RIP Richard Hatch
I'm in shock to hear the sad news that Rictard Hatch passed away today. He was 71, yes, but I hadn't heard he was ill. The cause of h is death is listed as pancreatic cancer. He probably didn't want anyone to know. His project "Batt;estar Galacica: The Second Coming" will not come to fruition now. I wonder how this will affect "Star Trek: Axanar" now.
Normally I'm attracted to the hot blonds, but between Richard Hatch and Dirk Bennedict, I swooned for Apollo. Ok, until the spisode "Living Legend" came along and I had a hard mad crush on Rod Haase who played Colonel Tolen, the XO of the Battlestar Pegasus.
I remember the last time I got an autograph from Richard. It was when Starcon was still at the Regency Hotel (the one with the gold dome off of I-25 AND 36th) and it was at a time when you didn;t have to pay a dime for celebrity autographs. I had little money at the time... just enough to copver the cost of the convention ticket, a slice of pizza and a drink. We stiod in line, I got my autograph and a photo with him. It was wonderful He even gave me a kiss on the cheek. I swear my cheek tingled for a week! His lips were so soft, too. That made my weekend eben though his assistant said the autograph was $10. I was stunned and embarrassed, No one had said anythng about having to pay for Richard's autograph before I got in line. Allarently she had done this to the two people ahead of me. I told her I didn;t have any moneya nd if I had knows he was chaging I wouldn't have gotten in line. Well somehow. I think he told her to forget it, and I walked away with the autograph. Looking back I could see her getting a sheet of paper and a felt tipped pen and scribbling like mad. Later on about midnight or so I was sitting in the rotunda chatting with a friend and we saw him and his then girlfriend horsing around outside the art show. He was walking behind her holding her arms out and they were acting like airplanes or something like that. The giggling was infectuaous. They must have hit one or two of the Klingon parties because neither one of them (especially Richard) was feeling any pain at that time if you know what I mean.
Come to find out a year later Creation conventions started the whole deal with the celebrities charging for autographs. Now it's a mainstay. I can understand it now since actors consider it another source of income (especially for those who have been out of work for some time but still on the convention circuit), btu back then it just didn;t happen. There are still fans who can;t afford to plunk down $40 or more for an autograph, but in recent years another equivilent charge is required if you want a professionally taken photograph with the star as well as the autograph. Now there is a caviet that says not all are guarenteed an autograph even though you got the picture, and there are no refunds. That part sucks. When you plunk doan at least $80 per star and there are more than one celebrity you want to get a picture and autograph from not only can it get to be expensive, you spend all your weekend in lines and not seeing the rest of the convention. activities or even panels and celebrity talks. I gave up autograph hunting long ago. I'm too old and my poor battered knees will not allow me to spend all weekend sitting on the floor and missing out on all the fun stuff anymore.
Rest in peace. Richard. I'll miss you.
