From: buc@world.std.com (Quantum Buc)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.info
Subject: Disjointed Con Report: Megacon '92
Date: 23 Nov 92 17:43:46 GMT
Reply-To: buc@world.std.com
Organization: Vulcan Science Academy, Tau Ceti Sector
NNTP-Posting-Host: xcf.berkeley.edu
Originator: griffith@xcf.Berkeley.EDU


WARNING! WARNING! The following post contains some SPOILERS, as well as 
some useless trivia. It is being typed completely from memory, without the 
benefit of tape, video, or mind-altering drugs.  
 
I will take no liability for any injuries caused by reading this. If you 
can't handle this, TURN BACK NOW!!! 
 
Disclaimer: I am typing this from memory, after getting precious little 
sleep this weekend. If I unintentially misspell worp speed or Leonard 
Neemoy, don't get offended; get a life! (I'm sorry! I'm sick of that line, 
too!) 
 
----------------- 
 
I am not a regular Con attendee (I admit it. Seeing some of the more 
'committed' fans makes me feel a little embarrassed about being associated
with them), but yesterday (Sunday, 11/22) I attended the  
second day of Megacon, the Star Trek / Lost In Space Convention in Atlantic 
City, NJ (Billed: "Star Trek Meets Lost In Space!!!") 
 
There were a number of guests, the most prominent being Jonathan Frakes, 
Levar Burton, and Michael Dorn (appearing together), George Takei, 
               , and the entire living cast of Lost In Space (this was how 
it was billed).  This amounted to everybody except Guy Williams (who's 
dead) and Bob May (I guess the Robot is not considered a 'living' cast 
member). However, the Robot (or, 'a' Robot), was there, pre-recorded dialog 
and all. Also present, and not to be forgotten, was Peter David,
as well as several others who do not immediately jump to 
mind. 
 
Laura Banks, that well-known actress from Wrath of Khan, was scheduled to 
appear Sunday, but did not. 
 
In the list of appearances above, you will note a space after George's 
name. This is not a typo. Nichelle Nichols was scheduled appear, but on 
Saturday was summarily deleted from all literature, leaving a blank space 
in her wake.  Circulating around the con was a faxed letter from Nichelle, 
addressed to all the fans, apologizing profusely for not being there, and 
explaining that the evil creators of Megacon cancelled her contract 
without explanation shortly before the con, even though they continued to 
bill her, and that she was very sorry for the fans being ripped off by 
'greedy individuals', and that she was going to 'pursue legal matters.' I 
can post a copy of the letter tomorrow, if anybody is interested. 
This of course caused a lot of murmuring (murmur, murmur), and read on for 
some further info. 
 
Now for some quick updates, before I pass out: 
 
I didn't catch much of Peter David (for which I am sorry, but I did hear 
his reading from 'Imzadi'), but he had a good turnout. 
 
Next up were the 'Three Hunks of the Galaxy', as one fan put it. They were 
'extremely' entertaining! They did a James Stewart Impersonation Contest 
among the three of them, as well as impersonating several of there fellow 
actors and actresses (Michael impersonated Marina as Troi: She's wiggling 
down the corridor,comes to a sudden stop, looks up, and says, "There's a 
man on board." To which Frakes and Burton started, "I sense... I sense..." 
). 
I won't go into more of the horseplay, of which there was much, except for 
Michael talking about his plot idea for a romance between Worf and Troi. 
This immediately got a mock-shocked expression from Frakes. Dorn then 
explained that since Worf and Troi have been working together more 
frequently, due to raising Alexander, there should be a scene where one day 
Worf would walk up to Riker and say, (and he did the Worf voice): 
"Excuse my Commander. But I was 
wondering if you were through with Counsellor Troi?" To which Riker 
startled, replied, "Uh, sure. We're just friends." To this Worf muttered  
obscenities under his breath and walked off. 

Michael also commented that in the Robin Hood story, the hat made him look 
like a 'Klingon Pimp', and that he "Was not a Merry Man (in character.)"
 
Anyway, not much new info was gleamed. One very young girl came up and 
asked how come, in the episode this past week, we never got to see a 
resolution to the bet between the three on stage and Beverly Crusher in the 
poker game (shaving beards versus coloring hair). Frakes commented, "Out of 
the mouths of babes..." Apparently, all the cast felt that this should have 
been resolved, and complained profusely, to no avail. Then Frakes mentioned 
that he was going to go back and tell this story to the crew. "Jennifer wants 
to know why we didn't finish that!" Before going on, Levar did mention, "Well, 
it should be obvious who LOST..." he stroked his clean-shaven face. 
 
The usual questions were asked, (will any of the other Old Trek characters 
be coming back on TNG?, to which Levar replied that they're running out of 
plausible ways to do it." Then some Trek geek got up and argued that they 
could use Q, and he was 'VERY adamant about it' (The three actors 
tried to acknowledge his comment and move on, but he persisted, very
emotionally. It seemed that the three of them were a 
tad put off by him.)  Also, some Trekkies were in rare form, with at least 
three to five coming up to the mike and saying, "I uh, really, uh like the 
show and I , uh, watch it all the time, and, uh, can I get your 
autograph?" (All the stars had been at autograph sessions prior to 
speaking, and this had been made clear, but some people...) Two women 
had asked Levar if he would sign books that had been on Reading Rainbow, 
which he happily did. He was happy to talk about RR and to sign books for 
kids. After the two women had done so, A Trekkie dressed as a Klingon  
approached the microphone and said he had a question for Worf (to which  
Dorn relied, "No duh!" ). The Klingon Trekkie, basically said, 
"I uh, really, uh like the show and I , uh, watch it all the time, and,  
uh, can I get your autograph?"  
The guys were getting a tad annoyed at this point (rightfully so), and Dorn 
replied, "No. I'm sorry. We did those before. Now if you had a kid with a 
book..." which got some laughs. The Klingon walked off, dejected. 
 
I'll skip the other embarrassing trekkie questions. The three guys didn't 
have a lot of info to share, mostly funny stories. Dorn, in replying to a 
question, did say that there are plans for another 'Klingon story', which 
would hopefully bring back Worf's brother.  
One other funny bit, when asked about old Trek guys coming on TNG, Dorn 
made a funny comment about all these crossovers, wishing that they'd let 
the NCC-1701 meet the 1701-D in battle, so that they could 'end this thing, 
once and for all.' This got laughs from many, and grumbling from those few 
Trekkies without senses of humor. Frakes immediately mock-chastised 
Michael,  reminding him that if it wasn't for the old crew, they wouldn't 
be here. Michael was properly mock-put in his place. 
 
The three guys ran a bit late, and after they left the stage a number of 
fans were still leaving as the next guest was introduced. 
This was George Takei, who I'm glad was not insulted by the large number of 
fans who were leaving as he entered. He came out pushing a broom, remarking 
how the old cast always has to clean up after those Next Generation guys. 
He made jokes about this several times throughout the show, and he was a 
tad condescending to them. He didn't have much new to say either. Of 
course, Star Trek VII was brought up. He said that the guy in charge at 
Paramount (sorry, the memory is failing again. He's the guy that used to be 
in charge at NBC, and was a big promoter of Quantum Leap...I'll remember as 
soon as I post), anyway, the guy had commissioned scripts to be researched 
for ST:VII, but he recently stepped down due to family obligations, and the 
new person in charge will have to review new projects, one of them being 
ST:VII. So plans are still going forward, but a new hitch has developed. He 
predicted the movie would be out by Xmas 93, or Summer 94 at latest. He 
also stated that he and James Doohan were the driving forces behind ST:VII, 
where all the other cast members figured that it was all over. 
George was then asked, since he was so honest and straight-forward, if he 
could tell us what really happened with Nichelle. He was a little evasive, 
but stated that it was an 'agent' thing. It was agents who made people 
either look good or bad, and this was an agent's fault. No more said. 
He was also asked if he would appear on TNG, to which he replied that he 
would love to, if asked, but also commented that he would want to appear at 
Sulu's current age, not as an old man, like McCoy did. Two questions later, 
a Trekkie asked if he was scheduled to appear on Deep Space 9, which he 
cheerfully gave the same answer.  
He talked about politics briefly, and at length about Captain Sulu, and 
about how long it took for him to be made Captain (on screen, not the 
cutting room floor). He said Sulu would be a Captain for a long time, and 
that STVII will probably have the Enterprise and the Excelsior again, since 
he is going to be in it. 
--- 
That's about it. I won't bother going into the Lost In Space session, which 
was very good, but not relevant to this group. No reunion is planned yet, 
but all are interested and encourage fans to write to CBS. 
 
I'm going to sleep. 


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