What follows is basically just a listing of the various Sci-Fi Conventions I’ve been to over the years. So this list is really for my own benefit, but you’re welcome join me in my trip down memory lane:
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Late 80's
Dr. Who Con (Sioux Falls, SD): featuring the actress who played “Tegan Jovanka” (Janet Fielding) and a walkthrough of the traveling museum.
Early 90's
Several (Red River) ValleyCons (Fargo, ND):
Banquets: Live airings of new ST:TNG episodes.
Autographs: Simon Hawke – who also did a live reading from the first few chapters of “The Ambivalent Magician” prior to publication.
Late 90's
Various Star Trek Cons (Sioux Falls, SD, Omaha, NE):
Autographs: Ethan Phillips, John de Lancie, George Takei
21st Century
3-D Con (San Jose, CA): The making of Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles – Foundation Imaging presentation with co-founder Paul Bryant
Alpha-Con (Omaha, NE) Star Wars Convention: with stand-up routine by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
Autographs: Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
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ComicCon 2002 (San Diego, CA) Panels Attended:
Friday, August 2:
11:00 AM - Disney: Treasure Planet (only to save seats for the next panel)
12:00 PM - Richard Taylor: Lord of the Rings - Weapons and Make-Up (live demo)
Saturday, August 3:
10:30 AM - Lucasfilm: Behind the Scenes – Attack of the Clones (DVD Extras & Deleted Scenes)
1:00 PM - Newline: Lord of the Rings (Sneak Preview of Two Towers trailer + Richard Taylor & Weta Digital)
5:30 PM - Cartoon Network: Adult Swim
10:00 PM - Escaflowne the Movie (Screening)
Sunday, August 4:
11:00 AM - Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (followed by Brunch at Kansas City BBQ)
My heroes: Sam Liu, Jay Oliva, David Hartman, Greg Weisman, Wayne Boon, Steve Staley, Montana Joe Lawson, Aram Granger, Brandon Vietti
Autographs: Virginia Hey, Sam Liu, Jay Oliva, David Hartman, Greg Weisman, Wayne Boon, Steve Staley, Montana Joe Lawson, Brandon Vietti
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ComicCon 2003 (San Diego, CA) Panels Attended:
Thursday, July 17:
8: 30 PM - Lucasfilms & Atomfilms.com: Star Wars Fan Film Awards (+ The Star Wars Trilogy in Thirty Minutes otherwise known as the Best Star Wars Parody Ever!)
Friday, July 18:
12:00 PM - Battlestar Galactia (The Miniseries) Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackoff, Tricia Helfer, Ronald Moore and David Eick (+ some Sci-Fi Channel Exec who no one ever remembers)
1:00 PM - Farscape (Season 4) Richard Manning, Ben Browder, Francesca Buller, Virginia Hey, Jonathan Harding, Lani Tapu, David Franklin, Wayne Pygram
Saturday, July 20:
12:30 PM - Stargate: SG-1 (Season 6) - Don Davis, Amanda Tapping, Robert Cooper, Brad Wright (+ some Sci-Fi Channel Exec who no one ever remembers)
*Stood in line for Newline panel - to no avail!* *Went shopping instead*
5:30 PM - Cartoon Network: Adult Swim
Sunday, July 21:
11:00 AM - Ritchard Hatch (plugged BSG: “The Second Coming,” openly dissed TNS)
3:00 PM - TheOneRing.net: Return of the King (rumors and back-stage gossip - Otherwise known as “By Golly I’m Going to Make a LOTR Panel if It’s the Last Thing I Ever Do at This Con”)
Autographs: E.G. Daily, Wayne Pygram, David Franklin, Lani Tapu (x2), Jonathan Harding, Brian Thompson, Jeremy Bulloch, Richard Hatch
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ComicCon 2004 (San Deigo, CA) Panels Attended:
Wednesday, July 21: Convention Floor Preview Night
Thurdsay, July 22:
8: 30 PM - Lucasfilms & Atomfilms.com: Star Wars Fan Film Awards (+ Charles Ross - The One Man Star Wars Trilogy)
Friday, July 23:
10:30 AM - Richard Hatch: Battlestar and Beyond (promo for "The Great War of Magellan" and TNS: Why I Did It After All)
12:00 PM - Battlestar Galactica (Season 1 promo) Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park
3:00 PM - Cartoon Network (Mrs. Foster’s, Juniper Lee) Megas XLR with George Krstic & Jody Schaeffer
5:30 PM - Newline: Blade III, Harold and Kumar, Return of the King with Billy Boyd and David Wenham (sneak preview of 2 ROTK deleted scenes)
Saturday, July 24:
11:00 AM - Stargate: SG-1 (Season 7) - Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Robert Cooper, Brad Wright (+ some Sci-Fi Channel Exec who no one ever remembers)
12:00 PM - Stargate: Atlantis (Pilot Episode Promo) Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell, Rainbow Sun Francks, David Hewlett
2:00 PM - Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars - Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Brian Henson, David Kemper, Rockne O’bannon (+ some Sci-Fi Channel Exec who no one ever remembers)
8:30 PM - Masquerade Party
Sunday, July 25:
2:30 PM - Bionicle 2
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Official Battlestar Galactica Con 2006:
(Creation Entertainment, Burbank, CA, VIP Gold Pass)
Saturday, August 26:
1:00 PM - Opening Ceremonies
1:20 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Entries
1:25 PM - Writers’ Panel - Mark Verheiden, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson
2:00 PM - BSG Trivia Competition
2:25 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Entries
2:30 PM - Actors’ Panel - Tricia Helfer (Number Six) & James Callis (Dr. Baltar)
4:20 PM - BSG Costume Competition (via audience applause)
4:45 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Entries
4:50 PM - Creator’s Panel - Ronald D. Moore (Executive Producer)
6:00 PM - Autograph Session with Tricia Helfer, James Callis, and Ronald D. Moore
9:00 PM - Desert Party & Centerpiece Contest with Tricia Helfer and James Callis (Gold Patron Exclusive) - Son of Joxer's faux book display won a $50 Gift Certificate!
Sunday, August 27:
9:00 AM - Celebrity Breakfast & Charity Silent Auction with Tahmoh Penikett, Jamie Bamber and Aaron Douglas (Gold Patron Exclusive)
12:20 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Entries
12:25 PM - Special FX Panel - Gabriel Koerner from Zoic Studios
1:20 PM - Actor’s Panel - Aaron Doulas (Chief Tyrol)
2:00 PM - BSG Trivia Contest Part Two
2:25 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Winner Announced
2:30 PM - Actor’s Panel - Tahmoh Penikett (Lt. Helo)
3:30 PM - BSG Music Video Contest Winner Announced
3:35 PM - Actor’s Panel - Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama)
4:40 PM - Autograph Session with Tahmoh Penikett, Jamie Bamber and Aaron Douglas
Autographs: Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Ronald D. Moore, Tahmoh Penikett, Jamie Bamber, Aaron Douglas
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Dragon*Con 2010 (Atlanta, GA) Panels Attended:
Friday, September 3:
10:00 AM - V: Aliens Among Us with Morena Baccarin (Gretsch & Vandervoort cancelled)
11:30 AM - BSG: Cylons and Us, the same or different (Richard Hatch, Aaron Douglas, Edward James Olmos, Mark Shepard, K. Grazier)
1:00 PM - Masterpieces of Science Fiction and Fantasy (painter Donato Giancola)
2:30 PM - Brandon Sanderson (Reading: Various novel excerpts)
4:00 PM - Brandon Sanderson (Signing) - ran late (overlapped next time slot)
6:00 ish - Registered for gaming and shopped for dice.
7:00 PM - Got in line for:
8:30 PM - MST3K and Cinematic Titanic - totally worth it!
Didn’t notice until after 11:00 PM that I had missed Stargate panel (oh well)
Saturday, September 4:
10:00 AM - Dragon*Con Parade (from Hyatt balcony)
11:30 AM - Legend: Chronicles of a Seeker (Fan Track – with two reps from LotS.org)
1:00 to 4:00 PM - Living Forgotten Realms “Ravens Under the Midday Sun” (table-top RPG)
Autographs: Morena Baccarin, Raelee Hill
6:00 to 10:00 PM - Living Forgotten Realms “Raven Knights” (ended about 9:15 – 3 Encounters per session)
10:00 PM - Elective: Life After Stargate - Hewlett cancelled so they couldn’t show Dog’s Breakfeast, etc. so instead there was…
10:15 PM - Stargate Fan Track - Episode Screening - “Through the Window” and “Counterstrike” (Morena Baccarin’s debut eps. at my request and “200” after I left.)
Sunday, September 5:
10:00 AM - Tom Servo vs. Tom Servo - Josh Weinstien vs. Kevin Murphy - won DVD box set in raffle!
11:30 AM - Fire and Ice (GRR Martin fan panel) - moderated by V. Plexico
1:00 PM - Art Track: How to Jumpstart Your Career - Deanna Davoli, Vincenti, others
2:30 PM - Art Show Jury Discussion - Danato Giancola, Todd Lockwood (!), Don Maitz, John Picacio (coming out with 2012 ASoIaF calander!), Janny Wurts, Vincent Villafrancas
4:00 PM - Farscape: Uncharted Territories (Hell yeah!) Ben Browder, Virginia Hey, Raelee Hill
5:30 PM Shopping - turned in $5 gift certificate for dice in Dealers’ Room, found swag, etc. (missed Rifftrax panel).
7:00 PM - Babylon 5 - Jason Carter and Claudia Christian…who bailed in middle of the panel after pimping “Look” on DVD
8:30 PM - Masquerade with photo session afterwards (Duck Dodgers played during judges intermission)
Photo session done around 12:20 AM - caught last MTI bus back to Hotel at 12:35 (and was the only passenger!)
Monday, September 6:
10:00 AM - Media: The Meeting of the Multiverse (mostly Stargate) Martin Gero (writer/producer), Jewel Staite, Ben Browder, Paul McGillion, Jason Momoa
11:00 AM - I was first in autograph line for Ben Browder!
11:30 AM - Michael Shanks was half an hour late, but got autograph for Mark!
12:00 PM - Half an hour late for: The Art of The Way of Kings with Brandon Sanderson, Isaac Stewart, Ben McSweeney - totally worth it!
Last minute shopping, bought ticket for next year and pre-ordered 2 DVDs (Highlights and Masquerade)
4:00 PM - Closing Ceremonies – found WALDO! - found out that next year’s Artist Guest of Honor will be….(drumroll please)…MICHAEL WHELAN!!!
Autographs: Ben Browder, Michael Shanks, Morena Baccarin, Raelee Hill
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Dragon*Con 2011 (Atlanta, GA) Panels Attended:
Friday, September 2:
9:00 AM - The Dragon*Con Late Show
10:00 AM - Writers Workshop: Seminar 1: The Rules of Writing (M. Stackpole, A. Alliston)
11:30 AM - A Bit of a Chat with Sylvester McCoy (Sylvester McCoy!)
1:00 PM - Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards of the Coast (R. Schwalb)
2:30 PM - Pathfinder (J. Bulmahn)
4:00 PM - The Art of Todd Lockwood (Todd Lockwood!)
5:30 PM - Star Wars: Building the Universe with Legos
7:00 PM - Film Festival Screening: Dark Fables
• The Absence
• My Mom and Other Monsters
• Dirty Silverware
• The Lone Warrior
• Djinn
• The Candy Shop
Saturday, September 3:
9:00 AM - The Dragon*Con Late Show
10:00 AM - Dragon*Con Parade
11:30 AM - Breaking into the Computer Game Industry (Michelle Menard, Zack Johnson, Andrew Greenberg)
2:30 PM - Chilling with Chad Vader
4:00 PM - Chuck – How to make a Spy (Robert Duncan McNeill)
5:30 PM - Characters That Come to Life (Lynn Abbey, John D. Ringo, Eugie Foster, Carole Nelson Douglas, Nancy L. Holder, Tracy Hickman)
7:00 PM - Game of Thrones – Books or Series?
8:30 PM - Breaking into the Table Top RPG Industry (Eloy Lasanta, Clint Black, Robert J. Schwalb, Monte James Cook!)
10:30 PM - Comic Book Babes Costume Contest (via stream Hilton TV)
Sunday, September 4:
9:00 AM - The Dragon*Con Late Show
10:00 AM - E-Marketing for Artists 101 (Angela Sasser)
11:30 AM - Art Show: Jury Panel Discussion (Todd Lockwood, David Palumbo, Julie Bell, Boris Vallejo, Don Maitz, Janny Wurts, Michael Whelan)
1:00 PM - Have it your way: Michael Whelan presents…”Whatever” (Michael Whelan!!!)
2:30 PM - Faith and Fantasy: Redemption
Art Show - Mostly Lockwood and Whelan – Showed Whelan "Son of Joxer" portfolio!
8:30 PM - Masquerade Overflow (Hilton TV)
Monday, September 5:
9:00 AM - The Dragon*Con Late Show
10:00 AM - Secrets of Lighting in Photography (Dim Horizon Studio)
11:30 AM - Basics of Editing (Independent Film track – William Kely McClung, Jessica Imoto Harney)
1:00 PM - Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival Awards (Ralph Bakshi)
2:30 to 4:50 PM - FINALLY made it to the Dealers Room and Exhibit Halls
Autographs: Joel Gretch, Amanda Tapping, Michael Whelan |
