From: mholtz@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Mark A. Holtz)
Subject: From FidoNet: Megacon '92
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 05:37:55 GMT

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- Area: Star Trek: The Next Generation  --------------------------------------
  Msg#: 230             Sent K/Sent                  Date: 13 Dec 92  22:03:08
  From: Athena Drewes                                Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: MEGACON'92 NEWS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well here it is, at long last.  Sorry for the long delay in getting
this transcription to you.

The MegaCon'92 Convention was held at Atlantic City in the
Convention Center (where Miss America is held) on 11/21/92.
Jonathon Frakes, Michael Dorn and LeVar Burton were all on stage at
the same time.  There was surprisingly little interaction between
the three stars.  While Jonathon shook LeVar's hand when they came
on stage, he noticeably did not go over to shake Michael's hand!
Jonathon Frakes seemed to take over as the coordinator of the
questions and wound up answering quite a few of them.  Michael
Dorn was relatively quiet but did answer questions
directed to him or to the three of them.  There were several kids
who wanted LeVar's autograph on Reading Rainbow books that they
brought up.

I was very surprised that the three of them signed autographs as
requested.  There weren't that many people asking but LeVar and
Michael agreed to sign a few.  Jonathon signed one person's football
ticket that he gave up in order to be at the Convention. He tended
to steer clear of encouraging autographs.

Michael Dorn REALLY looks different from Worf. You would not think
he was Worf at all.  The voice he uses as Worf is a stage voice and
not his real talking voice.  Worf's voice is lower and deeper than
Michael's.  Jonathon looks the same in person as on screen, except
his hair is noticeably thinner at the crown making me believe he
uses a hairpiece or some touching up for the camera.  He had the
same haircut as he had at the end of last season and the beginning
of this one.  Jonathon has a very mischieviously smile - very
impish, just like on the screen.  LeVar was the same, although
without his visor he looked a little bit "odd".

All three stars were very open and unpretentious.  There was no
snobishness or conceit evident.  They stayed on stage for about
1 1/4 hours. No one stayed to sign autographs. They mentioned the
show Every Good Boy Deserves Favor is going on the road. They are
doing a weekend in Minneapolis with the Minneapolis Symphony and a
weekend with the Chicago Symphony.  March 27 in Minn. and June 10 in
Chicago, but Jonathon was not sure these were exactly correct.

I decided to send along the questions and answers given rather than
just summarize what was said.  I think it gives more of a feel of
how they answered and some of their personality. I did try to
put together the questions for each person in a group for you
to read.

Michael Dorn asked the audience if they liked the sixth season's
shows so far. Most the audience clapped, but many booed, which
surprised them.

Jonathon:

Jonathon started out with a story about Syracuse,
NY Convention some years ago. He stated he was standing in the
doorway, near where they were selling the action figures, the ones
with younger versions of themselves (!!), and they are selling Worf
for $40, Geordi for $50 and they have a sign stating buy any action
figure and get Riker free!!  Jonathon was asked to give a hug..
"We don't do hugs when our wives are present", but he did give a
handshake.

Question: Who is more promiscuous on the show, Deanna
Troi or yourself? "Those of you who watched closely remember some
skinny geek came on the show, five minutes later hot oil, candles,
dinner...remember that guy?..that says it all. Four years I've known
my Imzadi and I've not even had a breakfast with her.
Question: On the Joan Rivers show you said you liked the 20's
because the trombone players were very popular. I was wondering if
we'll see the Jonathon Frakes Big Band with other cast members.
"Yes..and they cold play at Ten Forward on Friday nights!!!"

Q: It must be pretty hard for you and your wife, who is on All My
Children in the east coast, and you are on the west coast. How do
you guys get to see each other?  "We spend a lot of time on
airplanes..we have some very..very..serious frequent flyer miles.
You make it work.  You love someboyd and you may it work.
Q: Riker is looking more svelte (skinny). "I've shed a few pounds. I
was beginning to look like a certain Captain of another Enterprise.
The secret..don't eat before you go to sleep.

Michael Dorn: Q: Will they be finding a permanent companion for you?
"They will be holding tryouts later...I'd love to have a step-mother
for my son..because he's too much for me to handle".
Q: Verify the rumor of a TNG movie.  "There is a lot of talk about
it. Nothing is solidified about it. It seems up to you guys to storm
the gates of Paramount.

Q: On the Joan Rivers show you mentioned you fly for a hobby. What
kind? "I've flown singles, twin airplanes, Cessnas, now I've just
graduated to jets.  Tactical jets from the '60s called Vessel (?)
jet, do aerobatics, buzz people's houses.
Q: How long does it take you to get into makeup. "It takes an hour
and a half. It used to be 3 hours when we first started. Now it
takes 1 1/2 hours. There is a lot of glue, and a lot of hair."
Q: Do you have any plans of starring in any movies. "You plan on it,
but it doesn't always happen that way. You have to interview for
them, and so far nothing has come along."

LeVar Burton:
Q: About having stories with blind, deaf or handicapped people
(asked by a person in a wheelchair). "Let me say that I'm very
proud to represent the physically challenged in the 24th century.
I'm proud Geordi's presence on the bridge crew is a positive
portrayal of people with physical challenges in life. Frakes: There
is a theme in Star Trek that addresses the equality of physically
challenged people, and I think that will continually rear its head.
I'm sure we'll see more of those stories. LeVar: The great thing
about Star Trek is that it says everyone has value and everyone has
something to bring to the table even if you have a turtle on your
head (aimed at Dorn)!

Q: How hard is it to star in two shows at the same time, Star Trek
and Reading Rainbow. Frakes: three shows..Captain Planet, no four..
Movie of the Week ..in Oakland. LeVar: Sometimes the scheduling is
difficult. I don't often publically say but I do owe a large debt of
gratitude to Rick Berman, our executive producer, mostly because
Rick was a producer of children's television series years ago called
The Big, Big Blue Marble, and he has a soft spot for children's TV,
so he does make it possible for me to do Reading Rainbow whenever we
need it. ...LeVar just finished a Movie of the Week, TV movie,
called Firestorm, about a major fire in Oakland a year ago. Michael
Gross and Joe Clayburg (or Jill Clayburg??) also star. Will air in
February.

Q: What was it like to act with James Doohan. "Actually I had a
great time acting with Jimmy Doohan. The wild thing was when he
opened his mouth, he was..Scotty, it was magic.  I enjoyed it a lot.

Q: What happened with the beard?  "I grew the beard because my wife
wanted me to have the beard when we were married. I grew the beard
with the understanding and agreement that after the wedding and
after the wedding pictures I would shave it again.  It is actually
how I prefer myself, and soon as we go on vacation I stop shaving.
But write to Rick anyway and tell him that you like it."

Q: How can you see through the visor and what is it made of.
 " I can't see through the visor. And it is made of..stuff..stuff I
 can't see through".

To All Three:
Q: I really enjoy it when your characters go into the holodeck. Do
you guys enjoy it when you are out of character.  Frakes: We will
take any opportunity to get out of our space suits and into anybody
else's clothes. Dorn: It is nice.  It is very easy for every show to
have a holodeck program, so we try to stay away from it as much as
possible. But I like it too. THe cowboy show, that was like a dream
come true.  I was raised on cowboy movies and cowboy shows. It was a
lot of fun.

Q: When did science fiction first come into all your lives, and how
has it changed since then? LeVar: I guess my first exposure to
science fiction was with the original Star Trek series. It has
affected my life in as much as when the last 60's and 70's and we
were just beginnig to see Black people on TV, it was very comforting
for me to know that there was a place for me in the future, seeing
Nichelle Nichols at Lt. Uhura was very cool for me as a kid. Dorn:
My first brush with science fiction was the same, although I did
love Outer Limits and the Twilight Zone. I've always been drawn to
that writing. Frakes: I remember having to read Jules Verne,
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, I think that was my first
contact with science fiction.  And then I became a big science
fiction fan, there was a great show that came on in the late 80's,
syndicated show, it had a predecessor in the 60's, it starred...
(referring to Star Trek).
Q: What would you like to see happen with your characters in the
future.  Frakes: More comedy, more irony, more singing, more
dancing. LeVar: More men in skirts! Dorn: I would like my character
to get more involved with...hairstyle..actually in the episode we
just finished Worf got a new hairdo. It is very cool. But I would
like Worf to get more involved with his son.  I like the
uncomfortability of his discovering how to be a father.
Q: Are you all going to do directing? LeVar: I will be directing an
episode later on this season, on July 7th (or he may have said one
of the last seven). Dorn: I will be acting in the shows they are
directing. I thought about it in the first year, but I will not be
directing a Star Trek. I would love to, I think it would be fun, but
no.
Q: What was it like working with Denise Crosby.  "Wookie.." Dorn:
I had the best time, during the first year I was at the Science
station, and weapons, and different stations so I had a better view
than everybody. I wold be working back there!  She was a real kick,
a live wire.  Frakes: Very sad the day we shot the Skin of Evil.
Every time I tell that story. Submerged in the metamucil and black
scum..And LeVar comes over to me, I'm lying there all covered in
that scum, and he says to me "Frakes, I wold never have done that."
It also was a very sad day, we were losing a character and a dear
friend.
Q: Has there ever been a time when the script has you do something
that you are morally against. Frakes: The thing that sticks out is
when there are blatantly sexist roles, and the men usually lead the
way in getting it changed. What I really like is that Star Trek is
a morality play. Dorn: In the first season I had to knock a Klingon
woman down the ramp, that I didn't like. The other was letting the
Romulan die. I was concerned about doing that, letting him die, and
how Worf would be perceived. I had a talk with LeVar and the
producer and they felt it would be fine, and it turned out to be a
good episode.
     I hope this was of interest to you all.  ...Athena

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