And if anyone is going to this event, the Her Blue Eyes administrative team would be eternally grateful for a write up of the occasion! We’d post it here and you could be the envy of many! Thanks!

It was chilly in Times Square Thursday morning, but there I was, standing, waiting for the sword & sorcery heroes. And after about a half-hour, they DID show up, arriving direct from the TV fantasy world into the heart of New York City via black stretch limousine. What a way to travel between mythical kingdom and civilization!

Well, if you haven’t guessed, this was a NYC press event held on “Military Island” (that isle of concrete between 44th Street and 43rd, bracketed lengthwise by Broadway and Seventh Avenue; its title derives from the U.S. Army Recruiting Station located on its south end for decades). You may have seen publicity events held there before—it’s directly in front of ABC’s GOOD MORNING AMERICA studios, and the show regularly makes use of that Times Square turf to stage concerts, contests and other antics.

Now, normally, I might NOT venture out of my warm office cave for much of anything, recluse that I have become. But this press event was only SIX blocks from STARLOG—a 10-12-minute walk at most—so how could I not go? This thing was just too conveniently located! Its purpose, by the way, was to promote the second season of TV’s only current sword & sorcery saga LEGEND OF THE SEEKER (premiering in syndication the weekend of November 7-8). Based on Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth books, it’s from ABC Studios and executive producers Rob Tapert & Sam Raimi (the folks who gave us HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS & XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS), STAR TREK veteran Ken Biller and Ned Nalle & Josh Donen. STARLOG covered the series’ first season; a review of this year’s premiere will be posted shortly. So, it’s our kind of far-out stuff, yet it was comparatively nearby. I had to go.
As befits a November day, it was brisk there at the edge of (as the tourist brochures bill it) “the crossroads of the world” (42nd Street & Broadway). It was chilly enough that I felt the weather through a sweater and windbreaker, my SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW baseball cap perched jauntily on my head (“I say! It’s science fiction, eh?”). I also wore gloves (no fingerprints). I ambled over around 10 a.m. (press call time), standing amidst a phalanx (OK, about a dozen) of photographers, a covey of SEEKER TV publicists and miscellaneous press (like me). There on Military Island, a distressed vehicle had been abandoned, its tires flattened, windshield broken, steam rising creatively from its interior (a hidden smoke machine), its hood vivisected by the glistening, nine-foot-long Sword of Truth! In this battle between barbarian hero and cash-for-clunker, the man with the biggest blade had won!

After a quick alert by publicist cellphone, eight comely actress-models marched out of the mists (and a nearby holding room) to delight us. They were dressed—in form-fitting red latex—as Mord’Siths, members of the sisterhood of sorcerers who can, as the press release notes, “inflict pain with a thought” (well, that would be ANY woman, wouldn’t it?). Mord’Siths can also take away the magic of those who would use magic against them. Uh-oh! Those are ladies you just don’t want to anger—and all eight (as befitting a November press event out in the cold) were kind of cute. Call me. I’m in the book.

Anyhow, the Mord’Siths modeled, alongside the Sword of Truth-trashed car, in various combinations and poses, complete with their wand-canes in hands provocatively pointed at the papparazzi. (Yeah, I’m perversely proud of that phrase!) Snap! Snap! Snap! And then the limo arrived, disgorging the likable stars of LEGEND OF THE SEEKER: Craig Horner and Bridget Regan (who play Richard and Kahlan respectively). They posed with the Mord’Siths, then together as a pair and finally individually. Snap! Snap! Snap! In one picturesque moment, Horner jumped on top of the car and dramatically tried to pull the Excalibur-like Sword of Truth from its stone-like innards. The photographers loved it! Snap! Snap! Snap!

Meanwhile, the assembled crowd had swelled to perhaps 100 people. Horner and Regan patiently worked the lines, autographed lenticular (i.e. kinda 3-D) LEGEND OF THE SEEKER mini-cards and posed for pictures with tourists, smiling at all. The actors were genuinely heroic in their efforts to please everyone. An old guy passerby—there’s always ONE in every crowd—stopped to ask, “WHO are they?” (It wasn’t me! I swear! I already knew!). Regan handled him charmingly with some affectionate repartee that I couldn’t quite hear (my ears having long since frozen). My leg got kind of numb, too. Could it be the revenge of the Mord’Siths?

I was impressed by both Horner and Regan—just how nice you are to your fans as well as to people who have no idea who you are says a great deal about a celebrity. It’s what becomes a LEGEND most. But since it was growing both later and colder, I then waded off Military Island, through the Times Square traffic and back to my cave in the fantasy world of STARLOG.

The Sword of Truth may still be there, waiting for another hero to draw it from its automotive resting place and embark on further adventures. And if that hero wannabe is you, I recommend you bring a heavy coat, scarf and gloves. And for more on the TV saga, try the website (LegendOfTheSeeker.com).

The article at STARBLOG can be found here: http://www.starlog.com/starblog/39-liner-notes/647-starblog-liner-notes-seeking-the-sword-of-truth

I am a big fan of Bridget (your website is GREAT) and Craig. I wanted to let you know what I saw today at Times Square.

We got to Times Square at 10:15 am and went straight to Military Island where the “Seeker” car had a big sword of truth sticking out of it. There were about 10 girls dressed in red (they were a little cold) taking publicity shots in front of the car. We were waiting for Craig and Bridget and they came exactly on time. After they took about 1000 pictures for the press tour, Bridget turns to us and says ” lets go visit the kiddies!” My children had their mouths open and were speechless. Bridget is STUNNING to look at and Craig is GORGEOUS! The kids got to take a picture with them and get a hug. Bridget and Craig are two of the most beautiful, friendly, generous and happy actors you ever want to meet. My children are so happy we went today! There were many people who came over to see what was going on. I explain to them what the show was and who Bridget and Craig were. I must have talked to a lot of people because I was giving out the collector cards to everyone who asked me about the show. Some girls from the show’s marketing department were asking my children questions, reactions, etc. My girls were on cloud nine! It was our best day ever…so far.

And now, for what happened in Times Square:
Walking to the event, I saw a car with the word “Seeker” on it. When I got to the event place, the car was smashed up with smoke coming out, a huge sword through the front engine part and the words “The Seeker was here.com” (no spaces when you type it in of course!), written on the side of the car. There was also a large poster of Richard and Kahlan fighting the bad guys, which is one of the new promo shots. There were 8 Mord-Sith handing out the 3D promotional cards (no iTunes code on the back) and posing for photos. A little after 10:30, Bridget and Craig arrived via limo and took photos with the Mord-Sith. Then Bridget and Craig took photos together, then each of them separately in front of the car. Then they signed photos and took pictures with the fans. They were so nice and must have spent 20 or so minutes, signing, taking photos and talking with people. Craig asked many of the people’s names and obliged people’s requests for hugs! They were both very friendly and giving of their time. It was great to see them as they film so much of the year in New Zealand, that to have them in the States was a wonderful opportunity.

First up, a live webcam of the event. Apparently there were Mord Sith wondering around earlier. For that, click here. It looks like most of the stuff is done and gone by now, but it’s still nifty to look at what’s still there.

Speaking of what’s still there…:

(click to see full size in the gallery)

Thanks Jane!

This Thursday, November 5, at 10:30am Eastern Time, Craig Horner and Bridget Regan will be in New York’s Times Square to promote this weekend’s Legend of the Seeker Season Premiere Event. You can find them at Military Island, Times Square, Intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, between 43rd & 44th Street. The Sword of Truth will leave its mark in the heart of Manhattan!

From Chris & I:

If any of you go and want to be the recipient of much thanks and love, do a write up of the event and send it our way, we’d greatly appreciate it. Pictures rock too if you’re so inclined.

Armageddon Expo Links:

Speshtian’s Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/speshtian/sets/72157622686715188/ (Thanks Seventh!)
Michael Hurst’s (LotS Director) Photos: http://www.michaelhurstnow.com/armageddonseeker.html (Thanks Maria, Seventh)
Roza4800’s Video of the Signing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUAT76xboIA (Thanks Mattia!)

Lisa has put all of her photos from around New Zealand up on her Flickr account, including extra Armageddon Expo pictures which are in her Day 5 album. So if you’d like to take a look around where Legend of the Seeker is filmed, take a gander. HUGE thanks, as always, to Lisa!

Day 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622647358770/
Day 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622647439948/
Day 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622656301280/
Day 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622547848747/
Day 5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622672653772/
Day 6: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622573865619/
Day 7: http://www.flickr.com/photos/copperhorsestudio/sets/72157622573906791/

Want some Legend of the Seeker wallpapers, screen savers and various other computer goodies? Cleveland’s CW has some for ya! http://www.wbnx.com/shows/legend/ Thanks to Seventh!

And, for all of you who have made it here to the end of this long list of links, I’ve gotten my hands on a few extra iTunes gift cards for the Legend of the Seeker season 2 premier episode. So, if you are aren’t going to be able to swing by a theater over the weekend and want your shot to see the episode before it’s broadcast on national television, tune in tomorrow at noon CST (that’s -5 GMT currently because of the insanity that is Daylight Savings.) for your chance to win.