Saturday, August 31, 2002. Today, EI’s head honcho, Jonathan Hickman joins me for a day trip to the nether world that is Dragon*Con 2002. Star Roberts says that an estimated 25,000 fans are in attendance. The parade of costumed creatures and scantily clad women continues. Dragon*Con is a cross between Mardi Gras, Fantasy Fest in Key West and a high school chess club meeting.

There is an amazing harmony between such a large and diverse crowd of people. Jonathan tells me that he has never desired to walk around in a costume like these people, but he wonders what the freedom they must feel is like. As I walk into the Marriott, I spot a guy with green duck feet and a huge carrot head. The work these people put into the costumes is phenomenal. Clark is dressed as the comic book hero “The Flaming Carrot Head.” Later in the day, Jonathan would interview the comic’s creator and artist Bob Burdon. I’m not thinking of comic book characters. Today (and every other day) my mind is on two beautiful women: Linda Blair and Traci Lords.

While I attend the One on One Q & A session with Linda Blair, Jonathan makes his move on Superman II goddess Sarah Douglas. Ms. Douglas is certainly a delicious actress. Unfortunately, she is largely ignored in the Stargate SG-1 panel discussions. Their loss. Jonathan asks Ms. Douglas what drew her to Science Fiction characters. Douglas thinks for a moment and answers carefully before a room of SF fans mostly dressed as their favorite extraterrestrial. She says that she regreted not taking on the a regular role in the V television series in favor of Falcon Crest. She frankly admits that she may have gotten lost in a "slew" of other femme fatales on Crest whereas her role on the V series would have been more individual and more memorable. Intelligently, Douglas, acknowledging the huge fan base for SF, plays the crowd stating that "Science Fiction fans see everything, know everything, and remind her of everything all the time." Laughter and applause fills the banquet hall. Douglas proves to be one of the festival's most thoughtful guests.

We wander around the exhibition halls. Jonathan meets one of his contacts with MIRAMAX films in person. It’s nice to meet, in the flesh, folks we deal with in cyber-space. I have Tracie Lords on my mind. Jonathan and I make our way to the “Walk of Fame” where numerous celebrities meet their fans. Ms. Lords is there in all her sensual glory. Her publicist hasn’t OK’ed an interview (&%^$# !), but I get to have my photo taken with her. I realize that I am much fatter and balding than I ever imagined. I want to cry. Oh well, I got to put my arm around Ms. Lords! She sure is soft. I sure am fat and ugly. (%*^&$ !)

I stop to talk with Scott Innis, the voice of Scooby Doo. My 4-year-old daughter Lauren is on my mind. I ask Mr. Innis if Scooby would mind sending a greeting to Lauren via tape-recorder. Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy Doo all join in to ask Lauren to bring them a pizza. I watch in amazement as the vocal artist slips from one character to another with a machine-gun-rapid delivery, never missing a beat. Mr. Innis doesn’t want a dime for this act of kindness. His 1 minute gift will make me dad of the year to my little one.

Jonathan talks to Robert Picardo about his singing ability. Picardo tells us that 90% of the singing in Voyager was really him and that only in the episode in which he was an opera star did he get help. I check out the photos at his table and discover that he was “Billy the Mangler” in The Howling. I had no idea. I figure that it’s a fan convention so I can ask him a stupid question: “Who would win in a fight between Billy the Mangler and ‘David’ from An American Werewolf in London?" Mr. Picardo gives me a look (see photo at left) that lets me know he just doesn‘t get it. Some people have no sense of humor (or maybe he was just tired). I walk away knowing that David Naughton’s werewolf from the John Landis’s film would eat Billy for breakfast.

Jonathan and I talk with Jerome Blake once more. This guy is very cool. Blake and Jonathan get into a lively discussion about Samuel Jackson's comments recently concerning rappers as actors. Blake has similar negative comments about professional football (soccer, the dude's a Brit) players getting lead roles over trained actors. His comments are in the context of Jonathan's mention of the Brit film Mean Machine. Blake is comfortable to talk with and jokes a bit. Jonathan, as he often does, plays devil's advocate and takes an opposing view suggesting that actors and atheletes may have the power to bring good stories to the screen that wouldn't otherwise be made without their involvement. Blake is quick to point out that the problem with that argument is that the vehicles featuring such rappers or atheletes tend to be meaningless fluff. One must wait and see what happens with Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile featuring the infamous Eminem.

Rusty White