AHHH!!!! Reading one girl's account of meeting MyChem during Gerard's opening of the Umbrella Academy(his comic) and I'm just DYING from cuteness!!! If I wasn't in the library, I would roll on the floor laughin!!!PLEASE READ. Guaranteed 100% amusement.!!


Yes, you read the cut correctly. Oh my GOD, did you ever read it correctly.
An entire day later, and thinking about it makes me majorly giddy still.

For any Bob fans in the readership... I'll warn you ahead of time, I'm sorry. He may have been attending Con as well, but I didn't see him at all. Everyone else, though...Really, the whole thing is starts off with callsigns (lovely wonderful splendid human that she is =D ), who texted me just before 10 AM on Saturday morning as I was on my way to the convention center with the simple phrase, "Mikey and alicia are at comic con today-keep an eye out!" Because I'm a tremendous dork, I immediately do a rather clumsy three-sixty in place, glancing wildly about incase they were right behind me and I hadn't noticed! Obviously, they weren't - my luck isn't THAT good.

What happened next, as far as I can figure, is that while my brother and I were settling in to watch the LOST pannel (at which I got NO good pictures, by virtue of being in the very, very back row of the second-biggest hall in the damn building, and during which Damon Lindeloff was very evasive and Jorge Garcia was adorable and hilarious during the Q&A), lovesongwriter posted in yeahchemical about Gerard's new comic, The Umbrella Academy, being published by Dark Horse Comics, and the fact that it was being premiered that very day at the Comic Con, and that he was going to be there to kick it off. Upon seeing this gem of information, Jessa lept back into action and texted me again. Sherpa, I pretty much owe you my fucking soul after what ended up happening, because I would never have even known where to look! I've said it before, but THANK YOU EVERSOMUCH! Many ♥s.

So, armed with this new intel, I gamely ditched my somewhat-embarrassed brother and my long-suffering boyfriend on the convention floor and made a beeline for the Dark Horse booth, and sure enough! There in black-and-yellow on the giant poster listing the booth's events throughout Con was listed the following:4:00-5:00pm Gerard Way - new project unveiling! *ticketed event - see Dark Horse staff for details"Ticketed?!" says I, and immediately I flagged down an exhibitor for an explanation. He tells me that it's a free signing, but it's done by raffle. My heart sank a bit at that, as I've made my name by never, EVER winning anything in raffles. My luck, as I've already said, was never that good before. So I go and get myself a raffle ticket from the desk across the booth, at which the attendant was SO rude and confusing in her instructions that I was under the impression that I had to be present, maybe, to claim a spot if my ticket was drawn.

By this time, boyfriend had caught up to me, and I was in the middle of fillinf him in on the situation......when Gerard walked into the booth. In fact, he walked into the booth and stopped about three feet away from me.Externally, I really hope I appeared only to do a rather composed double-take, because I would've hated to telegraph the fact that laying eyes on him literally felt like a punch in the gut. I think all I said to my boyfriend was something like "oh holy SHIT, that's him!", but for the life of me I don't remember. In my head, it all just sounded like, "!!!!!!!"Now any other time I've met anyone I would call one of my heroes, I've been entirely too chicken-shit to say more than a word or two in their direction on account of seizing up with nerves too much by the time I have an opportunity to really speak much.

With that sort of precident, I was as surprised as anyone when, once Gerard had been greeted by the dude whom he was standing nearest, I marched right up to him to chat! The conversation wasn't exactly the longest, the deepest, or most meaningful, but it's fucking LIGHTYEARS from barely getting out a 'yes' when Pete Wentz asked if I wanted a hug. This is pretty much exactly how it went down:

GEE: *is very, very blonde*
LAURA: Hi! *grins* *holds out hand for handshake*
G: *grins back* Hi there! How's it going? *shakes my hand*
L MENTALLY: warmhandwarmhandwarmhandohmygod *starts getting nervous*
L: *finally notices that he's wearing the velvet Slytherin jacket from Sun God festival*
L: *points to jacket* Hey, I recognize the jacket from the Sun God festival!
G: Oh, yeah! Man, people were SO WASTED, that show was NUTS!
L: Yeah, we nearly died out there in the front row. *beat, other dudes walk up and want to talk to Gerard
*L: Well... thanks! *grins again*
OTHER DUDES: Dude. DUDE! *hands up for high fives*
G: Thanks! *turns to high-five other dudes*
L: *backing away* I really like the hair, by the way!
G: Oh, thank you. *looks back over at me* It took FOREVER.
L: *smiles* Yeah, I'd imagine it would.

Right around here, with Gerard still occupied with the other dudes, I suddenly realize that hey! I have my parents' camera in my left hand, turned on, this WHOLE FUCKING TIME. Feeling a bit like a dipshit, I snap just this one picture before realizing that my hands are now shaking way, WAY too much for any more photography for a bit.I may as well give anyone expecting decent visual data from this endeavor a fair warning - this piece of shit photo is just about the best picture I took of this whole bloody awesome thing. My fan tendencies are very much toward the "Want to shake hands with Famous Dude and chat for a few seconds if I'm not too nervous, perhaps get a hug while I'm at it" end of the spectrum, rather than the "Ask for Famous Dude's autograph, take lots of pictures, document document document" end. This is mostly just because I really don't ever get aurographs from anyone (I wouldn't know what to do with them!), and I feel super awkward going up to anyone I don't know really well and asking them for favors like posing for pictures or signing my shit, NOT because I'm placing any sort of value judgement on anyone who generally asks for these things. It's purely a case of my own personal approach to this fan thing versus other people's equally valid approaches.

Unfortunately, while other people's fan things get you priceless photographs to love and icon the hell out of, mine pretty much get you a few haphazard pics and a long-winded, though hopefully entertaining, write-up. Sorry, folks! At least this time, unlike the time getting a hug from Pete, I do have some minimal evidence that it actually took place, crap-tastic though that evidence is. So back to the story. Right after this picture, a Dark Horse official led Gerard off into the booth's little 'backstage' area to talk business, and after calming down for a bit I proceeded to take a few stalkerish, crappy pictures of Gerard drinking Red Bull and chatting with official peeps. Only one of them is even worth your time to look at, and only by the barest margin.At least you can tell it's him - the other one, that is NOT the case. And as the pictures evidently weren't turning out at ALL, I got a little movie clip of Gerard drinking Red Bull and looking at me suspiciously. I really hope he never sees this - my skin crawls with how stalker-esque it makes me look. I really would've been cool with the pictures, man! I just couldn't get the camera to cooperate! It's on Youtube, if anyone wants to see it.

After this, I just kind of stood around for a while, waiting to see if the raffle drawing for the signing was going to go down anytime soon, as I was super unclear as to whether or not I had to be present. Twenty minutes pass PAST the alloted time for the drawing, with me feeling more and more awkward with each passing minute and each time I paced past the opening to the backstage bit. Gerard was clearly visible through the doorway, and the couple of times he glanced out at the gathering crowd I felt a little bit more like "THAT sort of fan", which I HATE, so I went and found the lady in charge of the raffles and asked for a little clarity on the rules, just to see if I could leave for the time being.She turned around, grabbed a wristband, and said "You're in. Come back at four." My face? Pretty much just :O . Talk about asking questions to the right people!

At this point, my day had already been MADE, like, at least eight different times, and I had about and hour and forty-five before the signing, so I bugged out to go hang briefly with my boyfriend (the poor boy barely saw me at all yesterday - ah, the casualties of fandom). I was on a quest to buy a cool t-shirt, so when he got tired enough to brave the shitty anime upstairs for a while to sit down, I went off on my own to keep looking. My quest brought me back by the Dark Horse booth, and I just couldn't help but take a quick look...And Frank, Jamia, Mikey, Alicia, an unknown very short blonde chick, Eliza the hairdresser AND Gerard, were ALL THERE. Just, HANGING OUT. I was just like "GAH. There is NO WAY I can get a picture of this without EVERYONE seeing me take it, and there is just NO WAY I want this FANDOM SMORGASBOARD seeing me make a douche of myself like that." This is your cue to start hating me for not being more forward about my media, because my GOD, Mikey looked just like he did in that one new picture of him sans glasses, from the airport? The one with the eyeliner? WOW. And I always think he's taller than he is, but nope! Five-seven-ish, and in a bulky black jacket and pants despite the 100-degree weather outside and the still-pretty-warm temperature of the hall. Do these dudes not sweat?! And Alicia is blonde too! When did this occur?

And Frank was his usual gorgeous self, slumming a bit in an old t-shirt and jeans; he and Jamia walked off together while I watched (feeling like an IDIOT for staring, mind you), off to explore the floor, and they are the CUTEST thing EVER... it was a total overload. Lots of me, in my head, going "!!!!!!!" again.I got VERY close to saying 'hi' to Mikey at one point - he was chatting with this rather surprised group of girls (who had apparently just seen him over at the booth, not knowing any of the band were coming to Con, and had run over to see what he was there for. good fans, considerate, but obviously trying VERY hard not to flip out and shriek in his face, and he looked SO UNCOMFORTABLE AND SHY, and Alicia was just standing there rolling her eyes at the whole thing), and I made myself go over when they started taking pictures with an eye to getting at least ONE good picture with these dudes, but alas! Once the girls left, he walked backstage again, trying rather visibly to ingnore everyone else out there wanting to talk to him - and honestly, I don't begrudge it him. He was super polite to the girls who cornered him, very courteous, and totally not ready to be social with fans on that kind of scale, and I get that.

SEE?! I'm totally the best sort of fan if you're IN a band I like, but if you're a fellow fan you'll HATE me! I never take pictures of ANYTHING!So, a few minutes more of of people-watching had me feeling at once like I was living in Myspace like something out of the GCH video for 'New Friend Request', and like the creepiest of creeps, so I split again. After killing time for a bit, succeeding in my t-shirt-finding quest, and eating my lunch, I went over and got in the only thing that sort of looked like it could be the line for the signing. The whole thing? Not very well organized, really.I'm in line for maybe a minute, when Frank and Jamia walk through the booth. I'm all "Aw, yay! I'm glad I get to see them again!" as they pass, appearing to leave the booth entirely.

Then they get in line behind me. No, really. They get IN LINE for Gerard's signing. Gerard, who's IN A BAND with Frank. I'm already turned in their direction as they walk up to stand RIGHT BEHIND ME, so Frank comes up and says,

FRANK: Hey, is this the line for Gerard's signing?
LAURA: ... I'm pretty sure it is... *can't help herself*... Wait, you're waiting in LINE to get Gerard's autograph?! Couldn't you just ASK him for one?F: *grins cheekily* (in the whole GAHFRANKWTF of the moment, I completely forgot what he said here. It was either 'Well, he's a busy guy!' or something like 'No, we have to line up too' ... I think)
L: ... Okay, well, I'm guessing this is the line. There aren't any signs up or anything, but this seems like our best bet.
F: Okay, cool.L: All the other kids in line have these wristbands, too, so I think we're good.
F: Oh, shit, we need wristbands?As one, Frank and Jamia look at each other and cross their band-less wrists furtively in front of them. I kept my geeking out over how cute it was very, VERY internal.
L: Well, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't kick YOU our of line, of all people. You're probably fine.

And then this little Asian gentleman came over to chat with Frank. Shortly thereafter the conversation was joined by a scruffy cool-looking white dude in a hat. In the course of NOT EAVESDROPPING NO SIREE NOT AT ALL, I discovered that the Asian guy was the artist for The Umbrella Academy (Gabriel Ba, I've later ascertained)[ETA: LIES! Gabriel Ba is caucasian-ish looking, so this other dude must've been the cover artist, James Jean], and that Jamia's name is pronounced "ja-MEE-a" after all. He introduced her as his girlfriend, not his wife or his fiancee - not really significant, but I remember that clearly.Already at this point, I'm feeling more than a tiny bit creepy. I want to look - FRANK! PRETTY! - but at the same time, he and lovely girlfriend are RIGHT THERE behind me, so I don't want to look TOO lingeringly, so I glance over at the girls in front of me in line. They were all absolutely goggling at me. Their expressions, almost every one of them, were this emoticon: O_O. One girl stands up, motions at Frank, and softly says "Is that...??" I just shrugged and said, "I guess he has to wait in line, too!"So they're conversing still behind me, and Jamia is sidekick-ing, and I figure out that hey! if I pretend to be taking a video of the whole convention around me, I can catch Frank and Jamia in there too and at least have SOMETHING to show for how awesome this thing is! So I did, I took about 25 seconds of video that features the back of Frank's head and the tattoos on his left elbow prominently, but really isn't that exciting. Youtubed here, if you want to see it.Suddenly, the line started moving a little; no Gerard out at the signing counter yet, so I assume some booth official told the others that it would be starting soon - I was too busy being all FRANK!! to notice.

God, I'm a creep. = I even caught a glimpse of one of the love-handle tats Frank has now, the script that says "seek and destroy", in this gap between his pants and his shirt, and on the one hand I'm all *meep* because I'm HUMAN and he's HOT, but on the other I'm all *grossed out at self*, even though it was on accident. Creep.BUT I'M A HAPPY CREEP! =D Especially after we moved in line - Frank and Jamia were continuing the conversation from before, and while TOTALLY NOT OVERHEARING THEM I heard that one of the two artists who worked on the comic with Gerard (I'm almost certain Frank mentioned that it was the guy who did the covers for the comic, so this would be James Jean) also did the cover art for the brand new My Chem album (!!!!), that Frank hadn't yet shown Jamia the album cover art yet (and he's all *enthusiastic face* "Holy shit, it's AMAZING!"), and that he had a picture of it on his Sidekick which he proceeded to show her at such an angle that the screen was facing away from me, so I saw their faces as they reacted to it but I couldn't catch a glimpse of what it looked like. And it's a testament to how surreal the whole thing was that I'm only now realizing the magnitude of that whole last bit. Holy shit.

You heard it here first, I guess!!Also, those two are most offically the cutest couple in the universe. After showing off the album cover and giggling like a kid on Christmas, Frank wanted his camera out of Jamia's bag, and he's like "Where's my camera, babe? Oh, that's right - UNDER ALL YOUR CRAP." And she's all "Fuck you!" and they're both grinning at each other and laughing, then he gets the camera out and goes "Here, let me carry this for a while..." and tugs on her tote bag's handle, and she ignores him completely and puts it back on her shoulder, and he goes "...or just freeze me out. Fine. It's cool." and proceeds to pull her close and take a myspace-style arm's-length picture of the two of them being goofy with his newly-excavated camera, then when another girl in line offers to take a picture of the two of them together he's all "sure!" and they end up with this picture wherein she's looking witheringly at him, and he's looking at her like he's expecting to get smacked any second while attempting to stick his finger up her nose, then when she wants to see it, he's all "NOOO, YOU'LL DELETE IT!" and she's all 'No I won't!" and they tussle for the camera...And I died of cute, like, a paragraph ago.

Seriously, I respect the guys in My Chem for a multitude of different reasons, and one of those reasons is their fantastic taste in women (at least, in the examples we've been given - sharp as tacks, the lot of them, and full-figured, individualistic, and all around pretty hot). Props, Frankie. =)Just when things can't get any more alright in the land of Laura, over the heads of the other people in line I catch sight of a very familiar poofy head of hair walking through the Dark Horse booth. Yeah, RAY'S THERE, TOO. In a moment of temporary insanity, I go "Are ALL of you here?" aimed vaguely at Frank, and he just snickers and doesn't answer. He's too busy taking pictures of RAY (and his girlfriend, I think) GETTING IN THE END OF THE LINE FOR GERARD'S SIGNING to answer me. Toro didn't stick around, though - a few minutes of waiting, and he bugged out to go off exploring, I think (my view was blocked by this big display thing, I didn't see him go, just heard Frank going, "Aw, he's leaving? Pshhh, whatever.")So right after this, I think, I asked Frank the one question I could think of that I didn't already know the answer to (some kid had asked "are you guys writing another album?" a bit earlier, and Frank had been very sweet and informative while the rest of us in the viscinity rolled our eyes)

L: So, are you guys sick of SoCal yet?
F: Well, we've mostly been in LA recording the new album, so we're just REALLY sick of LA.
L: Yeah, I'm sure - I guess it's a little different down here.I don't remember if he said anything else; I was already back to pretending not to pay attention (AND FAILING PRETTY MISERABLY).ETA: So marigolde's comment just reminded me - an offical person came out and made some announcement about the wristbands right before the signing was due to start (although he must not have cared too much - I couldn't hear a word he was saying other than catching 'wristbands' somewhere in there). I turned to Frank and said something kind of jokingly, like "Oh, hope they don't see you guys!" Frank looks around mock-furtively, then turns to Jamia and starts turning down the sleeves of her hoodie going, "Quick! Hide your wrists, honey!" and I chuckled on the outside and DIED OF CUTE on the inside. Yay rememebering stuff! /ETAThen the artists took their stations, and the signing began. Best part? Frank and Jamia putting on fake high-pitched fangirl voices and squealing "Yay, Gerard!" Then Gerard looks over, and instead of rolling his eyes or acting at all *man, what is my bandmate doing?*, he just locks eyes with Frankie and smiles. Just grins his head off.

It's just occurred to me (again, at the time, not really processing on all burners) that this signing thing would've been a pretty huge deal for Gerard. I mean, once upon a time, his career goal was to work as a comic book artist! He doesn't exactly get the time in and around the band's comings and goings to do his own artwork on this thing, but he wrote a comic book, and it's being published! Dream is become reality! Maybe that's why Frank made a point of waiting in line so patiently for Gerard's autograph yesterday - because this wasn't anything to do with them being in a rock band together (despite it being said rock band's infamy that allowed Gerard to get his comic made in the first place, as he himself admits in LOTMS). This was a huge achievement for Gee, and maybe Frankie wanted to be a part of this very first official premiere in as formal a way as possible - as Gerard's fan for a change, and as his friend, rather than as a part of their band. Just a thought. =D

Late nights and sleep depravation get me pretty philosophical sometimes. Maybe I'm wrong, and he was smiling with bittersweet gay angst because Frankie's so happy with his girl and Gerard can't ever be with him... wait, what?

Anyway... finally, FINALLY, I made it to the signing counter they'd set up. There was a stack of Umbrella Academy cards, about 5" x 8 1/2" in size, for the guys at the table to sign - the book's artist and cover artist were there as well as Gerard (who was last at the table), looking as though they knew full-well who pretty much everyone in line was there to see. They were nice, though; Gabriel Ba asked my name for the card, and heard "Lauren" when I said it first, then when I corrected him he smiled and said, "Oh, that's easier." I replied, "Yeah, less letters. More efficient." Frank and Jamia took cards, too, and got them signed right along behind me. So I hand my card to Gerard...

Gerard: Hi!
Laura: Hi there!
G: What's your name?
L: *meep* Laura.
G: Alright. *signs*
L: *feels impulsive* ...so this dude, in line behind me... 's been pretty belligerant.
G and FRANK: *laugh* *grin at one another*
L: Anyway, thank you for this!
G: Hey, thank you!And I walk out of the way, and THE CUTE COMMENCES.

Frankie presses up as close over the counter as he can, and Gerard leans forward, and they crowd their faces as close together as they can and get one myspace-style picture with Frank sticking his tongue out and Gerard just grinning fit to burst, then they break apart and laugh, Gerard greets Jamia, Frank keeps taking myspace pics so that Gerard will be in the picture behind him, then he shows something to Gerard and they laugh, then one more picture pressed cheek-to-cheek and making adorable faces, then they take their leave and walk towards me. In this interlude of AWESOME I scrape together enough presence of mind to grap a pen from my dayplanner and as Frank and Jamia walked past I said...

L: Um, hey... could you maybe sign this as well?
F: Ohhh, I don't want to ruin it! *moment of indecision* Alright, I'll sign the back... but don't let them see, don't let them see!And he signs the otherwise blank back of the card, and I can't believe it took me until ten seconds ago to realize and care that Frank touched my pen. On the other hand, that kind of gratifies me a lot. I'm not that fan! I'm glad that still holds true. Anyway, he signs my card and hands it back with my pen, and I go, "Thanks for, um, standing in line behind me!" and he smiles and saunters off onto the convention floor with Jamia.

So, I believe the art on the card is something that will appear as part of a cover, perhaps? It doesn't really strike me as pannel-to-pannel artwork, so I'm thinking that if that's the case... then there's a sort of fifty-fifty chance that this dude's art will appear on My Chem's next album cover. Anyone else's theories and/or comments on the matter are much appreciated.This was my one shot of Gerared signing the above card.And a few crappy, mid-action shots of The Cute mentioned above in progress.This is a bit sideways and upside-down, as well as useless to anyone but me, really, but it's the way Frank's signature is oriented on the card if you turn it over.And, the final twist of lime on top of a super-awesome dacqueri of a day, as I'm walking through a crushing crowd of people (these happen a lot on the convention floor at Con) next to the Mile High Comics booth, Mikey comes pushing through the crowd in the opposite direction, forging a path and leading Alicia by the hand in his wake, and passes by right next to me, literally about an inch away from me, and looking at me in vaguest recognition as he did so.I waited until I had gotten past him to start cracking up.

Really, really awesome day. My conversations with the MCR dudes were superficial and silly, granted, which ordinarily I wouldn't really say is ideal, but in the middle of the biggest gathering of nerds on the west coast with enough people dressed up as characters from the anime series Naruto to win against the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers (the Star Wars Imperial cosplaying guild) in a pitched battle, there was no way I'd have felt comfortable saying the things I'd really like to say to these guys someday. I can only sort of hope that in the course of those blips of conversation, instead of hearing me say "Thank you for standing in line behind me" or "Thanks for talking to me", that what they really heard (Princess Bride style) was just plain "Thank you." I've been waiting for over a year now to say that to this band, and if you look at the big picture here, my one important wish came true - and that, my friends, is a very nice thought, indeed. I do feel bad in retrospect that myself and others being all "MCRYAY" was probably undoubtedly undercutting the comic's big unveiling announcement, this big creative milestone for Gerard that hasn't much at all to do with his band we all love. Really, though, I can't say I feel ALL THAT bad. ;)For those of you who don't care for the above, I give you... And as they start their day the Starbucks way, so must I end my own. Not so much x-posted as intended to be mentioned in yeahchemical and damnyouwentz. Sorry!


HOW CAN ANYONE NOT BE JEALOUS???? ARRRGHHH!!!!! Frank, his GF, (Jamia), and Gerard are such COOL people. It's hard to belive they were social rejects once. O yea Beyonce too. Karma, I guess.

Alicia, Mikey's wife, seems a LIL attitude-ish. Urgh. so irritating. I think Mikey deserves MUCH better. I would so love to dedicate GIRLFRIEND to him.

She's like, so WHATEVER
You can do SO MUCH better
I think we should get together now...

HEY HEY YOU YOU!
I don't like ur girlfriend
NO WAY NO WAY
I think you need a new one

HAHAHAH. Fantasies. A girl can dream, can't she?