dph of rules writes...

sorry for the delay between my pre-trip Gathering Journal and this one. There's certain things I wanted to wait for before writing the latter gathering journals.

Gathering Journal Day 1 - The Trip there - Friday
Originally, my stepmother was supposed to take me to the airport, but due to bad weather, my dad ended up taking me. I want to stop to say it's 11:09am Saturday morning when I'm writing this part of the journal. I got to Little Rock airport ~7:15am and was waiting on my flight and was very nervous. I had a 30 minute delay in take-off because of bad weather in Dallas. The flight was ok, I slept about 30 minutes during it. Dallas-Fort Worth airpot was big to me. Luckily, I was able to find my gate in time and eat lunch before takeoff. On the flight to LAX, I slept about two hours. Boy, is LAX airport big. The trip from LAX to the hotel took over an hour - mostly because of rush hour traffic - rush hour traffic at 2:30pm, what a concept. I don't get why people complain about traffic in LA - it's just the same as my local rush traffic traffic multiplied by a few more lanes. So I got to the hotel, signed in, saw Patrick & GXB, and promptly asked where A Fan was [A Fan was my roommate]. They told me the con suite (I forgot what room number that was) so I headed there. I handed A Fan my half of the room expenses in the form of a money order, he gave me a keycard, and somehow I misunderstood him and went to the wrong room number (occupied by another con-goer) and went back and got the right room number, and went to our room. There I unloaded by suitcase. [Random note: A Fan, what a name, sorta like a restaurant in my home town called 'A Place To Eat'.] I had about 90 minutes to kill before Opening Ceremonies were scheduled to start. They actually started an hour later and my back (*pauses writing the journal momentarily to go to the Gargoyles Physiology panel*) was sore for standing so long. (I should have set down sooner. [Now, it's 9:55 pm Saturday when I'm writing.] I enjoyed the Opening Ceremonies a bunch and it seemed like half the people present were con newbies like myself. I was shocked by the Bad Guys reel (in a positive way) and seeing that suddenly explained Lain and Gunjack's feeling towards that. Afterwards, I got lost trying to find my way to the mall food court [with me, it's a given that I will get lost on either the way there or the way back the 1st time I go anywhere.] I should have just followed Gside's (I think) group the way there and I would have saved time. I got back to the hotel room ~9:15pm that night and fell asleep for about 2 hours and awoke with A Fan in the room. We chatted for an hour or so about Gargoyles/Gargoyles Theories/Alternate Gargoyles universes. My pet universe was the one where a modified version of Vows occurred: Xanatos & company were not around to foil the Archmage's attempt to get the Phoenix Gate and a theory about how the gargoyles universe would have confisicated for that non-event. Then we hit the sack. Somehow, sometime during the day, I bought a gargoyles comic book for $3 (that being all the cash I had on me) and I really owe him something for that.

That's all for Friday.

KingCobra_582 writes...

My Gathering Report, Part 3
Monday, June 26th, 2006

THE GATHERING, DAY 4

9:30 AM

Well, this is it. The last day of this year's con. I've made some nice friends and had such a kickass time at this con that I wish it didn't have to end so fast. But, then, there is always next year, assuming we can afford it. Which I hope we can. We PROBABLY can. But with David and I trying to save up for an apartment, there's no way yet to know. Even though it will be even cheaper to go next year then it was this year.

10:00 AM

I picked up my "Gummi Trio" bid at The Art Show and then attended the Time Travel panel. Very interesting stuff there. I was certainly captivated. Stayed until about 2 mins before it actually ended.

11:00 AM

Didn't have much to do, so I hung out around in the Dealers Room, browsing through the various sale items, admiring the cache at the weapons table, (Dani would have had a field day there!) chatting with Jennifer "CrzyDemona" Anderson, (I'm very interested in knowing more about ElfQuest) and just generally killing time. Also overheard a little bit of the Thom Mug-A-Guest, (He mentioned something about a hypnotist.) while I waited for Greg Weisman's to start.

I caught Thom after it was over, and we went up to his room to get that Demo tape. I'd noticed that the tape had his name and a phone number on it. Most likely by accident. I guess Thom overlooked it.

12:00 AM

It was fun. Greg touched on subjects pertaining to the Comics and the DVDs. I asked a couple questions, but on the first 1, I was kind of nervous (why, I do not know) and was covering my lower face so he couldn't hear me. Damn nerves. I wish I did better with people all staring at me.

The other question I'd asked (I wish I could recall what the 1st one was) was in regards to Jason and Robyn Canmore. Except I kept goofing up and referring to "JON and Robin" which Greg had to correct me on. Eeps. Crap. Anyways, they are apprently going to make appearences in the comic, should it last long enough, and I hope to god it will.

David set up the camera to get a timed group shot, BTW. He wanted me to be staring right at the thing when it went off.

After it was over, I chatted with Greg in the hall, asking, in these exact words, though I'd meant to phrase it differently, "Shouldn't Bill Fagerbakke be here?" and Greg, sounding a little testy, answered that he'd been doing shows all weekend and was probably tired. Gah, I am not always (rarely ever, in fact) the bext speaker in the world. So, now, I was being annoying AND I looked like a jerk. Gah. Forgive me, Greg.

1:00 - 2:00 PM

Didn't have much else to do but join David in Coloring Methods, which was interesting, though that's more David's thing then mine.

2:00 PM

The last panel. The End of the Con. *grumbles* I had such a fun weekend. It ended up way too fast. Gah. Though all good things must end, I suppose. Now I have next year's to look forward to. There's a 90% chance that we'll be there, so all you guys reading this, look for us next year. :-) Even if I were to lose my job (GOD FORBID!!), I have enough experience, that it shouldn't be much problem getting another one, so I'd still be good to go. Especially since we won't need to rent a vehicle or fly. That makes it cheaper. Just a 6 - 8 hour drive, and we're there. Though gas will be a problem. It's doable.

Anyway.

The last panel was great. Fun times. There were a lot of prizes given out and David took a lot of pictures. No surprise there. I walked up to Greg, and shook his hand for "making the show that made all this possible" and promised to see him next year, and Greg laughed, saying the same thing. Then David and I left for the Hotel 6 near LAX (We'd checked out of the one in Sylmar that same morning before leaving for the con) and it was over. We flew back the next day, and I discovered, to my surprise, Jeb was seated in the row in front of us. We made some occasional smalltalk (when I needed to take my mind off the plane trip) and we hung out in Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a fewminutes, getting some lunch for a few minutes before parting ways (He was headed back to Maryland) and I remember thinking how amazed (and anxious) I was that the layover was so short, (I thought it'd take longer then 10 minutes!) as David and I hurried to our terminal. On the way home, I was more calm about the flight (Guess I was finally getting used to it) though I was still somewhat unnerved. We landed in Port Columbus later that night, and David's dad picked us up.

Until G2007, I count the days.

JEB writes...

Gathering 2006 Journal, Part 2

June 25, 2006

I had trouble pulling myself out of bed (after having an odd dream involving a strangely friendly Lex Luthor and the First Celestial Host's connection to the death of the dinosaurs), so I was a little late to the comic book panel. Very interesting, and some minor spoilers:

- There will be a setback in Goliath and Elisa's relationship in #3.
- The first arc, "Clan-Building," will be four stories long (approximately 8-10 issues). (So it'll finish up sometime in early 2008- assuming the comic runs that long.)
- Hudson will play a more prominent role in #5 and #6.

Other random remarks included Greg Weisman and Dan Vado discussing their respective misadventures at DC Comics. This included how Captain Atom's backstory was ruined after Greg's run ended, so that they could prep him to be Monarch- which ultimately never happened anyway- and how Vado had to suffer through being kicked off of Justice League America and writing Extreme Justice. We also learned that Greg also provided the thumbprints for Rorschach in Watchmen!

Afterwards, they held an autograph session, and I got my second copy signed by Stephanie Lostimolo, Greg and Dan Vado. (Hedgecock was there too, but I already had his signature; he did remind me to pick up my sketch, though.) I mentioned Captain Atom: Armageddon to Greg as a better treatment of Captain Atom than I'd seen since his and Cary Bates' run, but I also mentioned- rather needlessly- that Eiling was permanently ruined. (Frankly, I really shouldn't have bothered.)

After Hedgecock reminded me, I went to get my sketch from a very courteous SLG staffer, and after dropping my comic off (sketch tucked inside) at my room, I went to Crispin Freeman's Mythological Animation panel. That was EXCELLENT, one of my favorite panels, as Freeman really knew his stuff- in that particular field as well as many related ones. I may have to subscribe to his Yahoo group...

I briefly met up with Garrett and Ed, then sought out some lunch, settling on a hot dog place near the Olive Garden. (Pretty tasty!) It happened to be near a Hobbytown USA, so I did a bit of shopping, picking up RPG books for me and twenty-sided dice for a friend back home.

Next stop was the auction, which was rather restrained- even with Greg Weisman's 10-years-at-Disney jacket on sale! That all changed when the autographed poster went for sale, leading to quite the bidding war (which included me). The bidding was finally between an increasingly agonized Gorebash and a strangely calm Leo. Gorebash won in the end, paying over $300 for the poster.

I wandered after that, and waited for the banquet. Outside, I chatted with a fellow I've since forgotten the name of about technology and such, then Greg Bishansky and Gore. The banquet began almost precisely on time; at my table sat myself, Cathie, Garrett, Ed, and a few others. We each received a free copy of the Season 2 Part 1 DVD, which I opted to leave behind so the Gathering staff could use it for promotions (I already had it). Our special guest was Dennis Woodyard, who worked on some of my favorite series besides Gargoyles, such as Exo-Squad (he designed the Neo Lord, among others) and Men in Black. He had much to say, including how Exo-Squad would make a great CGI series (tech looks better in CGI), favorite anime series, tips for industry-aiming hopefuls at the table, and life in Korea and Tokyo. Dinner itself was OK, about what I've come to expect from Gathering banquets. (I'm still curious what that yellow mushy stuff was.)

I looped back to my room, and then returned to wait on the Masquerade. I had a nice chat with Darrell, an archivist at Disney, and I tried to explain as much as I could about the fandom and prior Gatherings. We also gabbed about some of the more unusual Gargoyles merchandise, comparing our respective collections. I also chatted with Aaron and Fan. We also started to get some curious visitors from the nearby wedding party; one woman asked me something about what I knew about the distant past or dawn of time or somesuch. (I still have no idea what she was talking about, or who she thought I was. If she was drunk, I suppose it doesn't matter.)

Terrific costumes at the Masquerade this year, as well as the usual antics. My personal picks were the kid dressed as Lexington and Puck- although I think Christine and Tim Morgan as Brendan and Margot, or Greg Bishansky as Xanatos, should have also participated! After that, I wandered, chatted with people I knew and tried to be friendly towards those standing alone (and I sincerely hope I didn't come across as creepy for doing so).

As promised, the Blue Mug-a-Guest was reconvened, with Greg Weisman, Thom Adcox, and a bit later, Michael Reaves. Revelations included the fact that Elisa was not a virgin when she met Goliath (although she hadn't had many sexual partners, being very careful); that Greg was rethinking gargoyle facial hair after seeing Revel's cool pic of a bearded Thailog; and that Broadway and Angela had been intimate before the end of 1996. Michael Reaves revealed that the three stories that inspired him to become a writer were an episode of I Spy written by Robert Culp, "City on the Edge of Forever" from Star Trek, and "Demon with a Glass Hand" from The Outer Limits. He also said he'd like to write a Demona mini-series for SLG (which I'd like to see, certainly). Greg and Michael discussed their work on the Gargoyles live-action film, and they concluded that 1) Touchstone liked the name, but weren't interested in the show itself and 2) they were only on the project due to a specific guy, which was confirmed when they were dropped a few days after he left. For the comic, Greg plans to have Arthur and Griff show up, and when the day arrives in the comic's timeline, he plans to tackle the difficult task of a 9-11 story. Greg also noted that he hopes- with help- to get Ask Greg caught up to the present by G2K7. After Blue Mug was over, I (somewhat unclearly, I suspect) volunteered my services to help (since I'd worked on the FAQ that apparently no one reads).

June 26, 2006

The Time Travel panel was my first goal of the day. One of my favorite panels- even if it was technically stuff I was familiar with, Greg's presentation on it was the best part. Very conversational, I thought, and far less protesting than I expected. I followed that up with the RPG panel, which was barely attended, and basically became a chat between Tim Morgan and the three of us up front. I stayed in the room for the Collaborations and Shared Universes panel, which was also barely attended. It mostly focused on TGS, which allowed me to contribute more'n usual. After the Collaborations panel, I took the opportunity to talk briefly with Jerry, who I'd seen taking a large number of pictures during the con.

The Hosting A Gathering panel was useful (although I accidentally raised my hand when they were asking about first-time Gathering attendees- I thought they were asking about first visitors to SoCal). Ellen was clearly intent on hosting a Gathering in Chicago- good luck to her! Greg Weisman also commented that people whose pitches failed were too often just dropping them entirely, rather than trying againg the following year. It eventually changed into a discussion of how to spread the word about the con most efficiently. After I mentioned adding a Wikipedia entry (Greg Weisman can't edit Wikipedia for some reason), Guardian proposed an idea that I can't believe hadn't occurred to me before- a Gargoyles wiki! I did The Gargoyles Encyclopedia, I ran a general fictional wiki, but making a Gargoyles wiki hadn't once popped into my head. Now I intend to make one!

Closing Ceremonies was as usual, awards and applause and goodbyes. I signed up for G2K7 in Pigeon Forge, and chatted with Greg Bishansky. Most of us eventually formed into two large groups after that. One, with the con staff, Greg Weisman and others, went to eat one place and had a wild time (from what I hear). The other group, including me, Lynati, Mara, Aaron, Denis, Revel, Spacebabie, Jade Griffin, Gside and others, ate at the food court at the nearby mall. Mara, Denis, one other fellow and I exchanged retail horror stories and some political views at length. When we were all done, we split up- a few decided to walk the mall, while the rest (those I named plus two) headed back to Aaron, Revel, Spacebabie and Mara's hotel room. We basically spent the rest of the night chatting on everything (the main topics being driven by Jade Griffin, Revel and Aaron; others and I talked less). Jade Griffin mentioned putting together a Gathering scrapbook, leading to some reminiscing. We were later joined by others, including Leo. When Jade Griffin learned I was also taking a shuttle to LAX the next morning, we arranged to go on the same trip (splitting the fee and getting some company at the same time). Eventually, Revel et al had to get ready for tomorrow, so the rest of us left.

June 27, 2006

Met Jade Griffin in the lobby and checked out from the hotel. We spent the time waiting for the shuttle chatting with each other and Greg Bishansky about the convention and Gargoyles topics, among other things. Gside stopped by and offered us a free breakfast through some coupon, but we unfortunately couldn't take him up on it. I also had the chance to say goodbye to Garrett, Ed and Leo. The shuttle arrived a bit late, but nothing problematic. En route in the shuttle, Jade Griffin and I chatted about Gargoyles, Gatherings, and our jobs. When she was dropped off, she hugged me goodbye, which I reciprocated rather awkwardly (I don't hug a lot, nothing personal).

Getting through LAX's security line was hellish, and it didn't help that- due to the shuttle picking up other passengers along the way- we arrived rather late. I managed to get to my terminal with barely enough time to grab and devour lunch. On my plane to Dallas, I discovered- to my surprise- that two other Gathering attendees, King Cobra and VidTheKid (alas, I forgot their real names) were sitting behind me! Talking on the plane was kind of difficult (for me, anyway), although we did speak a little. After landing in Dallas, we had a quick dinner at a Pizza Hut knock-off, before we parted ways.

(Largely uninteresting (except to me!) return stuff snipped.)

JEB writes...

Gathering 2006 Journal, Part 1

June 22, 2006

(Largely uninteresting (except to me!) pre-arrival stuff snipped.)

LAX does the most efficient airport arrivals I've ever experienced. I arrived, got my luggage almost immediately, and was ready to go. Except for finding a way to the Hyatt Valencia. I called the hotel, and they recommended a shuttle service. However, falling prey to my usual geographical ignorance, I assumed a taxi ride to Valencia would be just as good. So I hailed a taxi... and subjected the both of us to a 45-minute drive that cost me about $100. Not making THAT mistake again.

After arrival and check-in, it was time for food. After ordering some pizza, I called Garrett, who was eating dinner at Outback (if only I'd arrived an hour earlier, I could have went along). After he returned, and my pizza had arrived, I went to the room he was sharing with Ed and Leo (Ed's brother) and we chatted at length (mostly about rpgs). I still had some pizza left over- 3 no-longer-warm pieces- and I hated to see it go to waste, so I dropped it off at the con suite. After an awkward moment when I became aware I was an unintentional partycrasher with a lame gift, I quietly left and went to sleep.

June 23, 2006

First thing- assess the surroundings. Hiked out to the nearby mall, and fulfilled two unexpected needs- a toothbrush and mp3 player headphones. The whole time, I kept getting funny looks from the locals. (Garrett later advised me that it was probably my unintentional "Damien" hair.) After returning, I signed in at the con, and hung out with Garrett, Ed and Vince for a while prior to Opening Ceremonies. Red Robin lunch, and then we saw Nacho Libre (weird, but interesting).

Opening Ceremonies started 45 minutes late. (Fortunately, that degree of lateness was not repeated.) Then, we had to watch music videos soon after the ceremonies began. Now, if we'd had a 45-minute delay and had regular opening, that woulda been fine. If we'd had on-time opening and the videos, that would have been fine. But both together? That was enough to make me, Garrett, Ed, Vince (and a few others) walk out after the third video started. We waited approximately a half hour to let the videos run their course, then returned- unfortunately, a bit late. (Unfortunately, I missed Greg Bishansky's video, which I wish I'd seen on the big screen. Oh well.)

We only got bad new news this year- the fact that Season 2 Part 1's sales weren't encouraging Disney to release Part 2. (The good news, the release of the comic, wasn't new news.) Thus, Greg Weisman requested that we begin proselytizing for Gargoyles, with each of us trying to reach 1000 people. Quite a request, I'll do my best... Afterwards, we received "Gargles" toothbrushes from Quindar, and I stuck around for MGT3K (which focused on the "Dracon saga"- "Deadly Force," "The Silver Falcon" and "Protection"). Just prior, met a new fan friend, Cathie.

After MGT3K was done, I wandered a bit, and met or talked with Blaise (who told me of the life of a Hollywood extra), Blaqthourne and Crimson Fury, A Fan, Tigris Euphrates and Onyx. I tried to maintain my workout schedule at the hotel's fitness center, but the facilities were too limited to do me much good. So I went to sleep instead.

June 24, 2006

Started out the day with Garrett, Ed and Vince. We had a TGI Friday's lunch (breakfast for me), and then Vince drove us to Brave New World Comics, where I picked up some Arabic comics and Garrett bought the Gargoyles comic. (Me, I'd bought mine literally the day before I left for the Gathering.)

After we returned, I hit the dealer's room, and acquired the Phoenix Gate Anthology, Grimorum Arcanorum Anthology, and Archmage of the Universe from Tim Morgan. I also got a second copy of the Gargoyles comic (for autographical purposes), which David Hedgecock was kind enough to sign. He also offered to draw me a sketch, an offer which I happily accepted. (I wanted Coldstone, but as he hadn't worked with that character yet, I asked for Demona instead.)

The Gargoyles writing process panel was next, which was quite interesting. (First time I was able to see Michael Reaves and Brynne Chandler.) Greg Weisman again referred to the "Weird Macbeth" and "four tricksters" stories, as well as notebooks' worth of stories conceived after the show, all of which he hopes to tackle in the comic book given enough time. Next stop was the Darkwing Duck panel, including Tad Stones and Jim Cummings! Very cool, especially given the rarity of a Jim Cummings convention appearance! (Too bad he had to go home early when his wife became ill.) One interesting new tidbit- apparently, in addition to an origin of Negaduck episode, they also planned to do a Posiduck episode. Stones also said he wanted staffers to have a "comic book cover" in mind for each Darkwing episode, like they had back in Silver Age DC comics.

The Radio Play was "The Mirror," apparently the original script rather than the broadcast version. (There were a few small bits here and there that were new to me, such as a scene of gargoyle-fied humans being kind to gargoyle beast Bronx, and a line from Broadway- "Here they come!") Thom Adcox was Lexington (of course); Keith David was Goliath (naturally), and the fan playing Elisa Maza looked a little overwhelmed at times! Crispin Freeman did an interesting Hudson, and Blaise did an excellent Broadway/Bill Fagerbakke impression.

With the Radio Play finished, I chatted some with Greg Bishansky, then I sat down with Lexy and Solstice (where we agreed that the art on the Gargoyles comic was fine, thank you very much). Unfortunately, I had to cut the chat short when Garrett invited me to Olive Garden for dinner via cell phone. (Probably my best meal all weekend, though!)

After a short time in my room, I decided to head for the Blue Mug-a-Guest. En route, I got some water, and a hotel staffer asked me about the convention, and talked to me about how she'd liked the show. I situated myself in a corner of the con suite, near Gside, Taleweaver and Blaqthourne and Crimson Fury (which also turned out to be right next to the couch where the guests- Greg Weisman, Thom Adcox, Crispin Freeman and later, Keith David- sat). The Blue Mug-a-Guest itself wasn't as "blue" as I expected, but still interesting. Lots of gargoyle biology questions (of the general rather than prurient nature); Keith David also started a discussion on why there weren't more shows like Gargoyles, shows aimed at multiple levels instead of a certain demographic.

Unfortunately, we were producing too much noise for neighbors' and hotel staffers' taste, so we left the con suite and headed downstairs. The plan was to reconvene in Ballroom D or E, but when we got there, it was locked. Some of the crowd wanted to resume in the foyer outside the ballrooms, but a hotel staffer nixed that idea. For that matter, he wouldn't even let us talk outside in the parking lot, and threatened to call the cops when we started to get cranky! Greg Weisman finally stepped in, and told us (over the unreasonable resistance of the staffer, who wanted us gone immediately) that the Blue Mug would resume after the Masquerade. He then told us to return to our rooms, which we did (unhappily).

BrooklynX writes...

Gathering 2006 Journal:

Thursday June 22:

The day started off at 6 am. Quickly ate, dressed and finished the last of the packing. My first stop was the gas station and then I was off to Raley's to get some soda that was on sale, along with ice for the cooler and some Tylenol. A little after 7:30, I was on the road again. Traffic was a little lighter than I was expecting and I managed to make pretty decent time. I made a few pits stops and filled up on gas in the town of Grapevine. One of the roommates called while I was tanking up. Figures.

The rest of the drive in (less than 60 miles) was uneventful. Found the hotel and pulled into the parking lot around back. I quickly discovered just how far it was to the lobby from there. Ran in Jade Griffin and then about 20 minutes later, one of the roommates, Kristen. After lugging some things to the room, ran into Eden and then got some lunch. After chatting for a bit, I realized what time it was. After throwing a few more things in the car, I took off for LAX to pick up Norcumi and Quindar. The trip took a while, but that was expected due to the traffic.

After getting back and them settled in, we ended up getting dragged along with Revel and several others to dinner. Ended up at BJs and didn't know until I got there that we were joining Greg Weisman's group. I ended up at his table, along with Siryn, Revel, Spacebabie, Kythera, Silver, and several others. After dinner, I ended up back at the hotel and played some "Go Fish" with Liz, despite the fact neither of us knew the rules of the game. I turned in some time before 11pm.

Friday June 23:

The morning started off with a minor headache, shower, pop tarts for breakfast and a trip to Borders for a sketchbook (I left the I bought last year at home and didn't realize it until I had arrived at the hotel). Finding out they weren't going to be open until 10am, I took a walk around the block and headed to back to my room for a bit. As 10 rolled around, I picked up a sketchbook (I hope this doesn't become a tradition), dropped it off at the room and then picked up my packet. The day was a blur for a bit and then I watched the registration desk for a bit. After a little while, Shing and I did lunch run to Johnny Rockets for ouselves, Patrick, Greg B. and Kythera.

While Eden ran off to do a panel, I kept an eye on the art show. After that was opening ceremonies, which I cut out of early with Liz, Taylor, and Shing to get some dinner at the place next to BJs (the name escapes me). Don't remember what happened after that, other than I finally ran into the other two roommates (Pearl and her husband) and somebody else in the room too. After some chatting, most us turned in around 10 pm or so.

Saturday June 24:

Woke up earlier than planned and attempts to go back to sleep didn't work. Fired up the laptop for a bit before showering, eating and making my way downstairs to help out at the registration desk. After the rush died down, I gave Cindy my sketchbook so she could finish up a sketch she started the day before (Mara did one the night before). At some point, Liz, Silver, Stephanie and Revel also drew in the sketchbook.

Some time after 2pm, Karin, Siryn, Lanny, G-Side and I went off to a salad place for lunch. Things were a blur for a bit before the radio play. It was "The Mirror" and my first time going since... the 2001 Gathering I believe. After it was over, Norcumi, Quindar and I went to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Chatted with the roommates for a while before watching "El Hazard" (which proved to be interesting while a few of them ran off to Blue Mug. After they returned, we talked for a while before turning in for the night.

Sunday June 25:

Once again, woke up a bit earlier than planned. After showering and eating, I fired up my laptop and played a game to kill some time. Went downstairs and helped Patrick setup and run the registration desk once again. Before we even finished, we had two people wanting to register for the day. Always a nice start. Y2Hecate joined us and started selling pre-reg for the 2007 Gathering in Pigeon Forge, TN. The three of us spent time talking and at one point, she did a sketch for me. Also, I got Liz to do another doodle as well. We ended up being a little busy for a while.

Around 2:30pm, I asked Aaron to pick me some lunch from Johnny Rockets while I watched the reg desk. At 3pm, Patrick and I went to the Brigitte Bako mug a guest. Also there was Leo, Norcumi, Quindar, Tigress and a couple others who names I didn't catch. The mug moved by rather quickly and I managed to get her to sign one of my cels with Angela.

After that, I took over the reg desk until 5pm. Helped clean it up and then dropped off things in my room before heading down for the banquet. It was originally supposed to be outside, but had been switched to inside. I sat at a table with Sarah The Great, Ckayote and I have no idea who else. We cheered when we learned that Thom would be sitting at our table. We chatted, dinned and listened to the guest Q & A session. Things broke up a little after 7pm so folks could get ready for the masquerade.

Just before the masquerade started, I ended up helping wrangle a few folks who entered and the judges. It seemed rather small this year, but the costumes were still impressive. I forgot who won what and the dance/ karaoke that was supposed to happen afterwards didn't last long.

Monday June 26:

Woke way earlier than intended thanks to somebody's cell phone going off. Tried to get back to sleep, but just couldn't seem to. After a while, I started packing things up and putting them in my car. At some point, breakfast was eaten. By about 9:30am, everybody was out of the room. I wandered downstairs and ran into Shing. I decided to join her while she went to get breakfast (I was just going to get a bottle of water). We then ran into Taylor, Liz and Karlyl and decided to join them in going to Denny's. And both cars got lost trying to find the place.

After getting back to the hotel, I ended up sitting in the art room with Cindy. After a while, we started tearing down the panels. Taylor and Shara helped out. The elbow joints and the some of the other joints proved stubborn to being pulled off. Patrick showed up and then we set about taping up the pipes for transport. About ten minutes later, we loaded all of the stuff into the van. By the time that was finished, it was just about time for closing ceremonies. I made two runs over to the other end of the hotel carrying stuff.

The art awards were given out and Kythera got best in show by one vote. I also had to fix part of my registration form for next year to let Y2Hecate know I'm willing to be a con bitch, eh, volunteer at the 2007 Gathering. It was sad to see a great weekend come to an end. I started saying goodbye to folks and wished I could have stayed one more night, but didn't have a room. The drive home took a little longer than the drive down, but was uneventful (thankfully).

Once again, I had a great time at the Gathering (even if I was a con bitch again). I hope to see a lot folks at the next Gathering.

Asatira writes...

Gathering 2006 (aka, my first con)

Oh, man! It was fun. Smaller than AWA, but that was a good thing. The Gathering didn't have the overwhelming feeling a larger con has, and once you started meeting people, you felt really welcome. And it was great getting to actually meet the people I've known through galleries and message boards only.

For all purposes, the trip for me started Thursday. Got to the Atlanta airport easily and a little earlier than planned, but that was good. Had a delay in departure due to the airconditioning, but otherwise uneventful. Met up with Becky's mom at the baggage claim, took a very long time to get to her house to meet with Richard, then we went out to lunch. This was enough to make me hate LA traffic. Overall, sort of reminds me of Miami, but I didn't see much of either, so not a fair comparison. Becky arrived later that evening, we talked a little and got ready for the next day.

Friday We left the house and got to the convention early. I was nervous because we had signed up to volunteer, and I wanted to make a good impression. Karine -- whose name I found I'd been mis-pronouncing -- we found after registering, and I think she and Carol were glad to have us. We weren't needed for that day because there weren't many guests, so the two of us kind of wandered and soaked things in. Checked out the dealers' room, she drew and I read the Grimorum anthology until the first panel. The sketching and character design panels were so much fun; part review and part new things to consider. We found the mall (the main food place within walking distance), eventually ran into Sonia, auditioned for the radio play. The big event was the opening ceremonies. The AMVs were varied: I loved the Beauty and the Beast video, and wanted to smack and shake the hand of whoever did Feel the Love Tonight (you'd have to have seen it to get it). After hearing about it for the last few years, I finally got to see the Bad Guys reel. Looks like it would have been fun, if just because they can't stand each other. A treat was the Atlantis episode, a semi-fan project of storyboards to the actual episode audio. I need to contact the person about helping with it.

Saturday Here's when the fun really started. We arrived early and were given the general directions of helping escort any guests to their panels. Which wasn't really called on for most of the morning. Meanwhile, we sat in the hall to be on call and drew. Eventually, we went to the art room and started hanging out with the artists. I finally got to meet Eden, Karlyl, Shinga, and a number of others. It was fun to listen in on the conversations and look at their sketchbooks. The only panel we really went to was the gargoyle physiology and sociology panel. First experience where I opened my mouth where I should have kept it closed. The hosts were late showing up, and Christine asked for volunteers, to which I admitted to actually taking part in a recent S8 discussion. Got roped in to go to the front. Thankfully, Greg showed up and I escaped back to my chair and basically contributed nothing for the discussion. Learned alot, like the tricky nature of the stone sleep and suggestions on the skeletal nature of gargoyles. More was filled in later at the Blue-Mug. After that, we went to lunch, came back and hung out some more at the artist alley. That evening, Becky, myself, Taylor, and the kidnapped Sonia went to lunch. It was nice grill, but I can't remember the name of it though. Back to the art room, where we drew, and I was asked to teach how to draw a face by Abbi, something I was honored and embarrassed to do. Good ravioli. The Radio Play was fun. They did "The Mirror," and there were some fun bits, namely Crispin trying to do Hudson. Abbi did an exellent job as Elisa (she looked like she was going to melt when Keith said Goliath's "how beautiful you are" line.). Eventually, we got to the Blue Mug. I have never been in so crowded a room. It was so much fun, because we got to talk with Greg, Crispin (who really is hot), Thom, and Keith. High points included hearing Keith sing a little (I can only imagine what he'd sound like when warmed up and really belting), and the Thom-Crispin holds. Unfortunately, we got kicked out because of noise complaints (understandable, no problem). The problem was downstairs. The prick of an employee told us we couldn't meet in the foyer, we couldn't be allowed back into the rooms we rented, and wouldn't shut the fuck up so we could figure out where to go or whether to dismiss ourselves. That was only the start of the problems that I knew about. Not sure about everyone else, but Becky and I called it a night.

Sunday Oh, man! Sunday. That was the busy day for the two of us. We met up with Karine and Carol, and began to do what we intended to do Saturday. And we were put to maximum use. From around 10am to just after 2pm, we were pretty much running around, getting items, guiding guests to their panels, checking things. I got to meet Bridgette Bako, Elisa Gabrielli, "Petros Xanatos" himself, Morgan Sheppard, a few members of the WITCH cast, and I got to deliver coffee to Keith at one of the panel. At one point, Becky was told we should be cloned. We eventually got a break at 2pm, grabbed lunch with Taylor, and met with some of the others briefly in the food court, and returned in time to do one last escort. While it was fun, that was enough to make me hesitant to volunteering again (still open, just hesitant). Hung out in the art room until the room closed. I won my bid on one of Brianna's pieces (yay!). That evening, saw the masquerade. There were a lot of good ones. Abbi had a lovely Princess Katherine costume. Loved the Puck costumes, am scarred by the "hatchling gargoyle." Had a reprise of the Blue Mug, more subdued but fun and informative. Had to leave part way because it was getting late and we had to get up around 5 so I could get to the airport with time for the security check.

Monday, got to the airport with surprisingly little trouble. Uneventful flight and drive home. That's it. Hi, to anyone who's new. I'm glad I got a chance to meet so many people. Will do my best to contact many of them. Looking forward to the next one in Tennessee, and I hope it's not a Hyatt (those guys are going to get so many complaints)

Siryn writes...

G2006 Con Journal - Thursday - THE PRE CON! (1 of 4)

If anyone knows me, I'm notorious for not writing these. I _ALWAYS_ leave out juicy bits (that I end up remembering later), and then after around Friday I forget all of Saturday and Sunday.

I just live in the moment sort of thing when it comes to the Gathering Convention. (Or I'm on staff and still suffering from shock / giddiness, who knows)

However, I was specifically told by Gorebash I *HAD* to write my con journal this year, or he come would find me. So..Tada!

So Thursday started with me literally doing Gathering Staff related stuff AT THE LAST MINUTE on my computer. So last minute, my husband was the one who packed my bags. (He did a pretty good job, save for no elegant outfit to wear to the banquet. Ahh well.) I literally threw my stuff in the car, and ran out the door. This included forgetting my gathering panel presentation material. "Hey, I don't really need that information on the 7 observances of the Bushido way right?"

My plane ride wasn't anything extraordinary. I don't tend to talk to people seated next to me on the plan. (I worry I come off as a bit weird.) I was wearing a Danny Phantom shirt, jeans, and my normal floppy hat AND carrying gargoyles mat full of autographs...so actually, I DID look pretty weird.

On my second flight I met some cool girls, one was from the navy, and one had a father in the army and was actually in LA for the BET awards. (The navy girl had done bodyguard work for a famous basketball player, I forget who now). So we chatted for a bit about missed flights, the war, the military, moving around to pass the time.

I arrived in LA around 4pm....and grabbed a shuttle...and didn't arrive in Valencia until almost 7. My driver was cool, and I gave him a tip because it was only little old me he was driving WAY OUT TO VALENCIA in absolutely horrid traffic.

Our hotel was NICE. I was extremely impressed (I hadn't really seen pictures of it.) And the location was stellar. However, I didn't see ANY Gargoyle people there. Soo... I began calling people. Karine (Kanthara): Nothing. Jennifer (CrzyD): Nothing. Patrick Toman (Puck): Nothing.

At this point I kind of asked aloud. "What's the point in having everyone's cell phone numbers if no one has their phone ON!?" O.o

Jennifer called me back really quickly (or called me from Patrick's phone, I don't remember) and told me where they were. At the same time, a huge group of fans including Aaron, Mara, Spacebabie, Revel, Lynati, Arno, Beedoo, (and more people who I can REMEMBER your faces clearly but blanking on names!)

So, I was shown where BJs was and everyone hanging. I said Hi to all my fellow con staff and then Greg Weisman of course. I hadn't seen Karine since my wedding (she was my matron of honor) so it was GREAT to see her and everyone else!

Finally after a wait, we all were eventually seated. Most of the staff (who had been waiting their longer) sat first. I waited with Greg W for the next seats. All the while I was laughing at Greg staring wistfully at the food and making comments.

Props to BJs though, they seated 35 people!!! That's a LOT. I think the pre-gathering dinners really should only be staff and close company...personally... (Just do to the sheer ZOMG numbers), but I'm *REALLY* happy we could pull off inviting everyone this year.

So, we ate, and talked. I sat next to Greg and talked to him about what he was working on (including W.I.T.C.H.). I asked him about Vinnie, and about Castaway's Mustache. (They were just some random burning questions that went through my mind that I wanted to ask Greg about.) Greg Bishansky and I joked about drinking later on at the con. (I just had soda that night). Liz (Sara Berkley) was pouring over the drink menu, so much Greg W eventually took it away from her and hid it. He he.

Meanwhile, the 'staff' table was having its own game. (I swear, the G2006 staff is made up of the school kids who were always passing notes and whispering and causing havoc. Hehehe.) They started passing notes and drawings, which eventually got to our table. At one point, I retaliated, with one of my juicy little secrets from a previous convention which caused everyone to laugh.

I had this MEGA barbecue chicken salad. It was REALLY good. But I could barely finish it. Then Greg W asked if anyone wanted dessert. Most of the murmurs were 'no'. Greg made an expression like "b-b-but...dessert!", so I offered to get dessert with him. We ended up splitting an apple cobbler pie which was REALLY GOOD.

So, I had pie with Greg Weisman!! Go me!

After that, the staff pretty much headed straight up to the con suite and once again began the tradition of stuffing con envelopes, putting together badges, arranging t-shirts, that sort of thing. Patrick and I ran to Fedinkos (aka Kinkos), to grab the convention programmes and get some last minute things printed out. (Mainly the mug a guest sheets).

The Mug- A - Guest sheets came out BEAUTIFULLY. I loved them! Greg Weisman had requested them, because he wanted them pre-made this year. (They were the things I was working on last minute before running out the door). Greg really liked them too! So, that made me happy.

Yay, I can contribute to the con! Go me! ^_^

So Patrick and I brought con booklet's back, we had printed 350 in all. Stephanie Lostimolo (RaptorWoman), Cindy (Eden), Kythera, and myself went to work writing the con suite number in each and every book, while the others packed the programmes into the con packets. All in all, I think we got done by 11 or so. RECORD TIME! So, the staff chatted for a bit, but soon after everyone piled into bed. Yours truly, ended up on the couch in the con suite. (It was comfy though!)

KingCobra_582 writes...

Sorry for the content in G2006 part 2, Greg. I meant to edit it before posting.

I'll be more careful with the next (and final) installment.

KingCobra_582 writes...

Saturday, June 24th, 2006

THE GATHERING, DAY 2

9:00 AM

I woke up and upon looking in the mirror, decided I needed a shave. When I emerged, David poked fun of me hogging the bathroom. We caught the last hour of Star Wars Episode III on HBO, and, as a result, we were a little late for the con. Oops.

12:00 PM

We arrived at the Hyatt just in time for the "Gargoyles: Physiology, Psychology, and Society" panel, though I'd actually thought I'd had a little more time to browse the Art Show Room, but I was wrong. Thank god I allowed David to take me to the panel first. Every seat was packed, and there were even a few people leaning against walls/sitting on the floor. Very fun stuff at this panel. I was intrigued throughout. Also, this being my first con, there were people (both fans and guests) I decided I wanted to keep in touch with. Christine Morgan gave me her business card after the panel. She was a very nice person, and I was glad to have met her in person.

Greg W., as he did in the Villians panel, came and stayed for a little bit before leaving for panels unknown. The last question he'd answered before he left was from David in regards to Stone Sleep and Sunrise, in a very articulate manner, but, unfortunately, it was also too lengthy, and Greg had to cut him off ("Way over my head") and then gave an equally intelligent response that David seemed to be satisfied with. From there, the topics swayed from everything from Gargoyles catching transmittable diseases to Hudson's bad eye, to, in the last 5 minutes, clan mating habits. This was definitely up there on my list of Informative Panels.

1:00 PM

Settled down in the Dealer's Room for Mug-A-Guest with Thom Adcox. I've been a fan of his for a few years now, so it was a treat to sit down at a table with him for an entire hour. Darklord started things out by asking if he was the character model for Lex, to which Thom said no. There was a discussion of his various radio commercials and TV work. I'd never thought that he was so close to being the voice for Bobby from "King Of The Hill" though I had heard of his Pauly Shore replacement for A Goofy Movie. Thom really liked working with Bette Midler, dispelling rumors that "she was a bitch" and "bitchy", though he did refer to Spielberg (they'd worked together on Invasion America) as a dick. Same for Tony Jay. *snickers* When he was filming something in Utah (I want to say it was "My Life As A Teenage Babysitter" but I don't remember now if that's right), there was this bar that apprently required people to have meberships there or NO SERVICE. Wow. I'd made mention of how much of a film geek I was, and Thom seemed impressed by my movie knowledge.

I asked Thom what his first acting gig was, and he said it was as Tom Sawyer, back in a play in 6th grade. During the conversation, my Zombie movie "Wormwood" came up, and I offered to bring Thom a copy (and probably a copy of the upcoming sequel) at next year's con. Thom said "sure" and offered me this demo tape he'd had of his various roles over the years. Wicked cool. David thought it was just a loan, but I wasn't entirely sure at the time.

Darklord brought up the Thom being gay thing again, and Thom pretty much confirmed it, which I'd pretty much already known. I hadn't known about Cam Clarke, though. Go figure. And, no, I had no problems with it, being bi and all.

I was going to wait until tomorrow to get Thom's autograph, but then he'd started giving other people his signature, so I figured why not, and get in on it. Cool. Right after that, David and I left for the next panel.

2:00 PM

David and I, unknowingly, walked in on the last 2 minutes of the Development Process. Oops. We took our seats once the Writing Process began, enjoying what we could in-between the lights going out every few minutes. LOL.

Greg W. introduced Brynne Chandler, Michael Reaves, himself, and another show writer whose name currently escapes me. There was talk about the "Silly MachBeth" 2-parter (which I personally thought sounded like it would've been fun to see.), and the "4 Tricksters" ep, (which would've featured Puck, Anansi, Coyote the Trickster, and Raven) both of which had been abandoned. Crud.

The Would-Have-Been DTVs (which eventually became the "City Of Stone" 4-parter and the "Hunter's Moon" 3-parter) were also discussed. Asked Greg W., once the panel ended, if I could get a picture with him. He said "later" and left. I have a really lousy sense of timing, though David (the sneak) took one of Greg (with his back turned) and I anyway, effectively surprising the crap out of me. I considered trying again later, at a better time.

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

The Darkwing Duck panel was enjoyable. Tad Stones and Jim Cummings were absolutely entertaining, with Jim going into "Darkwing mode" and "Negaduck Mode" and Tad sharing amusing ancedotes with all of us, as well as their thoughts and experiences in creating the series. They were obviously having a lot of fun, and David and I (and the rest of the attendees, I'm sure) did as well. Big plus. :-)

And, of course, Darklord was there, asking more then his fair share of questions. *grins*

Not to mention Jim's autograph after it was done. I'm just a sucker for autographs, I guess.

5:00 PM

The Radio Play. Fun. Fun. Fun.

It was a reading of a script for "The Mirror", narrated by Greg W. Series regulars Keith and Thom (reprising their roles) were joined by several newcomers, including Crispin Freeman as "Hudson" and a delightfully evil Jennifer "CrzyDemona" Anderson as "Demona". Whoever was playing "Broadway" (his name eluded me and still does) did a fairly decent Fagerbakke. Great times.

The room was really crowded, but once I eventually reached him, Keith David agreed to Autograph and a Picture with me, but we ended up having TWO pictures taken, one by David, and one by someone else who had just offered, out of the blue. There was another autograph (on the comic) and another pic with Thom before David and I left for dinner at a Jack In The Box. He had a shake, and I had a giant Cheeseburger.

Oh, and I'd bid on the "Gummi Bears Trio" in the Art Show, too.

6:30 - 10:00 PM

There wasn't much to do at the moment, so a bunch of us played Munchkin. Fun game at first, but got boring fairly quickly.

10:00 - 11:00 PM

Finally, the Blue Mug-A-Guest. Another program that I almost thoroughly enjoyed. Someone had asked Greg W. "Is it true you're a werewolf?" and Greg responded "No, I'm a robot," effectively cracking me up. LOL. Thom was asked by Christine Morgan that, to quote, "throwing plausibility out the window, who he would see Lex getting naked and sweaty with." His answer? "He's a horny little fucker. He'd have sex with anything moving." ROFL.

Thom and Crispin's "Half-Nelson" act also made me laugh so hard I was crying.

There weren't too many adult-themed questions (Too Bad) but Hotel Officials still had to break the party up after repeated warnings of excess noise, and we couldn't finish it in the hall outside the 1st floor Ballrooms, so Greg W. announced that we would reconvene at the Masquerade the following night.

David wanted to leave so he could sleep after that, even though I'd wanted to hang out at the restaurant/bar with some of the guests for a while first. David won out, though, so we said our goodbyes for the night, and everyone who was there waved at us as we left for our own hotel.

It was intriguing hearing Keith David sing at the Blue Mug-A-Guest, though. I can see why he's a nightclub singer. :-)

Sunday, June 25th, 2006

GATHERING, DAY 3

9:00 - 9:50 AM

We woke up, showered, dressed, watched some "Madagascar" on HBO, and left.

10:00 - 11:30 AM

David and I registered for G2007! Very cool that it's gonna be in Pigeon Forge, cause we can simply drive down and not have to pay for Plane Tickets (I'm not used to flying) or Car Rentals (expensive), and the Grand Hotel is affordable. Off-topic, I bought more Gargoyle goodies from the Dealer's Room: A fan CD from the 1999 con ($5), and a Flikbook from 2001 (also $5).

12:00 - 2:00 PM

We started out the day in the Voice Acting Panel, which consisted of (from left to right) Greg Weisman, Elisa Gabrielli, Brigette Bako, Morgan Shepperd, plus (once they'd arrived) Keith and Thom. Thom's "Snap" story was funny, and Morgan Shepperd was a dedicated, fascinating speaker.

Got autographs from all of them afterwards too. I was just planning on getting Brigette's, Elisa's, and Morgan's, (since I'd already had autos from Greg and Thom), but I didn't want to run the risk of alienating them, so when I got closer to their end of the table, I decided "Heck with it", and bit the bullet. David wanted me to stand behind them both for a picture, but it took me a few seconds to stand right where he wanted me.

Also got a picture of Brigette and I. David took extra pictures when I was in line for autos too.

2:00 - 3:00 PM

The Production Process was decent, but nothing to write home about.We stayed for most of it before leaving for...

3:00 - 4:00 PM

The Writing Erotic Stories panel! It was fun. Christine made mention of some of her fan fics (which I made a mental note to read more of as soon as I got a chance), and I got to plug a adult-oriented-erotic-comedy-fanfic-trilogy I'd written a while back. Afterwards, David stayed for the Drawing Erotic Stories Panel...

4:00 PM

... while I checked out the Gathering Auction. There was only one item I'd spotted as soon as I entered that I wanted.

The Milton Bradley Gargoyles Board Game. So help me god, I love games almost as much as I love movies. And Gargoyles, of course.

It started off at a $2 bid.

I took it all the way up to $15.

Nobody outbid me for it after that.

I was a very happy camper.

I love my life. *smiles*

5:30 PM

Hung around the Art Show. Saw a lot that I liked. Kathara's entries and Bri-Chan's Timedancer pieces were all exquisite. Too bad I couldn't afford them. Especially Bri-chan's. Greg W. showed up, and I half-jokingly asked about Lex's mate, knowing that he would refuse to give anything away, which, in essence, he did. I actually had the fleeting thought of offering Greg $100 to tell me, but dismissed the notion almost immediately. A) It would've been stupid and made me look pathetic, B) It would've been ridiculous, and there's no chance Greg would've caved, and C) I didn't have $100 anyways. I can wait until it shows up in the comic or some other medium. Greg believes in drawn-out process, and so do I. No rush.

So far, nobody had outbid me for the Gummi Trio. Nice.

6:00 - 8:30 PM

Didn't have any money for the Banquet and nothing on the menu had looked edible to David or I anyhow, so we joined some other guests for the "6th Annual Anti-Banquet" (sorry the name sounds insulting, but I didn't make it, obviously.) in A Fan's room, complete with Gargs DVDs and Pizza. Still, though, I found myself almost wishing I could've gone to the Banquet. I walked by a couple times, and it looked... nice... in there. Maybe next year.

8:30 PM

The Masquerade began and all of the costumes were impressive. Pucks and Foxs. Princess Katherines and A Lexington. Even an "Inuyasha 1 and a half". Kudos to you, Jade Griffin. What really amazed me was Lance as "Set". I really liked the costume. Lance, who won Best In Show, as I'd expected, did a really great job.

Thom and Tony won "Best Couple" award.

9:30 (I think) PM - 12 AM

We finished the Blue Mug-A-Guest after The Masquerade, just as Greg said. It wasn't quite as raunchy as I'd hoped (Dang, I wish I'd gone to the very first Blue Mug. THAT must've been fun!) but it was still enjoyable. Especially when Crispin showed up. Poor Thom. :P

I'd asked Greg about whether Cyborg Lex (from Future Tense) would ever happen, and, as I should've foreseen, Greg wouldn't answer except for "Not saying." I should've expected as much.

David and I left at midnight. We were exhausted from the day's events. I was mildly annoyed that the following day was the last day. *sighs* Time flies when you're having fun.

KingCobra_582 writes...

Gathering 2006 Report, Part 1.
Thursday, June 22nd, 2006

PRE-GATHERING

David and I boarded our plane to Los Angeles from Port Columbus. I'd never flown before, and even though I more or less got used to it, the height and the ascent themselves still bothered me.

It was a layover, so we landed in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, finally taking off for Los Angeles at 10:40 am, arriving at LAX at 1:00 PM. We hopped a bud to Advantage Rent-A-Car and picked up our rental before driving to a Hotel 6 in Sylmar, where we checked in and relaxed the rest of the night.

Friday, June 23rd, 2006

THE GATHERING, DAY 1

We arrived at the Hyatt in Valencia (after what would have been a 15 minute drive turned into us getting all turned around temporarily) at 11:30 AM, and I met Greg Weisman face-to-face at the registration desk. Very cool, meeting the guy who created the Gargs universe in the 1st place in person. Forgive the fanboyism. :P. Now if I can meet Keith, Jeff, and Thom, things would be just as (if not more) great.

12:00 PM

1st event was "Creating A Compelling Character" with Christine Morgan, Ellen, and Spacebabie. In the middle of discussing Villian redemption, Christine somehow made the mention of if "Anton Servarius' mind in the body of a Gargoyle stripper". LOL. David raised the point that the Trio had named themselves somewhat abruptly after arriving in 1994 Manhattan, and Christine agreed, but responded that they had probably heard those names while they were out exploring the city (i.e. Awakening Part III) and those names had just stuck.

Greg W. popped in for a surprise visit, which was kick-ass. One guy (you'll see more on him later. Quite a interesting fellow, this Darklord.) brough up Homoculi (from Fullmetal Alchemist) and also started asking questions about Naraku (from Inuyasha). I was intrigued. Who knew that Naraku, upon translation, meant 'Hell'?

1:00 PM.

Next came Character Design And Drawing. The Inuyasha/FMA guy was there as well, and asked about Villian Drawing, David whispered in my ear, very quietly, "Here comes Naraku again," which cracked me up. David took a picture of Karnie A.K.A. Kythara, (and other pictures, of other people, of course, though not all at once, but all of them are coming soon on my website.) while I left for a few minutes to check out the Dealers Room (cause I couldn't avoid buying that Gargs comic ANY LONGER.). I also ended up getting A Trio white T-shirt, ($20) The Phoenix Gate Anthology from G2004 AND the Grimorum Arcanorum Anthology from this year's con, ($15 each) before sitting down and talking with Greg W. I probably went a little overboard mentioning autographs on the Gargs S1 DVD though. Chalk it up to fanboyism. I really don't know what I was thinking. *sighs*

I was disappointed that Jeff wouldn't be there, but some of the others would be. Thom was due "any minute now", Keith was due to arrive tomorrow, and Brigette was set for Sunday, with Bill Fagerbakke possibly making a cameo Monday. I started feeling a little TOO straight-forward and awakward at that point, so I sheepishly said I'd be back later and quickly shuffled off, embarrassed that I'd stopped at all. I returned to the CCD&D panel, where Darklord (a.k.a. Anime Guy, as I thought of him at the time, since I hadn't gotten a look at his name tag yet.) was asking questions about Sesshomaru (from Inuyasha, if you didn't know) and Transformers.

Jen "CrazyDemona" Anderson appeared in the doorway for a brief second, and I mean BRIEF. Once everyone started applauding, she vanished before anyone could even blink. 1 guy nearby, not sure who, commented about how we had "scared her off".

2:00 PM

Left at the start of "My First Con" cause Nature called. On my way back from the Men's Room, I was stopped by a businessman (there was some kind of business meeting also going on at the same time, at the same hotel) sitting in a chair who wanted to know more about our Con, so I explained to him about Gargoyles as best as I could, and noticed another fan walking towards us (who, looking back on it, I now know to be Greg Bishansky.) and called him over. I gave him the 411 and Greg took over for me, telling the guy about Gargoyles, while I returned to the panel. I was happy. I'd brought my boyfriend into the fandom a few months back by showing him the DVDs, and it was nice to be able to help another potential fan see the light. :D. On my way back to the panel, I met Michael Reaves (another familiar face. I'd seen the S2 DVD documentary) and, after introductions and a hand shake, continued on upon our own business down seperate directions. Finally made it back to "My First Con" in time to catch a mild discussion about Thom. It was the "Thom's Pants" thing and the Thom/Crispin rivalry thing that (from what I've read of past Con Reports) had happened at the last L.A. con.

There was also a Q&A about Margot and Brendan Yale, and whether it was or was not them that had been smashed in City Of Stone, and the answer? "No, that was her... evil twin... sister... Fargo..." LOL!!

I myself asked about the S2, Vol 2 DVD and was told it would be addressed at the Opening Ceremonies at 5. I'm a patient guy when I have to be. I can wait.

3:00 PM

Noth much happened here. Just David and I having an hour to kill and deciding to spend it at the Town Center Mall for a late lunch. He had a Pepperoni Pizza from Sbarro's, and I had fries from Charley's Grilled Subs. We poked around the mall a bit cause I'm kind of a mallrat, before we headed back to the Hyatt.

4:00 PM

After returning from the mall, David took a seat in the couch in the lobby while I moseyed on over to the Dealer's Room to get my new Grimorum Anthology autographed. I also met Crispin Freeman there and it was the same as with Michael Reaves. Introduction, and a hand shake. Lucky guy, though. What do I have to do to get that tall? :P I commented how I liked his performance in the English Dub of "X". But for some reason, I was thinking he did the MOVIE, not the TV series "X-1999". My bad. I'm usually more knowledgeable (sp?) about stuff like this, being a film geek and all. Dang.

Checked out the Art Room next. Saw some very nice pieces there. I especially enjoyed the "Gummy Bear Trio" (as I think of it) computerization by Jade Griffin. Overheard Anime Guy/Darklord asking a few people up front if Lex was gay because Thom was, and, also, if Thom even was. We all said "no" in regards to Lex and "we don't know" about Thom. I admit that I'd wondered the same thing myself before, but I also thought that it wasn't the appropiate time or place for Darklord to bring it up. He apologized, though.

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The crowd was getting pretty massive as we waited to get into Opening Ceremonies. Makes me want to run a con myself, then David and I wouldn't need to stand in line. Unfortunately, I lack the finances, the resources, and, above all, the know-how for such a venture.

While we waited, David and I got into a Gargoyles/Inuyasha discussion with Darklord (where I FINALLY saw his nametag) It got a little repetitive, but I drowned it out and let my mind wander onto other things. Like when we'd be able to actually GET INSIDE.

Finally got in, and took our seats, and it was cool. Greg Weisman showed the original Pilot Pitch (which I had already seen on the S2 DVD), as well as Music Videos (I really liked Hemorrhage (In My Hand)), plus the pitches for The New Olympians and Dark Ages spinoffs which I would've loved to have seen actually made. There was also the Bad Guys reel which I'd heard about but had never actually seen until that moment. All I can say about it is WOW!! What a kick-ass reel! And, of course, there was the unfinished-and-thus-unreleased Atlantis episode "The Last" which was interesting. There was a lot of grunting involved (it was a lot of storyboards overlapped with the VAs' lines), but I'm not even gonna go into the thoughts in my head. :P

Afterwards, I noticed Thom Adcox across the room, and, before I had time to think about it, found myself getting a picture taken with him (David, you little shutterbug.) which he was all too happy to do. Then Thom offered to take one with David, and I snapped the picture. Then we chatted with him a little bit, and I asked him about the "Hernandez" which, in the back of my mind, I'd always sort of wondered about, and he said it came from his father. Also, I'd never known that he'd been born in Detroit, Michigan. Then he had to run off to eat. They say you learn something new every day. I certainly did that day.

8:00 PM

Next up? After Thom left for dinner, along with most of the guests, we remnants stayed in the room and sat down for a session of MGT3K. Of all the things I'd looked forward to, this was one of the things I enjoyed doing the most. This years' seemed to be Dracon-related, with episodes "Deadly Force", "The Silver Falcon", and "Protection". I had fun with it, spitting out one-liners ("They stole my last Pop Tart!") not all of which were funny enough, but I digress. It's harder then I'd thought to come up with really good riffs everytime.

David and I started getting tired (though I wouldn't admit that I was) at that point, so we said our goodbyes and left for the night to drive back to our hotel in Sylmar. I wanted to check out the Art Room for any possible new submissions, but it was locked already, so that was a bust.

That's all for Day 1. Days 2 and 3 coming soon.

Gabriel writes...

Hey Greg,
A brief con-journal. First off, I forgot the con was this weekend. I was bored Saturday night and I dropped into Ask Greg, and quickly realized that the Gathering was in progress. Fortunately I was doing absolutely nothing on Sunday. So I printed out directions and some quick info and woke up early the next morning to trek up to Valencia (I live and work in LA so it wasn't that much of a trek.)
I got there just before 10 am, and I was poking around the hotel looking for the registration desk. While wandering, slightly lost, I look up at a man walking down the hall and instantly recognize you- Greg! I didn't say anything, figured you were a) in a hurry and b) plenty swarmed by fans already. My passing thought was "Definitely in the right place!" Found the registration table, and high-tailed it back to Ballroom D for the Comic panel. Got there in time to see a few pieces of art on the TV screen, before the grand wall-panel-redistribution! Will wonders never cease? All the panelists' stories and thoughts on the comic and the comic book industry were great.
That ended and I stepped out to grab some food, came back for the Voice Acting Panel. Morgan and Keith were definitely jockeying the whole time for best anecdote. However, I think best story has to go to Brigitte for her recounting of the tale of her worst moment in showbiz; shooting a bathtub scene and having to "lubricate her own snake." I even managed to not only get question in, but it ended up being the last question! I really appreciated the insight from both Morgan and Brigitte on voice direction. The follow up question would have been how one builds up to a career as a voice director, but I guess that's incentive to make the pilgrimage to Tennessee next year.
Came back once again to ballroom D for the production process panel, and boy if I thought the first two panels of the day were something, well this was the cherry on the Sunday! First off I didn't realize Frank Paur was going to be there, so that was just awesome! I know you were next-door for the W.I.T.C.H. reunion, but that production panel was truly great. Frank, Paca, Marc and the others lead a great discussion on not only the state of animation back during the time of "Gargoyles," but also on the current world you guys are working in, and even gave some speculation on where new technologies are going to take animation as the tools and processes become more refined.
All in all I had a great time, and if I wasn't working Monday I would have loved to hear your discussion of time travel. Ah well, maybe you'll put out a pamphlet or something. Anywho- Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing the fruit of your fertile imagination with the rest of us. Also please pass on my thanks, and kudos to the Gathering organizing committee and staff, I appreciated all their hard work and effort. Oh and thanks to the guests too for carving the time out of their schedules to make an appearance. (hmm...guess that wasn't as brief as I'd thought.)
Ciao,
Gabriel

Charisma82 writes...

Monday, June 26, 2006: 4TH AND LAST DAY OF THE GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES

First off, I was looking through questions and comments that you've answered on this website last night and I noticed that a few people mentioned that you don't like to get questions about different subjects all in one writing, but to post them seperately. When I read through the rules on the first page, I didn't see this mentioned, but if you did say something about this in the rules and I'm missing it somewhere, I appologize for my last journals that I wrote. They had different subjects asked about in them, and I didn't know that you prefer not to get them that way. I hope that it didn't complicate your answering questions, I certainly didn't want to do that. Again, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, and I'll understand if you don't answer some of my questions on those posts.

Today is Monday so I had school again. It's half way over, so I'm glad. Today in class, one of the other students (one of the louder ones I might add) kept going on about how she got to go to the premier for the Pirates of the Carribbean 2 movie at Disneyland. She had pictures and autographs for anyone who would pay attention to see. It's funny, she said she waited 11 hours on Main Street to see the stars of the movie. I was thinking how cool it would be to go to the one for the 3rd movie, but then I realized that they had this last movie the same weekend as the gathering this year. I really hope that they don't have it at the same time as 2007's gathering, because I'd really love to go to both.

Since I'm talking about Disneyland, and you work for disney and all, I think I'll end this journal with questions about Disney for you (because I don't want to detour to other topics and make it longer than it needs to be). Have you been to Disneyland? It's a great place, I think. My family and I have obtained family passes for the place a couple of times in the past. I'm Disneyland sick right now because we haven't been in a year or so (I know it sounds stupid that I should complain about this, because other people only get to go once in their lives). One memory I like best of Disneyland was the year they were building California Adventure next door to it. We had season passes that year, so we got to see California Adventure being built from the ground up as we went to Disneyland over the year. I've heard from people before who work at Disneyland and they say they hate it. One must wonder why? I guess you'll never know unless you work there. Is it the same for people who don't work at Disneyland, but still work for Disney? I mean, do you ever get tired of working for Disney? I think that is why the others hate the place now, they had too much of what is supposed to be a good thing.

I also want to say that I saw your name at the end of the WITCH credits tonight. My sister saw it and pointed it out and said that I over react to seeing names that I am familiar with. I always get excited when I see a name or hear a voice that had to do with gargoyles. You all did a great job with that show, and I hope you continue your ideas on through this new show (and into other new gargoyle developments).

Well, I guess this is it. The Gathering of the Gargoyles is officially over with today. No more me rambling on and on about.... well, nothing really. I did enjoy taking the time out to put up these posts. I hope that next year I get to put up posts of what happened at the 2007 gathering and not what is happening in my normal life.

I hope you and everyone else had a great time at the gathering and has a safe trip back to your homes. Thank you for listening (actually reading), and letting me, and everyone else who puts up posts, take up some of your time. It is appreciated.

It has been a pleasure and a privelege to write to you.

-Charisma82

dph of rules writes...

Gathering Journal - Pretrip or "The trip that almost wasn't"

One note, I do make mention of when I was writing the journal, just as points of reference, so if I don't mention when I catch up to the present that I stopped to write my journal, it is an oversite.

Anyways, in my own words, my experiences.

Here am I, at 6:51am, Saturday morning, writing my journal entry the story of how the events leading to the day I arrived. Jet lag caught up with me, otherwise I would be asleep at this point. Anyways, back to the story of how I got here. Sometime in September 2005, I sent my payment for the registration costs for the Gathering through the post office. A few weeks passed by, and I didn't hear a thing back, so I emailed Patrick and nagged him once a week for a few weeks to see if my payment had arrived. Patrick asked me to stop, so I did and thanked him for his patience. I got really tired of waiting, so I finally paid online with the promise that whenever my gathering payment (I used a cashier's check) arrived from the post office, they would send me a check back. Three months after I sent my payment through the post office, I got the letter back, because I put the wrong zip code in. (In polite company, I can not say what I think of this . . blu . . mistake by the post office in taking so long to get me returned mail back.) I sent it in a new envelope and paid to have it delivered in 2-3 days so I could get my money back (banks are funny about cancelling a cashier's check). Thankfully, I got my check from the gathering and deposited it, thus passing obstacle #1.

Obstacle #2 was acquiring the plane tickets. I learned expedia.com and my local bank (Harvest) transaction processing systems don't exactly work well together (it's a technical issue). So I resolved to buy my tickets in person during spring break, which I did. (Murphy's law & I are acquitances so I didn't want to risk making a mistake scheduling my flights going through an airline.). That cleared obstacle #2.

Obstacle #3 was finding a roommate. I found that difficult being a new person to attend. Then, there's the paradox: I didn't want to book a room without a roommate (fear of getting stuck with a bill by myself), but nobody wants to sign up with anybody unless they already have a room booked. Finally, out of desparation, I decided to book a hotel room myself, only to discover that all the rooms reserved at the Gathering Rate were booked. Then panic sank in. Fortunately, I was able to share a room with A Fan and everything was set except for Obstacle #4.

Obstacle #4 was the scariest/most dangerous obstacle of them all for me. What was it? Telling my dad that I was going. (my mom died passed away in January 1995 after battling cancer for years). As some people in the tgs cr, I have frequently referred to him as "the moron". We don't have (and haven't) had a good relationship in years. We have virtually nothing in command except we're related by blood. So two weeks on the Sunday before I was to go, I worked up my courage to tell him and told. I have never ever seen him so upset and I was scared/terrified. Initially it was about the money. I'm a college student graduating in the fall without a full time job at the moment. Then the issue became about other things. Thank goodness for good stepmothers, that's all I'm going to say. The Saturday before the trip, I lost my checkbook and spent the next few days hunting for it, only to discover it was in my brother's couch in his home. (My brother and I are extremely close and have been for several years - this despite a 12 year age difference). Thursday, while packing, Murphy's law struck and I got only a few hours of sleep.

To be continued with Gathering Journal day 1 - what happenned that Friday . . .

Charisma82 writes...

Saterday, June 24, 2006: 2ND DAY OF GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES

Again, it's me. Not much happened today (there seems to be a pattern in this in my life). I've been wishing I was where you all are. But, instead, I'm here, typing to you. I was thinking about the gathering today and what you guys might be doing. So, I decided to ask you something (since that is kind of the purpose of this website). If you had to convince a person who's never been to a gathering before and you could only name three things to them that happens at the gathering, what would those three things be? What is it that you enjoy the most at gatherings is basically the question here. Since I'm asking about the gathering, I might as well keep asking. About how many people were at the last gathering you attended? (You might not read this for a few years, so answer this to the last gathering you attended, not the one that's going on right now in 2006, unless that was the last one you went to). I keep hearing about radio plays. What exactly is this? I've seen some stuff about it, but I want to know from you what it is and your opinion on it. Did you come up with the concept or did someone else?

I think it is great that so many gargoyles fans are being able to get together and celebrate a great show. I've loved gargoyles for so many years, and it would be great to meet other fanatics like me. Maybe someday... But until then, I've got my sister to nag about this stuff. She's not a hard core fan like me, but she has watched the show since it first came out just like me. We know all the dialogue to each show. In fact, sometimes we put the TV on mute and put the lines in ourselves. Other times we just mess around and make up funny stuff for the soundless characters to say. We get a kick out of that. Another memory that comes to mind is having to explain each confusing show to my sister. She's four years younger than me, so she started watching the show when she was 3 years old. She's in high school now and still I have to explain some of the more confusing shows to her.

Possession is one of my favorites and is one my sister complains of being the most confusing. I always liked the 3 episodes that came before Hunter's Moon. They were: Turf, The Reckoning, and Possession. Their story lines were great. I liked Turf because Elisa has to help Tony Dracon when they really can't stand each other, and she has a different look going on for her (plus you find out what happened to Mase Malone's step son. He went from working out in a gum with the witness protection program to being a hired thug). I liked The Reckoning because Angela and Demona finally meet face to face and know who each other are for the 1st time (that time in Paris doesn't really count). When I was younger, I had been anticipating the meeting between them since I knew that they were mother and daughter. It was a great story to tell about the two of them. Then there is Possession. What can I say, I love to solve puzzles. Who is in who's body? Good question. I love how it was all just a lesson for little Alexander. The kid has potential.

Anyways, I've rambled off a lot of stuff, and I should let you go answer other people's comments and questions. Thank you for your time and I hope your having a great weekend at the 10th annual Gathering of the Gargoyles.

-Charisma82

Charisma82 writes...

Friday, June 23, 2006: 1ST DAY OF GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES:

Again, if you don't remember my last post from yesterday (which is likely, there are a lot of people who like to talk to you) I was not able to go to the Gathering of the Gargoyles this year. I'm posting what is happening to a person who can't get to the gathering. Besides spontanious cries of wanting to be at the gathering and break downs every now and then, things are pretty much normal. My sister gets a kick every time she hears my little outbreaks.

Today there was no school, so I stayed home and pondered with my sister about the gathering and past experiences we've had due to gargoyles. I reminded her about the gargoyles games we used to play and we both laughed for a long time as we reminisced. We were bored so we looked through some old board games that we might enjoy playing. As we did, I started thinking about how fun it would be to have a gargoyles board game. You know how Monopoly has different versions? There could be a gargoyles monopoly, or the game Life could throw its hat into the ring. I know it is unlikely, but wouldn't it be cool?

While conventions are on my mind, I just wanted to put out there that Pirates of the Carribean 2 is having its premier tomorrow at Disneyland. I thought it was really funny that the premier for that is at the same time as the gathering. What a conincidence, huh? They should've done a joint thing, with pirates and gargoyles at the same time. That would be the best. I know that the gathering doesn't have to do with Disney promoting the Pirates of the Carribean movie, but just imagine with me...

I can only imagine the great time everyone is having right now, getting to the gathering. Okay, I lied, I can't imagine because I've never been to one. The closest thougts that I have to a gathering are the few scenes that were shown on the DVD for the 1st season of gargoyles. I really liked that. It was kind of a bummer to see that there was nothing on the gatherings on the second DVD. Oh well.

Well, we're almost half way through with these journals (at least I am almost through). I only have Saterday and Sunday to record, and maybe Monday if you're lucky (hahaha). It's funny how I don't end up writing about my day, but more about jibberish.

One more thing, I saw the new episode of WITCH tonight and it rocked! You're doing a great job with that, along with all the other talents working on the show. If only those talents could go towards another gargoyles show....

Thank you for your time and patience. I also hope you have a great time at the convention.

-Charisma82

Charisma82 writes...

Hello again. It's been about 2 years since I've asked a question or written a comment on this web site. That doesn't mean I've never been back here though. On the contrary, I come here about every day (around 1:00 in the morning, after all my college work is done). So don't think I've given up looking for my question to be answered.
Anyway, the main reason for me to write this time is that the gathering of the gargoyles is taking place this weekend, and I wanted to put in my input.

Gathering of the Gargoyles is all I've heard about for months. As it draws closer, I get more and more excited. Unfortunatly for me, I can not make it. I have never been to a gathering before and it is driving me crazy! I'd love to go, but there's the whole problem of me not knowing how to get anywhere outside of my home (I am directionally challenged) as my family can vouge for. I also can't get anyone to go with me. I think if I did have someone to go with, it would make the whole traveling thing a lot easier. But enough of my blabbering on not getting to go. This is supposed to be a journal of what is going on while the gathering is in progress.

In case you're wondering why the heck I'm writing a journal when I am not going to be at the gathering, well wonder no more. I read another journal some months ago, and it was about what that person did while the gathering was happening 'cause they couldn't go either. You said in response that you liked that idea and that you wanted more journals on people who are not attending the gathering, so here it goes.

Thursday, June 22, 2006: THE DAY BEFORE THE GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
Didn't do much. Just had a summer class at a local college. Isn't that fun? Class instead of going to the gathering. It's okay. Only english. It's the best subject there is. I did a lot of day dreaming driving to and from class. It's not good to look up and realize you've spaced out on 20 minutes of driving. I've been thinking of ways I could get to the gathering. There's always the possibility of driving, but that's when I remember I have no idea how to get there. It's about 8 hours away and I could get really lost in only a few minutes, let alone 8 hours. My stomach is in knots over this though. I hear next year the gathering is going to be in Tenessee and there's no way I can get there by driving. I'd have to fly. Coming online tonight, I've just read your comments on the gathering starting tomorrow and I'm all psyched again. All these new people that will show up, and not even people from gargoyles. Didn't you say WITCH people will be there also? That show's great too. When I heard you were going to be working on the show, it was automatically put on my TIVO list. Ahh... to be at the gathering... I've been a fan of gargoyles since I was seven when it came out. My sister and I played gargoyles ALL the time. It was the number one game in our house. We made up clans and figured out how we'd all stand and pose for when the sun would come up. My sister's favorite line would be to argue with me and before I could argue back she would 'turn to stone'. Then my quick come back would be "what are you doing? It's not sunrise yet!" I'm laughing at this as I remember. Anyways, after I'm done writing this, I'll probably crawl into bed, cause it is about 1:30 am and sleep is important to me (sometimes). I'll have another post for tomorrow and how things are looking here from a non-gathering perspective of the weekend.

Oh, and before I sign off, I just wanted to say that I've already bought my copy of the comic book gargoyles on Amazon.com. I can't wait for it to come in the mail. I really hope that the comic continues on, and hopefully, more of your spin offs will be introduced in some way (whether it be the comics, or comics of their own). Ultimatly, the greatest hope is for gargoyles to come back to the television. Disney lost something great, and they just don't know it yet.

Thanx for your time, consideration, and your talent for a great show.

-Charisma82

Abbie writes...

Hi Greg! My dad and mom gave me my dream come true! I'm going to the gathering of the Gargoyles and i'm in the Story, Fanart, and te-shirt contests! I'm only 13 but i'm really exited! I wanted to know about what your looking for in a teashirt to give ideas for the contest! I love the show more than any other and own both DVDs! I can't wait to meet you!
See you there! From your number one fan!

Michael McAdam writes...

This is my con report from Le Gathering, Montreal 2004.

I have attended sci-fi/fantasy conventions since 1985. In my youth, everything was new and exciting and I always looked forward to the next opportunity to meet like-minded people at these magical weekend gatherings.

But like anything, it gets old after a while: one becomes jaded, or cynical, or bored. And for those of us who turn a hobby into a business, this is intensified by the "professional" angle that we maintain.

But at this convention, I re-discovered a pleasure that I haven't enjoyed in almost ten years: The sheer enjoyment of reveling in the appreciation of a wonderful creation-- in this case, Disney's animated TV series, "Gargoyles."

The show ended its run in 1997, but the fandom survived-- and have held a regular convention every year since that time. Understand: the show was over. It only ran three seasons, the last of which wasn't even the same production house as the first two (thus a dispute on whether there were three seasons, or really only two.) And yet, despite this, a loyal following of fans put forth the effort to make a convention happen, dedicated to this show, year after year in a different city each time.

That's dedication.

I was always a fan of the show, but I felt no particular motivation to seriously join the fandom, until this year, when my good friend Lanny invited me to the convention. "You're a voice actor," he said. "You've got to come. Some of the voice talent from the show will be there." And then he very, very generously offered to fly me down on his air travel points, and put me up in his hotel room.

That's friendship.

How could I say no? I looked forward to it-- and I hadn't been to Montreal since I was four-- what a fun opportunity!

So I flew down east, got picked up by Lanny and Derrick and off we went to the hotel.

The very first night, I saw the difference between this convention and so many others: The people who made it happen, and the guests around which the fandom is based. Lanny, it turns out, knew most of the convention staff personally, not to mention Greg Weisman, the creator of the show. We all went out to dinner the first night and I sat between Greg and Lanny and across from the con chair, Karine "Kanthara" Charlebois (six months pregnant and still the perfect hostess, she is TEH FABULOUS, or as we say in French, <i>absolument fameuse.</i>).

And there it was: meeting one of the guests of honour, the show's creator, who is a great guy and very open and-- and this is the part that really sent me-- just one of the gang. You'd never pick Greg Weisman out at this convention as the Special Guest Superstar Guy. He knows these people, and they know him. They're old friends. You can feel that vibe. They're used to each other, comfortable with each other. It's a feeling I haven't seen before in the otherwise drooling-fan-infested populations of other conventions.

I noticed that compared to other conventions, the dealer's room and art show were small. I realized this was because they weren't the focus of the convention, they weren't the <i>point.</i> The point was, and always has been as far as I can tell, the people. The fans I began to meet were happy to be there, as opposed to the dull whineyness of many convention veterans. They were from many diverse backgrounds, and there was a wide spread of age ranges. Artists, theatricals, computer techs, veterinarians, publishers... one couldn't pigeonhole this fandom into one demographic; they are, literally, from all over the place.

I met people that I knew only vaguely as names mentioned by artist friends of mine who were involved in the fandom. They too, had heard of me in similarly vague ways. Those barriers dissolved quickly as I was welcomed by everyone I met. Like I said, these people are all part of the gang-- in Gargoyle terms, we're all one big clan.

I haven't felt that connection in years. I used to have the same feeling with other <a href="http://www.elfquest.com">ElfQuest</a> fans in the late 80's, but since then had become jaded. These people, this Clan, re-awoke something in me that I thought I'd lost, like a memory of my youth but still present in the here-and-now.

The Radio Play, the main reason Lanny invited me and the reason I wanted to go, was so much fun I forgot that I was trying to be a professional and do some serious learning from the veterans of the biz. I auditioned for Greg Weisman, who made it very easy, explaining in a prior seminar what he wanted and how to give it to him, and with the help of Jen, miss CrzyDemona herself, they cast me (as The Ham Comedy Character, which tells me that they had me figured out from the word Go).

Here's the other magical thing about this: Keith David, the voice of Goliath himself, was meant to be at the voice seminar and the subsequent radio play. Due to complications he couldn't arrive until late Saturday night. Guess what-- I had an amazing time anyway. It says a lot about a convention that even when a major guest can't make it, that the fun just keeps on going. I know it did for me.

Keith arrived at around 11 pm Saturday night and he was welcomed-- he had brought his family and he sang karaoke songs after the costume contest. Once again, a miracle-- I can't think of any celebrity who would not only bring his family to a convention with him, but actually stick around and participate in a room full of adoring fans singing karaoke.

The magic of the Gathering, again.

On a personal note, I found the man inspiring. He was <i>resonant.</i> I could believe everything he said because I could feel the strength of <i>his</i> belief behind it. He spoke of the industry of acting and voicing, which spoke directly to me-- but his other anecdotes and stories were a pleasure to listen to as well, because he was sharing in an intimate setting.

Intimate settings seemed to be the name of the game, as Greg Weisman hosted his own "Mug-A-Guest" panels, in both the PG-13 and the "Blue" -- anything goes -- format. Sitting in the con suite, hanging out, anyone could ask him anything. He was accessible. He was friendly. He was candid, open, everyone's pal.

Again, something I've never seen before.

Disney is planning to release the first season on DVD on December 7th of this year. There was a film crew at the Gathering, filming us every day and asking for interviews with the fans. I volunteered, wanting to do my part to explain the amazing phenomenon that Gargoyles fandom is. I hope that I painted a good, clear picture and that something of that message makes it onto the "special features" of the DVD release, because this phenomenon is too cool to allow to pass unnoticed.

To my fellow Clansmates out there, the new people I've met and the generous friend who allowed me my first glimpse of this amazing world-- thank you. Thank you for a great weekend. Thank you for a truly magical experience. I can't say enough about a weekend with no downsides except perhaps:

- Fear me in battle at LaserQuest.
- Liz is a total SHARK at Mario Kart. Fear HER.
- Next year, in Las Vegas, I really hope to put together a smashing team for the Clan Olympics.

Thank you all. I know I'm looking forward to the future of this fandom, and my place in it.

To those of you reading this: The next Gathering happens around the beginning of August, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Go to <a href="http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/">http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/</a> and keep an eye for further developments. And remember: The sooner you register, the sooner the convention has more money with which to create a fantasy weekend of unparalleled enjoyment.

StarCreator writes...

I wasn't able to make it to the Gathering, but I might see if I can manage something for next year. I've been enjoying reading through the journals posted thus far, though. It sounds like a lot of fun was had.

Other than that, I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to keep in touch with the fans of the show - just reading through the archive of answered questions gave me all the information I would have asked about. I look forward to purchasing the DVD this fall too, and I hope the rest will come out as well!

That's about all I wanted to say... Thanks again for everything you do for this community, and I hope I'll get a chance to meet you and some of the people here someday.

You should come to Anime Boston or Otakon sometime. =p