My geek journey as Abstractharmony really started on the old Rebelscum Forums and DC Direct Forums in the late 90's/early 00's. However, my connection with the Star Wars Convention Fandom began in 1995 when, as a result of corresponding with him, I had the telephone number of dear old Kenny Baker, the actor forever linked with R2D2. A promoter who was running an event in Birmingham contacted me via a mutual to discuss his event and to ask me for Kenny's number. I was about to give it to him but then held off deciding that it wasn't my number to give out. Instead, I made the decision to take the details from him of the show and the arrangements and said that I would pass this on to Kenny and come back to him. Two phone calls later, the deal was done and my career as a guest booker and facilitator had begun.

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I had no inkling of the adventures that would spin out of that one call, the people that I would, the places that it would take me and the friends that I would make all over the world as a result.

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Without a doubt the highlights of that time were working with Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams at the first Celebration Europe in 2007 and my work with the UK's biggest promoter, at that time, for nearly a decade placing guests into every event that they ran, tracing and correspondence with contacts of contacts and introducing a lot of names to the convention world over the years a lot of whom have now become show staples.

 

It was a magic time, the hobby was enjoyable, accessible and a lot of fun. If you had told the young boy watching these films on the cinema screen that one day he would grow to call these characters friends I date say that his mind would have been blown and over the years, that has always been my maxim 'What would 5 year old Mark think of this?'. 

 

It was, and remains, hard work, but I wouldn't change it for the world. In 2016 alone I placed in excess of 150 separate guests into events. On top of a full-time serious job, personal and health issues, I was rapidly approaching burn out and in 2017 it was time to amicably part ways with the promoter with which I was working. We still remain amicable and I am thankful to have made some lifelong friends with the team during my time with them,

 

It was as a result of contacts that I had made during my time with that Promoter that I was afforded the opportunity to work what will forever be the highlight of my career in booking the guests for the Official Lucasfilm Star Wars Celebration held in London in July 2016.

 

As brilliant as the show was, and indeed it was, also sadly being the last UK convention appearance of Carrie Fisher and the penultimate appearance of dear old Kenny Baker, it was not without frustration due to Disney takeover and the restrictions placed on guests from 'on high'. I had originally contracted 85 names from the movies across the weekend for the event which would have made it the greatest Star Wars Signing Event ever when three weeks prior to the event we were informed by The Powers That Be that the autograph hall allocated space was being drastically reduced to allow them to site the Star Wars Live stage there meaning that guest list also had to be substantially reduced also. A missed opportunity for sure but one that will likely always be the jewel in the crown of my Star Wars work.