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THE OFF-BEAT PLACES AT WARRIORCON,
September 12-14, 1997

By Virginia Carper
WHOOSH! Report
Copyright © 1997 held by author



THE WB50 TABLE
THE DEALERS' ROOM
THE AUTOGRAPH LINE
THE MICHAEL HURST FAN TABLE


THE OFF-BEAT PLACES AT WARRIOR CON 09-12-97


THE WB50 TABLE


[01] My best times at the convention were spent in off-beat places -- the WB50 table, the dealers room, the autograph line and the Michael Hurst fan table.

[02] WBAL (Channel 50, the local Washington D.C. TV station that carries XENA and HERCULES) set up a nerf archery contest. The goal was to knock down Styrofoam cups. The WB50 people generously let everyone win a prize. After two attempts, I won a Frisbee. There were not many people, so we able to laugh and joke about our lack of archery skills.

[03] The WB50 people also took free pictures of fans with a life-size cardboard Xena. (In Washington D.C., various photographers try to entice tourists to have their pictures taken with a cardboard cutout of the President.) Since I was the WB50 guinea pig, they practiced taking my picture until they got it right.


THE DEALERS' ROOM


[04] I went looking for prizes for the students at my son's school, a special education center. The teachers and the principal give awards for the best behaved, the most improved, and the student of the week. I found a small table where a mother and her young daughter displayed their handmade items and original drawings. The daughter had several small chakrams for sale and I bought one. I also bought an Ares sword for my son.


THE AUTOGRAPH LINE


[05] Since I do not collect autographs, I decided to skip the autograph line. However, people kept asking me if I would get Kevin Smith to autograph the Ares sword. Finally, while eating my lunch, I decided to have the sword and the Xena Library poster I had bought, signed for my son's school.

[06] I asked Mr. Smith if he would sign the sword for my son. He marveled at the sword and graciously signed it. Then I asked if he would sign the poster for my son's school. I explained that my son goes to a special education center where they encourage the students toimprove their behavior and study skills. Smiling, Mr. Smith signed "Ares."

[07] As I moved down the line, I told everyone about my son's school. Tim Thomerson (Meleager) signed,"To North Spring Field Center, Study Hard Guys." When I told Karl Urban (Cupid, Caesar) that my son's class knew him as Julius Caesar, he signed "Break Her Legs, Caesar." Stephen Sears wrote, "It's Greek To Me." Finally, Master Donald Wong wrote, "If you work hard, it will be." The actors and the production staff liked the idea of helping "special kids." (I gave the poster and various XENA prizes to the center. The principal put the poster on display and later confided in me, "I like the show, but I LUST after Xena!")


THE MICHAEL HURST FAN TABLE


[08] While in the autograph line, I met several fans of Michael Hurst (Iolaus), who encouraged me to stop by the fan club table. They told me an amazing story. The fan club president, who lives in Tennessee, wrote to the New Zealand studio to request Mr. Hurst's permission to start the club. Six weeks later, she received a long distance phone call from a man identifying himself as "Michael". Mr. Hurst was delighted to have a fan club, something he never had before. Since then, Mr. Hurst and his wife have written essays on various topics such as parenthood and acting for the club's newsletter.







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