August 31st - September 3rd 2007 | Atlanta, USA

Andromeda GOH: Kevin Sorbo, Lexa Doig & Gordon Michael Woolvett

The convention report

Thursday 30th August 2007

After a morning spent sightseeing in Atlanta, including Coca Cola World, the Olympic Park and first of many malls we'd visit in Atlanta we decided it was probably time to register for the convention, so we headed downtown to the Marriott Hotel, before realising registrations was happening in the Hyatt. We walked into the hall and found different coloured tape to follow, at no point were there any ‘clear’ instructions posted but I took a guess that me and mumbo had to follow the ticketmaster line seeing as we’re overseas and never received any tickets as a result. My partners in crime for the convention Eljay, Nick, Pat and Tony entered the pre-registration line as they had tickets.

After an hour of queuing both myself and my mum (aka mumbo) were registered and decorated appropriately with the con badges. At the same time we see Pat and Tony who had also just been registered but we lost Eljay… turns out because she had Ticketmaster tickets she was supposed to have joined the same queue as me and mumbo did… note to dragoncon ‘you need to tell people these things!!’ Thankfully Pat came to rescue and explained the situation to a member of staff and they pulled Eljay from the queue and put her to the top of the line, and rightly so! So all registered up we headed back to the hotel, narrowly missing a car accident as we see a car spin out ahead of us and smash into the side wall, thankfully Tony was able to slam on the breaks preventing us becoming a part of it!  We arrive safely at the hotel to eat pizza and watch films, and chat lots – topics covered were making your own volcanos, cows and the extent of accident proneness that has occurred amongst us… looking forward to the convention starting the next day!

Friday 31st August 2007

We meet for breakfast at 8am and plan our first day at the convention. There’s a lot of talk about what happens and the concept of ejector seats and how they can work better, I also think the formula for the secret of the world was also hashed out over a napkin at one point.. maybe… not. We get a cab to the hotel and immediately it hits us that we are entering convention world with the array of costumes and people in geeky attire. We decide to use the first hour or so to orientate ourselves with the general layout of the convention and successfully manage to get the basic locations down – the halls where the Andromeda talks are taking place, and the Walk of Fame where the signings happen and the dealers room – we’re all ready for the weekend. The first talk we attend is the Return to Buffyverse panel with James Marsters, Elizabeth Rohm and Juliet Landau.

A very funny panel where James does most of the talking and mentions about his experience working on the new series of Torchwood as a guest star. He expresses his shock at how sexual the tone is, but fails to reveal if he kisses the main male star John Barrowman. He does however reveal an outtake where John and he talk about ‘doing’ a car. We leave the panel a little bit early to ensure we get good seats at our main reason for being there panel, aka the first Andromeda panel and our first sighting of Kevin Sorbo and Gordon Michael Woolvett. Despite our best efforts the Sorbo fans have beaten us to the top of the queue, I figure they have more practice so we’ll have to buck our ideas up if we want to challenge them!

Once we’re allowed inside the room we get ourselves second row seats and wait for a small while. During this time a rather odd shaped bloke points several remote controls at the over head projector to no avail, we figure he must work there or is extremely odd. Moments after they finally get the projector working I spot Gordon walking in, closely followed by Kevin. They sit down and the room hushes up after an impromptu applause. The set up is quite formal, with a desk and several chairs with mics. Kevin introduces himself and Gordon, stating how he only needs his engineer by his side. The first few questions are aimed mostly at Kevin with Gordon chipping in, the most obvious questions being about their new projects.

Kevin seems to be doing a handful of movies while Gordon was able to announce his new show, which he reveals for the first time also stars Steve Bacic – noting with irony how Steve is playing the commander and he’s the computer guy, sounds really familiar! Kevin noted that Gordon’s new role would have him in a wheel chair and Gordon confirmed he’d be making additions to it as he went along, mirrors and the sort. Gordon then took out an old Andromeda prop – a data pad to show the audience but when it didn’t work he quickly set to work fixing it while Kevin took another question. Moments later Gordon exclaimed how ‘I fixed it boss!’ and showed the now illuminated data pad to much applause and laughter, he then jumped from the stage and allowed it to get passed around the audience so they could get a closer look at it.

Eljay and Pat both managed to ask questions (I was too scared to speak up, I hate big audiences hehe!), Eljay asked about any stories that Gordon had wished had been told, to which he explained about his episode pitch called ‘Super Harper’ that was a story about Harper taking over the Andromeda and turning it into a hotel complex and Pat asked him about his range of emotions and how he prepares and reaches for those extremes, to which Gordon gave a very detailed response that I couldn’t possibly do justice to by trying to remember his words here (I do have it on video and will look to transcribe it one day!).

Towards the end of the talk Gordon showed us a print out he’d brought with him, that was given out at the end of the show. Apparently whenever something was said on set that amused the crew it would get written down on a napkin and pinned to the wall of the camera room. Once the show ended all the quotes were typed up and Gordon began to read a few of them out, rapidly realising how some of them were highly inappropriate – but was egged on by Kevin to read one out that he promptly apologised for blaming Kevin for making him say rude words.

All too soon the panel came to a close but we were then informed that Gordon’s short film ‘Fracture’ was going to play in twenty minutes not far from our location. Immediately myself and Eljay, with mumbo and Nick in tow headed for the room, while Pat and Tony opted to see the Firefly panel. We were fortunate to grab ourselves front row seats, and the seats were really comfy it has to be said. Before long Gordon turned up and introduced the film, saying he would do a quick Q&A at the end, before he took a seat at the other end of the row to us. I’d only seen Fracture previously on a small computer screen so it was a great opportunity to see it on the bigger screen, and it seemed to go down really well with the audience with the applause it received at the end. The Q&A was an unexpected surprise and it was fascinating to hear all about the making of the film, and the problems experienced and the close ties it had with Andromeda – so much so I’ll be adding all the new info and facts I learned to this site very soon with new plans now on expanding the Fracture section of the site. After taking a short break we decided it was time to visit the Walk of Fame, hoping to find Gordon there and we were not disappointed.

I will admit now that during the panel I got the feeling Gordon was looking at me a couple of times, but I dismissed this due to the fact I hadn’t seen Gordon since August 2004 in London at another convention and didn’t think it was possible he’d remember what I looked like – even though I now help him moderate his board and run this website I still didn’t think it was possible… so when I told him I’m Jipster and he simply said ‘I know’ I was a mite surprised! He promptly began looking in his bag and after short while emerged again with a copy of Fracture for me, which he then signed (after being shown amusingly how to do this by his assistant, his expression said it all!) and he then gave me a copy of the Abridging the Devils Divide script, also signed. It was nice to finally speak to him and we chatted for a little while, with the promise of going for coffee at some point before I moved aside to let my little group have their time with Gordon.

We decided to see who else was in the room and was really fortunate to find Brent Spiner without a queue, which me and mumbo promptly took advantage of (all other times over the weekend he was always very busy!) and then I went to see Lori Petty, as a fan of Tank Girl this was a real plus and I asked her to sign a first issue copy of SFX Magazine that had her on the cover from 1995 – she seemed thrilled having never seen the magazine before, and promptly signed it twice while looking at all the pages that featured her film. We decided to call it a night at that point, with Eljay feeling the first effects of a migraine so headed back to the hotel to kick back and relax.

Saturday 1st September

We had to get to the convention early today as the Drom panel was first up. On arriving we were a little disappointed to find Lexa Doig had cancelled her appearance with the boys for both her scheduled panels with them, and further disappointed to see the Sorbo fans had beaten us again to the top of the queue! We were quite a way back this time in the sixth or seventh row, and I found myself behind a rather large guy as well, so I spent most of the panel looking at the back of his head. The guys arrive a short while later and Kevin immediately mentions about Lexa’s non-appearance, to which he orders us to not get her autograph to much amusement. Gordon then asks us, if we do see her, to ask why she wasn’t there and that Gordon wants to know. That exchange sets the tone of the panel as Kevin apologises for his tired look today, pointing at Gordon while he says he had a late night and Gordon remarking that Kevin isn’t used to late nights.

It turns out they both went to the ball game, and then Gordon suggested a drink in the Hyatt when they returned, which turned into a few by all accounts. There was a funny story Gordon told about two girls were were going up and down in the elevator then at one point they got out, told Gordon how much they like him, before promptly getting back in the elevator and continuing going up and down (I’d like to note I wasn’t one of them… however on the Monday I might have had a go in the elevators… they were cool!). They were asked about wearing prosthetics which Kevin chose to answer and was explaining how you can feel completely different, like you’re a different person only for Gordon to quip ‘or like turning 40’ which made everyone laugh. They added that the prosthetics used to get Brent Stait (Rev Bem) down and how he used to read books about surviving torture to try and get through the experience of wearing the suit.

When asked about the stage, Gordon tells us about the time he got down to the last four Frodo’s for the stage production of ‘Lord of the Rings’ that was due to open in Toronto a couple of years back. From the beginning he says he told them he couldn’t sing, but was a trained dancer and actor so he did the first round of auditions and made it through. They heard him sing and felt he had a voice there that with some work could be found, this prompted Gordon to take some singing lessons, spurred on by their encouragement and after a month or so of attending the lessons he then found himself in the final round of auditions with three other potential Frodo’s. He sailed through the acting and the dancing, and was basically told if he gets the singing down the part was more or less his, so he did the singing and then was taken to one side and told ‘you can’t sing’ – something he exclaims he told them months ago! Kevin then notes how he’d of liked to have seen the four Frodos…

The panel is soon over and with things still needed to be signed we all head back to the Walk of Fame where both Gordon and Kevin are in place and signing. With a few requests to fulfil and a cast photo I’m trying to get signed up I stand in the Kevin Sorbo line first. As ever Kevin is very likeable and after very small prodding he remembers me and my mum from Germany, and the flight we were on with him back to London. He asks where I’m from, so I say London and he simply goes ‘I thought so, you speak your words so precisely…’ whatever that means! He then tells me he is back in England in October and I say I’ll see him there no doubt, after giving him some idea of the kind of event it is (big and in a shopping mall…).

With Gordon sat next to Kevin it was hard not to go over to see him next, and with more requests I put him to work signing… then show him the Harper Front bag and membership card I have, he seems impressed and we decide they are very organised over there! While we are there a photo of Gordon returns to his desk, lovingly defaced by Lexa Doig - turns out Gordon wrote her a note on the back of the photo and she was simply responding, he pins the defaced photo up behind him after showing Kevin her response with amusement.  I inform him that I should only have one more auto request but it can wait till the next day before leaving him in peace for the rest of the day. Our group goes it separate ways for the rest of the day, with my mum I go and explore downtown Atlanta before finding a good seat to observe the various costumes on display for a couple of hours. Finally we go to the film festival and sit in on a couple of movies, one of which is about Lucifer and angels on Earth, hoping they were going to show Fracture again but when that didn’t come about and having found Eljay and Nick, we decide to head down into the convention center and attend a book reading by Keith R A Decandido (KRAD for short).

I was aware of KRAD from being a member of a message board so it was more curiosity and having read a couple of his books that made me inclined to sit in on the reading and I’m really glad I did. He read from two upcoming books, a Star Trek Klingon book and a CSI New York book, both of which he brought to life in his reading and provided just over an hours worth of entertainment – enough to make me inclined to buy the books when they are available, wanting to know what happens! Having not seen Pat or Tony since the morning we decide to make our own way back to the hotel, and after invading the local food store, we eat microwave delights back at the hotel before calling it a night.

Sunday 2nd September

Another early start as the Drom panel is the second on today, and there were rumours that Fracture would show again that morning first thing. We hover around the theatre but then decide we’re early enough to make a valid attempt to beat the Sorbo fans to the top of the queue, so head over to the hall and are victorious as we’re declared the first in queue! There’s a Harry Potter panel already in the hall which is packed to the rafters, so a secondary queue exists for a while of people trying to get into that one, but we wear happy smiles on seeing the first of the Sorbo fans arrive, and in return we get some interesting glares from some. I do however finally meet up with my favourite Sorbo fan, Themis who I only ever see at conventions when Kevin is near, and we chat for a while before we see the Harry Potter panel closing and suddenly it feels like 80,000 people are leaving the hall, as hundreds and hundreds of Potter dressed fans leave in an orderly fashion.

After what seems an age we are finally allowed in and we get the front row, and a few more glares to add to our collection, myself and Eljay take too much pleasure from this I must admit. We see Gordon arrive and wander around the hall and backstage for a bit, they are showing Fracture on the big screen but its soon stopped when it reaches a certain adult content bit and replaced with the normal slides. Finally Gordon wanders on stage and announces that Kevin Sorbo will not be coming down as he’s feeling tired and has a flight to catch, so it’s just him, with Lexa also missing. He sits down and begins to talk about the previous evening where he was judging the after dark costume contest, which seems to have been quite an eye opener but a lot of fun, and then he explains how he met a real life rocket scientist in the green room and spent the next three hours picking his brain before being taken to a room where they were demonstrating some cool toys.

It’s at this point that Lexa Doig arrives on stage to much applause and immediately notes how much Gordon can talk, before taking her seat. Gordon appears relieved to have the company and explains to her why he was talking so much as he continues the rocket scientist story, turns out they are both geeks! Immediately you can see how well they work together as they exchange insults and quips and it isn’t too long before someone has to mention a comment both Kevin and Gordon made in the Friday panel about the time Lexa and Gordon dated, and when Gordon said he dumped her. Immediately Gordon tries to move away but Lexa wasn’t having any of it and explains she was only 18 in a jokey way, before adding that after a while they realised they were more brother and sister in the way they kept petty arguing and so the split was mutual and they remained friends. Asked how this affected their eventual casting on Andromeda they both dismissed that there was ever any problems and like brother and sister they immediately compared their roles, with Lexa saying she got a better credit only for Gordon to get a ‘with’, but Lexa won out when she would remind Gordon who the show was named after.

They briefly spoke about how they met on the Canadian tv show ‘Video Arcade Top 10’ about fifteen years ago when they co-presented, and told a few amusing stories about the autocue and the format of the show being pretty lame. The panel was probably the funniest of the lot with both trying to outwit the other, and both giving as good as they got – when Gordon was asked by one of the con staff how he liked his coffee and he said black, you could hear Lexa mutter ‘how he likes his men’ before quickly clearing her throat! Lexa answered the question about her favourite scene in all the Andromeda episodes were the scenes in ‘Day of Judgement, Day of Wrath’ in Season Three between her, Gordon and her husband Michael Shanks, Gordon adding that their first episode in season one it was clear to see the relationship that would bloom between Lexa and Michael.

At some point in the panel Gordon pressed his hand into Lexa’s back and immediately she stood up and began to do a little dance (I forget the name, someone remind me!) and he explained that they used to do that on set, as if Harper had programmed this sub routine into Rommie. Once again the napkin document was brought out and Lexa began to read a few comments from it, before Gordon thought it would be a good idea to reveal the potty alternative episode titles the cast had for the episodes – though quickly regretting it when he realised they were probably a bit too naughty to reveal, or he couldn’t remember them, and stressed they were never done on his own shows. Whenever anyone asked Gordon about his own work, writing or directing Lexa would complain about feeding his ego.

Once again the final Andromeda panel was over too soon and as we stood up to leave I saw Gordon jump off the stage and ask about going for coffee. I wasn’t about to say no, so immediately we began to follow him among the crowds. It was quite amusing walking through the convention with Gordon, while people spoke to him or stopped him for photos. The original place we were going to eat was packed so Gordon decided to take us up to the Green Room, having got agreement to let us all in. We sat around a table in one of the back rooms and Gordon set about playing host and getting us some drinks, comments about it being like Harper’s bar were soon bounded around. We must have spoke for about half an hour, as Gordon asked about our work and where we were from, and being very complimentary about this website I should note! Gordon also shared an amusing story about Rogan and his own father that had us all laughing, it was a nice little gathering.  He then realised he was supposed to be at a photo session so asked if we wanted to walk with him to that, which again we didn’t say no to. Once we figured out where we were supposed to be heading, I showed Gordon the short cut to the other hotel via the mall and he was surprised the guests hadn’t been shown that route, and all too soon our time with Gordon was over.

After a short while we found ourselves back in the Walk of Fame, as discussed with Gordon I needed one final auto and he was as obliging as ever once we turned up. He also finally got to pose with Harper bear, which was funny and I got myself a picture with him and my mum. We had to wait a little while whilst Gordon chatted to Paul McGillion of Stargate Atlantis fame, its funny to note that seeing Paul meant I had now seen him in three seperate countries in the past three months now! (England, Germany and now America!) Not knowing if we would see Gordon the next day, he told us he had a flight out at some point, we didn’t take any chances and did a goodbye just in case.

The rest of the day was spent going around the dealers room, standing in line ‘forever’ to get Lexa Doig’s autograph (and picture with Harper bear, which she adored), watching Gordon draw her a picture at her empty desk that he then leaves on her chair for when she shows up (actually found by Michael Shanks first who's response is to shake his head and tell his wife 'look what Gordon's done'), and then I swoon over Jason Momoa (who was one of the few people in the Stargate area I hadn't seen before and I really wished I'd brought a photo for him to sign) and eating a traditional southern meal of shredded pork in buns with fries, before we finally sat in on another writers panel, again featuring KRAD, as well as Timothy Zahn and Richard Hatch to discuss how tie-in authors are not taken seriously. It was a fascinating panel and very enjoyable and once that was over we headed back to the hotel knowing the last day of the con was rapidly approaching.

Monday 3rd September

With no Andromeda panels, or any panels of note that we wanted to attend we headed straight to the Walk of Fame so Eljay could have a chance to say a proper goodbye to Gordon. She would be leaving in a few hours and it had been agreed we’d at least see if he was about. His assistant for the weekend must have known as she was quick to inform us he was due down at 10.30am, even though we hadn’t even asked or in our minds shown any indication we were looking for Gordon! We used the opportunity in the meantime to get some final autographs, I got one from Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca in Star Wars) and my mum fangirled around Erik Estrada of CHiPS fame, and also got James Marsters autograph. We then noticed Gordon had turned up so got our final goodbyes in, we had had a lot of fun at the convention and largely in part due to the generosity and time Gordon afforded us, so with goodbyes, hugs and thanks all done, we found ourselves leaving Dragoncon 2007 very happy little geeks… but not before we got to play in the elevators for a bit – too much fun oh and snap cool photos of Jason Momoa walking through the lobby with guitar on his back.