TREKLAND

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

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:58:00 +0000

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".

Bye Bye Robot adds new artist, high-flyin' new retro art

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:02:00 +0000

A while back we told you about the smashing style of new stylized Star Trek high-end fine art posters offered by our artist friend Charity Wood and her new officially licensed company Bye Bye Robot—and while we were on vacation she broke out with exclusive offerings from an additional artist and his own cool retro style.

No need to elaborate—the "Enterprise Shuttle Service" poster by Steve Thomas says it all. If you are a TOS fan at all, though, you will not only get that obvious Class F model, but also the Cestus III and nearby landmark reference on the poster (where, coincidentally, where my head has been lately).

Take a gander here at Steve's fun design (which also comes as vinyl stickers) and its modest pricetag—and all the details at Bye Bye Robot:

On the pods: Time runing out for Hollywood to Vegas Trek tour signup

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

If details about the "Hollywood to Vegas" Trek film site tour I'm hosting for Geek Nation Tours in August is old news to you, well here's a FLASH:

This is the final month to book, and/or place your deposit.

That was the topic—and a little update on The Con of Wrath documentary... and oh yeah, some wacky trivia—as tour operator Teras Cassidy and I were hosted by host Rodger Noriega on his live NDB Media Internet radio show this week—and the pods is up now! Get it here... and give a listen to Blog Talk Radio Channel 3's other fine shows.

Pods and news and secrets—what a day

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Wow, this is an insane day prior to travel... but had to share about what you can download TODAY: A great show with some deep places ... really! .... as I got to be a part of trek.fm's "The Ready Room" podcast this week— for their Episode Number 47, naturally! (And yes, we did review "47" for the newbies."

Totally unrelated, but in breaking secret news I have to sit on something that will surely make news when I can say! At least, among the hard-core canonistas ... and perhaps even my author friends. More on that in a few months, when I can ...

But back to trek.fm today and your download click-finger:

Now that fandom and the biz have awokened from the drunk of how the Star Trek 2009 dynamic would play out, Trek's current and future form wound up as our topic —and former Treklanders Doug Mirabelo, onetime emergency Andorian, PA, and Rick Berman's last assistant at Parmaount, and industry vet Jose Munoz, also a former PA at Star Trek back in the day, joined me from their Zero Room geek-media podcast (and their great Star Trek animated pitch with Dave Rossi) for this show. Hosts Chris and Greg gamely tried to herd the cats. I had not talked to Doug nor Jose in years, so it was doubly fun. And heaven forbid any of us had strong opinions to spout.

And I even use some colorful metaphors. Yes, really.

A shout-out to Chris and Greg for including in the news roundup that it's the final weeks of open registration for our "Hollywood to Vegas" Trek filming site tour that I'll be hosting for Geek Nation Tours in August, pre-Vegas Khhaaann. Please give Teras an email for info so he can call you and see how to make it work best.

Help Suzie Plakson out with her Kickstarter "fairy tale"

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:01:00 +0000

UPDATE, 5/10/12: Thanks to all y'all, Suzie blew through her goal: the count cleared $9,000-plus on Kickstarter, over 20% over goal, and officially funded yesterday. She sends a "massive, bone-crushing hug of ecstatic thanks" to the 78 who helped to fund--and you can read full remarks at the link below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, gang—Listen up: Four days to go for Suzie!

That's Suzie Plakson, of course—whom you Treklanders know as K'Ehleyr and Mrs. Q and Tarah and even the said-more-than-seen Dr. Selar ...

Now help her out with this very modest original project —The Return of King Lillian (Yep, you read right— I mean, this is Suzie behind this gogeous book and audio project):

"This mythic tale is a newfangled narrative with an old-fashioned feel. An allegorical story for non-conformists of all ages."

And what's more, as of today they only need about $1200 more to reach the $7500 goal— by THURSDAY, May 10. If you know Kickstarter, you know the entire amount of a project has t be raised before funds are released--so kick in your $5 or $10 or more to help get the goal.

The page link is here .... complete with lots more info and her whimsical intro/welcome video.

Suzie also has a new official SP website up as well—she's an actress, so she can sure take the hits. And even Likes, on Facebook—where you can also see a great letter and K'Ehleyr story from former Paramount exec Constance Kaplan....

So many Kickstarter projects from Treklanders these days ... stay tuned ... !

Just a quick note about George Murdock: RIP at 81

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:26:00 +0000

No, I did not know or even have the pleasure to meet actor George Murdock, who died last Monday at age 81. But I felt compelled to point out one fact:

The mainstream obits for Mr. Murdock are very complete, but they all love to lead with how he played "God" in Star Trek V ... and even zapped Kirk after the immortal line, "What does God need with a starship?"

That's nice, but ...The "God" role was a glorified, overexposed effects cameo with facial details barely perceptible. To me, the more memorable of Murdock's two Trek roles is as the heroic Admiral Hansen, doomed commander of the Starfleet armada wiped out in the infamous "battle" of Wolf 359 (above).

I can just see you saying Ah yes! as your own light bulb goes off. In fact, I KNOW it did.

The little TV kid in me, too, loves Murdock for his dozen or so guest bits as the creepy Lt. Scanlon of Internal Affairs, an occasional thorn in the side of Barney Miller in the beloved but rarely seen ABC police sitcom. (Totally off-topic, but kudos to Shout! Factory for finally getting the whole 8-year series out on DVD.)

But there's one other role the gruff-talking native of Salina, Kans., could claim from the glory days of TV: he played Dr. Salik, the main doctor of TV"s original 1978 Battlestar Galactica... schlepping around his medical bay with bio-pod beds in that tan uniform.

So, farewell to another great character actor: George Murdock did it all.

Happy "May the Fourth Be With You" Day, from OUR side

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Hey, sure I celebrate. I liked the REAL trilogy....

...And if not for Star Wars, who KNOWS when we might have ever seen a Star Trek—The Motion Picture?

The date... was 1987.

RIP "Charlie Star Trek": My buddy Charles Washburn, 73

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:53:00 +0000

My friend Charles Washburn is gone.

If that name is not a familiar one, please bear with me and get to know it, at least now. If the only fact that I relayed here today was that Charlie was the first-ever African-American to be a 2nd assistant director in Hollywood, in 1967 ... after having been the first black admitted and then graduated from the Director’s Guild of America trainee program the year before ... well, that would be enough.

Adding in the fact that both feats happened via the original Desilu Star Trek makes me doubly proud and honored to have known this Treklander, and hopefully helped to share his story and his person.

“When I started at Desilu, there were only three black employees on the whole lot,” Charlie told me once: “Nichelle Nichols, myself, and the guy who had the food truck—who closed it up after lunch and then shined shoes.”

Now THAT puts this “true Hollywood story” in perspective.

Charlie was laid to rest Tuesday in his native Memphis, Tenn., having finally lost his battle with kidney disease at age 73 on April 13, survived by a daughter and son. The word was not made public til a few days ago, and I feel torn that I was in Houston on another shooting trip for The Con of Wrath—thus delaying my putting together these thoughts. What I truly regret, though, is that I had meant to get back and visit him for a antyoher chat and clean-up session in recent months at the Screen Actor’s Home in the west Valley… and just never got it done.

But then, I treasure the many hours we did share these past five years since 2007, when we first made acquaintance due to his stint as an early 1st AD for TNG and the 20^th anniversary pieces I did for the old startrek.com team. For, more than any one-line "claim to fame" for the history books, Charlie was simply a gentleman—and a beaming human example of cheery, positive living. He was raised with a certain amount of what we would call middle-class pride for his “people,” and yet growing up in the South of the ‘50s and ‘60s he could certainly use all of the optimism and cheer he could muster. Even more so for an energetic, college-trained young man with talent and the desire to make it, and going so far from home to do so.

Charlie had dozens of credits as he rose in the ranks—like Bill Cosby Show, Vega$, Batman, Six Million Dollar Man. And like everyone else in LaLa Land in all walks of life, he had numerous scripts and stories of his own tucked away, to pitch and plug at any moment—busy doing so even in his last few months (see his Actor's Home desk, below). He also loved Westerns and their stars, especially the weekly Saturday morning serials he watched in color-blind mode as a young boy growing up, and was quite the expert. All of that leaves it no surprise that Charlie was also an exasperating and stubborn pack rat, as I soon realized when I helped him move his stored items ... often ... as he compacted his life “stuff” and moved to an apartment at the Home, kidney dialysis slowing his pace just a bit the last couple years. On the good side, though, that stash allowed him to selflessly share the original call sheets from his Season 2 shows as DGA Trainee, and then his alternating Season 3 eps as a full-fledged 2^nd AD….

I have my own interviews with Charlie archived, but thankfully he himself had done the same with Star Trek buddies like director Joe Pevney and others, before they passed. It was all for had completed a chapter or two or three of his book-to-be, entitled “Charlie Star Trek”— his nickname from back in the day, from the way everyone at Desilu heard his greeting as he answered the onstage phone. There’s a lot of history preserved there—and lots from succeeding shows as well that hopefully will come to light.

But of all that Charlie shared with me, I’m grateful for the entrée he gave into his beloved Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, as much as all the Trekland info and insights…and most of all that sunny, warm-hearted cheer that greeted each and every soul he met, or idea he considered. In later years he even organized screenings and shows for residents at the Screen Actors Home himself, until he no longer do so, and I’m proud to have helped him meet-and-greet local L. A. fans who were unaware of him as a local treasure. I wish we could have gotten him out much more, and to some of the larger conventions like Vegas—for, like producer Bob Justman in his final years, he truly was a long-lived eyewitness to the TOS crew that latter-day fans deserved to be aware of while they had him. You can see he and his words preserved, at least, in special features amid the latest remastered editions of the original series Blu-Ray sets.

What might stick in my mind most of all, perhaps, is the joy on Charlie’s face the night I got him over for that nationwide 40^th Anniversary remastered screening of “The Menagerie,” and fans in Burbank swarmed him in the lobby after he’d been introduced as the icon he was.

For my part, I’ll help get his words, deeds and legacy out to any Trekfans and filmbuffs I can, in any media that works. That’s the least we can do for ourselves… and Charlie Star Trek.

(And yes, the role of damage control team member Lt. Washburn in "The Doomsday Machine" was indeed named for him.)

LA ALERT: Manu & Kipleigh in TRIGGERS this Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Those in the SoCal area this Monday, April 23 have a great (and economical) chance to see two Treklanders in a new film noir stage piece for Noah Wyle's Blank Theatre Company: Manu "Icheb" Intiraymi of Voyager "droneling" fame, and Kipleigh Brown, "Crewman Jane Taylor" in Enterprise's "The Forgotten" and co-star of the praised indie hit Yesterday Was a Lie (with Chase "Leeta" Masterson.)
Manu and Kipleigh are both in the cast of a one-night-only staged reading of TRIGGERS, a neo-noir psychological drama about a disgraced police detective who's haunted (literally and figuratively) by decisions in her past. Directed by Yesterday was a Lie's James Kerwin and written by Val Stulman, the stellar cast also includes Catherine O'Connor, Warren Davis, and James Ellis Lane.

It's all at the Blank Theatre Company's 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd. (at Wilcox)
in Hollywood, 90038. Admission is a suggested donation to the theatre of $10.

I'm told there is limited space, so reserve seats soon if you'd like to go: just email info@theblank.com for reservations.

The Blank Theatre Company was founded in Hollywood in 1990 for the enrichment of Hollywood's cultural life through production of first-rate theatre, education of current and future artists, and creation of groundbreaking new works for the theatrical repertoire. TRIGGERS is part of the Blank's Living Room Series, which runs nearly every Monday night from Labor Day to Memorial Day, presenting "workshop" plays to the public.

Not Trek, and yet Trek: Personal thoughts on the OKC Bombing

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:54:00 +0000

So, it was 17 years ago today...

We were halfway across the country from OKC, but only nine months removed. Only a couple months before I would first try email and AOL, so no tweeting, no texting—people there actually called me here to turn on the TV... just as Jeri Taylor braced Janet at Voyager to do, by having her come into her office to watch her "perk" TV... And all about an event that hit just two blocks from where she'd worked at a bank until we moved west... moved, because of Star Trek.

I'm talking about the "Oklahoma City federal building bombing" of 9:02 a.m., April 19, 1995.

I remember thinking, my throat choked up as I watched those first TV images of chaos: "OKC? Really? Who'd want to bomb a bunch of Okies? New York or L.A. or D.C., I can understand....but there?" Those thoughts, exploding amid TV images of bloody bodies, people running away in the streets, stressed first responders struggling to stay professional to their training ....

And then the surreallity, having watched LA anchors nationally on the slo-mo OJ car chase a year before, of seeing my old OKC news anchors carried live in LA.

And then, hearing how my mom's rural Guthrie neighbors were killed .. how my cousin might have been hit by falling stained glass had she been at work in her office as choir director at historic First United Methodist ... and on and on.

And I also recall thinking, " Well, this is sure gonna put a pale on '89er Day week from now on ... "

The Star Trek family was good to us, when the seeming inconceivability of it all was so shocking, and them knowing how freshly and barely removed, if at all, we were from our Okie roots. Little did we know just another 6 1/2 years would bring an event even more inconceivable, even more image-haunting, but by a factor of 100. But that day in 1995 was still a day to be distant and yet a very close witness. And to miss my days in the newsroom, already; it's good therapy.

Well, the rawness of the bombing back home has finally begun to recede, as it will be 20 years in just a few more. '89er Days in various communities who were founded in the original April 22 land Run of '89 do still thrive, as do others festivals in mid-April. Life moves on.

There's no real connection between the OKC bombing and Trekland. And yet, seemingly, in my own mind, there is—and always will be.

Don't scream: I'm in the new VIDEO podcast, Trekspeak

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:57:00 +0000

Darren Molloney hosts "Trekspeak" globally from Ireland.

Well, this is new.

In a year of firsts, there's a great video podcast—yes, video— that just had me on to guest. Since starting up just last February, Trekspeak takes on all manner of Trek guests, many of them game and fan-film related so far ... and you SEE THEM in the podcast, or their video work at least.
And yet it's not that simple; this is not just a split-screen Skypefest. Host Darren Molloney out of Limerick, Ireland, runs the show with a couple of monitors and a suitably cool background in his virtual set. I mean, look at that!

And sure, he asks about my current stuff like the Hollywood-Vegas Trek Sites Tour with Geek Nation Tours, to The Con of Wrath of course ... but also the state of the Trek world and all kinds of old stuff too. Now, I say that—I think he also needles some private stuff out of me as well, and Trek context I'd almost forgotten ... the kind of thing that seems old and moldy to me, but newer fans seems to enjoy. And I'm such a sucker...

Anyway, conversing and being interviewed by anyone with an accent—nay, dialect even—is always cool. Makes you feel more cultured and elevated, if you are just another dumb American. Darren of Limerick does a great job—so dial this one up and take a listen ... or a peek at a new experiment ... on iTunes as well as www.trekspeak.comhttp://www.youtube.com/trekspeak (the Trekspeak YouTube channel).

Just out: "Congrats, Walter" video has a distinguished "cast of thousands"

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:15:00 +0000

It's no secret now that after years of his fans putting in for the honor, there's a Hollywood Walk of Fame "star" finally being awarded to our own Walter "Chekov" Koenig next Sept. 10 as part of the "Class of 2012" notables announced last spring by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Personally, I'm looking forward to being a part of those taking part in the looming celebration tribute weekend for Walter just ahead of his star ceremony, Sept. 8-9—which also happens to fall over Start Trek Birthday #46 ("missed it by THAT much"). Of course, it's also been great to have Walter as one of the early guest stars taking part in "The Con of Wrath," our documentary about the gloriously failed Ultimate Fantasy event back in 1982 Houston—where he became a key player in the "resurrection."

Most of all, buddy Ralph Miller (audio guru for Phase II fan films and famed for his Nixon "tribute") put together an incredible "congrats" video of Walter's fans, friends and yes co-stars—and I'm honored that my snippet he shot after lunch outside a NoHo eatery is a part of it all, too. The whole she-bang's a fitting tribute and loving valentine, with plenty of time to enjoy before the September fete... enjoy!

Global Trek thoughts? It's just us and the world on this week's Trek News & Views podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:15:00 +0000

With an Okie, a Brit, and a Canadian transplant in the Netherlands, it was bound to happen: my guest turn on this week's edition of the Trek News and Views podcast took a decidedly global take on Star Trek—both the fandom and the biz of it all.

It's up now, thanks to host Colin at @Treknewsviews and guest co-host Xander (who still showed up despite having us on his Tribbles in Ecstacy show a few weeks back).

I mean, I kept trying to keep it snarky and light—but danged if we didn't keep going there. Fans in Uganda? A zillion other countries? Who knew? In that vein I also gave a shout-out to our old Communicator reader and correspondent Veljko, who later turned up in Trekkies II helping to organize his war-torn nation's humble but very first Trek convention—and speaking from the heart what Gene Roddenberry's vision meant to him and his compatriots while their city was being bombed. So much for our hyperflaming over hem widths and starship numbers and quantum vortexi.

Of course it was a natural to mention our Hollywood/Vegas Trek film tour with Geek Nation Tours and the international pull there, but we went far beyond all that. You just have to take a listen —and enjoy once again the Brit accent "culture thing," if your Yankee ear appreciates that. I also take home the prize as "the talkiest pod guest we love to listen to" ... I think.

Colin has been at it since only last October, but there's a great body of 'casts already on the site, many episode-focused reviews. He's obviously taken on more global issues this week. ;-)

CyPhaCon—Trekkin' Back to the Bayou for this Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:16:00 +0000

Okay, I'm packin' bags this week and can't wait to get back to Cajun Country—this time for CyPhaCon II.

It's my third straight year in this fun-lovin' southwest Louisiana city—an hour or so east of Houston, a couple hours west of New Orleans—and the fans are as great as the food.

So listen up—special stuff, Contrabanders:

In a year where I'm experimenting with my con repertoire ... besides tabling, talking and Treklanding I'll be hosting a Match Game-style game event Saturday for everybody, and you know with the locals it'll be a riot. Oh, and even interview and moderate other stage guests.

I'll also have another version of the still-evolving CON OF WRATH meetup and fundraiser I've done so far at WonderCon and Emerald City in Seattle. With more stops than usual for me on the con circuit this year, these events for my documentary are turning out to be a great way to meet more folks, hear what fans want to talk about and even mouth off more than I can in "public" venues. And who knows, this close to Houston—will we have some "survivors" from '82?

That means we'll be having our $10-a-head fundraiser Saturday night with prize trivia, raffle, and me telling tales too much at the con hotel, the Springhill Suites by Marriott Lake Charles, after the costume contest ends around 9 p.m. If we can, we'll also have rare videos, "Con of Wrath" raw footage. It's all about the doc, folks—and thanks in advance.

I have a Facebook event page if you are headed to CyPhaCon and want to join in.

But most of all, if you hail from that swath drained by that East Texas/west and coastal Louisiana region and call yourself a Fan of Genre ... anime, gaming,.,, Trek, SWars, Firefly and other media and lit sci-fi ...then just get yer butt over to booming CyPhaCon II at the Lake Charles Civic Center and prepare for the nightlife at the Marriott. I'll see y'all there ...

...after I FINALLY get to grab a shake from Winkydoo's in Sulphur.

TV TONIGHT: Frakes directs on "Make It or Break It" among other Trekland veterans

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:35:00 +0000

If you are a fan of ABC Family's young gymnast saga Make It Or Break It — or if you just caught our Trek alumni links on the show last month— be advised that none other than Jonathan "Number One" Frakes is at the helm TONIGHT (9 p.m. ET/PT) for the third episode of the season, "Time Is of the Essence."

Mike DeMeritt, longtime Star Trek 1st assistant director who works this series now (above at right, with Frakes and on-set gymnastic coordinator Tarah Paige), tipped me off last month about some in-jokes coming up in the new season. Here's one to watch for tonight: One character keeps being bothered by incoming cellphone calls and texts, so with the girls vying to be London-bound for the Olympics it was Mike who suggested using Big Ben clock tower chimes for the annoying ring tone.

Mike now sends these clips along from his "reunion" shoot with Frakes...

There's another Treklander afoot in the show reunion, too: perhaps best known as director of "Trials and Tribble-ations," DS9's director of photography Jonathan West has the same job for Make It Or Break It —as you can see here:

For true MIOBI fans, Mike also has this hint and prediction for tonight: "Huge story episode, where a lot of things suddenly change; an actor's episode, and it was great they had Frakes on it, for that is his forte —getting performances out of actors. Will be a fan favorite for sure."

Meanwhile, "Number One" here gives Cassie Scerbo ("Lauren Tanner") last- minute directions before shooting....

And shares another directorial minute with Cassie and also Ayla Kell ("Payson Keeler") ...

...but in the end it's always just about holding down the hub of frenzied activity between takes with cast and crew alike.

Don't forget: By the way, Mike's colorful book Poetry and Prose From The Director's Ass is still available on Amazon! Check it out.

Incredible must-read: The '92 Vegas Star Trek that almost was

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:33:00 +0000

You HAVE to see this. And kudos to Gary Goddard for sharing the story—a bitterly ironic one.

As someone who worked on the final weeks' detail layer of Star Trek: The Experience—that's only the later, topmost layer, on top of a lot of planning and wrangling by many, many others—I'm familiar with Gary's former Landmark resort/theme park development company in the mid-late 90s. But I had no clue to even dig about this ....

Gary now has his Goddard Group, and it's from that podium that he shares the incredible story of how we almost have an even more awesome Vegas landmark in 1992—FIVE YEARS before the Experience opened in January 1998. The ENTERPRISE '92 project at least led the way and got a lot of wheels turning as to possibilities.

It also points to the glaring OMISSION of any current "destination Trek" landmark in Vegas' makeup, since the Experience's premature closing in 2008, its replacement with nothing since at the dying former Hilton, and the collapse of Rohit Joshi's hoped-for "Experience revival" downtown at the Neonopolis center.

And yes, Gary's recollection revelations come complete with concept art and the whole shebang—just READ:

Now It Can Be Told: The Las Vegas "STAR TREK" Attraction That Almost Came To Life in 1992

The real winner of the 1992 downtown Las Vegas redevelopment competition was NOT the FREMONT EXPERIENCE – it was the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE from STAR TREK. But no one knows this – until now. ...

Predestination? Zefram is already IN Bozeman!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:57:00 +0000

... First Contact Day, Part II...

As a lark, I called the Bozeman Daily Chronicle today just to check whether there were any local First Contact Day celebrations or even fan meetups—with Bozeman, Mont., thanks to its connection as a hometown of writer Brannon Braga, being the site of first contact with Vulcans after Zefram Cochran's Phoenix warp drive test on April 5, 2063. (Of course, you know that.)

But no, said City Editor Mike Becker, who answered the phone at the paper: no FC events in Bozeman.

Then came the REAL story, out of the blue:

Mike, it turns out, IS a Star Trek fan—as is his wife. He cheerfully volunteered that fact, and then dropped this bombshell:

"In fact, we named my son 'Zefram," he said with a chuckle, speaking of his 16-month-old (above). "If he really gets on it, here in another 50 years or so, we just might have a warp drive."

Yes, indeed! Mike explained that he and his wife Susan Andrus both chose the name, gave him the last name "Andecker" as an amalgam of their last names ...

... and then gave him the middle name of SCOTT. 'Nuff said.

"We decided we wanted to give him a unique name that didn't sound terribly weird," Mike explained. "In fact, most people don't even realize the connection to Star Trek, and take it for some sort of biblical name.

"The people who DO make the connection, however, think it's awesome!" Doubly so, of course, considering where the young man and his parents live—which will also, of course, be site of the Warp 5 Complex R&D center, staffed in part by Dr. Henry Archer.

Mike does share, too, that his son gets called mostly Zef or Zeffie.

This pic, passed along by proud papa, is from Zef's first birthday party last December. Obviously, he's contemplating the dilithium matrix formula, even now....

Happy First Contact Day! ... or IS it?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:43:00 +0000

These annual celebrations of First Contact Day on April 4 each year may finally start amounting to something, as we reach the T-minus 50 years and counting mark next year in the march toward 2063, harnessing warp power and meeting the Vulcans.

At least it will amount to some cool T-shirts, bumper stickers and keychains over the "reverse" golden anniversary of 2013.

Or..... is it, really? Forget 1947 or even the late 1950s.

Insidious as it may sound, documents have been unearthed that point not to 2063, but the far more distant 1996 as the actual date of the first first contact—April 23, to be exact.

I present THE SMOKING GUN!

See you at Emerald City—I actually MADE it!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 08:24:00 +0000

I’m sorry to have missed the opening Friday fun, y’all. But we’ll make up for it today: please stay tuned for a surprise event tonight —follow us on @larrynemecek or come by the table for more….

And Sunday: see you at noon in our “Trekland” poll and forum “Star Trek: The State of The Franchise” featuring YOU... in Room 4C1-2.

So here's where I usually write the standard "hey, can't wait to see everybody and do all the fun panel/table event stuff" story for Seattle's Emerald City Comic-Con that started Friday. Hard to believe it will be my third time in the house, this being their 10th anniversary...

Buf I almost didn’t MAKE it.

See, a donor to The Con of Wrath has provided us with stand-by miles, to help with the shoot and promotion, and here I was using them for the first time—with him holding my hand during my rookie plunge. I even started out at 6 a.m. Thursday just to anticipate for “bumps’ and delays, and still leave a time cushion. But how was he or I to know this was apparently Spring Break Secret Ski Weekend? As one airline wag at Burbank put it, “I never saw so many ski poles go through here in one day!”

Seriously, all flights everywhere across the western U.S. on this major airline suddenly became overnight oversolds, with unsuccessful stand-by riders piling up by the hour. Since 6 a.m Thursday.

So, 6 a.m. Friday started out camped with DP Neil and his Jana in their San Diego home, me hoping like mad that a few shining seats to Seattle from Houston (of all places) could be reached from San Diego, with no one in line before me —at least, that was the picture at 5 p.m. Thursday. Same-day tickets at this late stage, of course, would be astronomical.

I was actually just an hour away from having to give up the trip, missing the chance to see all our friends in Seattle and hold up the honor of Trekland among the assembled genres and franchises.

Really… I was on the verge …

I think I’m in the clear now. As I write this I am finally inbound to Seattle after 30 hours of chasing an empty seat as far away as Chicago and Dulles/DC. By another glimmer-of-hope story, we stumbled into a smaller airline ‘s decent prices, gave up and just bought one—and what a down-to-earth deal out of Long Beach, of all places. Thus my new slogan: “If it’s beyond your reach… try Long Beach.”

In all my con-going days, I’ve never had one like this trip—and the ever-tighter ratcheting of frustration was not intended. I thank our donor now and always, as I do everyone whatever they offer to help with.

All this to say that, once again:

I’m sorry to have missed the opening Friday fun, y’all. But we’ll make up for it today: please stay tuned for a surprise event tonight—follow us on @larrynemecek or come by the table.for more….

And Sunday: see you at noon in our “Trekland” poll and forum “Star Trek: The State of The Franchise” featuring YOU .... in Room 4C1-2.

And our thanks to Jim D. and the whole ECCC staff for having us back again.

Trek.fm's The Ready Room: Fun with TNG's "Sins of the Father"

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:48:00 +0000

There are lots of great Trek and sci-fi podcasts out there, with engaging and knowledgeable hosts, just pouring out their passion and love for the topic. (I should know, I've been hitting a lot of them.)

And if you are not listening to Chris and Greg's Trek.fm's podcasts, including The Ready Room, you are missing out. And here's the perfect reason to start: the guys were crazy enough to have me on TRR this week when the Very Serious Subject was TNG's landmark "Sins of the Father." (Okay, maybe not THAT serious.)

Sure, you may have seen it, and even know it was an important Klingon episode. But can you count the ways?

There is sooooo much context wrapped up in this episode, and where it fell in Greater Trekland History on so many levels, that an hour barely contains it. Much less all the other tangents we work in.

Of course they offer news on the front end of the download, too—and, among several stories, Teras Cassidy and I make a brief appearance to talk about the latest on our "Hollywood to Vegas" Trek film sites trip from Teras' Geek Nation Tours.

But there's a good chunk here that is nothing but pure-dee-ol' Trek nuts and bolts. I hope you give it a listen, and stay with them for a lot of great guests.

TV TONIGHT: Trek vet Mike DeMeritt teases in-jokes on "Make It or Break It" —and a Frakes episode coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:57:00 +0000

Are you a fan of Make It or Break It on ABC Family?
Michael DeMeritt, longtime 1st assistant director on Voyager and then Enterprise who's now starting Season 3 of the series, flagged me last week to let Treklanders know of some cool, old-school in-jokes coming up on the season premiere—TONIGHT.

And since one of our prime foci here at TREKLAND is letting y'all know of the current projects of the greater Trek family, I'm all too happy to oblige—especially when he sends along pics like this... and Number One himself is up soon in the director's rotation. Yep, that's smoooooth Jonny Frakes in the chair behind the lens with the THIRD episode, set to air April 9 (at right, with Mike and actress Tarah Paige); Jonathan West, veteran director of photography of the last five of DS9's seasons, is the DP, too. (More below).

The series story follows young would-be Olympic gymnasts as they train—and in tonight's season opener, Mike reports on one "Easter egg" to watch out for: "When the kids first get to the USA training center, Austin takes Kaylie and her parents on a tour of the campus and shows them a statue to 'Otis' —a former Assistant Coach who met an unfortunate end at javelin practice. His oversized bust is now a symbol of luck and everyone wants to touch it, but in the Olympic years each team wants to steal it—for whoever has the bust at the end of training has always medalled in the Olympics. It is a set-up for the season-long battle for ownership of the bronze bust.

"When show creator Holly Sorenson was asked by Production Designer Greg Grande what 'Otis' should look like, she answered, 'Michael DeMeritt!' So, I gave my best angry Soviet-era scowl and they modeled the bust after me!"

Later, Mike says, in another set-up, the girls' characters come across the new coach's ranking board en route to naming five top finalists, anxious to see if they are listed on the left-side seven columns for prestigious direct training, or the right-side seven columns to work with assistants—those close to already being dropped. "Take a look at who is sitting 'on the bubble' in spot #8," he says, cryptically....

Overall, Mike tells me: "I really wish we had more episodes for this cycle, but I think this is some of the best work we have even done on the show—especially the family day episode."

By the way, Mike's book Poetry and Prose From The Director's Ass is still available on Amazon! Check it out.

No, we can't show the bust or signboard until after airing, so watch tonight and check back—and meanwhile, here's one of Mike's pics shared from the shoot of the THIRD episode with Jonathan directing, and Mike in action as 1st AD. He already says that one will be a pivotal "fan favorite," and we'll have more Treklander pics and teasers then:

The director's team for Episode 3 of Make It or Break It, airing April 9: standing with director Jonathan Frakes (Mr. Tall Guy) from left are Jonathan Miller, Key 2nd AD; fellow Treklander Mike DeMeritt, 1st AD; Iris Huezo, 2nd 2nd AD; Leah Cronican, Base Camp PA; and Kyle Mlodzik, Set PA)

Little Rascals and Trek? Well, it IS us—and Subspace Comms

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:39:00 +0000

I have been slow to share!

Our good friends Charity and Chris—now they of the Bye Bye Robot licensed fine art Star Trek prints—just had me on with Teras of GeekNationTours to talk up our Hollywood2Vegas Trek film site tour in August at Subspace Communique .. and as usual, our convo wandered all over Trekland.... in a good way.

But Spanky McFarland?

Yep, and much more... take a listen/download here. It's been up a couple days.

Chris did his usual interview-driving best, and the topics came thick and fast. I even found out Teras really WASN'T a poser! I hope you take a listen to our Austin friends, and check out their many other great sessions with Trekland notables of all stripes at their site archive.

Hey, it's also Michael Westmore's birthday too: Visit his home

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Heaven forbid, Treklanders, that all these years of rightly celebrating March 22 as The Shat's birthday have also taken a chunk of the spotlight away from one of our other notables )and a nice guy to boot): the modern TV and TNG-film era makeup genius, Michael Westmore. Happy 74th!

It always pops up from anyone who talks about him, but Michael has always been both a great friend and an open resource for all my projects, from the TNG days onward, and I treasure that.

In fact, he was one of the early boosters of TREKLAND the blog, and gave us a tour of his house in prep for his upcoming family Walk of Fame star ceremony back in the fall of 2008.

So, to celebrate today, let's go back to the archives and pre-HD days, since many of you just finding TREKLAND may not have been around in the early months (although it still sits right here, along with dozens of other videos). Enjoy!

Happy birthday, Bill: What NOT to get The Shat (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:20:00 +0000

At 81, he will keep running right through those years one by one right up until the moment he simply can't run (or drop-and-roll) any more.

Yes, it feels as if everyone the world over today is singing happy birthday greetings to our newest one-man roadshow star, William Shatner.

But that's about all they can do. I mean, what do you get The Man who has everything?

For one thing, he certainly doesn't need to get A LIFE:

By the way—and without any intent to imply a copyright holding on the NBC video involved— that 1986 SNL sketch had more to do with promoting the current image of the "fanboy" ... and away from the female-driven, zine-writing/con-throwing FEMALE fan icon that first emerged in Trek fandom from the 70s. So, today's true birthday gift to us all is that the old pizza-faced basement-dweller meme has morphed into the Geek Revolution, the Geek Girl movement, and The Big Bang Theory viewable on three or four channels every day, laughing all the way to the bank.

MIdweek catchup: Wet, wacky WonderCon

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Nemecek) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:13:00 +0000

Small crowd here...but Treklanders FILLED it later.

Despite the torrential rain and the even more horrendous parking horrors of what was Saturday WonderCon in Anaheim, the day was a good one overall in Trekland. And by that I mean it was pretty fan-centric.

But still—it was a bit of surreality even more than usual at a comic-con, with high school girls volleyball and cheerleader tournies each going on in adjacent areas at the center—and taking up all that parking! Officially, overflow was to go to Anaheim Angels' Stadium, miles away for a shuttle route—but that didn't help folks like @starfleetmom and @willymccauley who had to walk from car to shuttle bus stop, and then stand for 20, all in downpours—ie, no bus shelters. The T&T (text and twitter) warnings about parking alone helped make it insane for a lot of my regular posse to attend, including even CON of WRATH DP Neal Hallford who is ALWAYS there at the SoCal cons with me.

Just a thanks here to the 300+ that gave our "classroom" another all-but-SRO turnout as we delved into TNG's roots and some odd facts for the 25th anni year ... and what a great audience. Even the Browncoats on hand displayed their original colors, before brown. A special thanks to those who signed on the website's news list—yay!—and those took advantage of my flea market, and /or made donations toward CON OF WRATH support.

Sadly, we were shorthanded on posse and I don't have any photos to share, aside from the empty "classroom" I shared on tweet and Facebook earlier (above). But I do want to thank Christine, Willy, Bill and Conner for help with the signups, sales, and raffle drawing that I did on the fly, since I was not tabling here as we do at Comic-Con San Diego and Seattle's Emerald City. It was also great to meet twitterfan @wetodded, as well as Jullian Lawler from the booming EPCon in El Paso—where it looks like some news may be reported soon. Shhh!

So, all in all—and aside from an untech'ed, mystery DVD player/projector system that read audio but not video output (at 7 p.m. I was the first in the day to use it? Really?)—I can tell we all had a great time. Thanks again for the "hanging on every word" vibe, guys. And the laughs .... not to mention the "ahhhhhh" lines. What an empathetic group! Seattle, San Diego, and even Vegas will have to go a ways to beat that. BTW: Once again our informal straw polls show TNG slightly ahead of TOS in fan fave, and DS9 the biggest turnaround in support, much larger overall than the hands from those few who simply "came in with it" as their first viewing.

And—if anyone DID come away with any snaps of me or the crowd, please ... can you share?

Because this is the only other shot I took Saturday ... at 1 a.m. .... across the street, approaching a lone car in the Disney south parking. In the "Wettiest Lot On Earth":