L.A. Con IV - 64th Worldcon

[winter_elf]

I was at the Boston Worldcon back in 2005. More of a breeze through - using the nice hotel rates and seeing a little of the con as me and psyche7772 explored Boston and also saw the LOTR Experience. I talked her into a membership for LA because Gurney was the Artist Guest and they took payments.

So, I've been looking forward to it for several years. I was all ready to party all night, meet authors and see tons of panels.

Of course, it didn't QUITE turn out that way, but I had fun anyway.



Seeing the schedule, TONS and TONS of panels. The ones I was interested in, often at the same time - or at the same time as an author signing I was interested in. So, I stood in line for authors more than I went to panels. Oh, and was bad in both the dealers room and art show (LOTR styled pottery.... gah! I wanted it ALL!)

Need more time in the day. Yea, that's it.

Wed was a prowl the dealers room for a while, then me and psyche7772 did the twilight disney trip. Did Pirates of the Caribbean (of course). Hmm... I almost liked it better before. Now it's all Jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack. Yes, I liked PotC. A lot, and I think TWO of the additions of Jack was well done... it's all the OTHER Ones.

For those who know the LA Disney Pirates ride: Painting of Jack right inside the entrance on the wall (well done); Aztec gold in caves; Pirate ship captain attacking fort demands that the fort turn over Jack Sparrow; the music there is the pirates movie song; Guy being dumped in well is asked where Jack Sparrow is; Jack right there hiding behind bolts of cloth and peeking out; Guy with pigs or one on bridge talking about Jack (I forget which one, or maybe it was both); Jack's head popping out of barrel with guy talking about 'Jack will want this -the key- and dog barking at him; Mist screen of Davy jones you float through (demanding Jack); the storm is gone - just the guy's shooting at each other; and finally, as you head back up - there is Jack where the skeleton use to be talking to himself in the chair with gold and such all around him (well done); and I think the map at the beginning/end is a reference to the movies too. Now I might have missed one - I'm sure they would have put the monkey in, but I only did the ride once.

I missed all the panels of info on who/when/where/customs on Nippon 2007 in Japan, which I want to go to. I also missed all the TV media panels (Stargate/Battlestar G/Lost/Star Wars/Star Trek), but I'd done most of them at Comic con - so probably similar. And I missed all the interesting sounding writing or world planning ones too. Drat. NEED MORE TIME! There was even a costume panel I hoped to attend that conflicted with a signing.

What I DID attend - All three of Anne McCaffrey's (and several of her son, Todd's). Me and psyche7772 REALLY wanted to meet her. That was a huge plan of psyche7772. That and getting an autograph. So, we had a plan of attack (and boy was it needed!).

The plan: Her signing was at 11am on Friday. The dealers room opened at 10am (earliest we could get in line). So we were up, eaten, dressed and at the door waiting to get in at 9am. And then the crowd started to gather... When the doors opened, we were in the first few in. And then it was a race down the length of a football field to the autograph area. psyche7772 kept up with the lady in front of us, thank goodness! That lady was 1st, behind about 7 or 8 dealers - who got in early :(. Then it turned into a madhouse, as the line was basically filled at 15 after 10am! With a secondary line started in another place. There was a two book limit. We had our two and psyche7772's boyfriend joined us with two. It was Soooo great meeting Anne. A line's no place to chat. We took pictures quickly, said we loved her books, thanked her and tried to get out of there. RIGHT AFTER US, they cut the books down to ONE a person - because there were soooooooo many people wanting her signature. And Anne is not a young spring chicken!

Anne McCaffrey



Ray Bradbury. Another autograph I tried for, But unlucky at far back in line this time. Poor Ray, he signed like a trooper for over an hour, and looked very weak and frail. I had a copy of Fahrenheit 451 for him to sign if I got the chance, but his hand failed a good 50 people or more from me and he was exhausted. He posed for some pics before leaving.


some familiar robots... There was a row of various robots as you came in.


Moon Lander. For a fee, you could have your picture taken in it!! I wanted to do it, but psyche7772 and me were always running around, so it didn't happen


Trek chair of god. :) Lots of Star Trek costumes as well as a mock bridge and wax figures (again, photo op I didn't quite make). The wax figures didn't look quite right - maybe it was because of the age, but the faces looked too dark and lined.


I also got books signed from: Todd McCaffrey, Alan Dean Foster, Barbara Hambly, James Gurney (a poster for my uncle), Naomi Novik and Charlaine Harris.

We did the party floor (the whole 5th floor), was a constant state of P.A.R.T.Y every night. Lots of fun wandering around with other fans. Funniest thing - the music at the Xerps party (green and aliens decoration) was playing 'Dirty Deeds Done With Sheep' (tune of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap). Oh yea. Lots of food- the Montreal party even had Ice Cider (yum). psyche7772 checked out the Russian Vodka party and picked up some pointers for her Kahlua, making.

Comments

[april-art.livejournal.com]

I missed ALL of that (the signings and media panels). Yeah--just too many things to do and too little time! Charlaine Harris, eh? I didn't know she was there. I love her books! ^__^

[winter-elf.livejournal.com]

I managed to bring one of the several I have. She was really sweet.