"CHRISTOPHER SOMEBODY"

In 2002, Judy and I, along with her parents, took a trip to London. We had a great time. One afternoon, I wanted to go shopping at Forbidden Planet, a world famous comic book store, or, as the signage pictured above says "The Cult Entertainment Megastore". That's a more accurate description than "comic book store" because this place has everything.

Judy and I set off for FP, leaving her parents at our hotel. We took the Underground and soon found ourselves in front of this super store. On our way in, we noticed that several people were lined up on the sidewalk outside of the store in anticipation of some event to take place later.

Once inside, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of pop culture goodness that was on display. While I was looking around, Judy struck up a conversation with a sales clerk and asked him what was going on with the people lined up outside. He told her and she came over to me and said, "all of those people lined up outside are here to see Christopher Somebody."

For whatever reason, perhaps I was still in a state of euphoric bliss over all of the cool stuff on display, what she said didn't register with me. I didn't have a clue as to who "Christopher Somebody" might be. I kept looking.

I finally purchased a British SF paperback, THE SECRET OF LIFE by Paul McAuley, a book about the Godfather films and SHOCK THEATER: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

While I was paying for my purchases, I asked the clerk who this "Christopher Somebody" was that people were lining up to see.

"Oh, Sir Christopher Lee is going to make an in store appearance later today," he said. "That's what everyone is lining up for."

I turned to Judy and said, "It's not Christopher Somebody, it's Christopher Lee!"

"Who's he?"

"Dracula!" I cried. "Dracula is going to be here later!"

She said that if I really wanted to meet him that she'd be willing to wait in line with me. I considered it for a moment. It was sweet of her to offer but we'd already been in the store for more than an hour and I knew all of this pop culture geek stuff was probably getting on her last nerve. Besides, we really needed to get back to the hotel and her parents to get ready for the theater that night. So we left. I could have met Christopher Lee but really, I have no regrets. I made the right decision.

And that's how I almost got to meet the one and only "Christopher somebody."