mailbox with more than I could have hoped for. Jeri Ryan, best known for her tole as Seven of Nine from Star Trek Voyager came through. Here is what I received from Ms. Ryan...
But that's not all! Along with the above, both of which I sent with my request letter, she included two more autographed photos!
This absolutely made my day and I want to thank Ms. Ryan for her response and her generosity! This was a 241 day return, my longest ever so far.
Well, there it is...
Qapla'!
July 10, 2017 - Autographs From O Comic Con 2017!
This past weekend, Chrissy and I attended O Comic Con at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. There were numerous personalities on hand for autographs and photo opportunities. I collected three.
First, from Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), Jack O'Halloran who portrayed the criminal Kryptonian "Non"...
While Little House on the Prairie was not a Sci-Fi franchise, it was still one of my favorite shows on television from the mid-1970's through the mid-1980's. On of my favorite characters on the series was Nellie Olson, the bratty kid that made Laura's life hell whenever she got the chance, here is Alison Arngrim...
Along with the Nellie autograph, we also took advantage of the opportunity to have a photo with her at the table...
And finally, and by far the busiest star at on the media guest's row was Ray Park of Darth Maul fame!
We also had a photo with him...
And along with those, he was also occasionally signing and handing out trading cards!
So as you can see, we brought back some great graphs from the con and am already looking forward to next year!
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
June 19, 2017 - Two 171 Day Returns!
It seems like it has been a long time since the last TTM return, but today I hit the jackpot with a two return day!
Last December 16, I sent two 8x10's to Neil deGrasse Tyson at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. What came back is cool. My 8x10's were returned along with my SASE and in place of my photos were two 5x7 autographed photos. There was also a note from his secretary apologizing for the substitutes explaining that Dr, Tyson receives hundreds of requests and cannot possibly get to them all.
I am pretty sure that Dr. Tyson signed hundreds of these for TTM'ers and is what many of us autograph hounds get when we send requests.
The next one is the original photos I sent and am thrilled to have these added to my collection. I give you Mr. Wynton Marsalis!
The second one is for me!
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
April 3, 2017 - Robert Picardo!
Today's TTM return is from Mr. Robert Picardo who not only personalized the photos to me, but also to my students. There is a good reason for this as I explained to him on my letter of request that I show my students the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Virtuoso" (season six, episode 13) as a prelude to a writing assignment.
This return was 42 days.
March 27, 2017 - Jonathan Frakes!
Today, I received a return from Jonathan Frakes, known for his iconic role on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Commander William T. Riker! Mr. Frakes is also known for his work as a director and producer. This return was 153 days.
March 10, 2017 - An "Out Of This World" Return!
This is a three return week and this third one is not an actor, but the real deal. Dr. Mike Massimino, former NASA Astronaut now a professor at Columbia University in New York. Mike is a great guy and has a monster sense of humor which can be witnessed on his interviews in numerous videos on YouTube and through his many appearances on Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk Radio and StarTalk All-Stars podcasts.
Mike has also recently published an autobiography, Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey To Unlock The Secrets Of The Universe. I read this book and reviewed it on the blog not long ago (you can see that review by clicking HERE).
Mike flew on two shuttle missions, STS-109 and STS-125, both of which provided repairs and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope.
This return was 18 days...
March 9, 2017: Walter Koenig!
Today, a 17 day return from Walter Koenig. I met Mr. Koenig at O Comic Con in 2015. I purchased my photo of Bester from him in person and asked a bystander to snap a picture of him and I. After the con was done, I was regretful that I hadn't also gotten a signed photo of him as Chekov. Now I have both!
March 7, 2017: Suzie Plakson Return!
Us Trekkies know her best as K'Ehleyr, some may also remember her as Dr. Selar, the female Q in Voyager, and as the female Andorian in Enterprise. No matter the role, I just call her beautiful. Not only is Suzie an amazing on screen actress, she is also a recording artist and an author.
Check out her work on IMDB, or at Amazon for my favorite song she recorded; it is also available in video version on YouTube. You can also check out her audiobook "The Return Of King Lillian" read by Suzie herself, which is Awesome.
This return came back in 39 days and a note (that will not be posted) was included.
February 9, 2017 - James Darren
Today features a 41 day return from Mr. James Darren, actor and musician that Deep Space Nine fans will recognize as Vic Fontaine. Darren has appeared in numerous movies such as The Guns Of Naverone, the Gidget movies, The Flintstones, The Donna Reed Show, co-starring with William Shatner on T.J. Hooker. Following the ending of Deep Space Nine, he recorded a compilation album of the songs he performed on DS9 enttled "This One's From The Heart." I highly recommend it is you are a Vic Fontaine Fan, as I am.
February 1, 2017 - Natalija Nogulich
Today I received a 33 day return from a lady that I think is much underappreciated in the Trek universe. Natalija Nogulich appeared in only six episodes of Star Trek altogether, four on Next Generation and two on Deep Space Nine, but she did make a huge impact on every episode she appeared in as Admiral Alynna Nechayev. Whenever she appeared on the show, there was something serious afoot and is usually meant that there would be more of an adversarial role. One thing is for certain though, when she did arrive on the Enterprise or on the Deep Space Nine station, you were certain who was in charge. I have always appreciated her strong character as the Admiral and am honored to add her likeness to my collection
January 23, 2015 - Michael Forest!
When I was very young, I was aware that Star Trek was on television, but was not allowed to watch because my mom figured that nine was too young to stay up that late watching TV. But when I turned ten, she granted me a one night a week late night to watch Trek. So, as it happened, the 2nd season TOS episode, "Who Mourns For Adonias" was the very first episode of Star Trek I got to see. Today was a great day for me because the actor that defined the Greek deity for me, returned two autographed photos I sent him along with my letter.
January 21, 2017 - Tim Russ Return
When one is waiting for TTM returns, it seems like forever as the days march on and there are no returns. Today, I left the house to go and direct my pep-band for a basketball game before the mail arrived. When I arrived home, I was pleased to see that there was an envelope waiting for me. So I give you my most recent return from Tim Russ!
January 3, 2017 - Furst Is First Return Of The Year!
After a bit of a dry spell, today, this last day of my break from school for the holidays, a successful return from Stephen Furst! Mr. Furst has been in numerous movies and television shows including "Animal House," "St. Elsewhere," and most notably for us Sci-Fi fans, Vir Cotto on "Babylon 5." This arrived in 70 days after being mailed.
Last week, I went into beast mode and sent out sixteen TTM requests! Looking forward to sharing successes with you.
Qaplah!
December 17, 2016
After having a couple of good returns (Rene Auberjonois and Scott Bakula), the mail has been slow as far as autograph returns are concerned. I still have a few out there I am hoping for before I start sending again after New Years. Anyway, I got an instant message from my friend and TTM mentor, Troy Rutter out in L.A. telling me to watch the mail for a package from him. Well, yesterday the package arrived and I got a real pick-me-up from Troy!
Trek fans will also recognize Patrick Massett who portrayed Worf's arch enemy Duras. He is more active as a producer and a writer than as an actor and a lot of his work is on a fan favorite, The Blacklist.
Thanks for making Christmas come early to central Nebraksa for me Troy, and thanks for the laughs we had over the sharpie...
Oh, and the card too! I can relate.
Notice the URL on the pen? it leads to Troy's website where you can get a ton of advice on autograph collecting as well as a link to getting his book, Autograph Collecting Secrets, which is my collecting bible!
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 7, 2016
Another success today. I received a return of two items from Rene Auberjonois of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame. Another of my favorite characters from my favorite Star Trek series. He has also appeared in ST: Enterprise, ST IV: The Undiscovered Country, But other than Trek, he is also know as Clayton on the television series Benson. But there are also numerous other roles and has just wrapped on a movie titled Cortex. These came back in 43 days. I find it strange that Mr. Auberjonois didn't personalize these; a more unscrupulous collector (dealer) might be tempted to make these available on e-Bay for sale. My graphs are NOT for sale.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 5, 2016
How I Got Started - Part 3 - Through The Mail Autographs (TTM)
I was completely satisfied just collecting IP. Then I met my friend and now mentor in the TTM side of collecting, Troy Rutter. Troy came down to Omaha for OSFest 7 and he brought a bunch of his autographed 8x10's for my to look at. So one evening, he mixed up some Jovian Sunspots (a mixed drink from Babylon 5) and we visited for quite some time looking at his photos and talking about his experiences in collecting. I still wasn't convinced to get into TTMing at that point.
Here a few months ago, Troy told me he was writing a book about autograph collecting and asked if I would look it over and offer suggestions. I said sure and started reading his drafts and sending feedback. As I read, I thought, it would be neat to review Troy's book in the blog and it would be even better if I actually tried his methods in obtaining an autograph to talk about on the blog. So I targeted Armin Shimerman of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame.
Following Troys suggestions in the book to the letter, I obtained two 8x10 prints, wrote a letter and sent the package off. 27 days later, these arrived in the mail...
When these arrived, I was stoked! Imagine that. But that wasn't all, I also got the request note back with yet another signature!
Well, I guess that is when I decided to make it a hobby. Since then I have received others. I thought I would start with a couple of people that I know, Maggie Egan and Keith DeCandido. I had a photo taken with Keith at OSFest 6 and thought it would be neat to get it signed, so I sent him an instant message asking if he would mind signing the photo. He was okay with that and 40 days later, this arrived in the mail...
Keith is a great guy. He writes some amazing stories, is funny, and an interesting person to talk to. Now think about this for a second, Keith is from New York, I am originally from Sn Francisco, and this was all a chance meeting in Nebraska!
I also contacted Maggie before sending a picture taken of us at OSFest 7. She said she was more than happy to return a photo. I sent this one out the same day as the one I sent Keith and in just 16 days, I arrived home to find this waiting for me...
Not only did she return the picture I sent her, but there was something extra in the envelope!
That's Maggie holding the clapper and to her right is Tony Dow (Wally from Leave it to Beaver and the director of the episode Maggie appeared in) and to Tony's right is Kim Ferry, one of the most sought after hairstylists in Hollywood.
After sending out those two, I also sent a few more out to some of my favorites in the industry and was happy and surprised when I opened the mail after only 18 days, finding these in the package...
From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine I now have Gul Dukat and the autograph of the man who brought that character to life, Marc Alaimo.
Finally, I did receive one more return just today. I am very excited about this one from Scott Bakula of Quantum Leap and Star Trek Enterprise! These came back in 41 days!
So that is my adventure so far in autograph collecting. If it is something you might be interested in, I would suggest looking at Troy's Book, Autograph Collecting Secrets. Check out my review on this blog by following the link HERE.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 1, 2016
How I Got Started - Part 2 - In Person Autographs
I went to a small convention in Omaha, Nebraska to meet the object of my first In Person (IP), Maggie Egan. Maggie was Jane, the ISN news anchor Babylon 5. The show ran five seasons and Maggie appeared in only ten episodes, but had such a presence that everyone who knows B5 knows her character. It was a pleasure meeting Maggie who is a genuine good person with a great sense of humor and lots of cool stories. This photo was from late July, 2014. If you would like to read more about my experience at OSFest 6, click HERE.
Later, I learned that there was going to be a star from one of my favorite television series, Highlander. Adrian Paul was slated to be a guest and I knew I had to meet this guy! And I was not disappointed. Adrian appeared at the 2015 BritishFest in Omaha, Nebraska. Below are two photos that I purchased from him. The first was for me, but the second is one I got for my wife, Diane. Click HERE to read more about my time at BritishFest and see more photos.
November 30, 2016
Again, it has been a long time since I have received any TTM returns. I have fifteen out there waiting for responses from numerous celebrities that I had given up on until a recent return from one of those I had given up on. In the meantime, I have taken advantage of some purchases that I found available.
First, my friend and fellow TTM'er Troy Rutter offered some of his autographs for sale. When he advertised them, I found that he was offering some Star Trek stars and grabbed them before anyone else did. The first of those is Alexander Siddig as his Deep Space Nine character, Dr. Julian Bashier...
Also purchased from Troy is Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf, a Klingon attorney in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country...
And also from Troy is William Campbell as the beloved character Trelane, the not-so mild-mannered Squire of Gothos...
While scrolling through Facebook one afternoon, I caught a post mentioning that there were several autographed photos of characters left over from the Treklanta convention. I immediately sent for a copy of Robert O'Reilly as the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council Gowron...
And then, there is this TTM return that I had pretty well given up on. I was home on vacation from school and it also happened to be my birthday. When the mailman dropped off the mail, there were some bills, some flyers, a birthday card from my mom, and a TTM return from Tony Todd! This one blew me away; first it is my longest return, 724 days from the date I mailed it, a second, it was a very nice, totally unexpected birthday present. Thanks Tony, you made my day! Here is Kurn, Son of Mogh and brother of Worf, and Mr. Todd with a great smile...
That's all for now. I guess I have learned that when it comes to TTM autograph collecting, there might be a surprise from time to time. There is still hope for the fifteen that are still out there in the mail.
July 24, 2018 - In Person Autographs From Conventions
It has been almost a year since my last TTM return. I have to admit that I haven't sent any requests for a long time, but I do have several requests out there that have not panned out, so far.
Anyway, I have added to my collection this year as a result of a gathering I attended back in March and from two conventions, one my son attended and the other from the O Comic Con in Omaha.
Last March, I learned that there was going to be a celebration of the life of Gene L. Coon in Beatrice, Nebraska. I was surprised to learn that the writer and producer of original series Star Trek, was born in Nebraska. I thought it would be fun, but when I learned that David Gerrold was also going to be in attendance, I made it a must go event. We watched numerous television episodes that Gene Coon wrote and Mr. Gerrold gave a talk about his relationship with the writer. Art the end of the day, Mr. Gerrold held an autograph session and when I asked if I could have a photo with him, he said yes. Here is my photo with David Gerrold (just before the shot was taken, he proclaimed this as our engagement photo).
I got two autographs from Mr. Gerrold including one on a book I bought entitled A Promise of Stars (an outstanding collection of stories) and I also asked him to sign the program for the gathering in Beatrice.
My son, Benjamin went to the Denver Comic Con and asked if there was anyone on the media guest list that I would like an autograph from. After looking at the list of stars in attendance, I chose Ron Perlman as he appeared in the first Pacific Rim movie.
Finally, I attended O Comic Con on July 13th-15th. The list of guests was, for me at least, quite lackluster. However, I made sure that I met Daniel Logan who played young Boba Fett in the Star Wars prequel film Attack of the Clones. I got two with him; the first is his autographed photo and the second is of Daniel, Chrissy and I while Daniel holds my Klingon disruptor. I will say this, if you have a chance to meet this guy, he is worth it. I don't think he sat down for more than a few minutes while spending the rest of the time in front of his table interacting with fans, and passers-by. He was worth the trip this year.
I am hoping to do more sending soon as time permits. I have been quite busy with podcasting and blog-writing lately so we will have to see what happens.
Well, there it is...
Qapla'!
August 28, 2017 - Big Jeri Ryan Return!
Time has been quite limited and it has been a while since I received any TTM returns. It has also been a while since I sent any. When the heck did life get so blasted busy anyway? I had sixteen returns pending and I had pretty much given up on getting anything I sent from what was left out there, but today when I got home from school, I was pleasantly surprised to find an envelope in the mailbox with more than I could have hoped for. Jeri Ryan, best known for her tole as Seven of Nine from Star Trek Voyager came through. Here is what I received from Ms. Ryan...
But that's not all! Along with the above, both of which I sent with my request letter, she included two more autographed photos!
This absolutely made my day and I want to thank Ms. Ryan for her response and her generosity! This was a 241 day return, my longest ever so far.
Well, there it is...
Qapla'!
July 10, 2017 - Autographs From O Comic Con 2017!
This past weekend, Chrissy and I attended O Comic Con at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. There were numerous personalities on hand for autographs and photo opportunities. I collected three.
First, from Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), Jack O'Halloran who portrayed the criminal Kryptonian "Non"...
While Little House on the Prairie was not a Sci-Fi franchise, it was still one of my favorite shows on television from the mid-1970's through the mid-1980's. On of my favorite characters on the series was Nellie Olson, the bratty kid that made Laura's life hell whenever she got the chance, here is Alison Arngrim...
And finally, and by far the busiest star at on the media guest's row was Ray Park of Darth Maul fame!
We also had a photo with him...
And along with those, he was also occasionally signing and handing out trading cards!
So as you can see, we brought back some great graphs from the con and am already looking forward to next year!
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
June 19, 2017 - Two 171 Day Returns!
It seems like it has been a long time since the last TTM return, but today I hit the jackpot with a two return day!
Last December 16, I sent two 8x10's to Neil deGrasse Tyson at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. What came back is cool. My 8x10's were returned along with my SASE and in place of my photos were two 5x7 autographed photos. There was also a note from his secretary apologizing for the substitutes explaining that Dr, Tyson receives hundreds of requests and cannot possibly get to them all.
I am pretty sure that Dr. Tyson signed hundreds of these for TTM'ers and is what many of us autograph hounds get when we send requests.
The next one is the original photos I sent and am thrilled to have these added to my collection. I give you Mr. Wynton Marsalis!
You'll take note that the above photo is personalized to my class, by request and it includes the word "Practice." Of course, this one will be in my classroom when school resumes this fall.
The second one is for me!
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
April 3, 2017 - Robert Picardo!
Today's TTM return is from Mr. Robert Picardo who not only personalized the photos to me, but also to my students. There is a good reason for this as I explained to him on my letter of request that I show my students the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Virtuoso" (season six, episode 13) as a prelude to a writing assignment.
This return was 42 days.
March 27, 2017 - Jonathan Frakes!
Today, I received a return from Jonathan Frakes, known for his iconic role on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Commander William T. Riker! Mr. Frakes is also known for his work as a director and producer. This return was 153 days.
March 10, 2017 - An "Out Of This World" Return!
This is a three return week and this third one is not an actor, but the real deal. Dr. Mike Massimino, former NASA Astronaut now a professor at Columbia University in New York. Mike is a great guy and has a monster sense of humor which can be witnessed on his interviews in numerous videos on YouTube and through his many appearances on Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk Radio and StarTalk All-Stars podcasts.
Mike has also recently published an autobiography, Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey To Unlock The Secrets Of The Universe. I read this book and reviewed it on the blog not long ago (you can see that review by clicking HERE).
Mike flew on two shuttle missions, STS-109 and STS-125, both of which provided repairs and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope.
This return was 18 days...
March 9, 2017: Walter Koenig!
Today, a 17 day return from Walter Koenig. I met Mr. Koenig at O Comic Con in 2015. I purchased my photo of Bester from him in person and asked a bystander to snap a picture of him and I. After the con was done, I was regretful that I hadn't also gotten a signed photo of him as Chekov. Now I have both!
March 7, 2017: Suzie Plakson Return!
Us Trekkies know her best as K'Ehleyr, some may also remember her as Dr. Selar, the female Q in Voyager, and as the female Andorian in Enterprise. No matter the role, I just call her beautiful. Not only is Suzie an amazing on screen actress, she is also a recording artist and an author.
Check out her work on IMDB, or at Amazon for my favorite song she recorded; it is also available in video version on YouTube. You can also check out her audiobook "The Return Of King Lillian" read by Suzie herself, which is Awesome.
This return came back in 39 days and a note (that will not be posted) was included.
February 9, 2017 - James Darren
Today features a 41 day return from Mr. James Darren, actor and musician that Deep Space Nine fans will recognize as Vic Fontaine. Darren has appeared in numerous movies such as The Guns Of Naverone, the Gidget movies, The Flintstones, The Donna Reed Show, co-starring with William Shatner on T.J. Hooker. Following the ending of Deep Space Nine, he recorded a compilation album of the songs he performed on DS9 enttled "This One's From The Heart." I highly recommend it is you are a Vic Fontaine Fan, as I am.
February 1, 2017 - Natalija Nogulich
Today I received a 33 day return from a lady that I think is much underappreciated in the Trek universe. Natalija Nogulich appeared in only six episodes of Star Trek altogether, four on Next Generation and two on Deep Space Nine, but she did make a huge impact on every episode she appeared in as Admiral Alynna Nechayev. Whenever she appeared on the show, there was something serious afoot and is usually meant that there would be more of an adversarial role. One thing is for certain though, when she did arrive on the Enterprise or on the Deep Space Nine station, you were certain who was in charge. I have always appreciated her strong character as the Admiral and am honored to add her likeness to my collection
January 23, 2015 - Michael Forest!
When I was very young, I was aware that Star Trek was on television, but was not allowed to watch because my mom figured that nine was too young to stay up that late watching TV. But when I turned ten, she granted me a one night a week late night to watch Trek. So, as it happened, the 2nd season TOS episode, "Who Mourns For Adonias" was the very first episode of Star Trek I got to see. Today was a great day for me because the actor that defined the Greek deity for me, returned two autographed photos I sent him along with my letter.
From the first time I saw the "Adonias" episode, I have been fascinated with Greek and Classical history. I owe it to Mr. Forest for being the embodiment of one of my life-long interests.
Mr. Forest not only appeared as a guest star on Star Trek, but many many other television series that I enjoy including, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Ironside, Twilight Zone, and even Gilligan's Island. More recently, he resurrected his role as Apollo in the Star Trek Continues episode "Pilgrim of Eternity." This one was a 24 day return.
January 21, 2017 - Tim Russ Return
When one is waiting for TTM returns, it seems like forever as the days march on and there are no returns. Today, I left the house to go and direct my pep-band for a basketball game before the mail arrived. When I arrived home, I was pleased to see that there was an envelope waiting for me. So I give you my most recent return from Tim Russ!
Tim is probably best known among us Trekkies as Tuvok from Star Trek: Voyager, however he has played many other roles both in and out of Trek. The first time I encountered him was on Spaceballs as one of the troopers combing the desert (literally) where he had a single line: "We ain't seen S**t!" He continues to be a busy actor, director, writer and musician. This return was 22 days.
January 3, 2017 - Furst Is First Return Of The Year!
After a bit of a dry spell, today, this last day of my break from school for the holidays, a successful return from Stephen Furst! Mr. Furst has been in numerous movies and television shows including "Animal House," "St. Elsewhere," and most notably for us Sci-Fi fans, Vir Cotto on "Babylon 5." This arrived in 70 days after being mailed.
Last week, I went into beast mode and sent out sixteen TTM requests! Looking forward to sharing successes with you.
Qaplah!
December 17, 2016
After having a couple of good returns (Rene Auberjonois and Scott Bakula), the mail has been slow as far as autograph returns are concerned. I still have a few out there I am hoping for before I start sending again after New Years. Anyway, I got an instant message from my friend and TTM mentor, Troy Rutter out in L.A. telling me to watch the mail for a package from him. Well, yesterday the package arrived and I got a real pick-me-up from Troy!
First of two was the above card (showing the front and back) of W. Morgan Sheppard as Dr. Ira Graves from ST:TNG episode "The Schizoid Man." Sheppard portrayed a brilliant and eccentric cyberneticist who claimed to have taught Data's creator, Dr. Soong everything he knew, thus making him Data's grandpa. Shappard has made numerous appearances in Trek as well as other Sci-Fi shows including another favorite, Babylon 5.
Thanks for making Christmas come early to central Nebraksa for me Troy, and thanks for the laughs we had over the sharpie...
Oh, and the card too! I can relate.
Notice the URL on the pen? it leads to Troy's website where you can get a ton of advice on autograph collecting as well as a link to getting his book, Autograph Collecting Secrets, which is my collecting bible!
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 7, 2016
Another success today. I received a return of two items from Rene Auberjonois of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame. Another of my favorite characters from my favorite Star Trek series. He has also appeared in ST: Enterprise, ST IV: The Undiscovered Country, But other than Trek, he is also know as Clayton on the television series Benson. But there are also numerous other roles and has just wrapped on a movie titled Cortex. These came back in 43 days. I find it strange that Mr. Auberjonois didn't personalize these; a more unscrupulous collector (dealer) might be tempted to make these available on e-Bay for sale. My graphs are NOT for sale.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 5, 2016
How I Got Started - Part 3 - Through The Mail Autographs (TTM)
I was completely satisfied just collecting IP. Then I met my friend and now mentor in the TTM side of collecting, Troy Rutter. Troy came down to Omaha for OSFest 7 and he brought a bunch of his autographed 8x10's for my to look at. So one evening, he mixed up some Jovian Sunspots (a mixed drink from Babylon 5) and we visited for quite some time looking at his photos and talking about his experiences in collecting. I still wasn't convinced to get into TTMing at that point.
Here a few months ago, Troy told me he was writing a book about autograph collecting and asked if I would look it over and offer suggestions. I said sure and started reading his drafts and sending feedback. As I read, I thought, it would be neat to review Troy's book in the blog and it would be even better if I actually tried his methods in obtaining an autograph to talk about on the blog. So I targeted Armin Shimerman of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame.
Following Troys suggestions in the book to the letter, I obtained two 8x10 prints, wrote a letter and sent the package off. 27 days later, these arrived in the mail...
When these arrived, I was stoked! Imagine that. But that wasn't all, I also got the request note back with yet another signature!
Well, I guess that is when I decided to make it a hobby. Since then I have received others. I thought I would start with a couple of people that I know, Maggie Egan and Keith DeCandido. I had a photo taken with Keith at OSFest 6 and thought it would be neat to get it signed, so I sent him an instant message asking if he would mind signing the photo. He was okay with that and 40 days later, this arrived in the mail...
Keith is a great guy. He writes some amazing stories, is funny, and an interesting person to talk to. Now think about this for a second, Keith is from New York, I am originally from Sn Francisco, and this was all a chance meeting in Nebraska!
I also contacted Maggie before sending a picture taken of us at OSFest 7. She said she was more than happy to return a photo. I sent this one out the same day as the one I sent Keith and in just 16 days, I arrived home to find this waiting for me...
Not only did she return the picture I sent her, but there was something extra in the envelope!
That's Maggie holding the clapper and to her right is Tony Dow (Wally from Leave it to Beaver and the director of the episode Maggie appeared in) and to Tony's right is Kim Ferry, one of the most sought after hairstylists in Hollywood.
After sending out those two, I also sent a few more out to some of my favorites in the industry and was happy and surprised when I opened the mail after only 18 days, finding these in the package...
From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine I now have Gul Dukat and the autograph of the man who brought that character to life, Marc Alaimo.
Finally, I did receive one more return just today. I am very excited about this one from Scott Bakula of Quantum Leap and Star Trek Enterprise! These came back in 41 days!
So that is my adventure so far in autograph collecting. If it is something you might be interested in, I would suggest looking at Troy's Book, Autograph Collecting Secrets. Check out my review on this blog by following the link HERE.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
December 1, 2016
How I Got Started - Part 2 - In Person Autographs
I went to a small convention in Omaha, Nebraska to meet the object of my first In Person (IP), Maggie Egan. Maggie was Jane, the ISN news anchor Babylon 5. The show ran five seasons and Maggie appeared in only ten episodes, but had such a presence that everyone who knows B5 knows her character. It was a pleasure meeting Maggie who is a genuine good person with a great sense of humor and lots of cool stories. This photo was from late July, 2014. If you would like to read more about my experience at OSFest 6, click HERE.
Later, I learned that there was going to be a star from one of my favorite television series, Highlander. Adrian Paul was slated to be a guest and I knew I had to meet this guy! And I was not disappointed. Adrian appeared at the 2015 BritishFest in Omaha, Nebraska. Below are two photos that I purchased from him. The first was for me, but the second is one I got for my wife, Diane. Click HERE to read more about my time at BritishFest and see more photos.
Some say that getting selfies with celebrities is another way of getting an IP "autograph." I wouldn't go that far, but it is neat to stand next to a star and have my picture taken...
Later that same summer, Chrissy and I headed back to Omaha to meet Walter Koenig of Star Trek and Babylon 5 fame as well as Jamie Bamber of Battlestar Galactica. These were from the first O Comic Con in 2015. Click HERE to read more about my time at O Comic Con and see more pictures.
This past summer (2016), my son, Benjamin headed up to the Denver Comic Con and I asked him to get a personalized photo of Katie Sackoff as her character Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. He told me that she was an awesome person to meet and a lot of fun visiting with the fans...
Once again, Chrissy and I headed to O Comic Con to meet one of my favorite Star Trek guest stars, Jeffrey Combs who played numerous characters in Deep Space Nine. The fun part of this was that I was able to spend quite a bit of time visiting with Jeffrey before the crowd arrived and have to say that he is very fan friendly and approachable. I picked up two autographed photos of Jeffrey, the first is his character, Weyoun. Diane's favorite character was the FCA Liquidator, Brunt. To read d more on my activity at O Comic Con and see lots of other pictures, Click HERE.
Along with the above photos, I had some selfies taken with Chrissy, Jeffrey, and myself. In this next one, Chrissy and I were wearing the wrong shirts, and Jeffrey made a point to let us know he noticed...
So, the next day, Chrissy and I made sure we had the right shirts on...
Finally, I got a print of Jeffrey with the members of the Klingon ship I am part of, the I.K.V. Raptor's Heart...
Next up, I will share my experience with collecting Through The Mail (TTM) and my successes with that.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
November 30, 2016
Welcome to my autograph collection page. Here I will include photos and stories of my experiences collecting autographs and hopefully tell a few interesting stories.
How I Got Started - Part 1
I listen to the SciFi Diner Podcast and every now and again, they will run a "contest" and offer a prize for whomever happens to answer a trivia question correctly. So my first autographs come from Scott and Miles, the hosts of the diner. I cannot remember any of the details such as the question asked or the dates I received the pictures, but I do remember that the first one is one that I treasure (but then, I treasure all of my collection).
My first autographed 8x10 was of John Billingsley and his wife, Bonita Friedericy from the set of the Star Trek: Enterprise second season episode "Regeneration." Funny how Billingsley is completely out of his Dr. Phlox makeup while Friedericy is in Borg makeup and costume having been assimilated after a trio of scientists stumble upon a Borg vessel trapped in Earth's Artic ice.
The next 8x10 was obtained the same way as the first, through a contest from the SciFi Diner Podcast. In case you don't know, the lady on the left is Tricia Helfer as the Cylon "Number Six." The gentleman Tricia is draped over is James Callis who filled the role of Gaius Baltar on the re-imagined television series Battlestar Galactica. It is my hope that one day in the future that I will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Callis and add his signature to this print.
Thanks you SciFi Diner for the gifts!
Thanks you SciFi Diner for the gifts!
It is my intention to keep these posts short, so that's all for now. In a few days, I will post a second part in which I will share the "In Person" autographs I have.
Well, there it is...
Qaplah!
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