February 2012 Archives   29 February 2012 2012 AUSXIP Charity Auction FAQ The 2012 AUSXIP Charity Auction is fast approaching (21-28 March 2012) and we have quite a few goodies to add to this year's auction. Many items have been signed and/or donated by: Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Adrienne Wilkinson, Steven Sears, Katherine Fugate, Crystal Chappell (Venice), Viva Bianca, Erin Cummings, Katrina Law, Stacy Haiduk and many others have donated, autographed and contributed items for the Charity Auction. Every year we get items sent to us by fans who want to contribute their collectables to the auction or contribute other items such as books or artwork For this auction, Lucy Lawless took time out of her very busy schedule in July 2011 to sign a great many items and donated some very special items as did Rob Tapert, Erin Cummings, Viva Bianca, Katrina Law, Stacy Haiduk, Adrienne Wilkinson and others. 2012 ANNUAL AUSXIP CHARITY AUCTION In Association with The Starship Foundation 21-28 March 2012 Frequently Asked Questions Last updated: 29 February 2012 Please read before sending in your question - this section will be updated as required. 1. Which charity will benefit from this year's Charity Auction? 2. Why isn't the Auction Also Raising Money For Renee's Charity? 3. Where did the Items come from and can I donate? 4. How long does the auction last? 5. Where can I go to place a bid? 6. Can you use the same password and user ID from previous auctions on AUSXIP? 7. How can I register to participate in this auction? 8. The site says "Currency is in ($) unless otherwise noted. Is this always in *US* dollars? 9. Once the sale is over, how do I pay for my items? 10. Where are the items going to be shipped from? 11. How do I pay for shipping? 12. I can't afford to bid on any items, would it be possible to donate to 13. I have a website / facebook / twitter. Can I participate in promoting this auction? 14. Would you like to ask a question not included in the FAQ?     29 February 2012 Xena and Gabrielle Make Top 50 TV Character List Is this a surprise to anyone that Xena and Gab make a list on AfterEllen? Here is the news! Xena made #3 on Ellen's top 50 tv characters list here is their caption: If you don't know anything else about lesbians, you would know that Xena was going to land in one of the top spots on our list of best TV characters. She is practically a lesbian deity. Her relationship with Gabrielle is the stuff of legend, of course. But so is her badassery and her outfits and her bossiness and that smirk. She may have died at the end of the show's run, but she will live on in our Sapphic hearts (and tomes of fan fiction) for all time.   Gabrielle made #32 on AfterEllen's top 50 tv characters here is thier caption: Every superhero in the universe wishes they had a sidekick as competent and loyal as Gabrielle. Sorry, though, Superman — Gabrielle was destined to be the companion of Xena. And by "companion," we mean "wife." Gabrielle and Xena's subtextual relationship is the stuff of legend. As long as lesbians are making lists of their favorite characters, you can count on Gabrielle being included.   More on AfterEllen.com   More on Xena and Gabrielle can be found on The Australian Xena Information Page     28 February 2012 Screentalk Interviews Alison Bruce (Queen Melosa) 27 February 2012 Alison Bruce is an award-winning actress who has played a diverse range of film and TV characters. She has starred in New Zealand’s long-running soap Shortland Street and some of our biggest TV dramas such as Shark in the Park, Mercy Peak and the kidult comedy Being Eve. Her film career includes roles in The World’s Fastest Indian, An Angel At My Table, and Reckless Behaviour. She last graced our television screens playing Agnetha in The Almighty Johnsons.   In this ScreenTalk, Bruce talks about: Creating chaos for the production company of Shark in the Park How appearing in one episode of Xena made her a sex symbol Working with a young and ‘geeky’ Ryan Gosling on Young Hercules How the lead role in Majik and Rose changed her career Fighting over a toilet seat with Steve Lovatt in Being Eve Working her real pregnancy into the storylines of Mercy Peak Being too nervous to speak on the set of The World’s Fastest Indian Feeling anxious about the scripts on The Almighty Johnsons Always feeling she’ll be caught out as a ‘fraud’ as an actress     24 February 2012 Upcoming Conventions For Xena Cast for 2012 Here are some convention appearances coming for Xena Cast: Musetta Vander http://www.shore-leave.com/ David Franklin http://www.dragoncon.org/dc_guests_list.php Meg Foster http://www.texasfrightmareweekend.com/weirdpress/ http://www.monstermania.net/MMC21_GUESTS.html Bruce Campbell http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/home-pa.html http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/home-ch.html Craig Parker http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/home-tx.html Zoe Bell http://chillertheatre.com/main.htm   For more convention news and previous conventions reports, photos and video, check out the AUSXIP Xena Convention section     23 February 2012 Actress Danielle Cormack Doesn't Follow Trends NZ Herald Interview Actress Danielle Cormack shares her style secrets. Danielle Cormack. Photo / Babiche Martens Margaret Thatcher is back in vogue with the release of The Iron Lady and countless fashion editorials dedicated to the former prime minister's style. Locally, a production of Caryl Churchill's famous play Top Girls, opening in Auckland tomorrow night, will examine attitudes to feminism and gender discrimination during the Thatcher decade. Danielle Cormack stars in the production as power-dressing career girl Marlene, alongside a strong female cast directed by Shane Bosher. The actress, who recently featured in Underbelly: Razor, has a refreshingly broad approach to style, whether she is wearing leather from Danish brand Day Birger et Mikkelsen, a kaftan or embroidered neckpiece from Vietnam. Read More     23 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Photos From Sunday by Fiona Rae We have more photos from the 2012 Xena Convention. They were contributed by Fiona Rae Sunday -  Lucy -  Renee -  Lucy and Renee -  Jennifer and Sheeri -  The Widow Twanky and Jennifer You can find more photos and reports from the convention by going to the AUSXIP 2012 Xena Convention event page If you would like to contribute your photos or a report about the convention, please email me     22 February 2012 Interviewed by New Xena Site BatteOnXena.com I was approached recently about an interview from a new Xena site. I liked the site becuase it's not a regular Xena site. It has carved out a niche in the Xenaverse which, in my opinion, makes it special because it gives back to the fans by allowing them to tell their story and there are a million stories in this Xenaverse and all of them unique. The site is called BattleOnXena.com BattleOnXena.com is the place to share your story of how the iconic television show Xena Warrior Princess inspired you! It resembles the book "How Xena Changed Our Lives" and takes it a step further. Fans contribute their story of what this show has meant to them. I'm listed under Heritage Xenites and I'm quite honoured by the request. So sit back and read while I bore you! <g> Click here to read     19 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Photos by Lori For Saturday and Sunday 2012 Xena Convention Photos have now been added to the photo galleries: Saturday Photos by Lori Boyles - Brittney - Claire and Tim - Jacqueline - Katherine & Friends - Michael & Jennifer - Musetta and Brittney Sunday Photos by Lori Boyles - Lucy - Lucy and Renee - Renee - Jennifer and Sherri - Widow Twanky & Jennifer     19 February 2012 Xena Subtext Virtual Season 10 Episode 4 Italian Version The Subtext Virtual Season 10  in Italian have now been updated with episode 4. They are also available in English, Portuguese and Spanish   #1004 - Hero Worship, On the Rocks (English) Italian Version Xena and Gabrielle run into a little problem, and end up having to prove that sometimes heroes really are born, not made. Portuguese     Spanish     19 February 2012 AUSXIP Interviews Campbell Cooley - Actor, Voice Over Artist and Director; Multi-Talented Man AUSXIP Interviews Campbell Cooley Actor, Voice Over Artist and Director; Multi-Talented Man With An Incredible Dedication To His Craft Interviewed by MaryD 19 February 2012 For many a Xena fan, Campbell Cooley was a very familiar face and he will always be known as the poor soul (or not so poor) who got drooled upon by Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle). There is more to Campbell Cooley than that drool scene and many other scenes on Xena, Spartacus and numerous other shows. AUSXIP Interviewed Campbell back in 1998 so it's been a long time (and quite neglectful) since we had a chat on AUSXIP to this very talented man and dear friend to myself and AUSXIP. Campbell recently got one of his acting wishes fulfilled by starring opposite Peter Mensah in Spartacus Vengeance. Sit back and enjoy this fascinating interview and learn more about Campbell, actor, voice Over Artist and director; a multi-talented man with an incredible dedication to his craft. Read Interview     18 February 2012 Lucy Lawless On Twitter! The Real Deal! 100% Lucy Lawless The twitter account you have been waiting for. LUCY LAWLESS. The real deal, @RealLucyLawless is 100% organic Lucy Lawless! GO GO GO FOLLOW! http://twitter.com/RealLucyLawless Let the fun begin! Lucy has 233 followers so far - guarantee you that this will be double that before I finish this sentence! It is 100% Lucy's account. Guaranteed. No ifs, no buts, no fakes. It's Lucy. Have fun!     18 February 2012 Lady Saxa Meets Her Hero Xena Talk about fandoms colliding. I recently interviewed Ellen Hollman and we talked about her punking of Lucy Lawless at the recent 2012 Xena Convention in Los Angeles. Ellen posed as a fan and totally confused Lucy until Lucy figured it out. I was in the audience at the convention and I think the majority of the fans there (around 1000 at a rough guestimate) collectively groaned as the newbie fan (who obviously didn't know how to get to her question without taking the scenic route) was taking a long time to get to her question. It was revealed (well Lucy did figure it out eventually that it was Ellen) and Ellen joined Lucy on stage briefly for a laugh. Now this is even funnier because Lucy did something similar to her co-star and friend Renee O'Connor a few years ago. So Karma came to the convention and paid Lucy a visit :) Ellen said about the punking: You recently surprised your Spartacus co-star Lucy Lawless at the Official Xena Convention, how did that come about? I don't know if it's the fact that I'm born on April Fools day, or if I'm just a prankster in general that inspired my recent 'punk' at Xena-Con. Michael Hurst tweeted he was going to be there and when I looked up the schedule I discovered, much to my delight, that Xena Warrior Princess was indeed going to be present for questions and photo ops. Saxa just happens to be a HUGE Xena fan so naturally an appearance was necessary. Were you surprised by the fan reaction? If by 'reaction' you mean "while I was scantily clad in Xena garb in front of hundreds of die hard fans insisting on a non-allowed autograph did I fear for my very life?" Yes...Yes I was fearful/surprised and ready to 'get all Saxa on them' if need be. Thank God she brought me on stage for accolades, explaining I was fellow cast! I don't think the Warrior Queen herself is used to a warrior-in-training Convention Punking her, ha! She's such a great sport, I would basketball through a minefield for her. Check out the video below of Ellen preparing to meet the legendary Xena       17 February 2012 Renee Featured in Adrienne Wilkinson's Interview Project Video Adrienne sent over some interesting news regarding a new project she is working on. Renee is part of a group of people (mainly actors) which makes up the trailer for Adrienne Wilkinson's new Interview project she's trying to do. They hope to launch a site in the next few months and hope to have their youtube channel up and running with a lot of content much sooner.         15 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Photos by Ross Olmos - Sunday Updated the 2012 Xena Convention Photo Gallery with photos from Ross Olmos of the Sunday guests:   Lucy and Renee   Musetta     14 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Photos by Ross Olmos - Saturday Updated the 2012 Xena Convention Photo Gallery with photos from Ross Olmos of the Saturday guests:   Brittney   Claire and Tim   Katherine and Friends     14 February 2012 KT's Con 2012 Report - Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor Con 2012 Lucy and Renee Report by KT Click here for Main 2012 Xena Con Page | Photos Okay, a few corrections from my prior posts, with thanks to the folks who passed this info on to me: I said, “She said something about there being a picture of one little red shoe on the ground and she immediately said, “Oh, that’s too small!” (to be mine). Actually, she was looking out into the crowd and was saying that at the moment about the first shoe that was held up. Which was, cool enough, a little child sized version of the ruby slippers Dorothy in Oz wore. And which became one of the pairs of shoes donated to the homeless. I said, “Someone asked something like even though Lucy is now a star herself, does she feel like she’s one when she meets other stars. (Something along that line.) Lucy said she’s still excited about meeting some stars. She said, “Neil Patrick Harris, Colin Firth” A friend wrote that she remembered the question more as something like does she ever get fangirlish over any stars even though she is a star. And are there any stars that she wants to meet. She did mention Neil Patrick Harris and Colin Firth and then added that Neil was a friend of a friend and she still hasn't met him. The same friend said that she thinks Lucy was talking about Madonna as being able to sniff out the heterosexual dude in a crowd. And then she informed me that Brittney’s bra brought in $6,000 for charity. Whoot! Okay—Lucy and Renee: A fan said, “We need to find a way to get Renee on the show” (Spartacus). (Not sure which “we” she was talking about--she didn’t seem to have someone with her at the mike. Perhaps she meant she, Lucy and Renee; or she, Lucy, Renee and the Xena fan base, or she and the whole wide world at large?) I think neither Lucy nor Renee said anything for a moment or two and just kind of stood there looking at her. Then Lucy looked at Renee and said something like “You’d have to get your kit off”. (British empire slang for taking your clothes off.) Lucy brought up the merkin again and repeated a comment she made at a previous con--that she essentially wanted a merkin that would cover her from the waist to the knee, one that would make her look like Mr. Tumnus. (A faun character in the Narnia series). I’m pretty sure that Renee never said anything in answer at all. Lucy then said something like you can’t take two (established?) characters from a previous show and put them into another one, because it throws the balance off for the new show and essentially would be putting a burden on it. (Note: I hadn’t written any of Lucy’s answer down. But as I read my note about Mr. Thumnus, for some strange reason I suddenly remembered Lucy talking about this. I think this is a pretty close approximation.) A fan asked something like which non-Xena character did Lucy most enjoy playing on the show. People around me began to mumbleanswer with a laugh in their voice, “Meg”. And then Lucy said, “Meg”. (It suddenly strikes me that all the old-time con going fans should just scream out the answers along with the stars. Perhaps we could do synchronized gestures as we do too.) In interviews Lucy has said that Meg has been in her life for a long time and that Meg is very like her. Then I have written down, “Last jokie episode that Michael Hurst directed”. And then Renee saying, “There was no resolution”. (Possibly yet another round of the ever popular question on what did Xena say at the end of “You Are There” when the camera “lost” the picture and sound? Or just another disgruntled fan suggestion for what would have been a better final ep?) Then I have Lucy saying, “What? A drag queen show?” Lucy laughed and said, “Renee didn’t know people did that. I played a man on Xena—Renee’s ‘People do that?’” said by Luce in amazed tone of voice. Lucy joked about how when she played a man in Many Happy Returns, she would go up in drag to the guys on the crew and flirt with them. They didn’t recognize her and got ticked off with the “guy”. At one point, she was talking about something in answer to a question. And suddenly said, “I can’t remember what the question was. So I’m gonna say, ‘No’”. A fan asked Lucy what her favorite thing about Xena was. “My favorite thing about Xena was her friend Gabrielle”. Huge whoops of delight from some folks in the audience. This is pretty much Lucy’s stock answer for that guestion—I’ve heard her say that at least three times already at cons. (You know, with all the new people we’ve got, you’d think we’d get some new questions.) A very young girl came up to the mike. I didn’t jot down what she asked, but Renee smiled at her and said to us, “I’ve been watching her grow up”. I think she asked the girl how old she was and she answered, “Thirteen. I’ve been coming to the con every year since I was 10.” I think we’re back on “What’s your favorite episode” because I have written down in my notebook, “Renee—“Friend in Need” Lucy (who apparently is still somewhat shell-shocked from the horrified response of a number of fans to FIN) said with some surprise, “That’s your favorite?” Then Lucy says, “What sticks in my mind is the terrible ones. The dogs.” She didn’t share with us which ones these were, however. I think that Renee also mentioned liking The Debt—which she had not mentioned before. The Debt is the one almost everyone else associated with the show always mentions as one of their favorites, one they’re most proud of and I had wondered in the past why Renee didn’t. And then thinking about it one day,I remembered that Gabrielle’s actions were not real commendable in that ep—and everything suddenly became clear to me. So while I think Renee mentioned the Debt, it’s possible I was hallucinating it. I was visiting with a friend whom I only get to see at cons and so we both decided to spend time together and skip some of the events. One of the things we skipped was Katherine Fugate’s appearance. She wrote another one of her little plays and had brought along a clutch of people to perform it for us. Another friend told me who all was in the play but the only name I recognized was Claudia Black. I was kind of sorry I missed seeing her because I love Farscape—there were so many strong female characters and really good storylines in that show. But it was good to visit with my friend. The other people in the play were apparently mostly on web shows online—I’d never heard of them nor their shows either. The play ended with “Gabrielle”, (who—in a real stretch—was played by Renee), proposing to “Xena” who was played by Claudia Black. Which made perfect sense to me—I remember saying to my long-suffering honey years ago that the only other actress I’d ever seen who might have been almost as good as Xena as Lucy was, was—Claudia Black! I don’t THINK it was announced that Renee would be in the play. If not, I’m sure that just like a couple of years ago when they had a “Bitch Slap” movie panel at the con and Michael Hurst and Renee made surprise guest appearances as their characters, there was probably a whole bunch of cell phones ripped out to call fans who were not there. And I’m just betting that within minutes, there was an avalanche of women racing into the hall Not to spoil anything, but “Xena” accepts and then the grrls kiss each other. Anyway, during Lucy and Renee’s appearance, a fan mentioned Katherine’s play and asked if they would perform the last bit. One of them said that they didn’t have the script. Sharon Delaney said that they had a copy in the back. There was a little discussion on it and it was decided that Katherine wouldn’t mind. Ever happy to oblige, they said okay, they would do the final scene for us. Now Renee of course had been in the play, but Lucy hadn’t been. And this appeared to be an impromptu fan request so I don’t think Lucy had any idea what the play was about. They were getting near the end of their time on stage when someone brought up the play again. I think Lucy said something about having to run to the airport. A number of fans howled out that they HAD to do the play before they left. A disembodied hand suddenly thrust a handful of papers through the curtain behind them and Renee grabbed them and began to shuffle through them. There seemed to be quite a few pages, but Renee finally got them organized and they started the reading. Lucy heard the first few lines in which Gabrielle talked to Xena about her undying love for her and said, “Oh my god…” The prose was a bit purple. Lucy began to laugh and ad lib – she was having a good time. I have written down a line—Renee was saying some of the lines and then held up the paper for Lucy to read. Lucy read, “And love like we do” and then she turned to the side, struck a pose and made a HUGE wink at the audience. It was hilarious. Renee continued reading lines of love and Lucy teased, “Not to put too fine a point on it”. Then Renee read, “I love you Xena”. Lucy acted stunned and then quickly said, “Shhhh! They can hear you!” The audience roared at this line—which was a perfect nod to “The love story is hidden within sub-text” mind set that many fans brought to their viewing of the show. Renee read something like “Being with you—stops my breath”. Lucy said, “Oh, that ain’t healthy, Gabrielle”. (Surely an ad-lib—don’t ya think? Doesn’t sound like Fugate to me.) Somewhere in there Lucy also ad-libbed, “No PDA’s, no PDA’s! (Public Displays of Affection—a possible issue with any matched up couple, but suckily very relevant for same sex couples.) And then the big line from Gabrielle—“Xena—will you marry me?” Lucy gave a HUGE “YESSSSS” (She was also laughing so hard she could barely talk). At this point, they were up to the kiss. Now afterward, I was told by friends that Renee and Claudia had shared a little peck on the cheek and a hug at that point in the script. Lucy being the big goof that she is, grabbed Renee, turned her own back to the audience and then bent Renee backwards over her arm into a classic swoon kiss tableau. Renee enlivened it by kicking one foot up into the air either intentionally or perhaps she was just off-balance from having been literally swept off her feet. I doubt you could have heard a nuclear bomb go off, the fans in the room were screaming and cheering so loudly. Due to the fact that Lucy had turned her back to us and that her hair had fallen down over her and Renee’s faces, there were MAJOR discussions afterwards—“I think they really kissed” “Who can tell?” “I KNOW in my heart they kissed”. It was a quick dip. Lucy straightened up, dragging Renee back up on her feet with her. And then said something like, “You've been waiting years to see this”. Renee grinned hugely and said, “Fifteen years”. And that was it. Their time was up. They began to wave and blow us kisses and Lucy yelled out how great we are. Renee also tried to get some words in. The applause was thunderous as usual and as usual accompanied by hooting, hollerin’, whooping and cheering and the sound of ancient knees cracking as everyone leapt to their feet. (A few of us leapt to our feet in old knee induced slow motion, but hey, once you’re on your feet, a leap is a leap.) And that was it. The end of the last Xena con—at least until the 2013 con rolls around next January. KT     14 February 2012 2012 AUSXIP Charity Auction 21-28 March 2012 It's that time of year where AUSXIP is gearing up for our annual Charity Auction to benefit The Starship Foundation! This is our 6th Auction since 15 December 2006. Help us raise money for The Starship Foundation in New Zealand. Since 2006 we have raised money for Starship and other charities we have raised close to $90,000 (to be exact $88,682.60). What goodies have we got? Whilst I was in New Zealand last June, some very special items were donated by Lucy Lawless, Rob Tapert, Viva Bianca, Katrina Law and since then we have received more items to be auctioned off. 100% of the money raised goes to Starship. - Autographed A Good Day Script with photos and notes. Photos of Lucy, Renee, Karl and others from that episode. It was donated by Lucy and Rob and autographed by them both. SUPER RARE AND EXTREMELY UNIQUE - The AUTHENTIC and original mask worn by Viva Bianca in the Spartacus Season 1 episode "Whore" - Lucy donated it, Viva and Lucy signed it and I accepted it with glee. It still has the markings on the inside where the Sparty crew made adjustments for Viva. Signed by both Lucy and Viva on the inside of the mask. - This item truly made my eyes bug out - Season 1 DVD signed by EVERYONE on the cast and some from the production crew (except for Andy Whitfield). There are 14 signatures on it. A SUPER RARE item - Autographed Spartacus T-shirt including Andy Whitfield of the main cast! - Renee O'Connor Autographed DVDs and Photos - Autographed photos from Xena, Spartacus and other roles by Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor - Costumes and Jewelry worn by Lucy Lawless and Adrienne Wilkinson - Hard to find books by Writers from the Xenaverse - Autographed artwork - Autographed t-shirts from the entire cast of Venice The Series with Crystal Chappell, Adrienne Wilkinson and more. - Photos and much more there is something for everyone. I will have a complete list of items a few days before the auction starts on 21 March. Stay tuned of more!     14 February 2012 KT's Con 2012 Report - Renee O'Connor Con Review - 2012 Renee by KTL Click here for Main 2012 Xena Con Page | Photos Renee came out to huge applause. She stood and looked at us for a long time, just standing still and slowly scanning the rows of people in front of her. I think somebody in the audience said something but didn’t really get a reply. Renee said to us, as she slowly kept scanning and looking people in the eye, “I see you”. (And when she said that, I suddenly remembered a Fringe episode about a guy who has no pigment due to being subjected to nefarious experiments as a child and who kept killing people to steal their pigment so he would be visible to others. For one short moment, he connected with a woman he was interested in who said to him, “I see you in the elevator every day”. Dude died happy because of that. Not that that’s relevant to Renee’s appearance, but it helps to explain why there tend to be missing pieces and/or inexplicable loose words flying around in my reports.) HEY-back to Renee! Who said, “Fifteen years ago, I went to my first con. I remember being in Philadelphia, walking with Ted around the Freedom Tour. San Francisco. Who was there?” I heard people talking and I think there were some fans who indicated they’d been there. “I’ve had a child since then. Got divorced. Remarried.” Pause. “I’ve grown up with you”. Then, “Thank you. Thank you”. It was all very quiet and focused on us, we who were there to see her. Then Renee said, “Man, Gabrielle’s here to answer anything. Don’t be shy”. I think there was some kind of question about if she ever went back to New Zealand. At any rate, my next note on Renee has her saying, “I’ll come back. What city do you live in?” “Brisbane.” “I’ll just come knock on your door”. (That’s a very Lucy comment, I think. Grin.) In answer to a question, Renee said, “What did I write? For a good time call…” “What was the best thing about Gabrielle?” Either Renee (or possibly a fan) answered, “The costumes”. Then definitely Renee continued, “Compassion, love and friendship—that’s priceless.” She was asked about her films, I think maybe with a slant about trying to pass on a script or project to her? “I choose things that resonate with me. I don’t ask for material.” Either a fan there talked about bullying or Renee was telling us about .something a fan had told her before. “I grew up watching Xena. I’d face the bullies and know I could kick ass.” Renee said, “The best thing was that (we) didn’t resort to violence until the very last”.(As in, until they’d tried everything else first.) I think she was asked about Miles and said, “I want to brag about my son. He’s as tall as I am. I was fortunate in that I was home and was a part of my children’s lives. He’s a Safety Ambassador in his school. Why didn’t we all have classes like this in all our schools? And I thought of you guys, putting up with all you did with such grace”. I think she was asked something about did playing Gabrielle help her when she became a mother in real life. (As Gabrielle) “I took every child I could and I destroyed them. It was method acting. To kill Hope—I found it somehow. That was not helpful.” Then looking around, she said, “Such YOUNG fans!” A fan asked, “What was the most inspirational thing a fan has told you?” “It’s hard for me to remember the details.” My next words: “Transformation. Not feeling alone. Being seen. Being heard.” (Perhaps other folks who were there will help us figure what that’s all about.) Then I have Renee saying, “Picture like a little Japanese anime but not as violent”. Hmmm—I know at one point someone mentioned her paintings. Another fan said they were a con virgin. We had MASSES of con virgins this year. I suspect it was the “final con” thing that brought so many out. It was just great to have so many—to know that the show and the characters and the storyline still speak to many people around the world. Either the fan or Renee referred to being a con virgin as going through a rite of passage. I kind of enjoyed that concept. A fan (possibly the same person who said they were a con virgin) told us that this was the one year anniversary of her Dad’s passing. Renee declared, “We honor him.” That moved me because (and I haven’t ever talked about this publicly before) my father passed away about two weeks before Xena did in June of 2001. I remember one of my best Xena friends writing to me and saying something like, “I know this sounds frivolous and weird but I feel so bad for you—first you lose your father and then you lose Xena. I KNOW they’re nowhere near being equivalent but I also know how much you loved that character. And I’m sorry you’re having that double loss.” And you know, I appreciated what she was saying and was very moved that she thought about that for me and wrote me about it, even as we both acknowledged and kind of giggled over the vast difference between losing a parent and losing a fictional character. So I felt I understood a little bit of what this fan was feeling in wanting to share her story with everyone, being aware that for us deeply appreciative XWP fans, being part of the Xenaverse is part of one’s real life and that things that happen in real life might impact our Xenaverse life. And vice-versa. A fan asked something about how/why Renee took part in Katherine Fugate’s play. Then I have written down, “Well spoken and brave”. Renee said that Katherine promised that if she’d do it, she’d give Renee a year of free babysitting. Which MIGHT be where the word “brave” comes in… Renee was asked which was her favorite ep. “Anything with Kevin Smith (Ares) is a favorite.” Ah, THEN she mentioned the Debt as one she would suggest as an episode to show a first timer. So here’s where that discussion of the Debt took place. (No wonder I didn’t have it written down in my notes on Lucy and Renee onstage together. Which of course hadn’t happened yet.) A fan came up and talked about having seen a short film Renee appeared in, “One Weekend A Month” in Afghanistan. “I started communicating with Eric Escobar (Writer/producer/director). “My dad passed away and Renee and Eric sent me a care package. A card and tickets to “One Weekend A Month”. Renee said, “That was Eric”. The fan said, “Thank you” and then I think Renee said, “Thank you. Everybody honors each other.” A fan asked if Renee could change Gabrielle what would she change and why? “Oh shit. Oh shit. Personally, I admire Lucy’s sense of humor. I would have liked more humor. More levity over all.” Someone mentioned a Chakram newsletter from 10 years ago. And that Renee had auditioned for a sitcom. Renee looked at us and said with a smile, “That went well, eh?” Someone said (fan or Renee, I’m not sure) “You really have to deal with rejection”. Renee talked about a stand-up comedian who was going to have his own show. I believe Renee told him, “'I looked you up on line'. His eyes got huge. I was a stalker from that point on. (Pause). There was no chemistry in the room.” The fan asked who it was and Renee dismissed that, saying she wasn’t going to give out any names. I think I missed something in the middle, because the next thing I have written down is, “After that I really saw you guys. And heard you. Thank you”. (After WHAT? Tch…) A fan said something about Renee directing a sitcom. Renee said, “it’s always good to grow and learn. I don’t think I’m very good at it but I enjoyed it”. And on that note, Lucy showed up. Renee was very busy at this con. She had two photo ops and two autograph sessions, one of each on both Saturday and Sunday. I don’t think she’s doubled up like that before. It was obvious Renee was very relaxed this year. She hasn’t always been. She did some of the very early cons as she said, I think in 1997. But then we didn’t see her for years. I started going to the L.A. cons in 1998. And I didn’t see her until 2001 I believe—the last con before the end of the series. And when she came in the past, she didn’t just stand and chat with us, answering questions and telling us stories. She did play readings with other actors, once she did a set of single character monologues, she showed us her art projects and she ran her movies for us. A few of those times, like the play reading and the monologues, she left the stage at the end of the performances and didn’t interact with us at all. This year, for the first time since the first year, she was there just to talk with us and visit. I liked it very much, to see her so comfortable with us and to have her wanting to be with us one-on-one (okay, okay, one-on-hundreds). And having nothing separating us, nothing to distract us from looking at each other and nothing taking away from her using her time to have a form of conversation with us. I was very glad to see she’s so relaxed with being herself on stage, in front of us. A good end to her journey among the Xena fandom. KT     13 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Photos by Ross Olmos - Friday Updated the 2012 Xena Convention Photo Gallery with photos from Ross Olmos of the Friday guests: Adrienne Wilkinson Hudson Leick Ted Raimi and a special appearance (while not on stage) was William Shatner     11 February 2012 2012 Xena Convention Video by Norma Check this out - Norma has sent in her video of her having mega fun at the convention.       10 February 2012 Will There Be A Xena Movie? New Lucy Interview with Huffington Post 9 February 2012 Lucy was interviewed recently by the Huffington Post and was asked if there would be a Xena Movie... Is there any chance we'll see some kind of "Xena" reunion or movie? That would have been really fun ... The whole trouble with it was there was some sort of glitch in the paperwork in ownership. The movie company doesn't own all the rights to it and they don't want to share, so -- it's just kind of gone sour for all these years. I shouldn't say they don't want to share, but there's not enough in it for them if they have to share the rights with somebody else. By the time somebody realizes it's a completely wasted franchise and they should reinvigorate it, I'm too old to play her. Read more of the interview Read more about The Xena Movie on AUSXIP     9 February 2012 Danielle Cormack NEXT Magazine February 2012 Issue Scans Danielle Cormack is featured on the cover of the NZ Magazine NEXT. Check out the scans of the articles. Scanned by Jo. Danielle Cormack: How She Rediscovering Her Passions Click on the smaller images for the full size scans.     9 February 2012 New Xena and Gabrielle Art by Carpe Chakram Added new Xena artwork by Carpe Chakram   Click on the image for the full size version   **The artwork section is currently being redesigned and artwork not posted to the invidiual artist galleries will be moved there shortly**     6 February 2012 Bard Nene Adams needs help As you recall last year the great bard Nene Adams nearly lost her life due to an infection. She did however lose her leg, and since then, has been housebound in a wheelchair in a non-accessible home. She is trying to raise funds for a prosthetic leg so she can literally get outside the house to do normal things like shopping. Nene has info on this website: http://legfornene.chipin.com/leg-for-nene I am sure that many of your readers are like me – big fans of Nene – and would love to help her to return some the good she has done by sharing her writing with us. Please publicize this drive on your websites. Nene needs about $6500 and so far has less than $500. Many thanks for considering this. Carla Capizzi, USA     6 February 2012 KT's Con 2012 Report - Lucy Sooooooo, I used to be able to visit and drink and party at cons until ohhhh, say about 2:00 am or so and then sit down at the old laptop and bang out a con report as happily as if I were playing a duet on a Steinway with Victor Borge at Carnegie Hall at nine o'clock at night. (We’re playing "Heart and Soul", that stalwart opus magnum of inexperienced piano fingerers—uh, that would be me, not Borge, who is happily playing using only the edge of one fingernail.) Some of my reports were quite cogent. (Okay, okay, a tiny percentage were.) Others were barely coherent. And still others were chaotic misrememberments that resulted in many fun e-mails being sent my way. And I do quote, "Marissa wasn’t the one who became a table for Lucy, that was a fan!" (With the "you dolt" MOSTLY just implied) However, those days were apparently numbered and this year their number has come up. The above constitutes my apology for the delay in prying my notes out of my notebook and getting them onto the internet. A mea culpa from a now apparently ancient crone (or drone, as the case may be), who now is barely able to make it to the bed when arriving in my room at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. Lucy as always came striding out on the stage to a huge wave of indrawn breaths, cheers, and thunderous applause. She's almost always the last guest of the con (I can only think of one time when she wasn't and that was when she had to leave to go back to New Zealand for work I think it was) and she seems to generate a huge release of total pleasure for most of the fans when they get to see her again in person. As always she had to gesture for us to sit down a couple of times before we quit clapping and screaming and finally dropped into our seats. (We always do that while staring up at her--I'm always expecting someone to miss the chair and slide off onto the floor, most likely taking out much of the row with her, like a good hit in a bowling alley, since the seats are coupled together so closely.) My first note on Lucy reads, "Don't ask her to cook". Renee had just left the stage and now I'm just not sure if Lucy was talking about Renee or herself. I'm thinking herself since she's talked in the past about being a lousy, totally disinterested cook. At one con she even said that once when she made her sons' sandwiches for school, the boys asked her to let somebody else make them in the future. Lucy looked around the house. Then she said, "How do the same 18 people get the same front seats?" There was a small back and forth with the front row sitters and Luce on this and then someone told her that when you have a gold seat, you can claim it for the next year when you register for this year by putting your order in for it and putting a credit card number down to hold it. Some people have been in the same seats for many years. There have been "newbies" in the front row recently—the economic downturn saw to that. People tend to grab a hold of the seat but then some year they may let someone else pay them for it so that their friends get the benefits of the first row in the future. Some seats actually have rotating fans who share the seat and take turns sitting there depending upon who is onstage. This year, I know a number of people who gave up the gold—they just can't afford it anymore, and especially feel they can’t justify paying for it if Lucy and/or Renee are not going to do cons in the future. Renee declared a number of times that this is the end of her journey (the con's name was The Final Journey or something like that), that even if the Xena con does continue, she’s not going to be part of. Lucy didn't mention anything about continuing that I remember. Personally, my thoughts on that are that a year is a long time and who knows what people may decide to do a year from now. Lucy said she's been on a "Crazy publicity tour for Sparty Pants". I don’t know if she's used that term before but I thought that was really funny. "As you know, I don't prepare questions so on to the Q&A." A new fan at the mike said that she wanted to emigrate to New Zealand and would Lucy please sponsor her? Luce: "Get in line, sister". A fan brought up her service dog and asked Luce to sign the dogs little vest. Now I have to digress. This was the third day of the con. It was VERY apparent that we had masses of newbies or, as we've called them since at least 1999, "Con Virgins". I would estimate that most of these new fans are very young. Not all, but a significant number of them are. Now I'm talking also about the newbies we've gotten over the last 2-3 years. Overwhelmingly, they are I'd say in their twenties, with some thirties and some teens. We also have some new say 30-40 year olds, but the biggest clump of newbies seem to be very young-and many of them are not living in North America. Or at least, these "youngsters" are the ones who want to run up to the mike and talk with the stars the most and the ones who scream the loudest when hanging out in the hotel lobby at night. Which is kind of odd—the oldies are the ones going deaf en masse so you think we'd be the ones screaming at each other in the loudest voices. Funnily enough, the rap from the "oldies" is "Stop mumbling, wouldja!" (which I think is actually obviously related to the hearing issue.) AND as I've talked about for the last few years, there are also a ever-increasing number of young men. Some gay but mostly straight (or at least not out). As we older fans (or as some ‘90's Xena sites used to call them tch—what the hell was it? Amazon Elders?—I always just called us "Old Fartesses") get even more elder, we are now looking at turning the fandom over to these young whippersnappers, in terms of sheer numbers. Which is exciting and poignant at the same time. (Just like just about every other thing in life for those of us over 60.) So anyway—most oldtimers are totally over people asking for hugs, trying to give gifts to the stars, talking about how much Xena meant to them and asking for special favors. We had had all of this and more during the three day con. By this point (and I also think especially because it was Lucy) we especially didn't want to squander her time with us by special requests and or people babbling about themselves. So quite a few fans had started saying, "NOOOOO" when people asked for hugs or special signatures. BUT—we're looking at a service dog here. Who had been at the con the whole three days and had been really well-behaved – giving off a serious though not antagonistic, "I'm working here!" vibe. Sooo, we didn't yell out "NOOOO!" or at least me nor the people around me didn't. And Luce (who ignores our suggestions most of the time anyway) signed. Next note: "I'll be Renee. I'll try to give the answer Renee would give". Sadly, I don't know what inspired Lucy to say that. Someone had a gift for Luce. Lucy: "Cool—is it chocolate?" Then we got on the ever popular topic of merkins. For those who don't know, a merkin is a pubic wig. Many prostitutes used it in the past to cover up any signs of current disease or scars from past diseases, whatever. But merkins are not a new concept in XWP fandom. In the early years, there were big discussions on that little piece of fur on the top of Gabrielle's staff. And that's when the suggestion, "Perhaps it's a merkin" first introduced the Xenaverse to a new word and interesting concept for many of us. Someone brought up Lucy wearing a merkin or just asking about her merkin. She repeated the story she'd told in a number of interviews, how at the end of Spartacus' season one, she was presented with the merkin the prop folks had made for her. They had put it in a frame and it was stretched out and pinned for display, looking like a little pelt. "They asked for it back for the prequel". Lucy said that she was totally grossed out by that. And added that she had never worn the merkin. Next note: "You're Xena. No YOU'RE Xena!" Doesn’t ring any bells at the moment... Lucy: "Renee does not have a merkin". Then I have a note that Lucy is making faces and talking about beautiful eyes? Possibly teasing a fan at the mike? Of course, as always, anyone who wants to help out with corrections or additions for this report is very welcome to jump right in and set things straight. (I'm talking about people who were at the con or people who have seen bootleg videos of it—don't be coming around making stuff up—I can do that all on my own, thank you very much.) Okay—I didn't totally hear the next question (the toddler asking it was mumbling no doubt) but it was something like was Lucy really naked in front of all those women and children? We along with Lucy had a thoughtful moment and then fans began to mumble (and it really was mumbling this time), "Oh-in The Furies". Lucy (who apparently didn’t realize the fan was talking about Xena) said, "Sweetheart—have you ever seen our show?" Then I think maybe responding to more explanatory murmuring from us, she said, "It's terrible that I have to ask, 'What show?' I was naked in front of women and children?" Pause. "If so, it must have been written by RJ or Sears". (And she's right—RJ wrote that one—okay, okay, I DID have to go look it up. I used to know this stuff, right off the top of my head she said mournfully.) Then I'm pretty sure she said something like if it was Xena, it was a stand-in. (Or, again as we used to call them on the Xenaverse list, "A stunt butt".) Inevitably, a fan asked her, "Will you do the Xena cry?" Luce: "The Xena cry?" There was a little ripple of laughter from the audience. As far as I can discern, nobody minds that hoary old request. To me, it's different from "Give me a hug" or endless treatments of the "You mean so much to me" theme. I think because at least the spotlight is on the star, not on the fan. But the stars are not all that enamored of doing it. We'd already had Adrienne and Hudson do their screams. And just as an aside, I remember when Lucy was doing her concerts, at least once if not twice, Renee had been on stage with her when the she was asked to do it. And Renee immediately ripped it out for her—which I think was a way of protecting Lucy's voice for that evenings' singing. When Lucy said, "The Xena cry?" the fan said something like "Yeah, the Xena cry". So Lucy opened her mouth and gave a little tiny whining cry like a fretful baby might make. It was hilarious. And then she stated, "There--did the cry. Glad to get that out of the way." She was asked which she enjoyed more—comedy or drama. "I enjoy doing comedy more—it's a more fun environment. But I CRAVE the drama". (Note: I THINK it was "crave" she said—I've got that underlined with a question mark beside it in my notes. But whatever the word, it was along those lines.) Okay—things are going all to hell. My next note says, "Whoopie Stool pen…"That is cool". After a few pondering moments, I suddenly pull out of the debris in my mind that it was something about Whoopie Goldberg doing something in response to a fan. Could beeeee…. One thing about being a long time con goer, on some of the questions new fans ask, I've already heard the story. So I can just jot down, "Ax story", "Audition story", "How I became an XWP writer story", etc. Then I just listen to see if the star has added anything new while stretching and exercising my fingers. It's a nice break for my writing hand. Lucy's "Ax story" is a response to the question, "What was the weirdest thing you've ever autographed?" I believe it was at the first L.A. con in 1997? The one where Lucy signed for everyone who was there. (And some selfish fans got on line two, three and one person at least, four times to get some more time with her. She was there for hours. No wonder she never signed for the whole hall again.) This big dude brought up an ax all wrapped up in plastic and then carefully took the wrapping off and handed it to Luce to sign. "I was so kind of horrified that I did it". She added something about her signature someday being found on the murder weapon of a serial killer. Sharon Delaney came up to the mike. She asked Lucy about it having been posted on Twitter or some social media thing and then being "reported" on TMZ that "Lucy Lawless was arrested at Occupy Oakland because she threw a shoe at a police officer." Lucy laughed and said that she first heard about it when her manager called to ask her something along the lines of was she in jail at the moment? She replied, "I'm in bed". She laughed and said, "All my reps weren't entirely sure it wasn't true." She said something about there being a picture of one little red shoe on the ground and she immediately said, "Oh, that's too small!" (to be hers). Now I think it was on Lucy's official yahoogroups list, there was a secret plan laid out. At the con while whiling away time between stars, Sharon primed us on the secret plan in person. This is why Sharon had set up that question to Lucy. So after Lucy told the story, someone in the back suddenly yelled out "I've got the shoe!" while holding up one of their shoes. Then someone else yelled out, "No, I'VE got the shoe!",holding up their own shoe and it went around the room till lots of people were yelling and brandishing shoes. The big finale was that everyone in the audience who wanted to waved one of their shoes at Lucy while yelling out the line. She had a good laugh over it. But the best part was that part of the secret plan was that people would do this but would also bring along a pair of shoes that would then be given to homeless shelters in Los Angeles. I heard that Sharon took off with a number of trash bags filled with shoes. On that up note on the generosity of the Xena fanbase, I'm taking a break. More to follow. KT     5 February 2012 New Xena Convenntion Wallpaper by Carpe Chakram     Click here to view in gallery     5 February 2012 New Fiction site for Kodi Wolf Kodi Wolf has announced her new fiction site is finally open for business. W.O.L.F. Sector - Worlds of Lesbian Fiction hosts all of Kodi's original work, like A Bondage Primer and The Vampire Hunter series. For a small, one-time fee, you can get a Site Membership, which comes complete with lifetime access to all of her original stories, all future updates to those stories, free PDF E-books, and even includes free access to any new stories she posts in the future. You may also order memberships for individual stories. As a bonus, in gratitude for all the support she's received from The Bard's Corner and its readers, she's offering a special discount of 15% off any Story or Site Membership. The coupon code is 'TBCReader15' and is good through February 29th. Kodi's fan fiction will continue to be available for free, both here on The Bard's Corner and on her old site, renamed Kodi Wolf's Lesbian Fan Fiction. To learn more about membership, please visit W.O.L.F. Sector at: http://www.kodiwolf.com/WOLFsector/     4 February 2012 Ted Raimi first guest for the Xenite-Immortal Con in France From the Xenite-Immortal Con: "We have the great pleasure to announce you that the first guest of the Xenite Con, is none other than the GREAT and TALENTED: Ted Raimi aka Joxer the Mighty! He enthusiastically accepted to come in France to meet you and, to please you, he has accepted to do autographs and photo ops! Things he hasn't done for a few years now at the Xena Official conventions. You can be certain to approach him at the convention and share a special moment with him! The different pass are available for purchase! You can get your pass right now and benefit from a reduction. But they are limited and once they are sold out, the real prices will be available, so the prices will increase. If we make that reduction, it's because we want everybody to get a chance to attend the convention, even those who have a very small budget. So happy? We told you that you won’t be disappointed! And wait to discover the two other guests (and maybe more if the pass are selling well), you’ll be in seventh heaven! As promised, a convention for the Fans by Fans and only Fans can offer you an event worthy of your expectations! You'll find all the necessary informations regarding the guests, the ticketing, the schedule, the place, etc, on that link: www.xena-immortal.com/eng/xenite-con.php I'll be very grateful to you for talking about it on your website. Thanks."       2 February 2012 AfterEllen.com - Live from the 17th Annual "Xena: Warrior Princess" Convention report Check out AfterEllen's report on the Xena Con with some great backstage photos of Lucy, Renee and more. 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