Last day "To Boldly Indiegogo" for Continues—and it will

Today— ending at midnight Pacific time— is the last day you can jump into the "To Boldy Indiegogo" crowdfunder campaign for my beloved Star Trek Continues, where *I* jumped in as Dr. McCoy twice and remain aboard as creative consultant.

If you have not done so thus far, I wish you'd make that leap—especially if you jumped into either of the bang-up "Kirkstarter" drives before ... because you loved the bang-up quality and love of the amazing, Star Trek Continues stories, and their recreated look and feel. Five times now, on time and on budget—right?

And now a final day all-levels donor's bonus is just out.Oh, and did you know: the Webby-winning Continues is now a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 non-profit filed with the IRS—so, for Americans at least, you can even take you donation as a tax deduction!

But, hey, I know what's up: Unless you've been living under a fake styrofoam rock the past few months, you know the fan-film world has been thrown into a tizzy over the Axanar lawsuit and the ripples from it. And then the whole future of Trek fan films seems uncertain, as the studio Trek "fallow time" finally ends and we get an exciting canon series back in episodic form next winter—which is the positive future where a lot of my Trekland focus is going.
 
But in the here and now today, no matter what, let me just assure you this:  Your faith, as well as your much appreciated cash, will not be in vain in Star Trek Continues if you check aboard this Indiegogo campaign. You have my word on that. And Captain Vic's—check his update video on the Indiegogo page at "13 Days Ago." (Today's offer supersedes the bonus mentoned.)

The announced plan was for STC to end after 13 episodes anyway, with a original "finale" that leads into the situation seen at the beginning of The Motion Picture. The crowdfunding strategy was to go big on a goal after the two prior conservative targets of $100K, and thus make a longer haul over time with less crowdfunding. (My local NPR station, knowing even supportive listeners are weary of the on-air fundraisers, did the same thing with a larger goal to cover the entire election season without interruption.)

But to hedge the risk, STC made the switch to Indiegogo—where, unlike the goal-or-bust structure of Kickstarter, you keep whatever you raise. On the other side of the coin, Kickstarter is supposedly more of a comfort for risk-averse donors, of course—but here we thought that with STC's track record of transparency it would be a moot point.

But as you notice: the campaign and its next episodes are going ahead. So if you've been hesitant about helping out this time, let me just say this:

I am as excited about Star Trek Continues as I was when I first recorded this back in 2013, from Sickbay— or any of the other vidchats with STC regulars, crew and guests I've done so far. Many of which I've still not posted!

There's lots more good Star Trek Continues background stuff coming here—just as with the main STC series, where Ep. 6 and 7 that were crowdfunder-supported last year will be out online over Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays: "Come Not Between the Dragons" and "The Winds of Change."

Thanks for listening. Here's the link one more time.
Now, I just need to crowd-fund a few round-trip airfares to Toronto...

Last day! Harlan's CITY audiobook stretch goal perks

Hey, crew—with so MUCH Trekland news and projects flying by in subspace, it's hard to keep up, I know. I know! 


But I'm been lax to talk about a wonderful project I got to be part of— the audiobook of Harlan Ellison's original "City of the Edge of Forever" scripts and the saga in-between, from Skyboat Media... and today is the final day (4 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Eastern) to be part of it all and get perks for its stretch goals from a smashing Kickstarter drive!

You saw the graphic novel a couple years ago under CBS' wing... THIS is an audiobook of that once-published story PLUS all the drafts before, scripted or not—PLUS Harlan's version of the story then and over the years, as only he can "set it straight." And you know the salt content of Harlan's personal logs...


Talented voices bring life to Beckwith, Trooper, LeBeque, and all the other characters you never knew (along with Sister Edith and the Trek regulars, of course)  from the Writer's Guild-winning version that later became the Hugo-award winning classic TOS episode...including LeVar Burton as the narrator...and moi, who tosses in a commentary (along with David Gerrold, D.C. Fontana, et al—great company!) —and the pivotal (koff, koff) role of a transporter chief.
 
The KS drive and the stretch goals chance ends at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern TODAY, so check it out!

And get some samples of iconic Harlan, and the likes of Jean Smart and the cast, here:

Twill be out from Skyboat Media, Harlan's longtime audio publisher, by summer convention time. Look for it! They'll be boothing at Vegas, #STLV— and I'll have more here, too.

What a jam-packed weekend of good news in Trekland!

Well. THIS has been some weekend. Look what ALL just happened:

—"Fairest of Them All," the third episode of Star Trek Continues, just debuted online Sunday (and before a cast-fronted live con crowd in Sydney, Australia) to thunderous fan approval, from all I've read initially, as of tonight. I'm proud to not only remain in the think-tank for STC but to promote and cover its talented family and the "making of" each show as well. That includes both new and catch-up STC videos out now on "Trekland STV", and those still to come—you ain't seen nothing yet! Not to mention future episodes of STC itself.

So stay tuned and subscribe to Trekland as well as my YouTube Channel to know when they go up even ahead of their posting on the STC Facebook (and have you Liked there yet?)

—The second Kickstarter for the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum, whose non-profit board I sit on that grew from the "Save the Bridge" New Starship project, raised over 50% of its goal just these last two weeks and finally BUSTED right through to success Sunday with 12 hours to go—and ended up with over $11,000 extra in the pot by the time its midnight deadline arrived. Yes, I was nervous a couple weeks ago, and even knew that a lapse here was not fatal—with so many industry and corporate donors and supporters lining up. 

But this was a solid sign of the basic support for such a new Hollywood tourist landmark and museum, much less its planned educational mission. This drive helps fund some of the major bridging pieces of the puzzle to make this thing really work—the budget is on the KS site. It was also a nice affirmation of the hours of professional yet volunteer planning that's going in, and faith that this is not a gaudy pipe dream. Don't forget our Facebook, too! And get the latest at Comic-Con San Diego too—the Bridge is back for free photo ops, of course, at Booth 3631!

—And THEN, on a bit less lofty but every bit as fun level, we were madly making fans aware that this was the last weekend to register for the 2014 edition of the "LA2Vegas" Trek Film Site Tour that I lead for Geek Nation Tours and Terrace Cassidy. Quick! Jump aboard now if you'd like! 

—Plus, I was honored to talk about De Kelley Saturday for the 15th anniversary of his passing June 11 in another new online media "thing," a recorded Google+ Hangout sponsored by In Memory and Honor of Deforest Kelley Facebook group. 

—And THEN…there's the other nonprofit I'm honored to sit on the board for, Enterprise in Space—and its amazing, public-oriented mission that we will SOON be telling the world about, even as there's details and deadlines to chase down now. IT just became "official" and is jumping into gear—much more later!

—Oh, and also... hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day—both those of the fatherly persuasion, and those who enjoy their love!

(Oh, yeah—and thanks for that whole "stand by me while the overblown misquoting monster made-up story" thing blew over. Whether on Facebook, Twitter or comment threads, the Trekland Army was awesome the way you all knocked down the bizarre report every time other unaware—or lazy—news websites picked up the story to run it, without editing it first.

Whew. I'll just pack for BayouCon, now…!

From "bridge restoration" to glorious teaching museum: A Kickstarter for a do-able sci-fi dream is now UP

UPDATE: Apparently, Huston has embroiled me in a $500 donor reward for the campaign: drinks and brain-dissecting. See the page.


Well! It's a big week for a little project that *I*, of all people, first revealed to the world right here back in August 2012. Without naming names!

But Huston Huddleston's project is not so little anymore. Or in cognito.

Yep, after all those "Captain, I saved the bridge!" T-shirts and celebrity support pictures at cons all over the country, comes the big news Wednesday that the non-profit "Enterprise D Bridge Restoration Project" -turned-"New Starship" has zoomed in scope to now become the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum project—still headed by Huston but with an army of fan volunteers, both white-collar and red-shirted.

The big splash announcement kicks off an $83,500 Kickstarter crowd-funding drive to fund the groundwork of the initial preview site in Hollywood by 2015 and the build to a permanent, custom museum circa 2018. There's donor levels from $1 to $4500...
and it's already got a healthy start. I hope you all can join in and give what you can—and as a board member honored to be asked to serve, I'll give my thanks up front.

Yes, that's right: I'm on the board for this, among a few other peeps you might have heard of before. I vetted this every step of the way or else I wouldn't be involved. So I know a lot of you are thinking, "Hey wait a minute—restoring and housing the Enterprise-D bridge is one thing... but ain't this a bit grandiose? Smells like 'too much, too fast, too overblown' to be real." Or even: "Hey—you're coming back around for more money?"

And these are just the showy parts ...

Fact is, as Huston found out the past two years of hitting up corporate and other big would-be donors, the first concept was too SMALL, in their eyes. That's why the scope and the focus have gone beyond the bridge—and even Trek itself. And even that left a few early supporters skeptical.

"The money guys simply didn't care JUST about the D bridge," Huston told me today. "Some Trek fans don't seem to grasp that not everyone cares about a used set that was from a tour, and from a show that ended 20 years ago."

Be clear: the first "New Starship" Kickstarter  in 2012 funded some of the early planning, so as to get invited to a ton of conventions to spread the world, enchant mainstream media, grab fan goodwill with free photo ops, mushroom the social media, and park a lot of celebrity butts in the captain's chair.

That 2012 total would barely fund a bridge wedding and party center, though... much less the real teaching tool that the touch-screen computers and simulators can be for school trips in science, history, math—in fact, the whole STEM teaching model to jump-start our national education and workforce needs. And the art and crafts of cinema storytelling as well. So what cooler place for dispensing real science and fictionizing than the icons of science fiction everyone is already in love with?

But really ... not just Trek, but ALL these studios and franchises? Doesn't that just multiply the cost and legal hassles even more? How is this even conceivable? It's a Vizzini moment if ever there was one, right?

Au contraire, says Huston: "The secret is, it's not-for-profit and educational. That's the only way this is going to work. Despite how nervous the studio lawyers are going to get, all the actors, directors, producers and writers and certainly fans all want this to happen."

Add to that a lot of museum professionals, management experts, legal and CPAs... closet fans, too: they've done a lot of "sweat equity" to put together a pretty impressive batch of business, marketing, finance, sustained operations, education outreach .... well, binders full of plans.

Grant's "Hall of Robots" welcome video

Plus, my Star Trek Continues "Sulu" buddy Grant Imahara is only the first celeb to shoot an exhibit video for the project—his, natch, on the Hall of Robots.

Which is all one other way I know this is more than just one fanboy's pipedream. All these closet fans—and not-so-closet fans—have already invested thousands of bucks of consulting hours to help get this launched.

"This just seems like the right thing at the right time, " Huston says.

Even Paul Allen's vaunted EMP sci-fi and rock museum in Seattle, mentioned breifly in the Kickstarter video, has had contact with the "Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum" and sees a relationship, not a competition. "They are totally supportive of our concept and amazing people, " Huston says, after a trip to meet with their staff and compare notes. "They just don't do what we're going to be doing," referring to the hands-on student simulators and education access. "It's two totally different concepts."

There's really nothing like this as a teaching/entertainment sci-fi mecca, especially in "media capital" L.A./Hollywood, and there's a lot of interest in both the jobs, and the tourism ...plus the attached hotel/center for a private owner. And then the green-energy/sustainability goals for the eventual all-new building.

A lot of hard work, money and long hours are still to go on this thing. But it is out there with enough planning, vision, and phased-in conception to attract a lot of the real folks who make real things go. Too big to dream? Too big to work? Right now, it's what it needs to be. I'm excited to be a part of it, since way back at the birth ... and can't wait to see what all these excited pro-fans can launch together. Starting—again—right now.



And this is just one of TWO wonderful, non-profit, Trek-related projects I'm going to be involved with as a board member and proud backer. Stay tuned ...

Happy birthday, Armin!—and check out this comedy's Kickstarter video

Armin and I during the 2007 Writer's Guild strike "Trek Day"

Yes, happy birthday today to a great actor, scholar, novelist, genre fan, union guy, Ferengi—and the man who first opened the door for us on opening night at Quark's!

Our best greetings to Armin Shimerman — who I hear also made a wicked recurring name for himself as Principal Snyder on  Buffy and tunneldweller Pascal on Beauty and the Beast).

While we wish him well today and I have your attention, check him out with Harry "Tam Elbrun/Nathan Samuels" Groener in this YouTube for a Kickstarter campaign on a hilarious indie comedy they and a host of genre names are involved with—Armin's wife Kitty, Barry Bostwick, many more ... and co-created and produced by Gabriel Diani, the guy who portrayed Spock to straight comic perfection in the tiny yet brilliant and even licensed 2004 production of "Spock's Brain" at an OC comedy club. How many in-jokes can you count? And this is just one of a dozen shorts featuring a lot of familiar faces in the film and, uh, "dry" wit... it's Diani & Devine Meet The Apolcalypse:

Now that I have my own attention free to look at other projects, I hope you all check out all the many cute vids and make a donation—a lot of your favorite actors are helping Gabe and Etta out with their project. Gabe even does a great turn in one as young sarcastic Mark Twain on the Internets machine ...

STV: A wrap for me AND our KIRKstarter—thank you!

I can't believe it's been since April that I posted a "Switching to Visual" video here at TREKLAND—and that I break the drought finally with one featuring ME.

But this is the final day of our KIRKstarter for future Star Trek Continues episodes—and while, yes, we were blessed to make our goal and beyond with 2,900+ backers (!!), I've seen people really get emotional and insistent about being a part of this to help us—and get their name on the record and claim some perks to boot.

(UPDATE: Our $100,000 goal wound up with $126,028 courtesy 2,981 backers! Thanks to everyone of you for being a part.)

Your last chance ends at 6 pm ET/ 3 pm PT Nov. 6, 2013. This drive covers three episodes, and while it's always an option to make a future direct donation—why not jump in now, help hike the tally, get into the system and claim a spot? I should point out: our briefing room table is the biggest reward level. (And my set tour and phone call are among the many unclaimed cast items. Just sayin.')

All of the support from so many fans, just like all the love since premiere date back in Phoenix, has been rather amazing; the Kickstarter site's fan comments and suggestions alone carry their own vibe, worth a read.

Meanwhile, Episode 2 is a more guest-centric show and the regulars have a bit less to do, but I know I stepped up my game in some subtle ways as we all grow into this project and work with our talented and fun STC family. If you were a fan of "Pilgrim" you will love the surprises and color of this next, non-TOS-sequel episode:


I have a lot of STV videos backlogged, including a few from the set of STC, and some thoughts to share... But for now—take a quick late-day set visit with me and thanks again for helping run our Kickstarter tally up even higher: late adds were the secret reveal of our big guest star and the much-requested digital download of Episode 1, "Pilgrim of Eternity."

Thanks also to STC/Farragut set guy and crew mate Scott Grainger for handling the camera and letting me jump into this one!

Help award-winning Neal write his fantasy novel—quick!

Quick: do me a favor and noise this around. It's another one of THOSE requests, but a
modest one— so the bottom line is the next-best thing you can do is SHARE IT.

My buddy Neal Hallford, whom you may know as the DP behind my CON OF WRATH doc, is also an award-winning game designer — for "Betrayal at Krondor" and "Dungeon Siege," a popular couple of big-selling computer roll-play adventure games a few years back, based in part on Raymond E. Feist's Riftworld series—though this new book has no connection.

With that esteemed fantasy DNA, Neal's jumped out with a very modest Kickstarter campaign for THE THIEF OF DREAMS—a sprawling, richly textured, all-new fantasy novel ...and one that can be the cornerstone for its own spinoff game, or who know what else. (And "modest," as in—a lot is not needed if many do it.) It's even consistently rated in the top 5 projects in the Fiction Publishing sub-category on Kicktraq's Hot-List.

To see how much of it all he has sketched out, Neal has a great video up at the KS page—here it is below—plus he has a THIEF OF DREAMS website as well. He's put a ton of time into this: a map, characters, an FAQ for both the project and the campaign—and of course more on all the rewards they have set up ... especially if you are wondering what all there is for donor gifts for a novel. Updates are there, too.

You know the drill with Kickstarter: if Neal doesn't reach goal, the project doesn't fund and all donors get their money back. So the days may be ticking by, but there's time to kick in, and then share with all the fantasy and gaming fans you know (like via Facebook). It's a great feeling to be able to create and evolve one's own universe, and to be able to weave a fantastic tale you know fellow fans will love.

STV: Tim "Tuvok" Russ is back for indie "Renegades"

So many great Kickstarter projects out there, as you know ... but STAR TREK: RENEGADES is not only an all-star follow-up to Tim Russ and Sky Conway's OF GODS AND MEN epic that you know, but it's on funding deadline and just went over bigtime.

"I am excited to see the fans of Trek pitching in to help us get this project off the ground," director/actor Tim told me today after the $200,000 goal was topped by $20,000 (congrats!). "We will do our best to deliver an exciting film."

I initially caught Tim for a vidchat (below) on the day he and Walter Koenig shot the trailer you can now see at the Kickstarter site ... where the toteboard as of this posting now shows three days left to get the new extra bonus goal of $250,000—by 7 A.M. Monday, Nov. 27. The extra raised will  be spent on boosting visual effects, sets, locations, or anything that had to be trimmed initially to make a do-able campaign budget.

In recent days, J.G. "Martok" Hertzler himself has signed aboard to play the main villain of the piece, and so many cast and crew veterans from "Of Gods and Men" are back, too. But wait—let's let Tim talk about it as you watch his Vulcanness dissolve right before your eyes ...

STV—Bridge restoration update: Cons & Kickstarter in gear

When we last checked in with Huston Huddleston, we weren't even saying his name until this whole crazy "restore the bridge" project actually turned out—and prop-hunting crazies didn't descend upon "Dallas's" backyard in the Valley.

But here's Huston, all visible, to give an update on the sets, the progress, their con touring itinerary coming up (where you can sit in your TNG finest and snap pics for free, or make donations if you like for "Save the Bridge" T-shirts and other rewards)... and the whole Kickstarter campaign and some donor-celeb rewards. The drive is now over 50% to goal before ENDING Dec. 18.

STV: Marc Zicree and SPACE COMMAND, before making history

And before they hit Comic-Con this weekend!

Welcome to Part One of a lengthy sitdown we did informally with Treklander Marc Scott Zicree here in L.A., back when we barely had a glimps of the amazing momentum and excitement his SPACE COMMAND would spark. But the optimistic, non-dystopian four-film family space saga has since become  the fastest ever to fund on Kickstarter—and then double its goal!

This weekend at Comic-Con San Diego, Marc, Doug Drexler and company not only party to countdown the Saturday evening end of this amazing Kickstarter crowdfunding—and you can still contribute right up until midnight Saturday (EDT)!—but have planned an amazing 8:30 pm panel Friday, including a drawing for one lucky fan from the audience to  be sketched up as an alien by the films' concept artist, Iam McCraig.

Meanwhile, read up on Marc's long out-of-limelight but huge award-winning career in good sci-fi filmic works, including DS9's "Far Beyond the Stars" story ... and enjoy Part I of our chat.

Help Suzie Plakson out with her Kickstarter "fairy tale"

UPDATE, 5/10/12: Thanks to all y'all, Suzie blew through her goal: the count cleared $9,000-plus on Kickstarter, over 20% over goal, and officially funded yesterday. She sends a "massive, bone-crushing hug of ecstatic thanks" to the 78 who helped to fund--and you can read full remarks at the link below.

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Okay, gang—Listen up: Four days to go for Suzie!

That's Suzie Plakson, of course—whom you Treklanders know as K'Ehleyr and Mrs. Q and Tarah and even the said-more-than-seen Dr. Selar ...

Now help her out with this very modest original project —The Return of King Lillian (Yep, you read right— I mean, this is Suzie behind this gogeous book and audio project):

"This mythic tale is a newfangled narrative with an old-fashioned feel.  An allegorical story for non-conformists of all ages."

And what's more, as of today they only need about $1200 more to reach the $7500 goal— by THURSDAY,  May 10. If you know Kickstarter, you know the entire amount of a project has t be raised before funds are released--so kick in your $5 or $10 or more to help get the goal.

The page link is here .... complete with lots more info and her whimsical intro/welcome video.

Suzie also has a new official SP website up as well—she's an actress, so she can sure take the hits. And even Likes, on Facebook—where you can also see a great letter and K'Ehleyr story  from former Paramount exec Constance Kaplan....

So many Kickstarter projects from Treklanders these days ... stay tuned ... !