dieastra | I gave Carole Barrowman the actionfigure I made of her

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I gave Carole Barrowman the actionfigure I made of her - "Bone Quill" booksigning in Bluewater

I'm just back home from a short weekend in London and Bluewater, where I went for the booksigning of "Bone Quill", the second part in the "Hollow Earth" trilogy by John and Carole Barrowman. My mission was to give Carole the figure I had made of her last year, and she was very happy to receive it. She gave a loud squeal and then showed it to John: "Look what I got!" He misinterpreted it as Sarah Jane at first, but Carole and I said at the same time: "No, it's Willow from 'Buffy'!"

For those of you who are new to my friends list, here is the incredible backstory:

At first, I had made an action figure story with the Torchwood team reading "Hollow Earth"

Then Carole tweeted the link around

Then I made a second part, this time with Superman and Mulder and Jack O'Neill and the Doctor reading the book

Because I only had a figure of John at the booksigning back then, Carole tweeted that she needs an action figure

So I thought, why not, and made a figure of her, as well as John in their red pullovers

Then I showed those figures to John at the convention in Peterborough last May and he liked them very much

And a few weeks later John and Carole talked about it at a TV show and a picture got shown This post has the video links

I certainly never had expected any of that. All I want is to bring a smile to the faces of people who love my stories.

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What a thrill! I'm glad Carole loved the figure! :D

This is beyond awesome! So happy for you for getting the chance to give her 'her' figure. And looking at it, yes, you can really see that you used Willow as base (*images of wide-eyed Alyson Hannigan popping up in my head*)

And thx for the links, turns out I missed the second part of the story when you originally posted it - love that Superman is reading while flying (isn't that a bit like making phonecalls while driving a car?). And there's the gasmask kid in the queue for the signing! *lol*

Very cool and grrrreat pic!! :D

YAY! So glad Carole liked her action figure!

I'm so glad you got to give her the action figure. You do great stuff and its nice to know that the RP enjoy it!!

It's definitely awesome! I couldn't pass this chance, even though the meeting was short. But we found some time to talk.

In this post you can see a before-after picture, what Willow looked like before I cut off her hair: http://dieastra.livejournal.com/41677.html

I just looked at random figures at google and this one seemed to fit Carole's face the best. But very hard to come by a "normal" Willow, as the most figures of her are as vampire or such.

Yes, a lot of people mentioned that the reading and flying Superman might be a danger to his surroundings - I am already collecting ideas for the next story where he might bump into something ;)

Aw, you spotted the kid, I was so careful to hide his face LOL At least the grandmother in front of him has a face now, not like in the line for the autograph at my miniature convention, where I used the faceless grandmother and did only realize when it was too late... d'oh!

I see your "bloody Torchwood" and give you "Must be tuesday" LOL

Very creative and awesome that Carole likes her figure!

Stacey

So awesome! I'm looking forward to reading Bone Quill!

Du bist ja echt großartig.:) Die sollten dich engagieren. Du bist mit diesen Geschichten besser als alles, was jede Werbefirma hinkriegen würde.:)

Dankeschön! Der Buchverlag hat damals auch irgendwie Wind davon bekommen und mir ein kostenloses (unterschriebenes) Buch geschickt sowie ein Werbeplakat und Lesezeichen. Da hab ich mich sehr gefreut!

John ist im Moment in Verhandlungen, es sollen wohl auch eine Serie und vielleicht sogar ein Film entstehen nach den Büchern. Manche sagen, das wird der neue Harry Potter.

Und Du kriegst übrigens noch ein Feedback - am Donnerstag musste ich Koffer packen, weil ich am Freitag ja geflogen bin, aber ich hab die Story auf meinem Netbook mitgenommen und auf dem Flughafen gelesen!

this is so cool!!!

Your is, hands down, one of the best fan encounter stories I've ever heard. You really created something unique and it's so awesome that John and Carole appreciate it so much.

Congratulations, you deserve it!

Darf ich vorsichtig sagen das ich echt eifersüchtig bin.
Und ja, du bist besser als alles was eine werbeagentur auf die Beine stellen kann, denn Fanswerbung ist immer noch die beste.

I think it's so great you made an action figure for Carole, and it sounds like she was delighted!!!

Dankeschön! Der Buchverlag hat damals auch irgendwie Wind davon bekommen und mir ein kostenloses (unterschriebenes) Buch geschickt sowie ein Werbeplakat und Lesezeichen. Da hab ich mich sehr gefreut!

Na, wie die das wohl mitbekommen haben...;) Aber im Ernst, die sollten dich als Marketingchefin einstellen oder sowas. Ich wetter die haben keinen einzigen so kreativen Kopf im Verlag.

ich hab die Story auf meinem Netbook mitgenommen und auf dem Flughafen gelesen!

Freut mich, dass ich dir die Wartezeit verkürzen konnte.

She was indeed delighted. Too bad I don't have a video of her loud scream. I truly regret that.
She had seen it already last year on picture at Twitter of course, but to have it in her hands surely was something else!

Aw, nicht neidisch sein. Es wird ja noch ein drittes Buch geben. Aber außer bei den booksignings sieht man Carole ja nicht.

Ich mach auch nur Werbung für Sachen, die ich richtig klasse finde!

Aw, thank you so much!

It is! And just after we were back home John was announced for a German convention which is even cooler. You can imagine how we all are jumping up and down at the moment!

Thank you!
I already read three quarters of it in London. But I have to start again as I forgot that I need to picture Simon looking like John. They said that's who he would play when they film it. So it's more fun to have the right voice in my head already. I also purchased the audio book read by John, this time he reads with Scottish accent! Sounds nice.

I should make an extra post about this - while we were in London we also went to the National Gallery and looked at the pictures that are described in "Hollow Earth" and "Bone Quill". So we saw the bench where Matt and Em sat before they went into that painting! That was nice.

Thank you very much! It was so awesome to meet her, even briefly.

Thank you! It was really nice meeting her and see her delight. I also gave her a small photoalbum with the action figure story.

Thank you! It was so nice meeting her!

Thank you! Very cool indeed.
The pic had to be taken twice, as the first one did not come out well. So I asked for another one at the end of the signing.

It was such a wonderful moment when I met her! The whole Barrowman family is awesome.

Thank you! It's very cool indeed. Something you can't plan - it just happens.

What a story! I'm so happy for you. Carole looks very happy in this photo and so do you. And your work was on TV, you're famous! ;)

I'm famous indeed ;) And this isn't even the first time.

Back in 2009, president Obama visited Dresden and I walked around the city with my Obama doll and got interviewed by newspapers and TV even: http://dieastra.livejournal.com/4234.html

And not long ago, in May, an American friend and I got interviewed for an Ipswich newspaper (with picture!) because we had travelled so far to see John Barrowman in concert. Here's a scan of this article: http://dieastra.livejournal.com/144164.html

Oh, and my Hamlet action figure story made it into the Shakespeare magazine even! http://dieastra.livejournal.com/106651.html

I also have managed to be published twice in our local newspaper. Each year at Christmas they ask for little stories, and I changed and shortened some fanfictions I had, and even got money for them to be printed!

Good for you! You should probably get your own tv program soon ;) Congratulations on your Hamlet story being printed! It's a perfect example of fans' creativity and various ways of using talents. And the magazine looks amazing, it's a wonderful idea.

PS I've watched the first episode of "Double income, no kids yet", finally :) It took some time to get used to it (I understand English better when I can see people) but you're right, it's great! I had to pause it so I could finish my tea. I wouldn't risk drinking it while listening ;)

LOL Me and a TV programme!

Sadly, that Hamlet story was not printed. I would have loved to have a real magazine in my book case! It is only an online (and free) magazine though. I also don't see any way to download and print it myself. But that layout was phantastic! I only sent in the pictures and text, they did all the layout. It was hard to choose only a few from my many but they also had the link to the rest at the end.

Yay, I wanted to ask how DINKY was going! It's true, you need to adjust but then it is great. I love the dialect. And you always can rewind and listen again if you haven't understood something, I did that too. But yeah, tea might not be such a great idea LOL

Sorry to hear that. It should have been printed and being sold, I think it's been a lively idea to have a magazine like that.

Yes, your photos looked awesome there :)

I finished DINKY few days ago. That escalated quickly ;) I spent almost the entire weekend listening to it while colouring my colouring book... I mean, doing anti-stress excercises or whatever the cover says ;) I just couldn't stop. When I finished, I felt that "what am I supposed to do with my life now?" emptiness I only feel when I finish a long series and get really attached to the characters.

I couldn't pick my favourite episode or quote. Lucy and Daniel make an excellent couple. They support each other, obviously love each other and are extremely funny from episode 1. "I'm never late for my work." "You work at home!" ;)

One thing is concerning me. What happened in the last two episodes? The mood has changed completely, it became very serious and dark, I felt strange because such things don't happen in sitcoms. It was like life suddenly became real. Well, maybe that was exactly the point: to get out of the sitcom world. But it was quite shocking.

I've seen you're a mamber of a DINKY-fans community but it's dead now, isn't it?

I finished DINKY few days ago. That escalated quickly ;)

Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

I spent almost the entire weekend listening to it while colouring my colouring book... I mean, doing anti-stress excercises or whatever the cover says ;) I just couldn't stop.

Same here! I started listening when I was at home and ill. I sat on the balkony, looked into nature, enjoyed the sunshine and quiet and listened. I cooked and listened. I washed up and listened. I could not stop. Imagine, originally it was only six episodes each year for three years!

When I finished, I felt that "what am I supposed to do with my life now?" emptiness I only feel when I finish a long series and get really attached to the characters.

Exactly! They feel like real people, like family members. You want to know what happens next! Life does not just stop, it goes on and on. And my heart was full but nobody to talk to.

Please feel free to share with whomever you want to, to spread this awesome work!

I couldn't pick my favourite episode or quote.

What I love about it, that it is so real. Everyone has been in situations like that - mom calling at 8 in the morning, and the discussion that then happened. And all the other small problems. Or when they got a new kitchen and it took longer and longer. Ordinary things, but with wonderful dialogues. Whoever wrote this is a genius.

Lucy and Daniel make an excellent couple. They support each other, obviously love each other and are extremely funny from episode 1. "I'm never late for my work." "You work at home!" ;)

I remember the line when it was Daniel's birthday, about middle-aged men and that they are always 5 years older than Daniel is ;) Loved it. Actually I loved it from the first second when that woman told their kids that uncle Daniel would now play with them and he hadn't known about this yet. "I do?" LOOOOOOOL Before that, David only does a grunt and it already went through my whole body. Such a nice voice!

One thing is concerning me. What happened in the last two episodes? The mood has changed completely, it became very serious and dark, I felt strange because such things don't happen in sitcoms.

That was odd, wasn't it? Totally unexpected. And a friend of mine was VERY angry with it. Since they did such a turnaround and now suddenly wanted a kid as well, and she claims that is not possible to change your mind like that. But I think it is. Why not? When you get older and the clock is ticking, maybe you see things differently.

Obviously, I don't have kids and I never wanted any and I also think I would not make a good mom, but I can see it happening.

It was like life suddenly became real. Well, maybe that was exactly the point: to get out of the sitcom world. But it was quite shocking.

And this is why you can't just stop thinking about it, you want to know what happens next. I think it is a brillant twist. Now that they want a child, they get it denied. I sure hope they tried again and became wonderful parents in the end - and then all their friends told them: Told you so! ;)

Edit: Sorry, forgot about the community. Yeah, sadly it already was dead when I joined. I just kept the link to be able to read old posts, what others had to say. It's not much though.

Edited 2015-10-10 19:53 (UTC)

Don't say I didn't warn you ;)
You did :) That's why I started listening to it only when I knew I had quite a lot of time.

Life does not just stop, it goes on and on.
They should have changed the title and continue ;)

Please feel free to share with whomever you want to, to spread this awesome work!
I will! I sent it to my friend but she hasn't started listening to it yet. And I'm going to write to another friend who might be interested in it. It's no unknown that most David Tennant's fans haven't even heard about it so they don't know they'd like to have it.

Everyone has been in situations like that - mom calling at 8 in the morning, and the discussion that then happened. And all the other small problems.
Same here. And even if it hasn't happened to you, it's easy to imagine it could have happened to someone else. Everyday problems but with believable and nice characters, and some great lines.

Such a nice voice!
I know, right? ;) With some actors, you don't have to see them, just listen to them, and you can imagine their expressions. They can build a character based on the voice only. Jonathan Aris (Anderson from Sherlock, the Vinvocci from DW's "The End of Time") was there and I haven't recognised him! I imagine his character to look completely different than the actor looks like: much older, short, well-built, with a totally different face. That's the power of voice!

Since they did such a turnaround and now suddenly wanted a kid as well, and she claims that is not possible to change your mind like that. But I think it is. Why not?
I think it's possible, too. We all change, so do our priorities and goals. To have/not have kids is not a kind of decision you make once and are done with for the rest of life, I can imagine someone changing his mind.

I think it is a brillant twist. Now that they want a child, they get it denied.
From the point of the storytelling, yes, that's a very good twist. I don't think anyone expected that. Still, it made me feel... like it was against the rules, like, I don't know, if someone in a cartoon fell of the cliff and died instead of just pull himself together and walk off. I suppose that was the purpose. The characters were real but the world they lived in was a close to ours, but yet an alternative universe in which everything ends well and nothing really bad happens. So they had to be transfered to the 'real' world, to become even more 'real'. And now they can have a happy ending, a happy life (I'm sure they'll make good parents) but not because they live in the sitcom world but because they are wonderful people. I think it's more comforting. I might be overanalysing it ;) or I can be the only one who felt the world they lived in was different from ours (I was thinking about the plot and plot resolutions but was the fact that I'm not married, not British and there's Internet and mobiles instead of landline phones today relevant, as a factor?) but that's how it was for me. I'd like to know how other people responded to those last episodes.

Sorry, forgot about the community. Yeah, sadly it already was dead when I joined.
DINKY was broadcasted a long time ago but still, it's sad. :(

Jonathan Aris (Anderson from Sherlock, the Vinvocci from DW's "The End of Time") was there and I haven't recognised him!

Are you telling me he was in DINKY? AND in Doctor Who? I had no idea ;)

And since when is he in Hollywood? His IMDB just told me that he also was in "The Martian" and is currently in "Humans", the American remake of "Real Humans". I have seen the Swedish original in our TV and I liked it.

But I can't find him listed for Doctor Who? This page says "Some people think that Jonathan Aris (Anderson) was also the Vinvocci in “The End of Time”, but that was actually Lawry Lewin."

http://doctor-who-screencaps.tumblr.com/post/43416298506/actors-in-sherlock-that-have-also-appeared-in

Also, have I ever bragged with this?

http://dieastra.livejournal.com/90679.html

It wasn't Jonathan Aris? I've been living in a lie for years! They look so alike! And the "Anderson is a cactus" joke is so popular on the internet, I've seen it a lot of times. I'm sad it isn't true. But thanks for correcting me.

No, you haven't! You look like good friends there :)

Sorry to burst your bubble!

Thanks ;) If you follow the tag, you may see some more people you know.

http://dieastra.livejournal.com/tag/con%202014%3A%20elementary%20birmingham

I will!

So awesome!!!

Thanks! Yeah, I am a wee little bit famous ;)
Carole and John are awesome together. Sometimes they do panels at conventions. I can relate to her as I am also a big sister who often was annoyed at her little brother ;)

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I gave Carole Barrowman the actionfigure I made of her - "Bone Quill" booksigning in Bluewater

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