Photo by Brett A. Hart

It’s CONvergence week and that means all my Friend a Day posts will probably have something to do with the convention.

Harry was a Guest of Honor at our first convention back in 1999.  He’s returned a couple of times since then and I’ve been fortunate enough to go down to Austin almost every year since then for Butt-Numb-a-Thon.

Through that, I’ve gotten to know Harry as well as anyone who only sees him once a year can really know anyone.  I love going down for the movie festival but I’m even happier to spend time with people I hardly ever see.  Like Harry.

The thing about Harry is he is living the dream all of us geeks had when we were young.  I’m not resentful of that fact because he is completely aware of how fortunate he is to live that dream and he is always doing his best to share it with others.

Sitting with Harry talking to him about movies is sort of like film school every time.  He knows so much about the film industry and film history it kind of blows my mind.  And he is so fucking smart, he can take all of that information, process it, and draw intelligent conclusions.

When he introduces you to someone, he will then probably spend at least twenty minutes telling you everything about that person.  He doesn’t talk about that person’s faults.  He tells you why he likes them so much.  I think he just has the ability to see the best in everyone.

His sense of humor is mildly sadistic.  If he pokes fun at you, it is because he likes you.  He also expects the same in return.  He is completely capable of taking as much as he’s been given.

I’m glad that we asked Harry to come to the convention all those years.  If we hadn’t, I wouldn’t have ended up seeing him once a year.  Once a year isn’t enough, but it’s better than nothing.