The
Rage In The Kage IX:
Further Tales From The Motor City Comic-Con
Written by: Kage
Alan
Well, I certainly missed a deadline, didn’t I?
Sure, it’s my own deadline, but I’m my own worst boss.
It’s not like I’m going to fire myself, but I’m certainly going
to make life very difficult for…um, myself. Yeah. So,
why has it taken so long to get this latest installment of the column
written? I’ve been entertaining…the Dalai Lama…’s third
cousin. See, it was just supposed to be a quick visit, but then
we discovered he doesn’t get HBO out there and, well, he’s now a
HUGE fan of “Sex and the City” and… Would you believe I
had a root canal? Good, because that part at least is true.
So what’s been going on out there in the world
of entertainment? I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing about
Justin and Britney. I’d have slept with him too had we lived
together, but, Justin, come on. Admitting you slept with Britney?
Do you have any idea how many teenage girls are going to want implants
now? Big news from Paramount is the upcoming release of the
Indiana Jones trilogy! Bad news for the fans is that they will
only be sold in a $70+ box set and will not be double disc sets.
There is a bonus disc with documentaries and other supplements, so
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they are worth it. Fans
are NOT happy about the whole box set idea. Not only that,
there’s room for yet another edition of the trilogy to come out in a
year or so. Warner did it with “Alien”, so why not Paramount
with Indiana Jones?
Before I get into the bulk of my column this
month, I wanted to thank all the fans of Linda Eder who have written
in with kind words about my recent interview with her. It was a
pleasure to have spoken with Linda and I look forward to watching her
career continue to flourish. Coming up in the next month too
will be an interview with Patricia Tallman. Most of you will
remember her from “Babylon 5”, but she’s done so much more than
that and I believe you’ll enjoy her personality and humor when it
gets posted. Check back for that.
Now, I had the distinct privilege of attending
the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan, this past May as an
official member of the press this time. Not only was the red
carpet laid out for the press and the guest celebrities, but it was
tremendous fun! I’ve never minded standing in line and waiting
to see someone who I’ve watched on television or on the movie
screen, only this year I had an opportunity to spend some time with
folks before the general population entered the building. More
on that in a moment, though. For those of you wondering what a
Comic Con is, it’s more than just dealers selling and buying comic
books. It’s meeting some of the artists who draw the comics,
meeting up-and-coming artists, finding collectables from the past as
well as the present, watching anime, sharing ideas and fun with fans
of your favorite shows and spending some quality time interacting with
actors and actresses from those shows during signings and speaking
events throughout the weekend.
Noel Neill
One of the most unique guests there this year was
Noel Neill. Anybody remember her? You should and if you
don’t, you should flog yourself. Noel was the first actress to
bring Lois Lane to the screen and who also starred opposite George
Reeves in the “Superman” TV serial. In times like these with
so many CGI shots and other special effects, the cast of
“Superman” back then had to rely on their acting abilities and
limited special effects of the day to tell a story. Noel was
charming, thoughtful and said she was very pleased to see so many fans
of the show still coming up to her over the years. She was also
there with author Larry Ward selling a biography about her life called
“Truth, Justice & The American Way: The Life And Times Of Noel
Neill, The Original Lois Lane”. Naturally I bought a copy and
found it to be an amazing account of someone I feel very honored to
have met.
Julie Newmar
Diva Julie Newmar was in attendance along with
“Batman” alumni Yvonne Craig. I always try to have a
question ready about an actor’s career that they might not always
get asked, so when I inquired to Julie about a little film she did
called “Deep Space”, she thought back for a moment and then burst
out laughing. “I don’t remember that one!” My bad.
I’ve got to say that watching Julie work the crowd was a scream.
Instead of sitting behind a table, she hopped right up onto it and
took pictures with everybody. Not only that, if she made a bit
of a flub while signing a publicity photo, she’d grab another one
(much to the dismay of the person collecting money for her) until it
was to her satisfaction. I’d visit with her again in a
heartbeat. She’s very fabu!
Denise Crosby
Even though she was only on “Star Trek: The
Next Generation” as Lt. Tasha Yar for its first season, Denise will
always have a permanent place in the hearts of fans. Let’s
face it, her bite was just as deadly as her bark and listening to her
talk about the kinds of self-defense training she went through for the
show, she really could kick some serious ass! When asked what
she’s up to, “I’m working on another documentary, a follow-up to
‘Trekkies’, only in countries outside the US.” She was joined at
the Con by fellow Trek alumni John de Lancie, Sean Kenney (from the
original series), Gwynyth Walsh, Barbara March and LeVar Burton (in
his first convention appearance!). LeVar had just won an Emmy
for “Reading Rainbow”, so it was an opportunity for him to update
fans on that show as well as the upcoming DVD release of
“Nemesis”.
Andrea Thompson
On the “Babylon 5” front, in attendance were
Andrea Thompson, Patricia Tallman, Peter Jurasik and Jerry Doyle.
Of all the speaking engagements I attended, the one with these four
was the absolute highlight! Most of the stories they told cannot
be repeated in print, but I hope someone records them one day and
tries! Since the “Babylon 5” DVD box sets started being
released, former cast members have been overwhelmed by the amount of
attention and renewed interest they’ve received. One
interesting story Peter related was how Warner called him up and asked
if he’d like to participate in a DVD commentary.
“Absolutely, I told them, then they asked when I’d be traveling
out to California to do it. I asked why they weren’t going to
have me brought out, why I had to pay for it myself and as soon as I
did, they lost interest.” Gotta love studio politics and that’s
something “Babylon 5” had to deal with from Day 1. Just ask
Jerry.
Laurette Spang
Other guests in attendance (and this doesn’t
begin to cover everybody) included Laurette Spang (“Battlestar
Galactica”, who is originally from the area and who was looking
forward to seeing a few familiar faces), Herb Jefferson Jr. (“Battlestar”),
Jill Whelan and Bernie Kopell (from “The Love Boat”), Kenny Baker,
Paul Blake, Mike Edmunds, Gerald Home, Eric Walker, Amy Allen (all
from the “Star Wars” universe), Mako (in another first convention
appearance), Gary Lockwood and Keir Dullea (from “2001”), Soupy
Sales, Dee Wallace Stone and Robert MacNaugton (from “ET”), Lisa
Wilcox (“Elm Street IV and V”), James Leary (“Buffy” who was
present to promote a short film he made called “Stunt C*CKS that
makes “Orgazmo” look like a Disney movie!) and Tracy Lords
(“First Wave”).
This is the third Motor City Comic Con I’ve
been to and they continue to improve every year. The layout
makes moving around the crowds easier, lines to meet the celebrities
are better organized and there is always somebody walking around who
is on hand to answer questions. That’s a big plus for me right
there. Fortunately, this particular Con happens only once a year
because it usually takes me that long to save up what I spend.
Personally, I think my partner would rather I go out and buy the
latest Britney CD, but I prefer the Con. When I come home and he
asks me “How much did you spend THIS time?”, I just look at him
and sing “Oops…I did it again…”
For more information about the Motor City Comicon,
visit their website at (www.motorcityconventions.com/motor_city_comic_con/).
A special thank you to Valerie Schendel for giving me unlimited
access, information and feedback while I attended the event.
I’m definitely looking forward to next year!
Previous installments:
Vol. 1 -
Critic Kage Alan rants about dvds and Warner Bros.
Vol. 2 - Railing
on Region Coding
Vol.
3 - Widescreen Vs. Pan And Scan
Vol. 4 - Artisan,
PFE and Conventions...Oh, My!
Vol. 5 - DVD Special Features
Vol. 6 - The Horror of It All
Vol. 7 - From The Inside Out
Vol. 8 - Budgets & Quality Control
Kage holds degrees in Creative Writing, as well as Film & Video. He has been
featured in a Life Journey Tele-Course, published poems in several national anthologies,
been a contributor to The Third Coast Magazine and written several
novels. kage@modamag.com
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