Hoosier Trek buddies? Starbase Indy THIS weekend!

What a way to close out the 50th anniversary—with a visit back to all my Trek friends this post-turkey Thursday at Starbase Indy!

This old-school, fan-run hotel con sure has lived long and prospered since we first were invited back during Enterprise's reign, and then a couple more visits since. Long the passion of chair Kim Huff, this year she's handed off to Melissa Kocias and I can't wait to see how it's grown.

Also, this visit I have a specific Enterprise in Space panel to share updates on our non-profit global orbiter-borne space program for students—and I'm excited to finally MEET  and have onsite our EIS chief engineer, Fred Becker! 

Table-side, I'll have another Portal 47 sign-up bonus and even a prize drawing... plus the latest On Speaker CD edition for the 50th.

And—I'm also looking forward to talking Trek and Starbase Indy Saturday on the local WXIN Channel 59 morning show!

Of course, there's a Dr. Trek Show crowdfunder Saturday night for The Con of Wrath, too, here in this final year of production on the doc.  You can find me at my table at 10-5 Saturday and 10-4 Sunday, plus the Dinner With the Stars:

NOTE, Indy fangoers: The printed program onsite does not contain all updates. The online and live schedules, will be updated —and reflect all this below:


FRIDAY
8:30-10:30 pm : VIP Reception— With all the guests

SATURDAY
3 pm —   Trekland: Between the Cracks: "Discovering Beyond the Big 5-0": The latest update of my regular Trek hour as we go "beyond" the 50th and "discover" some new ways to look at its past, present and future... via my slideshow of in-jokes and insights and your Q&A, too!  I'll also be talking a bit on Enterprise in Space, our non-profit global student-focused space orbiter program. (Guinan's Place Theatre)

11 pm — Dr. Trek Show crowdfunder for The Con of Wrath (Get more info on the Facebook Event page; it helps if you CLICK it early, too!) Your $20 support at the door gets a screen credit on my documentary PLUS, here live: two hours of prize trivia, rare Trek video, and sneak doc peeks with George, Nichelle, Walter, the late Harve Bennett, Wende Doohan, and more. (Special Programs Room, Directors Row #1). And, if you choose, we still give you late-night time for the burlesque earlier and for Barfleet & room parties later! (Guinan's Place Theatre)

SUNDAY
Noon—"The State of the Trek":  Trekland is really changing, finally--but a lot if it may be catching us unawares: the business, the canon creation, the fandom.  I'll throw out somne thoughts and be ready to toss some out yourself, and to each other—this is a forum to get us all connecting the Trek dots in a new way, perhaps. (Tom Berg Memorial Bridge/ ballroom)

Hello Albany: Trekland finally hits the Northeast!

All right! I can't wait to hit the Northeast for, naturally,  Northeast Trek Con coming up Nov. 11-13, since I've never had the chance to visit in the region—as either a con guest or as a tourist, or both. One exception: that short 2005 visit to the New Voyagers/Phase II sets; otherwise, I've never been east or really north of New York City. 

Until now—or Veterans Day weekend, that is...and the debut of this new convention, an old-school fan-run charity throwback but with a shuttlebay full of great actor and behind-the-scenes guests (see Facebook and Twitter, too, for more late-breaking info).

I hear that a lot of Trek fans in the Northeast still may not have heard of this start-up con—so please take notice! There's still plenty for ticket-buyers and room-renters at the Albany Radisson. And I would love to meet as many new fans from this end of the country as I can!

I want to thank Jerry Silber and his team for having me, and what a great a lineup—with even more on Skype. Just check it out!

I get to bring the Portal 47 word to the Northeast, show off the Dr. Trek Show for The Con of Wrath, and evangelize about Enterprise in Space as well. In fact, I'll be getting an important early "blogger" on camera for the doc who was at the Ultimate Fantasy in June 1982 just ahead of this weekend, so I'm doubly excited for that.

Look at this lineup below—and this is just MY stuff!: a mix of solo shots, panels, and moderating for others, including a Skype session. (Here's the full schedule.)  I'll also have a Trekland/Portal 47 table when not on stage:

FRIDAY

Noon—Welcome to Northeast Trek:  The Year Behind, the Year Ahead
w Arne Starr, James Cawley and moderator Jeff Burns

5 pm—  Trekland Between the Cracks: 5-0 Fever and Beyond: The latest update to my regular Trek hour as we go "beyond" the 50th and "discover" some new ways to look at its past, present and future... via my slideshow of in-jokes and insights and your Q&A, too!
 
9 pm — Captions Log: The home edition of my Trek magazine column, where you come up with the best caption to a blooper photo, and the audience might just judge you a prize winner! (And yes, this is late night for a reason...).

SATURDAY
 
Noon— Adam Nimoy Skype chat: And I do the moderating! Have you seen For the Love of Spock yet?

3 pm—Voyager panel with Garrett Wang and Bob Picardo: Well, I was on the lot, too!

7 pm — Enterprise in Space, 2120: Hear the latest on this global non-profit orbiter program launching 100+ student STEAM projects and partner-industry demos on the first real Enterprise in Space, sponsored by the National Space Society…and how can help and get involved, too.

10:15 (approx.) — The Dr. Trek Show crowdfunder event for The Con of Wrath:  Finally, in the Northeast! Your $20 support at the door gets a screen credit on my documentary PLUS two hours of prize trivia, rare Trek video, and sneak peeks with George, Nichelle, Walter, the late Harve Bennett, and more. (Here's the Facebook event page, so click in or gete more info).

SUNDAY

11 am — The State of the Trek forum: Bring your opinions and your vents—but be prepared to not only share but listen to others, after I get you started.
 

2 pm — A Tribute to Leonard Nimoy with Robin Curtis: Happy to moderate the lovely Robin after too long a time as moderator.  
4 p.m.— Star Trek’s 50 Years: Why It Has Endured: Panelist, with half the rest of the guest line-up. Five C's time, anyone?


So, upstate and New England fans—will I see you there?

First time in 13 years: Trekland is back to Shore Leave!

I'm so excited: I'm finally getting back East to a convention, and what a granddaddy of the old-school Trek fan cons it is: Shore Leave in Baltimore, where recent years' summer con/tour timing blocked my return for the first time since 2003, when the final TNG Companion black-cover edition came out. A lifetime ago!

It's not too late at all for you to get there, either!

We're even doing a reporter-survivor interview for The Con of Wrath while there—and of course I'm going to find time to get by to see the Great Lady "E" back in her refurbished state and restored place of honor at the Smithsonian Air and Space. Can't wait to meet and thank fellow guest, Curator Margaret Weitekamp, in person for helping make that far-flung project come true.

Shore Leave is notable as the biggest summit every year of the New York Trek author mafia, and believe you me I'm much feeling my rookie status at joining this august and dangerous group as the interloper. I only hope they will be kind, since I finally deigned to stray "back East"—or "Back Mid-Atlantic," as I am constantly corrected to say.

Shore Leave is back once again at the venerable Hunt Valley Inn in Baltimore's north suburbs, and I can't wait. I have a mix of author panels and some solos, and I'll have everything from all things Trekland and another PORTAL 47 prize draw to Enterprise in Space and, of course this year—joining in that illustrious Shore Leave author and actor guest list to celebrate Trek's 50th.

I also hope to have, finally, an East Coast opportunity for the "Dr. Trek Show" to crowdfund for the Con of Wrath—stay tuned!


I'll post a schedule update soon.

Taking Trekland back home for 'Silver' SoonerCon # 25

Thanks to my homies back in red-dirt fandom land, I'll be back BUSY with a Portal 47 drawing and all the Trekland road show once again in metro OKC for SoonerCon next weekend—which this year is a triple treat. And BUSY for me!

It's SoonerCon 25 ... on its actual 30th anniversary...and also the 25th anniversary of its onetime OKC sister media con, my own baby Thundercon.

SoonerCon is still a comfortable size at an expected 2,000, but incredibly diverse and sprawling in coverage—from anime, comics, "Oklahoma's largest sci-fi/fantasy art show", and SF/F lit and media ... to gaming, live-action role-play, "real space" science, cosplay, fan films and indie cinema.  There's also the latest inductees into the Oklahoma Speculative Fiction Hall of Fame. And it still supports a charity: this year, the Oklahoma state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

And they've even got SoonerCon red carpet photo-op billboard walls!

It's been growing about 15% a year since coming to the Reed Center in suburban Midwest City, five minutes east of downtown OKC just off I-40 at Sooner (yes) Road ...and has sold out the adjoining Sheraton. I'm told the next-door Hawthorn Suites/Wyndham has all mini-suite rooms and is honoring the con's $99 room rate with an SCon mention —and day/ weekend memberships* are on early-bird discount through Wednesday. You can find late news on Facebook, too.

As the comic-con mega-model has taken the country's mainstream imagination in grassroots pop culture by storm, I've seen many old-school "lit cons" across the country wither and die out altogether. Kudos to SoonerCon after its 2007 reboot, where both Leonard and the old vets join Aislinn and the new blood with savvy marketing and sponsorships... and the growth stays vibrant.

I mean, look at this sponsor row (above)—including Bernina of OKC, who sponsors the entire cosplay/costuming shebang! (Logical, Captain.)
OKC is also home to one of the three major TOS fan-film studios in the US, of course, with the education-based Starship Grissom and other productions filming at Starship Studios.  I'm also looking forward to crossing paths on the con trail with mon capitan Vic Mignogna of Star Trek Continues and joining him for the Oklahoma big-screen premiere Saturday of STC's recently-debuted sixth outing, "Come Not Between The Dragons."

I also get a chance to join SCon's rich space science/STEAM track to evangelize a whole hour with Oklahoma Space Alliance folks about non-profit Enterprise in Space. Our Con of Wrath DP Neal Hallford will be back home and doing some panels, too!

But of course my big focus this Trek anniversary year is my PORTAL 47 insider fan service, and talking about the upcoming ST Beyond with new-found enthusiasm as well as the new CBS Trek series coming in January on streaming All Access. There are three Portales in the Oklahoma City metro alone (and one ex-pat on hand), and we'll have a live meetup for sure.

So here's my way busier-than-usual days at SCon... which is also here, on-site (scroll).

And in the cookie-cutter hours between these panels, I'll be at my table— 

 
FRIDAY (tabling noon-3, 4-5 )
 
3 pm: SoonerCon @midnight: Worst Book Ever (Maynard)— In @Midnight style, I'll relay audience suggestions to writer panelists to create the best "worst titles" and intros ever. PART II will include the book covers drawn Sat.)

5 pm: "The State of the Trek" Forum (Ballroom D)— My renowned fan forum where YOU talk and opine after my kick-off. And boy have things picked up. No rusty/dusty topics here.

6pm: Opening Ceremonies (Ballroom D)


SATURDAY (tabling noon-2, 3-6 )
 
11 am:  Monster in an Hour (J Stage)— I moderate audience shoutouts to several artists to fulfill the dictum of a "monster robot" artwork—which then goes to the charity auction.

2 pm: Trekland, Between the Cracks (Ballroom B)— Hey, it's my annual show of in-jokes and insights, updated for this incredible 5-0 Fever anniversary year in Trek, new movie and new series! Are you a JJverse fan—I especially want to hear from you!

4-6 pm; ST Continues screening of Ep. 6, "Come Not between the Dragons," with a panel following with Vic (Ballroom D)— Where anime fans discover Trek, and Trek fans find their childhood. :-)

6 pm: Art/Charity Auction (Ballroom A/B) — I have some historic SoonerCon & ThunderCon pieces you locals don't want to miss.


10 pm-midnight: The Dr. Trek Show (Parlor: Sheraton 104)—Your last chance to get in on my annual, live-touring crowdfunder event to support my documentary, "The Con of Wrath"...with prize trivia, rare unseen Trek clips AND sneak peeks of the doc with George, Walter, Nichelle...and plenty of time to still go party.
 
SUNDAY (Do the math—I have one hour of table time today, at 2 pm !)

Noon: Enterprise in Space: For Real! (Theatre)— I get an hour to update and recruit new "virtual crew" crowdfunders, as spokesman and lead fandom/celeb outreach for this amazing, non-profit global program for student projects to orbit and be returned— inspired by the best of sci-fi and sci-fact, aboard the first real Enterprise in space. Members of the Oklahoma Space Alliance, the local chapter of EIS's sponsoring National Space Society, will join me too.

1 pm: Star Trek at 50 (Ballroom D)— A true panel, where Vic and I and everybody will share about our inspirations, dreams, and loves from Gene Roddenberry's unending little space saga's sandbox.

3 pm: SoonerCon Scoops and Stories (Ballroom D)— Yep, the veterans finally get to party and jawbone over our local con memories from the pre-cool days of fandom. Here's where it's great to have homies ... I think.

And Closing at 4 pm— for what will surely be an historic SoonerCon.
If not exhausting!


____________________
*In the grand old tradition of true sci-fi conventions, your SoonerCon attendance is a membership—in contrast to a mere show, with a ticket.

Sorry, Houston—but hello, Phoenix: Trekland is en route!

5/21/16 UPDATE: Due to our lone but major Con of Wrath shoot subject's medical emergency, this Houston trip has been postponed—and, thus, our appearance at Space City. The con was a late add-on to this trip, thanks to SCCC, so it made no sense to go at this time. I miss the chance to talk with local fans about their knowledge of our subject—or not!
------ 

Check it out: I'll now be seeing you fine fan folks for two days of Space City Comic-Con in Houston May 27-28 —tied in with our last planning shooting trip for "The Con of Wrath"—AND at Phoenix Comicon over its final three days, June 3-5.

That all just came together in the last three weeks or so—and my con calendar just got a lot busier even further afield. Houston details are in flux, but here's what I can tell you:

Aside from planning my own panel and a table at Houston Space City, I'll also be joining our Star Trek Continues gang on site — Chris, Michelle, Chuck and guest Gigi— for at least one panel, too, around the 2 p.m. Saturday screening.

Most of all, because we'll be in the HOME TOWN of "The Con of Wrath,"  aka Ultimate Fantasy and HoustonCon 1982... we'll be filming some special footage with random Trek fans for the documentary as well. And within the bowels of Space City, I'll be talking Enterprise in Space, too, of course.
Meanwhile a week later in downtown Phoenix, here's the skinny on me for PHXCC: two true panels and my solo Trekland shot at 3 p.m. Saturday.


"PHXCC" also looks to be the first for one of my pioneering Portal 47 perks: a local meetup for member deep-divers in a given area where I'm a con guest. And, apparently, our Phoenix colony insists on it.

The venues are TBA, but at BOTH cons you can count on a "Dr. Trek Show" crowdfunder party for the doc, as I've hosted across the country since 2012—two hours of prize trivia, rare Trek video, sneak peeks from "Con of Wrath"....and Portal-like tales from me. Stay tuned, and make sure to be "liked" on both my Trekland and "Con of Wrath" Facebook pages to keep up. 




If you're going to be on hand at either event, make sure to come say hello or make it to a panel—or even to "Dr. Trek."


We'll also update this and a stand-alone post for Houston as it gets closer in.

Oh—and still later: Aside from my regular summer con schedule of late, note also that I'll now be a guest again finally at hallowed Shore Leave in Baltimore July 15-17, and a Library Portal Trek tour across mid-Michigan in September! More on all that later as well, too.