Star Trek Warping To
Phoenix Comicon
Patrick Stewart at the Cambridge Film Festival in 2009. Image by Urbantog and used under the terms of a Creative Commons license.
By Brad Hamilton
Modern Times Magazine
Feb. 8, 2012 — Phoenix Comicon will be the virtual center of the Star Trek universe this summer as some of the biggest stars of The Next Generation, including Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis and Levar Burton, will be attending the 2012 event, joining the legendary William Shatner as the big draws for the premier sci-fi and comics event of the Southwest.
Convention Director Matt Solberg revealed the Star Trek 'gathering' last week to several hundred convention devotees at the Phoenix Convention Center. He also also unveiled a slate of new events as well as some of the newest commitments from stars of anime, cosplay, comics and horror.
“I love my job,” Solberg said when in the midst of revealing some of the big names that will appear in 2012.
Besides former members of the Enterprise crew, other actors scheduled to attend include Erin Gray and Gil Gerard of Buck Rogers, Ed Asner from Pixar’s Up, John Bernthal who plays Shane on The Walking Dead, Phil Lamarr from MadTV, Pulp Fiction and for his voice work in anime.
Among the comics scene, Avatar Press and Zenescope will be bringing many artists and authors from their stable. Other special comics guests include Brian Augustyn, writer and editor of Flash, George Perez, artist for Superman and Wonder Woman, and many others.
Other big news for Phoenix Comicon 2012 is that the wildly popular Steampunk Ball will be free this year. Events that are coming back include Geek Prom (brought to you by Bookmans), and the Zombie Beauty Pageant. New events include Geek Speed Dating, High School of the Dead, and an Opening Night Sci-Fi Party.
Also new is the Bleeding Cool Fan Awards, hosted by BleedingCool.com blogger Rich Johnston. Nominees and winners are to be determined by fans from around the world.
Solberg also announced that preparations have been made to avoid long lines at check-in that plagued Phoenix Comicon in 2011. He also announced that in order for the preparations to be successful, more volunteers are needed. Volunteers for Phoenix Comicon can earn a staff badge, T-shirt, meal vouchers, a thank you certificate, invitation to the volunteer party, swag, and discounts at vendors and for Phoenix Comicon gear.
For more information, visit http://phoenixcomicon.com/ or contact volunteers@phoenixcomicon.com.
Brad Hamilton lives in Tempe, Ariz.
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