Since May is usually 'sweeps month' on television, and the first of the summer blockbuster movies usually debuts in this month, as well, I feel that it's only fitting that I resume my popular series of 'photo-ops' at this particular time, too. So, every few days I will be posting another photograph of yours truly with some well-known personalities. And I thought for my opening presentation, I'd like to offer a 'double feature'; two biggies for the price of one!

The period: November, 1998... The place: Downtown Miami

I'd traveled south from my Margate condo to the annual "Miami Book Fair" (a free event, until after "9-11"), where I got to meet a variety of authors and illustrators. One of them was comic book artist/writer Phil Yeh - whose credits include "Frank the Unicorn", "Patrick Rabbit" and "The Winged Tiger". Oddly enough, I had the unique opportunity of actually wearing a fursuit of the latter character - my very first time as a 'fursuiter' in any capacity - to help Phil promote the latest story with his flying feline. (I hope to provide a lengthy report about that experience in a future live journal.)

But the real highlight of my visit to the book fair was to meet two European authors who need absolutely no introduction at all. Terry Jones is one-sixth of the famed "Monty Python" comedy troupe, and Douglas Adams was the renowned author of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" book series. And they just happened to be in town to promote (what was then) their latest project - a collaborative effort entitled "Starship Titanic"!

It was originally supposed to have begun as a computer video game, but it still wasn't completed at that time. So, instead, the duo were promoting a novelization of said game, and they appeared at a lecture in front of a packed auditorium at the University of Miami (where the book fair took place). After a description of both the book and game, they held a "Q & A Session", taking all sorts of inquiries from the throng - although most of the questions were more about "Monty Python" and the "Hitchhiker's Guide..."

Afterward, they were in a hallway near the auditorium, autographing copies of their new book (one of which I'd bought at the fair for just that purpose). Mr. Jones had already recognized me from the past - having met me at the New York premieres of past films such as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Monty Python's Life of Brian" - but this was the first time I'd met Mr. Adams. Naturally, I'd praised him for his "Hitchhiker's Guide..." series, as well as his other books "The Meaning of Liff" and the first of his "Dirk Gently" series of detective satires.

(My one regret about my encounter with Mr. Adams was not being able to present him with a personalized anagram creation of mine, based on one of his books... "THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE" = HINT: EVEN ARTHUR DENT ATE FEASTS OUT HERE! I think he would've been blown away by it!)

As for the 'photo-op', I got my good friend from North Miami, Oscar Finlayson to take the picture of the three of us. (Left to right: Jones, Jed, Adams) Oscar is a very talented anthroartist, who I'm hoping to introduce to all of you in "Fur Affinity", by getting him to join the site in the near future. I can honestly say that Oscar is a much better artist than he is a photographer! :-P

Anyway, be on the lookout for more of my 'photo-ops' in my 'Scraps' section...

ADDENDA: Douglas Adams passed away on May 11, 2001...