Shore Leave (US convention)/2010
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Shore Leave (US convention) |
| Dates: | July 9-11, 2010 |
| Frequency: | |
| Location: | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Type: | |
| Focus: | multi-fandom |
| Organization: | |
| Founder: | |
| Founding Date: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Shore Leave is an annual fan-run convention that takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
It was founded by the Star Trek Association of Towson which continues to run it. The first convention took place in 1979; the con was still running as of 2025.
The con's focus was initially on Star Trek, but it has since broadened to include other science fiction media.
2010: Shore Leave 32
It took place July 9-11, 2010.
The co-chairs are Marilyn Mann and Melissa James.
Some guests: Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica’s Adm. William Adama), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica’s Capt. Kara “Starbuck”), Torri Higginson (Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis’ Dr. Elizabeth Weir), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’ Hercules; Andromeda’s Capt. Dylan Hunt), Dominic Keating (Enterprise’s Malcolm Reed), and Catherine Hicks (ST:IV Voyage Home’s Dr. Gillian Taylor), plus authors, scientists.
Bill Dow had to cancel his appearance.
2010: Programming
- Showcase: Con Skit: Opening sketch: Lost the Movie: Hugo Nuts, Episode MST-ed: ENT: “Unexpected” by Mystery Trekkie Theater (see for more information on the con's skits in general)
- The Chromatics (music)
- other unknown
2010: Gallery of Ephemera and Samples from the Program Book
from the 2010 program book
from the 2010 program book
2010: Con Reports
Every year the staff does an amazing job under hectic conditions. I've gotten a new appreciation for what they do this year. There are lots of panel discussions that fill up the programming schedule, and I've been on a few of them. This year I've ended up as the point man trying to organize one. A little background: one of the big programs every year is the announcement of the upcoming year of Trek books, presented by one or two of the editors. This year, however, the head of the Trek line is on maternity leave, so there will be no editorial presence at the con. In discussing this with Inge Heyer, the writer and science guest liaison, the idea of doing a writer panel devoted to the pub schedule came up, and she asked me if I could organize it. Therefore I am right now in the process of emailing with most of the writer guests who will also have a new book out in the following year to figure out the who and when of the panel. All I'm doing is talking with a half-dozen or so people, all of whom I've met, some of whom have become good friends I stay in touch with year round. Just doing this one panel, with a bunch of nice, cooperative people, has already generated a number of emails, and we're still nailing down the details. It's been a fun process, but when I think about taking that process and multiplying it by the dozens and dozens of programs the Shore Leave staff has to coordinate, often with people they've not worked with before, some of whom might not be as personable as my writer friends, I'm further astounded by what they pull off every year. So, here's a salute to the staff of Shore Leave. I look forward to the con every year, and the weekend is always over way too soon. Thanks for everything. [1]
[Shore Leave art auction]: By then it was time for the art auction, which was definitely much more low-keyed as compared to years past. One reason was because Robin Hood wasn’t there to act as auctioneer (and believe me, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen this woman in action) and also because there were very few new pieces of artwork up for sale. The majority were Shelley’s reprints, as well as some fabulous K/S jewelry that Deeb made. With Robin’s absence, Shelley stepped in as auctioneer and while she wasn’t as in-your-face as Robin tends to get, she did a great job. The best part was when there were bidding wars for her various pieces. She would get really excited and say, “Oh, this is so cool!” She also regaled us with some tales about some of her pieces, one being her Mirror Spock grabbing Mirror Kirk by the wrist, a pic she drew several years ago. She said the year she drew the pic, she tried to enter it into the general art auction, but was refused because it was too “slashy”. One of the people running the art show even told her, “They might as well be fucking.” Then she told us about a print shop that she regularly used to produce her prints. Now in those days, it was hard to find such printers who were willing to take on K/S projects so it was pretty important that Shelley found one who would. She even told the owner at one point, “Please don’t ever close or burn down.” Well, it turns out a few years later the shop did indeed burn down. It turns out the owner lit the match himself to get the insurance money. One of the non-Shelley pieces was a lovely K/S montage drawn by one of our true masters, Suzann Lovett. Deeb and I kept looking at it, going, “I know I’ve seen this before” and it turns out this piece accompanied a poem by Cynthia Drake, both of which were published in Twin Destiny 1. Anyway, it started a bidding war that Carol S. was determined to win and at one point Shelley said, “No one wants to bid against Carol”, and Carol responded, “Not if they want to borrow anything from the library. They can just forget about it!” The good news, however, is everyone is safe because she won the picture. [2]
By the time the episode was over, the K/S panel was about to start, so we all headed down to the panel room. This year’s panel, unlike years past, really didn’t have a particular theme, rather it was more of an informational discussion. It was hosted by Kathy R., Carol S., and Ashley. Kathy started out by asking if anyone in the room wasn’t familiar with K/S zines. Of course nobody raised their hands or said anything, and Deanna quipped, “Boy, you can hear the crickets chirping!” Carol S. then spent some time explaining how the K/S Press Library worked and Kathy R. talked about the K/S Archives. Ashley then talked about a new project she and a few others were working on – gathering all the K/S related stories, artwork, and vids on all the Live Journals and posting them to one central place at http://delicious.com/kirkspock/ Susan York spoke up and said that in her other fandom S/H, ebooks had become very popular and Ashley mentioned that seemed to be the trend with K/S, as well. Kathy then told us about the history of K/S and how in the early days, the Star Trek Welcommittee played such an essential role in bringing K/S fans together. Shelley then told us about the two interviews she did regarding K/S and while the first interview was rather disappointing, the second one she did for “Trekkies 2” was much better, although she did say that when she started talking about the emotional connection between Kirk and Spock which led to the creation of K/S, the crew’s eyes went blank. Carol S. then spoke up and said how it was so interesting to her that the same questions being asked today about K/S were the same ones she read in the letterzine “Not Tonight Spock” 25 years ago. Then this young woman spoke up and said how she had been a K/S fan for 12 years and Carol said, “What, were you 8 years old when you started?” Then after a brief discussion about the reboot movie, the panel ended. [3]
Shore Leave happened, and because I was down there for a bridal shower thing, I was able to pop in and meet some k/s fans, mostly of the zine crowd, who have been meeting and exchanging k/s materials for many years. I bought my first zine (a holiday themed one, because dammit I like happy stories and they are hard to find!), saw some AMAZING art (including jewelry, some sterling-wrapped k/s photos, some hand-drawn), and basically was a nervous wreck since I was there for so little a time and am an LJ/internet person. At any rate, it was fascinating! [4]
I have a confession: I had never been to a science fiction convention before. For most of my life, I was a general and distant admirer of the genre. I appreciated all the different shows, books, comics, and movies, but I never really understood all the hoopla. But then I met my boyfriend, Joey. To say he likes Star Wars is a gross understatement. So when Kelly asked me if Joey and I would be interested in going to Shore Leave, we jumped at the chance.We left South Jersey early in the morning on Saturday and headed to Marriot’s Hunt Valley Inn, right outside Baltimore, Maryland. I was a little bit nervous; it being my first convention and all. Would they know I was an outsider? Would I be shunned? But we pulled up to the parking lot, and the first thing we see put me right at ease. There was DeLorean parked right out front! If someone inside drove a DeLorean to Shore Leave, I knew I was in good hands.
We walked in, picked up our press badges, and took a walk around the vendors. There were some awesome dealers and vendors at Shore Leave. Two of my favorites were Wyrd and Wired jewelry by Cynthia Abernathy and Steampunk Funk Bizarre. Wyrd and Wired featured pendants made out of Scrabble tiles and old comic book pages– which sent my inner word nerd into a tizzy. Steampunk Funk Bizarre had some truly amazing pieces to create your very own steampunk outfit. I coveted the skull cameo earrings and the pocket watches or “skeletal chronometers.” They were epic, to say the least.
After we left the dealer areas, we decided to check out the panels and discussions downstairs. We wandered into a hallway, and there was Kevin Sorbo signing autographs and taking pictures. Of course, we quickly got in line (because who doesn’t love Hercules!). He was the nicest man and seriously funny! Joey informed Kevin that his mother loved Hercules and he is the only man for whom she would leave her husband (of 30 years). He listened to all this and then signed his autograph, “To Linda, I’m ready. Leave Joe!! XX Kevin Sorbo.” Needless to say, we were laughing pretty much the whole day about that. We also checked out Kevin’s Q & A. We learned he supports A World Fit for Kids, has 7 movies coming out, and is trying to develop a TV series. Good thing he is half god because all that sounds tiring!
Next we went to the Firefly/Browncoats discussion panel. Joey introduced me to Firefly and Serenity about a year ago and I simply fell in love, so I was excited to see what this panel was all about. I wasn’t disappointed! We learned that fans of the show, lead by Michael C. Dougherty, had come together to make a movie based in the Firefly ‘verse. The movie is entitled Browncoats: Redemption and it features a new ship and a new crew, picking up three months after the events on Miranda (where the movie Serenity ended). All the proceeds from the sale of the DVDs go to five different charities, Equality Now, Kids Need to Read, Dyslexia Foundation, The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, and The Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation, which is awesome. I am looking forward to seeing the final cut of this fan-made movie, which hits the web September 3, 2010 at 9 pm EST.
The last stop of the day was the Masquerade, a combination skit and costume contest. The participants were judged by celebrity guests Catherine Hicks and Dominic Keating, among others. However, it featured the real stars of the convention, the ones in costume showing off in skits and just plain showing off. There were little kids competing; one in a steampunk version of Mickey Mouse’s Steamboat Willie that almost made me cry, it was so cute. In the adult category, there was a wolf costume there that was so, so breathtaking. The eyes actually glowed yellow! The Masquerade was truly a great way to wrap up the night.
All in all, Shore Leave 32 was a very pleasant way to pass a rainy Saturday. I learned many things: Kevin Sorbo is a huge flirt, fans miss Firefly so much they had to make a non-profit movie, and Sci-Fi conventions are actually pretty cool. [5]
I’m now able to give a report on my experience at the Shore Leave 32 convention. If any of you have the DVD of “Trekkies 2” (2004), you can see a short presentation where Shore Leave takes place. And it’s still at the same hotel today. .If you plan on going next year, Shore Leave is held at the Hotel Marriot in Hunt Valley, MD. Hunt Valley is minutes away from Baltimore.
Shore Leave 32 provided a great opportunity for my friend Scott and I, who do the SciFi Diner Podcast, to get some great interviews with the guests, meet up with some old friends and make new ones. .
Although this year’s Shore Leave didn’t boast the amount of actors from Star Trek as it did last year, it did have Dominic Keating from “Star Trek: Enterprise” and Catherine Hicks from “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”. Keating was not only seen from his autograph table, but he walked throughout the convention mingling with fans and taking part in judging the costume masquerade. The Voyage Home’s Ms. Hicks proved to be very popular at the convention as she has many cross over fans who enjoy her work in “Seventh Heaven“ and “Chucky.” For “Battlestar Galactica” fans you had two huge headliners with Edward James Olomos and Katee Sackoff. If you’re a fan of Hercules and Andromeda then you had Hercules/Captain Dylan Hunt himself; Mr. Kevin Sorbo who proved to be very popular with the ladies. For those of you who miss Stargate Atlantis; the lovely Ms. Torrie Higginson was also there. .
For the fan film lovers out there, “Starship Farrugat” made an appearance, showing their animated episode; “The Needs of the Many.” This episode had Chase Masterson and Tim Russ contributing their voice talents to the production. .
Also for “Firefly”/”Serenity” fans, there was a group promoting their film, which will debut in September at Dragon Con, called “Browncoats Redemption”. This group got the approval of Joss Whedon and all proceeds from the sales of the DVD will go to Joss Whedon’s favorite charities. From what I’ve seen of this film, it’s going to be quite good. .
Who can forget our favorite Klingons at the convention? This group has decided that they’re going to make a fan film from the Klingons point of view, which from the best of my knowledge hasn’t been done yet. From our conversation with them, they got inspired when they participated with the folks from “Star Trek Phase 2” as extras in one of their projects. .
Unfortunately, when you go to work, you can’t dress as your favorite superhero, “Star Trek” crewmember or “Star Wars” character on casual day. However, at a Sci Fi convention you can go all out, and many folks did. I saw some great costumes this year from a guy dressed in a classic “Battelstar Galactica” cylon outfit to “Star Wars” rebel alliance pilots, storm troopers, Klingons and many others. A SciFi convention is a great chance for your inner child to come out. It wouldn’t be a true convention without a costume contest. A very impressive werewolf costume was the first place winner. .
On day one I decided, this year I’m going to do my part and give blood. I should have had some pictures taken, because I had the unique experience of giving blood with two Klingons. Where else can this happen but at a con. That’s something very notable about Shore leave, although there are plenty of opportunities for vendors to make money selling memorabilia, there’s also an emphasis on raising money for charity. Through the efforts of many different groups; money was raised for great charities and the Red Cross benefited from both financial and blood donations. Shore leave definitely believes in paying it forward. .
Talking about charitable efforts, veteran novelist Michael Jan Friedman, who has written many Trek novels, was the sacrificial lamb at the charity roast. Audience members were warned ahead of time that material was going to be on the adult side, like the roasts on the Comedy Central. If you were ok with that, you got treated to the comedy talents of the various “Star Trek” novelists in attendance. One of the best parts was Kevin Dilmore’s “Captain Pike” (from the TOS episode the menagerie) t-shirt that would light up once for yes and twice for no. .
I heard it once said that SciFi fans are some of the most generous in the world. One cannot help but think that many of us are inspired by Gene Rodenberry to do what we can to make a better world and take the famous line from the “Star Trek” TOS episode “City On the Edge of Forever” seriously and state, “Let me help.” .
Fans were also treated to great sessions with the guests as well as some great panels to discuss just about everything in SciFi. Many of the Star Trek authors hosted these panels. .
Another thing that made Shore Leave special for me this year was that my wife and mother-in-law were able to attend. Both are huge SciFi fans so there was much for them to enjoy. My wife’s a huge BSG fan, so we made it a point of spending extra money and getting a professional photo with Edward James Olomos and Kattee Sackoff and then having each sign their autograph. .
There is so much more to say, but I‘ll leave you with this. I would strongly encourage you to support the smaller fan run conventions. The fan cons won’t get the William Shatners or Sir Patrick Stewarts of the world. However, they will still get quality guests and you’ll have a greater opportunity to enjoy some “face time” with the stars. .
I only have about eleven months to the next shore leave. I can’t wait. ‘Til then, live long and prosper, everybody. [6]
References
- ^ from A Shout Out to the Staff of Shore Leave by Scott Pearson, dated June 26, 2010
- ^ from tat63's Shore Leave 2010 report, dated July 31st, 2010
- ^ tat63's Shore Leave 2010 report, dated July 31st, 2010
- ^ verizonhorizon's Shore Leave report, dated July 13th, 2010
- ^ by , Shore Leave 32: An Outsider’s Perspective / Convention Report; archive link (includes photos) (July 13, 2010)
- ^ from Miles McLoughlin Reports: Shore Leave 32; [ https://archive.ph/wip/Zja0n archive link]