Greetings from TREKLAND: the place I've lived and worked for some 20 years as Star Trek author, interviewer, editor, commentator, producer, event wrangler.
Now I share the folks, fun, fotos and future of it all here at Trekland — all in my own unique slant. So what are you waiting for? Jump in, sound off, geek out.
Of all of Star Trek's storied casts, not all the favorite faces are as prevalent on the con circuit for fans as others—though their popularity remains and even grows with each year.
Thankfully, the coming of so many national conventions lining up Next Generation tributes for the show's 25th anniversary means a lot of fans have been catching up this year more than usual with our own "Dancing Doctor" Crusher, Gates McFadden.
Gates' pet project—well, full-time job, actually—is her love of and return to live theatre as owner of the Atwater Village Theatre just east of Griffith Park near Glendale, and as artistic director of its resident Ensemble Studio Theatre-Los Angeles with its focus on encouraging and producing all-new original plays.
If you're in SoCal or plan to visit soon, THIS weekend on Sept. 15 opens the first of those new plays coming in rep, "Year of the Rabbit"—and the rest I'll let her brag about on video... after a requisite chat about everyone's favorite first sequel to classic Star Trek:
Heaven forbid, Treklanders, that all these years of rightly celebrating March 22 as The TNG-film era makeup genius, Michael Westmore. Happy 74th!
Shat's birthday have also taken a chunk of the spotlight away from one of our other notables )and a nice guy to boot): the modern TV and
It always pops up from anyone who talks about him, but Michael has always been both a great friend and an open resource for all my projects, from the TNG days onward, and I treasure that.
In fact, he was one of the early boosters of TREKLAND the blog, and gave us a tour of his house in prep for his upcoming family Walk of Fame star ceremony back in the fall of 2008.
So, to celebrate today, let's go back to the archives and pre-HD days, since many of you just finding TREKLAND may not have been around in the early months (although it still sits right here, along with dozens of other videos). Enjoy!
As if recurring on one hit series isn't enough, Anthony "Travis Mayweather" Montgomery of Enterprise fame is seeing another longtime dream come true this weekend at WonderCon in Anaheim, right across from Disneyland: Hosting the "pre-launch" of his longtime graphic novel concept, MILES AWAY.
In this vidchat we did just last week, Anthony tells you all about the 28-page sample of his teenage superhero, a WonderCon exclusive from Booth 916 —plus he has more news on his controversial Darryl character from VH-1's Single Ladies, and his casting to recur on Jennifer Love Hewitt's new Lifetime series The Client List.
But it's Maxwell Miles and his MILES AWAY book that has Anthony excited right now ... and being a great chat guest as we also tackle the Biz, commuting from Texas, "holding for sound," and all kinds of things in this visit ... and yes, I'll hook up at WonderCon this weekend in my spare time and report back on how it goes. (And, unlike its big brither in San Diego this July, WonderCon still has plenty of tickets available):
So, what should I ask Anthony when we meet up at his WonderCon booth? Comment below!
I'm so glad that, after a decade in development, Rod Roddenberry's Trek Nation has finally found its final voice and a home—broadcast to a huge audience via the SCIENCE Channel on cable. As you surely know by now with all the great buzz and promotion, it debuts THIS Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 8 & 11 ET/5 & 8 PT.
I'm also glad I had the chance this summer to sit down with Rod for a chat at the Vegas Khhaaann... where we talked about this, and even more changes at Roddenberry Inc, including the new namesake foundation that has already made its first potentially life-changing award. Oh, and the fun and exploratory stuff is all still there, too.
I remember going in with Dan Madsen at the first Creation Vegas mega-convention in 2002 and meeting Rod, director Scott Colthorp and their crew when they first began, becoming one of the first of what became hundreds of hours of interviewees ... part of the mass of footage behind Rod's apologies to fans for the delay in getting to a final product the past few years. But it is, premiering at last and well worth the wait.
Take a listen to his story of the process... and then tell him "hi" at the next big convention where he and partner Trevor Roth are on hand. Meanwhile, the good reviews are already pouring in for Trek Nation, but we'll wait til after Wednesday to weigh in. For now, take a listen to our chat ...and Rod's thoughts on his other projects:
But don't miss this, either: a lot more Trek Nation from Scott Colthorp's short-form "Director's Log" series of unused footage and personal thoughts on Trek and the whole project, on YouTube and via the Facebook page... plus Twitter, too!
So yes, to finish up your annual dilitihium-powered birthday candles: Happy Birthday, Star Trek! Although, as I always say, never forget we're merely marking the first airdate, not the pilot conception or even filming of "The Cage" over two years earlier. In fact, It's a good time to celebrate with a look back at Star Trek's SECOND-most important year...
I'm talking about 1986, When Everything Changed. Thanks to Star Trek IV having such early buzz (later fulfilled in acclaim and box office alike) ... which helped answer the ongoing clamor of local stations for "more Star Trek" with the bold move to finally make a TV spinoff (what became The Next Generation, of course). With all that, someone figured out it might be time to finally mark the anniversary with an "official" blowout. And even a logo!
Thus, herewith we present—"fresh" from some old VHS tape from some dealer at some con back in the mists of time (and thus, apologies for its quality)—a very rare glimpse of the 20th anniversary Star Trek bash at the studio on Sept. 8, 1986. In context, the announcement of TNG was still a month away, while just five years and a month later Gene Roddenberry himself would be gone, after a series of strokes.
Still, the vindication in his voice here is palatable...
I had a chance to chat with John Broughton of the Starship Farragut series, one of the most active fan film groups from Classic Trek going today—and, aside from James Cawley's pioneering New Voyagers/Phase II clan, the only group with its own full-blown '60s Enterprise sets. Meeting up at Trek Trax Atlanta last weekend reminded me I had this in the can from the HD backlog, and needed to share this ASAP....!
So give it up for John and the great Farragut fan film series—in glorious live OR animated color. Take your pick!
I think this just may be a video first for me, and I have my buds at Seattle Geekly to thank for it:
IT'S JUST LIKE YOU ARE THERE! (click the frame)
Thanks to Jim Demonakos and his whole Emerald City Comic-Con crew, and Pacific Northwest fandom in general, we had a great time and a great crowd last weekend. Thanks guys—it's been a while since I had 300 or 400 for a show, and our Twivia Tweetups with the Geekly gang got rid of a lot of Trek swag from CBS and our pal John as prizes—even at 9 a.m. Sunday!
Best of all, I had lots more folk come by the table, chat things up and have me sign a few things. Yep, I was amazed—but I guess they somehow let a few Trekkies sneak into that comics throng.
More pics on the Trekland Facebook page albums...!
It's been a while coming, but the entire Westmore family legacy of Hollywood make-up legends is prepping for the unveiling of their new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Oct. 3. That includes the brothers who each ran all of the major studios at one time, and modern Star Trek's own Michael Westmore, their son/nephew and now partly retired. Here he tours us on just part of the history wing of his house; we'll have more of our visit later—stay tuned!
For those in the SoCal area who can make it, the star ceremony is 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at 1645 Vine Street in Hollywood, on the west side of Vine just south of Hollywood Boulevard. It's open to the public--but there will be a crowd.
Actually, that's both John AND his wife Bonita Friedericy, whose charity of choice (as many fans know) is the AIDS Service Center of Pasadena, Calif., servicing much of Los Angeles County.
Catch them for this typically funky-wacky Bingo night Wednesday, Sept. 3 in the West Hollywood "Hamburger Mary's" set-up at 9 p.m. For L.A. area fans, get there a little early at 8688 Santa Monica Blvd, at Sweetzer Avenue; you can check out online both the Bingo series and the AIDS Service Center. Both are involved in other events, as you'll hear in this clip ... and sincere about inviting fans of not only Star Trek but NBC's returning Chuck series, which features Bonnie as NSA Gen. Beckman ...
They were at Vegas Trek to promote "24," that little project they have worked on the past few years ...but Manny Coto and Brannon Braga were also really there because of their Trek roots, natch, as former cohorts on Enterprise (Brannon, of course, having a season on his Threshold later, and previously all those "weird shit" TNG stories that morphed into being show-runner later on Voyager, too).
The guys were good enough to stop by my table for a quickie v-chat, but look who's promoting, and look who's getting his geek on for onetime Bond babe Caroline Munro ....?? (Maybe it's just because no one ever says his name right...)
(And a shout-out to my impromptu cameraman, Andrew Baumer, wherever you are, who gave me a rare chance to jump in the shot. But that's guerilla shooting, baby!)
