22 February 2013 - 15:59
From the program:
From the covers of major magazines like TV Guide to news media coverage to ‘event television’, the Doctor is everywhere these days. Now that the show’s back on the air, there’s been an entire new generation of Doctor Who fans brought into the fold. For those of you who have joined fandom with the new show: what has attracted you and made it your favorite? And for those of you from ages past: how do you cope with the sudden influx of fans who just can’t get enough? This panel will explore the cross-generational divide, and come to consensus about how possible (and realistic) it is to be a fan of the entire 50 year saga.
Steve Hill, Marcia Franklin, Derek Kompare, Kristen Roach, and Steve Traylen lead the discussion, including what good entry episodes are for the classic series, and how they all entered the program themselves. A surprisingly large amount of the audience had never seen any classic series Doctor Who before… read more
20 February 2013 - 10:06
Wiped!
One of my absolute favorite texts on Doctor Who is Wiped! Doctor Who‘s Missing Episodes by Richard Molesworth. In it Molesworth goes through great lengths to address, dissect, and illuminate the phenomenon of Doctor Who‘s missing episodes. There really is no rhyme or reason as to why certain episodes are missing, but there are factors that may have resulted in certain eras (particularly the late 60s) suffering the worst. Videotape was frequently reused by the BBC to save money, tapes were not saved unless a request was made (it was not standard practice to save anything), and Terry Nation’s push in the UK and US to have a Dalek franchise all contributed in one way or another into the retention of Doctor Who‘s stories. This seems strange to us, as we now live in a media-dominated age where nearly anything we want is at our disposal digitally.
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19 February 2013 - 09:38
The 24 Hours of Gallifrey One have come and gone and so begins a series of posts that reflect on this year’s convention. It was bigger than ever, with nearly 3600 attendees, a slew of amazing guests, and some of the most innovative and fun costumes yet.
I’m relatively new to Vine, but nevertheless found it very fun to use for capturing the dynamic nature of this year’s cosplaying. Still pictures are great, but sometimes seeing the costumes and cosplayers in action helps really give them substance and character.
My first go was to capture some of the TARDIS 2 building (I held stuff, so helpful!). Here, Tara and friends are putting the top on the TARDIS:
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6 February 2013 - 09:55
There were no big announcements, no mass-sent emails, to announce the panels and presenters for this year’s Gallifrey One. At least not for us, probably because Shaun Lyon, event planner extraordinaire and mastermind behind the convention, had already penciled our group of passionate music discussers in for this panel:
The Sound of Drums: What part does music play in our enjoyment of a Doctor Who serial? Would “City of Death” feel the same if it didn’t have that beautiful Paris theme? Would the emotional impact of the Doctor’s treatment of Martha in “Human Nature” feel lessened without that melodious music behind it? And let’s face it, without the classic Doctor Who strings at the start of an episode, would it feel like Doctor Who? Our panelists, who for the past two years have given us terrific analysis of specific bits of Doctor Who music in classic and new series installments, return to discuss the impact it’s had on the narrative, on our enjoyment, and on the series’ long legacy. (Sunday 12:30pm Program D – CJ DeAngelus, Emily Kausalik, Kelby LeNorman, Mick Schubert, Ramie Tateishi)
CJ, Ramie, Mick, and myself have done music panels the past two years at Gallifrey One and they were both terrific! This year I’ll try not to blab so much, seeing as we have 50 years of television to cover! The four of us have been emailing back and forth for the past few weeks, brainstorming and coming up with clips and episodes to discuss. This year we’re welcoming in a fifth panelist, Kelby LeNorman.
Any serials you’d like to hear more about? Any episodes you are passionate about that we should include in our discussion? Leave a comment below and we’ll consider them for the panel!
And I hope to see you all there, Program D, at the LAX Marriott on Sunday for Gallifrey One!
3 February 2013 - 09:00
The Ravelers of Rassilon, 2010
Okay folks, let the planning commence!
This year at Gallifrey One I am offering free, very quick/basic introductions to knitting and crochet. I hope to offer it 2-3 times over the course of the weekend, allowing folks an opportunity to attend depending on their schedules. This is a bit of an experiment, so I’m not sure how many people will show up (hopefully not too many all at once!) or who will be helping me teach (though I have gotten offers through Twitter…folks, comment here or message me with the contact form so I can get in touch!).
The first session is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14th, at 6pm PST in the lobby of the LAX Marriott where the Gallifrey One convention is being held. Materials are NOT provided. You must supply your own yarn and needles/hook to learn. Sorry, but I think TSA would hold me captive if I tried to fly with a billion knitting needles and skeins of yarn. Think about it this way: the instruction is free! And any new skill does take a small investment…
Knit 101 (Image Credit: VOGUE)
Required materials to KNIT:
- a set of US10/6mm straight knitting needles, like these
- 90-100 yards of smooth/round or smooth/flat worsted weight (#4) cotton IN A SOLID COLOR, LIGHT COLOR. Recommendations: Classic Elite Katydid, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, Berroco Comfort Worsted (not cotton, acrylic), Tahki Good Earth Cotton
- a copy of TNNA’s How to Knit pamphlet or Lion Brand’s Learn to Knit PDF, printed out or on a Tablet (Kindle/iPad/etc.)
Crochet 101 (Image Credit: VOGUE)
Required materials to CROCHET:
- one USJ/6mm crochet hook, like this
- 80-100 yards of chunky weight (#5) wool or wool blend IN A SOLID, LIGHT COLOR. Recommendations: Lamb’s Pride Bulky (my personal favorite learning yarn for crochet), Lion Brand Wool-Easy Chunky (a wool/acrylic blend), Berroco Vintage Chunky (a wool/acrylic/nylon blend). If you have a wool allergy, any of the above cottons under “Required Materials to Knit” will work okay.
- a copy of TNNA’s How to Crochet pamphlet or Lion Brand’s Learn to Crochet PDF, printed out or on a tablet (Kindle/iPad/etc.)
Recommendations/Tips:
- Find a local yarn shop in your area to help you pick out materials. I am a big advocate for shopping locally. If you do not have a yarn shop in your area, a Michaels or Joann Fabrics should suffice.
- Pick solid color, light colored yarn. Variegated and dark yarns can be very pretty, but can make looking for your stitches when you’re learning very hard. Especially in the lobby that does not always have the brightest lighting.
- Come prepared and try your best to be patient. Drink some tea and take a few deep breaths before we begin. Learning new skills can be frustrating sometimes, especially as we all get older.
Stay tuned for more times to learn, and be ready to dedicate approximately two hours to learning the basics of these crafts.
If you’re planning on attending, please comment below so I have an idea of how many people to expect!
