Isis: On Being an Ultimate True Blood Truebie

I remember the first day I became aware of the phenomenon known as True Blood. I was my first Comic-Con International, and it was 2008. The show hadn’t premiered yet, but there were posters promoting the show. At the time, I looked and shrugged; in my experience as a reader, the idea of vampires dating humans wasn’t unusual in the least.

However, I soon discovered that Anna Paquin had the lead role in the show, so I started doing research. I purchased and read all the books in the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. After I finished the first book, I was skeptical, but saw potential in how the show could be done. Then the show aired, and my life changed forever.

When I saw the pilot of True Blood, I was hooked. I immediately started searching the internet to learn more about this show, and in my search, I quickly discovered TrueBloodNet.com. I started commenting on the articles posted, and soon I found myself a volunteer writer for them. It was the experience of a lifetime.

I did a lot of writing during my time with TrueBloodNet.com, and I also got to attend several things I’d otherwise never have done. In 2009, I was incredibly lucky and made it to two True Blood events at Comic-Con. I first was in the signing line, and thus got to meet most of the main cast of the show, including creator Alan Ball, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard. They (and everyone else in the signing line) were so nice to each fan and took the time while signing a poster for me to talk to me a little. After that, I rushed to the room where the True Blood panel would be held, and thanks to a friend, I managed to get a seat an hour before the panel started. Though the experience is unforgettable, what really sticks with me is the response I got from other fans when I posted the article about what I’d seen and done. There were a lot of comments from people jealous of me, but there were more thanking me for sharing my experience and making them feel as though they were at Comic-Con with me. That was a point where I realized that the words I shared, just like everyone else’s, have the power to bring people together. It was a heady feeling, and I was determined to let that magic happen again.

Then came the True Blood Ultimate Fan Experience. I tried for days to get tickets to my event, only to keep coming up short. I was depressed by my failure and desperate to get in. I made do with the “first come, first served” backup passes that HBO gave out, and finally, on the last night tickets were available, I got lucky and earned a pass that would for sure get me in. Perfect timing, as the day after I got the pass, HBO announced a new contest, but one only 50 True Blood fans would win. On Facebook and Twitter, fans hoping to be the ‘sheriff’ of each location in the Ultimate Fan Experience could message the official True Blood account with the reason why they should be picked as an Ultimate Fan. When I answered the prompt, my reason was simple: I was such a big fan of True Blood that I became a writer on a fan site. The next day, I was declared the ‘Sheriff’ of Burbank. It was amazing to go to the event and know that I was considered the biggest fan there! After I wrote up that event, my boss told me the article was one of the most read on the site for almost two weeks!

I continued writing with TrueBloodNet through Comic-Con 2010 and PaleyFest 2010. In my second True Blood panel at Comic-Con, I actually made it into the Q&A line, and I was the second to last question in the panel. In sharing that experience, I had readers tell me that when they mixed my story with the panel video footage I shared in the post, they felt more than ever that they were there in the room with me. The feelings of achievement I gained from those comments rank almost as high in my mind as my memory of the moment when the focus of my question locked eyes with me as he answered my question.

PaleyFest was a whole new experience for me. Instead of working on my own, a fellow writer joined me and we had the time of our lives hanging out and sharing with others our love of True Blood. We even added in a NOH8 photo shoot because we both support the message of the campaign and felt that it tied in nicely with True Blood’s message of letting people be who they are.

Since then, I disconnected from TrueBloodNet.com, but I continue to be a True Blood fan. In fact, the show still has a huge effect on my life. When True Blood began, I was working towards my AA in English. I have that degree, and now I’m working towards a BA in Digital Media Arts with a focus in Television Arts. True Blood played a huge role in my changing major. I realized that as I watch the show, I take in key details and often comment with my friends over the cinematography, writing, acting, and more. True Blood helped me realize that I want to be involved in making television shows that affect others the way True Blood affects me. It’s impossible not be proud of my Ultimate Truebie status when it’s helped me find my path to a career I love and can’t wait to fully be a part of.

Follow Isis on the Twitterz – @isis_nocturne