Ramblings and Insights from My First Outlander Convention.

Outlander Homepage originals written by Laura Michelle Martin

The Pros & Cons:

The excitement began for me in January when I purchased my “Early Bird” Gold Weekend Package pass to my first ever Outlander con “A Salute to Outlander” to be held in August in Secaucus, NJ. Up to this point my fan experience is limited to seeing the Outlander Panel at the Apple Store in 2016 and my involvement in the charity fundraisers in NYC.  I have never been to a con in any fandom. The lineup for this con was Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Steven Cree, Graham McTavish, and Stephen Walters. Later Tobias Menzies was announced. Of course there is the caveat that any actor scheduled to appear may cancel for work obligations. It is a risk that I accepted and gamble I took.

See, this is why I don’t play poker. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It wasn’t in the cards that Tobias, Sam, Steven, and at nearly the 11th hour that Caitriona Balfe would be able to attend. Replacement talent was found, but not all substitutions are equal.  My heart goes out to Creation, to the actors who don’t want to disappoint their fans, and the fans who like me gambled and lost. Jobbing actors simply can’t be in two places at the same time. Gary Lewis, Cesar Domboy and David Berry were added when Tobias canceled. Scott Kyle, Lauren Lyle, Lotte Verbeek, Gillebride Macmillan, and Richard Rankin were added to replace Sam and Steven; only Sophie Skelton was added to replace Cait. Sophie was announced within hours of Cait’s cancellation. It would have been nearly impossible to arrange schedules for meet and greets, autographs, photo ops if more cast was added. There wasn’t enough time or space to do it. However, I am not getting the value for what I paid as a Gold package holder. This was never addressed by Creation and there is no restitution other than eventually being reimbursed for separate autograph or photo op purchases for cancelled actors.

My take away is that these actors are the pros at any convention or event. They know what they are doing to make the most of your fan experience.  As someone who has hours of experience working with the actors and observing their interaction with fans I promise you it is more than a business transaction. They truly want to meet you and speak with you. Many people told me they have made memories that will last a lifetime.  These are decent people who are as appreciative of their fans as we are appreciative of them.

I will go into detail about their panels in a bit. I have to say each guest at Creation was sensational.  I didn’t know what to expect from lesser known actors, but I left holding them higher in my esteem and respect. Each and every one listened and answered questions in the Question and Answer sessions and not all questions are created equal! In the autograph lines they chatted with you a little bit and it made it a more meaningful experience than just having them sign your item and then on to the next one. They worked with you to bring the best out of your photo op. They know we are nervous and a wee bit star struck. They help us have the best experience.

The biggest con about this con really had to be the execution of this event. It was a hot mess start to finish. Communications with them via email updates were sporadic and often nonexistent and yes, I checked my spam folder.  It didn’t get much better at the actual event. Some of the staff were inexperienced and often didn’t know the answer to your question or if you asked another attendee you got a different answer as told by another staff member. They promised special credentials from the event. It was our paper badge with our seat number written on it. We were told not to lose it as it has our autograph tickets on it and to please come back later for a lanyard to place it in.  They hadn’t arrived yet. In calling rows for autographs on Friday, they called my block of rows and we all got up. Then they tried to say we didn’t call you. Yes, you did. They didn’t want all 5 rows. They wanted one row at a time and failed to communicate it. We aren’t mind readers. They fixed this by Saturday by posting autograph sessions on the screen and an attendant discreetly ushered each row to the awaiting tables. However, while waiting on line your attention was torn between talking to the actor giving your autograph and paying attention to the panel going on simultaneously. This is supposedly common place. It was new to me and I don’t particularly like it.

The overlaps between photo ops, panels, and autographs that pulled you in different directions were the worst case scenario for people who were not in the room or otherwise occupied when Sam and later Cait surprised us with a Question and Answer via Skype. Would you want to be out of the room or out of your seat during that? Of course not.  When we took our seats in the Expo Hall and Stephen Walters welcomed us they should have made an announcement. The event needed that kind of excitement and they would have looked like heroes in front of the convention attendees. It should have been projected on the screen with a general time frame. Based on the printed schedule people had, some decided to skip what was scheduled during the time Sam was on screen. I know people who left and were kicking themselves later. An email blast, a notification on their Fanguru app, something in the Facebook group, anything to let people know Sam and Cait were coming via Skype and to stay tuned would have kept people on site. It was the one and only time we saw or heard from them the entire weekend. People would have made themselves available.

The venue itself was another con. We were in a giant warehouse with concrete floors, concrete walls, and a metal roof. It is meant for car and boat shows, job fairs, and definitely not a concert hall or theater. It is close to NYC and mass transit, within walking distance to numerous hotels and restaurants. It was convenient, but that pros end there.  The way the space was set up there was only one restroom for men and women. I literally went across the street and down the block to my hotel because it took less time than waiting and was cleaner. The concessions were not enough to tide you over. Luckily I brought snacks. The vendor area was heavily saturated with Official Outlander store merchandise and photos for autograph sessions but there were many empty tables. One vendor said Creation was difficult to work with. With so few vendors to choose from, I tend to believe it. Inside the wall of black folding chairs were packed in and zip-tied together. This is a safety measure from what I have managed to learn. I appreciate that, but those had to be the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat in.

The sound system and acoustics were an atrocity. Other than the cast cancellations and indeterminate amount of time it will take to process refunds on separately purchased autographs and photo ops this was one of the biggest gripes of the weekend. I heard every excuse in the book that there weren’t enough people to absorb the sound. Really?? The actors on stage couldn’t hear the questions being asked and the audience couldn’t understand them. I was in the 9th row. I had friends in the 5th row that had the same issue. I can’t count the number of times we asked the people around us “what did he/she say?” That isn’t right. People were laughing or reacting to what was said and I was lost. Many of us were. Friday was not well attended.  There were hundreds of empty seats. People from the Gold seats went into the vacant General Admission seats in the rear of the hall so they could hear well. I joined them. It was clearer. The excuse then was that there weren’t enough people in the hall to absorb the sound.  

During the Saturday evening concert Gillebride Macmillan performed a Capella. It was a sin that such an angelic voice couldn’t be treated with the respect it deserved. Sunday came and went with more of the same and actors going off stage to pass the mic to fans to ask questions every now and again. It was frustrating for all.

Their technical difficulties were not limited to the sound but also the karaoke wouldn’t cue. Scott Kyle did not get to perform his number. The Skype session with Sam went better than Cait’s where her sound cut in and out however, I wish to give Creation the benefit of the doubt. It is hard to. It really is.

Our MC was Stephen Walters who sang throughout the 3 days. He composed a song for Sam called “Sammy Heughan Handsome Bastard Blues”. He had the audience laughing and set the right tone. Stephen is a proud Liverpudlian. You can hear it in his accent and the influences of The Beatles in his music and the songs he performed.  At karaoke he sang “Twist and Shout” and at the concert he sang John Lennon’s “Imagine”. During his panel he said “Music is fun. Acting pays the bills.” Stephen wrote a funny rhyming intro to each actor who took the stage for their Q & A. He brought his son to the event and he sat next to him at the autograph table quietly drawing.  During the concert he sang a song he wrote for his son titled “Because of You”. It is a sweet, tender ballad and as a parent myself I loved it.

Lotte Verbeek is a tiny, Titian haired, soft-spoken woman who initially auditioned for Claire. She saw the casting description of Geilis very much described as Geilis from the book. She tried for Geilis despite not looking like Geilis and Matt Roberts saw it and said “that’s her”. She was surprised.  She talked about modeling for the death mask and seeing her stunt double dressed exactly like her and said it is “weird to see yourself dead”. In her first scene with John Bell after the blood bath she said her foot “naturally landed on his face” and she was “quite enjoying it”. It was not scripted or planned. They didn’t hear “CUT” and filming continued.  John Bell was getting nervous. His reaction was authentic and mirrored what Young Ian would have felt. The director let them play. She says she and John are friends for life now.

I missed most of the panel between Gillebride Macmillan and Scott Kyle. I got back in time to hear Scott’s “Half Naked Scene with Sam Heughan” story.  He is a natural storyteller. He walks the stage gesticulating and drawing you in.  He had a scene where he had to strip off his shirt and Murtagh lashes Ross’ back as punishment. Sam also had a scene where he had to strip off his shirt and Murtagh lashes Jamie’s back. When Sam did it, Scott said you all gasped and he demonstrated how. He said when he did it; it did not get the same reaction. He insinuates defeated silence. So yes, they did perform the same scene, but the audience reaction was completely different.

Lauren Lyle is a petite spitfire. She is spirited, funny, loud, and absolutely adorable. On set she says she and Sam mess around a lot. Cait took her under her wing. There were very few cast in South Africa. The four of them got very close (her, Cesar, Sam, and Cait).  She and Cesar tested separately. When they were introduced he said, “Hello, my wife”. From that moment she knew they were going to be fine. She told us she tried to learn French, but Cesar is very hard to impress so she decided not to waste her time. A fan asked her what her favorite qualities of Marsali are. She said she did the character no favors at all. Did I mention she is humble? She mentioned Marsali’s loyalty to her mother. In the beginning of her relationship with Claire she said, “Claire takes no shit and neither does Marsali”.  Her favorite scene to shoot was the beach wedding. Lauren described, “It was a night shoot. Everyone was tired and antsy. It felt like a wedding. People were coming up them and saying congratulations.” Lauren’s first day on set was the Hogmanay scene. There was real music. Steven Cree was joking around. Sam put the girls at ease. When they danced it was genuinely fun.

Stephen Walters came on stage to introduce the next actor. He said, “Who’s ready for Sam Heughan? Well, fuck him.” He proceeded to read off his rhyme introducing David Berry.  David is delightful. He does not like “favorite” questions like who is his favorite to work with, favorite scene, or favorite anything. He loves working with everyone.  He told us “… Sam and Cait put their whole heart and soul into every scene, wake up, and do it the next day.” His first scene was where Lord John is leading Jamie behind a horse. He had “no idea what he (Lord John) was talking about”. David had just flown 25 hours. He had “no idea who Jamie Fraser was; he’s just dragging him behind him so it must have been something bad.” The audience was laughing.  David says his audition was terrible and he has “no idea how he got the job” adding “it’s always a miracle when you get the job”. His mother-in-law is a book fan and encouraged him to audition. His research was having had his heart broken. Again he said, “I literally had no idea what I was doing”. A fan asked if he has been approached about a Lord John spin off series. He hasn’t been, but he is open to it.  He said “a passionate fan base is pretty cool.” Another tidbit from the panel is that he has not gotten to wear a kilt on the show. If he did, he’d wear underwear under it. He’s Australian. They don’t wear kilts. Regarding Season 4 he thought North Carolina would be like “Deliverance”. He attended Highland Games in North Carolina this summer and he said thankfully it is nothing like that.

The memorable scene of Lord John dressing down Captain Leonard and Lord John dismissing him as Lieutenant (Leftenant) Leonard was a mistake. He said he “… fucked it up. It was written Captain Leonard”.  They shot the scene many times and that was the take they used.

My esteem and respect for him grew during that panel.  Before he found acting he performed in operas. Music came first for him in the performing arts. As I mentioned earlier the event had many sound issues. I wish I could understand all the actors said and the actors had trouble hearing the fan’s questions. David said, “This mic is killing me. We all want this to sound good” about 10 minutes into his panel.  Later on David mimicked kicking the mic. Staff eventually replaced his mic. He was an advocate for all of us having the best experience we could.

I missed most of Cesar Domboy because I was on line for autographs. I also missed Lotte and Graham. We were in the same room, but I was utterly distracted. I wish I could have heard and understood it better.  Autographs are a brief one on one with the actor. Some of them I had seen previously. Others were new to me. I agree with everyone who says Gary Lewis gives the best hugs. He gave every single person 2. It makes up for what I didn’t understand during the panels.

Sam Heughan appeared on the screen via Skype for a fan panel that was unannounced.  It replaced the Cesar and Lauren panel. He was sitting in his kitchen drinking tea. He said their Scottish location for Fraser’s Ridge looks a lot like North Carolina. He personally visited North Carolina and he sees the similarities.  Sam has started reading the 5th book.  He talked briefly about My Peak Challenge. When a fan asked what keeps him grounded he got emotional and said, “You do.”

Later in the afternoon our second surprise was Caitriona Balfe appearing via Skype. She replaced the joint Scott Kyle and Gillebride Macmillan panel. Cait corrected a fan who called her “Kate”. It is “Cat (Cait) or Caitriona”.  We see a different side of Claire in Season 4. They have a more domestic life. The bat suit is dead. Unfortunately her sound was more pixelated and it cut out a few times.

Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton gave an exclusive Gold Panel together first thing Sunday morning. Rik was wearing his I <3 Steven Cree t-shirt and Sophie looked exquisite.  Rik is not shy. at. all. He performed the Rat Satire full voice into the mic. No one had problem hearing it. LOL Rik likes ancient history. He used to watch a lot of documentaries. He answered in his Glaswegian accent and in his American accent. It was spot on. At one point Rik was teasing the audience and left the stage to turn up later about 20 seats down from me to sit in the audience watching Sophie before rejoining her on stage.

Rik’s favorite scene in previous seasons is with adult Roger holding his toy airplane. He would have liked to be a pilot, but he doesn’t have 20/20 vision.  He was also very interested in IT. He said one thing led to another and he “realized he was very exceptionally talented”. One day he would like to play Macbeth or Hamlet.

Sophie is soft-spoken and self-possessed. Sophie wanted to be a surgeon when she was younger. Her parents weren’t happy when she decided on acting when she was 17.

Sophie and Rik have an ease with each other and playfulness. They go back and forth teasing each other in answer to fan questions. They were asked if they weren’t playing Roger or Bree what actor would they want to play opposite. Sophie pauses and answers, “James Marsden. David Berry. I love Richard Rankin. He is the perfect Roger”. Rik doesn’t hesitate to rattle off as many actresses as he could.  He then said, “You don’t see what happens behind closed doors. She (Sophie) is evil.” They were asked their favorite downtime activity. Sophie tries to give serious, honest answers and says, “Long walks in Scotland; the beach as well”. Rik says, “Spending the day with Sophie” to which Sophie jokes, “Oh, that wasn’t sarcastic at all”. He more seriously answered he enjoys photography, yoga, and playing computer games.

Sophie in creating Bree’s character put pieces of her biological parents into her character. She furrows her brow and holds her jaw like Jamie. She purses her lips when angry like Claire. She didn’t put much Frank into her.  Bree feels she is betraying Frank and the show plays it up. Frank was selfless raising her and Bree is curious to see the truth of the man her mother held on the pedestal. Bree when she meets Jamie is looking for the “instant bond”.  Her favorite location is at the stones because it is calm and beautiful. She read all 4 books right away to learn her character and story. She says she doesn’t want to have too much knowledge. She wants to be where the character is now. It is “complicating to be reading the books and the scripts at the same time.” They aren’t necessarily the same. About Ed Speelers who plays Stephen Bonnet, Sophie did not participate in his audition. She says, “He is a lovely man in real life. He will scare you.”   We have been warned! From the backstage Rik threw food on stage. They continually banter and she said if she fed him sweets he’d come out.

Andrew Gower was a gift. He is a talented singer and kindly left the stage to hand his mic to the fans to ask their questions.  In preparing for Bonnie Prince Charlie he found the voice first describing it as “berating, high-pitched, and campy”. He said the voice gave a difficult birth to “mark me”.  Sam said his voice sounded like Stewie for “Family Guy”. In talking about Outlander fans he said, “Fans are really incredible. I love you. Fans support all of us. Nothing can prepare you for the onslaught.  I had no idea. Now I have every idea. I pinch myself”.

Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis discussed literature with us for a little while during their panel. Graham’s favorite book is “The Wind in the Willows”. He has read it over and over and has read it to his children calling it an “incredible piece of writing”.  Gary Lewis mentioned two American authors. I regret not hearing who the second one was, but the first was John Steinbeck. He has read everything he wrote. Gary has played so many roles in “The Grapes of Wrath” in different productions. It is emotionally draining to perform. They were asked about playing pranks on set. Gary shrugs this off. He respects the material and the other actors so he doesn’t prank anyone. Graham told us he added the line about grinding Claire’s corn after he had told the story to the Highlanders. It fit that scene and they kept it in.  These two will be missed on Outlander as their characters have died. Graham said, “The people you work with they never leave you. It is a beautiful part of the business”.

Richard Rankin was the final guest after a 45 minute wait because photo ops were running late.  A fan made a reference to Water Aid having custom M&M candies made with Tobias’ face on them and asked Rik what candy he would want his face on. He laughed and said, “What a strange question?”  He answered Skittles and added “taste the Richard” playing on “taste the rainbow”. He is such a good sport. He said we haven’t seen his Mackenzie fire yet on screen. He tried to steer away from any questions that might lead to spoilers.  Rik does play guitar and the drums. He sings. He didn’t want a stand- in so he practiced until his fingers bled. Working with Sophie is an “organic, pleasurable experience”. Playing Roger has had “a huge impact on him”. He is “embracing his Scottishness”.  In comparing Jamie and Claire to Roger and Bree he says there is innocence and no less passion than Jamie and Claire.

I don’t regret going to this con. I had a great time despite the shortcomings. There were circumstances beyond Creation’s control and others they failed to control.  What they got right was the talent they booked and their professionalism and desire to make it a great fan experience. I was determined to focus on the positive. I had a blast during my brief interactions with the actors. I will treasure my signed book.  I liked hearing their stories and watching them tease each other. They genuinely like each other. I have made many friends in the fandom and meeting them in person for the first time or again between events was the best part. We could commiserate together. We spent most of our time together any way. We have created our own community and it isn’t often we get to see each other.  I might do things differently in the future, but now I can go to another con better prepared.

Thank you Christine Gordon and Lisa Michelle Woody for the picture shares

The Emmy's showcase Terry Dresbach's utility gown!

Ready For Anything

The riding suit Terry Dresbach designed for Claire’s long journey on Outlander set a new bar for practicality.

By
Whitney Friedlander for Emmy Magazine


(This article explains the essence of the gown Terry Dresbach designed for Claire. It is especially pleasing for Outlander fans that the Emmy voters understood the complexity of Voyager costuming and Terry's vision for the utility gown Claire wears throughout season 3)

From Emmy Magazine and for more of the article

https://www.emmys.com/news/mix/ready-anything

Fashionistas were left salivating after season two of Outlander — Starz’s period drama-within-a-period drama — in which Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) dons vibrant, cleavage-baring gowns in 1740s French society as she attempts to thwart the Jacobite rebellion back home in Scotland.

Cut to season three, in which Claire spends weeks (half the television season) sailing to the West Indies, leaving series costume designer Terry Dresbach to create a forbearer to the now-ubiquitous fashion-magazine staple, “How Many Ways Can You Wear This Outfit?”

As the action unfolds, the dress — which Claire designs in the 1960s before returning to the 18th century — is sometimes shown in its multipieced, pristine glory (skirt, blouse, vest, jacket, cape), sometimes stripped down and ragged or even with parts used as a headscarf.

By the end of season three, our heroine is — sartorially speaking — right back where she was when she first traveled back in time in season one: “drenched, lost and alone in a strange place,” Dresbach says.

The costume was a continuity nightmare, as each tear, stain or missing button had to be tracked. But it also raised questions about the character herself: Can Claire even sew? And does she have the proper materials to make an outfit that won’t land her in an 18th-century Scottish jail or worse?

Dresbach took inspiration from her own mother, who was not exactly aces at making her daughter’s Halloween costumes. There’s definitely a wrong hemline and uneven sleeves on this outfit, which Claire is supposed to have concocted out of raincoats.

“The idea is that she’s making a suit of armor,” Dresbach says. “It’s my least favorite visual costume on the show, but it tells the best story.”

An outfit like this deserves a name. While Dresbach is prone to calling it Claire’s riding suit, some — like, ahem, her husband, Outlander creator–executive producer Ronald D. Moore — are fond of another term: the batsuit. He went so far as to have Neal Hefti’s “Batman Theme” play as characters constructed it on screen.

Well, Claire does have a tendency to swoop in and try to save things. Fans only have to wait until November to see what she attempts in season four.

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 6, 2018

Outlander - 'The Fans Who Make It' - Series by Roma Sars

Hello everyone! (From Roma Sars on "My Outlander Friends" on Facebook)

As a member of the Outlander fandom, I have visited many websites and blogs by fans who interview the actors, production staff and others involved with the making of the Outlander series.

I have also seen fans collect tens of thousands of dollars for the charities of their favourite actors, as well as fans making the most beautiful art and videos, all dedicated to the Outlander story.

What motivates the fans do this? Why have some of them devoted the best part of their days to the Outlander story?

So far, no-one has interviewed these fans who are behind these websites, blogs and twitter handles, some of them with thousands of followers.

So, I thought that I should be the one to do that, and I have approached some of them and found them conducive to do interviews.

In doing so, I hope to understand this obsession which has taken a hold of me ever since I discovered the Outlander story in 2015.

This will be the start of my “Outlander- the fans who make it” series of interviews.

I hope you will like what I will post, as I am sure I am going to enjoy doing it.

(This interview has been conducted by Roma Sars of, My Outlander Friends!)

My next interview in the “Outlander- the fans who make it’ series, is with Christine Gordon, Outlander fan extraordinaire and one of the admins of the Facebook group “Sassenach Society of South Jersey”. Christine and her group have collected thousands of Dollars for the various charities of the actors.

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Christine Camiolo Gordon. I am 51 years old, and my amazing husband and I live on the East Coast of the US in South Jersey, right outside Philly. I work three jobs (Corporate Finance Manager full-time, and then teach college part-time, and run my own home-based travel agency on the side). I LOVE to travel. My parents had me at a young age, and took me everywhere with them, so I think this helped developed my love of travel. Outlander has truly helped in that area as well, as I have traveled quite a bit for events and have made some of the best new friends. My husband and I are also huge Philly sports fans and love all things Disney!

American History is my hobby. I like travel to all the historical sites in the Outlander books Diana has incorporated. This combines my love of travel and history..


How long have you been doing charity events for Outlander? Is this the only show you do this for, or do you also do this for other shows?

My friends and I got involved with supporting the charities of the Outlander cast in early 2016. Five of us from our group actually became the first US Ambassadors for World Child Cancer US. Since then, our group has decided to switch which charities we support every couple of years. Last year, we supported Steven Cree’s charity, International Animal Rescue, and this year we are joining forces with Cahonas Scotland and their efforts to educate about Testicular Male Cancer Awareness.

How much time do you spend every day on Outlander?

LOL!!! Probably way too much, but Outlander is my stress-relief and way of having fun, so I LOVE every minute of it!!


What do you like most about the Outlander books and show? What do you like the least?

What I like most about the books, is Diana’s wonderful development of the characters and the stories. The books are so soul-searching, and take the main characters of Jamie and Claire on such a journey through life and love, that I absolutely love them.

What I like least about the books is the long wait in between the next one. LOL!! I can’t wait for #Bees!!!

The show is the bridge that brings the characters from the book to life for me.

What I like least about the show is the overall change in what I see them portray as Jamie and Claire’s essence. I feel like the show has changed their characters into something not as deep and meaningful.

Which character in Outlander is your favourite? Please explain why.

This is a hard one… I actually have three favorite characters: Jamie, Young Ian and William. I think all three of them show what it takes to be strong and have that inner strength to survive. All of them also have this genuine kindness about them - willing to do for others before themselves.

How has Outlander affected your life and/or lifestyle?

How hasn’t it? Outlander has definitely changed what I do for vacations. If there is an event in the UK, I try to plan to visit my family in Scotland around the same time. I’m co-admin of a local Outlander group, and my Outlander BFF and I are always looking for any event we can attend where we can relate it back to Outlander - because you know there is always six degrees of separation back to Outlander somehow.

A great new museum opened in Philly, called “Museum of the American Revolution”, and they always have great events for us to attend, such as Printing Press Night or Women from the Revolution.

In the past five months, we have gone to a Colonial Ballroom Dancing event in Trenton during Patriot’s Week, attended a cookie decorating class based on Drums of Autumn, had a weekend in New York for Tartan Week, done a paper making class at a NJ battlefield… So, basically, you could say Outlander has TOTALLY changed my social life.

Is this the first fandom you are a member of? What made you decide to join this fandom, rather than any other one? What do you like and dislike about this fandom?

My dad is a radio executive, so I have been a “groupie” of a couple of big name musicians and, back in my teenage years, I was a HUGE Rick Springfield fan. But it was so different back then, compared to being a fan in the social media era now. Social Media has changed how people are fans (both in a good AND bad way). I didn’t know about Outlander, until my husband introduced me to it after the first 8 episodes had aired. I didn’t know about the “homegrown” book fandom until I read the first seven books in about 8 weeks. It was then that I got involved and started to see all the groups that were out there.

Which personality (Diana and the actors of Outlander) did you enjoy meeting the most? 

One of my favorite encounters was when I met Diana and the some of the Outlander actors at RingCon in Germany in 2015. I had never been to a fan event before, and had met some new friends online who were doing a fan book for Sam and Caitriona, and they described what it was all about. So I talked my husband into a vacation in Germany, with a weekend thrown in for the fan event. Well, my husband had to cancel the day before we were leaving due to a big work issue, but told me that I should go for at least for the weekend of the fan event. It was the BEST decision ever!! Sam, Graham, Duncan, Gary and Diana were incredible to meet and interact with that entire weekend. It truly gave me an incredible perspective about being an Outlander fan, and more insight into Outlander itself. I also met so many friends on that trip, and that has made going to events and catching up with all of them so much fun.

What keeps you connected to the Outlander fandom?

I am on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. I am co-admin of an Outlander group called “Sassenach Society of South Jersey” - My Outlander BFF Celeste and I started our group to connect with other fans locally, but our little group has grown to include ladies from around the world we have met who share our love of Outlander. Our group does lots of interesting monthly contests with little Outlander goodie prizes. We would love to have others join us.

 Personal Social Media:

• Twitter: @SassenachSJ

• IG: @MSJERZGRL

• Facebook: Christine Camiolo Gordon

• SSoSJ Group Social Media:

• Twitter: @SassenachJersey

• Facebook: Sassenach Society of South Jersey

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1490202627944215


• What do you have coming up next?

There are a lot of good Outlander-related events coming up this summer, with fan events in Chicago and New Jersey. We also have a Movie and Drinks Night planned in August, to see Sam’s new movie “The Spy Who Dumped Me”. Our groups’ anniversary is also on August, so we always do a lot of entertaining things each week, during that month, to celebrate.

First teaser for season 4, Outlander

A few key scenes!

Outlander - 'The Fans Who Make It' - Series by Roma Sars

Hello everyone! (From Roma Sars on "My Outlander Friends" on Facebook)

As a member of the Outlander fandom, I have visited many websites and blogs by fans who interview the actors, production staff and others involved with the making of the Outlander series.

I have also seen fans collect tens of thousands of dollars for the charities of their favourite actors, as well as fans making the most beautiful art and videos, all dedicated to the Outlander story.

What motivates the fans do this? Why have some of them devoted the best part of their days to the Outlander story?

So far, no-one has interviewed these fans who are behind these websites, blogs and twitter handles, some of them with thousands of followers.

So, I thought that I should be the one to do that, and I have approached some of them and found them conducive to do interviews.

In doing so, I hope to understand this obsession which has taken a hold of me ever since I discovered the Outlander story in 2015.

This will be the start of my “Outlander- the fans who make it” series of interviews.

I hope you will like what I will post, as I am sure I am going to enjoy doing it.

(This interview has been conducted by Roma Sars of, My Outlander Friends!)

My next interview in the “Outlander- the fans who make it” series is with Bouton the Dog (@Bouton_Barks on Twitter).

When I started this series, I wanted to interview all the Outlander animals, as I find their Twitter handles and their antics creative and entertaining. So far, I have been able to post interviews with Donas the horse and the White Sow. I am still waiting on Clarence the Mule.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.


Please tell us about yourself.

I’m known as Bouton, or Bouts, on Social Media. I work in health care as an Advanced Practice Nurse. That’s the reason I adopted Bouton as my persona. My hospital is more restrictive about Social Media than Mother Hildegard. Because of my position, whatever I publicly post on Social Media is viewed as an extension of my professional position. I needed my Outlander fangirling to be separate from my professional role. Bouton is exactly who I am, within the Fandom. As time has gone on, my nickname has become Bouts. Yes, if you call out my nickname, I will answer. Quite ironically, my grandmother’s nickname had been Boots, so I’m thrilled to carry on a version of the family nickname.

I live in the United States. Kentucky, birthplace of Kentucky fried Chicken, Bourbon and home of the Kentucky Derby—the fastest 2 minutes in sports, every first Saturday in May since 1875. Yes, I met the Colonel, yes, I can tell you the difference between Bourbon, Whiskey and Whisky and yes, I’ve been to the Kentucky Derby and bet on the winner. The Colonel was nice and I have a friend who turned down the opportunity to help him get started in the restaurant business, when he began to expand from his initial restaurant. “It’s chicken…everyone does chicken in Kentucky” said my friend, and passed on the opportunity. I can say no one does chicken like KFC. He laughs at himself for missing his big chance. So, about Bourbon. It is legally unique to the United States and 95% is produced in Kentucky. It is a specific type of Whiskey. It’s origins date to the 1780’s, when distilling was brought to Kentucky by the Scots, Scot-Irish and other settlers. It’s a mash mixture made of at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof, and entered in to new charred oak barrels at 125 proof, to be aged. It is also said to have an improved flavor over other whiskey because of the iron free, naturally limestone filtered local water that is used. Whereas, whiskey or whisky can be made from any combination of wheat, corn, rye or barley, distilled to no more than 190 proof, and can be aged in barrels new or old, and charred or not. Scots Whisky is typically malted barley, distilled twice and aged longer. There you go. Now you know.

So my biggest hobbies have been photography, collecting antique cookbooks (I feel it’s my way of making sure that heritage isn’t lost) and antique books, because you never know when you will find something interesting. It’s one of the reasons I love Diana Gabaldon’s writing, because of all the tidbits of real historical accuracy incorporated into the daily life of the storyline. My other love comes from nursing and educating patients, and teaching people new skills, and loving their proud moments when they leave with a new ability.


How long have you been doing your edits for Outlander? Is this the only show you do edits for, or do you also do this for other shows? How much time do you spend every day on Outlander?

Although I have been a film and digital photographer for years, I had not ventured into the realm of photoshopping or memes. But I was in a creative funk about the time the Outlander television show came out. Like so many Outlander twitter fans I’ve encountered since, I shifted from FB to Twitter, when Outlander Starz posted that Sam Heughan was going to do a Q&A on Twitter. After that, I got to know Outlandish memes, Brig-a-Doon, and Jenny Jeffries, because they were posting and creating the things that I found funny. I had never done this sort of thing, but I jumped in with some goofy black and white vintage photos, that I photoshopped our heads into. It was silly, and the silliness of it cracked me up. They weren’t perfectly photoshopped and that was half the fun. It was the juxtaposition of seeing these silly heads on these other people’s bodies that was just visually funny. It was a great creative release, brought humor to my life and, it turned out that some other people found it funny too. 

In those early days, we had fun doing silly stuff to make people laugh—life’s too short, we all need laughter. I often incorporated the twitter Avi/photo of my friends into whatever theme we were discussing, or what ever topics the Outlander cast/crew had posted. We had a fun time trying our darnedest to make the cast/crew laugh too.

As time went on, I tried learning new skills, like making gifs, doing start stop animation with still photo cut outs, and eventually making videos once twitter progressed to that capability. It’s been amazing to gain a whole new set of skills just because I wanted to play on twitter, Outlander fangirl, and make people laugh.

I’ve also met so many new people with the same interests because of this. Some people only briefly crossed my path, but I have one group of wonderful Outlander fans who are near and dear to my heart. We keep up with each other’s lives, through our ups and downs etc. We are Outlander sisters. Most of this group came into my life because of our obvious passion for Outlander, but also because of our interest in making memes.

Rather ironically, most of this whole group is comprised of people who are either nurses, teachers, or musically/art inclined. This wasn’t something we initially knew about each other until much later in our friendships. But early on, it was like I finally found my clan of people who understood me. It didn’t matter that we didn’t see each other in person or were continents away, we clicked immediately and have been good friends ever since. Many of these friends were like me, and had never photoshopped. My love for teaching came out, and I was very happy to try to teach my self-taught skills to others. This was a great way to pass periods of Droughtlander.

This willingness to help, and generally being helpful, had a pleasant side effect. I became friends with lots more people, and involved in many more Outlander-related projects than I ever imagined. We used our artistic abilities to fan promote the show publicly, help with fan voting contests, and raise money for charities. But the biggest portion of what I’ve ended up doing has been behind the scenes, helping people connect with those who could help them with projects they were doing. I’ve helped a couple of actors, or related persons connected with Outlander, to increase their social media presence, websites, etc. These weren’t things I set out to do, but because I had the knowledge and skills, I became a go-to person for questions, advice and help. I was fortunate to make a connection and suggestion that I like to think had influence. I’ll never know for sure, but I did receive a thank you note & unexpected present.

I became involved in many Outlander projects and groups, and am still active behind the scenes in several of those. I’m the only remaining active founder of @OutlanderRTweet, a kind of distribution hub for people to send their Outlander promoting, Voting and laughing memes, so that interested Outlander fans can get them Direct messaged to them or find them in ONE place, so they can see them or RT them. Several of us wanted a nice, easy, organized way to share Outlander related memes and promote things. This was our result for twitter. We also created the Outlander Funny Pages group on Facebook, so that people could share the funny Outlander related memes. In the beginning, I spent much of my time playing on Social Media, creating memes, usually in response to something we found to be funny. But, as time went on, real life required more time, and I ended up working on my biggest unplanned project: Cooklander: To the stove cookbook, a fan created collection of 550 recipes from all over the world, from over 300 contributing Outlander friends, fans, cast crew and celebrities with all proceeds to World Child Cancer, NPH USA and Bloodwise in honor of Caitriona Balfe, Diana Gabaldon and Sam Heughan, respectively.

This cookbook was the brain child of Debra Key Newhouse. She sent out the word for people to contribute their best, favorite family recipe. The result was an amazing cookbook, full of nothing but the best family recipes from around the world. Even my non-Outlander (GASP) cooking friends still tell me that this is the BEST cookbook, and their GO TO cookbook, because every recipe is a keeper. I came into the project because of my cookbook love, artistic skills, and ultimately because of my website management experience. Between Debra and her husband Tony in Pennsylvania, and me in Kentucky, we have managed to work together to mail the nearly 2000 cookbooks ordered to date. We still haven’t reached our goal of selling all the books, so if you want to help a great cause and get a great cookbook go to Cooklander.com. We offer free shipping, multi pack discounts and worldwide shipping. You’ve got to read Gary Lewis’s Leek and Potato soup recipe—it’s soooooo him and the soup is amazing too.

I never set out to become involved in these projects, they kind of found me, but I don’t regret a single one. I’ve gotten to meet some amazing people, gain connections I never intended, and have had a whole lot of fun.


What do you like most about the Outlander books and show? What do you like the least?

The books had been recommended to me long before I got around to reading them, because a co-worker’s sister was an Outlander fan, and she knew I’d been to Scotland several times and obviously loved the place, history, and people. When the show came out, I immediately pulled out the paperback I had ordered years before and devoured it in one week, followed by the 5 books read over less than five weeks. I stalled with the remaining two books only because I discovered my new meme making obsession on Twitter.
As a nurse, historical medical fan, and reader of old books, healthcare, herbs etc., and fan of the Scottish country side (I always felt like I was coming home when I visited Scotland), the book series had all the extra little details that I loved discovering, plus an amazing story and characters, and was one of the most well written books I’ve encountered. Diana’s writing style allows us to immediately be there, present, in the moment of the story. Not all fiction has the ability to do that.

The show has been produced at a top-notch level. I thank all those at the production and management for not compromising and settling for this to be a cheesy romance production. They’ve held their guns and worked to make sure this an amazing visual experience. I’ve been amazed at the casting and how each actor has seemed suited for their role. I’ve been really pleased because I know that this isn’t an easy book series to adapt to screen, especially a series that has such a knowledgeable book fan base.


Which character in Outlander is your favourite? Please explain why.

BOUTON, of Course. I love dogs. Even though Bouton has very little page time in the entire series, compared to others, I just love him. He shows the abilities that dogs have to be loyal, loving, observant and fiercely protective when needed.

How has Outlander affected your life and/or lifestyle?

All of the above. Honestly it has been wonderful. Besides meeting like-minded people, getting to learn things I never anticipated learning (I love that I can create a silly animated video from still cut out pics), and gaining unexpected experiences (travel to NY for an Outlander premier), I’ve also been able to use the skills I’ve learned in my non-Outlander world. I’ve consulted, helped manage websites, created promotional material, helped with a local politician’s campaign, organized fundraisers and events. All things that have been a direct result of what I’ve learned while Outlander Fangirling.

Is this the first fandom you are a member of? What made you decide to join this fandom, rather than any other one? What do you like and dislike about this fandom?

This is my one and only fandom. I didn’t set out to join it. It’s just that, when I got involved and met people, I realized I’d found my people. I love that the fans are friendly, passionate and genuine. I know there can be negative people in any fandom or crazies, but I have to say my perimeter of Outlander fans have been a joy to know.


Have you met Diana or any of the actors of Outlander? If so, which personality did you enjoy meeting the most? If not, who would you like to meet the most?

I’ve loved getting to meet the other Outlander fans at the two New York events that I’ve been able to attend (An Outlander premier and one of the Outlander in the City events). It’s always nice to finally meet the people you kind of know, in person. Last year’s Outlander in the City event where many of the Outlander cast attended, I was able to meet and talk with several of the cast. All were wonderful. Gary Lewis is the most genuine man I’ve ever met, I loved getting to meet him and give him a hug from my Cooklander pal, Debra. Gary has been extremely supportive of the Cooklander cookbook. He knew Debra couldn’t attend the event, so he called her that day. How sweet is that?! Nell Hudson was one of the nicest people, and even gave me a compliment on my dress—a very kind thing to say. But the one person who was the unexpected pleasure, was Wil Johnson. This was his first Outlander fan event, and his episodes had not aired yet. He talked about how much he’d enjoyed working with Cait, how he’d love to get to come to New York and do a Broadway play (I hope he eventually gets to) and how amazing the fans had been to him. I hadn’t expected him to be so engaging, and that just made me love him even more.


What keeps you connected to the Outlander fandom?

Everything. My Outlander Sister from another mother @Pellicott1, my twitter friends the Lafies, Debra. I’ve tried to step away to take care of real-life things, but its still always there, under the surface, keeping me afloat with friendship and a great fanmily.


What do you have coming up next?

I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved in anything else until every last Cooklander Cookbook has been sold, and Debra’s husband Tony can get his garage back. So, go to Cooklander.com and help Tony out. They make great gifts to have on hand as hostess and last minute gifts, plus all proceeds go to three great charities.

Sam Heughan on Jimmy Kimmel

  So funny. Press for The Spy Who Dumped Me

"A man of many hats" - an interview with Graham McTavish

Outlander Homepage Originals

As far as Outlander fans are concerned, the name Graham McTavish is synonymous with that of Dougal MacKenzie, war chief of the clan MacKenzie. Yet fans of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies know him as the dwarf Dwalin; while devotees of the TV series, Preacher recognise Graham as the Saint of Killers. It has recently been revealed that he will also appear in the film Aquaman when it premieres later this year, although his character is being kept tightly under wraps. With roles such as these serving as some of the highlights of a distinguished career, you could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Graham McTavish deserves some time off to relax! Instead, he is preparing to try on yet another hat. The independent film, This Guest of Summer will have Graham at the helm, not only in front of the camera, but also behind it as the film’s director. 

So what is it like to wear so many performing hats? Fortunately for us here at Outlander Homepage, Graham graciously agreed to share some insights. It is not the first time Graham has given his time to us, previously appearing as the guest of honour at An Evening with Graham McTavish in 2016, a charity event hosted by Outlander Homepage for the benefit of the “Action for Children” Organisation. We were keen to discover what he has been up to since then! 

We began by asking Graham about his current project, This Guest of Summer, wondering how he became involved.

“My good friend Paul Kavanagh wrote the film with he and I in mind to perform in it,” Graham said. “But the more I read it, the more I felt I needed to direct it. It’s a very dark horror-comedy. It will be a challenge, but that’s one of the main reasons I wish to do it.”

Graham will be joined in front of the camera by fellow Outlander alumni Duncan Lacroix and Stephen Walters and fans are welcome to contribute to the film’s creation, by donating to its IndieGoGo campaign at 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-graham-mctavish-s-directorial-debut-horror#/. 

The thought of Dougal, Murtagh and Angus reuniting should be reason enough to donate some dollars, but as an added incentive, perks are on offer for anyone who does!

Turning from a dark horror-comedy to another dark character, we asked Graham how he approached the creation of the misunderstood, yet ruthless, Saint of Killers. 

“I approach SOK as I do all characters,” Graham explained, “from a position of wishing to be truthful to his story. Good and evil doesn’t come into it. He is not evil in his own mind. He is righteous. So I access my own feelings when it comes to defending my own family and go from there.”

With the announcement that Graham will appear in Aquaman, we were keen to ask about his character and his experiences on set. But sadly for us, Graham refused to divulge any information.

“I can’t say who I play in Aquaman, I’m afraid,” he teased. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

Of course all projects need publicity, so we asked if Graham would be in attendance at a popular event: the NYC Comic Con. Between Outlander, Preacher, Aquaman and This Guest of Summer, he could certainly sit on plenty of panels! While his answer will be disappointing for any fans planning on attending, Graham did give us a glimmer of hope for the future.

“I won’t be at New York Comic Con this year,” Graham said, “but I did thoroughly enjoy our dinner evening in 2016. I’d love to do THAT again. It was the ideal fan encounter. Such fun!” 

So watch this space! You never know - hopefully there will be a future Outlander Homepage event with Graham as the MC!  

Finally, we returned to the world of Outlander, to ask Graham where he would like to go if he were able to travel through the standing stones. 

“I would travel back to three places,” Graham said. “Firstly, I’d love to go back to Elizabethan London to meet Shakespeare. I’d also like to see Ancient Rome. But finally, and most importantly, I’d love to travel back and see my father again. I’d  spend a day asking him all the things that I wish I had asked him before he passed away.”

We’d like to thank Graham for being so generous with his time and will look forward to seeing him on our screens again soon!

This interview was compiled by Susie Brown, a writer and teacher-librarian who lives in Australia. Personally, she’d love to see Graham appear in a Dougal flashback in a future season of Outlander!