Back to BayouCon!—and SoonerCon right behind

For some reason they just love them some Trekland in small-but-growing BayouCon in southwest Louisiana—so I'll see all my Cajun friends there again this weekend for Year Number 5, right?

Although it is on the smaller end of the con scale, I always have a great time with the fan-folks and food of "Contraband Country," and hope everyone makes it out. Who knows, maybe another junior blogger will be on hand to pick up a new headline-grabbing non-tidfbit?

It's a jammed weekend as you can see here, and I don't arrive until just as it all opens, so here's what's what for just me:

FRIDAY:
@ 8:45, Film Festival : I'll do a mini-Q&A at the end of screening Star Trek Continues Ep. 1, "Pilgrim of Eternity"

SATURDAY:
4 pm, Main Stage: "Trekland: Between the Cracks": My old favorite venue for the latest visual springboards to news, in-jokes, throwbacks and topic-starters. And, of course,  constantly updated with the most in "What kind of world we live in" from the Trekland perspective: have you realized what's really going on these days?

@7:40 pm, Film Festival: Post-screening Q&A after 7pm showing of Star Trek Continues' Ep. 3, "Fairest of Them All"—This is the one JUST OUT…from the mirror universe. Proud to be consulting and on hand for this one.

8-10 pm, Film Festival: The latest CON OF WRATH crowdfunder-meetup "Dr. Trek Show"; as usual, it's a pitch-in $20 for a screen credit, plus a shot at prize trivia, rare Trek clips and sneak peeks from the doc.

SUNDAY:
12 noon, Main Stage: Our "State of the Trek" Open forum on what's up with the biz and the fandom of Trek. Prepare to have your perspective stretched by me as well as fellow fans.


And there you go, Cajuns. I hear there's a new recipe of jambalaya comin' backstage … 

Meanwhile, NEXT weekend, Red Dirt Staters:

I'll focus on it more in a day or two, but the schedule for SoonerCon 23 is already up for next weekend back in Oklahoma City,or, actually, suburban Midwest City—which doubles as my annual entree to a visit "back home." All our Trekland fun is on tap there too—including a Con of Wrath "Dr. Trek" crowdfunder meetup, of course—plus it's the added bonus of being back among my peeps. And this year with mon capitan Vic Mignogna on site, too—assuming he survives his Aussie sojourn!  

One-day or full SCon membership passes in all forms are still available—online, mail, other locations, and at the door!

Kajun Klingons and me: Join us for BayouCon weekend!

Bumpy head or no—if you are anywhere from Houston to Nawlins and up to DFW or Shreveport this weekend ... consider heading down to Lake Charles and joining me for a scifi/gaming/anime weekend at BayouCon IV.

Or US, I should say— Bob O'Reilly and J.G. Hertzler will be in human guise and also made up as Gowron and Martok for grins and photo ops, courtesy of their makeup artist John Paladin. AND assistant director Mike DeMerritt will have some very cool insider talks and images on working the modern TV Treks...and some rare goodies at his table, too.

Of course, as per our convention stops this year, we appreciate any BC-goers to keep the human Trek history alive and head over for the BayouCon edition of our Meetup Fundraiser for THE CON OF WRATH —this one at 8:30-11 p.m. or so in the Film Festival room.  For your donation of $20 or more, you not only get the regular donor pack and screen credit but a shot at trivia prizes, some rare Trek videos and sneak peaks from the doc and outtakes, too.

Of course, we will be leading more fan trend talks, sharing archives in our latest Trekland: Between the Cracks show, and joining a couple other multi-bodied panels as well. Lots of regional authors and artists are on hand, too.


BayouCon IV is the second con this year in bustiling Lake Charles that's been kind enough to have me over, and is another fan-run effort—this one benefits the Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation.

Hittin' Southwest Louisiana for BayouCon this weekend: Come say "Comment ca va!"

Hey, Treklanders of the West Gulf—we're hittin' the road Friday for a fun weekend back in Lake Charles, La., at BayouCon III—a blast of a weekend, formerly called Con du Lac, and smack midway between Houston and New Orleans.

It'll be doubly fun with Vaughn "Admiral Forrest" Armstrong and Max "Rom" Grodenchik on the Trek side, plus SoulGeek founder and voice actor Dino Andrade and regional sci-fi and comics notables.

Yep, Justin Toney and his gang have planned a wild one—and how do I know?
BayouCon was moved so as to be a part of Lake Charles' vaunted Contraband Days, the big annual 12-day festival which celebrates the region's Contraband Bayou and former local HQ of pirate stashes of ol' Jean Lafitte himself—and annually restages his capture of the city and making the mayor walk the plank!

It wasn't quite plank-walking, but last year I walked the maze and got introduced as a halftime guest at the Swashbucklers' indoor football game*—which goes down as one my Top Five Unique Con Guesting Moments ever. Now while I ponder what a good blog that topic will be some day, I can only wonder how Contraband Days will top that in the "unforgettable" departmenr.

We'll help out the charity, share a lot of Trekland stuff as always, take soundings of what Trek fans are thinking—and finally, finally talk by Saturday about my big news this year. It's in their backyard, after all.

That's why I hope to see as many Cajuns, Creoles, Texasses—and even Okies and Arkies who can afford the gas—as possible. We'll have a blast! Now pardon me while I go brush up on my old Justin Wilson records, er, videos...


*Along with BSG's Luciana Carro, DS9's Chase Masterson and "Trekkies" filmmaker Roger Nygard—and suited Swashbucklers owner Thom Hager.