WEBVTT 00:20.800 --> 00:22.400 Hello and welcome to startrek.com. 00:22.400 --> 00:23.200 I'm Tim Gaskell. 00:23.200 --> 00:23.900 I'll be your host today. 00:23.900 --> 00:25.900 We're talking with a very special guest. 00:25.900 --> 00:26.200 Mr. 00:26.200 --> 00:28.700 Walter Koenig check off from Star Trek. 00:28.700 --> 00:30.100 He's 00:30.100 --> 00:30.800 been around a while. 00:30.800 --> 00:31.100 He's done. 00:31.100 --> 00:32.500 A lot of great shows a lot of great 00:32.500 --> 00:35.300 entertainment over the years and he's still going strong 00:35.300 --> 00:36.500 because 00:36.500 --> 00:37.800 you have just 00:37.800 --> 00:39.000 been 00:39.000 --> 00:39.900 part of a 00:39.900 --> 00:40.500 Big 00:40.500 --> 00:41.900 what we're calling a webisode. 00:41.900 --> 00:44.400 I guess Star Trek of Gods and Men filmed 00:44.400 --> 00:46.100 in New York, and 00:46.100 --> 00:47.400 it's still in production. 00:47.400 --> 00:48.300 But 00:48.300 --> 00:51.300 tell us how you got involved with that. 00:51.300 --> 00:54.000 Well Sky Conway who is the 00:54.000 --> 00:57.400 producer of the show 00:57.400 --> 00:59.400 and I had been friends friends friends for a 00:59.400 --> 01:00.700 long time. 01:00.700 --> 01:01.300 And 01:01.300 --> 01:02.900 in fact, we have a 01:02.900 --> 01:04.900 project that we've been trying to 01:04.900 --> 01:08.200 get up and going 01:08.200 --> 01:10.200 film script that I wrote 01:10.200 --> 01:11.200 and 01:11.200 --> 01:13.800 curiously enough it now seems like 01:13.800 --> 01:16.800 we may have a real spring board 01:16.800 --> 01:19.100 with this episode to get that done 01:19.100 --> 01:21.100 and looking forward to perhaps 01:21.100 --> 01:24.300 In is early as the next April and May 01:24.300 --> 01:26.300 it's not certain on Star Trek 01:26.300 --> 01:26.800 project. 01:26.800 --> 01:28.700 It's science fiction, 01:28.700 --> 01:31.500 but it's not nonsense Star Trek project. 01:31.500 --> 01:32.000 In any case. 01:32.000 --> 01:33.000 He 01:33.000 --> 01:34.000 said I've got the script. 01:34.000 --> 01:35.700 I think we're going to get a maid and 01:35.700 --> 01:37.700 I've gone to men and I said, okay 01:37.700 --> 01:38.400 and I had 01:38.400 --> 01:41.400 bear in mind that I had already done 01:41.400 --> 01:42.700 to serve all my days, 01:42.700 --> 01:46.000 which I thought was the quintessential 01:46.000 --> 01:48.200 checkoff experience that I would 01:48.200 --> 01:50.200 would have this was another webisode. 01:50.200 --> 01:51.100 Yeah for the new boy. 01:51.100 --> 01:54.500 Ages people right James Colley and right people 01:54.500 --> 01:55.200 and 01:55.200 --> 01:57.300 not to backtrack too much but simply 01:57.300 --> 01:58.700 to give you the background 01:58.700 --> 02:00.400 it was an episode 02:00.400 --> 02:02.000 that 02:02.000 --> 02:03.700 was sort of a sequel 02:03.700 --> 02:05.200 in idea anyway 02:05.200 --> 02:07.200 to the deadly years where everybody grew old except 02:07.200 --> 02:08.500 check on 02:08.500 --> 02:10.300 willing to serve all my days check off also 02:10.300 --> 02:11.500 goes old and 02:11.500 --> 02:13.400 very very rapidly 02:13.400 --> 02:15.100 over two or three days. 02:15.100 --> 02:17.400 He ages about 50 years 02:17.400 --> 02:19.700 and 02:19.700 --> 02:21.100 the idea for me was 02:21.100 --> 02:23.900 You know if we can examine what he's going 02:23.900 --> 02:27.600 through and you know go through all those stages 02:27.600 --> 02:29.500 that people go through when they learn that their 02:29.500 --> 02:32.900 the terminal illness, you know, it could give us 02:32.900 --> 02:36.900 some real insight into who the character was something 02:36.900 --> 02:39.000 that I had never felt had been done. 02:39.000 --> 02:41.900 You know, they're just hadn't been time and character 02:41.900 --> 02:44.700 wasn't important enough etcetera etcetera for all of the 02:44.700 --> 02:47.000 series and they all of the films that we 02:47.000 --> 02:47.200 did. 02:47.200 --> 02:51.100 So I was happy I felt you know, if 02:51.100 --> 02:52.100 He ever sees it 02:52.100 --> 02:54.400 to serve all my days had sat at served 02:54.400 --> 02:55.700 its purpose for me. 02:55.700 --> 02:58.300 I had gotten to play that character 02:58.300 --> 02:59.100 and then so 02:59.100 --> 03:00.800 Sky came to me and said 03:00.800 --> 03:02.500 we're going to do this. 03:02.500 --> 03:03.200 I said, 03:03.200 --> 03:04.400 okay, 03:04.400 --> 03:05.500 you know 03:05.500 --> 03:06.600 if you raise the money on my 03:06.600 --> 03:07.600 I'm around 03:07.600 --> 03:09.900 and what do you know? He raised the money. 03:09.900 --> 03:11.800 I didn't think that was going to happen. 03:11.800 --> 03:12.700 I went up there to be 03:12.700 --> 03:15.400 totally candid I went up there. 03:15.400 --> 03:17.800 A bit lukewarm about the whole project. 03:17.800 --> 03:19.100 I just didn't feel I was going to get 03:19.100 --> 03:22.700 anything more out of it in terms of 03:22.700 --> 03:23.600 Discovery 03:23.600 --> 03:26.200 with my character. 03:26.200 --> 03:27.100 But 03:27.100 --> 03:29.600 the story was really quite different than I had. 03:29.600 --> 03:30.700 I had 03:30.700 --> 03:32.800 envisioned it as the way I read it 03:32.800 --> 03:34.800 and we had a very strong cast 03:34.800 --> 03:37.200 really good people 03:37.200 --> 03:38.100 Alan Ruck 03:38.100 --> 03:41.200 JG her slur Gary Graham 03:41.200 --> 03:42.800 long Garrett Wondra 03:42.800 --> 03:45.200 Tim Russ, of course, it was also directed it 03:45.200 --> 03:48.500 and it became a very Dynamic 03:48.500 --> 03:49.700 situation 03:49.700 --> 03:51.500 and 03:51.500 --> 03:54.100 without giving anything away because I've already been 03:54.100 --> 03:55.900 I've already had my Knuckles rapped. 03:55.900 --> 03:56.200 For 03:56.200 --> 03:57.700 saying too much 03:57.700 --> 03:59.000 but 03:59.000 --> 04:00.600 this ain't your 04:00.600 --> 04:02.200 daddy's check off 04:02.200 --> 04:03.200 like that. 04:03.200 --> 04:04.100 Well, 04:04.100 --> 04:04.500 I 04:04.500 --> 04:06.400 saw a bit of a little seam that you 04:06.400 --> 04:08.400 did and I have to say, you know, there's 04:08.400 --> 04:09.500 there's there's 04:09.500 --> 04:10.900 something in that that 04:10.900 --> 04:11.600 that 04:11.600 --> 04:13.400 it's not the check after right that we've seen 04:13.400 --> 04:14.700 before right 04:14.700 --> 04:16.200 and what I wanted to ask you because you 04:16.200 --> 04:17.300 wrote in your book 04:17.300 --> 04:19.300 chekhov's Enterprise 04:19.300 --> 04:20.700 back in 1980, 04:20.700 --> 04:22.700 which for those who don't know is a very 04:22.700 --> 04:25.800 humorous but insightful take on the making of 04:25.800 --> 04:28.200 The motion picture and how frankly how boring it 04:28.200 --> 04:28.900 can be at times. 04:28.900 --> 04:30.600 Yeah, and how you have to kind of entertain 04:30.600 --> 04:32.100 yourself with 04:32.100 --> 04:33.500 jokes, you know 04:33.500 --> 04:35.300 other cast members in such 04:35.300 --> 04:37.100 but you described a moment on the bridge I 04:37.100 --> 04:38.800 think is one of the first days shooting on 04:38.800 --> 04:40.400 the bridge where 04:40.400 --> 04:42.500 it was either Kirk or somebody came in 04:42.500 --> 04:44.400 Shatner came in through the door 04:44.400 --> 04:45.900 and you were all together and you just felt 04:45.900 --> 04:49.100 a genuine kind of warmth and insulation. 04:49.100 --> 04:51.500 And so the reaction that we see 04:51.500 --> 04:53.500 on film from you is 04:53.500 --> 04:55.900 very much a genuine as opposed to you know, 04:55.900 --> 04:57.800 You know, you're not acting so much. 04:57.800 --> 04:59.200 So this 04:59.200 --> 05:01.700 scene in of Gods and Men those quite the 05:01.700 --> 05:02.300 opposite though. 05:02.300 --> 05:04.900 It's quite it's quite guttural quite you know from 05:04.900 --> 05:05.600 the 05:05.600 --> 05:06.400 yeah, 05:06.400 --> 05:11.000 it's this is a character that is 05:11.000 --> 05:12.000 that's 05:12.000 --> 05:14.500 that has suffered great loss 05:14.500 --> 05:16.700 and as 05:16.700 --> 05:19.900 and as a very strong drive for Revenge 05:19.900 --> 05:23.800 as well as some more idealistic 05:23.800 --> 05:25.300 motivations as well, 05:25.300 --> 05:25.800 but he 05:25.800 --> 05:26.400 He 05:26.400 --> 05:29.000 he he's capable of doing 05:29.000 --> 05:30.000 a lot of things, 05:30.000 --> 05:31.200 you know, but 05:31.200 --> 05:33.000 check out would never have 05:33.000 --> 05:34.100 dreamed of 05:34.100 --> 05:35.200 so 05:35.200 --> 05:36.500 it was it was 05:36.500 --> 05:37.800 it was like 05:37.800 --> 05:40.900 it was like playing a donut character. 05:40.900 --> 05:41.600 Now 05:41.600 --> 05:42.200 you're 05:42.200 --> 05:43.200 doing this with 05:43.200 --> 05:43.800 like 05:43.800 --> 05:44.900 an entirely different group. 05:44.900 --> 05:46.800 There are some other actors like Michelle you've worked 05:46.800 --> 05:47.300 with before. 05:47.300 --> 05:49.600 Yeah job actors exactly. 05:49.600 --> 05:51.400 What actors you haven't worked before but you all 05:51.400 --> 05:53.000 have something in common and that's the Star Trek 05:53.000 --> 05:54.100 thing. 05:54.100 --> 05:55.200 How did you feel did you 05:55.200 --> 05:55.800 kind of fit? 05:55.800 --> 05:57.900 And straight away was it was it easy to 05:57.900 --> 05:59.200 kind of fit in with these other people that 05:59.200 --> 06:01.000 you haven't actually worked with before? 06:01.000 --> 06:01.400 Yeah. 06:01.400 --> 06:02.100 Sure. 06:02.100 --> 06:04.500 Yeah, I mean actors are actors, you know, 06:04.500 --> 06:06.000 you can't fit in then you're not really doing 06:06.000 --> 06:06.600 your job, 06:06.600 --> 06:08.000 you know, we're suppose to be able to relate 06:08.000 --> 06:09.400 to each other and 06:09.400 --> 06:11.600 and respond off of each other and listen to 06:11.600 --> 06:13.100 each other and 06:13.100 --> 06:14.300 and 06:14.300 --> 06:16.000 all of that and 06:16.000 --> 06:17.700 as I say, these people are all 06:17.700 --> 06:18.400 you know, 06:18.400 --> 06:19.900 really, 06:19.900 --> 06:21.900 you know, very experienced 06:21.900 --> 06:23.500 professionals. 06:23.500 --> 06:25.800 And so I think we had a great come. 06:25.800 --> 06:27.300 Madhuri and I think that a great 06:27.300 --> 06:29.200 sense of 06:29.200 --> 06:30.900 community and 06:30.900 --> 06:32.700 a sense of electricity in the air and 06:32.700 --> 06:34.600 the Dynamics were all there. 06:34.600 --> 06:35.800 It's going to be a 06:35.800 --> 06:38.100 very surprising and interesting show 06:38.100 --> 06:39.200 not 06:39.200 --> 06:40.700 not without controversy 06:40.700 --> 06:41.400 right 06:41.400 --> 06:43.900 particularly for those, 06:43.900 --> 06:44.500 you know, 06:44.500 --> 06:44.900 those 06:44.900 --> 06:46.600 fans God bless him who 06:46.600 --> 06:47.400 are 06:47.400 --> 06:48.900 you know 06:48.900 --> 06:50.800 believe in the cannon like it's the 06:50.800 --> 06:53.400 you know, the Holy Grail is a threat 06:53.400 --> 06:55.200 but at least you know the great thing about 06:55.200 --> 06:55.800 this it's 06:55.800 --> 06:57.200 Being creative 06:57.200 --> 06:58.500 doing something 06:58.500 --> 06:59.100 and 06:59.100 --> 07:01.400 you know, really you've got the 07:01.400 --> 07:03.500 the added bonus of having people like yourself and 07:03.500 --> 07:04.700 Tim Russ and all 07:04.700 --> 07:05.700 working on it which 07:05.700 --> 07:07.000 you know, we're all looking forward to now, I 07:07.000 --> 07:08.400 believe it'll be out later this year. 07:08.400 --> 07:08.800 Yeah. 07:08.800 --> 07:10.000 So we will 07:10.000 --> 07:11.500 we will keep our eye on that. 07:11.500 --> 07:14.400 This is a character check out that you've 07:14.400 --> 07:17.100 inhabited that's inhabited you or you have inhabited since 07:17.100 --> 07:18.800 1967 and 07:18.800 --> 07:20.200 you know initially there was 07:20.200 --> 07:22.700 talk that 07:22.700 --> 07:24.600 it wasn't initially going to be a Russian. 07:24.600 --> 07:25.400 He was going to be 07:25.400 --> 07:25.700 you know. 07:25.700 --> 07:28.100 An English accent and Beetle type whatever but actually 07:28.100 --> 07:30.400 the only thing that remained was the Beatles haircut 07:30.400 --> 07:31.900 not so much the accent 07:31.900 --> 07:33.300 but you had a bit of 07:33.300 --> 07:33.800 Russian. 07:33.800 --> 07:34.000 Yeah. 07:34.000 --> 07:35.600 I've been you have Russian ancestry. 07:35.600 --> 07:37.300 So did you draw on that 07:37.300 --> 07:39.400 for your accent? Or I did a little 07:39.400 --> 07:40.200 though. 07:40.200 --> 07:41.400 I think 07:41.400 --> 07:42.800 people who are really Russian will tell me that 07:42.800 --> 07:45.100 I didn't attack the good job, 07:45.100 --> 07:47.100 but 07:47.100 --> 07:48.100 I never got the 07:48.100 --> 07:48.800 never got the 07:48.800 --> 07:50.600 the lyricism of the language. 07:50.600 --> 07:52.800 I got the you know, the pronunciation and all 07:52.800 --> 07:53.400 of that 07:53.400 --> 07:56.200 but there's a certain wonderful lyricism. 07:56.200 --> 07:58.500 Like there's an unlikely is a Gaelic little to 07:58.500 --> 07:59.800 no and Irish. 07:59.800 --> 08:00.700 There is 08:00.700 --> 08:04.600 the Russian language as well. 08:04.600 --> 08:05.200 My 08:05.200 --> 08:07.000 my deepest regret is that 08:07.000 --> 08:09.000 my father never got to see me play, 08:09.000 --> 08:10.100 you know Russian 08:10.100 --> 08:11.800 he was 08:11.800 --> 08:12.700 he was a 08:12.700 --> 08:14.200 true blue 08:14.200 --> 08:16.500 Russian team of to score 08:16.500 --> 08:18.500 and 08:18.500 --> 08:21.000 But he didn't he didn't live long enough, 08:21.000 --> 08:22.800 but I don't remember your question was 08:22.800 --> 08:24.700 we were talking about the the development of the 08:24.700 --> 08:26.300 accent and how oh, yeah. 08:26.300 --> 08:29.800 So yeah, I did I did something 08:29.800 --> 08:31.600 and I got away with it for a long 08:31.600 --> 08:34.800 time. 08:34.800 --> 08:36.400 Now, 08:36.400 --> 08:39.000 we talked recently with Michelle and 08:39.000 --> 08:40.300 about her 08:40.300 --> 08:42.500 doing the recruitment for NASA and stuff and you 08:42.500 --> 08:44.100 very again 08:44.100 --> 08:44.800 very humor. 08:44.800 --> 08:45.900 Humorously 08:45.900 --> 08:46.800 mentioned in your book. 08:46.800 --> 08:47.600 Look 08:47.600 --> 08:49.200 that 08:49.200 --> 08:51.100 you think your biggest influence 08:51.100 --> 08:52.800 when you compare yourself to the shelves that you 08:52.800 --> 08:55.800 might Inspire children to grow up and drink vodka. 08:55.800 --> 08:58.500 They vacuum you said that yeah. 08:58.500 --> 08:59.400 Oh my goodness. 08:59.400 --> 09:01.500 But how do you feel now? Obviously, you know, 09:01.500 --> 09:04.100 this is it's another 25 years later since you 09:04.100 --> 09:05.500 wrote that I think 09:05.500 --> 09:07.600 how do you feel now about that? 09:07.600 --> 09:08.800 I mean as far as your 09:08.800 --> 09:10.900 your place in the pantheon of 09:10.900 --> 09:12.900 I have no I really don't have any idea 09:12.900 --> 09:14.600 what my place is. 09:14.600 --> 09:15.900 I you know, I've always 09:15.900 --> 09:16.900 and I've always 09:16.900 --> 09:18.500 So Marcus Lee humble, 09:18.500 --> 09:23.200 then I'm reluctant to even express it. 09:23.200 --> 09:24.500 But my feeling was that I was riding the 09:24.500 --> 09:25.700 coattails of this 09:25.700 --> 09:27.300 extraordinary phenomenon 09:27.300 --> 09:30.600 that my contribution was 09:30.600 --> 09:31.200 was 09:31.200 --> 09:33.700 extremely limited 09:33.700 --> 09:35.300 that 09:35.300 --> 09:38.800 but as being a member of the crew, I 09:38.800 --> 09:40.200 was embraced 09:40.200 --> 09:41.500 by fandom 09:41.500 --> 09:43.200 the way the people who had more 09:43.200 --> 09:44.100 significant 09:44.100 --> 09:46.300 roles in the show or embraced 09:46.300 --> 09:46.800 so 09:46.800 --> 09:47.800 so 09:47.800 --> 09:50.000 I can't imagine that people 09:50.000 --> 09:52.800 use me as or use my character 09:52.800 --> 09:54.800 as any kind of a 09:54.800 --> 09:55.800 tintype, 09:55.800 --> 09:58.000 you know for for what they might 09:58.000 --> 09:59.300 do with their lives. 09:59.300 --> 10:01.000 Although I didn't need a I did meet a 10:01.000 --> 10:01.900 young woman who 10:01.900 --> 10:03.200 told me that 10:03.200 --> 10:04.600 she 10:04.600 --> 10:05.800 I met her when she was a kid, and 10:05.800 --> 10:07.300 then I met him years later and she told 10:07.300 --> 10:09.100 me that she did go 10:09.100 --> 10:10.000 into 10:10.000 --> 10:13.600 government and worked in the defense department and 10:13.600 --> 10:16.200 did Undercover work and spoke Russian fluently 10:16.200 --> 10:16.900 so that 10:16.900 --> 10:17.400 And 10:17.400 --> 10:18.600 that's where you can 10:18.600 --> 10:20.000 we go, 10:20.000 --> 10:21.300 you know Star Trek. 10:21.300 --> 10:24.400 It had a lot of influence on other people. 10:24.400 --> 10:26.300 Did you when you were making the show? 10:26.300 --> 10:27.600 Did it have an impact on you? I mean, 10:27.600 --> 10:30.100 did you look at those storylines and say 10:30.100 --> 10:31.100 hey this one's right on the money. 10:31.100 --> 10:33.000 I know you mentioned in one of your books 10:33.000 --> 10:34.400 you thought I think it was a private little 10:34.400 --> 10:35.200 war. 10:35.200 --> 10:38.100 You've always a bit reactionary and its message 10:38.100 --> 10:38.600 but 10:38.600 --> 10:40.200 was that the odd one out. 10:40.200 --> 10:41.900 Did you feel mostly it hit the nail on 10:41.900 --> 10:43.300 the head? I think for the most part it 10:43.300 --> 10:44.400 did hit the nail on the head. 10:44.400 --> 10:46.300 I come from a liberal background 10:46.300 --> 10:46.800 and it's 10:46.800 --> 10:48.900 So liberal 10:48.900 --> 10:50.700 so liberal 10:50.700 --> 10:53.100 learning was one of the pictures we had in 10:53.100 --> 10:54.600 our kitchen. 10:54.600 --> 10:56.000 My father came from you know 10:56.000 --> 10:56.800 Soviet Union. 10:56.800 --> 10:58.800 He spoke Russian baby, 10:58.800 --> 10:59.700 you know, he was Russian. 10:59.700 --> 11:00.200 It was clear. 11:00.200 --> 11:00.800 He was 11:00.800 --> 11:03.700 he was a communist excessive Russian was a communist. 11:03.700 --> 11:05.400 So my background is liberal. 11:05.400 --> 11:05.800 I 11:05.800 --> 11:08.500 never I never took that greater 11:08.500 --> 11:10.300 interest in politics 11:10.300 --> 11:12.700 committed myself to that kind of 11:12.700 --> 11:15.700 idealism, 11:15.700 --> 11:16.900 but 11:16.900 --> 11:17.700 What's the question? 11:17.700 --> 11:20.700 Well, basically, you know, the 11:20.700 --> 11:22.400 Star Trek 11:22.400 --> 11:24.200 had an influence, 11:24.200 --> 11:25.400 you know 11:25.400 --> 11:28.000 on cultural matters and it spoke about culture and 11:28.000 --> 11:29.900 society and War and everything. 11:29.900 --> 11:31.600 You did it speak to you as well sit 11:31.600 --> 11:32.000 that 11:32.000 --> 11:32.500 so 11:32.500 --> 11:33.100 that's right. 11:33.100 --> 11:34.800 Yeah, I got a little 11:34.800 --> 11:37.000 I got diverted a little bit. 11:37.000 --> 11:38.100 But 11:38.100 --> 11:39.300 yeah, I thought 11:39.300 --> 11:41.900 I was proud to be associated with a show 11:41.900 --> 11:43.200 that I felt 11:43.200 --> 11:45.200 had something's you know something 11:45.200 --> 11:45.900 that 11:45.900 --> 11:46.800 was significant. 11:46.800 --> 11:47.500 To say 11:47.500 --> 11:48.500 that the made 11:48.500 --> 11:50.200 socio-political statements 11:50.200 --> 11:53.100 that that I could certainly 11:53.100 --> 11:54.300 get behind that I 11:54.300 --> 11:55.900 you know could support 11:55.900 --> 11:57.200 for the most part 11:57.200 --> 11:58.100 and 11:58.100 --> 11:58.900 that was a that was a 11:58.900 --> 11:59.800 that was a bonus. 11:59.800 --> 12:01.400 I mean 12:01.400 --> 12:02.800 I want it to work and I wanted to 12:02.800 --> 12:04.500 know that you know, they have steady job and 12:04.500 --> 12:05.000 that 12:05.000 --> 12:06.300 probably was my 12:06.300 --> 12:07.800 primary consideration. 12:07.800 --> 12:09.500 Sorry guys, if I'm 12:09.500 --> 12:11.000 disillusioned anybody, 12:11.000 --> 12:13.700 but I certainly did appreciate the fact that we 12:13.700 --> 12:15.100 told stories 12:15.100 --> 12:16.800 that 12:16.800 --> 12:18.800 Had a top of the one related to topical 12:18.800 --> 12:22.100 issues, even though we told them in a futuristic 12:22.100 --> 12:23.100 top time topical. 12:23.100 --> 12:26.300 Yeah, let's get Timeless because you know things like, 12:26.300 --> 12:28.600 you know 12:28.600 --> 12:30.700 the cost of violence 12:30.700 --> 12:32.300 over Reliance on technology. 12:32.300 --> 12:34.400 You know, how many planets were run by computers 12:34.400 --> 12:34.900 and 12:34.900 --> 12:36.300 stuff like that 12:36.300 --> 12:38.800 very very much 12:38.800 --> 12:39.900 looking forward 12:39.900 --> 12:41.900 where the storylines but they were also rooted in 12:41.900 --> 12:42.500 the 12:42.500 --> 12:43.200 in the 12:43.200 --> 12:47.400 topics of the now here in our 60s. 12:47.400 --> 12:48.500 Now, 12:48.500 --> 12:50.100 when did you go to your first convention? Because 12:50.100 --> 12:51.900 you are obviously you're 12:51.900 --> 12:53.800 going to be implanted Expo 12:53.800 --> 12:54.900 in Seattle. 12:54.900 --> 12:55.700 You're doing 12:55.700 --> 12:56.400 Vegas. 12:56.400 --> 12:57.000 Yeah, 12:57.000 --> 12:57.700 and 12:57.700 --> 13:00.000 you've had a pretty busy year this year. 13:00.000 --> 13:01.100 Yeah. 13:01.100 --> 13:06.000 You attended your first convention when? 13:06.000 --> 13:10.000 Richard Arnold tells me it was sometime like 1972-73. 13:10.000 --> 13:10.700 I thought it was 13:10.700 --> 13:12.700 only after my daughter's birth and she was born 13:12.700 --> 13:15.200 in 75, but 13:15.200 --> 13:17.200 I guess I did a couple here on the 13:17.200 --> 13:18.400 West Coast 13:18.400 --> 13:20.400 in the early seventies 13:20.400 --> 13:22.200 Richard would know so yes, there is would know 13:22.200 --> 13:23.200 everything 13:23.200 --> 13:24.400 Richard does India. 13:24.400 --> 13:27.100 Yes a walking encyclopedia now 13:27.100 --> 13:27.600 Michelle. 13:27.600 --> 13:31.100 I know she mentioned her first was in 1970 13:31.100 --> 13:32.200 so 13:32.200 --> 13:34.100 which I think was one of the first ones 13:34.100 --> 13:34.900 of 13:34.900 --> 13:35.600 one of the first 13:35.600 --> 13:36.700 Click once 13:36.700 --> 13:38.800 but she said she plans to go for the 13:38.800 --> 13:39.400 rest of her life. 13:39.400 --> 13:40.200 Are you 13:40.200 --> 13:41.800 are you 13:41.800 --> 13:43.300 happy to keep going? 13:43.300 --> 13:46.700 Yeah, I think so, 13:46.700 --> 13:51.300 you know, it's they're generally very positive experiences that 13:51.300 --> 13:52.600 I had some guy in New York called me 13:52.600 --> 13:56.100 a really bad name, 13:56.100 --> 13:57.400 but 13:57.400 --> 13:58.500 aside from that 13:58.500 --> 13:59.300 they really call you. 13:59.300 --> 14:00.500 Did he did he 14:00.500 --> 14:02.200 call you a Mets lover or something? 14:02.200 --> 14:02.600 Yeah. 14:02.600 --> 14:03.200 I know. 14:03.200 --> 14:03.900 Oh and I had 14:03.900 --> 14:05.500 packed with those were fighting words now. 14:05.500 --> 14:05.800 No, 14:05.800 --> 14:07.400 I didn't come here to being the Yankee fan. 14:07.400 --> 14:10.100 Yeah, right exactly. 14:10.100 --> 14:11.100 So yeah, 14:11.100 --> 14:12.000 I do. 14:12.000 --> 14:14.700 I'm not crazy about the flying, you know that 14:14.700 --> 14:17.900 Terminals and the flying and all that stuff 14:17.900 --> 14:18.700 what I have left. 14:18.700 --> 14:20.200 Well not everything that I have left this year. 14:20.200 --> 14:21.400 But most of it is the side of the 14:21.400 --> 14:21.900 Rockies. 14:21.900 --> 14:22.700 So that's 14:22.700 --> 14:24.900 that makes it a little more palatable. 14:24.900 --> 14:27.000 But yeah, the fans are very supportive and you 14:27.000 --> 14:28.200 know not now you can 14:28.200 --> 14:29.700 this is the place where you bring in 14:29.700 --> 14:30.800 this dream so deep 14:30.800 --> 14:31.900 in the violins 14:31.900 --> 14:32.400 and 14:32.400 --> 14:33.700 pull out the hankies 14:33.700 --> 14:34.600 because 14:34.600 --> 14:36.000 the one thing that 14:36.000 --> 14:36.500 that I 14:36.500 --> 14:39.000 that I enjoy saying because it is a positive 14:39.000 --> 14:39.800 thing 14:39.800 --> 14:41.900 because I'm also known to being somewhat, 14:41.900 --> 14:42.400 you know 14:42.400 --> 14:44.900 skeptical and cynical and 14:44.900 --> 14:45.800 about 14:45.800 --> 14:46.700 things in general, 14:46.700 --> 14:49.300 but the one thing that I really truly, 14:49.300 --> 14:49.800 you know, 14:49.800 --> 14:51.200 appreciate it 14:51.200 --> 14:54.000 it conventions the matter where they are whether they're 14:54.000 --> 14:56.100 in the states and I've been I think that 14:56.100 --> 14:56.800 every 14:56.800 --> 14:58.400 all 50 states 14:58.400 --> 14:59.800 or 14:59.800 --> 15:01.600 South America where I've been 15:01.600 --> 15:04.800 or Australia or Europe where I've been 15:04.800 --> 15:06.200 there is 15:06.200 --> 15:07.500 A coming together 15:07.500 --> 15:09.600 of people with a like 15:09.600 --> 15:12.000 with like interests and like feelings 15:12.000 --> 15:14.400 and those feelings are 15:14.400 --> 15:15.200 really 15:15.200 --> 15:17.100 the bring the world 15:17.100 --> 15:18.800 closer to the 15:18.800 --> 15:20.400 the ideal that 15:20.400 --> 15:24.500 Gene Roddenberry had 15:24.500 --> 15:25.900 I 15:25.900 --> 15:26.800 I think that's 15:26.800 --> 15:28.000 you know, 15:28.000 --> 15:30.700 I don't have to Revere the men to 15:30.700 --> 15:32.400 feel reverence for the idea. 15:32.400 --> 15:34.200 But and 15:34.200 --> 15:35.900 and in this time. 15:35.900 --> 15:36.600 We are 15:36.600 --> 15:37.800 we are so 15:37.800 --> 15:39.500 we're in such dire 15:39.500 --> 15:40.300 situation. 15:40.300 --> 15:41.500 If I'm from every 15:41.500 --> 15:43.200 assault from every 15:43.200 --> 15:44.600 every angle and every 15:44.600 --> 15:46.900 in every corner 15:46.900 --> 15:48.600 not you know, not only 15:48.600 --> 15:50.900 what we're doing to each other 15:50.900 --> 15:53.400 man to man, but we're doing today to the 15:53.400 --> 15:54.100 Earth, 15:54.100 --> 15:56.600 you know, the terrible environmental 15:56.600 --> 15:57.900 damage we are doing 15:57.900 --> 15:58.900 all of that 15:58.900 --> 16:00.400 and you come and you meet people who feel 16:00.400 --> 16:01.900 the same way 16:01.900 --> 16:04.700 and if they speak German if they speak 16:04.700 --> 16:06.800 Italian. 16:06.800 --> 16:07.900 You know, 16:07.900 --> 16:08.800 they all 16:08.800 --> 16:10.400 feel the same way and 16:10.400 --> 16:11.500 how nice to 16:11.500 --> 16:12.900 the find those people 16:12.900 --> 16:13.700 and for 16:13.700 --> 16:16.200 concentrated number of hours or days 16:16.200 --> 16:18.100 to be able to exchange 16:18.100 --> 16:19.800 feelings and know that you're not alone 16:19.800 --> 16:20.800 sometimes, 16:20.800 --> 16:21.700 you know, 16:21.700 --> 16:26.000 sometimes you in this country with this particular Administration, 16:26.000 --> 16:28.100 it's there is a feeling that you know that 16:28.100 --> 16:29.100 you're 16:29.100 --> 16:30.300 that 16:30.300 --> 16:30.700 that 16:30.700 --> 16:32.200 you're a minority when you when you 16:32.200 --> 16:34.600 when you talk about 16:34.600 --> 16:36.000 changing things. 16:36.000 --> 16:36.600 And 16:36.600 --> 16:37.600 making it a more 16:37.600 --> 16:39.100 livable world 16:39.100 --> 16:42.200 and I'm more 16:42.200 --> 16:43.000 more 16:43.000 --> 16:46.200 understanding World in a more compassionate World more diverse. 16:46.200 --> 16:46.900 Yeah. 16:46.900 --> 16:48.700 Well and it's all those things 16:48.700 --> 16:49.700 that have to 16:49.700 --> 16:51.200 that we seem to be losing, 16:51.200 --> 16:51.800 you know, 16:51.800 --> 16:54.300 the sense of compassion the sense of 16:54.300 --> 16:56.600 justice after the True Justice and I'm not talking 16:56.600 --> 16:58.700 about revenge Justice I'm talking about. 16:58.700 --> 16:59.800 What's right and what's 16:59.800 --> 17:00.800 what's wrong we 17:00.800 --> 17:03.200 seem to lose that and yet 17:03.200 --> 17:05.800 I find a some respite from that. 17:05.800 --> 17:07.900 That world when I go to conventions, they said 17:07.900 --> 17:08.600 I'm good people. 17:08.600 --> 17:09.200 Yeah, 17:09.200 --> 17:11.800 if they're on the same wavelength and the great 17:11.800 --> 17:13.400 thing is after you know, you've been doing it 17:13.400 --> 17:14.400 now for 17:14.400 --> 17:16.700 about 30 years 17:16.700 --> 17:17.300 is 17:17.300 --> 17:18.800 there's always a new generation. 17:18.800 --> 17:21.000 There's always a new wave of fans coming into 17:21.000 --> 17:21.100 it. 17:21.100 --> 17:21.700 Yeah, 17:21.700 --> 17:23.900 it never seems to stop and 17:23.900 --> 17:26.100 that must that must warm your heart a bit. 17:26.100 --> 17:26.800 Yeah 17:26.800 --> 17:29.400 a little anecdote 17:29.400 --> 17:32.500 to bring a moment of frivolity into the proceedings. 17:32.500 --> 17:34.900 Very attractive young lady came up to me at 17:34.900 --> 17:36.600 a convention. 17:36.600 --> 17:38.200 I think it was 17:38.200 --> 17:39.900 it was in Germany and she gave me such 17:39.900 --> 17:42.000 an incredible hug 17:42.000 --> 17:42.400 and 17:42.400 --> 17:43.800 whispered in my ear. 17:43.800 --> 17:45.900 If only my grandfather was here.