Have we had any news from our friends down at GAYLAXICON gay sci-fi convention in Atlanta? 

I understand that Jaytee's production company Blue Seraph has a booth, staffed with friends from HF/ODY  helping him to promote his short films http://www.tepnapafilms.com/about.html  and also to generate investors for his new big feature-length project (along with HF alumni Carlos Pedraza).  Check out that website (and if you click on the embedded clip of Bobby Rice/Evan Fowler making out, be prepared to steam up your screen)!  http://www.judaskissmovie.com/JudasKissMovie/Home.html

I also understand that a big screen, HD version of the Odyssey premiere episode will be shown on Fri or Saturday night to attendees.  That ought to get some attention!  I am guessing that the targeted demographic of Gaylaxicon will appreciate seeing how Rob has incorporated a gay character into Star Trek, and also I am positive that they will really enjoy the "ten minutes" scene.  If only they knew about "ridges" !!

Hopefully people will post some updates for us here on how it is going and how Jaytee and Odyssey was received.

-- Rick

Rick

The convention supposedly started today, so I don't think we'll see anything for a few hours still.

Just to let everyone know, I just checked the website.  There are no events slated to start until the opening ceremonies at 3PM ET, so I don't think there'll be any news yet, at least not for a while.

Oh, and the showing of Illiad is tentatively scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

edited to add additional information

Moving this over to the conventions forum.

Rob

Both andrew and bobby rice where on the quest list on their website so i'm sure we'll hear something

Just so everyone knows, I just received a call from JT.  (I'd contacted him before he left via note here and said that if he and anyone else from STO/etc. would like to get away from the hotel for a dinner on me, to give me a call).  When I didn't hear from him, I figured he was unable to get me.  Well, it turns out he had a wonderful time here in Atlanta.  He didn't get my phone messages until just now (*sigh*).  He was about to board his flight to return to LA (so you'll hear more tonight).  I wished him safe journey home.  He said I should try to make the EB next spring.  I said it'd depend on when it is, because I'm supposed to be flying back to LAX for Passover this April, so it's case of "let's wait and see."

For now, I'll just say that it was an incredibly busy weekend for all concerned.  There was always something happening from early in the morning until, well, early in the morning!  Adam left on Sunday evening.  Jamie returned home Sunday night.  JT and I (Andrew) got home this afternoon.  We'll have a nice report (and pictures in a gallery preview) very soon!

And We all Landed Safely back home...

As it should be I suppose. I have to say I really loved Gaylaxicon. It was so much fun to meet writers, directors, and fans. It such a wonderful way to get together. Andrew will probably tell more later. But I will just say he's awesome!

I went there obviously for Star Trek, Odyssey, but maybe not so obviously, I also went to promote my DVDs and Judas Kiss. The Star Trek stuff was easy. But I was really scared when talking about my own stuff. But everyone was so friendly. I think Gaylaxicon is so diverse yet, so intimate, you can do anything there. As a filmmaker, I got to really shine, except with LOGO, which I'll tell you in a bit.

We had two Odyssey Centric panels, the first was gays in Trek related so it wasn't as ODY centric as we'd like it to be. But Andrew and Beo's shirt idea was a good way to draw the panel back to us. They were cute shirts, I'm sure Andrew will post pictures. The second panel was all about Odyssey. And that was the one I was really nervous about. It was a Sunday and I was afraid that after all-nighter con parties and guest leaving, we would only have a few guest attending the panel. I was pleasantly surprised that we had a good deal of people showing up, despite our hangovers. (Special thanks goes to Jamie Kirk who sat at the booth while we all did the various panels, Thanks buddy) I learned a lot by listening to fans about what they saw on screen. And I can't wait to share them with Rob. It's so important to get fan feedback. The boards  is one thing. But the energy of sitting with the audience is quite another. It's much easier to give that free-flow of exchange.

So. LOGO. Scary! I was so frackin nervous. I don't know, I think I built up this hype in my head. For those who don't watch, LOGO is a gay and lesbian cable channel. An ever-growing voice in the community. I was asked a few days before to do an interview with them. So I was prepared to do a sit down interview. Nope! How stupid was I!?! It was an on-camera interview! And I had to deliver the interview to one  person, while another talking to another. Okay. Yeah, I had to do that sometimes in HF. But it threw me off. I was totally shaking...that is until Adam came in and helped me out. He such an honest and sincere person (camera whore). Well, I stumbled through it a lot better with Adam by my side, talking about Hidden Frontier Odyssey and my own projects. But I was totally kicking myself afterwards until Adam made me realize that what's important is not getting on camera for a promo, but getting to talk to actual people working at LOGO. So I gave them a copy of my DVD and made a promise to get a cut of Odyssey to them soon. That's where you come in Rob, I need stuff! ;)

I'm leaving out lots of stuff that I'm sure Andrew will fill in later. But I just wanted to talk about my return home. First of all, I hate Flying! hate it. Panic attack, hate it. But this trip has been manageable. On the way home, I was sitting next to an Chinese man in his forties. And we started talking about Star Trek. I mentioned what we do of course. And he gets into a conversation about the Concepts of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and Harry Potter as it relates to Jesus Christ and God. He was obviously a member of the Church of Ladder Day Saints, but without the white shirt and tie riding on the bicycle. But he was utterly fascinating to listen to. He is doctor and scientist in nuclear medicine and nano technology. So that was the refreshing part. The combining of Religion and Science in a way that isn't at odds with each other. We talked for hours sharing views while Harry Potter 5 was on a TV Panel. I feel like I really got to understand Mormonism in a refreshing way. We really got into the "Science of Religion" of it, We only stopped talking when Dr. Who was playing. Which I must say, I didn't really understand before today. At Gaylaxicon, I kept telling people, "I don't know what you are taking about" and "Isn't Dr. Who a bit Silly?" But I watched a whole episode and I loved it. Also, at Gaylaxicon, I met up with one of my Judas Kiss investors who had a degree in Religious Studies. I had talked a great deal with him about Buddhism and Christianity. It wasn't until I landed, that I thought that was the end of a perfect trip to Gaylaxicon. The world kinda fell in sync for me.

I'm glad things went well for you, JT.

Awww..... it was no problem. I really enjoyed being able to help out. It was a lot of fun. Well, I returned home Sunday night after seeing Adam off. I tell you what, MARTA (Atlanta's... "rail" system) isn't very fun to travel by at night  :?. But we made it back fine... well, everyone but me, as I have apparently caught the flu. I'm thinking that the lack of sleep and the cracking of Jaytee's whip  :wink: may be the culprits. Just kidding. Watching over the booth while Jaytee, Adam, and Andrew went off to the various panels was a lot of fun. I met a few new people that were fun to talk to. Lots of good pictures were taken (speaking of which, I have yet to see the new gallery, lol). I got to wear my new Starfleet uniform there, which I just loved. It's really warm though... not something I could wear often. Kudos goes to the HF/ODY/HC crew who actually wear those costumes for longer than a few hours at a time. I bet it's not very fun.

Oh, and by the way Jaytee, you did fine during the LOGO interview. The most important thing was that you got in front of the camera without any kind of script, which takes courage. I'm proud of ya!  :D

Please make sure to post the LOGO interview here (if its HF/ODY related) or on the JK website if it's more about that.  I would like to see it and I am pretty sure I've never heard of this channel on my tv/cable system.

Rick

According to Marc Leonard's blog (he's the sr. VP of Multi-Platform programming--whatever that is--for Logo), most of the various interviews from G'con 2007 will be airing during Alien Boot Camp, Fridays at 10pm on Logo, starting Oct. 26. I for one will definitely be watching out for JT's interview.

Though I've already sent Logo's webmaster an e-mail about the blog, as well as posting a comment. There's a brief mention of "members of the casts of fan-generated (and gay-inclusive) online Star Trek series", with 'casts' implying that 'series' is actually plural (stupid 5th declension nouns), but only has a hyperlink to New Voyages. Hopefully, that will be changed soon.

Several of us were interviewed (yes, I got to put in my two cents' worth) at various lengths.  Some shot "You are watching 'Alien Boot Camp'" promos, others were asked for opinions of the convention, others for stories of their work.  They said that they'd be editing all these to feature later in the month.

Any pictures from the convention, please linky :)

Andrew has put up a Gaylaxicon Photo Gallery Here.

Enjoy!

Rob

I need to figure out how to host  one  of these thing here at my resort , in daytona  fla , 35 minutes from orlando    humm humm i wonder ?

So sorry I missed it.. I had every intention of going to Atlanta, and even had my hotel reservation there at the Sheraton.  Then got a last minute phone call and had to make a business trip to Salem, Oregon, over the weekend. Bummer! Glad all went well.

aww that's too bad! I would loved to have met you Farrell...maybe the next one? Washington DC...Rob is already thinking about 2008. So it's going to biggy for ODY/HC

JT, I can't believe how many themes you managed to pack into your post, you must have been reeling..

I might try to make it as well, Corey.  Will have to see.

THE GAYLAXICON CHRONICLES – TALES FROM ROOM 727… AND BEYOND

Thursday 4 October 2007

It was an early day for both JT and I, beginning in separate timezones.  I arrived in a very rainy Atlanta early in the morning, picked up the car, and went off to buy some sundries and supplies.  After that, I went to pick up JT at the airport.  For those of you who have never been to the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, I’ll say that the place is immense, with six terminals connected by a railway to a main ticketing and baggage claim building.

We drove up into the city to get a poster JT had ordered for our booth in the Dealers’ Room.  The shop was on Peachtree Street, which we soon learned was to be a major theme for our weekend.  It seemed that every other street in Atlanta was named Peachtree (Avenue, Street, Center, etc.).  So, we had a running gag… “see you at the corner of Peachtree and Peachtree”.

We got settled into our hotel, the lovely Sheraton Atlanta, room 727.  My only negative reaction was that four people were going to be sharing a bathroom little bigger than the hotel elevator!  After that initial shock, we went down to explore the hotel and get our bearings.  We also took time to set up our table in the Dealers’ Room.  It was an opportunity to start meeting new people and seeing old friends.

Later, we decided to go for a walk and find a place for dinner.  Unfortunately, we turned one way when we should have turned the other, and we were headed into a “not-so-nice” area of town.  At that instant, we were approached by a rather chatty gentleman, who warned us about the area.  It was a bit unnerving having a complete stranger approach us like that, and tell us all about his life, his plight, and his job search.  As we learned more, including the fact that he was an ex-convict, he pointed out several nice choices of restaurants (somehow insisting we try “Hooters”), and then let us go on our way (after we “helped him” towards his monthly bus pas).  As we would soon learn, this would happen regularly; being approached by the homeless, wanderers, panhandlers, and others offering assistance to tourists and the overwhelmed.  Not a single walk went by without being approached by someone.

Having survived the encounter, JT and I enjoyed a nice Mexican meal on a balcony overlooking one of the many Peachtree streets.  It was a great chance to relax and plan for the weekend.  Oh yes, the water didn’t taste great, but the beer was fine!

Upon our return, we met up with the other early arrivals and socialized into the night.

(to be continued)

THE GAYLAXICON CHRONICLES – TALES FROM ROOM 727… AND BEYOND

Friday 5 October 2007

After a late night, we had a nice lay-in, and then visited the Dealers’ Room.  At noon, we drove down to the bus station (not a great area of town) to pick up Jamie (“Jamie Kirk”) who had come in from out of town to help.  It was great seeing him again, since I hadn’t seen him since EB2 back in April.  We brought him back to the hotel, dropped off his things in our room, and went down to the Dealers’ Room.  Jamie was to be instrumental in manning our table while JT, Adam, and I were off attending or sitting on panels.

One of the first visitors to our table was our friend, David Gerrold.  A very busy man indeed, it was nice to see him again, and have a chance to chat about all his projects.  As a note to all, if you want to make David smile, bring along some Lindor dark chocolate!

Bobby Rice arrived during the afternoon, giving us a chance to spend some time together again at the table, on panels, and at the many social events.

The staff opened the Con Suite for a meet and greet reception (there was always food somewhere) during the afternoon.  It was nice to have a little retreat.

At around 9:00pm, Jamie and I drove down to the airport to pick up Adam.  As JT was going to be meeting with one of his investors, Adam, Jamie, and I went out to dinner at the very loud Hard Rock Café (yes, at the corner of Peachtree).  After a pretty decent meal with endless refills of Mr Pibb, we returned to the hotel for the remainder of the evening’s events and a good amount of socializing.  When we went back upstairs, the four of us had a lovely chat before drifting off to sleep.

(to be continued)

THE GAYLAXICON CHRONICLES – TALES FROM ROOM 727… AND BEYOND

Saturday 6 October 2007

As hard as it was to get up, we managed to be up and off to open the table at the Dealers’ Room at 10:00am.  Jamie manned the table as JT, Adam, Bobby, and I went to sit on a panel, “Where No Gay Has Gone… Ever”, which also included David Gerrold and Evan Fowler, and was moderated by Alan Siler.

David reminisced about the original series days, and how later, in 1986, Gene Roddenberry promised to include gay characters in The Next Generation.  However, due to fears expressed by some of the production staff that there would be negative reactions, and due to the continuing failure of Gene’s health and decision-making abilities, that promise was lost.  We all talked about issues of bigotry, representation, and the invisibility and deliberate ignoring of gay people and a denial of the promise made by Gene.  We realized that it is incumbent on fanfilms to carry the torch for our rights.  The powers-that-be know about us, and we all expressed confidence that they will learn from us.

After some mini-interviews, JT and Adam prepared to be interviewed by LOGO, the GLBT television network.  They were filming throughout the weekend, capturing events and the thoughts of the attendees.

I attended a New Voyages Q&A panel, featuring David Gerrold, director of “Blood And Fire”, and two of the actors in that episode, Bobby Rice and Evan Fowler.  Unfortunately, the episode was not ready to be screened, but we were treated to a 4.5 minute rough cut of a rather interesting scene.

For the rest of the day, JT and Adam were visiting various panels, and Jamie and I watched the table.

Of course, dinner followed, and the inevitable socializing afterwards… late into the evening.  There was music, costumes, laughter, and some very good times.

Once again, we had no problems falling asleep.

(to be continued)

THE GAYLAXICON CHRONICLES – TALES FROM ROOM 727… AND BEYOND

Sunday 7 October 2007

I’m not sure why, but it has been getting increasingly more difficult to get up in the morning!  Regardless, Jamie and I managed to get up and be in the Dealers’ Room by 10:00am when it opened.

JT and Adam were visiting or appearing on various panels (“Literature versus Television: Portraying Queers”, “Buffy, Wonder Woman, and Dorothy Zbornak”, and “Harry Potter: 11 Weeks Later”), so Jamie and I ran the table for a while.

With all the socializing the night before, we were a bit concerned about our Odyssey panel at 3:00pm, however, the attendees did not disappoint.  With over 50 people in attendance, I moderated a panel that included Adam, JT, and Bobby.  We discussed the evolution from Hidden Frontier to Odyssey and beyond, and fielded questions from the audience.  In addition, we showed a photo gallery, series preview, bloopers, and the pilot episode, “Iliad”.  It was wonderful to hear a live reaction and see the episode up there on the big screen.

Afterwards, we took further questions and comments.  People loved the new ship, the music, and the nice mixture of humour and drama.  The performances of T’Lorra and Vaughan were applauded as was the by-the-book performance of Conner.  They loved all the aliens and the subtle villainy of the Archein.

With the inevitable comparisons to Voyager, we were pleased to hear such comments as, “this is Starfleet exploring distant regions, far from home” and “this is what Voyager should have been”.  We were suitably pleased with the favourable response.

At 6:00pm, Jamie and I walked up to meet his mother and sister who had come down to visit.  We brought them back to the hotel and introduced them to our group.  Unfortunately, after a short while, JT and I had to take Adam back to the airport for his 10:00pm flight.  On our return, the five of us went out for a nice dinner at a local diner.  It was really great to meet some of Jamie’s family and have them share in our enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Jamie and his family at around 10:00pm, as they had to begin the journey back home.  After seeing them off, JT and I returned to the hotel for a bit of socializing.  Then, it was time to head back upstairs to pack and gab for a few more hours.

(to be concluded)

THE GAYLAXICON CHRONICLES – TALES FROM ROOM 727… AND BEYOND

Monday 7 October 2007

After yet another late night, JT and I packed up the last of our things, and said our goodbyes to some of the other attendees that had managed to crawl out of bed.  We drove down to the airport, dropped off the car, and joined the 20-minute queue for security.  After that, we relaxed in the café and chatted for a while until it was time to depart.  So, at around noon, JT headed off to Los Angeles and I to Toronto, renewed in enthusiasm by a fantastically productive weekend, and a chance to get to know each other better yet again.

As for Gaylaxicon, I must say that we were treated wonderfully.  A great, warm welcome was extended to us.  If we needed something, it was made available to us with a smile.  My heartiest of thanks to the wonderful team that organized and ran Gaylaxicon 2007.  I was proud to be part of it.

Wow.... I have to say that to remember all that is impressive.... must be your damned microcortical implants. lol

Could've told you, there are 53 streets named Peachtree here in Atlanta.

Thanks, Jamie!  It was either that or the pen and paper I always had with me, but I like your suggestion better. ;)

Sounds like a lot of fun was had by all, and that everyone did a good job representing HF, ODY, and other interests while there.  Be interesting to see if Andrew and others got any new, fun ideas to incorporate into the Excelsior Ball III conference, too.

Rick

Yes apparently they have gotten ideas, they are going to name everything Peachtree.

Remember, it's not just Peachtree - it's Peachtree Memorial, Peachtree Battle, Peachtree Industrial, Peachtree Parkway, the list goes on and on and on . . .

Rick Pike starts "Those darn PEACHTREES are everywhere!!" thread in 5, 4, 3... ;D

2 . . .  :angel:

You laugh, but I used to have to go to Atlanta about every month for several days, for almost a year, back in a former life.  I hope to never have to find a certain Peachtree _______  address again in my life.  Hopefully they have outlawed any new Peachtrees in that area!!  So no new thread from me on that.  LOL

Rick

Shifting the focus from geography back to any further discussion of Gaylaxicon events...

Actually, I can.

With Gaylaxicon 2008 now in the works, I contacted the programming guru for it after checking the website.  The website, http://www.gaylaxicon2008.org, said something like, "If you have any suggestions for programming ideas, please let us know."  Well, I did, using a one-word e-mail.  The programming guru got back to me and said, "We'd love to have what you suggest, but don't have anyone on the concom to help us in any way.  Would you be willing to do it?"  I said, "Yes."  Foolish me.

I was kind of hoping we'd get back to any questions relating to the events of the most recent Gaylaxicon where Odyssey was represented.  However, since the original question has been answered (i.e. any reports from Gaylaxicon 2007), I'm locking this topic.  If there is anything further to add, please let me know.

Please feel free to create new topics for discussion about upcoming conventions and events involving Hidden Frontier, Odyssey, or Helena Chronicles.