Tales from the Con: Of Dealer’s Rooms and Autograph Lines
On Saturday, we arrived at the Convention before breakfast, and drove past Colin Baker walking along the road (we later learned that the breakfast queue was too long in the Convention hotel, so he was off to a different one). We really enjoyed the breakfast at Latitude 33, and thus fortified we set off for the Dealer’s Room. (Cue the choir of angels and the bright heavenly spotlight) Well, there weren’t really that many dealers, but they had so much *stuff*! I would like it known that I did actually make it once around the room before I started buying things (yes, I will have items to review for a while). Springtime Creations had some wonderful jewelry, and it turns out that they are located in the same town as my new job. They really need to update their website to show their little TARDIS keys and Seals of Rassilon. I eventually gave in and purchased a lovely garnet necklace with a Seal of Rassilon as the pendant (purrrrr). Bearing in mind my mission to buy many cool things for my Husband, I decided that it would be best to start with a Billie Piper calendar. I followed that with a copy of the sign on the front of the TARDIS. Then we found Carolyn Edwards at her table selling some beautiful art. Erik and Gerry parted with much hard-earned cash at this point. I bought one piece of her art that is even now out getting framed. (Yes, out getting framed. I have all kinds of things that need professional framing work, but I went out on Monday and got her art to the framer.) Check out her art, and I think you’ll see why. I’m thinking that I should start collecting her work.
Anyway, we were in the Dealer’s Room until lunchtime. Lunch was Latitude 33 again, and my food tasted *so* good. (It seems to me that they must put something addictive in the dip for the Chicken Satay.) We got done in time to see the end of the Eric Roberts interview (it appears the Mr. Roberts is a Doctor Who fan), and then is was time to get in our first autograph line. Things were a bit late in starting, but that was just as well, as Eric Roberts turned out to be signing autographs in the Dealer’s room instead of with the other folks. Erik got through Mr. Roberts’ line and back to where I was waiting before my line started. (Gerry was sitting on one of the benches near the Dealer’s Room this whole time, so his autograph from Mr. Roberts says “Gerry, where were you?”). I’d never done an autograph line thing before, but it turned out to be quite fun. Everyone signed the front of my program (as you can imagine, I’m framing that) and I profess myself well pleased by the cross-section of Doctor Who folks that were there. Peter Anghelides was wearing a t-shirt with a artistic rendering of The Empty Child that said “Are you my Mummy?” Simon Guerrier pointed out that if you remove the vowels from his last name, it becomes merely “Grrr.” I was almost too nervous to talk to Colin Baker, but by the time we got to Terry Molloy I was able to joke with him about the previous night’s game show. “I had to let Colin win. He cries, you know.” Oh, and I did buy pictures from Colin Baker, John Levene (Sgt. Benton) and Mike Tucker for them to autograph. So, between the Dealer’s Room and the Autograph line, my funds were quite depleated. Sadly, the autographs took so long that I missed out on the live “Girl in the Fireplace” commentary. (That is to say, when I walked by the room was packed.) We did manage to watch the very end of the Caroline John interview, after which Erik took my picture in front of the TARDIS. The Memories of Doctor Who panel with John Levene, Terry Molloy, and Geoffrey Beevers turned out to be very illuminating. Did you know that John Levene is married to a Warner Brother’s executive? Well, he didn’t know that Geoffrey Beevers was married to Caroline John, so you’re even. (Mr. Beevers turned to the audience and asked, “How many of you didn’t know that I’m married to Caroline?” Only 3 half-raised hands greeted this question, so he turned to John with a “See? They knew.”)
We had planned to stay and see the production of The Ten Doctors play, but we were really tired by this point. This is why I’m thinking that I need to get a hotel room next time, that way I could go take a nap and be ready for evening activities. I should also mention here that I didn’t see all that many folks in costume at this event. I saw one 10th Doctor, one 9th Doctor, two Captain Jacks, one Ianto, one Rose, one Jamie McCrimmon, and one random tall bloke in silver that might have been a headless Cyberman(?). This only re-affirms my plan to make a Romana II costume. Oh! I should point out that among the other cool things that I purchased for my husband in the Dealer’s Room was one of those disappearing TARDIS mugs. For myself, of course, I bought some of the Doctor Who Magazines. Anyway, that was the end of the second day of the Con. One more post to come.
Colin Baker, TARDIS, Carolyn Edwards, Eric Roberts, Peter Anghelides, Simon Guerrier, Terry Molloy, John Levene, Mike Tucker, Caroline John, Geoffrey Beevers
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:30 am
I followed the link and you are right this artist does some wonderful work. Which picture did you get?
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I didn’t see it on her site, but it was a picture with all of the doctors on it. It looked like a pencil sketch.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:59 am
[...] not so sadly considering that I had much less money to spend this year) the fabulous artist from last year was not in attendance. Also, the jewelry artist from last year did not arrive until much later. It [...]