You can’t talk about her obviously classic, huge contribution to all things Spock and Vulcans — creating Sarek and Amanda, too! — without putting Dorothy Fontana in the Top 3 or 4 or 5, at most, of who Made Star Trek What It Is Today. She died Dec. 3 after I mean, if Ron Moore became TNG‘s “Klingon guy” and …
RIP DCF: Where to hear Dorothy Fontana on The Trek Files—plus, today’s LIVE
Such a flood of emotions on the sudden passing of Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana, our direct pipeline to 1964 and so much roots Trek (and roots TNG as well!). I’ll say more here tomorrow … although I’ve already said a lot: watch today’s Trekland Tuesdays LIVE Ep. 132: Our Guardian of Forever is Gone: RIP Dororthy Fontana. (Apologies for the signal …
Saying “Peldar joi” — with gratitude: Some jumbled Thanksgiving thoughts
Another Thanksgiving season, another jumble of people and places and things and tying them all together … with the new stealing some thunder from the old and challenging us to make sense of it all, even as we try to stop for a day and do so. But I will try. Truly, I am thankful this year for a growing …
Visit your Trek outdoor memories *live* with LA Away Days Sept. 14 & 15
We’re back with another shot at your real-life away mission — on a budget! There’s nothing like living your Trek memories of those iconic Hollywood locations first-hand. I always love seeing the joy of Trek fans when they come to L.A. and experience the unmistakable sight of their favorite Starfleet adventures, live and in person, for the very first time. …
I host “The Cage” 1964’s director—and other huge Treks at Comic-Con!
UPDATED with signing added for Robert Butler and I! WHAT a huge year this will be at San Diego Comic-Con for Trek, the largest ever— coming up July 17-21. We’ve come so far since the big modern catch-up for Trek at SDCC in 2016 with the 50th, Discovery‘s first peeks and Beyond‘s outdoor, live-orchestra’d world premiere. And this year I’m …
Just in time for Peak Con season: I host “Instagram 4 Dunsels” live, free & online
Hey quick: Do you have a spare hour THIS Monday evening, July 15? (“STOP TALKING. JUST TAKE ME THERE” > quick click here) Ever wonder what the deal is with Instagram— how it’s different from Facebook or Twitter? Or what good it is for your fandom coolness, or even business? Or how can you keep up with those celebs and …
BookAuthority: “Star Trek: Stellar Cartography” a Top 12 book for 2019!
I must say I was pretty proud to get this news just today—in the cartography division. Thank you, BookAuthority.com! Although the first edition of Stellar Cartography was released in 2013 and the new UPDATED version with dozens of additions (and a few fixes!) came out last fall, I’m delighted that so many Trek fans, astronomy buffs, and fantasy map fanatics …
ICYMI: Here’s a virtual-reality “video” from my Stellar Cartography VR talk!
I love overlapping real astronomy with Star Trek’s fictional spacescape — and have for years, as you Treklanders know. I also love this virtual world — have you heard about it? —that Rod Roddenberry and Co. have cooked up with the Sansar folks as one of many within their virtual domain— in this case, the virtual Roddenberry Nexus museum and …
Booming SoonerCon 28 is June 7-9: join Nana Visitor & I in its new Norman home!
One week to go! I hope to see many of you in Norman (south of OKC) at the great Midwest/Southwest fan extravaganza SoonerCon — Year 28! It’s far more than my visit home once a year. SoonerCon is becoming a great regional con — bigger and yet still just as fannish as ever for all genres, all ages. And SC28 …
Not a Niner? Not even a Trekker? You’ll still LOVE “What We Left Behind” May 13
I don’t need to pile on to what every preview viewer and REviewer has said: But QUICK! Go see What We Left Behind May 13 as a Fathom Event as a (hopefully) theater near you. As a Trek vet and an interviewee who survived the cutting room floor — amazingly, with THIS cast of characters and crew—I had the chance …
The Nichelle Nichols life film ‘sizzle reel’ is over 100%!—but you can still pile on the Indiegogo drive TODAY
I had planned today to help with a last-day BOOST here for the Indiegogo crowdfund drive to film the grand Nichelle Nichols about her life and career and positivism, and create a sales “sizzle” reel from the footage— titled Breaking Barriers. But here comes the news that the drive topped its modest $25,000 goal earlier today, but doesn’t expire until …
WonderCon THIS Saturday: Trekland’s podcast panel & Hot Takeaway meetup!
Are you headed to Anaheim and WonderCon this weekend? (Yes, the photo here is from SDCC, but it fits…) If so, hope you can make it by either Trekland shindig, back-to-back early Saturday evening: —PANEL: My Trek SoCal podcasters’ panel is at 7-8 pm Saturday in Room 211—and audience Q&A is a big part. Here’s where you can click in, …
STV— LAlert: Sundays through April = ‘The Improvised Generation’ new season!
By now it’s a tradition— my annual chat with some of the intrepid crew of the USS McGinley, now in their fifth season of bringing the narrative improv style of fun and pathos to L.A. audiences in the best TNG-era Trek style as “The Improvised Generation.” So check out our visit below this away team of (from left) Paul Hungerford, …
WHO is human Isis?: 50-year mystery is over, thanks to “The Trek Files”
All it took was finding that one piece of paper. 50 years later. Finally, mystery solved: Who WAS Isis the cat in human form, from “Assignment: Earth”? Look, maybe you’re not a “podcast person.” But you should be! The best thing about my weekly podcast The Trek Files from Roddenberry Podcast Network is that, aside from just adding to the …
TONIGHT! Join me in the new Roddenberry VR Theater with classic bloopers/Q&A
Yes, tonight at 7 pm Pacific/ 10 pm Eastern (Jan. 31) I’ll be hosting classic Trek bloopers and talk/Q&A for the grand opening of the Roddenberry VR Theater, the newest addition to the Roddenberry Nexus— and your ticket is either a Windows PC* or a VR headset, like Occulus Rift. And yes— I know it’s new Discovery Thursday. But “Point …
Happy 99, De! Remembering when you were a doctor, not a doctor
It wouldn’t be Jan. 20 without me sharing an image of DeForest Kelley on his birthday… a tradition when I first began Trekland in 2009. So much has changed since then in both Star Trek and Trekland that I bet all our newer readers would welcome me sharing again this photo in good res—the one that’s been the longest unrepeated …
Going going gone! Old Portal 47 rate ends midnight Sunday—and this bonus
UPDATE: This may sound like last month’s news …. but it truly goes away at midnight Sunday Jan. 6, public Treklanders. Happy new year! (from prior post) Most of fall, why not gift a membership, or jump in yourself, to Portal 47—your mini-con all year long no matter where you center seat is (where no savvy fan has gone before …
Looks like “The Brightest Star,” the next #ShortTreks, will make Trek history
UPDATE: “The Brightest Star” is beautiful, an old-school planetary culture exploration disguised as some well-received background on both Saru and his Kelpian people, well-timed in the Prime timeline … while at the same time, raising a host of new questions. It’s bizarrely and freshly off-kilter as to the “predators” of the famously “prey” Kelpians, and exactly who and how the …
Now through #ExtensionWednesday! CyberMonday in Portal 47! Get 2 new features NOW only, before it’s too late
(UDPATE: Due to email tech issues, deal cut-off is now #ExtensionWednesday /28th, midnight local time! ) Treksters, you know how proud and excited I am to keep building Portal 47, my project for Trekland past, present and future. So, what kind of a new, crazy idea can I hatch for Cyber Monday that will grab both your attention and your …
Hard-media holdouts, your wait is over: ‘Discovery’ Season 1 coming Nov. 13
Through the summer and fall, Treklanders on my news list twice reported back on a survey about their thoughts on Discovery and CBS All Access subbing — and around 16-20% consistently said they’d just wait to take their first look by picking up the whole season on DVD or Blu-ray hard media. Well, “20%” — here’s your chance. In case …
Thank you, UK: I’m joining the gang at Destination Star Trek — Birmingham
At LAST I can talk about it! (See schedule UPDATE below) As announced by Showmasters/DST, I will indeed be back across the pond with all our UK Treklanders for Destination Star Trek— and my first time in Birmingham! MY SCHEDULE IN BRIEF: THURSDAY — 9-11 pm, Hilton Metropole Bar: DST version of The Landing Party , hosting this team …
My ‘Stellar Cartography’ maps/book set gets a 2018 update for Discovery—and more
But hurry: The online pre-order special ends soon! Yes, it’s an all-NEW update of the showy Star Trek: Stellar Cartography wall maps and book set — coming Oct. 9 with TEN large 2-D maps from various Trek eras and cultures and a guidebook. The itch that first got me into Star Trek backgrounding is back again, courtesy of the good …
Sputnikfest: More wacky than a con — and my first visit to Wisconsin!
Well, HERE’S something new in the Trekland galaxy for me: Being a guest at a community festival — its FIRST guest. And my first-ever trek to Wisconsin, to boot! But not just any festival— one of the Top Five Funkiest Festivals in the U.S., according to Readers Digest! I mean, come on— what else could Sputnikfest be? Sure, this …
Trek Vegas and so much to share: Star maps, Portal, podcasts, NEW tours!
Wow! #STLV is here again — and beyond the 50th in 2016, and then Discovery’s sneak peek last year…the 2018 edition might just be the biggest ever ! At least for me, everything Trekland will be on display. First of all, CBS has graciously got me back on stage to talk about the NEW Star Trek: Stellar Cartography map/book set …
Star Trek’s big at Comic-Con San Diego—and I will be Treklanding all four days
Hey, it’s #SDCC time again… and Trekland will be there in 2018 in ever-more ways. If you are lucky enough (or crazed enough ) to find yourself around the Gaslamp area (or even just around the fringes), come look me up! I’ll be leading, covering, or taking part in a flurry of Trek-related stuff at Comic-Con … from my The …
Watch our great L.A. TNG-era improv live on Saturday —and bid on Trek goodies to help their studio
You may have heard (and seen) me raving more than once about the amazingly brilliant and funny improv troupe, The Improvised Generation. Many others have, too! And now, wherever you are on the globe, you can watch them LIVE online on their studio Facebook this Saturday at 7 pm Pacific (10 pm Eastern) for a full (and all-new, of course) …
Kurtzman showruns Discovery for now—with a CBS deal that includes NEW Trek
Of COURSE this news breaks as I am packing for SoonerCon, and doing a Portal 47 guest show on the road… but I have a word or two (below). But between last week’s showrunner firing on Discovery and Alex Kurtzman’s new deal in takign solo control of DSC, with sources running amok with unconfirmed but plentiful stories about new Trek …
19 years ago, we lost DeForest Kelley
As you longtime Treklanders know, I always like to mark DeForest Kelley‘s birthday… his passing date, not so much. Even though I always stop to think about it. But June 11 is a bittersweet Trek date in a month that is otherwise filled with happy ones, like movie premiere and finale anniversaries. As a kid, long before any bloody A,B, …
Coming to L.A.’s WhedonCon Saturday? Amid the Joss-ery, I’ll be bringing Trek!
I mean, really. I find Trek peeps at a Who con every year … why not Joss Whedon’s fandom? So yeah— look for a little Star Trek in the ‘Verse this Saturday! It’s a Trek oasis at fan-run WhedonCon. Will anybody need a drink? I came across WhedonCon’s open-ended focus beyond its namesake thanks to my friend and The Con …
Portal 47’s Spring Open House May 16 with makeup great Mike Westmore
Once again, Portal 47 is going to crank open the hangar bay doors and share our monthly guest Telebriefing experience highlight with everybody who wants to come —this time, with the incredible Oscar- and Emmies-winning makeup legend Michael Westmore. The free, global and virtual event is Wednesday, May 16 from 7-8 pm Pacific — a mix of interview chat from …
QUICK TAKES on that new Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 sneak peek trailer
Are you breathing a little easier yet? With filming into a second week in Toronto, a new BTS Discovery Season 2 peek dropped today (see it here, below the fold). Yes, you see new sets being built (the two-story Klingon monstrosity is gone to salvaged “fold and hold,” so there’s gobs of new room for new Starfleet sets — mainstream, …
Off to WonderCon: On the hunt for Discovery-First Fans—and a P47 brief-up!
I’ve been talking here and there around the Interwebs lately of my big mission this year: To find and talk with new fans who came to the Trek family via Discovery only—Discovery First Fans! —without bridging over or carrying baggage from any prior Trek.* And my first chance is Anaheim’s WonderCon, the “little brother” to sprawling San Diego Comic-Con. —At …