My First Dragon Con and My first trip to New York City to see Spamalot

Dragon Con – September 2nd - 4th 2005

Adam Baldwin, Ron Glass, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite

Pictures are courtesy of various Browncoats; one of which is Julie.

Dragon Con was awesome. I went specifically for all the Browncoats attending. There were folks I have known online for almost 3 years. There were folks I have met at various cons and shindigs but haven’t seen in almost 2 years. It was all about the Browncoats for me.

So much fun meeting & hanging with my online friendly Browncoats.

I went with Julie; we flew out together Thursday night and took the red-eye. We arrived early, checked in and waited for a few others staying in our hotel. We went to register. The set up was great. The Hilton and the Marriott are connected by bridges to the food court area in the commercial building next door.

Everything really was a blur. There were a lot of people there for comics, anime, sci-fi, fantasy and video games. Almost everyone was dressed as something.

The Serenity panels had the longest lines. The panels were at 4pm but the line started at noon and went out the door and around the hotel. It was quite impressive. More pics of all the Browncoats in attendance.

This last shows our beloved Odile with her big smile. She passed away July 2006. This was her last DragonCon.

Adam took the lead; Ron was next to him then Jewel then Morena. It was great watching these folks up there without Joss or Nathan to facilitate. They were funny and playful.

All the panels blend for me since I attended them all. They were not repetitive which I think is a miracle. The same questions are asked but they find new ways of saying the same things.

One moment I thought was great was when they were asked their favorite line from the show. Adam starts quoting, then Ron then Jewel. Finally Morena says she has not watched any episodes since they filmed the show since it is bittersweet for her. But hearing the quotes she realizes that they were on a really good show. It was funny because it finally dawned on Morena how great the show is not just as an experience but as a show. That is why we travel all over to see the cast. Firefly is special and will always be special to all Browncoats.

A young Browncoat asks a question. Adam invites him onstage.

The Southeast Browncoats also had a great booth to promote Firefly and Serenity.

My favorite thing that happened at Dragon Con was the Shindig. It was a real dance put on by Dragon Con. Maximum occupancy was 1000 and there was a line out the door. It was like a dance club for Browncoats. Jewel and Matty stopped by. Jewel went on stage with the DJ and then Matty followed but was stopped by security. They did not realize he was Jewel’s husband. I believe Adam showed up as well but I did not get to see him.

I did get to see them all in the autograph area. The lines for autographs for our Firefly actors was the longest. There were two lines on for the guys and one for the women. When I was in line for the guys I saw Kevin Sorbo from Andromeda walk over and talk to Morena. I thought that was neat for us but sad for him. He didn’t have many people requesting his autograph.

I saw Adam and he greeted me with the warm greeting a big hug. He asked me how many times I had seen the movie and at that time the total was 5. I asked him about the St. Christopher medal that Jayne wore in the movie. Then Adam pulls the chain from under his shirt and says, “You mean this one?” He was wearing the medal! They were moving the line so I said good-bye and that I would see him at the premier.

I moved on to Ron and got an autograph for my sister Carol for her Birthday.

Later we came back for more I got Morena’s autograph and a new picture she had with her short hair. She personalized it to me. Then for Jewel I asked for a picture of us together. I already had a picture of me with Morena.

Pictures taken by Julie.

Towards the end of the con I had the idea of getting a postcard signed by his friends to give to Alan in NY. Unfortunately Adam was gone by the time I had the idea. Jewel’s handler wanted to charge me for the autograph. I explained to Jewel that this was for Alan so if she just wanted to send it. She said jokingly, no they would just charge Alan later.

This is the signed postcard I gave to Alan Tudyk in New York City.

I was sad to leave but excited since I was not going home. My next stop was New York City, my first time in the city.

NY City and Spamalot

Alan Tudyk

I arrived in NY City for the first time and my friend Marie gave me a whirlwind tour. First stop after dropping off my bags was Central Park. We walked around and then we had drinks at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Afterward we went to Ground Zero so I could pay respects. Then we went off to the top of the Empire States Building, all of that on day 1.

Day 2- I slept in because I was very very tired.  I flew to NY from DragonCon. So this was like taking back-to-back vacations. I went to take the Staten Island Ferry just to go past the Statue of Liberty. It was spectacular see her in person. After that I walked through Wall St and was in front of the NY Stock Exchange. Post 9/11 you can't go in anymore. But I was impressed with what it represents and the architecture.

It was recommended and seconded that I walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I walked A LOT! It was hard finding the starting point to get on. I was almost hit by a patrol car backing up. He passed me and parked then backed up. I thought he saw me, I was wrong. But another cop helped me out. Then I walked across. I highly recommend it too. Then I made my way to the pre-screening of the Serenity. This was my 6^th time and I loved it. Day 3 was Time Square and Alan Tudyk.

From Polly:

Since Rosie hasn't gone on-line yet (I don't think she has Internet access where she is staying), I guess I'll break the good news on her behalf: Alan WILL be coming 9/22 to the premiere!

He didn't come out after the matinee showing, so she was kinda bummed about that, although she loved the show. Then after a great dinner with Josie/Diet Coke and Tzegha, Rosie and I took a walk around Times Square. We passed by the Shubert Theater, and Rosie was like, Oh, could you take this picture I couldn't get anyone to take before? So I did, and then she realized that they were putting out the crowd-control barricades up and the evening show was about to end, so we positioned ourselves near the end of the barricade so she could slip around for a photo. And this woman came and stood next to us holding a FF DVD set, so we introduced ourselves--she was a Browncoat from Detroit.

Well, everyone came out--except Alan. And then the woman who played the Lady of the Lake (Sara Ramirez) came out, and Rosie asked her if Alan was coming out, and she was like, Oh, I think he's talking to some people inside. And then she took the other woman's DVD set inside so that Alan could sign it (!! She is SO NICE as well as so very talented, she was really nice the last time too), but just then, the man himself came out.

And he recognized Rosie and gave her a big hug, and they chatted and then she asked about the 22nd, and he is indeed getting the day off from Spamalot and flying out for the premiere! This is awesome for everyone going there, although when you see him he’ll be a brunette (they dyed his hair for Spamalot--his arm hair is still quite blond). See if you can get him to sing--he's really good.

Anyway, Rosie was just about exploding with joy afterwards! I'm sure she'll have a lot to say about it when she gets on-line, but it was a REALLY fun evening!

Rosie again

That was Polly’s perspective. She was with me when I finally saw Alan. Saturday was all about the show. I slept in again, got ready and off I went. I had tickets for the 2pm matinee. I arrived around 12:30 pm. This was my first Broadway show and I did not want to miss a thing. I went to Starbucks to get some coffee and into the gift shop next to the theater. I did not have a camera with me but decided I needed a picture with Alan, so I walked to a corner store and bought a disposable camera.

The show was just awesome. I got a great deal on the air so I splurged on the tickets and bought orchestra seats. It may be a once in a lifetime moment and I wanted the best view. I had always wanted to see a Broadway show and I did not know if I would ever return. It was worth every penny. I sat 10^th row aisle seat 101. My aisle was on the same side that Alan first appeared on. Alan was absolutely fantastic. I can’t pick out a single moment because it was all-great! Seeing him on stage with David Hyde Pierce and Tim Curry was wonderful. I would love a recording of his performance.

Afterward I waited by the side of theater stage door. Unfortunately Alan did not come out. Actually only a few did. It was 4:30pm and they had another show that evening. I was disappointed but I understood. I was just happy to see him on stage. I had a postcard from Atlanta signed by Morena, Jewel and Ron for Alan. I wanted to give him something and I thought words from friends would mean most.

I had plans to meet with 3 other Browncoats at a nearby restaurant after the show. I wanted to celebrate the occasion. I was so happy I still can’t remember what I ordered.  It was great to reconnect with 2 of them I had met at other shindigs and to finally meet the leader of the NY City Browncoats.  We had fun talking about Serenity since we had all seen it and about the Comics. After dinner 2 had to leave and Polly and I walked around Time Square.  It was great to see it all lit up. We walked into the huge Toy-R-Us store and then past some souvenir shops. My feet were killing me at this point since I wore heels to the show. I bought some slipper shoes to walk around as well as t-shirts for my family.

We ended up back near the Shubert Theater and it was also lit up. I wanted to have my picture taken outside by the marquee and was unable to earlier. Polly took it for me. Then I noticed they were setting up the autograph area next to the stage door. I will confess that I hoped things would turn out this way but did not plan it. Again Alan did not come out.
Now I was really disappointed and wondered why he wouldn’t come out at all. Sara Ramirez went in to see if he was coming and then came right back out since Alan was on his way.

All of you who have been near me can imagine my utter joy after my Alan encounter. No nametag or anything! Alan was signing the DVDs for the girl on my right and he looked up recognized me. His eyes went wide with surprise, smiled and said, “Hey, Rosie!” I smiled and was stupefied, couldn't really believe it. Then the girl on my left asked for a picture so I held back.

Then I stepped up when it was my turn. I told him I had left something for him earlier. A postcard of Atlanta, signed my Jewel, Morena and Ron. Alan looked confused then I explained I was here for the 2pm show. Then he got a little sad and said "And I didn't come out." as if he was picturing a disappointed Rosie. I told him I understood no worries. Then we took a picture, it happens to be the only picture that came out well.

Rosie and Alan outside Spamalot Stage Door.

After that is when I asked him about September 22nd he said, "Oh, I am going". I gave him a hug thanking him. I also told him he was the reason I finally came to NY. I wanted to see him perform. I told him he was really funny. He smiled and thanked me.

On my last day Polly and I decided to tackle 5^th Avenue. We stopped in so many shops and had lunch at Serendipity.

Seeing Alan made the whole trip. I had a blast. I love NY City. I really want to return. I love this city; NYC Rocks! I can’t wait for the premiere.

San Diego Comic Con July 15-17, 2005

San Diego Comic Con - July 15-17, 2005

Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass and Joss Whedon

 A report co-written by Rosie and Julie. Photos taken by Julie or found online.

Julie's Point of View 

The Browncoat table was amazing! Every time we walked past, people were crowded around it, entering the raffle, gathering information from the tables, and getting a crash course on the Firefly 'verse. The Browncoats manning the table were so hardworking and outgoing. Passing out the awesome CD sampler, generating interest from passers by, and encouraging people to enter the raffle.  In awe of the organization and dedication of all those involved. Hats off to all of you!

Adam and Ron signed autographs early this morning at the Diamond Select booth. The vendors at first said we couldn't line up in advance, but when they realized how popular the two stars were, they reconsidered when they saw how many people were around the booth pretending they weren't in line. Both Adam and Ron were incredibly gracious (no surprise there) and I'm sure Rosie and Saxon will have more wonderful things to add about the autograph session.

The Serenity Panel was at 2:15, right after Kevin Smith. Hall H was filled to its capacity of 6,500 people. Joss came out on stage and introduced the cast (Alan was unable to attend due to Spamalot), but completely forgot to introduce Jewel and started the Q&A. Morena and Adam pointed out his error and Jewel came out pretending to be very sad.

Joss got down on his knees in front of her, begging for forgiveness. Our BDHs looked great as always.

Panel highlights:

During the Slither panel, someone asked Nathan how his One Life to Live Days has helped him in his other roles. He responded that on soaps, you always have the dramatic pause after someone reveals something to you and then it goes to the next scene. He said during his dramatic pauses, he always had three things go through his head. "Did I leave the stove one? I think I did! Oh, no wait, I didn't." Then, he turned to a costar to demonstrate. Costar: "I slept with your brother." Nathan: pause as you see him mentally go through is three steps. Applause. "Works every time!"

An audience member suggested that Gina would be perfect for Wonder Woman. Morena protested and said she wanted to do Wonder Woman too. Joss said the two women would have to fight to the death for the role. Adam jumped in immediately and said he wanted to be in the film, and have the two girls fight him. Then Nathan proceeded to stand up and audition for the Wonder Woman role on the spot. Our own Cappy, arms spread, spinning around in a circle. Pause for effect. More spinning. Arms on hips.

The man is hysterical!

Nathan's new thing during the panel was the "slow clap". Any time someone said something incredibly moving, he would start a slow clap that built up until the entire audience was clapping and cheering.

They showed a new clip from Serenity. Non-spoiler description: It was great! 

Question from the audience: "How do you picture each of your characters dying?"

Joss: Between two buses
Adam: In his bunk. (Gina added, "With a big smile on his face.")
Gina: With her guns, in Jayne's bunk.
Nathan: Mal would die from a common disease that had been misdiagnosed by the Doctor.
Summer: River wouldn't die. She would outlive everyone.
Sean: After Jayne, Zoe, and Mal died, Simon would take control of Serenity, promptly crashing the ship, killing everyone else on board.
Jewel: Kaylee would die in Simon's arms. (So sweet!)
Morena: Inara would die with a bang...wicked laugh. She wanted to add in Mal's arms.
Ron: In his deepest fantasy, Book and River would be immortal.

In addition to the "slow clap", Nathan also had another trademark for this afternoon's panel. If one of his fellow costars said something very eloquently, Nathan would pip up with this agreement. "Word, Adam. Word." Go, white boy, go!

After the clip of the film, Joss mentioned they were almost out of time. Everyone groaned, but Nathan piped in and told us not to worry. "I've got some good news." Collective gasp from the audience., more clips? "I've just saved a ton of money on car insurance." That brought the house down, and prompting odd looks from his friends. "Oh yes, I went there."

All the questions were supposed to relate to Serenity, but a gentleman came up and said he was representing many fans from Europe and that they think Joss was the best thing in entertainment since aerosol cheese. The fans are involved in an Angel RPG online. He wanted Joss to give him some magical tidbits to take back to the group to help in the game. Joss had no idea what the man was talking about and explained that the magic was made up. He then directed the question to Sean, who looked completely stunned to be called upon. Sean said he was still trying to decipher the aerosol cheese comment and asked for a pass on the question.

And I'm sure someone will post this more eloquently, but someone asked a question about how the fans have affected their lives. All of them were so appreciative of everything the fans have done. Summer said that we were like family to her. Sean jokingly said that his new celebrity status caused him to have to move four times because it was so hard getting out of the garage every day with all the fans jumping onto his car. Then he got worried that people would think he was serious, so he emphasized that he was kidding. I love this boy! Adam, as always, said they owed the fact that there was a film to the fans. He said some lovely things about the fans. There will be no sound in space, according to Joss. (much applause) Some sound in the area between planet and space and lots of dialogue on planets.

Adam praised Nathan for being a true leader and keeping them all going during the black time before the filming.

Nathan then gave a hysterical speech that ended with him proclaiming that the cast members were his “broken time-rock people”.  I've heard that mentioned before, but I still love that our heroes are so close and that Cappy is just that...a captain to the crew. :)

Rosie Comments

Nathan is definitely improving on his selection of wardrobe. I just think it’s important to point out, at Wizard World he was wearing a nice regular T-shirt and now a nice white shirt, simple.

I just really want to say I am way tooo tired to be coherent. That last picture of Hasufel's Rosie and Jeremy shows how tired I really was. I just walked aaaaallllllll the way back back to the booth and sat on the floor. Also I just remembered I was talking to Jeremy so I was moving when that was taken.

I would be happy not to see that picture again. Jeremy looks great though. That is why I did not take a picture with Jonathan Woodward; I just started a hottie thread for him.

Rosie’s Report

I am so sorry. This report did not get written up right away. This was my first 3 day con and I did not realize how tired I would be. Also I thought that I could save money by driving back and forth each day, San Diego is 2 hours away; that was definitely a bad idea. I was way tired after the 3 days.

Day 1 was about getting to see the Browncoat table and non-Serenity panels. I was very impressed with the Browncoat table. It was always very busy each time I stopped by. It looked like they always had more than enough people working it.  They day went in a blur. There was a lot of walking around. We drove back early.

That guy from that show. He's everywhere! Most recently the dynamite guy on Lost.

Day 2 was Serenity day. The first order of business was getting in line for the autographs for Adam and Ron. We stopped by to buy tickets the day before. There would only be so many autographs. There were also tickets for the screening of Serenity that night, the final cut. We went to the Browncoat table and saw the line so we got in line. They did not know when the tickets would arrive. We would not be able to stay to see the movie but thought we would be able to give the tickets to someone who was not there in time. However we needed to move to the autograph line so we decided not to wait.

With me were my sister Carol, her friend Christiann, Julie, her 2 co-workers Betty and Aimee and Marci.. Also Saxon, Ewok and the rest of the family were there as well. We made our way to the Diamond Select stand where the autographs would be. Some folks already started to line up. The people from Diamond Select did not expect this number of folks. At first they told us we could not form a line yet. So we all hung about. Finally they realized we would not go away and began a line against the wall. I always get very excited waiting to see them. Finally Ron and Adam came in. It was great seeing them. The line started to move and when I approached the table, Adam looked up, stood up as he shouted “ROSIE!”

    Adam and Rosie

We hugged and smiled as he sat back down. I told him how much I enjoyed his new show The Inside. He said to enjoy it while it lasts. I also mentioned that is the only show my sister Perla, mother of 3, tries to watch each week. I can’t remember what else I said. Then I moved on to Ron. I don’t really remember saying anything more than thank you for coming.

    Ron Glass and Rosie 

   Carol and Adam Baldwin

After we finished we split up. We needed to get to the Hall H. Others wanted to walk along the exhibit floor or see some other panel. There was a huge line to get into Hall H. It was the big-ticket item hall. Star Wars was having a panel talking about the future. Aeon Flux was having its panel, then Kevin Smith and finally Serenity. The room was massive. I wanted to go back and see if Adam was still at the table but did not want to lose my spot. Joss forgot Jewel. Nathan auditioned for Wonder Woman. Nathan was very funny. The cast is always fun to watch. We did not get a chance to get any closer. By the time we arrived back at the Browncoat table I was exhausted. The Table was under banner A and the Great Hall for panels was H. It was about half a mile from point A to H. There were 90,000 people registered. The maximum occupancy for Disneyland is 45,000. So by Saturday night I was so tired I just kept thinking that it’s like being in Disneyland but there are no rides, just a lot of lines and walking around. We left Saturday and said goodbye to everyone.

Day 3 Julie decided to go to Disneyland. Sunday was the 50^th anniversary of Disneyland and she had plans to go. Saxon and her family are huge Disney fans and they went to Disney land as well. I went back to San Diego with Carol and Chrisitann. There were a few folks we wanted to see. The Browncoat Table was the best fan table. It was well decorated; it had a charity side and a promotional side to raise funds for Equality Now. By the end of the weekend they raised over $12,000. The raffle was schedule for Sunday at noon.  They had to move all the stuff up for raffle to the Browncoat room upstairs. I helped move things but things were not quite ready at noon. Therefore I was asked to talk to the crowd as things were being set up. We had Browncoats from all over. The person who traveled the farthest was someone from Australia and it wasn’t our Aussie Browncoat that has been going to all the cons this past summer.

I had a great time talking to the folks there sharing my stories and asking trivia questions. Many were from California and others were from out of state as well. It was nice hearing how folks came to find out about Serenity. Winners did not need to be present to win which is how we were able to raise so much money. The big prize we had was Inara’s red dress from Shindig. Shawna Trpcic, the costume designer for Firefly donated the dress for charity. The best thing was that the winner of the dress was indeed present and was a man. He was quite surprised and happy at his luck, he only bought one ticket.

After the raffle we went back to the Browncoat table. I simply sat down once we arrived I just did not feel like moving at all. Then I remembered I needed to stop by Jason Palmer’s table for a print of his latest work, Shindig featuring Mal, Inara and Kaylee.  However Jason was clear on the other side of the exhibit hall. I walked over with Marci and on our way spotted Joss just walking about. Marci wanted her picture with him so we approached. Joss was great as always, very welcoming. I did mention the amount that was raised for Equality Now. He was very impressed and happy. It is amazing what a group of Browncoats banning together can do.

Once I returned Jonathan Woodward was there. That was my first time seeing him. He just walked in to the back area of the table. I didn’t recognize him right away since he had some facial hair. He was friendly and easygoing. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him I was way too tired to be coherent. But I was happy he stopped by and was excited to be with us. It was time to clear out. We grabbed something to eat and hit the road. There was a lot of traffic. It was a great experience.

 Back Row: Betty, Carol, Christiann, Marci          Front Row: Aimee, Rosie and Julie

Advanced Screenings of Serenity May 5, 2005 & June 23, 2005

Advanced Screening of Serenity – May 5, 2005

Joss Whedon Summer Glau

 

Wow, what a great opportunity. I was so excited that more Browncoats were finally getting the opportunity to see Serenity. I had already seen a rough cut in December and not being able to talk about it was difficult. I was online as tickets went on sale. I did not buy any tickets myself. The screening was in Vegas and I had to work the day of the screening and the next day. Vegas is about 4 hours away and the screening was at 10pm. There was just no way I could do it.

 

All 10 cities sold out in a few hours. It was wonderful and amazing. I was proud that we sold out all 10 showings for a Thursday night 10pm screening of Serenity. I knew how long folks had been waiting to see this movie and waiting was not an option. We had already waited for over 2 years for this. I was a little sad thinking I would miss out on the unique opportunity, then James called with an extra ticket, he was offering it to me. I met James almost a year before at the LA Comic Con when I met Alan Tudyk. He was at Wonder Con and Wizard World and was our contact for the San Diego Comic Con. I told him I would get back to him.

 

Everyone said I should go and I wanted to go, I just couldn’t get the time off. They give points at work for taking a day off or calling in sick. I explained everything to James and he said we could drive up and turn around and come back after the movie. So that is exactly what we did. I drove to James’s place after work and left my car there and we left around 5pm on Thursday May 5^th. James drove and made great time. We arrived at the Palms Casino where the screening was just before 9pm. We met folks in line we knew and grabbed some food. I received a call that Joss was scheduled to attend our screening. It was awesome seeing a long line for the screening of Serenity.

 

Universal had people there getting interviews and covering the event. They provided us with Serenity buttons and key chains. Getting official Serenity stuff was amazing.  Finally we go in and take our seats. Now from my first experience watching Serenity I knew I could not eat popcorn and watch it at the same time. The movie is just too intense for me to relax. There were a lot of people I knew there from various other shindigs and cons. There were folks from Portland, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, California and someone from Oklahoma. This is a movie worth traveling any distance to go see.

 

At last Joss and Summer walked in. We all stood to give them a standing ovation. Summer looked beautiful and had a great smile. Joss looked great! He was happy and excited maybe a bit tired but he looked great. He said a few words but mainly said he already had an intro at the beginning of the screening. The lights dimmed and the intro started. Joss spoke about how this movie really should never have been made. But it was made because he loved it and the cast loved it and the fans loved it so much we couldn’t let go of this verse. At the end of the clip he had this great smile like a little boy about to share something he loves and is proud of.

 

Serenity rocked and it was definitely easier watching it the second time. I did brace myself for the difficult moments, especially when Serenity is landing. Afterwards the folks around me were surprised I had kept quiet about it for so long. Others were visibly upset and really mad at Joss. I felt bad for them but I knew how they felt. I did tell them it would get better with time. Then Joss and Summer sat down and started giving autographs to everyone in the theater! I was truly blown away. Getting so see Serenity early was great. Having Joss and Summer come in person to enjoy the movie with us was amazing. Then to have them sit down at midnight and sign autographs for us was just incredible. The generosity of our BDHs never ceases to amaze me. They just keep giving and giving and giving.

 

We got our autographs said good-bye to our friends, got gas and left around 1am. This was James first time watching Serenity. We arrived to his place by 5am and I hopped into my car and drove to the Starbucks closest to my work. I grabbed some coffee, changed in the restroom and took a short nap. My shift started ant 6:55 am. Luckily I was able to get off by 11am. I was starting to fall asleep.

 

It was definitely worth the trip.

Advanced Screening of Serenity – June 23, 2005

Joss Whedon

 

Today was Joss’s birthday and we were getting to watch Serenity once more, this time in Riverside about an hour away. This was the third advance screening and there were 35 cities all sold out in minutes. I was able to attend the second advance screening as well and that was also due to an invitation. This third screening was my 4^th time seeing Serenity. This was my first time buying tickets to a screening. I bought tickets for my sisters. Serenity just keeps getting better with each viewing. Joss was scheduled to appear at this screening.

 

Again there was a long line. Some folks had a big birthday banner for folks to sign for Joss. Being in line for Serenity with other Browncoats is lots of fun. We had trivia contests for prizes. A friend won a Wash button for me. When Joss arrived I heard folks singing Happy Birthday. Joss was at the center smiling, tired and happy. He looked great; he spoke a few words and took a few pictures and signed autographs.

The line was moving and it was time to enter. My sister Perla and her husband Zhong arrived just in the nick of time. My other sister Carol and her friend were ahead of me. Joss came in as we entered. Zhong tried taking a picture but he did not know Joss. He couldn’t identify him since Joss dresses so unassuming. Joss walked in and we walked in after him to take our seats. Carol had already seen Serenity back in December. This was Perla and Zhong’s first time. I sat in between both sisters.

 

Various friends told us that Joss was signing autographs outside as folks entered. Carol and her friend decided to go, Joss was on his way in. They wished him a happy birthday and gave him a hug. Then came back in all happy about their encounter. The whole movie theater sang Happy Birthday to Joss. Joss said he spent his birthday working on the score for Serenity. The orchestra played Happy Birthday for him. It was a long day for Joss, which made his presence there even more special.

 

Watching Serenity just keeps getting better. It is still very intense and funny but it feels better each time. The difficult moment for me in the movie came and Carol and I were holding hands in order to brace ourselves. I did not warn Perla since I did not want to ruin the experience for her. I did feel badly for it. Perla and Zhong enjoyed it. I looked around and found a co-worker that is a big Joss fan and he just shook his head in disbelief and denial. He was upset. I am happy to report that by the time I saw him at work he was better and able to say Serenity is great.

 

I stayed around a little after the screening since the folks from Universal were interviewing folks. Adam had already interviewed me at Wizard World. Other friends were interviewed and I stayed to watch. As we walked back to our cars we talked about how great the movie was and how great it was to hanging out with other fans waiting to watch it.

Wizard World LA March 20, 2005

Wizard World LA March 20, 2005

Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Ron Glass

For this report I have decided to include Julie’s report and other tid bits added by other Browncoats who were also in attendance. I think it will give better overall view of the experience of many Browncoats.

From Julie:

The panel began with Joss showing off the Mal and Jayne action figures.  He began playing with them, impersonating their voices, and then making the two figures “kiss.”  Joss introduced each of the cast members, with Nathan coming up last.  He began conducting the cheers and applause of the audience.  It was hilarious.

Later in the panel, Nathan was playing with the Mal action figure, but broke off the arm. “Doc?” he says, and then hands it over to Sean. Sean tries to reattach the arm, is unsuccessful, and then hands it over to Ron. Ron does a last rites blessing over it, and lays the Mal figure to rest on the table.  The cast never fails to crack the audience up.

Someone who saw the Serenity screening started to ask Joss about the ending of the film. The crowd booed him, and Joss cut him off and told him to rephrase the question. He did, but didn’t do a very good job of it, and ended up getting more boos.

The cast was asked about upcoming projects. Morena talked about her film Way Off Broadway. Ron and Sean had both seen the film last night, and they spoke highly of it as well. Jewel and Ron have nothing lined up at the moment. Sean just finished a pilot, and is now looking for something. He did say that Joss was working on a circus act that he and Summer were going to perform in called “The Flying Tams.” Nathan is in Vancouver filming a movie called “Slither”. Nathan and Jewel flew down together for the con. (Summer is up in Vancouver as well filming a pilot.)

Nathan’s parents were there, taking pictures of their son, and looking very proud…when they weren’t turning red at some of his hijinks.  Nathan was answering a question and stood up for some reason. Joss walks over trying to push him back down in his seat. He ends up on lying on Nathan’s back until Nathan finally sits down. Joss then pretends to wake up from a deep sleep saying that happens often...him falling asleep on top of Nathan and waking up in front of an audience.   Morena was seated next to Nathan and put her head in her hands, laughing hysterically.

I asked the cast what was their favorite scene to film and what was their most difficult from the series. Ron’s favorite was one with Morena. His most difficult was the first scene he filmed because he wanted to impress Joss. Sean’s favorite was when Simon and Jayne kissed. He smiled wickedly and said, oh no, that’s the movie. His favorite was any with River. He then stopped and said he was waiting for us to go “Awwww.” which we did. His most difficult was when he had to do the speech in front of the crew in the pilot. He said it was difficult because he too wanted to impress Joss and because it was a long speech. This prompted Nathan, Morena, and Ron to tease that it was indeed long. Jewel said she and Morena had just been discussing that very thing that morning. Their favorite scene was from Safe when they were shopping in the store, and then Simon walks in. They said they had the giggles that day for some unknown reason and couldn’t stop laughing. Tears were running down their faces and they said Sean was like “Keep it together.” Jewel’s most difficult scene was her scene with Early, although she did add that in retrospect, it may not have been as hard as she thought since Joss kept telling her that she had been holding back. Morena’s most difficult was the entire Heart of Gold episode since Inara was put through so much. She said she cried when she first read the script. Nathan’s most difficult scene was being naked in the cold desert. He paused and said, he knew what we were thinking and why yes, think shrunken turtle!

Someone asked about Wonder Woman, prompting both Jewel and Morena to raise their hands and ask to be in the film.  Nathan announced during the panel (and I don't even think it was related to any question he was asked) that Sean's nickname among the group is "The Bod". Yes, Nathan even did the quotation marks. :)

From James:
I'm going to tag on the heels of those who can write everything up also.
There seemed to be a little more hijinks than usual...especially from Nathan. I think he was really playing it up for his parents!

Since I might end up being the only male perspective in a land of Fillionaires and SimonSwooners (what is the name anyway )...Jewel and Morena were stunning as usual. And go see Morena's movie.

I'm really tired, but really, really happy. There is not much better than spending a day with Browncoats and getting to see our BDH's!!!

Oh, and there's also the little thing about Julie, Rosie, her sister and I getting interviewed for a special fan feature to be included on the DVD release of Serenity. We might be on the DVD! I'll let them talk about it if they wish; I just couldn't hold it in any longer!

From Julie (again):                                                                                                                

After the panel, Carol, James, and I make our way down to the signing area. (We had gotten separated from Rosie) The line was already long, but we had our tickets, so we felt confident that we would get an opportunity to get up there. The panel ended at 3:00, and the signing was scheduled from 3:30 until 5:00. I was being teased about getting giddy and nervous, but I was fine by that point. I’m a huge Simon fan, but I am perfectly capable of separating actor from character. At the table was Nathan, then Ron, Sean, Joss, Jewel, and finally Morena. When they’re not busy signing and greeting the fans, they’re signing and passing along mini Serenity posters. They were so very busy, but they greeted each fan, smiling and shaking hands. A few people were taking pictures with the actors, so that was another plus.  No matter how long the lines are, the cast cares enough to focus only on the person in front of them.  It makes for memorable experiences.

James gallantly offers to go ahead and says he will talk to Joss for as long as he can so I can have a few more seconds with Sean. Carol says she’ll try to get a picture of the two of us. I’m not going to turn that down. I’m standing behind James while Nathan is speaking and signing. Sean isn’t with anyone in the moment and I happen to make eye contact as he looks over at us. He smiles, this beautiful brilliant smile. And I…giggle out a hi. Yes, I know. I was so embarrassed. Luckily, it was my turn with Nathan. He went to shake my hand, looks at me and says, “I know you.” Then he turns to Carol and says, “I know you too!” Nathan is the best. All smiles. I get him to autograph my newly purchased Firefly litho. Share a few words with Nathan and move down to Ron. He looks at me and says, “I met you last night.” I apologized if I had frightened him in the lobby.  He said once I had mentioned I was a Firefly fan, everything was okay. Our BDHs are the best!

Sean is next. I reach out to shake his hand and apologize profusely for giggling like a schoolgirl earlier. He laughs and says don’t worry about it. As he’s signing my DVDs and litho (we got to have them sign two things), I tell him that Simon is my favorite character. I explain how I fell in love with Simon at the end of Safe when stood next to his sister on the pyre and I adore how dedicated he is to his sister. He stops signing at this point, looks at me and smiles, saying, “Thank you so much. That’s sweet.” Carol is next to me at this point and I ask Sean if it’s okay if I take a picture with him. Of course, he says. He stands up, and puts his arm around me. Poor Carol is shaking because she’s so afraid she’ll take a blurry picture. Carol takes the picture, exhales a sigh of relief, saying “Oh good, it came out.” Sean says, “Are you sure, because we can take another one.”

Sean and Julie

Seriously tempted, but Joss is watching this whole exchange and there’s a huge line, so I thought maybe it might be a good idea to move along.

Can’t for the life of me remember what I talked about with Joss. I was never really a fan of his before Firefly (I’m sorry! And yes, I was disciplined for it all day.), so I went by him rather fast.

Jewel was next. Since I adore Kaylee, I thought I would be able to focus more on her, but I was still in Sean mode. I did thank her for helping to make Kaylee such a likeable character as perky, happy, and optimistic people are often portrayed as annoying on tv. And we’re not! She’s just beautiful. Morena was last, and she was just as sweet as always.  She thanked me for coming to see the film.  Rather nice that two of our Heroes recognize me now.  J

From Rosie:
All I must say right now is: NATHAN WAS HI-LARIOUS!!! He was the best I had ever seen him. He truly worked the crowd and facilitated the discussion. He had me laughing  the whole time. It was his best appearance to date that I have seen.

From Julie:

So Carol, James, and I get our autographs. And yes, as James said, I was suffering from a mild case of Sean Shock. As we're walking away, a gentleman comes up to us and asks if he can have few moments of our time. His name was Adam and he was working on footage for the Serenity DVD. (We had to sign release forms from Universal, so I'm assuming this is the official DVD.) We had to say and spell our names in front of the camera. Adam stood off to the side and asked us questions. He told us to look at him, not the camera, and try to incorporate the questions within our answers if we could. I'm not too sure that we did a good job on that, but oh well.  All three of us were answering questions, building on each other’s answers.  Adam was very nice and patient with us, so that was a plus.

First we were asked why we were there at the con.   We were there to support Joss, our BDHs, and the film, as well as to show our appreciation. The entire interview probably took just under ten minutes. Adam asked a lot of questions, and we talked about how wonderful the cast was, how you could really tell they cared about each other onscreen. There was tons of praise for Joss and the writing. We each talked about what we enjoyed most about the show. Carol and I had both seen a Serenity screening, so we talked about why we thought it would be successful. More praise for the cast, how wonderful they were to the fans. The Internet was brought up, and he asked about the Universal Board. We talked about this board and how it's amazing the cast interacts with the fans so regularly, especially Adam, Nathan, and Jewel.

Carol and James were great, very articulate in expressing their views and opinions, very poised. They did a great job. I don't remember much of what I said, so I probably ruined their chances of being on the DVD. (Sorry guys.) James did mention how wonderful the characters were and how they were people you really wanted to be friends with. I add, "Or date." Without thinking of course, which is something I seemed to be doing a lot during the past few hours.  Adam starts laughing and asks what character I would most like to date on the show. When I admit Simon, he starts laughing again and asked if I enjoyed meeting Sean. So yeah, Carol and James very poised and articulate (not naked though). Me, not so much.

Adam thanked us afterwards. I happen to be wearing a Serenity shirt I made using fan art that I had ironed on. During the interview, I saw Ed the cameraman pan down to it, so my shirt may be on the DVD. (Or my chest...wait a minute!) I asked him about it, and he said he really liked the shirt and said he would offer to trade me for it, but he didn't think it would fit him. Adam and the crew were very nice.

We're walking away, and James tells Adam (paraphrasing) "If you want to interview a big fan who will have a lot to share, grab the red head right there."  So Rosie got her turn on camera. And I don't have a clue what she said as we were all so tired so I guess that is a story for Rosie to share. She's a little introverted, but I bet if we ask nicely, she'll share it with us. ;)

Rosie’s Wizard World Report   

Thanks dear for that segue. (yes I am exhausted it was an exciting weekend with the Morena's screening and then the con and a long day at work that I had to get up at 5am)

Well, I must say it doesn't get any less exciting or thrilling meeting our BDHs.

We arrived around 8am at the Long Beach Convention Center. We were hoping for earlier but luckily we got there in the nick of time, the autographs tickets were gone 5 minutes after us. There were about 50 people before us. Tickets were first come first serve and free that alone is a great reason to go to Wizard World and go early. The Con did not open until 10am and we turned right and went straight for the tickets. Lucky for us James was already inside and helped give us the heads up. James and Harpy arrived after us and then 2 Browncoats I met at WonderCon and a friend of theirs. After we got the tickets we went to see the action figures. I asked about getting all 9. The guy says it depends on the movie, if it does well then yeah. He said it just has to do HellBoy good not like insanely good. He said the major ones would be made next. I stressed the importance of all 9 characters and the fact we need all 9 at least 1 of each for the collection. I am confident we don't have to worry about that though.

Then we made our way to the ballroom upstairs and found someone already forming a line. So we were among the first 20 in line. Then we just took turns walking around. I went with Julie to see Jason Palmer. I saw Erin Gray. Now for those who don't know I decided in the beginning to write notes to the cast because when I meet them I am not sure what I will say and there's plenty I want to say. So I wrote a card to Erin, telling her about the Serenity Premiere fan party and the need to know the date. I gave her my contact info and just thanked her for all she does for our BDHs. I returned upstairs and waited. Others walked around then and went to get food. Finally it’s like 1:30 pm and Harpy and I decide to go get a picture to get autographed. I spotted Sean as he was making his way up. We needed to go right but I yell “To the left.” I knew they hadn't seen him. I totally missed Jewel. I saw Sean and that was it. I just walked by. He really is very pretty. His smile is awesome. Anyway, we ran around and found something then came back up just in time.

The panel was really funny. I have been to several and I love the way it is always entertaining. Nathan was exceptional. I will repeat it - he was HI-larious. It was his best appearance. I was in stitches through a lot of it. He could have hogged the light but he was great at sharing the limelight and encouraging those who don't readily jump in to answer the question. One of my favorite parts was when he broke the Mal doll. I was mortified. Then he hands it to Sean as the doc, and then Sean hands it to Ron as the preacher for a blessing. Another is when he introduces his parents, I wanted to go say hi but I didn't. Joss jumped on his back to sit him down. They get asked the same questions and they always make it fun. The love among the cast is apparent.

After the panel I got separated from everyone and finally went in line. Harpy was next to me it was so nice meeting her. She used public transportation. It works. I do get really overwhelmed by the cast. Meeting them is always a thrill and I really want to stay cool and not be a total geek. My main concern was that Julie get her time with Sean so I was happy for her.

The Autograph session:

Nathan smiled shook my hand I told him he was in rare form, I meant exceptionally funny. I gave him his card and he placed it among his prized possessions. Then I moved on to Ron, I apologized for stopping him yesterday at Morena's screening of Way Off Broadway. I touched his arm to stop him as he was walking out. Geek fear that is a good name for that look. He did not expect to be recognized. I touched his arm explaining I am a touchy feely person. He smiled and said that was OK, as if it really was. Ron signed my little address book that I had the cast sign on the set of the movie. Then I gave him a card. Sean was next, he really is pretty. I remember I said my name, he said he was Sean and shook my hand. I wanted to comment but instead I asked for his autograph on my Jason Palmer poster then the address book. I can't remember saying anything except thank you for coming. Sean smiled, have I mentioned he is very pretty, handsome and a great smile that lights up his whole face. Then it was Joss. He smiled and I shook his hand. It seemed like maybe he recognized me but he didn't really say anything that I can remember. I spoke to him on the set several times but I don't expect him to remember anything. I had him sign my address book and gave him a card. Next was Jewel. She signed my poster, then my address book. I really don't remember what she said or what I said. My brain was fried by this point. Finally I came to Morena, I had her sign a postcard of her movie. I told her how much I really enjoyed it. The second night I didn't get to say hi because I wanted to talk to Dan Kay, the writer and director of the movie, and tell him how good it was. I told her I posted about it and then gave her a card. I gave her a card on Friday as well. She commented, “You are always giving cards.” I told her it’s because I am not sure I will be able to say what I want to when I am here. She nodded and smiled and that was it.

Then Adam, the interviewer from Universal comes over to tell me my friends had told him he should interview me. So I get myself together and walk over. I am short and I guess I was looking up so he had to stoop to talk to me. He asked how tall I was and I said I was 5'2". He asked many questions and I can't truly remember all I said. I remember mentioning the date Firefly aired and the DVDs and the fan support and the movie. I knew there would be a movie in September of 2002. I mentioned the board and that ours is the one on the Firefly DVD. He asked something about Joss and I said we trust Joss. He has a plan, a direction. Sometimes he takes you to scary places but he always brings you back. Adam asked about the panel. I said I love the cast interaction and the fact they keep it fresh and interesting even though they get asked the same questions repeatedly. I mentioned the various Cons I have been to and then he asks me why. I said because I like it. People do what they like to do. I was a bit defensive there. I remember mentioning being on the set of the movie and Chris Buchanan's assistance with that. That's all I can remember. He thanked me, I signed the release and asked what it was for and he said the Serenity DVD. I was so happy just hearing Serenity DVD.

   Adam stooping and interviewing Rosie

Our group took a photo, I said, "Next stop ComicCon." and we all went our separate ways.