Hey Guys
I’m a long time listener to the podcast, but my first time actually checking out the forum. Anyway, I was looking through some of the past conventions and I noticed that no one posted about this recent convention that happened in Burbank, CA. I was lucky to attend, but not as a paying customer, but a volunteer. Basically, I get in for free, hang out with fans of my favorite TV shows, and occasionally have to work.
It was Creations Grand Slam Sci-Fi Summit and it had a whole range of people there. They Tim Russ and Roxann Dawson (Tuvok and Belanna, ST:Voyager), James Marsters (Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst (Hercules and Iolaus), Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto (the two Spocks duh!!) and my personal favorite Grace Park (if you can’t remember what character she is I pity you!! Nah, just kidding. But, seriously if you don’t recognize that name you better get off the forum and look more closely at the opening credits!!!). Also, there was the actor who played the original Boomer in the old BSG.
Anyway, the con was a three day uber fan fest. Friday was pretty hectic because Nichelle Nichols was there and I was fortunate enough to have a fifteen minute conversation with Herb while I was acting as security by some doors. I couldn’t help myself and ask him how does it feel to be replaced by a young Asian woman. He laughed and said he most definitely didn’t have a problem with Grace taking over his role.
Saturday was to me the most exciting day. I purposely made sure my supervisor knew that I volunteered mainly just so I could see Grace Park, so I could be in the auditorium for her Q and A session. What I think is cool about Creation is that if you want you can pay to have a professional 8X10 photo with your favorite actor. Now, because I’m a volunteer I’m allowed to jump the line and be one of the first people to get their photos done. So, me and another guy are in this room waiting for the Grace and the photographer. When she finally did enter she was so surprised that so many people showed up for her photo session. Now, because the photographer needed a couple of minutes to get his equipment ready, I was lucky to have a couple of minutes to just talk with Grace. Mostly we just talked about a pin I was wearing (the flight wing pins) and even though she’s on the show she doesn’t get any cool stuff. She later hinted that she planned on nicking some things. I also asked her how tall she was; because I was floored on how tall she is in real life. Apparently because she’s always with Tahmoh (who’s like 6’4") her 5’9’’ doesn’t really register on screen.
I was also lucky enough to win this huge banner of her at the con which I later got autographed by her. She thought the banner was awesome and was nice enough to personalize it for me. Now, the thing about her auto graph session was that she was sharing this long table with four cast members from Smallsville. So, how it was originally set up was that the fans would first go to Grace then go to the Smallsville cast. Now, I left to go get dinner by 6:30 and when I came back at 7:15 I see this huge line that’s in the main lobby. It turns out that Grace was taking so long personalizing autographs and talking with her fans that she was holding up the line. So, they had to place a separate table down in a back hallway. Originally the people at creation were expecting Grace to be done around 7:45-8:00, because they figured that because she was the only BSG person not a lot of people would show up. Grace ended up signing autographs up until 9:45 and she still was personalizing all of her photos. That worked out great for me because I got to be in charge of her autograph line, because the original guy had to go home. When she finally left, I think it was around 10:20, a fellow volunteer and I got to escort her to a waiting car. She told us that she had so much fun that she was going to attend more conventions in the future.
She told us one of her first conventions was Comic Con a few years back and that it was so huge and that couple people followed her to the bathroom that she was kind of turned her off on conventions.
If any of you has the chance to go see Grace in a con. GO!!! She is really sweet, nice, and just really down to earth. She was definitely one of the fan favorites at the con.
I have some more info on the con, and if you guys want me to tell I’ll gladly post it. But, I figured since this was a Galactica based site you guys just wanted me to stick with Grace.
Anyway thanks for letting me ramble.
Laters
MMoD