See you at L.A.'s own Comikaze—last con of the year!

They say that cons in L.A. are the hardest because the celebs are everywhere all year long anyway, and the fans are blasé. 

Well, we'll see about that: After missing it for a couple years, I'm finally going to roll out of bed and stroll over for the Comikaze event downtown under Stan Lee's banner—and I can finally see for myself about all that, in all its downtown Staples Center splendor.

Yes, Friday is actually Halloween—my first year to be "home" on spook night since being in Kingsland, GA on Oct. 31 last year for the last day of filming Star Trek Continues' "Lolani" and the early overlap with Farragut's "Conspiracy of Innocence." But you've got nothing to do in the day, right?

Highlight for me at CK is the Star Trek Continues' big-screen showing of "Fairest of Them All" at noon Saturday and a cast/crew panel afterwards that I'm taking part in—along with James Kerwin, Chris Doohan, Kipleigh Brown, Doug Drexler, Lisa Hansell & Tim Vittetoe, and Jacqueline Groehner. I also expect to be tabling as well... in fact, I'll have my Trekland CDs and photos and Stellar Cartography...but most of all I'll be talking about Enterprise in Space live, my first chance to do so since we really started our roll-out.

Hang on, and we might even try a crowdfunder "Dr. Trek" show Saturday night. Not too late, of course: It is, after all, an L.A. crowd.

Oh and here's the "official" screening/panel call for STC's event at noon Saturday...

LA ALERT: BlasterCon celebrates '70s-'80s Birth of Geek—say hi, and get a discount from TREKLAND

UPDATE:
Hey, turns out FRIDAY is "Star Trek Night" with Huston's "New Starship" Bridge restoration/Sci-Fi Museum panel at 5 p.m., our Con of Wrath and things Trekland show is at 6, and a Fan Films featuring ST Continues panel is at 7 p.m.
But there are a lot of unique touches with this show: check it out. Plus, the classic arcade games arcade will be open after Thursday's preview Red Carpet of celebs at 7 ish, too; check that link.

A new con in L.A.?

You bet—though the organizer of BlasterCon is hardly a rookie, and its focus is fresh: across-the-board genres, but a cool micro-focus on the fandom and franchises that exploded in the '70s and '80s, when everything in pop culture changed.

But it's coming up fast—so keep reading. And here's a special discount just for you Trekland guys and gals.

BlasterCon is just a month away, the May 10-12 weekend—and I only found about it a few weeks ago, when Todd Whitesel—a 20-year con vet and the 10-year organizer of anime's Pacific Media Expo—and program coordinator Tom Bateman asked me to be a guest. I guess something about the birth of media conventions with Star Trek in 1973, before Star Wars, and that whole "Con of Wrath" thing I've been soaked up with—much less the TNG rebirth in 1987—seemed to qualify for their theme.

It's over at the Warner Center Marriott, on Topanga Canyon and Oxnard; con rates, and all that. I'm still talking about programming details with them, and more of their other guests are to be announced—but it will be a cool, new, young con... so I hope to see you there. We'll have our Trekland "On Speaker" CDs and fundraiser Klingon PADDs to boot, as well as a laid-back day to have fun. And, potentially, one of our patented live "Con of Wrath" MEETUPS on Saturday night to boot.

And that discount? Go to the BlasterCon ticket link page and use this code just for TREKLAND readers to get $5 off admission: Q5RDB. It comes on top of whatever other discounts you may be getting already.


It'll be a fun weekend—right here "in town" (for me, anyway). Bring your cool mom on Sunday!

Lag's over— just in time for Grand Slam & Gallifrey!

You will please excuse my absence the past three weeks from TREKLAND, guys'n'gals—although you might catch me at the right moment late-night at Trekland on Facebook, and on Twitter. (On a break. In tiny, tiny little time windows.)  Did I spoil you with that flurry of posts and videos here in December?

You see, deadlines and shoot schedules are a cruel master*. But what I need to let you know this week is that I'll be on hand for two—count'em TWO—conventions this President's Day weekend in SoCal:

—This FRIDAY, I'll be at the annual Gallifrey One con at the LAX Marriott—nominally a huge Who con, my buddy Shaun Lyon has enough "media" guests and programming in that there's plenty to support crossover Trek fans.

My "Between the Cracks 2013" panel show is at 1:30 pm for an hour, PLUS I'll be tabling as well with news of some Trek stored stuff to sell, hopefully locally.

—And SATURDAY, for the resurrection of their big Grand Slam Sci-Fi Summit brand, I'll see you there while sharing a table with De Kelley biographer Terry Rioux (her book at left), with Tour and CD info a-plenty.

And Sunday? Who knows where I'll perch. You'll hear about it on Facebook and Twitter, at least.

On BOTH sites, I'll have Trekland on CD copies for sale, info on what's different for the 2013 Trek "LA2Vegas" film site tour... and I hope to have night-time meetup-fundraisers again at one or both cons for The Con of Wrath, as we gear up for a new film round this March. Con fans across the country came out all last year, but I've never had one of these "shows" in my home town—well, new home, anyway.

And part of the magic is that they are impromptu—so stay tuned on all subspace Twitter and Facebook channels if you are not present but nearby, and want to jump in.

And then, I promise—more Trekland here very very soon.* A bunch has been going on all over, in case you too are behind.






*Let me just say—quickly for now—that I still have our David Goodman video series to finish posting, PLUS video from the Star Trek Continues shoot in January (and yes, I have still-fresh thoughts on that incredible odyssey of playing McCoy to share, when I catch a breath). I've even picked up a fan club (oh boy). Plus all that other Trek going on on Blu-rays and such. (I hear there's a movie or something, coming.)

A TOUR of the real Trekland? Guess who's leading it?

So, this guy walks up to me at the Vegas Khaaaan last year ...

And stunzap! —next thing I know I've been tractor-beamed into leading a tour for fans taking in 4 1/2 days worth of Star Trek film sites, around L.A. and en route to Vegas so as to end up—and extend through—the annual Creation Vegas blowout next August.

Well, actually, he didn't really have to stun me. Or even twist my arm—as if I had to tell you that.

You can read all about the facts of the "Exploring Trek Sites: Hollywood to Vegas With Larry Nemecek" here, but I want to talk about the feelings this all conjures up. Like how I'm flattered  to have Teras Kassidy approach me to partner with him on this Trek sites tour ... and how I'm confident to do so, knowing that his Geek Nation Tours has been doing theme tours for various flavors of "geeks" around the U.S. and Europe since 2009. And how I'm thrilled that this has been a great add to his travel agency of 13 years—so I know I've hitched my good name to one that's equally dependable.

I'm also excited to think of Trek site touring in terms of a group dynamic, and a big crowd. But not too big: one example being Teras' quality control, insisting on a one-bus limit so there's no "second class" tour-fans on the "second" bus getting just the faceless audio off a wireless mic pickup from Bus 1, or an exhausted host (ahem) hopping back and forth between stops. I've hit the Trekland sites over the years with friends and visiting "scholars," of course—I'm lookin' at you, Jorg!—but never considered how to maneuver a busload of Trekkies into these sites. And in a schedule that makes sense for fans who are also human beings needing food, shelter and plumbing.

I'm also curious to see what climes and time zones' natives decide to beam in and make up that busload, which will spend a couple days in greater L.A. and then actually hit the road for some rarer sites before we pull into Vegas just in time for the Creation clambake.  Seriously, Teras' agency reaches from Oz to Japan to the Americas and then cross the pond to the U.K. and Germany... so I hope we have quite the World Wide Warpcore of fans in the mix for this thing. They ALL can speak English, you know.

Most of all, I'm delighted to do double-duty once again: researching Trek's filming location for all series and movies. My archive of call sheets and memos, and those hundreds of interviews back to 1992, are the best source—but this has been a great poke in the butt to finish doing the legwork.

Of course, we can't go everywhere. Some are not open to groups, and we've only got 4 1/2 days! And—do you go to the obvious sites anyone can get to, like a Paramount studio tour or Vasquez Rocks? Do you play the numbers and favor Original Series or TNG or movies, or include a broad swath of the series? I've tried to factor in all series and their movies—including JJ Trek—and we have the known as well the obscure. For one thing, fans on their own won't get to go to those places with a great tour guide, and for another—well, again, I think a boatload of Trekkies from around the world will be just an awesome experience you can;t easily replicate. Of course, there are planned outs where you can take off on your own if you need your own space, so to speak.

I've already lined up one special: none other than Bobby Clark the Gorn will meet us at Vasquez Rocks—you can see him at the big cons,incuding Vegas, but how many get to hear him talk about that inhabiting that Gorn suit right on the iconic site where he so famously fought James T.? We may add a few more surprises in, too; we already have some "fudge factor" sites bneyond what you will read about, just in case we get a chance at, or have to adjust, to a Plan B due to factors beyond our control.

Seriously, folks, I just can't get across how excited I am to be a part of this. And Teras has all kinds of options for accomodating your not-so-fannish travelmate or spouse... or if you already have your Rio or other Vegas hotel reserved ... or in matching you up to a "double opccupancy" partner.  I know it has a pricetag, but if there's any way you can beam in and join us this Aug.  4-13 in Los Angeles ... and wind up in Vegas to survive the Khaaann—well, be there or be dunsel!