Introducing Myself

[MAHibbard]

Greetings! I have been a fan of Phantom in all his incarnations for...uhm...do I really want to reveal my age? Well, let's just say that I was introduced to Phantom through the Claude Rains movie back in my teens. No, I wasn't around in 1943...it was on TV. :biglaugh:

Well, I have been involved in other discussion boards (including a couple that are no longer around) but this one looked nice and so I thought I'd give it a shot. So, a little about myself...

I'm retired; took early retirement when my office closed a few years ago...and haven't regretted it since. My interests (besides Phantom) include writing (yes, I've written some fics under a different name), history (American Civil War, Richard III, Akhenaten), Gothic lit, Sherlock Holmes and Conrad Veidt. Oh...and lots and lots of reading.

I look forward to learning my way around the board and once I feel that I'm on firm ground, I'll start posting and engaging in discussions.

My favorite Phantoms are Claude Rains, Lon Chaney and Michael Crawford.

My favorite Christines are Mary Philbin and Susanna Foster.

My favorite Phantom books are Leroux's original (of course!), Susan Kay's Phantom, and Sam Sicilliano's Angel of the Opera.

[Hidden Away]

Oh, I love your banner, avatar, and choice of Phantoms!! and I love Susanna Foster!

Hello I'm Patricia Jane or Vincia, I hope you love it here. YOu seem Phantom crazed enough to take us seriously :) BUt wait, I need to repeat myself, I LOVE YOUR BANNER! Leading me to my question: Are you a writer?

[MAHibbard]

Do you prefer to be addressed as Patricia or Vincia? Thank you for the welcome. This looks like a very nice discussion board.

Yes, I dabble in writing. Not a professional in the sense as in having a contract with a publishing house, but more along the lines of the self-published sort. I am currently in the process of putting together several Civil War book projects. They are local history and are about some of the men and regiments from my hometown area.

I also -- *gasp* -- write fan fiction under a different name. Am I allowed a little self promotion? Here's a link to my profile over on ff.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/795874/HDKingsbury . My very dear friend and I are in the process of writing a new E/C story and have just started posting it.

And yes, I take Phantom very, very seriously!!

[Hidden Away]

Well I like Vincia, but that's just me...If you look at my name bar that's pronunciation. If you don't know, it's Latin :) Meaning victorious, I wanted my name to be a derivative of Vincent and that's the meaning.

I enjoy Phantom and I take the music very seriously, and I also love the story because of its...well amazing attributes of the story and such ;)

[MAHibbard]

Ah. Latin as pronounced by the Romans! (I do remember a little from my two years of studying classical Latin in high school. Not much; but a little.)

I think there's a lot to be learned from Phantom, whether we're going back to Leroux's original story (my favorite) or the various permutations it has gone through. And there's nothing wrong with loving the story simply for itself!

[A_Single_Rose]

Hi, Marie, and welcome to the site! I see you've already been welcome by the ever so lovely and awesome Patricia Jane.

I'm A_Single_Rose, or just Rose for short, and again, welcome to the site! I think you'll like it here. I know I do because the conversation and people here are just so fun and phantastic.

If you have any questions or wanna' chat or something, feel free to PM me or any of the other members on the site!

See you around,
A_Single_Rose

Oh, and you like Sherlock Holmes, too! Yeah! He's my second favorite literary character. (The first being Erik, of course. :) )

[Karo Kiba]

yey! Someone who has read Angel of the Opera! I'm not a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but I liked that in this version Erik has a happy ending to his story! But I won't say too much because that would be giving too many spoilers!

[MAHibbard]

Thank you all for the welcome. I noticed that there's a lot of RPG, but I'm more interested in regular discussions. Can any of you direct me to where I would find these? Is there a place to post reviews of PotO books I've read and would enjoy discussing -- both novels and literary criticism?

And yes, Karo Kiba, Angel of the Opera is a favorite of mine. Has been since I got it for my birthday back when it originally was published. It has a favored place among my Phantomy book collection.

Rose, I've loved Sherlock Holmes almost as long as Erik...but not quite. I've often thought I'd like to try my hand at a Holmes/Phantom crossover, but too many other irons in the fires these days.

Edited to add: Never mind about where to find the other discussions. I think I've found them on my own. Thanks anyway. :grnsmile:

[MadLizzy]

Hi, folks! I am the "dear friend" Marie mentioned previously, her evil twin and partner in crime. Marie helped me understand the Phantom phenomena better than Leonard Wolf and Gerry Hogle combined. Of course, I'd read the book and seen most of the film versions, but I have to admit, it was the 2004 movie that really drew me in. I'm not a huge fan of the movie nor the ALW musical, but that said, something about his version grabbed me and won't let go. Maybe it's ALW's magical lassoo. Lasso. Whatever.

This board looks like a friendly, cozy place to explore All Things Phantom, and I am looking forward to exploring it and getting to know all of you. Thanks for letting me join.

~ML

[MAHibbard]

*waves to Lizzy*

Welcome, dear friend. It's nice to see you here! And look...you must be heading to the Opera Populaire fire sale. (I'm looking at your avvie, remembering that silly banner I once made.)

[EriklovesLea]

Hi MAH,
I read your first post here and I too was intorduced through the 1943 Phantom which I saw in the early fifties. Yes, I AM that old.:biglaugh: I never forgot the movie for some strange reason, and was aware of the play throuhg reading newspapers, but never really got to ALW's version until April last year. Yes, the 2004 movie, which some rejectbut I loved it, and I cried for days. In fact it also inspired my book, "The Phantom's Redemption." out now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I also read the book last year, the original, but have not read any other Phan fic yet because I did not want to influence my book. I am not also working on a sequel to take place after Phantom dies.:crying:
It is amazing how one movie, play and book could be so influential to so many different people from teens to old bags like me. I have never seen the like in all my years.
I am glad to see you here. Welcome.
Anne:tp1:

[MAHibbard]

Hello Anne. Congrats on the publication of your book, and thanks for the welcome. It's nice to find other "mature" phans. I don't feel so alone now.

I remember when I first learned that ALW (who at that time I only knew of through Jesus Christ Superstar) was writing a musical based upon Leroux's book, I kinda scratched my head and wondered a variation of "What the heck? How can a story like that be turned into a musical?" Not long after that, I picked up a CD called Thriller (Halloween type music) by the late Erich Kunsel and the Cincinnati Pops. The overture to Phantom was the first cut. I heard it and was hooked. From there, I bought the OLC and fell in love with Crawford and Brightman...and figured out Andy didn't do too bad a job turning a Gothic horror story into a romance. (But don't get me started on this sequel business. I'm...reserving judgment, for now.)

[EriklovesLea]

Hi again, MAH,
I knew Erich Kunzel, not personally, but met him quite a few times. I was born and raised in Cincinnati and attended the symphony regularly for many years in the fifties and early sixties. he was soooo handsome when he came. No beard, and I had a sort of crush on him-:biglaugh:
He died several weeks ago. I don't know if you knew so I thought I would tell you. He did the 4th of July concert on PBS for years. He will be missed.
Hugs,
Anne

[MAHibbard]

Yes, I'd heard that he passed away. My mother and I were both saddened by the news. He was a favorite of ours and we always watched his July 4th Pops Concerts. At least we still have his performances with the Cincinnati Pops on CD.