Monday, April 19, 2010

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series about my friends meeting celebs.

Again this year, I will be covering the Motor City Comic Con for Global Traveler magazine. I started to do my research and I came across Jamin Hillwig, a Michigan resident and MCCC attendee. I asked Jamin to share some of his stories and pictures and he agreed.
I'll let Jamin tell his own story.
When I saw Kane Hodder's name on the guest list for the Motor City Comic Con in 2003, I made him my primary target. Kane Hodder is the actor who played Jason in the Friday the 13th films (specifically 7-10). This was back when the MCCC was held at the old Novi Expo Center, where they had "Autograph Alley" in the back and to the right. Hodder wasn't hard to spot. He is about 6'4" and built like a brick outhouse. After waiting in a short line, I introduced myself and my wife and shook his hand. The man has a grip like a vise. We talked briefly about Freddy versus Jason, which was coming out in a few months and how he wasn't going to be in it. He told me his good friend Robert (Freddy) Englund had lobbied hard to get him the part, but the director Ang Lee, wanted his Jason to have "sad eyes", because he was the victim in this movie. We both had a good laugh about Jason being a "victim". Jason Vorhees is not a victim. He is a KILLER. I got his autograph and asked for a picture. He said "sure" and I asked if he could do me a favor and choke me in the picture. "Okay, whatever you want," he said with a chuckle. So my wife got the camera and said she was ready. Then Kane grabbed me by the throat and lifted me so I was on my tip-toes (I'm only 5'4") and cranked down with just a little more than what you'd call "gentle pressure". I believe I made a sound like "awwk!!" and then my wife snapped the pic. He put me down, I thanked him and we shook hands again and he crushed my hand again. I read in an interview later, that when Kane is Jason, this is what he does. He tends to use a bit more force with his "victims" because he likes for their reactions to be authentic...like Jason is really trying to kill them, which is about what you see on my face in the picture because I really didn't expect that and I was wondering "Just what have I got myself into this time?" I got a great picture and I actually felt honored that he'd treat me as somebody Jason was trying to kill. But the true moral of the story is:Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.
Thanks to Jamin for sharing his story and picture. Hopefully, it is just the first of several he will share here in the future.
Jamin Hillwig and Kane Hodder in Novi, MI-May 2003.

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