Sunday, September 1, 2002. I’m winging the convention alone today. Jonathan Hickman originally told me his wife had plans for him. I find out Friday night that he is really playing in a golf tournament. Being the good friend that I am, I bust him in front of his wife. I’ll probably end up in hell.

The newness of all the costumes has worn off. Today, I intend to get as many interviews as humanly possible. I will keep my mind on my work. The sexy Spanish girl in front of me has a handwritten sign hanging out of the back of her pants: “Thong For Sale. Will Take Highest Bid.” I think about it. I’m married, and EI’s expense account would not cover such an expenditure. I pass the girl so I can get my mind back on my work. I turn the corner and run into two buxom “Dawn” look-a-likes wearing next to nothing, embracing and posing for photographers. Damn. I forgot my camera. This is one wild place. I’m here to work. My wife would kill me if she could read my mind. I am so going to hell.

I recognize Chris Demetral, Jeremy on HBO’s ground-breaking adult TV series Dream On. If not for the success of Dream On, we wouldn’t have “The Sopranos” or “Sex in the City.” Dream On was the first cable series to win an Emmy Award. Chris stated that he had a great time working on Dream On. “Learning comedy under Brian Benben was great. Brian is a genius of comic timing.” I ask if his parents had a problem with the sexual content of the series. “They accepted it for what it was. The sex on the show was always played tongue in cheek.” Mr. Demetral was at Dragon*Con 2002 to meet fans and promote his new series on the Sci-Fi series, Young Jules Verne. Chris tells me “the series uses the premise that Jules Verne actually had the adventures he wrote about in real life.” Sci-Fi filmed 26 episodes. Fans of Chris can check out his web-site at www.chrisdemetral.com.

I found my way to the other side of the room, where Lou Ferrigno was holding court. I feel somewhat the same feeling I had when I first visited the Grand Canyon. Lou Ferrigno is a massive, imposing force of nature. I relate the nice comments Linda Blair made about the help Mr. Ferrigno gave in her time of need. Lou smiles, “She’s one of the few people I really like.” Mr. Ferrigno is excited about his new website (www.louferrigno.com). “You can order my book, and pick up health tips. There is also information about Ang Lee’s up-coming film The Incredible Hulk. I ask about Lou’s former Hulk co-star Bill Bixby. “He was a true gentleman. A very good director. He made you feel comfortable. He was my close friend. He’s gone, I’m still here.”

I ask Mr. Ferrigno about his terrible treatment at an airport security checkpoint recently. “I was in Phoenix. They said it was a routine, random check. I was searched and my bags were searched. Then they took me in the back and strip searched me. They went through everything I had…my private things. I got dressed and they strip searched me again. It was cold-blooded, very cold. I’m not a terrorist. I love America.” I ask if they apologized. “No, nothing. I just went with the flow.” Mr. Ferrigno was a class act while being humiliated because of racial or ethnic profiling. I don’t think the “Hulk” would have as been so understanding! I think back to the photo I had taken with Traci Lords the day before. I think I will get on Lou’s website next week and do something about this weight.

I cross over to try and talk with David Naughton. The star of one of the all-time best horror films, An American Werewolf in London, David Naughton has time to speak at length about his career and training. Most of the fans are assembling in a long line to wait for Traci Lord’s arrival. Mr. Naughton is warm and gracious. A leather clad girl walks by. Mr. Naughton tells me that the “Dawn” look-a-like contest the night before was over the top. “The contestants were flashing the crowd, the crowd was flashing the contestants.” Secretly I want to kill Jonathan for making us leave early. Once more, I contemplate a future in hell. I tell Mr. Naughton about my question to Mr. Picardo the day before. He laughs, “Hand’s down, I’d kill Billy the Mangler.” “Landis’ film got the green light and everyone else put their werewolf films into production. Some time later, the fans start to show back up. I thank Mr. Naughton and leave. (A full-length feature interview will be posted soon.)

It’s time to head out. I make a stop at the artist’s tables. A young Kurt Cobain looking guy sees my press pass and asks who I’m with. I tell him. He asks for the web address. He likes movie web-sites. He is a DVD junkie. He is also a world renowned comic book and graphic novel artist. Mike Broom is known for many works. Horror film fans know him as the artist behind the graphic novel version of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie and Don Cascarilla’s Phantasm. He says that he is slated to do the graphic novel version of Bruce Campbell’s up-coming Mummy Movie: Bubba Ho-Tep. Mike is very cool. He wants me to e-mail him EI’s web address. I can’t find any paper. I’m so tired that I forget I have a backpack full of legal pads. Mike picks up a comic book autographed by himself and tow other artists. He writes hi e-mail address down and gives it to me. I like this guy. His web-site is still under development. I’ll give a link when it’s up.

I make one last stop before leaving. James O’Barr is the artist behind The Crow. I have to get a gift for my 16 year-old goth daughter. Mr. O’Barr signs a Crow print for my daughter Christy. I ask what he thought of the film versions of his work. “I liked the first one. The others not so much. The second film was beautifully filmed. The script had too many holes in it.” Several fans nod their heads in agreement with Mr.O’Barr’s comments. He continues, “They were in a rush to make money, so they didn’t develop the script. The third film was the worst. They had a great cast (Kirsten Dunst and William Atherton) but they squandered it. Again, the problem was with the script.” Bummer!

Time to head out. A red-leather clad young beauty is posing and complaining that she didn’t win the “Dawn” contest. Guys and gals line up to take pictures. Only one more day and it’s back to the real world.

Rusty White