| CONTENTS |
|
UPCOMING
EVENTS
•
Friday-Sunday, April 15-17:
Kamping Kon
• Saturday, April 16: Away
Mission to Super
• Saturday, April 23: Spring
Dinner & Business Meeting
• Saturday, May 7: Away
Mission to Thor
• Friday-Sunday, May 13-15:
Outlantacon/Gaylaxicon
• Friday-Sunday, May 27-29:
TimeGate
• Saturday, June 4: Away
Mission to X-Men: First Class
• Friday-Sunday, June 10-12:
Sci-Fi Summer Con
• Saturday, June 18:
Away Mission to Green Lantern
• Saturday, July 23: Away
Mission to Captain America
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The TrekTrax Atlanta
2011 Postmortem Report
• TrekTrax Atlanta Pre-Con
Publicity and Post-Con Reviews
SIDEBAR
• Member Reenlistments
• February Membership Renewals
• About the Republic
• For More Information
• USS Republic Online
• Related Sites
• Our Member Benefits Program
Partners
• Crew Roster
• News from StarTrek.com
— Orbiting
80, Nimoy Looks Back... and Ahead (Part III)
• Photos from TrekTrax
Atlanta
|
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Kamping
Kon
Friday-Sunday, April 15-17, 2011
Hillside Bluegrass RV Park
592 Highway 87 S, Cochran GA 31014-3100
(478) 934-6694 |
 Kamping
Kon is an outdoor adventure for science fiction fans of all
genres, but with a heavy emphasis on Klingon fandom. The
weekend will include three days of games, food, spirits and
escapades.
Planned events include RPGs, a sci-fi puppet show, a marshmallow
roast and s'mores, a campfire sing-along, a Kon movie theatre,
board games, card games, live bands, targshoes, a ladder toss,
a bat'leth tournament, paintball, an after-dark woodland Marco
Polo, karaoke, an adult puppet show, hillbilly croquet and
closing ceremonies.
Confirmed guests include Jodi and Clint Black, "J'rel
Kor" (Delton Wilson) and One Hard Night. Cochran
is located about 120 miles south of Atlanta.
The cost of admission is $30 per person and includes admission
to the Kon for the entire weekend. Camping fees are
not included. Camp sites are reserved through
Hillside
Bluegrass RV Park for $20.00 per person per day for
day use only at the door.
For more information about Kamping Kon and to register, please
visit their web
site. |
Away
Mission to Super
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced |
 When
sad-sack loser Frank (Rainn Wilson) sees his ex-addict wife
(Liv Tyler) willingly snatched by a seductive drug dealer
(Kevin Bacon), he finds himself bereft and wholly unable to
cope. But soon he decides to fight back under the guise
of a DIY superhero called Crimson Bolt. With a
hand-made suit, a wrench and a crazed sidekick named Boltie
(Ellen Page), the Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean
streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife. The rules
were written a long time ago: You are not supposed to molest
children, cut lines or key cars; if you do, prepare to face
the wrath of the Crimson Bolt!
Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away
mission" to see this action/adventure comedy. Theaters
and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date
and plan on an early evening showing.
WATCH
THE SUPER MOVIE TRAILER HERE |
Spring
Dinner & Business Meeting
7:00
p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2011
China One International Buffet
5975 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs GA 30328
(404) 303-6118 |
All
members and friends of the USS Republic are invited
to join us for our annual Spring Dinner & Business
Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. This
will be an especially important meeting with at least three
important business items on the agenda for discussion:
|
•
|
The
current and ongoing situation regarding the Republic's
status and relationship with STARFLEET International,
as previously discussed at the Mid-Summer Business
Meeting last August and in CO Capt Eric L. Watts'
"State of the Chapter" address to the
membership at the Christmas Party in December;
|
|
•
|
A
report on the Republic's
very first full-scale Star Trek convention,
TrekTrax Atlanta, held in February, as well as plans
for 2012; and |
|
•
|
Chapter
events and activities being planned for the next three
months and beyond, including fan tables and/or room
parties at Outlantacon, TimeGate and Sci-Fi Summer
Con. |
 This
is an especially important meeting for anyone who is interested
in the future and general welfare of the USS Republic.
Please
join us at the China One International Buffet restaurant
in Sandy Springs, on Roswell Road just a quarter mile north
of I-285, next to Lowe's. Their 100-item buffet,
featuring Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine, includes
seafood, meat, vegetables, dim sum, sushi, hot bar and cold
salad bar, ice cream, cookies, cakes, fresh seasonal fruits
and more for only $9.99 per person. Soft drinks
are free!
Of course, it's not all business... you'll also be able
to enjoy the company of your fellow shipmates and have a
lot of fun as we celebrate our recent successes and chart
our course for the future. Please mark your calendars
now and plan to attend!
RESTAURANT
DETAILS
MAP & DIRECTIONS
|
Away
Mission to Thor
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced |
 This
epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe from present-day
Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center
of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful
but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient
war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth, where he
is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous
villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth,
Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.
Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away
mission" to see this highly anticipated movie—the
latest in Marvel Studios' series of films featuring members
of the classic Avengers. Theaters and showtimes
have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on
an early evening showing.
WATCH THE
THOR MOVIE TRAILER HERE |
|
Outlantacon/Gaylaxicon
Friday-Sunday,
May 13-15, 2011
Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta GA 30341
(770) 457-6363
|
|
|
Outlantacon
is an Atlanta-based event for the "Queer Geek"
audience. In 2011, Outlantacon will be playing
host to Gaylaxicon, the national GLBT convention for the
queer audience.
Gaylaxicon, the annual GLBT convention event, makes its
return to Atlanta in 2011, following a very successful first
visit in 2007. They'll be featuring all the usual
Outlantacon goodies, just on a bigger scale. Look
for their own special versions of Family Feud, Project
Cosplay (a big hit at Outlantacon 2010), live entertainment,
etc; plus all the usual Gaylaxicon events like the Chocolate
Symposium, Gaylactic Jeopardy!, and of course, the
Gaylactic Spectrum Awards.
|
|
|
Commanding
Officer Capt Eric L. Watts diligently works the
USS Republic's recruitment table at last
year's Outlantacon. This year, he's an
official guest!
|
Among
Outlantacon's more than twenty guests are roleplaying and
computer game designer Andrew Greenberg, who worked
on the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine RPGs and the Star Trek: Starfleet
Academy computer game; longtime Friend of the Republic
Melissa Carter, a cohost on Q100's morning radio
program The Bert Show and a self-proclaimed "out and
proud" Star Trek fan; and our very own Captain
Eric L. Watts, who will be seated as a panelist on
all of Outlantacon's Star Trek programming events.
The USS Republic will once again have an official
presence at Outlantacon which may include a fan table and/or
a room party. Be sure to attend the Republic's
Spring Dinner & Business
Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested
in helping with either one, or contact
the Captain if you're unable to attend.
Outlantacon memberships are $50 until April 30. Children's
and at-the-door rates are not listed on their web site. For
more information about Outlantacon's guests, programming
events, hotel and memberships, please visit their web
site.
OUTLANTACON
WEB SITE
|
|
TimeGate
Friday-Sunday,
May 27-29, 2011
Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta GA 30341
(770) 457-6363
|
|
|
TimeGate
is an annual science fiction/fantasy convention that focuses
on Doctor Who and Stargate but also includes
programming on a wide range of other sci-fi/fantasy interests.
So if you're into Stargate SG-1, Doctor
Who, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood or The
Sarah Jane Adventures—or if you're excited about the
new show Stargate Universe—this is the convention
for you! But if not, we'll also have Star Trek,
Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Heroes,
literary, horror and comics programming, too, along with
many other topics.
|
|
|
Members
of the USS Republic enjoy a group dinner
at last year's TimeGate. Clockwise from
left: ENS2 Julianne Trew, Capt Michael Cowart,
ENS2 Eric Lange, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, "Wolfy,"
CO Capt Eric L. Watts, ENS2 Joanne Trew.
|
TimeGate's
nearly two dozen guests include Melissa Scott, author
of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel Proud
Helios and the Star Trek: Voyager novel The
Garden, and Heidi Arnold, a sequential artist
and illustrator who drew "Inalienable Rights"
in Uchu, the third volume of Star Trek: The Manga,
published by Tokyopop.
The USS Republic will once again have an official
presence at TimeGate which may include a fan table and/or
a room party. Be sure to attend the Republic's
Spring Dinner & Business
Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested
in helping with either one, or contact
the Captain if you're unable to attend.
TimeGate memberships for persons age 13 and up are $40 until
May 6 and are $50 at the door. For more information
about TimeGate's guests, programming events, hotel and memberships,
please visit their web
site.
TIMEGATE
WEB SITE
|
Away
Mission to X-Men: First Class
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced |
 X-Men:
First Class, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts
the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles
Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender)
took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young
men discovering their powers for the first time. Before
they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working
together, with other mutants (some familiar, some new) to
stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In
the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal
war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.
Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away
mission" to see this highly anticipated prequel to the
first three now-class X-Men films. Theaters and
showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date and
plan on an early evening showing.
WATCH
THE X-MEN: FIRST CLASS MOVIE TRAILER HERE |
|
Sci-Fi
Summer Con
Friday-Sunday,
June 10-12, 2011
Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter NW
6345 Powers Ferry Road NW, Atlanta GA 30339
(770) 955-1700
|
 Now
in its eleventh year, Sci-Fi Summer Con is for fans, friends
and anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror
and comics. The Republic has had an official
presence at this convention for the last several years,
including our 20th anniversary celebration three years ago
and our very own Captain Eric L. Watts being named
last year's Fan Guest of Honor. Sci-Fi Summer
Con is Atlanta's only annual convention devoted exclusively
to all forms of science fiction and fantasy.
|
|
|
Crmn
Jessica Curtiss, Cmdr Dave "Grizzly" Slaughter,
CO Capt Eric L. Watts and Ens Eddie Hines at the
Republic's recruitment table at last year's
Sci-Fi Summer Con.
|
Sci-Fi
Summer Con has not yet announced any Star Trek-related
guests for this year's convention, but we'll be sure to
announce them in a future issue of
The Republiqué if and when they do.
The USS Republic will once again have an official
presence at Sci-Fi Summer Con which may include a fan table
and/or a room party. Be sure to attend the Republic's
Spring Dinner & Business
Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested
in helping with either one, or contact
the Captain if you're unable to attend.
Sci-Fi Summer Con memberships for persons age 13 and up
are $20 until May 20 and are $35 at the door. For
more information about TimeGate's guests, programming events,
hotel and memberships, please visit their web
site.
SCI-FI
SUMMER CON WEB SITE |
Away
Mission to Green Lantern
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced |
 In
a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful
force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace
and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A
brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order,
each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers.
But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy
the balance of power in the universe, their fate and the fate
of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first
human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds).
Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns
have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the
infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly
the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination
and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has
ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow
pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively),
if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage
to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key
to defeating Parallax… he will become the greatest Green Lantern
of all.
Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away
mission" to see this summer's only movie from DC Comics. Theaters
and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date
and plan on an early evening showing.
WATCH
THE GREEN LANTERN MOVIE TRAILER HERE |
Away
Mission to Captain America: The First Avenger
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced |
 Born
during the Great Depression, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) grew
up a frail youth in a poor family. Horrified by
the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired
to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty
and sickness, he was rejected. Overhearing the boy’s
earnest plea, Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offered
Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment…
Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers was
at last administered the "Super-Soldier Serum" and
bombarded by "vita-rays." Steve Rogers emerged
from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be
and still be human. Rogers was then put through
an intensive physical and tactical training program. Three
months later, he was given his first assignment as Captain
America. Armed with his indestructible shield and battle
savvy, Captain America has continued his war against evil
both as a sentinel of liberty and leader of the Avengers.
Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away
mission" to see this highly anticipated movie—the
fourth and latest in Marvel Studios' series of films featuring
members of the classic Avengers. Theaters and showtimes
have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on
an early evening showing.
WATCH
THE CAPTAIN AMERICA MOVIE TRAILER HERE |
|
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
The
TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 Postmortem Report
|
|
|
TrekTrax
Atlanta was held over Presidents Day Weekend, February 18-20,
2011, at the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter in Chamblee and
made history in a number of ways. Produced by Eric
L. Watts and hosted by the USS Republic, TrekTrax
Atlanta (TXA) was the first exclusive, Star Trek-only
convention to be held in Atlanta since 1993. Headlining
the convention were celebrity guests Tim Russ ("Tuvok"
from Star Trek: Voyager) and Barbara March and
Gwynyth Walsh ("Lursa" and "B'Etor," a.k.a. the Duras
Sisters, from Star Trek: The Next Generation). Additional
guests included:
|
•
|
Ken
Feinberg, who played the Alien Captain in the Star
Trek: Enterprise episode "Horizon" |
|
•
|
Diana
Botsford, co-author of the Star Trek: The Next
Generation episode "Rascals" |
|
•
|
Andrew
Greenberg, a roleplaying game designer who has worked
on games for Star Trek: The Next Generation and
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine |
|
•
|
Dr.
Ina Rae Hark, author of Star Trek, a 2008
book in the BFI TV Classics series published by Palgrave
Macmillan for the British Film Institute |
|
•
|
Larry
Nemecek, author of The Star Trek: The Next Generation
Companion, former managing editor of Communicator
and current contributor to Titan/U.K.'s Star Trek
magazine |
|
•
|
Emmett
Plant, a writer, composer and producer who has produced
over twenty Star Trek audiobooks for CBS/Paramount |
|
•
|
Dr.
Brad Strickland, the author or co-author of five
Star Trek Young Adult novels |
|
•
|
John
Broughton, Michael Bednar and Holly Bednar
from Starship Farragut, an independent film series
based on the original series of Star Trek |
|
•
|
Lee
Cox, a costuming expert, horror makeup artist, magician
and Dragon*Con's Director of Costuming |
|
•
|
Keela
& Katkith, hosts of the incredibly popular Klingon
Karaoke |
|
•
|
"Nerd
rock" bands One Hard Night and the New York
Disco Villains |
In addition to these guests, more than two dozen programming
participants appeared in TXA programming events.
 TrekTrax
Atlanta distinguished itself by offering an enormous amount
of programming to its attendees, including four concurrent
tracks of programming: two dedicated to the Star Trek
universe in general (Main Programming and "OmniTrek"), another
devoted to the Klingon Empire in particular ("Qo'Nos"), and
a fourth specifically for costuming and makeup ("The Ready
Room"). TXA also hosted three 24-hour gaming rooms,
one each for role-playing games, board games and card games,
as well as a VIP champagne reception, Q&A sessions and photo
opportunities with the celebrity guests, a dealers room, con
suite, costume contest, 24-hour video room, a dance party
in the hotel atrium and the 12th annual Miss Klingon Empire
Beauty Pageant.
Overview
TXA Chairman Eric L. Watts kicked off the convention
early Friday evening during Opening Ceremonies with a dramatic,
poignant and heartfelt yet entertaining 15-minute multimedia
presentation. The first third of the presentation included
a rolling photo slideshow of highlights from Watts' 17 years
as Dragon*Con's Director of Star Trek Programming while
he sang the classic Frank Sinatra tune "My Way." The
second third of the presentation included a montage of fan
press headlines announcing Watts' dismissal from Dragon*Con
and quotes from various blogs and social media both complimenting
and criticizing his work for the convention over the years,
concluding with words of inspiration from none other than
Captain James T. Kirk himself. The final third of the
presentation included a dramatic roll call of TrekTrax Atlanta's
guests, department heads and volunteer staff while Watts sang
Luther Vandross' soulful version of "Impossible Dream." The
presentation ended with the entire TXA staff onstage in front
of a cheering and standing ovation.
Following Friday night's Opening Ceremonies, events included
a private and intimate VIP champagne reception with our three
celebrity guests and about a dozen attending members; the
charity poker tournament "An Evening at Quark's" that benefitted
the First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta food bank;
live performances by One Hard Night and the New York Disco
Villains; and panel discussions on the OmniTrek and Qo'Nos
programming tracks.
On Saturday morning, all four programming tracks presented
various discussion panels while our celebrity guests signed
autographs and posed for photographic portraits in a studio
setting that included a replica of the original Star Trek
series command chair. On Saturday afternoon, on the
Main Programming track, Tim Russ appeared on the ballroom
stage for his first Q&A hour with the audience, followed by
Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh appearing together on the
ballroom stage for their first Q&A. Main Programming
concluded the afternoon with the Star Trek Universe
Costume Contest. Throughout the afternoon, OmniTrek,
Qo'Nos and The Ready Room continued to present entertaining
and informative panel discussions on their respective tracks.
Several special events were held throughout Saturday evening.
On Main Programming, Tim Russ performed sets of music
from his CDs, followed by Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh
entertaining the audience in their own unique style. On
Qo'Nos, John Stump and Dana Tyler were married
in their Klingon personas as "K'Val" and "K'Zuul" in a Klingon
wedding ceremony while DJ MoQ Kohless played popular
dance music from the '70s through the '90s in the hotel's
open atrium and bar area during "Happy Hour at Ten Forward."
Meanwhile, OmniTrek and The Ready Room continued to
present panel discussions and workshops. Main Programming
concluded the evening with a live performance by Jennifer
Teeter and her ukelele while OmniTrek closed the day with
the popular Kobayashi Maru Trivia Challenge, presented by
Eve Gidion and Larry Nemecek.
On Sunday morning, the four programming tracks resumed their
presentation of discussion panels while our celebrity guests
once again signed autographs and posed for photographic portraits.
On Sunday afternoon, Tim Russ, followed again by Barbara
March and Gwynyth Walsh, presented their second Q&A hours
with the audience on Main Programming, while Qo'Nos and The
Ready Room continued to present even more discussion panels,
workshops and special events such as Klingon Family Feud and
the TrekTrax Fashion Show.
One of the highlights of TrekTrax Atlanta and the penultimate
conclusion of the convention was the long-awaited return of
the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant. Created, produced
and hosted by Eric L. Watts and presented at Dragon*Con as
part of his TrekTrak programming track from 1999 to 2009,
the world-famous MKE pageant is now a part of TrekTrax Atlanta.
Once again MC'ed by Watts, the twelfth annual pageant's
celebrity judges included Tim Russ, Barbara March, Gwynyth
Walsh and TXA Fan Guest of Honor Emmett Plant. Honorable
contestants included Laura Wallace as "L'Junar Sot,"
Laura Belle Wallace as "L'Bellar Kor," Dana Tyler
as "K'Zuul tai Kolos," Inez Foust as "Katara Koloth,"
and Andrea Benton as "SajQa’ sutai Fenix." The
five contestants competed in Beauty (costume and makeup),
Talent and Personality categories and were scored from 1 to
10 in each of the three categories by each of the four judges,
for a maximum possible score of 120 points. After an
honorable competition between the contestants and an intense
deliberation among the judges, the winner of the 12th annual
Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant was "SajQa’ sutai Fenix,"
a.k.a. Andrea Benton. "SajQa'" was presented with a
10-inch-tall rhinestone crown, an embroidered satin pageant
sash, a huge bouquet of colorful flowers and a custom-made,
14-inch-tall trophy featuring a clear acrylic Klingon trifoil
mounted on a wooden base with an engraved silver plate autographed
by all four judges.
TrekTrax Atlanta came to a close early Sunday evening with
Keela & Katkith's ever-popular Klingon Karaoke in the Qo'Nos
room and Closing Ceremonies on Main Programming. Closing
Ceremonies was a one-hour panel discussion with the TXA executive
committee listening to feedback from the audience on the convention's
many hits and very few misses. Generally speaking, most
everyone in attendance who offered any type of feedback was
very happy with the overall convention if not outright surprised
at how well a first-year convention went. The only real
complaint anyone had about the weekend was the hotel's inability
to get its air conditioning system running properly during
what could only be described as a totally unexpected mid-winter
heat wave, with outside temperatures in the 70s... in the
middle of February.
TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 was clearly an operational success—all
departments, programming tracks and major events ran smoothly,
on time and as planned—and nearly everyone who attended said
they had a great time and promised to come back next year.
Nevertheless, the one question that seemed to be on
most people's minds and lips was, "Where IS everybody"? One
online blogger described TXA as "the best-run convention nobody
attended.” Attendance was a far cry from "nobody," but
certainly, "nobody" was more surprised at the convention's
actual attendance numbers than the TXA executive committee.
Pre-Con Research, Targeted Marketing and
Attendance Results
One of the challenges the TXA executive committee
(EC) faced during the earliest planning stages was estimating
the convention's potential, likely and worst-case scenario
attendance for our very first year. This was critically
important for our early planning simply because we needed
a realistic attendance number to base a budget on. As
a first-year con, we had no baseline with which to work: How
many people would attend a Star Trek convention in
Atlanta in February? A hundred people? A thousand
people? Less? More? Who knew? One
of the very first things we as a committee did was to consult
our friends and colleagues who ran other sci-fi-based fan
conventions in the Atlanta area: Sci-Fi Summer Con, TimeGate,
Outlantacon. We had two questions for them: What is
your average total attendance, and what percentage of that
number preregister vs. pay at the door? Based on the
information they shared with us, the proven strength of regional
Star Trek fandom and taking into consideration the
"star power" of guests we had booked vs. those of the other
cons, the EC developed a budget we believed was very realistic.
We expected a grand total attendance of 400 paid memberships,
were prepared with lanyards, badges and program books for
as many as 500 paid memberships, but needed only 300 paid
memberships to break even. We developed contingency
plans for standing-room-only crowds in the ballrooms, a sold-out
hotel and even overflow parking.
In a post-con blog article, one reporter stated that TXA was
"criminally under-promoted." That is a lazy and reckless
conclusion based on an absence of information. In fact,
the EC developed and implemented a strategic marketing campaign
between May and December of last year that targeted many well-known
and well-established Star Trek fandom networks. Members
of the EC personally handed out hundreds of flyers at fan
tables at last year's TimeGate, Sci-Fi Summer Con, Dragon*Con
and Atlanta Comic Con, and hundreds more were sent to Charlotte's
Geek Gala, ConCarolinas and other regional conventions for
distribution. Full-page advertisements were placed in
last year's TimeGate program book and in the December issue
of STARFLEET International's Communiqué (circulation:
4,000 copies). Certificates for free memberships were
donated to Charlotte's Geek Gala as a raffle prize and to
the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus for a charity fundraising event.
Flyers were sent by postal mail to every past and present
member of the USS Republic since 2006. All thirty-two
STARFLEET Region 2 chapters (representing nearly five hundred
members) were offered an exclusive group discount. Regular
announcements were posted on the STARFLEET Region 2, Klingon
Assault Group, Starfleet Command and other Star Trek-related
YahooGroups message boards. Emails were sent to
almost 700 email addresses collected from Fandata.com, as
well as more than two dozen Klingon Assault Group chapters
across the country representing, again, hundreds of members.
TXA was listed on more than two dozen different convention
listing web sites and thumbnail ads appeared on a handful
of others. Interviews with Chairman Watts were
published by the Convention Fans Blog and FanBoys Radio web
sites. A targeted Facebook ad campaign ran for three
weeks in December. Our own Facebook fan page had more
than 500 "friends" prior to the convention. All
in all, the TXA EC spent almost $900 on printed advertisements,
marketing materials and online advertising and many man-hours
in at-con promotions. We believed our overall marketing
campaign was smart, effective, well-targeted and financially
sound, and we had every reason to believe that we needed to
be far more worried about what to do if we sold out the hotel
and ran out of badges than what to do if we didn't meet our
minimum required attendance number.
By the end of the weekend, TrekTrax Atlanta attendance numbered
25 guests, 45 staff volunteers and 187 paid memberships for
a total attendance of 257 persons. Paid attendance was
about half of what we expected and about 100 people fewer
than what we needed to break even. The TXA EC is surprised
and disappointed at this number, has given the matter a great
deal of examination and has reached several conclusions.
With the clarity of hindsight, we now believe that scheduling
TrekTrax Atlanta on the same weekend as Con Nooga in Chattanooga
was a mistake. Chairman Watts takes full responsibility
for that decision, as he did not believe that a convention
in an entirely different State would have an impact on local
attendance. Quite the contrary, we heard from a lot
of folks just before, during and after the convention that
they would have attended TXA had it not been the same weekend
as Con Nooga. To a lesser extent, we also heard
from numerous folks that AnachroCon being held the following
weekend was the reason for their not attending TXA. Other
reasons given for not attending TXA was the risk of attending
a first-year convention which had not yet established itself
as worth the money, as well as an apparent boycott of the
convention by STARFLEET Region 2 as a result of the estranged
relationship between Region 2 management and the USS Republic.
Damn the Photon Torpedoes, Warp Speed Ahead!
Because the 2011 TXA did not meet our minimum required
attendance in order to break even, it naturally follows that
the convention lost money. As a first-year convention
with very little resources, it goes without saying that we
literally did not have money to lose and as a result, we have
some outstanding financial obligations that must be satisfied.
We have contacted our debtors and have made arrangements
to pay our debts as quickly as possible under the circumstances.
These financial obligations put the future of TXA in jeopardy.
The EC has given the matter a great deal of thoughtful
consideration and has come to the following conclusion: although
we concluded our first year awash in red ink, the positive
feedback we received from all those who actually were in attendance
plus the understanding we now have of why so many others did
not attend have given us the confidence and motivation to
move forward and begin making plans for our second year in
2012. We have a great deal of work to do and a lot of
important decisions to make in the weeks and months ahead.
The one decision we have already made is to move the
convention to April of next year so as to avoid both Con Nooga
and AnachroCon. We have not yet booked a hotel and are
just now beginning to consider potential guests. There's
no way of knowing quite yet whether next year's convention
will be bigger, smaller or about the same size as this year's,
but one thing is for certain: Yes, Virginia, there will
be a TXA 2012!
Potential investors, corporate sponsors, financial backers,
venture capitalists and other folks with lots of disposable
income who would like to support a very worthy cause are encouraged
to contact the TrekTrax
Atlanta Executive Committee. |
| TrekTrax
Atlanta Pre-Con Publicity and Post-Con Reviews |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MEMBER
REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their SFI dues in January
ENS3 Reginald Franklin
Ens Rob Gilliam
|
FEBRUARY
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
These members' SFI and chapter dues expired in February
ENS2 Katherine Akin
ENS1 Tony Cade
ENS2 William H. Dover
|
|
|
|
ABOUT
THE REPUBLIC
|
|
The
USS Republic NCC-1371 was originally commissioned
as a chapter of STARFLEET International on May 14, 1988,
at the Dixie-Trek convention in Atlanta, Georgia. After
22½ years and multiple name changes, the Republic
was decommissioned by STARFLEET in November 2010. The
Republic operated as an independent organization
until April 2011. Effective April 9, 2011,
STARFLEET recognizes the "USS Republic - STARFLEET
Registry: NX-1371, a Constitution-Class, Enterprise-Subclass
Heavy Cruiser... as a Meeting chapter in Shakedown Cruise."
As of April 10, the Republic crew includes 45
members who are active members of STARFLEET in good
standing.
The Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule
of events for its members, frequently partnering with
other local science fiction groups in the Atlanta area
for joint activities, but does not hold meetings on a
consistently fixed date each month.
Because the USS Republic is a duly commissioned
chapter of STARFLEET International and is bound and governed
by its Constitution and By-Laws, membership in STARFLEET
is a prerequisite for membership in the Republic. Combined
annual dues for both groups are $25 per person and is
collected by the chapter (family discounts are available
with certain conditions and restrictions). Membership
in the Republic includes access to our YahooGroups
message board, voting privileges in chapter elections
and a personalized laminated membership card which entitles
the member to discounts and rebates on products and services
offered by our Member Benefits Program partners. Additional
information on Republic membership and how to join
is on our award-winning web site.
|
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
USS
REPUBLIC ONLINE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RELATED
SITES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OUR
MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CREW
ROSTER
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capt
Matt Ebeling
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Wolfy"
|
|
NEWS
from
|
|
|
| Orbiting
80, Nimoy Looks Back... and Ahead (Part III) |
|
By
StarTrek.com Staff
March 25, 2011
|
| Leonard
Nimoy will turn 80 years old tomorrow and here, in the third
and final installment of our exclusive interview, the Star
Trek legend contemplates reaching that age – as well
as the far less attractive alternative. He also discusses
his appearance in Star Trek (2009), offers his thoughts
on the unsung heroes behind TOS, muses about Trek’s
fiction becoming today’s reality and shares his thoughts
on his relationship with fellow octogenarian William Shatner.
|
Your appearances as Spock on Star Trek: The Next Generation
were your idea, right? |
Nimoy: I went to the producers at Next Generation
with the idea that we could do a crossover, that I could
do an appearance on The Next Generation that would,
in a sense, be a connection to the Star Trek films
that we were making. They wrote a script which
I thought served that purpose. I went and gladly did
it. And yes, it was my idea. I went to
them with the idea, and we did it. |
Eighteen years had passed since you last played Spock in
Star Trek VI, and along comes J.J. Abrams’ movie.
Looking back at it, how satisfied were you with how
Spock Prime was worked into the story? |
Nimoy: I had a great time. I thought that J. J.
and his writers had captured the essence of the fun of the
Star Trek characters, the chemistry between the people,
the excitement of becoming part of that crew and going out
on this adventure. I thought it was a great ride as
a film. I was pleased with how they treated the Spock
character. I thought that they really got it. When
they first called me and asked me to come to a meeting,
I went to meet with J. J. and Orci and Kurtzman, and the
conversation was very moving to me, because I thought these
guys really understood what an audience really loves about
Star Trek and what an audience loves about the Spock
character. I was excited and I said, “Yes, put it
down on paper. Send me the script. I’m very
interested.” When I read the script, I called J. J.
immediately and I said, “Let’s go. Let’s go to
work. I love it.” I had a great time doing it.
|
How much closure did it provide you? |
Nimoy: I finally got a real good sense of closure for myself
with Star Trek, and I was very happy to see Zachary
Quinto take over the character. I think he’s an excellent,
well-trained actor and excellent for the job. |
Some fans loved the alternate universe concept, as it will
free the writers and actors to go in any direction, while
others disliked the breaking of Star Trek canon that
resulted, particularly the destruction of Vulcan. What
are your thoughts on the debate? |
Nimoy: I think the alternate universe was necessary. I
think it was a very solid idea and necessary because, although
it broke canon in a certain kind of way, if they didn’t
do the alternate universe, they would have broken canon
in other ways. It was constricting. There was
so much history to be dealt with that if they did not do
the alternate universe, it would have been so constricting
and it would have been very, very difficult to tell an exciting
story without stepping on some toes somewhere. So,
by doing it this way, I think they gave themselves a new
canvas to work with. I think it was a very wise idea. |
Let’s says that Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman and/or Damon Lindelof
come to you and say, “Leonard, we have an equally good part
for you in the next film. Please come join us again.”
What would it take to convince you to get on board?
|
Nimoy: (Laughs). I’m not expecting that. That’s
very hypothetical. I’m really not expecting it to
happen. I think I was useful in the last film and
I think for me it really was the last film. I think
the torch has been very successfully passed to a bunch of
very talented young people, and not just Zachary, but Chris
Pine and all of them. I think they’re very talented
and will have a lot of fun, and I wish them well. |
We’ve seen your face plastered on lunch boxes, Christmas
ornaments, plush toys, literally thousands of products.
What’s the strangest thing YOU’VE seen your own face
on? |
Nimoy: Wow. (Laughs). There was a beer advertisement
that ran in England some years ago, where they used the
Spock character in a very funny way to sell Heineken beer.
It would take too long to describe it, but it was
really a funny and strange juxtaposition. |
We know you have a vast collection of Trek memorabilia
at your house. What’s the prized piece in the collection?
|
Nimoy: Well, I still have the pair of ear tips that I wore
the last day that we filmed the original series. I
have a couple of others which I have held for my children
and grandchildren, a handful of other ear tips. But
the ones that have a lot of significance for me are the
ones that I wore the last day when we finished filming TOS.
I took them because I thought, “This is my momento.”
|
Who is the unsung hero of the original Star Trek?
Gene Coon? Bjo Trimble? Them and
others? |
Nimoy: Well, there are several. Bjo certainly
is one of them. She was very instrumental in helping
us get back on the air after we’d been canceled at the end
of the second season. Bob Justman, one of our line
producers, was terribly important to us. He was very
helpful. He was a very substantial, ethical, talented
man who was able to, in the midst of chaos, lend you a good
ear if you had a problem or an idea. I could go to
him and expect some reliable help. Gene Coon made
a gigantic contribution to Star Trek with the scripts
he turned out. If I remember correctly, he introduced
the Klingons and gave us some wonderful stories. Those
are few of the people who made major contributions. Joe
Pevney and Marc Daniels directed some of our greatest episodes
and both had a great theatrical flair and brought a lot
to the look of the shows they directed. |
One name we’ve not brought up during this conversation is
William Shatner. How would you describe your relationship
with him? |
Nimoy: We’re very similar in a lot of ways, but on the other
hand, very different. He has this great need to be
working, working, working, working, working. I’ve
asked him at times why, and I’m not sure that we’ve ever
really come to a very clear answer of why he wants to work
so much and so hard. We’re different. We’re
different. |
Star Trek’s fiction is today’s reality when it comes
to iPads, needle-free injections, the cell phone, etc. How
strange and exciting has it been to see all that come to
pass? |
Nimoy: It’s very satisfying. We carried these things
we called tricorders, which resemble very much the iPad
that people are using today, with all kinds of video applications.
It’s great. The first breakthrough, of course,
was the cell phone, which was so much like the communicators
we used. The first cell phones flipped open in
the same way that our communicators did. It’s been
great to see all this stuff evolving. I felt, when
we were making the shows, that we would last long into the
future because we were so inventive and so creative about
the potential usage of science and technology. |
In one of your autobiographies from years ago, Spock wrote
an open letter to Leonard Nimoy. If he wrote another
one, what do you think he’d be saying right now? |
Nimoy: Oh, golly. That’s a great question. (Laughs).
I’d hope that he’d be saying something kind of benign,
like “Thanks for the association. It’s been a great
ride.” I think I did (Spock) justice. I
tried to maintain the dignity of the character as much as
possible through the years, and I’d hope that Spock would
think that I did him well. |
You’re about to turn 80. Does that excite you? Frighten
you? Both at once? |
Nimoy: You know, the alternative isn’t very attractive.
(Laughs.) Not turning 80 is not a very nice
event in your life. So…. But I’m very comfortable
with who I am and what I am and how I am. I feel strong.
I feel good. I feel happy and healthy. I
have a wonderful personal life. I will get out this
year and see people and tell the stories. I love telling
the stories that audiences want to hear. I’m really
excited about this year. I’m doing a few conventions
and appearances. I’m going to be in Dallas and Vegas
and Atlanta. I’m giving a speech in Long Beach,
at the Carpenter Center, at the end of April. I’m
doing a reading in L. A. I’ve got some really exciting
and fun things to do this year, and I’m looking forward
to it. |
Let’s assume you’ll live to 100. What do you
hope to do with the next 20 years of your life? |
Nimoy: I hope to stay creative, but to keep my personal
life at the forefront. I have three kids and six grandchildren
and a great-grandson. I’m thrilled with the way their
lives are developing and it’s great fun to see them grow
into themselves. I’m looking forward to enjoying that,
and I want to keep some of my life available for creative
possibilities. You’re talking to a very, very happy,
thankful, grateful guy. |
|
|
PHOTOS
FROM
TREKTRAX
ATLANTA
|
|
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
