The journey continues

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Saturday's final Q&A was followed by an autograph session in which the GOHs graciously signed photos, programs, and posters and chatted with the fans. John, who is a cartoonist as well as an actor, drew little cartoons with his autographs, so now many of us possess genuine, authentic Wollner creations. He also signed his name as "The Artist formerly known as Gegenhuber."

John at the
autograph table

Fans line up
for autographs.

Marie Del Prete
is seated at
center.

Seated, Michael Duggan (left),
Kevin, and Art (back to camera)

Standing, fans Maddie, Char, Beth, Susan, A.J., and Ann

John decorates a photo

Rockmond, Kirk, Kevin, Joey, John and Marie, Jana-Marie, and Jeff and Lisa were among the guests who stayed, or returned, for the party Saturday night. It was a blast! Among the memorable happenings, John once again displayed his artistic talent by creating, with Joey's help, a sculpture from a piece of the Earth 2 cake, decorated with cheese-coating lips, veggie features, and lettuce hair. After Mr. Cakehead posed for photos, he was escorted by Joey, acting as a waiter, and presented to Marie. (What an auction item THAT would have made!)

John, Joey,
and Mr. Cakehead

On Sunday, a bus load of fans rolled up the Pacific Coast Highway, past Malibu and Zuma Beach, to "New Pacifica," a small crescent of beach where Brave New Pacifica was filmed. It looks much smaller in person. On one side, a treacherous "spider tunnel" led to another cove. Before departing, some fans drew a message in the sand, leaving the beach with its "real" name.

New Edenites at New Pacifica

a name in the sand...

Back at the hotel, we saw an early promo tape with interviews by Duggan and co-producers Carol Flint and Mark Levin. Michael described the show as a sort of Wagon Train, set 200 years in the future. Levin used the familiar phrase, "We are the aliens," and said that the Terrians and Grendlers were metaphors for Native Americans. On Sunday afternoon, the final group of GOHs - Janet Davidson, Bill Traetta, Deborah Everton, Stephen Lighthill, and Carol Bower, along with Jana-Marie and Kevin - gathered for a Q&A.

Jana-Marie, Bill, Deborah, Stephen, Janet, and Carol

Deborah brought along many wonderful costume sketches from Earth 2 and other shows she has done, including the Borg Queen from Star Trek: First Contact. Janet, an assistant director and director, said that many of her colleagues didn't know what to expect from the location, but she lives in Santa Fe, so she was prepared for torrential rain, lightning ("We were the tallest things"), and other hazards. Most fans agree that the stunning photography is one of the show's attractions. Stephen, the elegant-looking director of photography, said that the difference between television and theatrical filming is "time and money. A film can go overtime. A show can't get too far behind." Janet echoed many of the GOHs in saying that Earth 2 was the "toughest show any of us had to do...we were crying every night," but yet it was very special. She speculated that Earth 2 could only have succeeded if Seaquest had not existed. The Earth 2 concept originated at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television. Spielberg, apparently, had to choose which show to support...and Earth 2 was not the one. The Q&A took a serious turn when Janet brought up the "war" between Canada and Hollywood and the financial incentives offered by Canada to draw the film and television industry away from the United States. Stephen backed her up, urging members of the audience to get in touch with legislators and seek legislation to offer comparable rebates in this country. The United States is losing billions worth of production money, he said.

Kevin displays
his Emmy

Kevin came back bringing his two beautiful children, a box full of memorabilia, and the Emmy he won for Special Effects. The technical portion of the Emmy presentations is not televised, but he had the award presentation on tape, and he shared that happy moment with us. He described how it feels to be a nominee, particularly up against such heavy hitters as Babylon 5 and Star Trek. He said that when he heard the wonderful Earth 2 theme played, "I lost it."

Until next time...click HERE