Rachel N. writes...

My Con Journal for the Gathering 2009

My friend Kathie and I arrived late Thurs night (8/20) at the hotel. We both met up at LAX airport, she having flown in from Philadelphia, PA and I from Newark, NJ.
Highly recommend Prime Time Shuttle service to and from LAX. We used it and it was very reliable.

The Hilton hotel at Universal Studios: Really nice!!! As was our room.

First day of the Gathering - Friday (8/21):

Waiting for the Registration table to open (which it did @ 10am), Kathie and I met some of our fellow Con goers, including Carol (Guardian) and Gorbash. They were all so nice and welcoming (as I figured my fellow Gargoyles fans would be).

Kathie and I picked up our Gathering t-shirts, badges, and programs at the Registration table, and then I had to go and set up my 3 artwork pieces for the Art Show. As Kathie was helping me out with this, and as we took a peek at everyone else’s artwork being set up, Greg Weisman showed up to observe the Art Show set-up (it was mine and Kathie’s first time seeing Greg in person, and it was exciting to see him taking a look at my artwork).

Around noon, Kathie and I were lucky enough to attend Greg’s “Mug-a-Guest” session, and it was really great! Greg’s answers to all the questions asked were very interesting, insightful, and sometimes funny. We learned A LOT!

1:30pm â€" Kathie and I sat in on the panel “Fanfiction in the Post-Canon Market”, where many great and new ideas for Gargoyles fanfic were tossed around and discussed. Tigris did a really good job as panel moderator, and she had some very interesting ideas and suggestions for all the fanfic writers in the room.

3pm â€" Kathie and I attended Thom Adcox’s Q&A panel, which was a lot of fun. Thom is such an entertaining and funny guy! Like Greg, Thom has a great sense of humor, and he’s so down-to-earth and easy-going. He told some great stories and shared memories of his career and working on Gargoyles.

A little after 5pm were the Opening Ceremonies (led by Greg Weisman, Patrick and Jennifer), and Kathie and I were there of course. Wow â€" it was awesome! Being first-timers, we really enjoyed all that took place, especially getting to watch the videos of the Pitches for Gargoyles and its spin-offs (New Olympians, Bad Guys), and the fan-made “Team Atlantis” episode that tied in to the Gargoyles universe. Terrific job to all who worked on it, and it’s still a work-in-progress! Here’s hoping we get to see it completed one day.

Second day of the Gathering - Saturday (8/22):

11am â€" Kathie and I were really lucky enough to attend Keith David’s “Mug-a-Guest” session (having been among the last two people to sign up for it), and it was without a doubt one of the highlights of the Gathering for me. Pardon me for gushing just a bit, but Keith is awesome!!! I’m such a great admirer of his film and stage acting and his voiceover work, and of course Goliath is my favorite Keith David character. To be able to sit in the same room with him (among my fellow fans) and listen to him talk about his career and the work he did on Gargoyles was so wonderful! And man do I LOVE his voice!!! I could listen to him read the phone book. Anyway, it was such an honor to meet him in person, and Kathie felt the same way. I do hope we get to see him again at a future gathering/convention of some kind. And have I mentioned how much I REALLY like those “Mug-a-Guest” sessions!

Right after the session, I got the chance to meet Marina Sirtis and she autographed a Demona poster for me. She has a warm smile and was so nice! I’m a great admirer of her work on both Star Trek TNG and Gargoyles.

Kathie and I managed to catch the last half hour of Crispin Freeman’s panel on Anime Mythology, and it made us wish we had seen the entire panel because what we did see was fantastic. Crispin is a very engaging and dynamic speaker, and what he spoke about was fascinating! I learned a lot about dragon lore and its influences on certain anime series. Great job, Crispin!

Then around 1pm we attended the panel for “Gargoyles: The Voice Acting Process”
which featured Greg W., Thom, Keith, Marina, Elisa Gabrielli, and Jamie Thomason. This panel was another highlight of the Gathering for me…it was so awesome to see all these Gargoyles voice actors together and the interactions btw them were great! As Greg said in his Con journal, some great stories were told, and a lot of laughs were shared.

Next, Kathie and I sat in on the “Anatomy of Fantasy Creatures” art panel, which was really interesting. And then came the final big event of the day â€" the Radio Play. Two words: TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!! A Gargoyles and Spider-Man crossover was a wonderful idea for the Radio Play at this Gathering, and I can say for sure that Kathie and I really enjoyed it! All the Players, both pro and non-pro, were terrific! They all totally made it work so well, so congrats to them, and congrats to Greg W. on a very successful Radio Play!!! Afterward, Kathie and I stuck around and got autographs from some of the Radio Play actors.

Third day of the Gathering - Sunday (8/23):

10am â€" Kathie and I attended the panel for “Gargoyles: The Production Process”, and it was awesome to see all the Production crew members there and listen to them as they shared their experiences working on Gargoyles. Another wonderful panel at this year’s Gathering! Afterward we stuck around and got autographs from some of the Production members.

4pm â€" The other panel Kathie and I attended that day was Wendy Pini’s “Adapting Stories from Novels to Film”. We learned quite a bit about the history of ElfQuest and its journey to becoming a film. Wendy gave a great talk, and I know I’m definitely going to be seeing the ElfQuest movie whenever it’s released.

6pm till rest of the night:
Good food was had at the Banquet, great conversations with those who sat at our table, and the Guest Q&A afterwards was very entertaining! Then came the Masquerade Costume Contest and Dance. I wore a costume but did not enter the contest, instead choosing to observe it all. It was awesome â€" some really terrific costumes! And while the judges took a break to choose the winners, we watched some fabulous music videos paying homage to both Gargoyles and Spider-Man.
Congrats to all the winners of the Costume Contest!

Fourth (and final) day of the Gathering - Monday (8/24):

10am â€" Kathie and I attended the panel for “The Future of the Gargoyles Fandom”, and some very good ideas were discussed and debated. So hopefully with all the interest there appeared to be in keeping the fandom going, we’ll all be able to attend Gargoyles-related events and gatherings of some kind in the future.

11:30am â€" Next was the very interesting “Gargoyles Biology and Culture” panel led by Greg W., Jade and Matt. Now I know why it’s one of Greg’s favorite panels at the Gathering…it was fascinating with some really great questions being asked.

And finally, after I collected my artwork from the Art Show closing, it was time to attend the Closing Ceremonies of the Gathering. And what emotional and moving Ceremonies they were!!! I think there wasn’t a dry eye in the room! I cried along with everyone else, even though this Gathering had been my one and only, but maybe because of that too, I just didn’t want it to end. Which really made me wish I had attended all the past 12 Gatherings (believe me, I’m kicking myself now). Kathie and I were really touched by all the love in that room; we could see how it was like one big family, and no one wanted to say goodbye. But like Greg said, this final Gathering definitely went out with a BANG!

Kathie’s flight back home to Philly left that night, and my flight back to NJ left early Tuesday morning.

To conclude my Con journal, I want to say that for those who couldn’t attend, you all missed a fantastic Gathering; a really great weekend was had by all!!! It was both fun and bittersweet…we laughed and cried, and enjoyed every moment. It was an unforgettable Gathering! BIG thank-you’s go to the entire staff for all their hard work and dedication in organizing such a wonderful Con. And of course, special thanks go to Greg W. and all the terrific guests from both Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man, including fellow Gargoyles fan and ElfQuest creator Wendy Pini. It was an honor and pleasure to meet you all, and here’s hoping we can all meet up again at a future Gargoyles-related event. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

David B. Jacobs writes...

Hey Greg!
I am really upset that I couldn't make it to the Gathering (no seriously, I am - and it was THE LAST ONE??? ;_;), but unfortunately, plane tickets ARE kind of expensive.... And I'm somewhat broke.... (No seriously, I really DO wish I could've gone! I don't care that I would've been a newbie there! I ACTUALLY wanted to go!)
What I most regret missing is that Spidey/Gargoyles crossover. I would've LOVED to be able to see that! (In fact, it was when I heard about that that I was convinced I wanted to go.) But then, just last night, I thought of this: Is there any chance that you could post the script here on Ask Greg?
I understand if you can't, but I would REALLY appreciate if you did, and I'm sure a lot of other people would too.
Thanks for your time!

The Pumpkin Bomb writes...

This wasn't my first con, but it was my first gathering. I was only 4 or 5 when Gargoyles first aired--so now, at the age of 20, it really felt like I was part of this younger generation just barely getting to the point of shouldering the responsibility of the fandom. There were people twice my age who lived with this show and supported it by attending the con, working with Greg and forming these very close bonds--it was really something to see, how your own love and appreciation is reflected in so many other people, especially when they've had to go farther for it, like maintaining the expense of the Gathering and bringing it back for so many years.

So I was a bit sad going in--my first gathering, and it would be the last one? It was hard not to feel this way at certain times, but mostly everything was so fun and exiting I was on cloud nine all weekend long.

FRIDAY
I'm from Arkansas, and our NATIONAL AIRPORT in our capitol of Little Rock has a total of TWELVE GATES. This meant a connecting flight in Dallas, which meant a long delay due to bad weather, which ultimately meant arriving at the Gathering at 2 instead of 12, despite those handy hours we gained on the trip. Got my badge, and bought a copy of Bad Guys, talked with some people and eventually found my way for Thom's panel. It was so cool! He's such an interesting guy, and really really funny. I wish I had told him how when I was younger my cousin and I would fight over who got to be Lexington when we played Gargoyles, but I only thought of it after...oh well. Opening ceremonies: it was cool to see how many con-virgins their were--myself included. Huzzah for young blood, if I may cheer for myself. Seeing all the promos and clips was great, because I hadn't seen a lot of them. Was very late for supper, but my dad who came with me (I'm old enough to drive and vote and go to school out of state, but alone in LA for one weekend? Forget about it. But I love my dad and he's good company, even though he doesn't get Gargoyles or cartoons in general) was waiting for me and we got dinner at the hotel. Sushi and smoked salmon, like they don't have in Arkansas. So good.

SATURDAY
I wavered and missed out on Keith David's mug-a-guest, so I went to audition for the radio play. Brought back all those delightful feelings I had in high school drama of the nervous audition, the fragile hope, and ultimate rejection. So I called a friend and CHILLED OUT. And I read for Gwen, and gave my best high pitched shriek. Walking away, and I swear I really thought this--I figured if I got any part at all it would be for the screaming bit.
Went to Cripsin Freeman's panel on Dragons for a lark and was really surprised. I hadn't expected it to be so good--it was really thought out, informative, and entertaining. I've been listening to Freeman in my anime for years (he brought be to tears for his work in Wolf's Rain, but I didn't mention that either--shoot!) but I never expected him to have the same passion for myths and folklore I do. I need to check out his site.
Then I stayed for the Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man voice panels--words cannot describe how hilarious they were. I asked a few questions but mostly listened and laughed, utterly content. After I shook Phil Lamarr's hand, and told him that I loved his work and could always tell when it was him, even though his range is so varied, which is true--that man has acted in probably every cartoon I've loved (and a few that I merely liked) since I was 11. I took a bit of time out to chat with Karine Charlebois, artist of Bad Guys. I want to work in comics or animation one day, so her insight was very useful. Thanks Karine!

After the voice panels I went to check the cast list, certain that I would merely be watching the players tonight and attending David Hedgecock's panel during the hour before the play--but my name was on this list! It felt like magic. And if wasn't magic it was certainly a little weird, as I had been given the role of the Pumpkin Bomb--the shrieking part. Score one for my intuition!
I was elated all night. Hearing all the actors reprise their old roles and work off of all the other actors WAS magic. It made it seem like that show I loved, those stories and those characters were still out there, just waiting to be brought back. It was amazing fun, and I shrieked with all my might! Phil Lamarr who sat in front of me, I'm sorry if I hurt your ears!

And after the play, I met my dad and we both walked and ate in Universal city. I gushed out everything to him, and while I'm certain he was extremely bemused he was also happy for me. A really wonderful night. Thanks Greg (and Mir. Thomason, and Victor Cook who thought up the screaming pumpkin bomb) for allowing me to be a part in that magic. I'll be the pumpkin bomb forever.

SUNDAY
I attended both panels of the production process for both shows--if Saturday was all about fun and play, Sunday was (for me, anyway) all about fun and learning. I learned so much about how it felt to make a show, both from Greg and his comrades and from Victor Cook, whose mug-a-guest session I attended. Mr. Cook even gave me his card--the shining dream of working in animation (and um...the potential scary parts of that shining dream) seemed so much closer! I came in a bit late for the writer's panel, but still learned a lot. After the panel I shook Michael Reeves' hand, and I was really sad to hear that he was ill. He wrote some of my favorite shows on Gargoyles, and I hope he gets better. I also got Greg to sign my script, and told him how glad I was to be the pumpkin bomb. I still am, Greg! I still am!!

At the banquet I sat at Crispin Freeman's table, and had a nice dinner. The Q & A was also great then too--though I felt bad that everyone had to stand on stage like that; their feet must have been killing them, especially Greg. The Masquerade was great too. If there ever is another one, I'm definitely dressing up at least once. I had to leave pretty soon, as my dad and I had an early flight out Monday. So I didn't get to go at all on Monday, but I still felt that twinge of sadness that I'm sure was felt more acutely at closing ceremonies. I had a great time, but I had a long drive waiting to go to school once I got back home, and not enough time to say goodbye properly. I don't think I want to say goodbye.

Instead, I'll just say good night, and thank you. To Greg, to Michael Reeves and Vic Cook, to the con staff, to the guests, to the attendees and to the fans who couldn't go but were there in spirit: thank you. I hope I'll see you again.

CUgone writes...

Hey, Greg:

Longtime fan, first-time con-goer here. I attended the 2009 Gathering (sadly, now I'm regretting not going sooner since I had a good time and now it's over) and noticed during the Radio Play that the session's audio was being recorded. Is there an intent to release these recordings or is it for internal use only?

Is there a way to get a hold of the older recordings, if any?

Anton writes...

Greg wrote:

"We have a Radio Play (that has nearly killed me to get ready in time) that presents an ORIGINAL Feature-Length crossover between Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man, with EVERY voice actor guest performing with fans."

Question, is it canonical to either side?

Tyger writes...

My Con Journal

I never would've gotten to go to Gathering at all if it weren't for Guardian.

Guardian and I met... YEARS ago. And ironically, what brought us together wasn't our mutual love for Gargoyles, but our mutual love for Dinotopia. We met on the Dinotopia Official Messageboard, and our two characters quickly became Dinotopian life partners (NOT what you think - in Dinotopia, that's the term for a very close bond between a dinosaur and a human (I was the dinosaur, and she was the human). When she was attacked on the OMB, I backed her up. And when she left, I left, too.

We hung out at my messageboard, discussing the other fandoms we had in common (Buffy, Gargoyles), and I got introduced to Riftwar (EPIC RP, omg, so sad that it's been wiped from EZ Board), and her main character/self Guardian.

Flash forward to earlier this year when I made the conscious decision to get back in touch with the four old online friends that have meant the most to me, over the years. Two, Guard, and the Chief Rabbit of my old Watership Down forum, I've managed to get into constant contact with. The other two... well, one hasn't answered my email, and the other doesn't have an up to date email address, anywhere I can find... But that's beside the point.

Anyway, while talking to Guard, the subject of Gathering came up. We started talking about how badly Nyx and I wanted to go, but how I couldn't afford it. And Guard commissioned me for enough art to pay my way, essentially, into the whole con.

Now, shortly after that, Nyx's grandmother went into the hospital... and from there into hospice care on a deathwatch. We supported her, and stayed with her, but I wasn't able to finish the commissions on time. When it really began to look like we couldn't go, I talked to Guard again, apologized for the delay, explained it, and asked if there was any way she could get us something, and maybe get the Future Of The fandom panel recorded...

Then she offered to just... pay for me and Nyx to get into the con. After all, I'm already doing the commissions, and she has no doubt I'll finish them... So plans were made, and we met her at the hotel Sunday morning. She bought our con badges after an hour or so of waiting, and then we split up for the day, going to different panels.

The panels the first day were fun. I enjoyed Dynamic Drawing (I think I've finally got a handle (pun intended) on the basic shapes of the hand and foot, now), and also the panel of writers was amazing... I got to meet one of my writer heroes, Greg Weisman, and let him know that he is one of the reasons that I'm a writer today. I got his autograph, as well as the autograph of another writer there who also worked on Transformers: Beast Machines... *geeks out*

Anyway, we hadn't had enough to afford the banquet Sunday night, and we didn't have costumes for the masquerade ball afterwards, so we went home after the second panel. We spent the night at Nyx's mom's house (which lead to me realizing that I don't computer well on a floor), watched all of the first five episodes of Gargoyles (the Awakening saga), and then went to sleep.

Keeping in mind that I'd gotten up at 4am Sunday, after having gone to bed at 1:30 in the morning. I embarrassed myself by falling asleep in the writing panel, but it all worked out eventually - the anxiety of getting the autographs woke me up for awhile. By the time we actually tried to go to bed, I'd gotten my second... or third... wind, and laid awake for awhile. Then, when I DID fall asleep, I jerked awake at 3 am, seeing a light outside and thinking the alarm hadn't gone off. I climbed over Nyx (we were sharing her twin bed at her mom's house), checked my phone, saw that it was 2:59am... thought "That can't be right... Wait!" My phone was plugged into Lona's computer in order to charge. And most of the time, when it's plugged in, it randomly sets it's time zone to something strange... "Enwetok" or something like that, that's -12 hours from where we are. But... it hadn't done that, this time. Yes, it was 3am... And having scared myself awake, I was wide awake. (Keeping in mind, we didn't get to bed until 11:30-midnight.)

So, I sat up for an hour, played my DS, sat in the living room (where it was marginally cooler - it was really hot in that bedroom), then finally came back to bed, sleepy, at almost 4:30am. I woke up again one or two minutes before the alarm would go OFF, so for all my panic about sleeping through the alarm, I was still up on time.

A few slices of leftover pizza, the rest of my starbucks coffee from the previous day, and I was ready to go. On to the last day of the Con!

First was the Future Of The Fandom panel. Essentially a panel moderated by one of the people who runs the con, getting fan ideas for how to keep the con alive. I was proud of myself for speaking up several times. I even gave the idea that the con could be expanded to honor the other Disney Afternoon shows that were with Gargoyles in that block. Everyone seemed to like that.

After that, the Gargoyles: Biology And Culture (I asked a question there, too... and Greg Weisman himself answered it!)... that was the most awesome panel, ever. Gargoyles were tied into paleontology, even. SO incredibly awesome. And I learned that I'm not nuts. :P Lots of people question as if the Gargoyles world is/was real, as I do. That was just...awesome. Totally awesome.

The best part of the day, however, was the Closing Ceremonies... So many people, fan and Guest alike, spoke about past Gatherings, their memories... no one was ready for it to be over. We all just kept filling the silence with stories after stories... Greg Weisman, the creator of Gargoyles, was crying through most of it... I don't even know where to start.

The Con was amazing. I regret never having been to all the Gatherings, previous to this one.

Jim writes...

So now that you've released the cast list/title of the Spidey crossover radio play, I have to ask: Is "Religious Studies 101" out of the running for arc titles?

John aka Flanker writes...

Consciousness returned to my body. My eyes were stinging and heavy. I cracked open a dried socket and tried to make sense of where I was. The sun was up, enough light was getting through to help me establish I was in a hotel room. My last memories were hazy, involving a military facility and being rushed onto an aircraft. Was I drugged?

I took stock of myself. I was on the floor, still wearing my clothing from yesterday. I sensed I wasn't alone in the room, whoever was keeping me here seemed to not be paying attention. I clawed my way across the floor into the washroom. I quietly used the facilities and showered, not wanting to find out what would happen if my 'hosts' were woken up. I slipped out of the room and found myself in a large and upscale hotel. I stumbled out into the sunlight. The heat and flora told me I was in California. Disoriented, it took me some time to scale down the hill and find a street. The presence of Universal Studios meant I could only be in Los Angeles. My advanced knowledge of American geography dictates that walking in any one direction long enough will bring me to a McDonalds. Like most Canadians I had a useful amount of US currency in my wallet and obtained some vague semblance of nurishment. And coffee.

The only way to figure out why I was brought here was to get back into the hotel. The climb back was further burdened with the fast food rotting away in my stomach. Approaching cautiously, I found a contact had left a dead drop in the form of an envelope with my codename on it. Inside was a T shirt that would help me blend in with the locals and a book full of coded instructions. I could infiltrate this secret society by hiding in the background or in plain sight. I chose plain sight. A number of events seemed to rotate around a 'Radio Play'. This requried an audition so I feigned an accent to make the leaders of this group think I was European. Ironically, after the audition, the group I was trying to infiltrate offered a lecture on voice acting, which would likely be useful should I be cast in the play. This was also an opportunity to examine the leaders of this strange group. After conducting some surveillance and link analysis I had a chance to speak with a British operative who may have been on the same mission as me. I determined this because other people were noting that nobody had seen her there before. We also assessed together that Top Gear is the best show on British Television that isn't Gargoyles. I also conversed briefly with a fellow Canadian. But being both female and French I knew she wasn't to be trusted. Also her badge identified her as ONE OF THEM. Someone responsible for a project called 'Bad Guys' can't be up to anything good.

Soon it was time for the play rehearsal and play itself. I was delighted to find we weren't going to read 'Dianetics' or something. I was able to keep a copy of the script which, as we speak, is being analyzed for subliminal subversion. Also I felt I may have been losing myself in my cover. I was starting to feel the mind control effects of the group's supreme leader.

I made contact with a former US Navy operator and we able to abduct a 'biology research scientist' that belonged to this secret society and we debriefed her at a 'Fatburger'. What would this group need with a biology scientist? Germ warfare? Genetic manipulation? I was in deep, thankfully I wasn't alone.

Back at the hotel I slid into a late night session code named 'Blue Mug'. Nothing I had seen previously had prepared me for this. People were discussing things like how a gargoyle would [CLASSIFIED=========================================================================================================CLASSIFIED]with salad dressing.

Also a cultist presented a ranking member with somekind of magic underwear. It was difficult to see from the back. Exfiltration occurred around 1150 hours GMT -8

More to follow...over.

Blaise writes...

GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES

FINAL THOUGHTS

Due to my own limited funds, as well as my young age (17) at the time, I was unable to attend the first Gathering. In fact, I have only been able to attend the Gathering three times: in 2001, 2006, and this most recent one. In short, only the ones in and around Los Angeles. This was because travel and lodging were expenses I could ill afford. And for those last two (2006 and 2009), I didn't know if I would be able to pay the registration fee until (literally) two months before the Gathering. For that reason, I consider myself supremely fortunate to have been able to attend this, the last Gathering.

The Gathering was always something I loved to hear about, even when I wasn't there. And it was something I always felt was worth looking forward to. I looked forward to the day when I would be able to afford a trip beyond LA. Heck, let's be honest: I looked forward to a day when, like Karine, I would cross from "fan" to "professional" (actor, in my case) and be given that nifty "Guest" ribbon! Have my very own Mug-a-Guest, panels and everything! Yeah, yeah, I know--my swelled head makes it difficult to walk through doors. ;-)

And, of course, I regret not being able to go to any of the other Gatherings (especially the one in Montreal that the DVD crew filmed). I also kick myself for not being more proactive and helping out the staff for the LA conventions.

But, I am thankful for what I did have.

-The 2001 Gathering has a special place in my heart, simply for being my first Gathering. And the BIGGEST, I've every been to. Seriously, we had SO MANY panels in that first LA convention. And JEFF BENNETT! One of my favorite actors (I wish I could have gone to his Mug-a-Guest: he seemed like such a cool guy). Plus, we had a panel where fans got to try their hand at reading bits of "Gargoyles" episodes (specifically "Vows" and "M.I.A.") outside of the radio play or its auditions. And alongside Morgan Sheppard and Crispin Freeman, to boot. A couple of folks even got to try dubbing anime (I didn't have a chance to do that, but I did get to read for Goliath in the "M.I.A." scene--which was very intimidating, given how light my voice is in comparison to Keith David's--and Brooklyn's audition side). This was also the only convention I brought a costume for: Nought. I didn't enter the Masquerade contest, but I did thoroughly enjoy myself that night, as I did throughout the entire con. I think I got the most autographs from that one. But one of the biggest things was finally meeting everyone I had known online in person. It was great putting faces to names, learning the real names behind the 'net monikers, and just being able to talk with them face to face.
And for the "Hunter's Moon: Part 3" radio play, I was Matt Bluestone. It was so fun--and my first real chance to perform with professional actors from the show.

-2006 I remember mostly because I was at such a tough point in my finances I couldn't afford to drive the 30 miles back and forth to Valencia for each of the 4 days. So I drove up there once, parked in the hotel's free parking, and slept in my truck (it had a camper shell over the bed so I was comfortable) until the Gathering was over. I couldn't go to the Banquet for this one, unfortunately, but I still had a great time. The first issue of the comic had come out, so there was plenty to talk about. And on the first day, Crispin and Thom held a panel where I finally got to try my hand at dubbing a scene from an anime. Other than a particularly egregious P-pop, I feel I did pretty well for my first attempt. Plus, there was that HUGE room of voice-actors from "W.I.T.C.H." (and I still feel a little guilty about asking a question that caused the panel to go over time). This one wasn't as big as the first LA Gathering, but still a very nice size, with plenty of panels to choose from (and torture me with not being able to go to them all). Since this was my second Gathering, I felt a bit more open and comfortable with other people, especially those I remembered from my first time. In a way, that made this my most..."relaxed" Gathering.
And the radio play was "The Mirror." I'm still surprised that my Broadway managed to sound kind of like the real thing.

-And 2009...well, I've just gone into all the details over the past few days. It was not the biggest of the Gathering's I had been to, no...but in some ways the smaller, more intimate nature of it helped to make it all the more memorable. Not to mention all the voices that participated in the radio play (which was the most fun of the three, just for all the in-jokes and references if nothing else).

God...I count myself fortunate for each of the Gathering's I've gone to, and doubly fortunate for making it to the last one. I don't know what's going to happen next year, or the year after that. I still hold on to hope that, like the series it's based on, the Gathering will return in some form or another (or at least another "Gargoyles" convention like it). Until then, though, I have my memories, my radio play scripts, and the friends I've made (as well as the DVDs and comics the Gathering made possible). Not a bad legacy, all things considered.

Phoenician writes...

Monday

With the last morning, I once again beat my alarm, this time about fifteen minutes short of the buzzer. No Mug-A-Guests today, so we didn’t feel the same need to rush to get there . . . nevertheless, I wanted to see these last panels . . . especially one of the first ones. The drive wasn’t that bad, considering the fact that it was a new week and we were worried about Traffic. Aside from a little slow up, it turned out to be better than Saturday’s drive (though not as good as Sunday’s) . . . and anything was better than that first Friday morning drive (I was soooo worried I wasn’t going to get there on time, glad that wasn’t the case). Songs played during the ride included ‘Around the Bend’ (a song used by Apple for one of their I-Touch commercials), Ludo’s ‘Love Me Dead,’ REM’s ‘It’s the end of the world,’ and as we finally neared the hotel for the last time, one more sing along of the Spectacular Spider-Man theme. d:

I was torn a bit as to which of the first two panels I wanted to go to â€" a Q&A about the recent Trades or a discussion on the Future of the Fandom. Remembering the massive flame war that occurred months ago when it was announced that this would be the last Gathering . . . in which despite all the messed up things that were said, a few legit concerns did arise . . . I felt that going to listen and maybe contribute an idea or two the least that I owed the fandom that already given so much to us.
Goose opted for the Q&A.

Again, I’ve said it on occasion in the CR . . . I’m a listener more than anything else, that’s why I don’t post often, and its perhaps why I do have a tendency to ACTUALLY read the archives (both the CR’s and Ask Greg). Such was the case at this panel, I just kept my ears and mind open and fans suggested various methods to continue a Gargoyles convention to some degree in the future. While I was there (and I stayed for the bulk of the panel, leaving about a half hour early), I heard everything brought to attention, starting with the basic expenses for a Gathering of ‘this caliber.’ Bluntly, it is a LOT, something to the extent of $20,000 dollars which includes a TON of things . . . from travel expenses for special guests, the booking and down-payment of the hotel, T-shirts, banquets, Con-badges, as well as other things which I have now forgotten and I guess continue to take for granted. Some suggestions I’ve heard before on the CR, from seeking other conventions to join or to host an online convention of some fashion. A seemingly accepted notion was the understanding that a convention didn’t necessarily have to take place every year. Another thing brought into consideration was the roaming nature of the Gathering, and whether or not it was more beneficial than harmful. Positive and negative things could be said about both, from a set city (like Los Angeles) can provide a larger supply of guests at a cheaper cost but it would be a challenge to those on the other side of the country (and vice-versa for the roaming city method). I for one personally enjoyed the ‘World Tour’ aspect of the Gathering, despite the fact that I myself did use the distance of a location to rationalize not going. Before that announcement earlier this year, Jade Griffin told us that she was considering a bid for Reno in 2010, but has since reworked it as a smaller convention, of which I have now forgotten the name. *Sigh* I don’t know. I didn’t have any ideas myself during that panel. I left my contact information with Jade though â€" I’m graduating within the year, and whatever happens in the next few years, I’m not sure â€" but maybe I can be of some help. Reno’s not terribly far away . . . .

I left the panel early because I had caught wind of people talking about this year’s anthology (and forgetting it being mentioned earlier in the weekend) and I wanted to know where I could grab a copy. A quick question asked at the Dealer’s Room reminded me that it would be available online as a PDF (a quick read in the CR tells me it is now available, and I’m curious to read it, feeling it’s going to be one more bit of this Gathering experience to enjoy now that it is over). Question answered, I slowly made my way toward Salon 6, where the Trade Q&A was wrapping up and the Gargoyle Bio & Culture panel would be starting up soon. Before I got there I was once again treated by Chyna with more sweets, this time jelly beans. Yum yum.

I finally caught up with Goose in Salon 6 just minutes before the Bio & Culture panel was to start. Though I’m hardly the bio expert myself, I’ve been fascinated with a question asked on Ask Greg months and months ago, one concerning Gargates and the extent of their origins in Pangaea. Before the panel, I liked the idea that the Gargoyles Beast and Being, as we know and love them today were already evolved in the time of Pangaea simply because it REALLY gave them a chunk of time on this planet that compared to our own time as modern humans, is HUGE. I liked this because it really seems like a fitting description/explanation as to why they are soooo attuned to the Earth’s biorhythms and such. Greg virtually no idea when I brought it up, though Matt had some thoughts to share, even suggesting just what branch of the animal kingdom they could have belonged to, but ultimately concluding that it had to be a more primitive gargate in the time of Pangaea, but the modern Gargoyle Being and Beast weren’t that far away (and I’m saying ‘far away’ in the context of millions and millions of years, which I just realized how relative and mathematical these discussions tend to all become).

Other questions included the basic nature of the species . . . eating, sleeping, defecating, and mating (oh my!). There were a TON of questions regarding the nature and abilities of Stone Sleep, some pretty gnarly as well . . . whether broken, severed, or even dangling limbs had a chance of surviving if given the chance to turn to stone . . . for the most part . . . a ton of this is severe stuff, so it’s just not likely at all. With luck, a broken bone set back into place properly stood a chance, but that’s the extent of it. Stone sleep providing thermal energy was key in this healing, often at the cost of energizing the Gargoyle for the next night (Goliath’s ‘healed but not whole’ line from the Trades was brought up). A few questions regarding the Humility Spell and the panel had hit its time limit . . . it was time for the Closing Ceremonies.

“Like a Virgin”

Appropriate enough, since me and Goose were in fact, ‘Con-Virgins.’ As such, we had no idea what closing ceremonies typically were like . . . but I know we were part of the most emotional and touching moments the fandom ever experienced. It was seriously hard to cope in that room . . . the bulk of the beginning was really tear-jerking, yet by the end we were howling in laughter with of the stories told in that room (FINALLY got the Bishansky-worst chauffeur bit from Spectacular Spidey). Aw man, seeing Greg and Thom as well as the rest of the staff break down . . . it was incredibly hard not to join them. Without a doubt, this is a tight knit group, accused of many things during that God-awful flame war â€" the least of which was ‘clique-ish’ . . . and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Despite these folks being busy beyond the notions of sanity, I did not know one person that was unpleasant this weekend. These guys and gals were the most incredibly helpful staff I could ever hope to meet, even when they were juggling a dozen things at once.

If this last Gathering needed anything left, it came right there at these closing ceremonies, where people from behind the tables and in the audience told their favorite stories from cons past. I know those stories mean much more to those who got to live those moments, but for fans like me where this was my first Gathering . . . I really appreciated the chance to get to know these stories, to be able to really become a part of this Gathering family. Like a nephew listening to their uncle telling him a prank he pulled on the kid’s father when they were little, we learned just a little bit of what it was like to be a Gathering attendee in years past . . . from nearly dying on a highway en route to Taco Bell (I seriously vote that as one of the worst ways to go out) to the marathon to (and from) the Red Lobster. From the pitch-in of fans saving all those comic memorabilia after the roof collapsed, to Thom perpetually losing his pants. The tattoos of the Phoenix Gate and the Opening Ceremonies spiel. Thom stranded on the side of the road. Greg trying to talk to an audience wayyyy more ‘interested’ in each other. Marriages. Kids being born. Air Hockey. Karaoke. Late night chats . . . and that ever-miffing question of what Titania whispered into Fox’s ear. Thanks for sharing all those memories to us first timers, Gathering veterans.

At the end of all the story telling when Greg told us to get out for like the fifth time, I had to thank each of these guys in person . . . they put on the meanest and most awesome convention I had ever been to, and I know that will still be the case whenever I finally do go to my second, or third, or tenth. As Greg said more than once in his rambling final speech . . . thirteen years is quite a run, a run that has been influential the lives of hundreds of people, in more ways than one, and responsible in convincing Disney and SLG to produce the DVDs and comics we did get. And after thirteen years they DID go out with a F*CKING bang. It was my first and only Gathering, and I was giddy from day one, but I was never happier of attending than during those Closing Ceremonies. After we asked Thom for a picture together, me and Goose finally left the room.

The drive back to Goose’s place was funny, as Goose had just realized that totally gushed over when we told Greg thanks . . . he said he had something really thought out but when it came to it he only managed to blurt out, “You’re a really great writer!” I laughed, thinking of what Grey Wolf’s story when she first met Greg. I told him I was surprised I didn’t do the same thing since I’ve been in love with the show sooo much longer than he has (then again, maybe I did, my memory is no doubt biased). We comforted ourselves with the knowledge that Greg is fluent in geekasm (;

After a quick lunch at a Jack in the Box, we got back to his place, and I finished packing all my stuff (meaning, checking to see if I was missing anything). Despite my well-kept camp out, I managed to lose my Hard Rock Café key chain. Grrr . . . hopefully the Goose will find it.

We slowly made our way to LAX, this time listening to Patton Oswalt’s latest album, which no doubt could have inspired a ton of Blue Mug material if it mentioned a gargoyle here or there . . . sadly it didn’t, but it still was worth a listen . . . Lord knows that I did laugh quite a bit while on that long ride to the airport. See ya again when school starts, Goose.

Once I was dropped off, I made my way through security and to my Gate. Waiting, I wanted to keep the Gargoyles high going, so I whipped out my heavily autographed Clan Building (shame David Hedgecock wasn’t there, I did love his work in his later issues) and decided to read the whole TimeDancer/997 arc once more, now armed with information I had learned from the Gathering, specifically the knowledge of Brooklyn’s biological brother and his ‘Bro’ rookery brother . . . the appearance of Hudson’s daughter True, and the appearance of Bronx’s biological parents.

I had only managed to get mid-way to the second part when I boarded my plane (Group A baby!) and I continued to read as I was taking off. Heading back home.
Well, that’s it I guess. There’s really only one thing left to do and that’s Thank Yous . . . and I got plenty of them:

Though I found most of the staff and thanked them, I know I missed one: Patrick â€" so better late than never . . . Patrick, thanks so much for all the work you put in â€" you were the first frequenter of the CR that I met in person, and though I didn’t really got a chance to chat with you, when I thought my name wasn’t there, and while I was quietly panicking that I wasn’t registered, you simply and quietly realized the name snafu on my part and handed me my Gathering packet. If you’re reading this, know that you are awesome.

I know I thanked a bunch in person, but I have to say it just the once more â€" Jennifer, it was such a blast sitting at your table . . . so many hilarious stories that I know is just got to be a small sample of many, many more :) Yeah, Mike was hilarious as well at that table, but everyone, from Ben Diskin to Goose, was in stitches thanks to you as well.

To all the CR folk from over the years that I got the chance to meet: Blaise, Lurker, Justin ‘I’d Rather be Pillaging,’ Gorebash, VickyUK, Greg B, Grey Wolf, Matt, Jade Griffin, Karine, Jennifer, and Patrick. I’m sure there were others in which I didn’t make the connection, and if so, it was still nice getting the chance to see you folks in person (and if we didn’t meet, then I’m bummed I missed that chance). I know there’s a scattershot of places to talk about Gargoyles online, but quite honestly, I’ve only really visited Station 8 and Ask Greg since I first saw the site back in 2003, first commented back in 2006. This is the site that developed my interest in the series well after my initial viewing at six and my first full-series watch on Toon Disney back in 2001. But to meet a chunk of the good folks that always come up with topics to talk, ramble, and wonder each and every week was honestly very fun and exciting, especially with those that I did end up really chatting and hanging out with this weekend.

My sole regret is that if I could, I would have OF COURSE opted to actually stay at the hotel where all the action was. But of course, then the price would have been beyond my own means (it was pretty stretched by the end of it). And that would have been copping out for ANOTHER year, and for the FINAL year . . . and then my liver would be in total and utter pain (*wink wink, nudge nudge*). Besides, Goose’s parents were such gracious hosts, putting up with our consistent early morning breakfast sprees and late-night returns. All things considered, I am grateful to just being able to come. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be remembering this past weekend for many years to come.

So thanks Greg Weisman . . . and thank you con-staff for putting it ALL together. Thank you to the dozens of professionals I got to meet, chat, and take pics with. And thank you fellow fans that also attended â€" no doubt we all had one last blast together (not forgetting it was my FIRST blast d: )

But it was a blast nevertheless.