No, they aren’t vulgar, but they are potty mouths. And their newest book is proof.
Thousands of fans from all over the country flocked to Newport to wait in line for hours to catch a glimpse of the Roto Rooter/Sci-Fi Channel stars Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson on Friday. They came to shake the "Ghost Hunters'" hands, snap a photo or two, and to get a copy of their newest book signed … their bathroom-reader that is.
Since Roto Rooter is based out of Cincinnati, the two plumbers turned paranormal investigators made their only book-signing stop for their second book "Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat."
From 3-6 p.m. Hawes and Wilson, who have been plumbers for about eight years in Rhode Island and "Ghost Hunters" since 2004, met with fans, signed autographs to photos, copies of their books, "Ghost Hunter" books, T.A.P.S. T-shirts, "Ghost Hunters" memorabilia as well as fans’ personal laptops and K2 meters.
The No. 1 fan in line was Mike Vance of Dry Ridge, Ky., who came to the Barnes and Nobles at Newport on the Levee at 7:30 a.m. to be the first in line to meet the TV and plumbing stars.
"I’m star-struck of course," said Vance, who is a self-proclaimed amateur ghost hunter, who had them sign his K2 meter, or EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detector —a meter to measure levels of electromagnetic energy. "I feel like I’ve known them for five years and just got a chance to meet them."
One of the youngest fans was Isabelle Santos, 6, who said that meeting the two "Ghost Hunters" was "really cool."
"[I’m going to] show it to my parents and hang it in my room," she said of her autographed photo of Wilson and Hawes.
The toilet-reader is full of funny anecdotes from their day job as plumbers, as well as commentary by Hawes and Wilson. Readers and plumbers submitted potty prose for the book as well.
Hawes, 37, said that plumbing can be "creepier than the stuff in the show."
In fact, the two friends and co-workers agree that ghost hunting is very similar to the plumbing business. Wilson, 35, said that in both instances it’s about going into someone’s home and trying to solve their problem.
Just because there is a leak in one area, doesn’t mean that’s where the problem is, said Wilson—just like when a house has paranormal happenings, does not necessarily mean the house is haunted.
Hawes agreed and said that in both jobs, sometimes it’s about "giving bad news to a homeowner in a good way."
Both said that they experienced some sort of paranormal encounter as children, talking two non-believers into the field. When "you stare it in the face like that, it’s easier to identify what’s real and what’s not," in the show, they said.
While meeting and greeting with their favorite "Ghost Hunters," fans also had the chance to enter a raffle for the signed toilet from the book’s cover while at the book signing. The plumbers’ third book will be out in October.
Season five for "Ghost Hunters" will kick off on Sci-Fi Aug. 19 and the two, who said that they thought "Ghost Hunters" would be a 10-episode stint, announced that they have already signed on for season six as well.
While nothing is planned as of yet, the two did say that they have talked about coming to Northern Kentucky to investigate a few well-known hauntings.
The "Ghost Hunters," were accompanied by the book’s cover model and Cincinnati native Brittany Everitt, who also greeted fans and signed copies of the book.
"Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat" can be purchased online at www.RotoRooter.com, or at Barnes and Nobles.
