Thanks to the Stash staff (Xtian, Bob, Gina, Emile, Dave, Alberto, and the new chick), for taking care of all our guests.

Big thanks to Gail, who kept the line moving, insuring that not only did nobody leave without getting their stuff signed, but insuring, also, that we were all out of there by ten o’clock.

And thanks, especially, to Brian O, Jason L, Ethan S, Jason M, Scotty M, Renee H, and for showing up and signing ’til everyone was taken care of.

It was a big, successful event, kids. We started with a line that wrapped the block, and still managed to get out of there before midnight. Amen.

THE DAY OF THE ‘RATS

By MIKE LENGYEL
News Askew Writer

LOS ANGELES, California (NA) – September 24, 2005

October 20, 1995. That was the day that MALLRATS, the follow-up to Kevin Smith’s debut indie hit, CLERKS, opened nationwide on 800 screens. Three days later, the film was unapologetically deemed dead on arrival at the box-office. But afterwards, almost seemingly by divine intervention, MALLRATS was resurrected and found its audience, where it was unable to before, on home video. Now nearly ten years later to the date, the film is being celebrated with the release of a 10-year Anniversary Edition DVD from the very same studio that had previously wanted to bury the flick after opening weekend, to being the same studio that has now produced and released not one, but now two DVD editions of the film on the market.

Today though, marks a high point for Smith and company as after nearly a decade, vindication comes full circle. That’s clearly made evident by the hundreds of fans who showed up, some standing in line as early as 2pm Friday (with the festivities actually scheduled at 2pm Saturday mind you), and by the start of the signing had already begun wrapping itself down the block and around Westwood Village.

Smith, joined by fellow cast mates, Jason Mewes, Renee Humphrey, Ethan Suplee, Scott Mosier and later on into the evening, Jason Lee and an un-announced surprise appearance by Brian O’Halloran (who’s currently in-town prepping to shoot the sequel to CLERKS), fans were eager and patient outside, while inside, groups were ushered through at about 20 at a time, with an average of 100 fans getting in and out each hour. Even some other surprise notables were caught stopping by the signing. “Hey wasn’t that Paul Dini and isn’t that MTV’s Andy Milonakis over there?!?!”

(Note the Fliptz bag of chocolate cover pretzels on the table.)

Just as one lucky female fan got her backside signed by Smith, another learned the cold hard truth about purchasing those signed movie posters off E-Bay when he asked Lee to verify his signature on cast signed ALMOST FAMOUS poster he purchased off the site. Lee quickly dismissed the poorly forged signature as a fake, and then proceeded to show him how he actually signs and prints his name on the poster and then adding “the REAL” above his freshly signed, now authentic, autograph.

This was easily by far and large the best possible signing Smith has ever held to date. Backed by nearly the entire ‘RATS cast, Smith also lined up CLERKS TAS and comic artist, Jim Mahfood, to do a live wall painting of the various characters in the View Askewniverse, that fans could watch inside being done as well as groove to some sweet jams being spun live in-store.

It helps that Smith now has a store to call his own out here on the West Coast, which allows him far greater control of how to handle and sponsor such in-store appearances. And because of such, once inside, especially during this signing, one almost feels like they’re at a party hosted by Smith where they can relax, and freely meet and greet cast and crew all without feeling like being ushered in and out all too quickly by store security.

By 9pm, the last in line was in, signed, sealed and delivered, while some attendees chose to leave, others decided to stick around and continue to mingle with the likes of O’Halloran, Smith and his wife, who grooved the night away to the beats and rhymes while Mahfood and company continued to rock the back wall.