We have a bizarre relationship with celebrities of both major and minor status. Susan Lucci used to tell stories of the many people who would accost her (sometimes physically) on the street for something her character (Erica Kane) did on All My Children. Erica was a conniving bitch for most of the show, so Ms. Lucci was often subject to the derision of her fanbase. And, yes, these were her fans who were chiding her for the scripted actions of a soap opera character. Mind you, Susan Lucci is an actress and had less creative control over her character than an ABC janitor (in the sense that Ms. Lucci was much less likely to walk past a late-night writers’ meeting and suggest a new twist (such as drunken cross-dressing alien competitive cyclists) to break the group writers’ block).
Anyway, my point is that people got very familiar with Erica Kane. They saw her antics on TV every afternoon for thirty-one years. If you remember that much of that time took place long before social media, that means they saw more of Lucci playing a character than they saw of their own parents or siblings, so, when they saw her on the street (which became increasingly rare) they felt like they knew her—not actress Susan Lucci, who was just a name to them, but Erica Kane.
I have tasted minor celebrity. It’s weird (for me) and a little discomforting to be recognized for some of the community theater roles I’ve played, and even more so for my writing. Luckily, it doesn’t happen often, but on the rare occasions when it does, it’s bizarre. People have one of two reactions…they either geek out and get really shy and OMYGOD about it (I did this once at a convention when I met much more famous (and talented) comicker Jin Wicked—I’m pretty sure it creeped her out, for which I’m very sorry, because she seemed like a nice kid, and didn’t deserve to have a middle-aged fat guy being all weird at her table), or they immediately assume they’re my best friend because they happened to recognize me (or my name) from a thing I did, once.
Which brings us around to Steve. Maritza Campos is an actual person who writes and draws the comic, CRFH (nee College Roomies from Hell!). As I mentioned before, she announced her pregnancy at exactly the time that I was flailing around looking for some excuse to segue from the school to Scot’s house. I took the opportunity to poke fun at people who believe that just because they know (of) somebody from the Internet, they believe they have some sort of connection. This is one of those comics that would have been more funny had it been less true.
That being said, Ms. Campos’s comic is still around and still on its original run, so, if consistently funny drama and rapidly-improving art are your thing, you should pop over to CRFH.
