STV—LA ALERT!: Spirit of Star Trek Feb. 28 hosts TREKKIES director and "Professor Trek"

Did you miss it, SoCal fans?



For those who can get there in the LA area, "Spirit of Star Trek" returns from winter hiatus this Sunday in Encino with a break in the routine of "actors and their roles." Come have an equally thoughtful fun and FREE evening with Roger Nygard, the guy behind the infamous documentaries Trekkies and Trekkies II, and "Anthropology Trek Prof" convention speaker Daryl Frazetti, who also appeared in Trekkies (out of town when the video was shot). Mike Westmore is back as well to join Curtis as co-host. (Remember, RSVP to 818-788-1147 (--"47!!"--) if you can)!

Sadness, and sending our strength to the Koenigs

A full day of everything, from all parts of my life ... already behind on my Trekland blogging and videos … and then I come home late Friday to hear this tragic ending to the disappearance:

Andrew Koenig Dead: 'Growing Pains' Actor's Body Found After Suicide

Our thoughts and prayers and virtual willing of strength to Walter and Judy go out in this time... and if there is any way to turn this kind of tragedy into something for the long-term good of anyone suffering silently out there, I trust the Koenigs are able to harness it.

The world refers to Andrew for his Growing Pains role, but of course for Treklanders it was in his own right as submissive Skreean co-husband Tumak in DS9's "Sanctuary."

LA ALERT: Whoa, busy weekend: See you at Gallifrey One

Gallifrey One is this weekend—and no, as I've learned this year, it's not just a Doctor Who convention any more. If you make it by the LAX Marriott for the con, I'd be pleased to have Treklanders in the hall for my infamous slideshow at noon Saturday... and then a 2 p.m. panel on the big-picture future of Trek, whatever that is. Outside of that I'll have a table around somewheres, too. Then "Spirit of Star Trek" with Trekkies' Roger Nygard and "Anthropology's Genre Professor" Daryl Frazzeti is Sunday in Reseda

The past few weeks have been insane. My apologies for not being here more--I have loads of great news and vidlogs but the time is just not there—yet. Stirred up a hornet's nest when I pled for "cloning time" on my Facebook page...but sadly, no parallel extra time has materialized.

But for starters, stay tuned the next few days for video with Ethan Phillips and scenes of Star Trek: The Exhibition in San Jose, CA (too early for the wedding, durn it.).

LA ALERT: Cosplay casting call for dating show?

OK, you heard it hear first, probably... (h/t Jackie)...
For SoCal folk of the genre-franchise cosplay persuasion, I'm just passing it along:

"Calling all “Cosplay” Singles for NEW Dating Show!
Auditions: Saturday, February 20th (Girls and Guys)
Please arrive in character AUDITION LOCATION: G•R•A•C•E US Productions 937 N. Citrus Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038
Any questions please email jcarollo23@gmail.com
Are you a fan of Marvel Comics, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, & Lord of the Rings? We want you!"

20 Years Ago This Week? TNG Came of Age

I'm talkin' bout the instant classic "Yesterday's Enterprise," of course.

And not just because my old bud Eric Stillwell was an instigator of that show, as the story co-writer. I still have his private mail-out reminder flier (above)—and I do mean mailed, as in "with a stamp on it."

Since TNG (and later DS9) were syndicated, they had no official single airdate—so they were listed as "Week of" beginning on Mondays. (Good ol' Channel 4 Oklahoma City, of course, insisted on runnng TNG at 10:30 pm on SUNdays, so we were the last in the country to see them week after week.)

But "The Week of Feb. 19" remains crystal-clear in my mind. For the first time on TNG, the tragic, mind-bending triumph of the little Enterprise-C and Captain Garret, Castillo and Tasha really made this long-patient fan sit up and take notice. I very clearly remember watching the show in early 1990 and thinking a corner had been turned: "It's happened—they finally hit on a par with the features. This is the potential. The series has finally found itself." Either this episode or the two-part "The Best of Both Worlds" that followed at season's end consistently poll in fan votes as the #1 TNG episode. (Hindsight, of course. tells us this is the legacy of Michael Piller's coming to the series and "saving" it.)

My "TNG" annual concordance zines had unwittingly opened some doors with the overtaxed TNG writers before I even comprehended what that meant. And Eric--first a PA, then script coordinator--was good enough to share a couple fact-filled letters with me (that, too, was via paper and typewriter ribbon ink, remember), and joined the process that eventually brought me to Hollywood.

I talk about the episode's storied and tortuous evolution in the TNG Companion, of course—like Casablanca, the rushed writers feared it would be a mish-mash of a dog, for one thing—and Eric offers even more detail in his self-published book about it, available here. But right now, thanks to him, I have my own memento of the week to celebrate, from a few years before this front-row seat to the Trekland show ...

UPDATE: And to bookend, from years later: here's the climactic scene of "YE" as the commissioned artwork from artist Javier Fernandez that graced the cover of our Communicator 127, a time-travel special issue:

iPad frenzy: This Facebook page asks for what's right!

From the "Things that got buried on my desk" Dept.:

...I don't know how many thought to grab the great unsung artist Wah Chang—he of the original TOS communicator design— when flip-top cell phones "debuted"... but I was sitting here and had to wonder what Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach were thinking, PADD-men all, when Jobs finally let the iPad out in the open. :-D

So... I asked Rick what he was thinking the day it was unveiled, and he emailed:

"I'm thinking that it would be nice if Steve Jobs sent me a 64GB model with 3G wireless and a free data plan. :) Good to know that we had some really good ideas back in the day."

Rick"

I had nothing to do with it, but now for you Facebookers out there: it's not too late to join the page that does demand Rick and Mike O. get their due—at least according to us in Trekland:

Have Steve Jobs give Rick Sternbach and Mike Okuda iPads

Of course, of all the talk and debate, the true question for Jobs is:
Why not double-D it and give us the "iPADD"?

Now THIS is fandom all over, down under (NSFW)

From the Too Good To Pass Up Dept. ...

If you didn't catch these pics from the annual illegal-but-impossible-to-outlaw "body-painted nude cycling" section of the annual Seattle Solstice Parade .... you have now.

Now be honest—what did you notice first?

The fact that they're all "decked out" in TNG uniforms?

Or the fact that the geekgirl revolution is in full swing? Truly the most amazing phenomenon of our young century.

And who knew I'd ever get to do a (NSFW) headline?






(h/t Gizmodo)

UPDATE: CBS clarifies the "new ST: Experience" status

It's still ON.

Just for the record, this CBS statement is now out re: upcoming auctions and the resulting status of a "new" Star Trek: The Experience project in Las Vegas we reported on Monday:

“CBS Consumer Products remains committed to opening a new and exciting Star Trek attraction. We continue to work with our partners at Neonopolis regarding the development of a new Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. In the interim, there are elements from the original Star Trek: The Experience that we know will not be utilized in any new attraction and plan to make those items available to the many wonderful fans of Star Trek: The Experience either by sale or auction in the near future. The final dates and details of such sales are in progress and we hope to announce more very soon.”

-- CBS Consumer Products spokesperson

This further clarifies our Monday correction to other surprising reports since Sunday, now corrected as well, that the upcoming auctions signaled any end to the current license for a new ST:TE with Neonopolis owners. Also, firm dates for a Las Vegas auction venue are now awaiting a second look—but apparently will still be well before a planned summer auction of choice pieces.

But the Neonopolis deal IS still in effect, as is the push for a new attraction.

With the current economy and the changing Trek landscape, there's still no announced word on just what that will be. But for fans, this is certainly better news than "death."

UPDATE: Auction time again: "ST: Experience II" gives up on "rescued" items

UPDATE: Sources clarifying: Auctions and non-use of old gear, yes; end of Neonopolis contract, no.

And as throughout: CBS' intention to see a new ST:TE— still very much go.


From auction/collectibles maestro Alec Peters and his Propworx Co. comes the news:
—The long-debated future of the stored ST: The Experience artifacts is settled: Neonopolis won't use them across town in Vegas.
—CBS Licensing is selling the warehoused assets—both artifacts and Quark's/etc. fixtures.
—There's a live on-site auction in Vegas Feb. 27—hurry!—followed by a few pieces to be auctioned this summer. (Photo above from Alec's blog, same link.)

This is out ahead of any formal CBS press release, but just to be sure: The Neonopolis license deal is still in place, sources tell me, and CBS Licensing still intends to pursue a "new" Star Trek: The Experience. There's no other new news re: the project—but this does mean that any future "museum" there would be all-new items, original or replica.

And, as Alec notes, most of the non-costume and sometimes now-damaged "artifacts" from ST:TE were indeed replicas, not originals from TV/film use. But think a sec—what they are now are true Experience originals ... and as ST:TE and Quark's are already the stuff of lore and legend, there will be no shortage of sentimental bidders, I'm sure. Costumes include those of the beloved on-site cast, as well.

BTW--Alec mentions the Enterprise-D is the lone "total loss" among among the BIG ships that once hung from the giant through-deck foyer. I can tell you it's because it HAD to be cut up just to get it out during demolition at the Hilton space; it had been installed in the construction before the major ST:TE/Quark's openings were framed up and sealed off. They was no other way to budge it, sadly. But wonder if there's a bridge module or main hanger deck section out there to be had? Don't trash it all, guys! Even in pieces.

Glad to hear all the other "big ships" are in good or at least salvageable shape: Here's how the giant Voyager looked almost exactly a year ago when we saw it during demolition of the whole space, parked in the "back corner" of what was the Promenade retail area (photos by moi):





So—what would YOU want to take home, if it's still around?

Star Trek/Super Bowl? Who dat say it couldn't be?

I just wish "AFP" had the photo of this guy to send along ... but, here you go:

New Orleans explodes with joy after Saints win
By Allen Johnson (AFP)

... Outside the Chart Room, a gritty French Quarter bar, a man costumed as a black-and-gold warrior from the Star Trek movie series, pointed to a "78" on his armored chest—the number of his favorite Saint, tackle John Stinchcomb. ...

With the poor reporter trying to bridge over to a realm he likely never covers, I'm guessing his "black-and-gold warrior" is either a Klingon (?) or an TNG-era security guard.

Either way, "Q'apla!" and "Boldy Geaux!"

STV: Jonathan Frakes—one busy guy

I just found a batch of recent video I thought had been lost...!

So yay--here's an always-welcome vid-chat with Number One himself, shot near the end of the 10th annual Lightspeed Fine Art Charity Event in December in the OC. It was the first time to appear there for both of us, as we realized, and a good time to catch up. He's up to his eyeballs with directing jobs, and on some of the top one-hours on the networks... a busy life since he moved back to L.A. from his teaching turn. This chat will get you ready for his airings and reruns ... plus, Jonathan's first acting gig since Nemesis.

His adorable wife Genie Francis, a celeb in her own right of course, came along and had copies of her Christmas carol CD benefiting The Children's Mission in Cuernavaca, Mexico, getting 100% of her profit share—and still available on Amazon and iTunes.

If you're a Castle fan—and you should be!—I got a very catty anecdote out of him from his episode. Now we just need to get him on Chuck next season... Campaign, anyone?



And if you're not a Lightspeed customer, doing so makes you eligible to attend these annual, cozy little clambakes with guests, parties, and direct-bid auctions for their charities. I'd meant to go for years, so thanks to Gary Hasson and his staff who finally got me down.

Oh, and that Frakes, guy, too. Better catch when while you can--he's one bolt of lightning.