A Year of Conventions

I vividly recall Star Trek conventions from my youth.  What fans started as an effort to restore a classic science fiction series to the screen and learn the show's secrets from its production crew blossomed wildly.  The current convention phenomena embraces numerous TV shows as well as comics and other pop culture trends like steampunk.  Fans get to connect and share their special tastes in activities ranging from costume contests to panels. For fans of TV and films the midatlantic U. S. is a great spot for conventions that fit every enthusiast's taste.  I've found 2015 to be a fun year of conventions and thought I'd share some memories of the ones I was fortunate enough to attend.

March has several sensational area cons.  In Virginia, The Williamsburg Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating classic cowboy/western media with celebrity guests, movie screenings and a large, collectible filled vendor's room.  I attended the convention last year where I got to meet guests like Alex Cord and Robert Fuller.  Alas, attending this year was not in the cards.  However I did go to Cherry Hill New Jersey for Monstermania which commenced on March 13th and appropriately enough spotlighted the popular Friday the 13th film franchise over the weekend.  Although I only attended Saturday, that day did feel a bit like a Friday the 13th with overcast skies and cool drizzle as I made my way through the labyrinth like parking lot surrounding the hotel.  Monstermania's main focus is horror films. For me, the best part was chatting with the always amicable William Sanderson.  He's probably best known as Larry, the good hearted backwoodsman, from the series Newhart but has numerous sci-fi/horror credits including Blade Runner, Nightmares and True Blood.

Spring officially arrived by the last weekend of March, but Maryland was in for a dusting of snow.  I travelled through the white stuff without the aid of a TARDIS for the Baltimore based Regeneration Con.  If you're a proponent of TARDIS travel, then you're probably a fan of Dr. Who.  Regeneration Con is a Whovian delight featuring actors and writers who worked on the long running British Sci-Fi series that still makes its presence known Saturday nights via BBCAmerica, currently with Peter Capaldi as the title character.  Doctor Who - an alien Time Lord - has been portrayed by 13 different actors on television and one exclusively for two cinematic offerings.  Two of the actors who had played Doctor Who were present to sign autographs and reminisce about their memories on the show during Q&As.  In addition to the interview sessions with actors and writers, the event boasted numerous panels of interest to fans of the time travelling doctor.  There promises to be more time travelling fun at Regeneration Con 2016.


 

The first con of April transported the focus from all things Whovian to Trek.  The Great Philadelphia

Clive Revill and I at The Great Philadelphia Comic Con.

Comic Con assembled three actors (Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig and George Takei) from the original Star Trek series to greet fans, do photo ops and sign autographs.  Other TV shows represented by guests included The Power Rangers and Buffy.  The Star Wars legacy was represented by several guests, including Clive Revill who voiced the Emporer in the original saga.  It was delightful hearing him discuss his career.  I eagerly talked to him about his work on stage in The Marat/Sade, on the silver screen in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and in TV shows such as Remington Steele.

  

Gates McFadden speaks at Steel City Con.

Pittsburgh's Steel City Comic Con is a cornucopia of vendors and celebrities.  April's edition featured guests Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation).  The event had numerous panels and boasted a few classic TV  reunions.  Tom Wopat and John Schneider of The Dukes of Hazzard obviously maintained their chemistry from the series as they joked together about their time on the show and shared touching memories of cast mates.  Three's Company stars Richard Kline, Joyce DeWitt and Priscilla Barnes shared the stage to comment on favorite episodes like the one where confusion reigned when both Jack and Terri's date thought the other was a mental patient.


Amazing Con took place outside of Philadelphia and celebrated an eclectic mix of interests.  Guests  included artists and cosplayers as well as celebrities such as Bond girl Lana Wood and Parker Stevenson.  I couldn't help chatting with Stevenson about 80's TV miniseries as he appeared in the epic production of Civil War intrigue North and South.  It seems we are both fans of Masada. 

April ended with Chiller in New Jersey - certainly one of the area's largest assembly of celebrities.  I got to meet a Monkee (Michael Nesmith) and several film favorites including veteran actor Rip Torn.

My final Spring con was Awesome Con in Washington DC.  I got to hear a fascinating Q&A from both William Shatner and stars of The Lord of the Rings films - John Rhys Davies and Sean Astin.

Summer certainly had some hot fun!  The August offering of Monstermania in Cherry Hill had a great mix of guests including one of my favorite actors - Malcolm McDowell whose Q&A kept the packed audience amused and fascinated with anecdotes of his long career.  It seems McDowell met with disdain at his costar Roy Scheider's idea that the two claim they did their own flying in the film Blue Thunder.  Apparently McDowell loathes flying.  Sid Haig was extremely friendly to his long line of fans eager to get an autograph or picture taken with him.  Haig has an extensive career ranging from TV (the original Star Trek & Buck Rodgers) to films (Diamonds Are Forever).  As Haig signed a pic of him with 007 Sean Connery from Diamonds Are Forever for me, I couldn't help mentioning that I'd met Bond girl Lana Wood at a con earlier in the year.  His one line reply was great - "I threw her out a window once!"

Myself & Michael McConnohie at Retro Con.

September's two cons tugged at the heart strings of my youthful memories.  Near Philadelphia, Retro Con is a great event mostly celebrating 80's animated shows and pop culture.   There you'll likely walk past your favorite comic or Star Wars character.  In fact I especially felt nostalgic when I saw a group clad in the red costumes of the aliens from the original version of V.  V aired when I went to my first cons and those uniforms were awfully popular attire!  Retro Con's guest list included various voice actors of cartoons that I fondly discovered on TV in the afternoons or mornings of my youth, such as G.I. Joe, Mask and Robotech.  It was interesting to see the animation's real life counterparts.  Michael McConnohie was a voice for Robotech and has recently put his talent to use in reading audio adaptions of the adventures of Doc Savage.  I told him I was a fan of the character and it turns out we are both fans of the little known George Pal produced film - Doc Savage: Man of Bronze.  I've never tired since childhood of watching that film!

The Visitors surround C3PO & R2D2 at Retro Con.

Baltimore Maryland's Midatlantic Nostalgia Convention (known as MANC) is a treat for fans of early films and television shows.  This year's edition featured a trio of lethal lovelies from Hammer's horror films and a Bionic reunion with cast members from both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman.  The vendor's room with classic toys, books, movies and other historic mementos can easily transport one to an earlier era.


The scenery of scarlet and golden trees on the drive to Chiller's October edition really put me in the mood for Fall.  Police officers were on duty as usual guiding vehicles into the spacious parking lots across the street from the huge hotel that housed the convention.  Perhaps due to my selection of Sunday to attend, I was able to park closer then usual for my arrival in conjunction with the opening of the event and enjoyed a brisk walk in the autumn air.  The registration area was thankfully efficiently manned this year.  Once inside there was a large crowd milling through the vendors' rooms and the various celebrity signing areas.  Some of my favorite stars were signing at this con - like genre actress extraordinaire Sybil Danning whose credits include the original V TV series, Roger Corman's Battle Beyond the Stars, Rob Zombie's version of Halloween and The Howling 2 - Your Sister Is A Werewolf.  It was a pic from that film that I got her to autograph and she sweetly asked my preference for signature color!  Other celebrities included her Battle Beyond the Stars leading man, Richard Thomas AKA John boy of The Waltons and Chyna, the wrestler.
I really enjoyed chatting with a couple cult favorite actresses.  Brenda Strong said she and British actor David Warner had such chemistry as their characters in Twin Peaks that their time in the bizarre TV town was extended for additional episodes.  Being a season two player, she never got to work with its co-creator David Lynch but was directed by the show's other regular directors.  Misty Rowe played Maid Marion in the 70's Robin Hood TV spoof from Mel Brooks called When Things Were Rotten.  I remember the series as being hilarious - far funnier then Brooks film attempt at infusing the Robin Hood legend with comedy called Men in Tights.  "The show was ahead of its time," Rowe mused.  "It was cancelled because with so many sets it was too expensive."

Leroy and Star Trek's Walter Koenig.

I got to celebrate my birthday in Pittsburgh at Steel City Con's December edition.  I went with my friend Marie and her service dog, Leroy - who was a real star of the show!  Children were eager to pet him and he certainly charmed the celebrities so much so that he was called over by Star Trek's Walter Koenig and Paul Sorvino.  Leroy was happy to grant free photo ops! Leroy really liked William Katt, who he favored with some licks.  I've met Katt at several cons and he's always very friendly.  Katt starred in the '80's classic fantasy TV series The Greatest American Hero as well as numerous films.  Katt autographed for me a dvd cover of the movie Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend which he starred in opposite one of my favorite actors - Patrick McGoohan.  When I asked him about working with McGoohan he spoke of the actor with respect in his voice - especially at the way McGoohan departed the set regularly when free to return to be with his ailing wife.  All in all 'twas an excellent time and great end to the con year.

Believe it or not - the two Williams.  Myself and Katt at Steel City Con.

Many of these cons have more offerings then what I managed to briefly detail, such as musical offerings and costume contests.  There are themes for every taste in cons, ranging from faerie festivals to comic cons.  The common denominator is the fun.