Among the King fans was Kim Yates (above, right), owner and operator of the Kim’s Krypt Haunted House in Merritt Park Shopping Center.      photos by Bill Gates

Hundreds of Stephen King fans descend on Walmart for book signing

by Bill Gates

No long-buried alien spacecraft were uncovered in North Point State Park. No one reported a clown beckoning to children from inside a sewer grate. And the H1N1 flu, while serious, at least isn’t Captain Trips.
    Stephen King’s visit to Dundalk went off without incident. So far.
    Just be sure that car following you a bit too closely along a dark stretch of German Hill Road actually has a driver. Should you encounter a St. Bernard ... it’s probably best just to start running.
    And, for the love of God, don’t dare use your cell phone.
    King, the prolific and popular horror writer whose books are routinely adapted for films, dropped by the North Point Boulevard Walmart on Nov. 11 to sign copies of his latest novel, Under the Dome.
    It’s the story of a small town in Maine that is suddenly, inexplicably cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field.
    “I’ve been reading it, and it has a couple of interesting characters,” said Michael Burke of Charlesmont, one of over 600 people who had their copies signed by King that day.
    “Cheech and Chong are in the book. So is the Barbie doll – but she’s a man.”
    Burke became a King fan two years ago after watching the film based on King’s novel Christine.
    “It inspired me to read the book,” Burke said. “I like how in-depth and dark King’s writing can be.”
    The first 400 people in line at the store at 7 a.m. on the 11th received wristbands guaranteeing their books would be signed by King, the best-selling author of more than 50 novels and numerous short stories.
    Eighty of his works have been turned into theatrical films, television movies and TV miniseries.
    Anyone without a wristband had to rely on how much stamina King had in his right hand.
    “If Stephen King gets tired, we’re done,” said Jason Proulx, district sales manager for Anderson Merchandisers, which distributes King’s books. “If he wants to keep signing, we’ll bring more people in.”
    King didn’t disappoint his fans. All 600-plus people who showed up with books received autographs.
    Burke and Sollers Point Road resident Christopher Catherman both work at the Walmart.
    They worked the graveyard shift the previous evening, got off work and immediately jumped in line to get their wristbands.
    “For King to pick our Walmart, out of over 3,000 Walmarts, makes us feel special,” Catherman said.
    Apparently, a lot of Stephen King fans are in Dundalk. And their devotion didn’t go unnoticed.
    “We sell more Stephen King books as a percentage of our total book sales than any other store,” store manager Paul Kram said. “He’s our best-selling author.”
    Kram could not release specific numbers, but Proulx confirmed the reason that Anderson chose the Dundalk Walmart.
    “The publisher wanted to get into a Walmart,” Proulx said. “We picked this store because it had very good demographics for this and strong Stephen King sales.”
    King was on his first book tour in 17 years, Proulx said. He came to Dundalk from New York, and was next scheduled to appear in Atlanta.
    West Inverness residents Stacey Millionie and Lisa Myers also both work at Walmart.
    “We knew about this two months ago,” Millionie said. “I was texting everyone and telling them not to tell anyone else. We didn’t know if we were allowed to tell anyone.
    “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
    Myers’ favorite King book is It, published in 1986. Under the Dome, at 1,025 pages, is King’s longest work since It.
    King spent nearly two hours autographing books, beginning shortly before 5:30 p.m. and ending around 7:15.
    The process moved swiftly and efficiently. People stepped up on the stage along the back wall of the store, had their books signed, maybe exchanged a word or two with King, often snapped a photo, then left the stage.
    King did not grant interviews, speaking only during a short question-and-answer session before the signing session began.
    Baltimore County police officers and Walmart employees made sure the line flowed smoothly and people with cameras obeyed the prohibition against using flashbulbs (they irritate King, was the reason given).
    At least one man who accidentally used his camera flash nearly lost his opportunity  for an autograph, but event officials relented and let him remain in line.
    Some people managed to break protocol.
    Matthew Lambrecht, a 12-year-old from Inverness, received a tight hug from King.
    Asked how he managed to merit such attention, Lambrecht said, “I just asked him for a hug. He was like, ‘Sure,’ and opened his arms. I didn’t think he was going to let me hug him, with all the police and everything.”
    Matthew’s mother, Dawn (favorite book: The Stand) said she owns every Stephen King book and is a fan of the film adaptations.
    “Matthew has been watching Stephen King movies since he was in the womb,” Dawn said.
    Julianna Vaeth, a 16-year-old Gray Manor resident, got King to pose for her camera.
    “He didn’t say anything, just looked up and smiled,” she said. “It’s so weird, that he’s here.”
    And then there was the encounter between worldwide horror icon and local horror icon: Stephen King and Kim Yates.
    Yates, the owner and operator of Kim’s Krypt Haunted House in Merritt Park Shopping Center (among other locations), made the most of her few seconds in King’s presence.
    In that time she got out her name, the name of her haunted house, her Web site address and an offer to drive King to the airport in her hearse, all while leaning over the table and holding a camera at arm’s length to get a photo of herself with the master of horror.
    King never said a word.
    “He just looked at me like I had 12 heads, and smiled,” Yates said. “I have that effect on people.
    “He’s just creepy. I love that.”
    Bob Rutherford of Center Avenue, a King fan of 16 years, summed up the writer’s appeal.
    “You get into the characters, get sucked into the book and can’t put it down,” he said. “Then you’re disappointed when it ends.”