Shan writes...

REFLECTIONS ON GATHERING 2001
By Shannon (Shan) Muir

I'm a first-time Gathering attendee who played the roles of both attendee and panelist, who also lived locally and didn't stay in a hotel, hoping I can give some kind of useful perspective to Greg and others. I also tend to ramble and like asides, hopefully I've kept both to a minimum.

FRIDAY
My boyfriend Kevin Paul Shaw Broden and I showed up around 11 Friday. Everyone was gathered around a large screen TV opposite the registration desk watching "Enter Macbeth," though I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't recognize it at first. Hadn't seen GARGOYLES on anything larger than maybe a 15" inch screen to that point. (I've only been a real fan since 2000, though I saw a smattering of episodes before then, too busy in college). Anyway, we got our tags and gorgeous shirts and, social butterflies we are (not!), took the tram to CityWalk for a meal instead of meeting people. Grabbed a brunch at Jerry's Deli.

We didn't attend either of the noon panels. Mainly because Kevin knew I wanted to audition for the radio play and we didn't want to rudely leave in the middle of the contest readings, which is where we would have gone. So that's when we scoped out the Dealers' Room and I briefly chatted with Tim Morgan. Saw Christine's books but didn't pick them up (all three) until later that day. That was all I bought, frankly I could barely afford to come to the Gathering and the banquet. Then right at 1:30 I was one of the first six in line for the auditions. Came in to see Greg and Thom (who I'd met when taking a screenwriting class from Greg at UCLA), and also Jordan who was new to me. Took a shot at Elisa, mainly because it was the new "side" to me. We'd done mock auditions in the class and I had done Demona, and frankly - sorry Greg - I've never liked the Angela "side." Elisa's "side" hadn't been a choice then. But mic-trained me got too much into what I was doing and forgot to project at one point. In the end I wasn't cast, but at least I got to try the experience again with new material.

Having gotten out much earlier than planned, I picked up Christine's books and then we went to Meredith Patterson's 3PM reading. Very good but also very graphic, a little above my poor weak tolerance level (I can't, sadly, watch 3x3 EYES either for similar reasons. It sucks.). Meredith noticed, but took it all in stride - it means she did an effective job, so that's a compliment! Afterwards, I introduced myself and Meredith escorted Kevin and I to the Con Suite where we met the Wittenbergs, Wingless, and some others whose names I didn't catch. After Greg, Thom, and Jordan arrived to discuss casting, we left and eventually had a light dinner of pizza.

Got back in time to see the Opening Ceremonies, actually a little earlier. Talked briefly to my friend Monique Beatty - we used to work together at Sony Animation - and she introduced me to Tuppence McIntyre, the Deputy DA who had helped Greg with his Scottish research. I'm really glad Tuppence in particular took the time to come out. Monique introduced Kevin to Tuppence as Kevin Paul Shaw Broden, then looked at his name tag and saw only the "Kevin Broden." It was just a funny moment as everyone who knows him in the industry knows him as "the man with too many names," as one fairly well known writer dubbed him. Gathering Staff, no worries, we figure it was just the software limitations even though he put all four names. Heck, ComiCon always files him under Shaw, thinking he has two last names.

At Opening Ceremonies, I recognized most of the folks, but it was neat getting to see many of the voice actors for the first time (especially Bill Faggerbake; he voiced Alan on the JUMANJI series I worked on and I always wondered what he was like in person). I'd previously seen most of the tapes Greg showed in our class, but the GARGOYLES "preview reel", as were the pitches for the spinoffs (which was the most fun tape of the evening, BTW). The BAD GUYS leica reel made far more sense, since I didn't really those characters the first time I saw it. It like an "OK" action-adventure series on the surface with lots of potential before, but now that I understand who the characters are, it's really fun.

Kevin and I bailed for the evening after that. Not that events like "MYST"ing GARGOYLES wouldn't have been interesting, but I needed to grab something for dinner at that point rather desperately and it was easier just to call it a night and hit the Carl's Jer. a block from my apartment.

So Kevin dropped me off and headed home to Fullerton. (He didn't crash at my place overnight for complicated reasons outside of the scope of this journal… though it would have arguably been easier if he could have!)