How We Spent Our Summer Vacation
Our staff takes on San Diego Comic-Con 2000.

Saturday
1:30 PM. Chris Carter: The Truth is Right Here.

David: Shortly after Comic-Con, I posted the following account in the 11th Hour's New Section, and I still stand by every word of it, in spite of the fact that certain people desperately scrambled to discredit it with lies, exaggerations, innuendo, and pure, utter ignorance:

Chris Carter speaks at Comic Con. Set design by Leni Riefenstahl.

"This past Saturday saw me attending X-Files guru Chris Carter's speech at the San Diego Comic-Con and asking a question that he did not particularly seem to care for. What can I say, I was tired of hearing the people in front of me asking things like 'When can we see a Harsh Realm movie' or pathetic pleas like 'Please don't turn Robert Patrick into another Spender...please.' There were so many queries along this front that we eventually formed a single-file line of questioners. Soon enough, my turn came.

"I stepped up toward the podium, had a mike pushed toward my face, then looked up and saw Carter looking back at me (did I mention that he had tremendous video enlargements of his head broadcast on each side of the stage?--talk about Big Brother). 'Hi Chris,' I said. His eyes narrowed, and he gave no response. 'Regarding your influences," I continued, 'I know you've mentioned things in the past that have shaped the X-Files mythology...All the President's Men, Star Wars...'

"'Yes, yes,' he replied, the monolithic head projections nodding in unison. 'But recently, a series of online and print publications have pointed out some striking similarities between the X-Files myth-arc and Nigel Kneale's Quatermass series that ran throughout the sixties and seventies.' His eyes narrowed considerably, and, to me at least, he appeared to grit his teeth. 'Were you aware of these similarities and was this series an influence on the mythology?'

Meanwhile, in the autographs area, Buffy's Anthony Stewart Head signs for the fans.

"There followed what can only be described as a pregnant pause, followed by an over-enunciated 'Nnnno.' Another pause, and then -'That person is obviously working too hard.' (Are you, pisher, are you, really?). I stood there for another moment, enduring his glare, keeping eye contact, and then began to move away, at which point Carter seemed to sense the mood had grown a bit gloomy. 'Of course,' he said, 'if you play Dark Side of the Moon starting at the opening credits...I'm joking, I'm joking.' No kidding. At this point, I walked back to my seat near the front row, as another person began to ask yet another question."

And that was it, really -- that was what engendered so much response, much of it public in spite of the fact that my email address is plainly posted on the masthead of this site. So... if anyone out there wants to debate the event with me, or if you simply want to discuss the fact that Carter's platform and multi-head projections seemed to come out of Leni Riefenstahl's wet dreams, feel free to drop me a line.

Substance: 2.0
Delivery: Is there a negative in this category?
Chick Appeal: See above. I may be male, but I'm no fool.
Overall Rating: I rate this about as high as the average X-Files episode. You figure it out.

3:00 PM. EON Magazine: Writing For Television.

Linda: Although billed as a panel that would give insight to television writing hopefuls, it turned out to be more like... Uh oh. I feel a song coming on. And it ain't Journey's "Lights" neither.

In the autograph hall, Buffy's Julie Benz and James Marsters meet the fans.

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came.

Okay, so this panel wasn't exactly like that, but it felt almost Cheers-like when the people who worked on some of my favorite television series mourned the loss of genre shows that suffered from early cancellation and complained about the dismal state of the industry today. It was just like the bitch-fests that many of my friends and I have had, only it was from a much more informed perspective. Despite how it may seem, many times the people who pull the strings of our favorite characters are in fact fans of the genre themselves. And although Javier Grillo-Marxman (Seaquest, Charmed) made a good case for not all network executives being squirrel bastards, I'm still prone to think that way when I look at the networks' ever changing fall schedules.

For those who were interested in breaking into television, genre and otherwise, they had a lot of sage advice. Get an agent. Don't write Star Trek or any other genre script specs because they won't get read. Get an agent. When you do get a job, know that you will be rewritten and unlike Dan Vebber (Buffy, Futurama) it usually won't be by someone as cool as Joss Whedon. Oh, and expect to have even your best work on a genre series ignored by those who work on more mainstream shows. (Don't believe them? Look at the Emmys.) But writing for genre shows has its rewards too, like working with your heroes as Steve Kroizere (Sliders, VIP) and some-time 11th Hour scribe Kay Reindl (Millennium, Night Visions) got to do.

Everyone on the panel was great, but I have to give special props to both Kay Reindl and Gabrielle Stanton (Earth: Final Conflict, Farscape) who proved that women not only make great genre fans, but great genre writers as well.

Substance: 10.0
Delivery: 10.0
Chick Appeal: 10.0
Overall Rating: 10.0

3:30 PM. In line.

Lisa: Dude, I met James Marsters. Again. He's hot, and shit.

SUNDAY 10:30 AM. Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles.

Starship Troopers: Roughnecks

Linda: From the special airing of a Roughnecks version of that infamous Gap ad set to Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" to the presentation of a very swanky mini-poster, for hard core, and even newbie fans like myself, this panel was loads of unadulterated fun. As is the dream of every fan of a canceled series, the producers, CGI artists, writers and so forth commiserated with the audience over the early cancellation and divulged details of the kick-ass story arc that was to have been completed in the final unfinished four episodes. Hopes were raised, however, with the news that Sony would be putting at least the first few episodes on DVD and Audu Paden, one of the show's producers, even promised to look into the many suggestions that were given for extras that could be included.

Substance: 10.0 (if I could give a higher rating I would)
Delivery: 10.0
Chick Appeal: 10.0 (Dizzy Flores kicks ass!)
Overall Rating: 10.0

2:00 PM. Sequential Tart: A Taste of Tart.

"My editor's final words were: 'Love them, as we love them, and there will be joy.' I give to you your comics magazine... Sequential Tart!"

Sarah: This truly great panel was everything the "Caught in the Net" fanboy smackdown should have been and never was. For every lopsided insult and inane question uttered at the latter forum, the Tarts offered smart advice, witty commentary and anecdotes both informative and amusing. The girls behind Sequential Tart -- an all-female comics webzine that just happens to be one of the best sites on the 'net -- were a true Comic-Con highlight, giving an great talk about online journalism that had Linda, Lisa and I nodding in agreement on nearly every point. It was terrific to see another non-profit magazine actually striving for quality as opposed to money, and it was even better to see one backed by smart, savvy editors who just happen to be chicks. I've gotta say, the striking difference between the two 'net-based panels I attended truly made me wonder if -- and if so, why -- women and men seem to have such different goals when it comes to the web. Regardless, it was refreshing to meet the owners of one of the few sites we're proud to deem real competition, and, overall, it was the perfect panel with which to end our time at the con.

Substance: 10.0
Delivery: 9.5
Chick Appeal: 10.0
Overall Rating: 10.0

September 11th. Addendum.

Well, okay, in retrospect a panel consisting of James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, and Vincent Ventresca -- who were all there on the same weekend! -- discussing their forthcoming nude cinematic debut would have really been perfect, but we'll take what we can get. Until after the revolution, that is.

We welcome your comments on The 11th Hour and this feature. Please send letters to: letters@the11thhour.com

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