Lack of Walking Dead stars

[jamesclayton.livejournal.com]

The guest list is severely lacking in Walking Dead actors. Last year we had a good handful but so far this year we only have one very minor character. I know we still have a few months to go, but the panels last year were some of my favorites, and I'm getting worried that this year won't focus as much on it.

Comments

[gwenyfhar.livejournal.com]

They film from May through November. I'm sure it's hard for them to commit this soon not knowing their complete schedule. They only just returned to production this month - I'm sure if some were invited they are trying to get it worked out with the producers.

[l0tr-fan.livejournal.com]

In the newsletter there was a link to click on and it had Steven Yeun listed as appearing also.

[svarney99.livejournal.com]

I wonder if DragonCon is a bit hesitant to book any of them after last year. For anyone who wasn't there, they were late most days and didn't even show up for one panel.

[trybutez.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this.

We saved the last Walking Dead panel on Monday for our last panel of the con so we could go out with a bang. We didn't go to the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday ones so we could save the best for last. And then none of the adults showed up-and didn't even bother to let anyone know they wouldn't be coming, so we waited, and waited, and waited... They abandoned these three children, great, cute, entertaining children, but children none the less, to do the whole panel. I can't begin to describe how angry it made me. It really left a bad impression with me. I would be very disappointed if D*C booked any of these stars again unless they had a really good excuse for being so unprofessional and rude to their fans.

[elvishtard.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I had no idea. Glad I didn't go to any of their panels, just walked by them in the WoF. What asshats.

[neovenom.livejournal.com]

In their defense, while they may have missed that particular panel, I've heard mostly positive feedback in terms of how they interacted with fans at their table.

[trybutez.livejournal.com]

Them being "nice" at their fan tables where they're often (though not always) getting paid to sign autographs doesn't really impress me. Would they have been "nice" and showed up for the panel if everyone in the audience was holding out twenties? They agreed to the terms of the convention to be at a whopping one panel per day and in return have their stay and travel and probably food paid for. I mean seriously, it was one hour. Short of someone from the show or network calling them and telling them "do not go on that panel or your character will be killed off and you will be fired" there is no excuse or defense. So far as we know, they all stayed out late Sunday night and drank the night away and 10:00 AM was just too darn early for them. I don't know that to be true, but I do know that the child actors showed up and the adults didn't. If the studio put the kibosh on the appearance, why not pull the children as well? The other, more likely, reasoning is to ask what's different for adults and for children at D*C and the most likely (though not certain) scenario involves partying and alcohol.

But no matter the reason, I expect professionals to behave professionally. I paid hundreds of dollars, actually over a thousand, when you consider hotel fees, in a down economy in no small part to see them (see my "saved the best for last" comment).

I don't blame D*C for it. They can't control these people. But I do blame D*C if they reward this behavior by asking them back.

[elvishtard.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of the guy who played Krum from Harry Potter. I think it was 2005? He didn't tell ANYONE he wasn't coming. They had his panel ready to go, a crap ton of people were lined up. He wasn't even at the convention.

I was working a fan table that day and remember alot of dejected friends who came over saying they had waited hours in a line for nothing.

How does that even happen??

[frankkmiller.livejournal.com]

When stars act like that .. yeah I can see the blacklist. I know that Denise Crosby walked out of some Star Trek panel after some ribbing by Jonathan Frakes a few years ago and a few wanted her blacklisted. Don't know if getting upset in the moment warrants a blacklist but totally abandoning a panel with no reason does.

[nevercerise.livejournal.com]

Sugar, you didn't miss much, let me tell you. I went to the Saturday afternoon TWD panel, and yes, they were double-booked and stuck in traffic, so they were late and they had the moderator - a local actor who had been an extra in a few episodes - improv some "charming anecdotes" about his time as an extra, and he ended up going on a racist rant about how they'd filmed in a "black beauty parlor" in a terrible neighborhood and how much to his horror, a black homeless man had the gall to approach him and ask him what they were filming. It elicited wide eyes and gasps throughout the audience, and several people walked out. Then we were severely warned to not mention the firing of Frank Darabont in any of the questions we asked the actors when they finally showed up. We were not told they were stuck in traffic; we were just kept waiting and waiting without explanation. I only heard this from people later. Then, all the actors except Jon B. and the kids looked tense and tired and the adults all let the children talk endlessly about their bedroom decors and favorite cartoons as children are prone to meander obliviously, without contributing much themselves.

It was honestly one of the most awkward, weird panels I've ever been to.

[thedrunkenjedi.livejournal.com]

Yep, that was the panel we had attended. Yeah, the kids yappin was too much. I remember getting on the Dragoncon app and rating the panel and on the comments, I had mentioned the kids rant.

[thedrunkenjedi.livejournal.com]

I can't remember which day it was but, the panel I attended the cast was a little late. The reason given was they were in transit from their shooting location AND was caught in traffic.

[elvishtard.livejournal.com]

See, if they were still filming, why did they double book if they couldn't completely commit? Just cancel.

[djsuperdon.livejournal.com]

i know they are filming through november...maybe some of the killed off memebers could come to the convention but i know it would be harder for current cast being that the studio is over an hour away from con so if the had to film friday and monday they probably would not be able to do panels. maybe they could do what some other guests have done and are doing this year and just appear on a saturday and sunday basis but let that be known to the public in advance kinda like what the vampire diaries cast is doing this year as thy also will be filming during con.