Guest Encounters of D*Con 2010

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

So, as I duck what my friends have been calling the "Tail of the Dragon," i.e. ConCrud and post-con funk, I was reflecting on the awesome encounters and experiences I had. I posted a Celebrity Encounters thread last year and it was a lot of fun, so I thought I'd do it again.

This year's faves for me, besides hanging out with Emerald Rose, Tom Smith, and Marc Gunn, had to be standing with Dean Stockwell in the Marriott elevator bay, watching him watch several Stargate-suited guys try to cram a huge inflated T-Rex into an elevator. That was amusing. Then I spent over half an hour hanging with Jason Carter on the Walk of Fame, talking about driver's licenses, the existence of God, signing pieces of flesh, and reciting pieces of poetry...all the while ducking his windmilling arms! Jason's not just one of my favorite guests, he's one of my favorite people. :-)

So, speak up...what were your memorable guest moments this year?

Comments

[lunascura.livejournal.com]

My entire DragonCon was made full of win the moment that John Ringo convinced Rogue of the Cruxshadows to sing "Monomonop" at the Dragon After Dark Contest.

I'm a long time fan of the Cruxshadows and have a huge amount of respect for Rogue, especially when he breaks his "serious" character and gets silly.

[magpie63.livejournal.com]

While wearing my Deanna Troi costume, I ran into Marina Sirtis and Denise Crosby heading out for a smoke break on the sidewalk in front of the Hilton. It was right after the INSANE TNG panel where Denise got pissed at Jonathan Frakes and walked out. I saw Denise first and couldn't help saying, "Is everything okay?" She said yes, and then Marina turned around and said (in her British accent), "Oh my God, it's me!" I asked if I could get a photo with her later and she said, "Just meet me at my table -- after I smoke this fag. I mean, cigarette." I went to her table and got the photo (without having to pay the $10) -- she was awesome. When she walked in, Frakes (at the next table) gave her a "WTF?" look -- apparently she and Denise were talking about the situation during the panel and Denise was still pissed at him!

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Hey you! I saw you at the ST record attempt! Still love your dress and that is a super cool story. Mine relates, in a way. I spent probably ten minutes talking with Jonathan Frakes about Marina and how she just owns the whole world. It was quite amusing, and we agreed she should run for office, because no one could ever defeat her!

[noelleleithe.livejournal.com]

First and foremost was getting a huge huge from Sean Maher at his table after my sister introduced me. (She worksGuest Transportation and had driven him in the shuttles about five times over the weekend, so they were buddies by then, LOL.) He is SUCH a sweetheart (and tweeted back to my sister the other day, too!), and he gives GREAT hugs.

Also: getting pictures with Larry Hagman and Jonathan Frakes at their tables; borrowing a Sharpie from Barbara Eden (so a friend could autograph her books for my sister); and JCB letting us go to the front of Ben Browder's line because my sister had to go back on a driving shift (yes, really!).

Oh, and I get to work with Nebula-award-winning/Hugo-award-nominated author Eugie Foster every year, so that's an ongoing celebrity encounter. Hee. :D

[magpie63.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I had planned to get a photo with Marina anyway, but the whole thing could not possibly have gone down in a cooler way! I wish I had seen her panel -- we saw Denise (who was great), but they were back-to-back in the same [tiny] room, and we knew we wouldn't make it into the next one. I also heard that she and Frakes were in the "Gargoyles" panel together -- hilarious, I'm sure.

[sensitivinferno.livejournal.com]

I rarely get very many experiences with celebrities, but I have to say that in the 30 seconds of time I got with Scott Bakula he was incredibly wonderful, friendly, and gracious. He took the time to shake our hands, ask us if we were having a good time, and thank us for coming to see him. A+ gentleman.

On Monday morning the Hilton elevators were insane due to the fire shutting down some of them, so my husband and I were already in a PACKED elevator when Avery Brooks decided that there was JUST ENOUGH room for him and his handler. He set some of his stuff on someone else's suitcase, straddled a cooler, and put his arm around a random guy and proclaimed they were friends now. XD After he got on, we skipped all the other floors and went straight to floor 2! I decided it's because he's a magical Bajoran Prophet.

[sensitivinferno.livejournal.com]

THERE WAS A GARGOYLES PANEL?!

I am so bummed that I missed that.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Totally. That is super cool! I tried to get in to see Marina, but got shut out. I was bummed, but it's alright. Can't see everything/everyone, right?

[magpie63.livejournal.com]

Can't see everyone... I love panels, but if you try to do more than 1-2 a day you become a slave to the LINES. I missed John DeLancie, but Adam Savage was amazing (I would say "the Kate Mulgrew of 2010"). I didn't go the Monday Star Trek panel(s) because I wanted to continue to love Brent Spiner, and after that out-of-control panel on Saturday I wasn't so sure. Yeah, I heard there was a Gargoyles panel... did anyone else find the pocket guide more cryptic than usual this year?

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I plan the same way. I come up with a list of options and then do what I feel like as the day progresses.

I did find the pocket guide a bit cryptic, but I always do. I sure wish the Trek track had actually posted to their website, etc. So much easier for me to look at things one track at a time!

Also, I think it's awesome that you just used "Kate Mulgrew" in a descriptive sense. Wasn't she the most amazing thing ever? When I was in line to get Scott Bakula's autograph this year, several of us got into a conversation about the best captain to see live. No one argued against Kate. Hand down, she wins.

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that Scott Bakula was nice...I so wanted to meet him, but as I was working at the con, I just didn't have the time to go in the lines.

And that is one of the cooler elevator stories I've seen; Avery Brooks once had a rep for being not so nice, but the experiences people have had with him at D*Cons seem to belie that.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Seconded on Bakula! A gentleman all the way!

Great story about Avery Brooks!

[rayhne.livejournal.com]

Asking Mark Sheppard that if I called a fellow fan (with cancer) would he talk to her. He did, for several minutes.

[blondefeste.livejournal.com]

Beers with Maurice LaMarche. (aka The Brain)

[planettom.livejournal.com]

So what did Jonathan Frakes say that got Denise Crosby so pissed that she walked out?

[magpie63.livejournal.com]

He had been giving her a hard time throughout the panel... someone asked about their most memorable moments or whatever, and he started telling a story about how when they were filming "Skin of Evil," Brent was standing on the hillside (where Denise did her hologram farewell -- boo hoo) singing the theme from "The Sound of Music" -- sort of joking about how they were all glad she was leaving the show. Then he started backpedaling and saying they were really sad about it... someone said something about removing Data's emotion chip, and Denise said, "Oh, did I have a chip?" Wide-open opportunity for a joke, right... Frakes says, "Just the one on your shoulder." She walked right off the stage and he followed her -- and they did not come back, so they were obviously not joking. Then a few minutes later he sticks his head out and tells Marina that Denise needs a shrink! It was a chaotic, awkward panel overall. Not to hijack this thread further, but it did make me wonder if a certain previous track director could have kept it more under control...

[veracity]

Me and you both! It's Gargoyles.

[life-on-stage.livejournal.com]

Kristin Bauer geeked out over my costume on sunday. It was right after the DC shoot (I was dressed as Wonder Circe... Circe stole WW's powers in the comic), I walked up to her booth and she looked up at me and immediately said "Oh my god, I need to get a picture with you." I was thrown for a second or two before replying "Well that's good, because I need to get a picture with you." Then she proceeded to say that she hated being stuck inside with panels and the WoF and wanted to see all the awesome costumes that were being worn, and since she was impressed by my get-up, she had to get a picture. She even noted and liked that we had the same camera.

Then I went to Michelle Forbes, who recognized my character since she said she had played her two weeks ago on DC Online.

So yeah, I'm a happy little dork/True Blood fan.

[veracity]

Oh! Oh! The short time frame to get things signed. Was that on...Sunday? If it was, everyone in line was all about letting cuts in from staff because we know the times are very, very short to participate and interact sometimes.

[sherrib.livejournal.com]

Meeting Patricia Quinn on the WoF and having her gush over my costume (Reaver Kaylee). She was such a sweetheart and was totally decked out in her cute little shorts and fishnets. I was carrying a Reaver-ized version of Kaylee's parasol, and when she asked me about it, I told her I was a space cannibal and that it was made from the skin of my victims. She replied, "Of course it is!" and proceeded to ogle and fondle it. She even came out from behind the table to pose for a full-length photo with me. She was so nice and seemed genuinely thrilled to be there. As a 12-year RHPS cast veteran (Magenta, naturally), it meant a lot to me to meet her, and even more to find that she was so lovely.

[hlnies.livejournal.com]

I second the motion! Crazy hearing it from backstage! LOL! During the concert, Rogue stopped and sung literally RIGHT there in front of us on the chair. Could have not had a better place to stand!

[hlnies.livejournal.com]

Too sweet! Wish I'd seen that one! :)

[tenshihitomi.livejournal.com]

Walking down the street with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy- AKA Crow and Tom Servo- after the Servo vs. Servo panel. There was a whole little group of us walking with them and they didn't seem to mind. It was a little surreal hearing the voices of my two favorite bots coming out of these men's mouths. XD All the MST guests are good sports, really.

[sweetnovicane.livejournal.com]

I've made it a point to tell every BSG cast member I meet about how much the show means to me due to how it was a bonding experience between me and my dad. So I was naturally excited to tell this to Edward James Olmos. He was VERY nice and said "Well, give your father my love and tell him the Admiral is alive and well." I then saluted him like a dork, but he laughed and gave me one right back. It was awesome. Aaron Douglas also said he liked my dad already when I told him the same story.

I only got to briefly say hello to Sean Maher, but he was still very gracious and stood when we shook hands. He seemed excited when I mentioned bringing my mother to Can't Stop The Serenity later this month.

And I will agree that Patricia Quinn is just lovely. We (being me, a few other girls and her) had a conversation about how she never really got to see the movie for the first time, so she finds it a bit surreal when people talk about their experiences of seeing it for the first time. She also seems to get a kick out of it when people tell her that they play/used to play Magenta.

Also, I really hope I didn't creep Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer out when I said hello to them on Saturday night. It was right after the Dawn contest and a few of us were heading out of a service hallway when they were walking in. I was already really excited, so I was extra perky when I said hi to them as they walked by. They were courteous enough to say hi back though, so I'll take it and be happy.

I also accidentally stabbed Voltaire with a drumstick on Friday afternoon when I went to hug him, but he was still very nice to me whenever I'd see him through the weekend. He even gave me a kiss on the cheek on Saturday night. There was also a cute moment when he was backstage before the Dawn contest and the girl next to me (jokingly) scolded him for being back there before the show started and he went "Ahhh! I'm sorry for trying to look at your beauty!" and started averting his eyes. I've always had great experiences with Voltaire, but this year might have taken the cake.

[raidingparty.livejournal.com]

Short backstory, ex- and I are still great friends, and she's a Trek geek from Europe.

I complimented Brooks' voice, and he pointed up and said, "My father. It's from my father." I also said how great it was to hear him in nature specials, he sounds so authoritative. When I asked if he could sign something, he said, "To whom should I sign it?" With my experiences with Trek stars last year, I wasn't even going to ask for personalization, but he offered... so I said, "Magdalena." "Magdalena! And who," he said with a knowing smile, "is Magdalena?" "An ex-girlfriend..." "EX-girlfriend?" "She's the one who got me into Deep Space Nine..." "You need to tell her she made a mistake!"