Odd couples

Twentieth-century foxes?

by Camille Dodero

WILD THINGS: Manzarek and Lords will sign autographs (no porn, please) this Saturday.

Such a random juxtaposition would make Felix and Oscar blink: Traci Lords, child porn star gone legit, and Ray Manzarek, bespectacled keyboardist of the Doors, appearing together to sign autographs? At a collectibles extravaganza? In the suburban environs of Marlborough, Massachusetts? Yes, it's true: this Saturday will see the pairing of that very unusual couple in a very unusual place -- the Royal Plaza Trade Center, a venue more suited to Lost in Space extras than to Ron Jeremy's contemporary and Jim Morrison's relief singer.

Turns out that Lords and Manzarek have a mutual friend (Manzarek calls him "Bobby") who sets up their personal appearances -- and it just so happens that both personalities currently have projects to promote. Since Lords escaped the skin business more than 10 years ago, the star of Beverly Hills Copulator has been trying to outrun her sordid, Penthouse-posing past by trying her hand at non-X-rated film acting (Blade, with Wesley Snipes, and John Waters's Cry-Baby) and music (a debut album called 1000 Fires). These days, Lords is doing television and wants to hype her starring role on the Sci-Fi Channel series First Wave.

As for Manzarek, he continues to munch on the fruits of his late-'60s past via another Doors revival. Stoned Immaculate, a tribute album that unleashes bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith, and Smash Mouth on the Doors' classics, hit shelves last month after five years in production. The album's release inspired a Thanksgiving-weekend Doors episode of VH-1's Storytellers -- a live studio performance that featured robust-voiced deep-throaters like Ian Astbury of the Cult, Scott Stapp of Creed, and Travis Meeks of Days of the New filling Morrison's leather pants.

For the record, Lords won't be signing any of her adult films or fleshy centerfolds because, as she's quick to point out, she was underage at the time and "child pornography is illegal." True, but not all of her fans might be so -- never mind. But what if someone brings a forbidden item to the signing? "I don't endorse any of that," she says firmly, but not rudely. "It's shocking to me that people are so ignorant that they would take the chance. They could get arrested for that. A Penthouse from 1984 could be a problem if there's law enforcement anywhere nearby. Naked pictures of little girls don't go [over] well in America."

Traci Lords and Ray Manzarek will appear this Saturday, December 9, at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $6; for more information call (978) 568-0856 or visit www.allcollectors.com.