Sci-Fi and Comic Book Fans at Play in a Parallel Universe
- Share via
Every four weeks, the Shrine Auditorium becomes a true shrine, for the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. The “con” has run every month for nearly 25 years. In September, about 2,000 fans paid $5 each to meet Syd Mead, design genius behind “Blade Runner’s” apocalyptic take on Los Angeles, and the cast of “Black Scorpion,” a SciFi Channel series about a buxom cop who moonlights as a superhero vigilante. They also browsed scores of tables laden with reverence-inducing tchotchkes, from rare records to replica swords and toys to trading cards.
Robert Hegyes, Actor, Venice
Tell us about guest-starring on “Black Scorpion.”
I did an episode called “Aftershock.” I played an evil, insane homeless person called Speedbump.
Do you date sci-fi fans?
What kind of car does she drive?
Who’s cooler: Wolverine or Batman?
I’m a friend of Michael Keaton, so I gotta go with Batman.
Is fandom an alternative lifestyle?
I didn’t know much about science fiction, but I am positively amazed by all this.
Julie Michaels, Actress and “Black Scorpion” stunt double, Los Angeles
Do you go to the store in costume?
No, but after a con once I had to stop for gas. They didn’t charge me.
Do you date non-fans?
I married a fan.
Who’s your favorite superhero?
Wonder Woman. She did it all in heels, baby!
Is fandom an alternative lifestyle?
I think it’s its own Zip Code, actually.
Dennis Miller, Handyman, Van Nuys
Do you go to the store in costume?
Yeah, but it can be a problem. Kids cry sometimes.
Special interests?
Movies, comics, my own characters. I created Mr. El Ni-o and God II.
Who’s cooler: Wolverine or Batman?
Wolverine’s cooler. Batman is too serious.
Is fandom an alternative lifestyle?
Definitely. I think the police don’t accept people walking around in a mask.
Alan Rutledge, Accountant and comic book seller, Santa Ana
What comics do you sell?
We specialize in the Silver Age, the better-known comics from the 1960s.
Best thing you’ve bought at a con?
“Amazing Fantasy” No. 15, with the first Spiderman appearance.
Are fans getting better looking?
Yes, despite my efforts to the contrary.
Who’s cooler: Wonder Woman or Catwoman?
Catwoman. She embodies the bad-girl syndrome.
Is fandom an alternative lifestyle?
Not to me. It’s just a hobby, not a way of life.
