My feet hurt, thanks to a long line at a Jim Lee signing at Sci-Fi City in Orlando, Florida. I went to Orlando this past weekend for this signing and was particularly excited to get stuff signed, and maybe even get a sketch in the Absolute Hush that I won from Nick in his massive contest awhile back. I got to the store at noon and saw a full parking lot, I went inside the store, which is a massive space, much bigger than most comic stores with spaces for card games, table games, video games, an Xbox 360 lounge, Sci-Fi City is really a great store and I had a high opinion of it, until I left the signing. Anyway. I got there at noon, and was prepared to wait an hour when Jim arrived at 1 pm. After I had my books counted and stickered (so you left with the same amount of books as you came in with) I got in the main line. After I got in this line, I learned, as the manager announced over the microphone, there were two more lines that would be able to get their stuff signed before me! So, I went from being not that far back in line, to way at the bottom.

The first line was for people who dropped $50 in the store and bought and Absolute Hush the day of or a few days before and had a reciept. They had first crack at Jim. The second line was for comic subscribers at Sci-Fi City, and they had second crack at Jim. After them was the main line, which I was in. I thought, “Ok, well that’s cool for people, hopefully I’ll get my sketch.” 2 hours later, my line and the subscriber line had not moved more than 5 feet and more people were entering the store and getting in line than were leaving. Feeling discouraged, thirsty, hungry, and tired, myself and the people around me asked some employees what was going on. We were told that Jim had started doing sketches for whomever wants one (I think for free) and that’s what the holdup was. We asked if they could change the lines, cut some off, so that people would be able to get their stuff signed, shop around the store, and leave. The employees told us that they were sticking to the system they had. Bummer. An hour after that, my line moved, and I rounded the corner I had been stuck behind for the past 3 hours. Jim Lee was in my line of sight, drawing inside and Absolute Hush, and my hopes were raised.

As I got closer to the front of the line, I realized that someone had listened to us an hour ago, and was rotating through the still existent 3 lines to move people through, as Jim was leaving at 6pm and there were still over 100 people in line, some with only one or two things to sign. As I got to the front of the line, I had all my books out, Absolute at the ready for a quick sketch, when the manager tells me, “You know he’s only sketching in the Absolutes for the people who bought them here.” What? Blast! So, I walked up to Jim Lee, handed him my books, told him how much I loved his work, inquired about how long he’ll be on All-Star Batman and Robin (till issue 20), and the DC MMO (which is still alive and “looks great”). After he signed all my books, and the inside of my Absolute, I left, put the books back in their bags and proceeded to leave the store. As my books were being counted, an employee asked me “Was it worth it?” I looked to him and lamented that my feet were tired, thirsty, and hungry, and that I thought it was unfair that they were limiting who got sketches in their Absolutes. He looked at me and told me I could get in the Absolute line now, and hope that Jim got to me. I looked at the still egregiously long line, looked at my watch, and then the employee. I said to him, “Dude, it’s 5 o’clock, I’ve been here since noon. The day is over,” and walked out the door as he said, “thanks for coming, come back soon!”

So that’s my story. Did I have fun? Yes, but only because I met this cool guy Josh (hi Josh!) and talked to him for the hours I was in line. Was this signing mis-managed? Hell yes. Before Jim arrived, the manager was telling me how long and hard he had to work to get Jim to come down. He’s in a band, Jim has his CD, which lead to e-mails, someone in the store donated Disney tickets, as well as pulling in some favors for a stretch Hummer limo to cart Jim and his entourage around from Thursday till Sunday, all free for Jim. Sounds like it took a lot of work right? So then why bumble the event with 3 different lines? If you want to give subscibers a jump ahead, ask Jim to sign for them only on a different night and time. Tell the subscibers that their line closes when Jim arrives, and after that they have to get in the regular line. I watched about 20 people with “subscriber cards” jump in line ahead of me for 4 hours, after I arrived. It felt like comic-book racism. They are better than you, so they get to cut in front of you all afternoon long and you can’t do anything about it.

I will say that there were people who walked in the store at 4pm, got in my line, which at that time was stretching out quite a bit around the store, and did not get their stuff signed, if Jim left at 6pm like we were told all afternoon long. If the lines had been worked quicker, then people may have had time or even the inclination to walk around the store and buy stuff, but instead, all of the traffic that this signing generated was tied up in line for Jim, and never at the register. Another thing that could’ve been clearer, at least for me, was the sketches. Is he or isn’t he doing sketches? Not letting everyone get a sketch that wants one is silly. If they had told Jim to sketch at the end and do signings till the line went way down, I would’ve been out of there at 2:30pm instead of 5pm, and maybe then I would’ve gotten in the sketch line. While I’m sure people will look on the wall, and say, “Wow, this store is cool because they had Jim Lee here,” the people who were in line with me will say, “Wow, they really mismanaged what could’ve been a cool event.” Next time they have a signing at Sci-Fi City, I’m going to call ahead and see how many lines they are going to have, before I kill my feet waiting for a minute of face-time with an artist I like.