American Fandom 3

One cannot talk about American Fandom without the Conventions.

But first a quote I found from a University of Wisconsin website: “American television can’t fathom whimsy“.

Too right. 🙂

I started, as has been mentioned back in the Midwest but didn’t hit the real convention circuit until Gallifrey One (“Gally”), now the largest Doctor Who Convention.

But it wasn’t always so. I started out when it was just a few hundred fans in much smaller hotels, most often back then The Airtel Hotel @ The Van Nuys Airport.

If you can find a copy, check out Mark Strickson’s “An Englishman at Gallifrey” which was filmed at the 2001 Gallifrey convention.

And I know there is a convention in November in Chicago now, ChicagoTARDIS, but I have never been.

To start with, Ed Stradling of BBC Worldwide did this video at Gally this year and it’s magnificent:

AT 3,200 people it’s still feels like a smaller con because it’s run by the fans for the fans. Largely the same ones who started Gally as Teenagers (and older) are still doing it as 40-somethings (and older).

Me and William Russell (2011) – “Ian Chesterton” at a Brunch where you can mingle with the guests and they mingle with you.

Try that at a Creation Con or San Diego… 🙂

I would love to share some of my videos, but WordPress says the format is incompatible, 😦

And there is also a tradition at Gally, Ribbons…

Tommy Knight (“Luke Smith” Sarah Jane Adventures) created a Kilt of Ribbons (124) when he attended the Con.

I personally have never gotten very many of them. I am more interested in the panels and can send a whole day in the main room. That’s what I am there for. I want to see the people who star in WHO, who work on it, who write it, who produce and direct it. I’m here to see them.

Gallifrey is always a highlight. It contains everything I’d every want in Convention.

Hanging out for a weekend with 3,000 people who are just as geek loved out as me, what could be finer.

So I am not have grown up with Doctor from the age of 6, but I did grow up with it from the age of 20. 🙂

Tor.com put it well: Here’s the thing to remember about Gallifrey One: at its heart, it’s essentially a convention run for fans, by fans, with a certain “hey kids, let’s put on a show!” vibe that still hasn’t gone away—despite the fact that the show now completely takes over the LAX Marriott for the duration. It’s not usually the kind of convention where the show-changing, life-altering announcements are made; even with 3200 attendees, it’s still a big, cozy fan party.

And that’s why I like it.