#thamescon

[sifanjewel]

The Great Con-junction was an amazing experience and the most fun I’ve had in a while!

I didn’t get to take as many photos as I originally wanted to, but here are some pics from the museum!!

Not gonna lie I almost cried seeing these babies in person lol

Sorry I couldn’t get good pics of Deet, I swear she didn’t look this saturated to the naked eye but because of the purple light I couldn’t get a good angle 😭 she is cute nonetheless though!!

And if you wanted to know what Aughra and Fizzgig look like without hair, today’s your lucky day! (I didn’t think her head was this goddamn big but wow 😂)

And of course two of the evil bird bastards themselves

And my personal favorite, the real Wall of Destiny!!

There was so much more to marvel at; clothing from the fashion line inspired by the film, Gelfling and Podling headsculpts, fabrics used for Gelfling clothes, it was all wonderful and surreal to look at!

It’s also worth noting on the second day LISA HENSON walked in while I was there, I didn’t want to bother her but needless to say I was FLOORED

I will post more details here soon but if you want a bit more info (and some personal pics) go to my Insta (@loyal.maudra)! I can’t wait to share more as soon as I return home!!

#dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #age of resistance #the dark crystal #gelfling #skeksis #Podling #the great conjunction #thamescon #The Dark Crystal 40th Anniversary Celebration #dark crystal museum

[candythemew]

YOU

#i love being normal #the dark crystal #skeklach #skeklach the collector #the dark crystal age of resistance #skeksis #aor #thamescon #the great conjunction

[maddie80]

https://app.galabid.com/conjunction/items

Some amazing once in a lifetime auction items. Only a few days left to bid. All proceeds going to local charity supported by ThamesCon

[timeagainreviews]

The Great Con-Junction

For a place like the world-famous Elstree Studios in London, history is made on the regular. Movies like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Hot Fuzz," and even "Star Wars" have all been captured to celluloid moving at twenty-four frames per second. However, it was a lesser-known, though no less ambitious film that had eager fans lining up around the block on a mild February morning nearly forty years later. The film I speak of is none other than Jim Henson's 1982 cult-classic "The Dark Crystal." Myself and at least 200 other attendees were gathered for the first official Dark Crystal convention, celebrating both the film and the Netflix series. Taking place at the very studio where the movie was filmed, Thames Con's "The Great Con-Junction," was also the biggest reunion of the original cast and crew since the film's release. Once again, history was being made at Elstree Studios.

Upon learning of the convention I was filled with both desire and regret. Desire to go, and regret that I most likely wouldn’t be able. I live in Glasgow which is 6.5 hours away from London by car, and I don’t drive. On top of that, I hadn’t any money saved for such an occasion. But through the generosity of several friends, my mother, and my boyfriend willing to drive me there, the impossible was suddenly very tangible. With only twenty days until the convention, I was one of the lucky few able to attend this momentous affair.

It may seem odd that such a niche convention could draw someone from as far away as Glasgow, and in some cases the US and Australia. But if you’ve ever been to a Star Trek or My Little Pony convention, you may have some idea as to the sort of passion we’re dealing with. For many, Dark Crystal isn’t merely a great creative property, it’s life-changing. As a child, Jim Henson’s work left an indelible mark upon my soul. Projects like "Fraggle Rock," "Storyteller," and "The Flintstones," inspired creativity in me and filled me with the desire to one day work for the Jim Henson Company. Sadly, years of adulting did their best to dull that flame to a mere ember. However, after last year’s premiere of "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance," that ember grew into a roiling fire.

For the past month, I’ve been a ball of excited energy leading up to the convention. I’ve immersed myself in all things Jim Henson. Whether it be rewatching the Netflix series for the umpteenth time, revisiting Labyrinth, or reading JM Lee’s YA Dark Crystal novels, it’s been all I could do not to crack up. In the final week leading up to the event, I directed this nervous excitement into creating a cosplay as the Crystal of Truth, wrapped in black chains and metal claws. When the day finally arrived and I found myself waiting in line with other excited fans decked out in purple, or cosplaying as Deet or Rian, I knew I was with my people. The air was abuzz with excitement as we were slowly ushered into the building.

The event hall at Elstree was decorated with posters of scenes from the movie along with mood lighting. Part of the ticket cost afforded each attendee a beautiful signed print by Brian Froud. A bar at the entrance was selling official Dark Crystal merch including the ThinkGeek Fizzgig puppet only available in the states. Right away I had blown most of my budget, but my new furry friend would agree I made the right choice! I’d been there not two minutes, and already my arms were full of swag. I took this opportunity to get my Fizzgig and a book signed by both Brian and Wendy Froud, who were very generously autographing people’s items for free.

Usually, conventions leave a bad taste in my mouth as they seem like supremely capitalist ventures. And while there were plenty of things to buy, the Frouds’ generosity set the real tone of the event. Not only were they generous with their autographs, but they were also incredibly generous with their time. It seemed as though every person that talked to them was given an opportunity to gush and share their personal stories. As I told them both how much their work meant to me, they were treating it as though it were the first time they had heard it that day. Brian even took the time to doodle a little Fizzgig and Skeksis for me alongside his whimsical signature. The impression they left me with is that they were both very genuine and down to earth people, and meeting them is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

One of the things Mr Froud shared with me was that in his experience, people’s reaction to the Dark Crystal is usually always something creative. People go off and make fan art, cosplays, puppets, or even their own artistic endeavours. You could see proof of this all around the room that day. I met a brilliant artist from Seattle named Nori (@noriretherford​​), who in exchange for doodles from attendees was giving beautiful prints of her fan art. I drew my best skekTek from memory and have the cutest depiction of Seladon, Tavra, and Brea playing as children to show for it. There were cosplays with humbling levels of detail and even the occasional puppets of people’s original characters. All around you, creativity was swirling, and people were passionately sharing their enthusiasm with one another.

These initial couple of hours were dedicated to meet and greets with the cast, crew, and fellow attendees. Everyone seemed just as interested to listen as they were to share. One attendee remarked to me how she had never before felt more encouraged to speak to strangers than she had at the convention. Even my boyfriend, who is generally shy, was coming out of his shell and joining in the conversations. I was also pleased that the convention was managed well enough that I didn’t spend my entire day waiting in line to meet someone while he was relegated to watching my things. I was actually able to share this experience with him as opposed to relaying it through dreamfasting later. This made meeting the guests less of a thing to check off a list, and more of an experience.

My only real qualm with the structure of the convention was the Skeksis tea which was offered as part of the ticket price. Since I was unaware that the guests would be available all day, I was a bit late to lunch meaning the banquet was completely picked over by the time we had gotten there. No amount of cute creative table displays or impressively crafted Nebrie cake could obscure the fact that we were forced to find our lunch at the McDonalds across the road. Furthermore, I was unaware that the lunch was buffet style, which meant that if someone wanted to be as gluttonous as skekAyuk, it would leave the rest of us hungry. We were not alone in this, as several others were left to look upon the empty tables with dismay. That being said, for a first-time convention, it’s impressive that so little went awry.

For me, the biggest highlight of the day was getting to actually see the Gelfling puppets along with their respective puppeteers. Both Beccy Henderson and Neil Sterenberg had Deet and Rian with them. I’m not ashamed to admit that I hugged Deet. Being able to see the detail of the puppets and feel the various textures employed by the brilliant fabricators at the Jim Henson Creature Workshop was mindblowing. Not to mention that both Beccy and Neil were just as generous with their time as the Frouds. Though I would have to say the most exciting puppet I met that day has to go to Hup, as Victor Yerrid was actually puppeteering him and speaking directly to attendees in Podling. Hearing Hup say my name and talk to me was overwhelmingly exciting! That man is a brilliant puppeteer.

Throughout the day there were also several panels with guests from both the TV show and the movie. It was fascinating to listen to each of them tell their stories. Whether it be anecdotes about Jim Henson or tales about trying to navigate hot costumes under studio lights, it was a treasure trove of information. Listening to these stories was a constant reminder of the sheer amount of history present in the room. Each one of these guests had their own incredible careers, and here they all were, ready to share their fantastic stories. Yet despite this being an intimate gathering of a small group of creatives reuniting after 38+ years, it never once felt like it was all about them. You didn’t feel like an interloper or an evesdropper. We were all part of this wonderful experience together.

It was puppeteer Louise Gold’s remarks to the crowd about this that really put into words what we were all thinking. Through stifled tears, she remarked that she had initially come to see all of her old friends, but had found herself equally enriched by meeting the fans. Seeing all of us come together and sharing our stories was as inspiring to her as it was for us. Hearing her impassioned words moved quite a few of us to tears, myself included. She was easily one of my favourite people I met yesterday, and not just because she was so wonderfully extra. Her words spoke the same truth as Brian Froud's- what has resulted from this fandom is something creative. The Dark Crystal hasn’t simply entertained, it has changed lives.

Of course, like any good convention, it wasn’t just the guests in the spotlight. The cosplay contest allowed for an opportunity for the fans to strut their stuff. Much like the ticket giveaway the organisers had done, they couldn’t decide on just one winner. There was so much goodwill and positivity flowing that honourable mentions were given prizes as well, and with good reason. There were so many incredible costumes that I doubt I could have picked the best of the lot. There were Gelflings, Skeksis, a Hup, and even an urRu! My favourite of the lot was a mother-daughter duo who went as Brea and Kira respectively. But that may just have to do with the fact that I’m a big Brea fan and her costume was incredible!

Were I to think of any one word to explain how I feel about being able to attend this convention it would be grateful. I left feeling rejuvinated. My boyfriend even commented that I was “glowing.” I wish everyone in the fandom could have the same experience. I’ve seen so many passionate fans online in the last day wishing they could have gone, and I very easily could have been one of them. It’s proof to me that this fandom has more to it than just a few people toiling away in their basements. There is a real desire for these types of events. It’s not hard to imagine people declaring their Gelfling clan like Harry Potter fans might declare themselves Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. (I’m totally a Vapran.) If you look online, you can see people’s OCs of both Gelfling and Skeksis. Even I’ve considered putting together my own Gelfling Gathering here in Glasgow. I’m hopeful that this is a sign of things to come, and that we won’t have to wait a thousand trine for the next Great Con-Junction.

#the great con-junction #the great conjunction #the dark crystal #thamescon #london #brian froud #wendy froud #louise gold #beccy henderson #neil sterenberg #victor yerrid #skeksis #gelfling #hup #poddling #the dark crytsal: age of resistance #fizzgig #elstree studios

[clockworkfirebird]

Look into the camera, Verdigris - or at least try to. Lovely photo by DC Photo (link below) taken at #Thamescon this weekend. Verdigris inspired heavily by #TheDarkCrystal with a dose of @empire_lrp as he was originally a non-player character creature for that game. https://www.facebook.com/dcphotodc/ #monster #clockworkfirebird #verdegris #TheDarkCrystal #stiltbeast #costume #mask #puppeteer #puppet #fullbodyperformance https://www.instagram.com/clockbirddesign/p/Bw6wTqNlY-3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xqvx0f8ibf3n

#thamescon #thedarkcrystal #monster #clockworkfirebird #verdegris #stiltbeast #costume #mask #puppeteer #puppet #fullbodyperformance

[beastlybeverages]

Preparing for @thamescon starting with my D&D collection! www.beastlybeverages.com #dungeonsanddragons #DnD #Thamescon #luxury #tea #looseleaftea #looseleaf #organic

#luxury #thamescon #organic #dungeonsanddragons #looseleaftea #dnd #looseleaf #tea

[pt-hq-xl]

Deanerys Targaryen Cosplay for #thamescon 2018 (at Abingdon, Oxfordshire)

#thamescon #cosplay #deanerys targaryen #game of thrones #dragon

[sazzle-pop]

Thanks #thamescon for a fab day! #memoriesmade

#thamescon #memoriesmade

[sifanjewel]

Behind-The-Scenes Facts from Puppeteers I Spoke to at the Great Con

Helena Smee told me that Seladon in her goth All-Maudra costume was especially difficult not only due to the extra weight, but also the train of the dress; they didn’t remove it even after filming the brief open shots of Seladon walking into the throne room in case Louis Letirrier wanted to film it again at another angle, so during close-up shots the train was basically pinned to Helena’s back while she lifted the puppet

I asked Warrick Brownlow-Pike if he was surprised by how popular Freckles became within the fandom, his answer: yes and no. He knew Freckles would look very charming and that people would love his physical design, but he wasn’t quite expecting all the fan art and overall hype surrounding the character. Also see my previous post for what he said about Freckle’s actual name

Louise Gold told me that Onica was going to have a much bigger role in a second season than she did in the first. Hopefully if we get some kind of continuation, she will!

I was so honored to have spoken with these puppeteers and thank them for their hard work in bringing their respective characters to life 💜

#dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #age of resistance #the dark crystal #the great conjunction #thamescon

[sifanjewel]

My autographs from The Great Con-junction!!

I really wish I had gotten more, but I’m extremely grateful and excited to have these! I did get some for family members as well but for their privacy I won’t be posting those

Here’s to hoping I’ll have this opportunity again! 💜

#dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #age of resistance #the dark crystal #the great conjunction #thamescon #dark crystal convention #autographs #puppeteers #jim henson #jim henson company

[sifanjewel]

Highlights From My Great Con-junction Experience

Receiving autographs and having conversations with Lisa Maxwell, Stephen Garlick, Warrick Brownlow-Pike, Helena Smee, Louise Gold, and Victor Yerrid

Getting a picture taken with Louise Gold and a professional one with Lisa Maxwell. Both women were extremely lovely but Lisa was especially wonderful to interact with! She treated me like her best friend and was super super sweet 🥹 (pics with both are on my instagram @loyal.maudra)

Meeting Louise was amazing because she was part of the OG Muppet Show crew back in the 70s/80s before she worked on Dark Crystal, specifically as Annie Sue Pig (and I’m sure many more). It was sort of a dream come true as a lifelong Muppet/Jim Henson fan to receive an autograph and have a pic taken with someone from the original show!

Cory Godbey and James from @the_darkcrystalproject recognized me from insta 😊 (they both follow me and I and very honored)

Attending Cory Godbey’s Illustration Workshop where we learned how to draw a Mystic

Meeting @thanatasia (who I consider a dear friend) in person! We attended many of the panels together as well as the illustration workshop. She is the sweetest! 💕

Though I didn’t get anything signed or a pic, I had a quick convo with J.M. Lee about the books, he was very nice!

I did have more than one convo with Cory and Helena respectively, they were both so kind ❤️ Honestly talking to Cory was like talking to a friend, we even hugged before I left 😊

Warrick told me that Freckles does have an actual name!! He just forgets what it was 🙃

The cosplay competitions were amazing!! Seriously so much fun to watch! I will be posting clips on insta and my TikTok simply.cozz soon!

On the second day while I was up in the museum, LISA HENSON HERSELF WALKED IN!!! I didn’t talk to her bc I didn’t want to bother her while she was looking around (I could have gone to the Group Signing and spoken with her but I missed that 🤦🏻‍♀️) but to see her in person and be so close was absolutely surreal!!

FUN FACT: Before Sigourney Weaver, Lisa Maxwell was supposed to narrate the intro to ep. 1 of AoR as Kira, which she did record before they chose Weaver; this recording was sold at Lisa’s booth but I received one FOR FREE from her assistant because I guess I was special for some reason??? I haven’t listened to it yet bc it’s on a USB-type chip that goes into a computer but I can’t wait to hear KIRA’S VOICE as the Storyteller!! There were only like 50 of these chips in existence so yeah, I don’t know what I did to deserve one but 🫠🫠

At the closing ceremony we got to chant the Prophecy from the movie (when single shines the triple sun ect), it was honestly kind of emotional to see all these Dark Crystal fans and creators come together like that at this event 😭

And those are some highlights from my time at The Great Con-junction! If anyone has questions feel free to ask!

#dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #age of resistance #the dark crystal #the great conjunction #thamescon

[clockworkfirebird]

Suddenly went quiet at #Thamescon on Sunday because it was hard to post updates whilst on stilts or absolutely starstruck! Verdigris was a big hit and we won the Best Handmade category in the Cosplay contest! What I love is that younger kids thought he was awesome and approachable but apparently I terrified adults. Whoops. Dark Crystal generation! #monster #clockworkfirebird #verdegris #TheDarkCrystal #stiltbeast #costume #mask #puppeteer #fullbodyperformance https://www.instagram.com/clockbirddesign/p/Bw6r5K_lxRv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xu0gw22s27wb

#thamescon #monster #clockworkfirebird #verdegris #thedarkcrystal #stiltbeast #costume #mask #puppeteer #fullbodyperformance

[beastlybeverages]

I have FINALLY finished prepping for @thamescon 🎉 🎉 🎉 Who’s coming to see me this Saturday? 😊😊😊 #geek #comiccon #thamescon #tea #bookstagram

#bookstagram #thamescon #geek #tea #comiccon

[clockworkfirebird]

Another gem from @thamescon by @macakepops! This is an oreo cookie pop..thing. I did buy more, they have mysteriously disappeared before photos could be taken. (*distant crunching noises*) #LifeGivingCake #convention #Thamescon https://www.instagram.com/clockbirddesign/p/Bw6rWMwlaW-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nvyfl38rxskk

#lifegivingcake #convention #thamescon

[clockworkfirebird]

Who remembers these? February feels like it was years ago. Working on a blog post (sorry it's taken so long) for @thamescon #TheDarkCrystal event The Great Con-Junction. Talking about how these props were made "Out of love and hot glue". . I'll be looking at giving these props away soon if anyone would like one! The only pieces I am not rehoming are the Gelfling essence bottles. #handmade #jimhenson #theatre #props #Gelfling #SkeksisBanquet #Skeksis https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_KzQiHxPs/?igshid=r7i7pkzlfz9g

#thedarkcrystal #handmade #jimhenson #theatre #props #gelfling #skeksisbanquet #skeksis

[clockworkfirebird]

Welcome to the Castle of the Crystal, the Lords will see you now... All props completed for The Great Con-Junction, this was three solid weeks of work around my day job and my work with my horses. Who needs sleep?! I loved every aspect of this build; I've had so much fun playing with materials, putting stuff together from scratch and bits I had to hand, finding shapes and forms that suit the world of The Dark Crystal, and the reaction from everyone on the day made it even more worthwhile. If you counted individual props there were over 40 items, not including the feathers and the fabric sourced to cover the tables (more on those later). So, when's the next event? :D @thamescon @darkcrystalofficial #TheDarkCrystal #AgeOfResistance #Netflix #Puppet #Puppeteer #Gelfling #Skeksis #SkeksisBanquet #Crafting #PropMaking #MoviePropsOnABudget #Handmade #Theatre #Henson #BrianFroud https://www.instagram.com/p/B8eT3eHnP2a/?igshid=susovmko2wub

#thedarkcrystal #ageofresistance #netflix #puppet #puppeteer #gelfling #skeksis #skeksisbanquet #crafting #propmaking #moviepropsonabudget #handmade #theatre #henson #brianfroud