Richard Hatch thread at Ship of Lights board

Gemini1999 · August 15th, 2005, 12:27 PM

Hey folks -

I was cruising Tom's "Ship of Lights" forum and I found an interesting article regarding Richard's decision to work on the new series. To be honest, I didn't know where to put it, but it was in the TOS forum over at SOL, so I'm putting the link in the same venue here. Here's the link:

http://battlestargalactica-forum.com...7&page=1&pp=20

The most interesting post is one made my Rowan - she apparently had a conversation with Richard about why he chose to work on the new series. JUst from my standpoint, I know that there were a lot of factors as to why Galacticon wasn't a runaway success, but I was one of those people that could have gone, but didn't. Probably one of the biggest mistakes in my life... When the con DVDs and the posters, t-shirts became available, I did my bit and bought the items I wanted and felt better for making some kind of contribution to the con.

I have to tell you, I felt so bad after I read that post by Rowan - about how Richard felt and what it did to him personally and professionally. I know that I was just one person, but if there were others out there like me that had the money and time to go, but didn't because it was hard to justify the expenditure, that really adds up. Maybe more could have been done and it's too late now, but I couldn't help wonder if that was our chance to prove something to Universal and the execs when it comes to the viability of a continuation project.

By the way, I really just wanted to put up the link to voice my feelings on this and maybe to let other people in on it and possibly talk about it. If you want to discuss the subject, just don't let the thread degrade into "why I don't support Richard" threads. we've heard it all a few times by now and we really don't need to revisit it again.

Best regards,
Bryan

mikedx · August 15th, 2005, 01:07 PM

I have to agree with Julix that I didn't know anything about it. Other's have said that it was advertised on the forums, but if so, I didn't see it.

The problem is that there is no one way to get out to all the fans. I don't have an answer to that.

I used to go to battlestargalactica.com back in the day to get on the con info. Unfortunately, it didn't always have all the info. Which I've talked to Warrior before. As he explained, you can only post what you hear about. There still isn't one end all be all con website to tell you everything that is going on. But I digress...

On the bright side, I heard that there was a huge turnout in Birmingham. Can someone else confirm attendance figures? I wonder if it was mostly because of the Galactica actors.

One thing is for sure. If it was succesful enough, they'll be bringing them to the states.

Can someone provide a guest list for the 2003 Galacticon? I'd be interested and perhaps sad to see what I missed out on.

Mike

shugotenshi · August 15th, 2005, 01:29 PM

I already made a minor comment over there.

But to revisit the issue, I'd like to restate that I never heard of the con till recently. I wonder if there was any advertising outside of the bsg forums?

I have six gaming shops in my area that been around since the early nineties that are pretty good at getting information on up coming cons across the country. They didn't have information about that con.

I also read magazines that are scifi related and don't recall seeing any advertisement about the con in any of those magazines.

I would've liked it if they had created a website called galacticon 2003 and sent fliers across the country to every place that usually advertises conventions (gaming shops are one of the places) in the various major cities. Plus advertisements in major magazines would've been nice.

A cheaper location would've also help this con...

Titon · August 15th, 2005, 01:30 PM

Love the start of the thread.

Why Richard became a Moore supporter??

jewels · August 15th, 2005, 02:12 PM

Shugo, all I can tell you is that the marketing was only on the net and the ones that were planning that part of it were facing some major illnesses that year. I don't think it went to their plan. Advertising in magazines, etc. is very expensive and there was no budget for that.

And everything Tracy said at SOL was true. A lot of it due to an utter lack of communication.

Jewels

Darrell Lawrence · August 15th, 2005, 03:30 PM

I could tell just as many behind the scenes stories as jewels regarding the promotion/organizing of Galacticon (I was Richard's webmaster at the time, and jewels was helping directly on a lot of the Galacticon web presence stuff).

Thing is, if we told some of the horror stories behind what was going on, one HELL of a fight would start here on the forums.

Somethings are best left private.

The only thing I will say is this, and this is in regards to Richard directly- He personally did everything he could to make it work out. It was a lot of his "help" that caused most of the problems.

Richard was very disappointed, and rightly so, for how it turned out. But he moved on. Rehashing old stuff like that just opens old wounds.

Gemini1999 · August 15th, 2005, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warrior

I could tell just as many behind the scenes stories as jewels regarding the promotion/organizing of Galacticon (I was Richard's webmaster at teh time, and jewels was helping directly on a lot of the Galacticon web presence stuff).

Darrell -

From what I remember, the internet site for Galacticon was terrific and I remember heavy promotion on all the major BSG websites. Just speaking for myself, I knew about the con in plenty of time, but being practical minded when it comes to money, I wimped out on going - like I said, one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. When I saw the con DVD, I felt like I had been there, but was missing out on all the fun stuff going on outside of the presentations that were part of the DVD.

Just listening to Tom De Santo talk about his version of Galactica on the recent audio interview makes me wish I had seen him talk about it in person and got a look at the slide show that went with the presentation even though, by then, the DeSanto/Singer show concept was long gone where Uni was concerned.

I know that Richard must feel a bit better about recent appearances like the con in England over this past weekend and the June 2005 Creation BSG con, but those weren't his babies and all he had to do was show up, do the presentation and get paid to interact with the fans.

A major difference between October 2003 and anytime after December 2003 is that BSG will always have to share the stage with TNS, which isn't a bad thing from a certain point of view, but Galacticon was the last time that the original series had a chance to show what fans wanted from the beginning.

Tears in the rain, I know, but when I read Rowan's post, it gave me a lump in my throat thinking of a missed opportunity on my part.

Darrell Lawrence · August 15th, 2005, 03:52 PM

Bryan, that website has its own interesting story that involves jewels and I and a certain update

It's rather funny looking back on it now, but geeze... what was going on behind the scenes was something else!

shugotenshi · August 15th, 2005, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini1999

From what I remember, the internet site for Galacticon was terrific and I remember heavy promotion on all the major BSG websites.

Cool, so there was a website..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warrior

I could tell just as many behind the scenes stories as jewels regarding the promotion/organizing of Galacticon (I was Richard's webmaster at the time, and jewels was helping directly on a lot of the Galacticon web presence stuff).

Thing is, if we told some of the horror stories behind what was going on, one HELL of a fight would start here on the forums.

Somethings are best left private.

The only thing I will say is this, and this is in regards to Richard directly- He personally did everything he could to make it work out. It was a lot of his "help" that caused most of the problems.

Richard was very disappointed, and rightly so, for how it turned out. But he moved on. Rehashing old stuff like that just opens old wounds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewels

Shugo, all I can tell you is that the marketing was only on the net and the ones that were planning that part of it were facing some major illnesses that year. I don't think it went to their plan. Advertising in magazines, etc. is very expensive and there was no budget for that.

And everything Tracy said at SOL was true. A lot of it due to an utter lack of communication.

Jewels

It saddens me to hear that there was so many difficualties that you all faced with running this convention. I've help out with some cons before, and I have a limited understanding of how difficault running a con can be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini1999

A major difference between October 2003 and anytime after December 2003 is that BSG will always have to share the stage with TNS, which isn't a bad thing from a certain point of view, but Galacticon was the last time that the original series had a chance to show what fans wanted from the beginning.

Is there anyway to do another fan run Convention with the theme of trying to get an original series continuation?

peter noble · August 15th, 2005, 04:13 PM

There was one advert in Starlog and if you'd have blinked you'd have missed it.

I didn't go in the end (even though I'd paid), the Ron Moore thing I completely didn't agree with.

I didn't ask for a refund of my money because I knew about the money situation, and in return I got a poster a t-shirt and programme.

Darrell Lawrence · August 15th, 2005, 04:16 PM

No shot glass or ball cap?

peter noble · August 15th, 2005, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shugotenshi

Is there anyway to do another fan run Convention with the theme of trying to get an original series continuation?

No, because no one's got that kind of money.

The wise thing would be to intergrate a "Galacticon" into a pre-existing convention so you can lure people outside the fandom in and not absorb any financial deficits if they should occur.

Having the con in a centralised part of the country would help out with the attendance too. It worked at Birmingham at the weekend just gone.

Darrell Lawrence · August 15th, 2005, 04:20 PM

See julix's Con thread in the Conventions forum.

larocque6689 · August 15th, 2005, 06:08 PM

I have a lot of respect for Richard as a person. That he's actually gone into debt over Galactica says a lot about him and the time and effort he's invested in this franchise. The fact is, people still talk about his trailer, long after the demise of "bonnie's Biodomes" or the defunct Larson/Moyer effort. It's virtually impossible to completely separate the intent of of Tom's Galactica with what Richard wanted to see happen (the implementation or story differences aside).

This is a cause that he believed in, and I hope that there are people out there who can walk away and find something that they can feel as passionately about and fight for.

mikedx · August 15th, 2005, 06:52 PM

Quote:

The wise thing would be to intergrate a "Galacticon" into a pre-existing convention so you can lure people outside the fandom in and not absorb any financial deficits if they should occur.

Creation could do it. I've emailed them repeatedly without response. I asked them to do a old series/new series mix. I told them they could get a bigger draw than just a new series con alone.

I'm hoping hoping hoping that the numbers from Birmingham will warrant feasibility in the US.

As Warrior said, Julix is doing everything she can in Denver. She could use any ideas and support.

Just for my own info, has there been anyone that has put more of their own time, effort, and money into the continuation than Hatch?

Thanks,
Mike

August 15th, 2005, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewels

Shugo, all I can tell you is that the marketing was only on the net and the ones that were planning that part of it were facing some major illnesses that year. I don't think it went to their plan. Advertising in magazines, etc. is very expensive and there was no budget for that.

And everything Tracy said at SOL was true. A lot of it due to an utter lack of communication.

Jewels

I certainly didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest of any kind with my comments over on SOL. They came solely from a "con goers" perspective. It, being my first ( and only so far ) convention , quite far to travel and saving for a year to get the all inclusive con ticket so I wouldn't miss anything and then just get my butt there.....welllllllllllll........

Whatever it was, it's done now.

Besides, I ended up with greater memories ( and friends ) anyway

Sept17th · August 15th, 2005, 09:29 PM

I jumped in my Corvette drove 1,500 miles half way through my beautiful country. I got clocked at 112 MPH and written up for 90 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, cost me $90. I spent something over $300 for my Galacticon pass...although some clown you guys know helped defray my hotel room bill.

I spent $40 for individual bags of pop corn for the peeps only to be confiscated by some Hachette stooge. Dark soot covered the sky...I SAW THE SECOND COMING FOR THE FIRST TIME.

I wouldn't change a thing. I'm sorry the con organizers let Richard down but I had a blast.

Darrell Lawrence · August 16th, 2005, 04:47 AM

Who in the hell was foolish enough to help you with your hotel costs?

Stevew · August 16th, 2005, 05:31 AM

I was there and for those who were, it was great, it was too bad there were not 10x more people. It was great meeting folks who before were just handles on a forum
S

Jayworld · August 16th, 2005, 10:30 AM

Here in the Dallas/Plano area (Texas), we have a Sci-Fi Expo and Comicon about 3-4 times a year, with varied guests (many times playing up Star Wars and Star Wars guests). Anyway, the website is:

www.scifiexpo.com

And it is run by Ben Stevens, the show promoter. In the past, they've had Richard, Herb, Anne, jack, and Dirk. Laurette was scheduled for a show, but had to cancel. In early 2001, we enjoyed the Texas version of Galacticon, with Richard, Herb, and Dirk all as guests and sharing the stage at the Q&A, and then Richard showed his trailer....

I've had the good fortune of seeing Richard on three separate occassions (and the trailer three times), and have met and seen Dirk twice, Herb three times, and Anne twice (once in Houston). Ben is responsive to bringing TOS stars, as they draw well and are a big hit with the paying public....

Richard was also at the Wizard Con in Arlington, Texas last November.... He's always a fine guest.

Just a possibility for a future location for a "Galacticon."

Jayworld

Fragmentary · August 16th, 2005, 01:15 PM

I'm in the same boat as Bryan is. I knew about the con and considered going, but I just couldn't get past the price. It didn't help that when I told my friends how much the tickets were they just looked at me like I was crazy.

It's really nice to hear what some of you thought of the con. To be honest, after it happened, I only really heard negatives, so it's heart warming to know that people did enjoy the good parts and haven't let the downsides ruin the memory.

Jayworld, sounds like that promoter might be a good person to consider, if some fans want to spearhead something.