When Walter met Erika: Kathy Hontz, my forever friend from my “Dark Shadows” days, and I first met Erika in the spring of 1971. Kathy and I knew security guard George Smith from our Dark Shadows studio visits, and when George later moved to the One Life to Live studio on West 67th Street, we stopped by to say hello. I was already an OLTL fan, and when Erika became the “new” Viki, I was instantly smitten and determined to meet her.

That afternoon, we asked George if Erika was working. She was, and when Erika left later that day—with packages in hand, as was typical of her—I asked for an autograph. She couldn't have been friendlier or more gracious. She asked my name, and when I said Walter, she replied, “Oh, that's my father's name.”

Fan Club Agreement: After several visits to the studio that summer, I finally worked up the courage to ask Erika if I could start a fan club for her. On October 7, 1971, at just 15 years old, I tore a piece of paper from my high school loose-leaf book and wrote a simple authorization for Erika to sign. She did—and that little piece of paper officially began my journey with the fan club.

The fan club began sending newsletters in January 1972. That March, Kathy and I even appeared on OLTL as courtroom spectators during Steve Burke's trial—with Viki right there in the courtroom. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Fan Club Officers: Through our mutual interest in Erika, I met Arlyne Zinstein, who ran a fan club for David Snell, who played Jack Lawson on OLTL. Arlyne and Kathy became two of my longest and most faithful friends from those early years. My first vice president was Debbie Furie, followed by Arlyne, while Kathy served as secretary and typed our newsletters. Arlyne and Kathy remained officers through 1976. Debbie, if you're out there, I'd still love to hear from you!

Those early friendships helped turn a 15-year-old boy's idea into something that would become an important part of my life for more than five decades.

Walter