After Midnight

Hollywood.

Midnight.

Neon filled store fronts.

Windows fogged and smudged with hand prints

lingering ,like blood stains from a brutal crime scene.

Excitement and anticipation so thick,

you could cut it with a rusted machete.

They came from near and far.

Waiting.

Watching.

Wanting.

Wanting to get in.

Lurching ever so slowly to get inside.

...for inside, there is something.

...something that they crave,desire,and yearn for...

a scene from a horrible,cheesy student zombie flick?

a Meet and Greet with The New Kids On The Block?

Nah!

Waaaaay Cooler!!!

It is the much anticipated World Premiere Midnight Launch

for the first installment of Guillermo del Toro's Vampire novel

The Strain http://www.thestraintrilogy.com/

About 200 fans showed up to press the flesh with the one and only Guillermo del Toro.

Fresh off a plane from New Zealand (where he is in preproduction for the Hobbit) del Toro eagerly greeted the crowd.

Prior to the midnight launch Guillermo talked to the press ,

some of them who traveled as far as Mexico to cover the event.

Before he sat down to begin his nearly 4 hour signing, he told the crowd that he had adopted a new cause

..."No Geek Gets Left Behind".

He said that he would stay as long as fans were there and would sign and sketch in every ones books.(What a guy!)

So the line snaked throughout the store,fans bringing all sorts of memorabilia to get signed.

Guillermo being the genuine gentleman that he is,he spent time with every fan...and i mean EVERY fan. He would take the time and try and find something in common with everyone.

Being the well read man that he is (add to that being one of the biggest "Geek"), Guillermo can ALWAYS find some commonality.

One of the oddest things about the evening was

...you never knows what kind of fans Guillermo has.

His fan base is so diverse.There are the kids who love him for the Hellboy movies(that's me)

there are the people that respect him for being the brilliant director that he is(that's me)

there are the folks out there that love him for his wit and the way he can spin a tale(heck that's me too) and then there are the celebrity fans(so, not me) who are in awe of his talent.

The celebrities that showed up that morning were ones that you would never expect.

How about Disney's Zac and Cody(Dylan and Cole Sprouse)..Huh?

oh yeah...actually two of the nicest kids. And how about Tyrese Gibson of Transformers fame.

R & B singer, heartthrob, Actor...del Toro fan? Yup!!! Classy,cool guy.

All in all ,what a great event...and this is just the first stop on his book tour!

Special thanks goes to

DeeDee and Shawn of Harper-Collins,

Gaston and Staff of Meltdown Comics,

Gary,Jeremy,and Tyler of Exile Entertainment,

Last but not least....My Compa,

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

one of the best, most generous ,genuine people

I've had the pleasure of ever knowing!

Thank you,

Gracias por todo!!!