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.
Have you heard about the project to re-assemble an Enterprise-D bridge from Vegas Experience and World Tour pieces, and to restore it for non-profit uses in Los Angeles?
Well, tis hardly secret any longer, and the non-trademark-infringing "New Starship" project now is looking for a logo: check out the newly unveiled and ID'd Huston Huddleston himself as he asks you all for help via a contest for one that is similarly non-infringing:
(Recognize that fireplace? Those seats behind him?)
I'm just going to let the video and my guest speak for themselves (below the fold).
Unless somehow the past couple weeks you've been under a rock and missed all the online pop culture news and blog stories and podcasts—and some misconceptions—and you still need a set-up for "that fan who saved the Enterprise bridge set when it was about to rot."
Yes, video. Whether you're either curious or cyncial, well, TREKLAND's STV camera is here to prove that there is a collection of Bridge pieces... no, not a filming set, but an amalgam of surplus pieces from the Star Trek Experience and Europe's 1999-era World Tour replicas—and so yes, both were licensed projects under the design and production eye of Trek TV/film production designer Herman Zimmerman and the Paramount team.
And yes, this thing really is sitting right in the San Fernando Valley in the home (and yard) of one Huston Huddleston—a screenwriter and songwriter and most of all fan/collector ... who, at the time we shot this before the national news storm leaked his name, had originally asked to be in cognito so as to avoid local pranksters.
He and his growing volunteer team now have a website at newstarship.com and an IndieGoGo fund page for the restoration—with a sweet video, several cool rewards for donors, a support store full of unique, custom-designed and tax-deductible goodies.... All with the aim of a non-profit foundation overseeing a rental center for parties, weddings, film projects ... even educational uses for schools and students.
Not to mention, meantime, the hope of a fundraising tour of the captain's chair (due to be finished by October) and other pieces at conventions around the country.
Enjoy this initial visit with my friend "Dallas" ...and send some IndieGoGo donation love their way if you can spare it. This is an exciting prospect, and one with a growing, capable brain trust behind it. There's a Facebook and Twitter space as well, of course, to keep up with the whole thing.
And we'll be back shortly with more footage of our visit to the bridge pieces from this "early" visit ...
But Bobby "The Gorn" Clark's wife Judy just reminded me that's it cool in another way—the local media is all over the fact that, of all Trekdom to throw at Google-Kirk and his hapless landing party for today's episode, it's obviously Vasquez Rocks Planet and the Google-Pez Dispenser Gorn that Google chose! (Though that wind sounds pretty Guardian of Forever Planet to me.)
Here's Bobby (at right, sans scales) choreographing the original "Arena" shoot from 1966 for our gang last month on the Hollywood2Vegas Film Sites Tour for Geek Nation Tours before Vegas Khaaan...
Oh—and if you have no idea why I'm talking about any of this—go to google.com. NOW.
UPDATE: Our meetup/fundraiser (below) for CON OF WRATH will be 9-11 p.m. Saturday, after "Between the Cracks" —and we'll Tweet, Facebook and live-announce (at panel) the SDCC-adjacent location that day.
It's that time of year again! San Diego fanmob, here we come.
The SDCC program folks have seen fit to return my TREKLAND: BETWEEN THE CRACKS "slideshow" to its very same slot as last year (below): 7-8 p.m. Saturday, in Room 25ABC. For the sophomore opus, I'm looking at not only an anniversary party for TNG and ST II but also a sneak peek at our newest CON OF WRATH teaser ... don't miss it! We realize you have many options for your 7-8 p.m. Saturday Comic-Con entertainment-informational options ...
And STAY TUNED for a special Saturday night tweetup event TBA for CON OF WRATH... truly the final info to be sent online, and also to be announced live at the panel. Hack out some time in your busy SDCC Saturday night for it, willya?
If low-key is more your style, I'll be in Autograph Alley #22 (again!) from 2:30-7 pm on Friday and 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, with info on all TREKLAND projects and books and archive goodies to sell. Chat me up... I never know who will come by when the time is all public and out there like that. Then, right to panel-and-party land. Whew. You can also spy us, for one, at the Roddenberry Trek Nation/White Room screening Thursday/12th, and Fluxx club party Friday/THE THIRTEENTH.
On the personal side, I"m going to be a bit lost in routine this year: my Comic-Con instigator and mentor, Lee Wochner, and suitemates will be departing in mid-con to take up his FIFTIETH birthday bash back home in Burbank while I stay behind to do all THIS stuff. I will be truly sailing solo after Friday afternoon--right when my weekend heats up, as you can see.
Before I FINALLY get the full batch of pics and video up from Vegas Trek '11...let me just say:
I am proud to have been Mary "@Televixen" Czerwinski's first video endorser in her clever and hearltfelt drive to get the character of Dr. Dehner into the next JJ movie—she of the ill-fated and very reluctant godhood alongside Gary Mitchell in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." All of this, of course, to get a chance to be able to PLAY her!
If you've seen Mary at cons or heard her on DVDGeeks, or caught her in one of her acting or modeling gigs, you'll know this blonde ain't no bimbette. Thus it's no surprise that Mary has a great blog with some thoughftul posts and musings about Dehner at her campaign site, aptly named makemedehner.com.
But why go one and on about it here? When we can have Dr. Dehner tell you herself...fresh from Vegas (with Ariel "@trexmatetrix" Roy as the Intendent, too!):
Before we get any further down the road, I almost forgot to stake claim to a little gem that just tumbled out of my mouth without warning, before an audience at Seattle's Emerald City Comic-Con last month. In contrast to the appeal and fans of JJ's new alternate-universe Star Trek '09 blockbuster, I was groping for something better than "Prime Universe" for all the episodes and films from the 40 years of prior, Star Trek. Add it up: It's been famously 731 hours, all told, not counting the 2 of JJTrek. And thus: "The 700 Club." That's what I called them, on the run, when needing a contrast term for both the film stock and the fans. And I rather liked it—being such an obvious opposite in vibe and context to Pat Robinson's notorious Christian TV-based televangelist news series and organization. Yep, I'll claim it. Use it in casual inside-baseball conversation. Help pass it on!
Just a couple minutes of John "Phlox" Billingsley in an inspired reaction to a small turnout for his Q&A hour on Sunday morning at the recent Hollywood Xpo. Well, this sure woke'em up.
I really don't have to say anything more—except that I'm sorry we didn't get his, ahem, pitch from the very beginning.
"Personal log, SD 1003.15. Do my eyes deceive me? I can only assume I have somehow become stranded in the past... Approaching San Francisco, and there's no tram station, no Starfleet Command, no Starfleet Academy—nothing!"
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?
Have you heard about the project to re-assemble an Enterprise-D bridge from Vegas Experience and World Tour pieces, and to restore it for non-profit uses in Los Angeles?
