At the inaugural Ohayocon, the convention started a tradition of celebrity
charity roasts. In 2001, the "victim" was artist Steve Bennett of Studio
Ironcat, with animator Scott Frazier leading the assault. In 2002 the tables
were turned with Frazier as the roastee and Bennett among the roasters.
Making the Friday evening event more memorable - or bizarre - was that
Frazier wore an evening gown and a curly blonde wig, marking the first
anniversary of his Ohayocon appearance in drag that brought the "Princess
of Canada" joke into the open (the gag even has its
own web site.
(Realize that these are inside jokes among anime conventions regulars
which may confound the outside world.) Jeff Thompson, producer for "The
Right Stuf, joked about Frazier's online ICQ ramblings titled "Radio Out
There." They lack clear focus and they are some of the most surreal thing
you will see in your life," jibed Thompson. From his throne, Frazier replied
that "I get stoned and write that I think." How strange are those messages?
"Scott had a rose in his teeth and asked to dance with me," claimed Thompson.
"I replied that I didn't look good in heels and Scott said `I'm the one
wearing the heels.'"
After a 2001 convention in which Frazier bore a resemblance to a female
artist, Costumer Nickey Froberg said "We are twin sisters. We were separated
at birth. Can't you tell the resemblance? She is my best friend and I love
her to death." Frazier also sent ICQ messages to Froberg, which she claimed
to recall: "When the princess would write, she would be rather...enhanced.
`Sex toy status - all items in the closet in case what happened last time
happened this time. 9:45 p.m.: did you ever think about how many ways the
word "soil" can be used,'" was Froberg's version of Frazier's messages.
After costumer Dave Zyn talked about how Frazier handled his fans,
Rob Baranek, clad in his Racer X outfit, had some old-fashioned jokes.
"The fans come first, then they roll over and go to sleep...he thought
Dragon Ball was something your dog did when he scuffed his butt on the
carpet...he thought G-Force was hentai material." But during that presentation,
the roast skidded to a halt when Frazier answered a phone call. When he
finished the call, Frazier announced "I just got to do a Nissan commercial!
I've been waiting for that call all day." That good news didn't stop fan
Alex Alvarez from cracking, "I remember the day he started the way that
all great animation producers began, working at Seven-Eleven."
Finally, it was time for Frazier's chance to fire back at Bennett.
"He has become the Shirley Temple for our time," the Ironcat artist joked.
"He's become the woman he always wanted to be. He came to the states with
that mop top haircut that looked like the Monkees. When he wore a
gray shirt you knew Katsucon was around. When he wore a gray shirt you
knew it was time for Nan Desu Kan. Now when he wears a pink dress, it's
time for Ohayocon." Turning to Frazier, Bennett said "Once you wanted to
be a god of anime. Now you've messed up the curve and you've become the
goddess of anime. He started drawing those girls with the big eyes and
big breasts then he started dressing like them."
But Frazier had the last laugh on Bennett at the roast: "The first time
I met Steve, he was in a dress - a Sailor Mercury costume."
