torchwood panel in 160 characters or less

[fictional]

I'm kinda lj spamming today, for which my apologies. However! I kinda wish I were in Atlanta right now. Still. Next best thing to being there is this little liveblog from dragon*con via text message. If you've been reading I Had No Idea I Had Been Traveling, we feel even more justified now! Thanks, Gareth. ;-) I'm sure Rach will post about this in detail later, and then y'all can hear about g.d.l.'s favorite line (eye candy!), the fact that his ass hurts, and other such tidbits. Till then, I give you:



rach: i am going to hell.
kali: pourquoi?
rach: at panel. lots of info and blushing.
kali: awesome. take notes for me. remember, think mauve.
rach: i am!
rach: lots of Ianto backstory next series and relationship development with jack he says
kali: well we will be jossed but that will be awesome. how are they gonna fit all that in five eps? hopefully the writers wont fuck it up.
rach: gdl blushes at everything
rach: this is getting so raunchy!
rach: some insane girl just asked him out during the q & a in a really tacky way. also his favorite episode to film was adam because of the strangulation.
kali: ha! i knew it! did he say yes to the date? ;-)
rach: he was gracious but clearly and rightfully freaked out. but he did just kiss a girl and thanked her for thanking him for playing a bi character so movingly.
kali: *cries*
rach: now the topic has moved on to felching
kali: is he for or against?
rach: for. talking about booze for a while. now he says that if jack broke ianto's heart, it might be the last straw for him, and implies potential suicide.
kali: oh! gdl is a emo!ianto fan, is he? i guess we already knew that.
rach: yup. also long story will explain later that led him to saying people better not post online that he's barrowman's bitch now.
kali: too late, gareth honey, too late.
rach: also says adam latched onto something that was already in ianto
kali: and us, for the win!
rach: wait til you hear the lead up
rach: and he's a nin fan. and is obsessing on trent now.
rach: also hilarious slutty tosh story
rach: and now annoyance with gwack
rach: recharging phone, will call with details.

Comments

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

Gareth reading from the Terrence Higgins Trust guide to Gay Sex (complete with graphic descriptions of fisting and felching) whilst stood 2 feet away from me is a charming memory which will stay with me for all my born days! Guess it's now his party trick.

Thanks for this update - haven't seen much about the con. Gareth is very good at conventions, he's really keyed into the kind of things that the fans think and talk about and I think he is very much of the school that Jack is Ianto's world - hell the first time I got to meet him and I rather blushingly asked him how he thought Jack and Ianto got from Jack putting a gun to his head to shagging he pretty much likened Ianto's relationship with Jack to Stockholm syndrome saying that once Jack had taken away everything that Ianto had in his life all that was left was him.

And yee gods someone asked him out in a Q&A? Yikes! I mean he has his fair share of stalkers over here (although given that I appear to be actually contemplating going to both of his gigs this month I guess I can't really talk) but all they do is ask for multiple photos and autographs for their shrines (and one girl follows him everywhere 2 feet behind him which is quite amusing) - they never try and ask him out or bother him in that way which is probably just as well as his girlfriend Gemma is the kind of girl who doesn't take kindly to people looking at her man. Hope she's with him to keep him safe!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

And what a partytrick it is. Lucky, lucky you. I've only seen clips of it from youtube. thank god for the internets!

I love that the cast so obviously really thinks about this stuff, and characterization, and why people do the things, instead of being like 90% of actors in a SF/F genre and saying, "well, it was just on the pages, I dunno." I feel like the actors really love and honor their characters, which I just appreciate so so much.

Yeah, I really wish I were at this con, which is odd for me, but for some reason the TW cast brings it out. We don't get to see them as much on this side of the Atlantic, which is v. v. sad. But good for my bank balance, as I'm sure I'd be contemplating all sorts of trips to see 'em, if it were even remotely possible and didn't involve intl travel. They are so gracious and fun. And they seem like fans themselves, which I think is one of the top reasons I like them so much.

Which is why, as Rach & I were saying on the phone, fanppl who don't know where the line is - and in this fandom, that line seems to be pretty freakin' far - are really annoying. Because they've been terribly good about allowing us access, and staying really fond and lovely, so it actually really gets to me. Especially for lads like G.D.L. who, let's face it, aren't *fabulously wealthy* or huge celebrities, but still have to deal with people who, due to their own internal narrative, have completely dehumanized them, and force them to either be rude, or distance themselves, or just play along in a manner uncomfortable for everybody. None of which are fun options. Like, come on!

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

Gareth is very much the protector of Ianto. I mean if you read the Torchwood magazine things like Ianto's look of anguish at the end of Fragments was purely down to Gareth - Chris Chibnall appeared to think that Ianto's back story in Fragments was light hearted romantic comedy rather than the tale of a man so desperate to save the woman he loves that he is prepared to whore himself out to a stranger.

He really does think about his character and his motivations and is great at conventions as a result. He can also be hilarious- like his take on how Jack ends up as the Face of Boe. Some of it is fan service obviously - I don't believe for a second that he's actually sat down and read Jack/Ianto fanfic but he does it very well.

I think the reason my friends and I keep trekking up to Cardiff to see him and his band sing the same 9 songs is because for the most part he is very gracious and sweet and his friends are amusing and we have a real laugh. True he can be incredibly moody and grumpy when he's not in the mood but normally he is very good and has the patience of a saint when it comes to the ones who must have enough pictures of him to wallpaper a house!

He's never had anyone ask him out before though at a convention. At worst people just gaze adoringly at him. I mean what did she think he was going to say? "Well I was happily involved with Gemma but even though you're a total stranger and I don't even know your name and you've just asked me out in front of an entire room of people showing that you're clearly a total freak with no concept of how to behave in public or indeed civilised society since you asked so nicely why the hell not?"

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking of the Fragments thing too, when I was saying that. I mean, there've been several occasions where Ianto's character was solely carried by G.D.L. with little to no help from the writers, and I really respect that. He's always got something going on in the background; i find it very impressive.

And hey, I love it when they do fan service. It seems like a v. clever marketing ploy among other things, and I like it when people give me the courtesy to actually figure out the things we want and deliver them with panache. But yeah, actually I agree on the fic front. Googled it maybe, and seen what popped up 'cause, well. That seems like a normal reaction.

Which is another reason why things like the "lay off the pies" thing in this fandom really irritate me. Aside from all the other reasons that it's ridiculous, offensive, and also, not very funny - it's such an utter lack of respect for someone who seems to work pretty hard to give us respect, when obviously nutjobs can make it kinda embarrassing to do so.

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

Oh don't get me started on the pie crap. God was that unfunny and repetitive. Gareth has a very small belly (which to be honest is probably purely drink) which tends to show up in photos because at the gigs he is often wearing tight black t-shirts and strutting in stuff in poses which don't look very flattering. I have in the past had to go through photos I;ve taken and delete the unflattering ones before giving them to him but he is hardly obese. Just needs to do a few stomach crunches. But why fixate on his weight? Such a bizarre thing to do.

And yes given that he is very internet savvy (the guys in his band seem to find photos and vids wherever they're posted for the myspaces - including on LJ) it it disrespectful to talk such nonsense about him when he does try very hard with the fans. I mean he even dresses relatively sharply and makes sure he's clean shaven before he does conventions because he knows the fans for the most part are expecting to see Ianto appear before them (at the gigs he's normally in either a hoodie or a baseball cap and not necessarily fresh - my friends and I got slimey kisses on the cheek when we said goodbye at the last gig he was dripping head to toe in sweat!)

[hamsterfur.livejournal.com]

Hi. Hope you don't mind me friending you - was searching for con reports and came across your LJ. Yay gdl!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Hi! Welcome. Don't mind at all. Friending = awesome. Pull up a chair, stay a while ;-)

[If you don't mind my asking, am I listed somewhere or did you find me through random googling? *iz curious*] If you're still looking for conreports, you might also want to follow Rach's journal [ rm ] who, you know, is actually *at* the con ;-) and will probably be posting soon. Though maybe she will grace me with more text message liveblog/con reports, since I found this one pretty fun.

And yeah, GDL seems to be rocking pretty hard.

[rm.livejournal.com]

DUDE WHEN AM I GETTING MORE STORY?

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I'm writing right now. It's just slow.

[marchek.livejournal.com]

I seriously just finished season four doctor who (like three minutes ago) and now I get this con report and my head is about to explode!

I can't wait for the full report.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

I find his shape quite cute, to be honest. To hell with those girls and their pies!

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Oh, the envy. It would be worse if I didn't know I'd be getting a full report on the whole thing via you and rm.

I really do enjoy how thoroughly Gareth seems to know Ianto. He really does think about these things. I suspect he knows Ianto's favorite shoes, song, and flavor of ice cream - and I suspect Ianto's tastes are NOT the same as his, since despite certain bits of overlap GDL and his character are so very different. (Whereas I suspect Jack Harkness and John Barrowman have the same favorite flavor of ice cream.)

[sanginmychains.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting! I, who cannot go, will not conceivably be able to go (and there's a pun in there for those of you who are me) to a con that isn't in one's hometown for a minimum of 5 years, are so very appreciative of every tidbit that gets liveblogged and uploaded. Thank you thank you.

[rm.livejournal.com]

He looked fucking awesome. Buff and not skinny.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Do we really need to have a public policy on felching?
It's a little like having a position on raisins.
"I stand with the zombie fruit!"

I've only seen clips of it from youtube. thank god for the internets!

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Why wasn't I informed of this???????

It's just slow.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Writing is aways fast! Sometimes story is slow.

"well, it was just on the pages, I dunno."

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Sometimes this is a function of how much the writers care about it.
As David Duchovny once said:"Hey, I don't write this stuff!"
For the most part, I think actors care about the stories they tell. (That's my best guess.) Having a story to tell the writers care about is important to them, because it matters, and they are in the profession of being servants to words.
I think they want believe that the audience can tell when they're doing something good.

[electro-club.livejournal.com]

I find myself quite crippled of my abalities to comment because I'm so dying right now. Oh. My. God. That's all I can say.

[hamsterfur.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks! It was actually on OG (what is now doctorwhoforum), the GDL thread in the Torchwood section.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Good actors can fill in the gaps between good writing better than writers can fill in the gaps in between good acting.:(

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Envy can't actually kill you, can it?
I mean, that's just an expression, right?

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Word. I like him with meat on his bones. I think it's cute.

Re: I've only seen clips of it from youtube. thank god for the internets!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P783l05o0xY

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I'm envious too. And I don't normally feel that way about cons. BUT dude. This one just sounds great. *sniff*

Yeah, I think Barrowman isn't always sure where Jack leaves off and he begins. But he's such a matinee idol kinda actor, I think it really works. But I really respect how much GDL puts into it. I remember that from theater days actually; having the parts with no lines, or very few is fascinating. You so have to depend on your own constructed narrative to keep it alive every second, and it really shows when you drop, but you get little support from the story. He's to be commended, I think. And I love how his ideas got brought into the character, and made it so layered, like in Fragments.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

No problem! Cons aren't so much in my budget (either time or money) either. Thank god for cellphones, eh? =)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed ;-)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Don't know about you, but I certainly stand on the zombie fruit!

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

yay! season 4 certainly has its head explode-y moments. ;-) I just rewatched the end of it in prep. for our post journey's end fic.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

that's so cool! *g*

Re: It's just slow.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

My writing is always slow, as I bet rm would attest.

Re: "well, it was just on the pages, I dunno."

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I don't know though. When you get the genre ghetto, I think there are actors who resent it, never having been geeks themselves, and thus don't really get into the story as much as they could. It's one of the reasons I appreciate Torchwood & Doctor Who (and Firefly); you can tell the actors AND the writers are all fans. It's one of the reasons I like Tennant better than Eccleston; I think the love really shows.

Re: I've only seen clips of it from youtube. thank god for the internets!

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I love the internet!:-)

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Squished raisins! Ewwwwww!

Re: It's just slow.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

As you like, but my goodness is it worth the wait!

Well, i did say 'sometimes'

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Well, i did say sometimes Having lived in Alberta* almost all my life, I must now wrap my head around the concept that there are actors who don't know they're geeks....
Agree that it makes a difference, and that the difference shows.



*W.O. Mitchell, play write and story writer, lived for 24 years in High River. Alberta, quite near here, and very near where I grew up. Despite his fame across the country, locals used to point him out with the words "That's old man Mitchell. He doesn't do anything!"

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

The arms are very distracting - at least they were the last time I saw him -they're huge!

[invisible-lift.livejournal.com]

now the topic has moved on to felching

*waves*

Hi. :)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

So you're responsible, are you? Take a bow! All of us playing along at home wish you to accept our heartfelt & humble gratitude ;-)

I think John Barrowman should work on getting that School of Public Speaking accredited. For the sake of all our dvd commentaries, and convention attendance.

[ice-feather.livejournal.com]

Why am I not there? This is just wrong!

That said...

"some insane girl just asked him out"

There are some really fucking creepy people in this fandom.

[invisible-lift.livejournal.com]

I'll open up the Missouri office. Oh yes. I've been practicing.

[enkanowen.livejournal.com]

at Polaris, he went to work out at the hotel's gym in a muscle shirt... I had problems forming sentences while he was walking by... guh...

[enkanowen.livejournal.com]

hahhaah shoulda seen him at Polaris at 10 am. There was nothing clean shaven or even showered or underwear (I swear he makes these distracting comments on purpose). He's hottest that way. Put the boy in a suit and awww kinda cute but jeans, tee and a mic in front of him... rock and roll suits the man so well.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I know! I wish I were there too. *sniff*

There are some really fucking creepy people in this fandom.

Yeah. I don't know why but the sheer crassness of people has not yet ceased to amaze me.

[esporamor.livejournal.com]

rach: lots of Ianto backstory next series and relationship development with jack he says
Yay!!!

rach: yup. also long story will explain later that led him to saying people better not post online that he's barrowman's bitch now.
We all must have done something pretty amazing to have him and the rest of TW cast in this world.

Thanks for the report!

[andreth47.livejournal.com]

Please excuse me for jumping in! This is a lovely discussion: it's both fangirly and rational, which is a rarity. *g* But I had to ask,- what is Gareth's take on how Jack ends up as FoB?

Carry on!

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

He said (jokingly) that Jack probably got decapitated (I think he said that Jack got run over on some train tracks) and that Ianto out of love scooped up his head and put it in a big jar and fed it lots of miracle grow!

Then someone asked how the Face of Boe could have children at which point Gareth suggested that maybe Ianto lended a helping hand with his sperm!

In black and white it doesn't sound very amusing but it was hilarious at the time!