My Celebration Memories

Continuing our ten-year anniversary celebration of Star Wars Celebration itself, we present this article that originally ran in Star Wars Insider #45, published August, 1999.

---

By Scott Chernoff, May 3, 1999 Colorado

Dear Fellow Fan,

As I write this letter to you, I am in the air somewhere above the clouds of Colorado on my way home to California -- but I don't want to go home. I want the Star Wars Celebration to go on forever -- I want to return to the rain (yes, the rain), the people, the fun. Instead, all I can do is write down these memories while they're fresh -- although I'm not likely to forget soon.

My experience at the Celebration was different from most other fans'. Yes, I had the supercool Sebulba all-access pass, but that doesn't mean I used it much -- as MC of Stage B, I spent most of my time in the Dagobah-meets-Otoh-Gunga-like swamps of what I called "my tent." I was plenty nervous -- after all, how could I possibly compete with Stage A's MC, Anthony Daniels, one of the biggest stars in the Star Wars universe? (I tried to tell the audience I played Hammerhead in A New Hope -- they didn't buy it.)

I managed to watch a little of Anthony's act, but that was even more intimidating -- the man is a pro, a charismatic figure beloved by the fans, witty and quick on his feet. I, on the other hand, am the dork who interviews Dengar for a living. But it was an honor even to be in the same sphere as Anthony -- I can't tell you how excited I was to get to know him and bond with him over our mutually-strained vocal chords and sore feet. I mean, this was the golden droid, the magic man himself -- C-3PO! And there was me, following him around like some demented R2-D2 and loving every minute of it.

When I did get to wander the hangar, my favorite booth was the Star Wars Kids area, where I watched kids beam with pride as they learned to draw droids and Sith Lords. I relaxed there by drawing my own Darth Maul -- it was almost as good as the one drawn by the 7-year-old girl to my right.

But most of all, my time and memories were dominated by Stage B. On Friday, I wasn't scheduled to start until John Norton's interview at 1pm -- but at 9:45am, Insider editor-in-chief Jon Snyder told me, "Scott, we're going to open the doors to get everybody out of the rain. I need you to go on at to," Jon said, followed by these terrifying words: "Wing it!"

So, from to until 12:30, I winged it, taking questions from the audience about Episode I, Episode II, books, comics and all things Star Wars. I'm happy to report the fans who packed into Stage B that morning were awesome! In fact, everyone who came to my tent that weekend rocked -- the fans couldn't have been more enthusiastic, more willing to put up with the elements, or more fun.

Of course, the guests were incredible too. Ray Park drove the crowd nuts, and he is as nice a guy as Darth Maul is not. One of my favorite memories of Stage B was when I mediated the Hugh Quarshie-Ahmed Best truce -- the two stars had been good-naturedly making fun of each other during their interviews, and during Ahmed's final talk, Hugh snuck in and, in a strangely unrecognizable voice, mocked Ahmed from afar. Everybody looked around to find where this mysterious voice was coming from, only to discover Hugh Quarshie -- the stoic Captain Panaka -- crouching behind the sound equipment with a wireless microphone and a devilish grin. When Hugh got on stage and hugged Ahmed like the friends they are, everybody cheered.

I'll also never forget interviewing Rick McCallum on stage. Rick was totally cool, and he loved the fans. But there was one moment when I was interviewing him that I drifted off and it hit me: here I was, the geeky Star Wars fan, sitting side-by-side on stage with the producer of the new Star Wars film, which by the way was finally here. How did this happen? What an honor, and what a thrill. At that moment, I gazed to the side of the tent and looked through the window only to see a guy dressed as a stormtrooper march by, as if on patrol. Surreal and powerful. I got a huge, goofy grin, looked over to Rick, whose eyes were gleaming as he spoke to the fans, and returned to the here and now.

An absolute highlight for me was the Jar Jar Jam -- I finally got to hang out with fans and friends (what's the difference?), dance with reckless abandon despite my exhaustion (and despite the fact that I can't dance), and watch Ahmed rock out on stage with a joyously freestyling Ray Park. As I watched them, it occurred to me I was witnessing the next generation of Star Wars take flight before my eyes.

But as much fun as I had at the JJJ, there is one moment that stands out more than any other in my mind right now. It was on Sunday, when the full brunt of exhaustion was hitting me and my voice was in danger of retreating perhaps forever. Warwick Davis was on stage. Now, I knew this guy had a following, but I never realized how vast, diverse, and devoted that following is. Warwick was consistently gracious and hilarious, and clearly an inspiration to fans (many of whom clamored for a Willow sequel), who see in him a "short" (as Warwick puts it) man who has triumphed as an artist, a father, and a person despite the obvious obstacles to his success.

At one point, a fan asked Warwick what he thought of people who don't like Ewoks. Warwick acknowledged that Ewoks make cute toys and many people are averse to that, but he added that merchandising is not their purpose, that George Lucas "doesn't need to work that way." He went on: "I think the idea of the Ewoks, which I quite liked, was that no matter-how small you are, or how little you feel, you can triumph over anything if you believe in yourself and your heart is in the right place."

Now, maybe it was the accumulated hours of craziness at the convention and lack of sleep, but I believe it was the power of Warwick's words that sent chills down my spine and nearly brought me to tears as the audience rose to cheer his answer. This, I thought to myself, is Star Wars -- and this is the spirit, the idea, the ideal that we had all come together to celebrate. Warwick had just summed it all up, and at that moment we all knew that the Ewoks' story was not only Warwick's real-life story, not only the story of Star Wars, but our story as well. We had come together, in the wake of horrific tragedy nearby, to say that while the dark side is out there, the light side, the right side, the good means so much more, and can never be extinguished. It was no coincidence that the clouds had broken and the sun was shining brightly that day as the actor spoke.

This plane is about to land, and I will soon return to my daily life. Next weekend. I'm off to New York City for the Episode I press junket, which will no doubt be very cool. But I know at this moment that nothing will ever touch this weekend I spent with my fellow Star Wars fans. The Force, my friends, will be with us, always... and so will Denver.