‘The X-Files’ Marks a Spot in Tustin

TUSTIN —  Feeling left out of “The X-Files” clubhouse? Well, as they believe on the TV show, you are not alone. Read on if you don’t know Agent Mulder from Agent Scully, have no paranormal suspicions about anyone but your spouse, never log on for Internet chat about whether The Truth Is Out There, and think the Cigarette-Smoking Man is the star of a Marlboro ad.

You still might want to know just exactly what is going on this weekend over at Tustin Marine Corps Air Facility’s Hangar 2, which incidentally happens to be big and remote enough for shadowy government figures to hide a couple of downed spaceships. Certainly, it’s at a military installation, now isn’t it?

So drop the lights to film-noir low and follow along as we visit the only Southern California stop of a $6-million, 10-city touring fan party and marketing extravaganza.

As with the darkly mysterious top-rated show, some questions will remain unanswered. Like: Will the show’s set move to L.A. from Vancouver next season to accommodate star David Duchovny’s (Agent Fox Mulder) wish to be close to actress-wife Tea Leoni? Will FBI Agents Mulder and Dana Scully ever succumb to their unspoken attraction? And will they ever flip on a light switch already instead of pointing dinky flashlights into a dark creepy building?

*

On Saturday, nearly 5,000 people drove through the gates of the Tustin Marine Corps Air Facility, winding through a disarmingly pastoral scene dotted with drab buildings and signs like “Caution, Low Flying Aircraft” and “Operations Crash Crew” to reach Blimp Hangar 2.

A bit of a line awaited them. But for $25 they experienced an interactive fan party like no other “X-Files” convention.

“The helicopters parked outside, the uniformed Marine guard at the entrance--this venue is wonderful,” gushed Grey Eckert of Washington Court, Ohio. He and his wife, both 40, are fans in the extreme. The couple flew to San Francisco for the start of X-Files Expo last weekend, then flew south to L.A. They attended Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” and did sightseeing before Saturday’s trip to Tustin. This is their vacation. When optometrist Grey and retired nurse Jennifer return to Ohio, they will attend the Detroit stop of the tour.

“I compare this to a theme park,” Grey said, standing near the 500 fans waiting three hours for autographs of show stars, “because you have things to do, event to event.”

First, a few facts.

The show’s story line follows two Washington-based FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate the so-called X-Files: cases of unexplained phenomena like alien abductions, ghosts, the occult and paranormal activities. There is skepticism within the agency and an ever-present foreboding that murkily defined government and non-government types are working against their efforts.

Now back to the hangar, where men-in-black ushers directed guests inside, where they were given a bag of souvenirs called “evidence.” “Crew” members in black-and-white jumpsuits worked attractions.

Inside the cavernous wooden hangar, attendees asked inside information of the show’s writers and stars (including “X”--Mulder’s government mole), were photographed in the likeness of Mulder’s FBI office, played trivia games wearing virtual reality helmets and previewed the upcoming “X-Files” movie. The plot is--what else?--a secret.

*

Tina McCraw of Tustin arrived early enough to have just a half-hour wait at what was the most popular offering of the expo: the $3 photo op at Mulder’s office. Fluorescent lime green--desk, walls, everything--it hardly looked like the messy warren that the wry Mulder inhabits. But through some high-tech equipment, a photo resulted in which customers like McCraw, an administrator at UCI Medical Center, appeared sitting at a desk under Mulder’s signature spaceship poster.

“I’m a die-hard fan,” said McCraw, meaning she is what many of the 20 million weekly viewers call a “phile.” Last year, she sent holiday greetings with Agents Scully and Mulder in front of a Christmas tree saying, “It’s scientifically impossible for a man to come down a chimney like that.” This year? Her loved ones may be getting a shot of Agent McCraw from the “X-Files.”

Alien Beanie Babies at $5 each were selling the most swiftly among a raft of merchandise ranging from T-shirts (“UFOs are real, the Air Force is not”) to blooper outtakes from the show. Henna tattoos were offered of various crop circles--the unexplained designs in remote fields that believers view as evidence of alien life.

Speaking of which, there were actually only two overt aliens in attendance, and they were both fans. Mario Waldor of Cerritos made himself a silver and gold lame jumpsuit, a full-head purple alien mask with iridescent fly eyes. The hands and feet were painted jellyfish purple to match the head mask. Toes and finger tentacles had eyeballs on them. Co-worker Dennis Chaney could not endure the heat of his own alien-head mask and black gown while waiting to enter the hangar, but he donned them after cooling down inside.

The men met two weeks ago at work. Which is where? Well, they’d really rather not say.

“It’s a hospital,” Chaney said. “In Anaheim,” Waldor said. Oh, what the heck, Anaheim General Hospital, they concede.

*

Chaney said they hesitated to divulge their workplace because “it is almost easier to bring up religion than your belief” in a government conspiracy to hide evidence of a downed spaceship and alien life. “Why do you think you can’t fly over Hangar 18 in Nevada?” asked Waldor, whose deadpan alien face made it impossible not to grin while talking to him about conspiracy theories.

Fortunately, both men were a tad tongue-in-cheek.

Chaney admits that, with the crop-circle tattoo on his left palm, it may be difficult to lead meetings as an administrator at the hospital.

“And especially since I’m in charge of the psych ward.”

Waldor was looking forward to his photo op at Mulder’s desk.

“Especially as an alien--it is the place to prove we exist.”

Presumably many devotees of the 5-year-old TV program prepared themselves for this day after signing on to the fan forum chat room of https://www.thex-files.com. At the roadshow’s San Francisco opening last weekend, 7,000 turned out, and parking and lines were reported to be tedious.

Fox Television, “X-Files” creator and producer Chris Carter’s production company and other organizers worked on correcting problems at stop No. 2. The show moves next to Dallas, then Atlanta. Most of the expo stops will be at decommissioned military installations--chosen for the atmosphere they offer the discriminating “X-File” fan.

At noon Saturday, the omniscient voice of X filled the hangar as actor Steven Williams took the stage to whoops and cheers. Fans lined up at a microphone to address him, expressing their loyalty even though his character seems to have been killed off. They theorized his fate in coming episodes.

Williams said not even he knows for sure, but he suspects that X might have known about the plot to kill him and preemptively faked his own murder and . . . stay tuned.

The expo concludes today. Entrance is at the Tustin Marine Corps Air Facility Main Gate, in the 15000 block of Red Hill Avenue south of Edinger Avenue. Hours: noon to 7 p.m. Admission $25.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Key ‘X-Files’ Characters

Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny): Earned derogatory nickname of “Spooky” within the FBI because of his obsession with the paranormal and his belief, until this season, that he witnessed his sister’s abduction by aliens.

Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson): Medical doctor who takes a more scientific approach to cases, originally teamed with Mulder to balance his alien suspicions. But by the second season, she was abducted by persons or creatures unknown. Her eggs were harvested and a daughter was born--but Scully learned of that only after the daughter died. Also, seeds of cancer were implanted during Scully’s abduction and she narrowly survives the disease.

Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis): Known among fans as CSM or Cancer Man, he puffs away on the show and is the chief villain within the fuzzily defined consortium that allegedly knows “The Truth” and covers up evidence of alien existence. Also may be the father of Mulder or of Mulder’s sister--yes, the abducted one. Supposedly was murdered several episodes ago, but hey, nobody believed it and Cancer Man was back last Sunday.

A.D. Walter S. Skinner (Mitch Pileggi): Assistant FBI director, boss of Agents Mulder and Scully. Looks like a cue-ball bureaucrat but has his own sub-following, which admires his fleeting bare-chest shots. Wants to support his agents in their controversial work but also must answer to CSM.

The Lone Gunmen: Named in reference to the Kennedy assassination theory, this trio of high-tech conspiracy fanatics helps Mulder in his quest for The Truth by breaking computer security for access to secret info and analyzing mysterious stuff.

X (Steven Williams): One of Mulder’s inside moles in the murky forces of government watching. To summon X, Mulder would tape a big X on his own window and backlight it, then wait for contact. At least until X was killed.

Alex Krychek (Nicholas Lea): Former FBI agent who is now a double (perhaps triple?) agent for . . . whomever. Spent time in Russia, has one arm now--he’s been around. So despicable that fans call him Rat Boy.