What does Nightcrawler have to do with Thanksgiving?

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:37 pm

Nothing. Or so I thought.

But apparently Nightcrawler and Thanksgiving have enough in common that I have been asked along with several others to represent costumed characters in Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade.

So I'll be in the parade this year representing Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry whose "Action" exhibit I worked promoting all summer. In case you want to turn up here's all the stats:

Thursday, November 25, 2004—Thanksgiving Day

Time:
8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Place:
State Street—from Congress to Randolph

Broadcast:
Live on ABC 7—9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m

Rebroadcast on ABC 7:
Sunday, November 28th, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Sunday, December 12th, 12pm - 2:00pm

National syndication; available in approximately 90 million households

Units:
Giant helium balloons, fabulous floats, award-winning marching bands, talented equestrian units, unique performance groups, local and national celebrities

Viewers:
1.5 million

On-street:
350,000

Weather:
Average high – 42; Average low – 29; Late November in Chicago can bring a variety of temperatures and conditions. You should be prepared for all weather conditions. The show will go on regardless of the weather.

The museum has been broadcasting a spot for it on the radio all week and I'm really looking forward to it. So if you're in the neighborhood and don't mind being really cold, come down and say hello. (Oh, and for something even more hilarious, all the costumed characters will be riding the 'L downtown at about 6:15AM. Brownline. So if you want to see what Nightcrawler looks like at 6:15 in the morning with no teeth drinking coffee through a straw... Oh, nevermind.)

Anyway, have a good holiday.

-e

Blue_Demon94 · Post by **Blue_Demon94** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:57 pm

I'll be sure to set my alarm!:D:D

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 9:03 pm

*quickly jots down* ABC, 9am..... Man, I try to catch the TurkeyDay Parade every year, just 'cuz I like watching all the floats people have spent all year working on. But now I've got an extra-special-super-deluxe reason to tune in!

I won't be anywhere near the East Coast, but I'll be glued to my TV. Thanks for letting us know, Zam! Hope you get a second or two of close-up!

BamfChyck · Post by **BamfChyck** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 11:19 pm

I actually have the whole day off, and the night before, so I am going to be there in person! I made plans to travel weeks ago, and what a special treat to see you marching as well!

I will yell extra loud when you come by! I will get my friends to yell loud, too!

I don't think I'll see you on the L, though. From what I understand, I'll be within walking distance.

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:16 am

I can't wait!!!! I'll get up that early JUST for you!!! Be sure to jump in front of the cameras and hop around so I see you!

Blue_Demon94 · Post by **Blue_Demon94** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:15 pm

Originally posted by Gaz
I can't wait!!!! I'll get up that early JUST for you!!! Be sure to jump in front of the cameras and hop around so I see you!

YEAH! And make shout-outs to "Scrawlers all over!"

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 12:51 am

Heh, if I'd been more clever I could have brought my Nightscrawler's button to wear. But it's back at school.

I actually have the whole day off, and the night before, so I am going to be there in person! I made plans to travel weeks ago, and what a special treat to see you marching as well!

Coolness. Well for you and anyone else who's going to actually be in town, the costumed characters for our float are meeting at 9am at Harrison and Dearborne. Come say hi. And if you're watching on TV, don't worry about not knowing which one is me, I'll be the one who's dressed like Nightcrawler.

(Turns out 6:15 on the L was WAY too early since we're the 2nd to last float. Yay! And since I'll be doing this scar-less I get to practically sleep in...)

-e

Blue_Demon94 · Post by **Blue_Demon94** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:07 am

Is it gonna be on everywhere?! Even New York:? Cause I need to see you:D

NWKurt · Post by **NWKurt** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:32 am

Originally posted by zamweasel
National syndication; available in approximately 90 million households

Oh Zam, FUN!! I checked locals here as well, only stoopid local programming, and then Good Morning America

But I will get up anyway just in case it IS on!!

How is national syndication work? Will we be able to see it later??

Please oh please....someone capture it and make a AVI, MPG, WMV, MOV, or what ever.... we all's gots to sees it!! If anyone captures it on tape, but doesn't have the capibility to convert it to a file and wants me to convert it, leeme know!! I'd be happy to do it GRATIS!!!

I had so much fun handing out the video of you last time at the ComicCon in SD!!

Keep up the work Zam, were all watchin ya!!

NWKurt

*EDIT Thanksgiving morning*

It wasn't on at all here

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 3:09 am

Well, I have now participated in my first major parade. And I was on TV for approximately 4.5 seconds. Though I figure 4.5 seconds times 90 million households equals 405000000 seconds. Which comes out to 112500 HOURS of Nightcrawler! Wow.

It was really fun and somthing I'd like to do again if anything for all the cool people I ended up meeting while waiting to march as well as getting to see how these things are done.

There's a staging area for each kind of group, one for cars, one for the floats, one for animals, and another for the performing groups. We were with the performing groups so it was everything from marching bands to a group of tumblers dressed like elves. There are lots of stories since we were the last group, we got to talk to everyone. I'm sure the guys' favorite story is about getting to hang out with Elvis and his squad of scantily clad ...um... lady friends. That was funny, but my favorite story is cooler.

I'd been trying to get in touch with Ringling Brothers Circus who is in town right now about a tour of their animal facilities. (I'm hoping to work for them over the summer as a vet assistant - ultimatly hoping to become a circus vet) But I hadn't had much luck getting through. So my friends and I were goofing around and they started teasing me about something. And I was like "fine, I'm going over here. To Munich!" And stomped off dramatically to stand by a group of people who were dressed like circus performers. While I was standing with them I was admiring their costumes and jokingly called one of them the Ringmaster because of his fancy tailcoat. Then he said, "But I am the Ringmaster."

It turns out he was the Ringmaster with Ringling Brothers and I was standing amidst various members of the circus. I really was in Munich! Sort of. So they directed me to the tour manager who agreed to meet me the next day and give me a tour of the animal facilities. And I got to see the show. So it was a very cool day. Ringling Brothers has a lot of animal acts and they really do treat their animals with a lot of respect.

Anyway, here's a screen shot of my big 4.5 seconds:

And my friend Toby has the video: 4.5 seconds baby!

(NWKurt if you want to host it too I'm sure Toby would be more than happy to have the load off his server.)

And I won my ebay auctions. 2 original X2 Nightcrawler character concept sketches. Whee. Happy Thanksgiving indeed.

-e

Crawler · Post by **Crawler** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:52 am

I love the huge grin, Zam. And that's just too cool.

Congrats on the whole circus tour thing!

Blue_Demon94 · Post by **Blue_Demon94** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 2:44 pm

Very cool, congrats!:D

NWKurt · Post by **NWKurt** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:04 pm

Originally posted by zamweasel

(NWKurt if you want to host it too I'm sure Toby would be more than happy to have the load off his server.)

(For our bandwidth limited folk)
Original video, only 5 megs on a .wmv
9 sec (1.76Meg) HQ mpeg video of "Our Star"!

Happy viewing

YAYYYY Zam!!! I watched for the weather there, DAMN!! It was below freezing in the morning!! Even Kurt would have had really blue skin for those tempratures - hope you bundeled up good

NWKurt

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 11:55 pm

It snowed like crazy the night before but when I woke up the skies were clear.

I felt like I was going on a snowboard trip at first while I was cleaning the ice off the car and putting on all the layers of long underwear. But then I started airbrushing blue paint all over my face...

It was very cold but I wasn't uncomfortable at all. That costume is really warm to begin with and with a few layers of the capilene longjohns I used to ski in, I hardly noticed the cold. Plus before the parade I accessorized with a stylish wool hat and scarf. Even so, I had a dollar for everytime I heard the "she's blue from the cold" joke...

But the afternoon it was actually quite warm.

-e

Darick · Post by **Darick** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 3:29 am

Ah, global warming...

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:55 pm

Zam,

I could have KILLED the producers and planners for our local ABC! While NBC was happy to show the 2 hour long commercial that is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, ABC showed the first hour of the Chicago parade ONLY! And then switched to some damn soap opera halfway through!!

DAMN, that pissed me off!

Seeing as you were the 2nd to last float, there was *no* way I could have seen you without the stuff you put up. Thank you *thank you* for the video and the pic!

It turns out he was the Ringmaster with Ringling Brothers and I was standing amidst various members of the circus. I really was in Munich! Sort of. So they directed me to the tour manager who agreed to meet me the next day and give me a tour of the animal facilities. And I got to see the show. So it was a very cool day.

Yes! Yes!

Networking of the best kind! Congrats on everything, Zam!!

Ringling Brothers has a lot of animal acts and they really do treat their animals with a lot of respect.

I'd expect nothing less from one of the most successful, widespread, and scrutinized, circuses in America.

Minor diversion: Something that always had me tilting my head in confusion was the big ruckus some animal rights activists keep stirring up about Ringling Brothers' "animal maltreatment". Whatever evidence they produced was always so ambiguous (i.e., a teeny spot on an elephant's hide), and yet they kept pointing to it as a smoking gun of some kind. In the meantime, not one professional (veterinarian, trainer, animal welfare agent, etc.) has ever said anything against Ringling Bros. I always had the feeling that the combative "you're wrong and we'll prove it" attitude had more to do with it than anything else. Maybe if they actually spoke with the veterinatian in charge, or learned something about the training methods, they might change their mind.

Post by **HoodedMan** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:10 am

Originally posted by Saint Kurt
I felt like I was going on a snowboard trip at first while I was cleaning the ice off the car and putting on all the layers of long underwear. But then I started airbrushing blue paint all over my face...

You should try going up to the Northwest Territories and Alaska during winter sometime. Then you'll really discover the magic of layers and long underwear.

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:46 am

Try? That's where I'm from.

I spent most of my 20s as a pro snowboarder riding around the Northwest and Canada for Burton. I only moved to Chicago 3 years ago, before that I hardly came down off the mountain. It gets cold in the midwest too, but it's been quite an adjustment to living on the flats.

-e

kurtlover · Post by **kurtlover** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 8:43 pm

Fashionable late, i just popped in to say how cool you are Zam!

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:09 am

I didn't mean to ignore you Kurtlover. I just forgot this thread existed... I'm only cool because I wasn't wearing enough underwear.

I miss the snowboarding like crazy, but I broke my spine in 2 places when I was 28 and had to quit. It was in rehab from that accident that I learned to sew. And it was a few years later that I decided to go back to school to become a veterinarian. So it's funny how life works.

-e

hellbound · Post by **hellbound** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:50 am

he's the turkey....