Buff, NY That's a wrap!

I'm back in the apartment not wanting to unpack, so I hopped on the computer to steal L&J's duty I'm getting ready to upload pictures, so I'll have a more complete post in a little while.

 

Cannot wait to see all the pix! I'm sure you had a great weekend... we are all SO JEALOUS! If one more person asks me "How come you're not in LA?" or "what are you doing here and not in LA?" I was going to scream. Well, atleast we can live vicariously through you and L&J.

 

While you wait for pictures and post...

Well, it's finally over.

Ooops. Seems we skipped a day.

Sunday was pretty much more of the same. Another stab, and another partial success at Gentle Giant, spent more time with Garrick and Liza, and we actually went to a panel. The preview of the new CLONE WARS, which ran 3 back-to-back sessions. Like previous celebrations, they imported a full size theatrical digital projector and THX sound system. We saw a few pre-production videos, including one where we met the entire staff of Lucas Animation as the supervising director took us on a tour of the facilities. He even barged in on George in a meeting. This gentleman had been hired from AVATAR, is a fan just like us, with many humorous stories about getting this position at Lucasfilm and designing this new series, which is set in the same era as the Cartoon Network series. They couldn't say much more about the series, which as of now has completed roughly 9 episodes, except that it is set to premiere in the Fall of 2008. After much pleading and begging, George approved a short montage to be shown at the con.
What we saw was stunning!!
It's modeled somewhere between "photo-real" and the original animated series, stylized with a nod to anime. The ships and movements are beautifully detailed and textured. There was a sequence of Mace Windu leaping from STAP to STAP in flight, dismembering droids on each stop, Assaj using the Force on a Clone Trooper to find Anakin, Mace Windu squaring off against Dooku, and glimpses of Anakin and Obi-Wan. The audience response was overwhelming, so they showed it again, then as we left we got a CLONE WARS poster (one per person, sorry).
Garrick and Liza had been invited to the Master Replicas party at Henson Studios, but wisely declined. They heard it was massively oversold and VERY COLD.

Monday was even stranger at C4 than imagineable. Very sparse crowds, again, and as we mailed packages home at the Post Office set-up in the con, we were across from the Celebration store, where EVERYTHING except action figures was 50% off!! Exclusive action figures were still full price but now unlimited quantities. Yup, that $100 Chewie jacket we bought was now $50. Grrrr. We were told in line that the decision had been made THAT MORNING because sales con-wide had been so sprase the previous days. This was borne out by the other stars in the autograph section as we sat with Garrick and Liza. Over-all, everyone had not done as well as previous Celebrations, including the dealers, of whom there were many less than before, too.

So...
What have we learned, children?
Timing and location are everything. C4 was the first Celebration held on the actual weekend anniversary date. That made the previously successful venue of Indianapolis unavailable. That, combined with the expense of travel and lodgings and food, made C4 harder for most to do on this date in this place. It was, in short, nothing less than a chain of circumstances which fragment the laws that hold the Universe together. (Extra points if you can name the speaker of the original line.) We can only hope that the Jedi Council will take note of, and not repeat these same circumstances in the future. There were already rumblings of C5, most likely in 2010 for the Empire 30th Anniversary. 10 Years of PHANTOM MENACE is too soon for a Celebration on 2009.

Will they learn from their mistakes?
Will the "lost footage" ever be found?
And what about those bar wenches, anyway?

More Disney and Pirates tomorrow.
Maybe.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress.

 

When we finally got a chance to explore the Fan area, Janice saw the Travelling Luke exhibit. Our Buffalo R2 mailbox was proudly displayed with him. She talked to the people at the table and signed us in.

 

Alrighty, picture time!

Enough Orange to make Gil cry
[image=http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/legomania5/Celebration%20IV/Friday/DSC00199.jpg]

Wait a minute...
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/001.jpg]

... That's more like it!
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/002.jpg]

At opening ceremonies...
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/027.jpg]


...Everyone got cake!
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/037.jpg]

Don't worry, I gave the keys to my X-Wing to someone else
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/045.jpg]

Clone Wars representation
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/054.jpg]

Took a quick side trip to NYC...
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/140.jpg]

And I'll finish up here with the swag
[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/156.jpg]



Check out the rest of my pictures here.

 

Wow what a great time I got back earlier and am totally spent. I will post all the fun later tomorrow.

 

Ditto Gil.

Great pictures Marty! Like the pilot!

 

We can only hope that they have learned! I couldn't see it being as well attended as C3. Oh well, if they don't learn, atleast we have 3 years to wait and save....

 

I just got back today (on the bus) from Celebration 4.

I feel the same way as I did coming back from Celebration 3. Like there's nothing exciting or important to do, like I lost a girlfriend or something. I'm sure it'll pass in a couple weeks.

Every performance I saw was 110%, and I am more than happy with going, especially with Anthony Daniels, but CIII around a movie release was bigger. It was still absolutely great.

I got absolutely zero on Indiana Jones. But I did see the full (over) rough cut of Pink 6, which shouldn't be out till next year. That has to count for something.

 

Nice pics Marty

 

Look ma, I'm famous! (grabbed this from Kenny's album)

[image=http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x203/RogueSolo/Celebration%20IV/158.jpg]

 

As usual, Kenny gets all the ladies! What were you taking a picture of Marty?

 

What an angle to get Marty! Attaboy!!

 

It's not like I included it in my photobucket gallery or anything...