Holy General Lee! Batman At Dukesfest!

[Brian Coltrane]

As I understand it if you go to the car registration portion it asks you which cast you need to sign your car and you are supposed to check which ones you need and Toms name is there. Someone even asked if he is definite in one of the threads and the answer was yes.The guy wasn't going unless Tom was a for sure thing.

Oh, I see...so, the only way to know for certain if a Dukes cast member is going to be there, is to have a General Lee that needs autographing? And then sign up on that little section that Lesser Fans Without GL Replcas couldn't visit?

That doesn't look good either. Somebody needs to get this presented better, STAT.

[AlexJackson]

Oh, I see...so, the only way to know for certain if a Dukes cast member is going to be there, is to have a General Lee that needs autographing? And then sign up on that little section that Lesser Fans Without GL Replcas couldn't visit?

That doesn't look good either. Somebody needs to get this presented better, STAT.

Seems that once again all the replica owners get all the kudos...I cant say this surprises me. And why have Batman there? To attract more fans? The last two Dukesfests were massive! The DOH fans dont need Batman to come in and save the day...

[Brian Coltrane]

Seems that once again all the replica owners get all the kudos...I cant say this surprises me. And why have Batman there? To attract more fans? The last two Dukesfests were massive! The DOH fans dont need Batman to come in and save the day...

Before this goes where it shouldn't.....I've nothing against the replica owners, it's just the handling of the event info hasn't been done very well.

I will say that it looks like DF "belongs" to the replica owners now. That's the perception, right or wrong. And hey, I love seeing all the GL's. It wouldn't be DukesFest without them. So absolutely I got no problem with the car owners getting a perk and getting a car signed.

But largely, that kind of thing has been transparent to the wider fandom that doesn't own GL Replicas. I mean, do the math. 50 to 100k fans at DF, vs the number of GL's. Not all of us can have a car. We'd like one, though, and you have our envy and admiration in equal dose.

Presentation creates perception. I'm hoping things improve on the communication front so that this DF is a great experience for all DUKES fans.

[TimDuke]

Ok Whoa,Whoa.Stop right there. Don't even go there.Don't start dissing the car guys or you'll have all those guys coming here to defend themselves. I'll see to it that happens because I am one. I was just making a point it list the cast on the car registration form to show that yes indeed they are gonna show.They are having a lottery to have X number of cars guaranteed to get signed. The cars with zero signatures are getting the first pick in the lottery. Us car owners had to complain for 5-6 years before anything was done about getting signatures on our cars. I know that there are some of you who may feel the replica owners should get no special treatment.However consider this. It was due to Wayne Wooten and his Dodge Charger registry along with Aneeshs Dukes club to start having conventions. Wayne even coined the phrase Dukesfest before it was called that.I believe it was due to Ben seeing all those General Lees at the 99 convention that gave him the incentive to do Dukesfest and it was with the help of another General Lee club that made that happen. So if it weren't for us replica guys Dukesfest may not even exist. You may disagree but I have made very good points. I'll think I'll start a poll seeing how many fans would still attend if there were no General Lees or police cars there. If the poll shows they still would go then I'll relay that to the car club and save all those guys a ton of money since fans don't care if they are there or not.

[Meadowmufn]

I think Brian clearly stated that this isn't about the car owners. It's about communication and perception.

We have a lot of respect for the car owners and DukesFest is about ALL fans. There's no need to turn this into a big Us vs. Them brewhaha. And I don't think a poll will do a whole lot of good. Most fans don't have replicas and they'd probably still go just to meet the cast and other fellow DOH enthusiasts. So, if you're expecting for the poll to tell you that the cars ARE DukesFest, you may be disappointed. The cars are integral, they're appreciated, and they're important, but so are the people... just as it was on the show.

[RogerDuke]

John Schneider once said that the show would have succeeded if the General would have been a Gremlin instead of a Charger and I think he's right. I agree with Brian and Meadowmuffin that the people come first. When I met TimDuke recently at a car show, I would have still gone even if there wasn't a single car there (except the one that I needed to get there). I went there to meet Tim, Daney, DaisyMae and most of all Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane. There was one General there and one sheriff's car too but seeing those vehicles didn't nearly give me as big of thrill as meeting an awesome Dukes fan like Tim.

Every Dukes fan loves the General though and every Dukes fan admires and respects anyone who has gone through all the work and expense to get one. It takes true love and dedication to the Dukes to do something like that and us fans who don't own Generals are insanely jealous of people like Tim.

We are all a family here so it hurts me to see people I care about arguing but on the other hand a good debate can be healthy on occasion and it can make us all stronger.

This kinda reminds me of Army soldiers and Marines arguing over which is the better branch of the service. Sometimes those debates can be fun but the bottom line is that they are all there for the same purpose of serving our country and should never let their differences get in the way of that bigger mission. (even though everbody knows that Marines are better)

I was really enjoying the Batman vs Dukes thing and if I could make a humble request, let's nudge this debate back to that instead. What do you say Tim old buddy, sound like a plan? I'm gone.

[Meadowmufn]

John Schneider once said that the show would have succeeded if the General would have been a Gremlin instead of a Charger and I think he's right. I agree with Brian and Meadowmuffin that the people come first. When I met TimDuke recently at a car show, I would have still gone even if there wasn't a single car there (except the one that I needed to get there). I went there to meet Tim, Daney, DaisyMae and most of all Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane. There was one General there and one sheriff's car too but seeing those vehicles didn't nearly give me as big of thrill as meeting an awesome Dukes fan like Tim.

Every Dukes fan loves the General though and every Dukes fan admires and respects anyone who has gone through all the work and expense to get one. It takes true love and dedication to the Dukes to do something like that and us fans who don't own Generals are insanely jealous of people like Tim.

We are all a family here so it hurts me to see people I care about arguing but on the other hand a good debate can be healthy on occasion and it can make us all stronger.

This kinda reminds me of Army soldiers and Marines arguing over which is the better branch of the service. Sometimes those debates can be fun but the bottom line is that they are all there for the same purpose of serving our country and should never let their differences get in the way of that bigger mission. (even though everbody knows that Marines are better)

I was really enjoying the Batman vs Dukes thing and if I could make a humble request, let's nudge this debate back to that instead. What do you say Tim old buddy, sound like a plan? I'm gone.

Great post, Roger. I completely agree with all of it. And yes, let's get this discussion back to the original issue at hand, Adam West being at DukesFest.

(Pssst... Roger, don't tell anybody else, but I think Marines are better too. My grandfather was a Marine and served on Iwo Jima during WWII.)

[TimDuke]

I'm sorry guys but I get VERY defensive about us replica owners and will defend them to the last since I'm one of the few that come to this board. Perhaps I was a bit hasty with a poll but when AlexJackson started sorta implying bad vibes towards us car guys I went in defensive mode and got a bit upset. It's in the Schneiders ballpark how they are promoting Dukesfest.He's never done something like this before so I say cut him a little slack.He'll learn from mistakes just like Ben did. I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans . The thread just sorta headed that way. Ok back on topic.

[Meadowmufn]

I'm sorry guys but I get VERY defensive about us replica owners and will defend them to the last since I'm one of the few that come to this board. Perhaps I was a bit hasty with a poll but when AlexJackson started sorta implying bad vibes towards us car guys I went in defensive mode and got a bit upset. It's in the Schneiders ballpark how they are promoting Dukesfest.He's never done something like this before so I say cut him a little slack.He'll learn from mistakes just like Ben did. I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans . The thread just sorta headed that way. Ok back on topic.

Tim, don't let the comments of one person get you that upset. At the core, we're all the same, Dukes fans!

Now, I've got a question that probably nobody knows the answer to right now, but here goes...

I know the cast individually decides what to charge for photos, but I think for the most part they've all kept their prices about the same, i.e. a black and white autographed photo will cost about the same at one table as it does at the other. I think at one DukesFest Ben may have even requested they have set prices. So, my question is... is Adam West going to bring his prices in line with the other cast or will folks have to pay 2 to 3 times as much for a non-Dukes autographed photo from him at a Dukes event??? Seems kind of unfair for him to possibly make more money at DukesFest than the actual cast does!

[Capt_Redneck]

I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans.

So we are just average fans because we don't have a General Lee or Police car replica? Is this along the same line as when you said you are not "true" Dukes fan for liking the 05 movie?

By the way I would have preferred Johnny Knoxville and Sean William Scott to be there.

As far as Adam West, I am scratching my head...

I'm gone

Darrell

[Brian Coltrane]

Tim, we're cool, I got nothing against the GL owners. In fact, I went a few hundred miles out of my way once to ride in a GL at a car show , before DF existed. And before your club existed. It was in Salem IN and the guy driving the car - ok, I'll tell you, it was "Pearl" - he drove like a loon on this racetrack. I don't know if he was showing off or trying to scare me, or both, but that was my last GL ride.

So when many of the good folks of the Confed club offered GL rides at the Bristol TN DukesFest, I was thinking "Oh gawd" but you guys did an excellent job, and thrilled thousands of fans. That's cool, I was there, I remember it and I give y'all props for it. GL's make everybody smile and I personally appreciate all your club does for the fandom.

I also appreciate all the Dukes fans who have attended DukesFest and have stood outside in blazing heat for hours on end, waiting to get in the gate, waiting for an autograph. Without those ticket-paying fans, there's no DukesFest either. Without the money those fans collectively shell out for tickets and souveniers and photos....the cast members wouldn't be at the event, let alone autograph anybody's General.

I have been a DF staff volunteer for many consecutive years, so I'm very familiar with all the historical and logistical challenges the event has been through, including the ones your club has endured. So never assume I'm unsympathetic.

What I see happening with DF so far, troubles me, and it comes down to the communication, or lack thereof, and how things are being presented, and how things are being prioritized. Maybe I can't agree with what I'm seeing because I've personally been through too much with DukesFest. All I want, is for the event to be a huge success as always. I want the GL owners happy and I want the fans who barely had enough money for gas for the trip, and their ticket, and one cast photo, to be happy.

HazzardNet normally gives DukesFest heavy promotion - without a dime of compensation, without getting special favors. Now I don't own this website and I don't call the shots, but to me there's no way in hell we're putting up a DukesFest promo on the homepage to feature Adam West. Frankly it's an embarassment.

Anyhow - good discussion, eh? I don't think any of us would get riled up so much, if we didn't have a passion for the Dukes.

[TimDuke]

Darrell I'm not about to get into it about a statement you took out of context and get this topic off track again. Let us just say the car guys are more into the little details of all the vehicles,which interior color is the correct one,stuff like that and not so much details of the show itself.Where as the fans here are into the show as a whole is the best way to explain the difference.

[JESSI DUKE]

Can't we just drop it? We all if it wasn't for GL owners there wouldn't GL's at DF, but also know if the fan didn't come. The owners wouldn't have anyone to show there cars. All I'm saying why keep up the same fight every time. You can't have on without the other. So can we PLEASE bury it. And be thankful that we have a DF to go to.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

For the record...

Since this was initially about why Adam West will be at Dukesfest...this is what John said:

"My favorite show as a youngster was... You guessed it... Batman! POW! I can only assume that if that was John Schneider's favorite show as a kid that it had to be Bo Duke's favorite show too! It is very important to remember who the Dukes are inside and not just their public image..."

And you know what? I think he's right. So often in role plays and round robins and things we who write use our imaginations to try our best to make the characters of Dukes as real as we can to the readers and to ourselves. The fact that we do this is not because we simply have nothing better to do, it's that, for me at least, we want them to be more than just an image on screen. We want to feel...and i think most of us on here do...that we know them and that, more than characters on tv, they are symbolic of what could still happen. That there are still "good ol' boys"...that there are still families that believe in supporting one another...that the word "family" doesn't necessarily mean mom, dad, brother sister...it can be uncle with cousins...or even friends brought together by a common bond (like us here on hnet)... It is this type of inside knowledge that endears us to them so much. John once said that he can always tell who knew him from Dukes and who knew him from Smallville because strangers felt they could go to Bo Duke and give him a hug whereas Jonathan Kent they did not.

All that to say, for my two cents worth, for me, Dukes is more than being about an awesome car, two gorgeous guys and a good deed thrown into every show. It's about a bigger picture... a simpler time...a genuiness and, as proved by its longevity, a realness to the characters that the American (and non-American) population misses from tv today.

If Batman is part of what made Bo Duke who he was and helped make him real to us, I say bring him on...

[DaneyDuke]

How different any Adam West at Dukesfest discussion might have been with that knowledge... Thank you, DaisyMae.

[North_of_Border1]

I can picture Bo Duke being a Batman fan. He loves action and fast cars. I bet he wanted a Batmobile as a boy. LOL!

I don't have anything against Adam West in particular. He seems like a nice man and I enjoyed the show as well as a kind. The idea of him at Dukesfest is odd at first but there were special guests on the show so I guess I'll consider him being a "special guest star" at DF.

Besides since John and Elly are nice enough to organize the whole thing (I can only imagine the logistics of it, Yikes!) I feel they have the right to invite some friends if they so choose.

One thing I find peculiar though is that there is no mention of Byron Cherry on the Dukesfest website. He said that John invited him. I know that he doesn't have as much fans as the other cast members but putting him on the list would be the polite thing to do in my opinion. He and Chris did help keep the show going after all.

I also wonder if they thought about inviting Chris and Don Pedro Colley. Mr. Colley always comes to the gathering in Canada. I think he would enjoy Dukefest, the biggest one of all. I hope Byron mentioned it to John

Well that was my two cents' worth. Now I shall sit back and enjoy this debate. I'm enjoying this thread. LOL

[Brian Coltrane]

I can picture Bo Duke being a Batman fan. He loves action and fast cars. I bet he wanted a Batmobile as a boy. LOL!

I don't have anything against Adam West in particular. He seems like a nice man and I enjoyed the show as well as a kind. The idea of him at Dukesfest is odd at first but there were special guests on the show so I guess I'll consider him being a "special guest star" at DF.

Besides since John and Elly are nice enough to organize the whole thing (I can only imagine the logistics of it, Yikes!) I feel they have the right to invite some friends if they so choose.

One thing I find peculiar though is that there is no mention of Byron Cherry on the Dukesfest website. He said that John invited him. I know that he doesn't have as much fans as the other cast members but putting him on the list would be the polite thing to do in my opinion. He and Chris did help keep the show going after all.

I also wonder if they thought about inviting Chris and Don Pedro Colley. Mr. Colley always comes to the gathering in Canada. I think he would enjoy Dukefest, the biggest one of all. I hope Byron mentioned it to John

Well that was my two cents' worth. Now I shall sit back and enjoy this debate. I'm enjoying this thread. LOL

North, that's part of my discontent with this whole Bat blast. Sure, it's John's gig and I expect a few things to be different - but holy dip stick, one would think he'd get the Dukes cast appearances sorted out first.

John may be a Batman fan, but saying Adam West fits into DukesFest because Bo Duke would have dug Batman.... gimmie a break.

Did the Dukes even have a tv? I thought they were motorheads who wanted to grow up to be race car drivers.

Cooter may have dug Led Zepplin, but that doesn't mean they'd fit in at DukesFest. Daisy might have dug watching General Hospital but that doesn't mean you'd have Michael Damien signing autographs at DukesFest. Rosco may have enjoyed watching Charlie's Angels but that doesn't mean you'd have Farrah Fawcett at DukesFest.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Well...for that matter... why was jerry Lawler there (no pro wrestlers ever came from Hazzard)....or the BMXers...or why was a Barney Fife look alike there before...he was from Mayberry...It's all about having something there that everyone would enjoy...and like it or not, Dukesfest is held not only for fans but also to make money...John has to make a living too... I guess I just don't see how it's any different...

[lost_sheep3]

I just don't know about Batman at Dukesfest. That's like going to a Rascal Flatts show and having Ozzy opening for them.

I saw Adam West at a car show a couple of years ago, he wanted $25 for a black and white picture. Unless he lowers his prices for Dukesfest, I can't see many Dukes fans wanting to pay that kind of money for a Batman photo when most of the Dukes photos are much cheaper.

[North_of_Border1]

North, that's part of my discontent with this whole Bat blast. Sure, it's John's gig and I expect a few things to be different - but holy dip stick, one would think he'd get the Dukes cast appearances sorted out first.

John may be a Batman fan, but saying Adam West fits into DukesFest because Bo Duke would have dug Batman.... gimmie a break.

Did the Dukes even have a tv? I thought they were motorheads who wanted to grow up to be race car drivers.

Cooter may have dug Led Zepplin, but that doesn't mean they'd fit in at DukesFest. Daisy might have dug watching General Hospital but that doesn't mean you'd have Michael Damien signing autographs at DukesFest. Rosco may have enjoyed watching Charlie's Angels but that doesn't mean you'd have Farrah Fawcett at DukesFest.

1. Very true, cast first, guests later. I will give you that one.

2. I did NOT say he fits into Dukefest. I just say the more the merrier. The dukes always welcomed strangers into their home, so should we. Uncle Jesse wouldn't have it any other way.

Yes they owned a TV. I saw it in the background in the living room once. I would assume they watched Nascar races.

3. About Led Zeppelin and al.: Good point. I see what you mean.

However Michael Damien (who was in The Young in the Restless not GH) is James Best's son-in-law so his presence actually would make a little more sense that Mr. West's. LOL! I would put him in as a singing guest.

[Brian Coltrane]

However Michael Damien (who was in The Young in the Restless not GH) is James Best's son-in-law so his presence actually would make a little more sense that Mr. West's. LOL! I would put him in as a singing guest.

I was wondering if anybody would catch that one! You get a gold star.

Ya know what else is troubling me, is that I don't see any of the other Dukes cast members themselves, making noise about being at DukesFest.

Ben's site has a small banner ad for DukesFest, but it's not listed under his upcoming appearances.

The tab for "DukesFest" talks about the 2007 gig. Nothing on 2008. Granted he's not running it anymore, but one would expect some promotional gesture, if Ben himself was attending.

I also noticed that Ben's site no longer has any tab or link about any General Lee club. He used to.

Maybe Ben hasn't updated his site yet, so let's not jump to conclusions.

Tom Wopat's site doesn't meantion DukesFest yet either. Hell, there's not even a link to it.

Cathy's site never gets updated, so no conclusions from that....

Jimmie's site confirms him as attending DukesFest. Now if only the DukesFest site would pencil him in.

And ya think Adam West would put up something about DukesFest on HIS webpage, wouldn't ya! Nah.....

[Denver C.]

Maybe they figure that Adam West would be something for the nonDukes fans that come with family or friends. (I realize that it is a shock that there could be such uncultured people out there, but they do exist!)

Personally, I don't care if he's there or not, but I do agree with everyone else that it would be nice to know which actual cast members will be there before worrying about "special guests". It would be nice if they could have all of the surviving regular and semiregular cast members there, though.

[RogerDuke]

I'm wondering who it is that takes all the financial risks and reaps all the financial benefits of DukesFest. Is it just John or are there others who have money wrapped up in it? The (financial) bottom line is the most important thing here to the people who are financially involved. Us fans who are in it for the love of the show can sometimes forget that. If I was John, I would find out how many people pay (that astronomical amount) for Adam West autographs. (They must be true fans of his to pay that much.) Then subtract the amount they paid to get into the place from the amount he has to pay Adam and see if he made a profit. My guess would be that he's going to lose a lot of money from inviting Mr West and will be smart enough to not do something like that again.

[DaneyDuke]

I was wondering if anybody would catch that one! You get a gold star.

Ya know what else is troubling me, is that I don't see any of the other Dukes cast members themselves, making noise about being at DukesFest.

Maybe not all the contracts and sponsorship is in place at this time? This is purely a guess on my part.

[Brian Coltrane]

Maybe not all the contracts and sponsorship is in place at this time? This is purely a guess on my part.

Very possible, and that's exactly my point about having the Adam West announcement break wind before anything else is heard.

And to revisit the "Bo Duke woulda dug Batman" thing....

Ya'd think Bo Duke would be a Superman fan, given John's Smallville gig.

Now if John woulda pulled in somebody from the Smallville cast, for DukesFest, I could understand it. I probably wouldn't agree with it 100%, but at least there's a sort of logic involved with John's fan base.

I also want to answer RogerDuke's post as he's onto something. This year, DukesFest isn't getting (as far as I last knew) any CMT sponsorship or support. That's got to make the budget a bit tighter.

Also, as cool as it is to have DukesFest in Atlanta - right now I'm wondering if it's a tactical error. It's my opinion that Nashville appreciated DukesFest a helluva lot more than Atlanta does. I had to step back and look at this, because earlier in my rants I was like, "can't sell DukesFest tickets in Atlanta?? Riiight..."

Well, maybe it is tougher. The city of Nashville was all for DukesFest. Whereas the politically-sensitive city of Atlanta may be cooler towards the yeehaw, Hee-haw, DukesFest image. Atlanta's tourism board spends a lot of time these days, pretending it isn't in the South.

About the cast contracts....the merchandise sales that each cast member has at the autograph table, is an obvious part of thier consideration.

So having a big turnout in fan attendance makes the whole gig more worth somebody's while. But it's not a bottomless drink, because you can only get through "x" number of people a day in your autograph line, and on the average a fan buys 1 or 2 items at a cost of ten bucks a pop. Yes, there's money here and it can be attractive, but there's only so much you can humanly do in terms of sales at the table.

This makes the appearance fee important, as it's a set amount, rain or shine, fans or no fans. But for the promoters and wallet-holders of the event, it gets dicey because you need that gate attendance to be strong. You've just promised somebody "x" dollars to show up, but your own income - namely the ticket sales - could be anything. If the ticket sales are awesome, you're in good shape. If the ticket sales are lower than expected, taking care of all the overhead concerning contracts, venue, entertainment, insurance, and so on becomes daunting.

Back to Adam West - several people have mentioned his high merchandise costs. As each cast member at DukesFest looks forward to having some merchandise sales, it would seem a conflict of interest.

Also, the reason Adam West charges so much, is because he'd rather sell 1,000 photos at $25... then sell 2,000 photos at $10. Less work, more money. Not a bad strategy but I'm not sure it works with a Dukes crowd.