"Dukes of Hazzard" author signs books at Motor City Comic Con in Metro Detroit

Fans of the classic TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard" will be on sensory overload at this year's Motor City Comic Con in Metro Detroit, which will feature an extensive "Dukes" display along with the author of a fun reference book on the series.

Author Billie Rae Bates, a former Detroiter who wrote "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!", will be signing copies of the book at the con as part of the display by the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club. Bates, 39, compiled the fact book based on her own years of research and lifelong fascination with the TV show.

"I grew up loving the show," Bates says. "In fact, I always joked about wanting to live in Hazzard County, and now I live in Metro Atlanta, not far from where the show originally filmed." Bates was born and raised in Michigan and moved to Georgia in 2004.

"Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" is a compendium that includes a cast list, character guide, episode guide, information on each of the show's stars, a tour of original Georgia filming sites, a guide to the show's extensive merchandise and more. Released in 2006, the trade paperback sells for $16 on Amazon.com and other e-tailers. Bates will be signing copies for $16 during normal show hours, 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club, based in Ruscom Station, Ontario, Canada, will display a replica of the famous blazin' orange General Lee at the con, along with two Hazzard County Sheriff's cars modeled after the vehicles used in the originial series, which ran from 1979 to 1985 on CBS, and in the 2005 motion picture. The fan club will also feature its traveling "Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Museum" at the comic con, which is at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.
The show runs May 18, 19 and 20.

Fans will get to see "Dukes" model kits, watches, autographed photos, action figures and more, says Paul Harrington, founder / president of the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club and a lifelong "Dukes" fan. Harrington, who had a role as an extra in the 2005 "Dukes" film, has been displaying his "Dukes" collection since 1997. Harrington purchased his 1969 Dodge Charger in 1991 in Georgia.

Bates, a veteran of the daily newspaper business, spent seven years of her career in Detroit, as an editor, writer and page designer for The Detroit News and as an editor at the corporate headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" is one of her foursome of reference books devoted to classic 1980s TV shows.

Besides the "Dukes" display, the Motor City Comic Con will feature a host of media stars such as Lou Ferrigno (TV's "Incredible Hulk"), NFL and TV star Ed Marinaro, Louis Gossett Jr., numerous stars of the various "Star Trek" shows, and three of the famous contestants of "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" Many artists and writers of the comic-book realm will be displaying their work, and comics fans will have a bevy of great shopping available, as well.

For more information about the con, visit www.motorcitycomiccon.com. For more information about the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club, visit www.canadiandukes.com, and check out www.brbtv.com and www.billierae.com to learn more about Bates and her work.