20 years since First Contact!: A couple thoughts to add

Occasionally, Star Trek has this thing about its movie premieres, and infamous dates that will live in infamy. And if TMP's Dec. 7 was one, First Contact's Nov. 22 was another.

Premiere dates are hardly a complete snapshot of a film, of course, but it's what the ticket-buying public most identifies with.  Thankfully, neither of those infamous dates were omens of what was to come on screen—especially this one. First Contact was the second of the four TNG films that I saw and covered up-close, and have strong memories for above and beyond the critical and fan reactions that were mostly favorable—even as in hindsight, we can see the demand of bid-screen billing and process molding what we'd always seen in the family on a weekly basis for seven years.

And even as, sadly, the awesome book I wrote most of the BTS half for, Titan's The Making of First Contact (above), was only available in the UK and some European, non-US markets.

We all have our personal memories--mine was seeing those first sets built, posing for an unused book photo on the deflector dish with the bird feeders (LOOK IT UP!) the day of that shooting, and my one and only time to hit Hollywood's famous Pink's hot dog stand near midnight with our Trek colleagues and office friends after the cast/crew screening at the lot.

Still, everyone loved the Borg, and we loved seeing them given their due in a big-budget, big screen upgrade. AND we had the "nextgen" of the Enterprise PLUS our first Starfleet all-CGI ships! Oh, and a great, enjoyably-led film by Frakes in his debut on big screen.... and a great story with great cameos by Picardo, Philips and Schultz... and great featured performances by Cromwell, Woodard and Kriege.  Though it should be noted, compared to the Bad Robot Kelvin movies, these were hardly produced even on a '90s Star Wars scale.

In that vein, for my bit in piling on to the celebration online everywhere today, here's a rare shot at the cockpit of the historic Phoenix warp test capsule (below).

Yep, that's it.Canon-wise, "Live long and prosper" all came from this!

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Anyone note the prop from another cult fave?

Away MIssion Tampa, and beyond!: The Dr. Trek spring con tour is about to ROLL

UPDATED with Tampa times/details!

Whoa! It's Away Mission Tampa time this weekend, and I am so looking forward to hitting the I-4 corridor again!  And seeing all our newfound friends from the state I've been to five times since my first visit in only just 2011.

Never been to Tampa, but Javier and the team that had me out for their 2011 show in Orlando have another great one lined up here—and what a line-up... including Leonard Nimoy back at a con, even if via Skype.

I'll be busy! Amidst the other great guests, here's my line-up:

—FRIDAY:
7:30 pm/Main: Bigscreen showing of a Star Trek Continues episode—audience choice!—with my live commentary/Q&A.

—SATURDAY:
11 a.m./Main: Our 2014 edition of the Trekland "Between the Cracks" show
6:30 pm --Cocktail mixer!

7:30-9:30 pm/Green Room (Parlor 112):  Our live crowdfunder-meetup for The Con of Wrath, of course, with the Dr. Trek Show


Thanks to the con—we'll be doing our crowdfunder meetup for "The Con of Wrath" that I do whenever I guest ...  IN the convention space, the comfy con Green Room! Save back your $20 and get in on the rarity and hilarity of trivia, prizes, rare clips, sneak peeks and tipsy storytelling ... while you help support my doc and preserve a piece of Trek history.

—SUNDAY:
2 pm/Panel Room: My "State of the Trek" fan forum, starring you. Come prepared to spout off!


Hey, I'll also have some Trekland Trunk items for the charity auction ... plus, for table-time I'll also have a limited few copies of Star Trek: Stellar Cartography... a couple of very rare black-cover TNG Companions... and remastered-archive Trek creators' original voices on "Trekland: On Speaker Vol. 2" CDs...and my newer photos.


And then—no rest for the weary! This three-week road trip moves on, with something old, something new...and here's the skinny:

—WONDERCON Anaheim April 18-20, where you can find me tabling at the "New Starship" booth area, this year sporting an Enterprise-D Transporter Room for photo ops while the bridge pieces are at Salt Lake City Comicon. No panels for me, so come by the table and say hi...pick up some goodies... snap pics, see who else comes by—you never know!)

And then we'll have another Wrath crowdfunder-meetup Saturday night at the rear of the Sheraton Lobby again, peeps !

—MIDWEST MEDIA EXPO in Detroit April 25-27: Boldy going where I've never gone before, i.e. north of Indy or Lincoln (as O'Hare Chicago layovers don't count) and I can't WAIT to see the country here AND the fandom at what is a very atypical con. I'll be with fellow STC'ers Vic MIgnogna, Todd Haberkorn, and Chris Doohan... and some of our STCcrew will bop over as well, and old freinds of teh local USS Intrepid group. I'll be doing my panel lineup AND a Wrath meetup there as well—stay tuned.


So, Tampa, Anaheim, and Detroit—followed by:
—Wagnerian FedCon Germany  May 29-June 1, after 10 years away....
—then huge Phoenix Comicon June 6-8,   
—BayouCon June 20-22 in Lake Charles, LA
—good ol' SoonerCon back home in OKC June 27-29.

And that barely gets us to Comic-Con San Diego and then the LA2Vegas Trek Tour and of course Vegas Trek in late July/early August. Whew.

But come help me survive April now... June later... and I'll promise you a good time.

(Except in the Northeast. They have to get me there, first!)

The Trekland corner of Phoenix Comicon: THIS weekend

Outside of the granddaddy event in San Diego and anything else here in SoCal, the next-nearest big multi-genre fanbake is the booming Phoenix Comicon—coming up this Memorial Day weekend starting on Thursday, and only a six-hour drive away from L.A. That's only 1.5 Vegas trips—AND the same basic scenery!

After my first foray there last year and emceeing the TNG cast, et al, this 2013 Phoenix edition is huge for con-goers and huge for me too. Not just the world premiere of Star Trek Continues Friday 6-8 p.m. in the main hall—with most all the cast on hand for a screening, panel and signing—but a whole slew of events as well. PLUS a Con of Wrath benefit meet-up of course...

PHXCC is an urban downtown type con with three partner hotels within 2 blocks, industry and fans night events, and lots of eateries and pubs close by

PLUS, if plans hold, Friday afternoon will see the first time BOTH Nemeceks will make a domestic con since 2008—a rare chance for that OTHER signature on your "Prophecy" photo!

Here's the scoop:

My table is # 2514 — in the signing booth area — where I'll be most times I'm not on a panel. Aside from TREKLAND: On Speaker CDs, the last four fundraiser Klingons PADDS and other goodies...

... Make sure and come by as I'll have the new TREKLAND TRUNK, full of some non-Trek goodies that have been taking up too much room around here!

Plus these panels/events:

FRIDAY:
Star Trek Continues WORLD PREMIERE— 6- 8 pm: The screening of "Pilgrim of Eternity," a cast Q&A, and a mass signing!

SATURDAY:
Star Trek and the Human Potential— 10:30 - 11:30am ....I'm a panelist with a review of the uplift side of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. Come and share your passions of Trek and life!

Larry Nemecek's "Trekland: Between the Cracks" Show—12 - 1 pm — Yep, it's my main spectacle... come soak up what's new, peeps: in-jokes, history,


Our CON OF WRATH Benefit Meetup Party:  9-11 pm, at the Sheraton TBA : You pitch in $20 and get a screen credit for my documentary, you get two hours of me with prize trivia, rare Trek clips and snaps from the doc so far. And whatever else you can get me looped enough to say in public-private.



SUNDAY:
Trekland and You: The State of the Franchise Forum: Sunday 1:30 - 2:30 pm: It's a forum because you talk to each more than I do. Yep, it's where we open  each other's minds about what's now and future with Trek... the options... and we may even get around to  that little movie thing that came out this month.

 

UPDATE: GRANT IMAHARA (Sulu) WILL be able to join us Friday night!

Come party and fund-raise with us at Phoenix Comicon!

Well, THIS is exciting!

—Like almost every other convention this year, Phoenix Comicon is exploding...
—I've never been before...
—And both facts come to a head this long Memorial Day weekend in downtown Phoenix!

So who is "PHXCC"-bound?

I've even got one event that's so fresh it won't be on the schedule or mobile app you can download—and click "conquest" on your fave events and panels to help schedule the day.

But yep—I'm SO excited to get the word last week that I'll be moderating the TNG Cast Reunion stage show at 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Ballroom 120—although there's nothing "moderate" when Brent, Michael, Marina, Wil and LeVar are let loose on the same stage! Come see if I survive ...

PLUS  TJ  and my various best new buds at PHXCC have helped us to set up our biggest, bestest fundraiser/meetup ever for THE CON OF WRATH—and it DID get in the schedule this week. If you can make it, "conquest" THAT to your list , would you?

Well, the two meets-ups in Seattle were a hoot (at right). I mean, you can spend 9-11 p.m. Saturday with us in ROOM 128AB, right? We'll be in laid-back format as best we can without pit groups--no "panel dais," at least—I promise you. For 20 bucks as your ticket and donation—for which you get screen credit, as would any donor, and the gift package—we'll also do prize trivia, rare Trek videos, sneak peeks from "The Con of Wrath," and most of all—the chance to get me to say stuff and tell tales I'd never say in public. Most of all, you get to help preserve another bit of our wacky and wonderful Trek history—the original full-cast "rock concert" Trek event that became infamous. (And of course, you're welcome to make your gift more, if you please and thank you.)

Here's the rest of my "public time"—amid sooo many good choices for panels:

—6-7 p.m. Friday, Rm. 128AB: "The State of Trek" franchise discussion with YOU, me and fellow fans about the past, present, future of Trek—and hopefully in a new light.

—3-4 p.m. Sat., Rm. 129A: "Trekland: Between the Cracks"—another edition of Uncle Larry's groovy and goofy Trek slide show.

—And of course, Table 1152 in the big room ...  promoting Trekland, fund-raising for the CON OF WRTAH, and cleaning out more of my garage with stuff like rare studio scripts and other Trekland goodies you don't see very often. I won't be chained to the table, but we'll be talking Trek with whoever stops by.

Seriously--better follow me on Twitter or FB at LN's Trekland and stay up on any and all updates for "#PHXCC".