Meeting Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause at Comic Con Holland!

Comic Con Holland 2024: A Weekend with the Stars of Charmed
Every year, Comic Con brings together fans from all over to celebrate their favorite shows, meet iconic stars, and create lasting memories. This year, Comic Con Holland was especially close to my heart. Daryene, and I had the incredible opportunity to meet two stars we’ve admired for years: Charmed’s own Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause. It was a weekend of excitement, emotion, and unforgettable moments. From meeting them to sharing our appreciation, every moment felt like a dream come true—again!

Day 1: Saturday, October 12, 2024

The first day of Comic Con Holland was filled with anticipation and excitement as my Daryene, and I prepared to meet the incredible Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause from Charmed. Knowing we would be in the presence of these beloved stars was surreal, especially given our deep appreciation for their work but most importantly themselves as kind-hearted persons. Beautiful human beings.

Signing Sessions:
The day kicked off with Brian Krause, who was the first to arrive at his signing table. Brian posed in front if the banner of Rose McGowan and we took photos and video of the moment. Brian was happy to be there for sure!

Shortly after, Holly Marie Combs joined him at hers. Holly waved at everyone, she looked happy and fans had their cameras ready too for photos and videos as Holly was walking to her table.

They were both happy to see all the fans there for them, and we couldn’t wait to meet them. Fans pulled out their phones and cameras, capturing the moment and recording videos. Daryene and I were with a group of friends who are fellow Charmed fans of course, who we have been touch with on Instagram. We all were anticipating for this day with excitement. It was also the very first time we all met in person.

Interaction with Holly and Brian:
The signing sessions began, and Holly was the first to sign our Charmed Complete DVD Set. We had a lovely conversation where she remembered my name, and we talked about life, Charmed, and more.

I even took a moment to wish her strength and express my condolences for the passing of Shannen Doherty who we admire and love deeply. Holly was so kind, warm, gracious and understanding, and she signed and personalized our DVD case with the inscription: "To Ranbert, XX, Blessed be, Holly M Combs."

Next, it was Brian’s turn. We fell into a pleasant conversation, just as I had hoped. Brian was kind, engaging, and warm. We talked about life, our families, and the impact of Shannen’s passing.

Brian signed our Charmed DVD cover for Seasons 5-8, personalizing it with a heartfelt message: "To: Ranbert, Your Whitelighter Always, Brian Krause." This moment meant the world to me.

Below are photos of our autographed DVD case covers by Holly and Brian:


Daryene and I had brought gifts for both Holly and Brian, and seeing their genuine happiness upon receiving them was a moment we will forever cherish. They each thanked us graciously, and knowing we could share this with them added a beautiful layer to our experience.

Photo Ops:
After the signing sessions, there was a photo op moment and a duo photo op. On this day, I (Ranbert) had one photo with Holly and one photo with both Holly and Brian together. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing how special these moments were. Truly unforgettable. The first photo was my photo op with Holly.


My second photo was with both Holly and Brian. It felt like it truly was a photo with Piper and Leo! MAGICAL!


A Moment for Shannen Doherty:
On Day 1, we also held a special moment dedicated to Shannen Doherty. Together with other fans, we had cards prepared together with our friend Lisa that were for Holly, Brian, and Rose who was originally invited but couldn’t attend due to feeling under the weather.

We gave the cards to Holly and Brian, and Holly graciously accepted the one for Rose. It was a touching moment that reflected the love and respect the Charmed family has for one another and specially for dear Shannen. We all wrote kind words, words of comfort, expressing our condolences and how we as fans felt. We wrote best wishes and all positive things for them. I asked for the permission to burrow the signing table of the special guests from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There I met Shayla Garcia who also brings Holly, Brian and Rose to other comic cons. On these two days she was the talent agent of Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell and Karyn Parsons. Shayla was very kind to talk with. The cool thing is that she remembered me from online. Can't wait to meet her again.

Later we returned to Holly and Brian's signing tables again with the group where I (Ranbert) helped during the selfie time with taking the photos. I also took photos like behind-the-scenes and gave these photos to who they belong from our Charmed Fan group. This group should have a name! We really should name the group!

Day 2: Sunday, October 13, 2024

Arrival and Signing Session:
When I arrived on Day 2, just a few minutes later, Brian Krause arrived at his signing table. I was the only fan there at that moment, as Holly was preparing for the Charmed panel. Once the panel started, Holly and Brian talked about their time on Charmed, their memories with Shannen, and their podcast. Fans had the chance to ask questions and share their thoughts with them.

After the panel, it was time for another round of signing sessions. We went straight to their tables to get our autographs, and in between, we had more wonderful conversations with both Holly and Brian, who had brought a variety of photos for signing, just like the day before.


Photo Ops with Holly and Brian:
On Day 2, I had two photo ops with Holly and two with Brian. My first photo op with Holly was just as delightful as the previous day. She welcomed me with open arms and graciously posed for our pictures.


For the first shot, I made sure to hold my lanyard with Shannen's photo in view, and for the second, I displayed the Book of Shadows. I wanted to honor Shannen on Shando Sunday, a special day dedicated to remembering her.


Personal Conversations and Signatures:
After the photo ops, our group came back together, and we returned to Holly for more autographs. I brought my photo op from Day 1—the first one with Holly. When it was my turn, Holly was incredibly kind and warm. We engaged in a personal conversation about life, living in the Netherlands, Aruba, and even our children. Holly personalized my photo with the inscription: "To Ranbert, XX, Blessed be, Holly M Combs." I was so grateful for her kindness and told her I would be back later.

Next, I headed to Brian Krause's signing booth with the photo op we had just taken an hour earlier. Our conversation was just as delightful as before. Brian kindly personalized my photo with the message: "To: Ranbert, Thank you for the memories! Your friend, Brian Krause."


A Heartfelt Gesture for Holly and Brian:

Later on Day 2, we found the right moment to give Holly the cards we prepared for her and Rose, along with the one for Brian. Holly graciously accepted her card and Rose's, expressing her gratitude for our thoughtful gesture. It was heartwarming to see how much she appreciated our effort to honor Shannen and their friendship. When we spoke to Brian about the cards, he became emotional as well. His gratitude for the fans was evident, and it reinforced the bond we shared with both stars.

Farewell:

Before leaving Comic Con Holland, we thanked Holly and Brian for an amazing weekend filled with unforgettable moments. Our group was the last to spend time with them before they left, making it a poignant and personal farewell.

It was such a great experience connecting with fellow Charmed fans, sharing our love for the show, for Holly and Brian, and reminiscing about our favorite moments. It was especially exciting to finally meet in person those we had previously only interacted with online—putting faces to names and strengthening those connections made the experience even more special. The sense of community and shared passion for Charmed truly made the event unforgettable!

To Holly and Brian:
Holly and Brian, if you are reading this, thank you for coming to the Netherlands for Comic Con Holland. You mean so much to us fans, and we hope to meet you again. Thank you for the wonderful charmed time.

Ranbert & Daryene
Comic Con Wanderers