Just returned from “Shore Leave,” a fan-run Trek convention in Maryland at which I’m pretty much a regular.
Now Shore Leave has had any number of big name stars in attendance over the years, but I have *never* seen anything as what I experienced with the advent of James Marsters, “Spike” on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” It was the equivalent of a rock star having arrived. Hundreds of fans who had never set foot at a convention turned up carrying with them an aura of pure teenybopperism. They just wanted to touch him, or were barely able to get a word out upon coming face to face with him, or reduced to inarticulate sobbing. It was astounding to watch.
On the other hand, they all seemed ready, willing and able to learn about other facets of fandom. Many of them arrived in the main speaker’s room first thing in the morning so as to have seats for Marster’s talk at 3 PM. But it wasn’t as if they spent five hours pounding the floor shouting, “Bring On Spike!” Instead they listened to all the speakers and were eager and willing participants in just about everything. And fandom is desperately in need of (no pun intended) new blood. Yes, the crowds were tough to bear at times, but if thirty, forty percent of the people who came this year show up next year, that’s all to the good and worth a bit of inconvenience for a year.
As for Marsters himself, the fans found him everything they could have hoped for. Patient, attentive, signing for HOURS at a time, and really obviously enjoying interacting with the fans. My understanding is that Whedon has been mounting a major Emmy push for Marsters. Considering the abysmal track record and inattention historically accorded any fantasy/horror or SF series (how the HÊLL could Andreas Katsulas never have been nominated for G’Kar?) I’m not holding out much hope, but it’d be nice to be surprised.
PAD
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Oooh, now here’s a subject I’m very familiar with. I didn’t make it to Shore Leave, but I’m one of those many girls who mobs poor Marsters at such events. I even run a site that’s exclusively about fan encounters with him, “James Addiction” (http://www.webslayer.net/wolfen/jamesaddiction.html, plug-plug).
I’ve met him four times, and he’s been a delight every time–and so have the fans! They’re a wide variety of people and tastes to be certain, but for the most part very kind, polite, helpful, and enthusiatic. I tell people I go to see him on Tart business (I write the Buffy Bites column, more plug-plug), but really, it’s because these events are always a blast. Most of the fun is just talking with people! His fans are a very tight-knit bunch– he may be what we rally around, but it’s more of an excuse to meet interesting people (I belong to a LOT of Marsters and Buffy-related message boards). Well, that and drool without being institutionalised. Sadly though, he’s so popular now that it’s impossib;e to have the kind of encounter with him one used to– there’s just no time.
That being said, if I’d made it to Shore Leave, I definitley would have taken time out of mingling with Buffy fans to see PAD, since I’ve been a fan of his longer and never gotten to meet him! ^_^ (No, I’m not sucking up. Well, ok, I am, but it’s still true, so there :P)
Anyway, I do think PAD has a point– Buffy, and Marsters in particular, has drawn a new audience to the conventions. But I think that may actually annoy people who come for the convention its;ef, having to fight past the mobs. Still, it’s not like the Buffy fans only come for him–you have to kill time looking around before they let ya line up. People wander, get exposed to new things, find stuff from their childhood they forgot about, and get to see fandom from the inside. Maybe they were once the type to make fun of that sort of thing, but now they are supporting it monetarily, and hopefully coming away with more tolerance. Maybe this will mean less “geeks” will have such a hard time of it in school …
While I’m glad to see the influx of newbies into sf fandom (I wasn’t aware it was as much in need of them as comics fandom obviously is), I have my trepidations about their acceptance. It’s been my experience that sf fandom seems more accepting of new folks than comics fandom (particularly if you’re female), but if there’s still an air of “what’s SHE doing at MY convention?” that might spell trouble in terms of breaking through self-imposed insularity. I hope I’m wrong!
Ah, now that explains the massive amounts of crowds at Shore Leave on Saturday! I’m not a Buffy regular so I didn’t pay much attention to the Marsters appearance (a friend, however, translated his appearance for the deaf, so I’m sure I’ll hear more about the visit) — I’d hoped to meet John Billingsley, but alas he was unable to attend.
Ah, Fandom. 🙂
In my experience here in the midwest (Minneapolis, specifically), comic book fandom has become more and more accepting of “new folks.” At the last convention there were a lot of first-time convention goers wandering around and asking questions of the “regulars,” chatting with the artists and generally trying to figure out how the whole thing worked.
I was very excited to see that the ratio of males to females was equalizing as well . . . where there used to be about 70% men to 30% women, the last couple of conventions have been closer to 60%/40%.
Is there still room for improvement? Oh yeah. Are some comic fans still territorial? Oh yeah. But overall, I think the lines between sci-fi fandom and comic fandom have been fading, at least in my neck of the woods.
My two cents,
Derek
It was quite amazing. I thought it was handled very well. I have some comments on Tony Isabella’s bboard about it. I had loads of fun, as did my 10 year old daughter. All the guests were great. Mystery Trekkie 3000 was great again. I didn’t actually take any numbers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all the James Marsters fans made the ratio more females than males at Shore Leave this year.
I think just one other guy besides myself was able to ask a question on Sunday. There were about 20 questions.
Neil
I would have loved to have been there, but upon seeing such lines, I probably would have lived w/o a Marster’s autograph.
And, yeah, an Emmy isn’t likely, but *we* know how good he is. Of course, Katsulas could act rings around him.
Oh, and speaking of Tony Isabella (as Neil was), check out his Tony Polls this week for an Atlantis Chronicles question!
http://www.famousdesigns.com/wfcomics/tony/tonypoll.cgi?start
Elayne,
I can only speak for myself, but back in the dark ages when I used to go to things like conventions, I was psyched to see real, live females. Often, I wasn’t sure whether to have Chris Claremont sign my X-Men or have some random female convention attendee sign my Dazzlers.
Okay, so, I was a weird kid…
hey just wanted to say that i was one of the new mob at Shore Leave just to see James Marsters (and woo hoo i had fun!!!). i *have* been to Trek con’s before, though, so the whole experience itself wasn’t new to me. i know other Buffy fans who are Sci Fi fans as well. the mythology on the show is a lot like the space exploration mythology: new creatures with different customs, anatomical oddities and personality characteristics. common human themes are explored through interactions with these creatures much like they are in space-centered sci fi, so i think you’ll find a lot of the same people attracted to both types of show.
anyhoot, thanks for the positive review of JM and his adoring fans. i may be back next year–pleasant surprise to see Nana Visitor on the guest list! what a classy lady.
thanks!
~Urs :p
As you say it was a great show and mostly the Buffy/Trek fans got on well apart from a few minor clashes.
I’ve just posted a convention report (which incidentally you feature in heavily Peter) at http://www.sflare.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=93&mode=flat&order=0&thold=0 (catchy url huh?) if anyone is interested.
Eoghann, good writeup I was surprised to read that some people had started lining up at 4 AM Sunday. I guess they really wanted those prime seats. We arrived just before 10 AM on Sunday and managed to get into the last row of the room which was good enought for us.
Imagine what would have happened if they weren’t doing the autograph line by numbers. When I first went to Shore Leave that’s what happened and people basically had a choice of either seeing the presentations in person or getting an autograph.
Neil
I was one that stood in line at 8 am and got front row seat for JM on Saturday. I loved all the panels – Jason and Richard were the absolute BEST (I have to admit – more entertaining than James) but JM was the highlight. My other highlight was meeting you Peter. You have been on the TV credits and books of my favorite episodes and books. YOU ROCK!! This was my FIRST CON – and now def. not my last. Will def sign up for next SL whoever comes.
As for women to men – I think it was 95% women – 5% men at this con due to Mr. Marsters.
It was a pleasure meeting you and next time I am bringing my favorite books (of yours) from home to get your autograph!!
You will probably get a lot more hits (for this page at least!) – your featured under the Jamesmarsters.com message board under other guests – I thought that was great that you were mentioned with this link! Also complimentary comments too.
Earmarked your blog – this is wonderful!
Crunch
What a lot of wonderful things you’ve said here! As a Marsters fan, I truly appreciate the compliments towards us; there were times when I really thought things were gonna get a bit hairy there at Shore Leave but somehow we managed to get it all back together and keep it under control. Hard though that was when the man was standing right there!
I’ve been to and worked at cons before, sci-fi and music, and what has always struck me as amazing and wonderful is the absolute acceptance of everyone there by everyone else, regardless of what people look like, where they’re from, their favourite genre, their gender, or whatever. Yeah, we Buffy folk sorta took over SL and I know that ruffled a few feathers, I’ll acknowledge that…but it just could have been so much WORSE than it was, I think!
Thank you, sir!
Hi there,
As someone who couldn’t make it to ShoreLeave, but a Con newbie nonetheless, (SFX) I’d just like to add my 2 cents worth. Firstly I was a Sci-Fi fan long before I was a James or Buffy fan. Also a fan of comics (though us girls sometimes get funny looks from the guys who think comic shops are their territory!). I became a James Marsters fan after seeing him in Northern Exposure and Millennium. I could not for the life of me understand how the programme makers could not see what a talent they had on their hands.
hi, i am a big peter david fan & a james fan so i really wish i could have gone to shoreleave, thank you for letting us know how it went. thats all i have to say from dresden.
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