See you at Milliways!

I felt delighted today to discover that I might finally get to meet up with my friend Mick again. He always claimed to have met two time travellers (and I believed him) but when he died (or at least left this plane) back in 1994 I missed him terribly...Especially as we had made no arrangements to meet up. Still, he and I seemed pretty good at synchronicity and serendipity, so finally I came across these space/time co-ordinates.

The Time Traveler Convention
May 7, 2005, 10:00pm EDT (08 May 2005 02:00:00 UTC)(events start at 8:00pm)
East Campus Courtyard, MIT3 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02142
42:21:36.025°N, 71:05:16.332°W(42.360007,-071.087870 in decimal degrees)

Time Traveller Convention

Technically you would only need one time traveller convention

I know this says May 7th, but, strictly speaking, you haven't missed it. They would also ask that you publicise this for people who may yet become time travellers (the tenses get difficult here) - by getting the co-ordinates published, and the event into oral history...

Sue's Diary of C3

If you want to know what it was really like for people visiting Celebration 3, I can only recommend reading Sue Hooven's Diary - that'll give you an idea.

Hi Sue and Scott! Sorry we never got to have a cup of coffee or a little time together...

I just found the detailed pictures of the Origami Jabba process...that was real fun, and I am glad Dave and I squeezed in a moment to go do one fold! The main site is here, and the Jabba sequence is here.

Origami Jabba lorded it over the Saturday night party, but after Dave and I took our picture with him we retreated (I had lost my voice after the Thursday opening night show - shouting over the band while waiting backstage) - and then gone out with the 501s on Friday (and later with Jens and his buddy) and the combination of jetlag, no food, and too much wine meant I looked a bit rough on Saturday morning! By Saturday night I had turned professional again, and had a quiet night, ready for Sunday.

Return of Pink Five

I found this blog today, about Amy and Trey's visit to C3, it made me laugh...

"We're here to say hello to a couple of autograph signers that we happen to know. First stop is Dave Barclay, a fellow puppeteer I'd recently worked with on Team America. Back in the day he was a lead puppeteer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi. I'm impressed by the number of folks who are willing to pay for the autograph of the guy who played the role of Jabba's left arm."

My role reminds me of Churchill's retort, when told some fellow politician was at least humble...

"He's got a lot to be humble about!"

"One of the better, cheaper acts"

You could describe Magic as my first love. The fact that I have a love/hate relationship with it now doesn't really change things. You'll hardly ever get me to do a trick. I still spend quite a lot of money on books and gizmos. I just love the subtlety of the art. One of my favourite acts (seen live once, and also on tv) used the slogan "One of the better, cheaper acts" in his publicity - a self-deprecating phrase that could only fit a real Grand Master. Dean of the Society of American Magicians, Jay Marshall, died on May 10, 2005, at age 85. I saw him dominate a huge theatre using just a white glove on his left hand - Lefty - a wonderful variation on the usual Vent Act - and unusual in that the puppet's voice had a deeper tone than the performer's...I never stole the line for publicity purposes, but I used it as a throwaway line about my own act, occasionally. I hoped he'd forgive me. Watching him onstage made me want to do something, so apparently simple and effective, to brighten up people's lives.

One time, as the story goes, he asked a young fan what he wanted to do when he grew up, and the boy replied "Be a magician!" "Son," Jay replied, "you can't do both."

Unfortunately, I finally grew up.

Jay Marshall and Lefty

Click pic to see larger

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

Here's a really nice story - just to show you the mutual affection that I felt from fans at Celebration 3 - money doesn't have to be the Focus of Fun.

Creature Cantina

This Creature Cantina diary may give you some idea of the kind of event I just attended. Go look at just one person's diary of the hectic days in Indy.

Click pic to see larger

T'Bone Rocks!

Among the faces I finally got to meet (having done an online interview in Spring 2004, entirely through emails) - here's T'Bone - you can easily find his Universe here at www.starwarz.com

I was only sorry we didn't get much time to really talk. That's kind of how it was all the time (probably for him, too) - and so, back to emails!

Click pic to see larger

Origami Jabba

I thought they were joking when they told me some people would be making a lifesize origami Jabba...

But Chris Alexander from Star Wars Origami made him real. I'd like to know how to fold him, so if anyone wants to help Chris publish his designs, contact him through his website. Oh, and I am glad to say that Jabba got auctioned to raise money for the Koret Family House.
Click pic to see larger

Meeting Elvis

I used to think "Who'd wannabe a storm trooper?" I figured them for clones, just designed to get shot by heroes. And then I met Elvis the StormTrooper. Here's his website.

Click pic to see larger