My Trip to New Zealand Begins
It took about a month of planning–figuring out what places to visit, how to travel to each, the availability of the transportation, the kind of transportation, the time and distance it took to walk to the accommodations, the availability of the accommodations, making sure I filled government requirements for passage, adjusting flights to allow time to be processed through customs–writing it all down in an itinerary and sending that to my friends. My destination: the islands of New Zealand–the lands where Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed, and a host of other experiences I wanted to … experience.
On Sunday, February 26, off I flew on Air New Zealand, landing in Auckland some 12 hours later, 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28 in crossing the International Date Line. After being processed through Customs, I boarded a bus that took passengers to another terminal that serviced domestic flights. My next stop: Wellington, at the southern end of the north island and capital of the country. Also the home to Weta Workshop. And what did I find at Wellington Airport?
Great big birds. In the main terminal. At the food court.
Giant eagles.
One carried a man wearing a pointed hat, holding a glowing stick.
The people at the airport didn’t seem to mind.
Such is the craftsmanship of the artisans at Weta Workshop.
I factored in a four-hour layover to visit my friends there, then off I flew to my next destination. But not on a giant eagle.
Next time: Queenstown.
The Dragon Prince and the Great Big Boat
Each season of The Dragon Prince teases potential viewers with a poster.
Seasons One, Two and Three showed us the dragon Sol Regem.
Season Four’s poster showcased the Startouch Elf, Aaravos.
Season Five’s poster features … a boat.
What challenge does this boat bring? Could it be there are other land masses besides Xadia? Does it have anything to do with Aaravos? Will we see Berto again? And why Rayla has given herself a granny bun?
We’ll know in a few weeks.
The Soul of Snagglepuss
On March 28, 2023, “Smarty-Prance” Twitter-tweeted this magnificent art of Snagglepuss. Click on the image to enlarge.
Fantastic, isn’t it?
The artist’s real name is Saira Vargas. On April 11 she tweeted that she’s looking for work. Anyone want to hire her?
Contact information:
sairavargasart@gmail.com
https://sairavargasart.carbonmade.com
STARGATE’s Lemon Defense
July 28, 2006. SyFy Channel premiered the Stargate SG-1 episode, “The Pegasus Project,” in which SG-1 teams with the Stargate Atlantis crew.
Major John Sheppard gives Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell a lemon to ward off obnoxious physicist Rodney McKay, who is allergic to citrus.
Here’s how the scenes play:
“The Pegasus Project” was written by showrunner Brad Wright.
Saturday, February 18, 2023. Nearly 17 years later. Gallifrey One, a Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles, photo ops are sold featuring celebrities from Doctor Who, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica, among other genre shows.
Here’s Ben Browder (from Stargate SG-1), myself, Alaina Huffman (Stargate Universe; she played Dr. Tamara Johansen) and Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis) showing off our lemons. We are prepared!
The 501st Legion Honors Bryce Eller, the Promotional Darth Vader
On July 2, 2022, the Southern California Garrison of the 501st Legion–aka Vader’s Fist–honored Bryce Eller (formerly Kermit Eller) with an honorary membership. Eller wore the original screen-used Darth Vader costume at promotional events from 1977-1982. He’s the one in the poster, here:
And partially out of costume, here:
And here we are at the ceremony at the Daily Grill in Burbank:
Back, left to right: Jay “Tiepilot” Skwarlo, Bryce Eller, Sebastian Lewis,
Front, left to right: Shawn Crosby, Shamim Q. Dana, W.R. Miller
Special thanks to Shamim Q. Dana for inviting me.
He’s good. He’s very good.
From Top Gun: Maverick:
Leave it to Hangman to save the day. Here’s how he does it:
(Disclaimer: Profanity)
He’s good. He’s very good.
And so is Glen Powell in the delivery of his lines.
Is there a Top Gun: Hangman in the future?
I Ate the Dragon Prince!
What a joy it is to be on the receiving end of a gift–especially when it’s a surprise from the fine folks at Wonderstorm, makers of The Dragon Prince on Netflix. This is what is known in the entertainment biz as “swag”–promotional goods or items. The swag of The Dragon Prince is extraordinary. It goes to show how classy the Wonderstorm studio is.
The package arrived November 28. It contained a color promotional card with a handwritten message in the back by Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, the showrunners; a hat with the symbol of Katolis, and a box of chocolates.
The chocolates are not any run-of-the-mill chocolates. They are One-Up Chocolates, custom-made for the series. Each chocolate has different combos of flavor, styled after the prominent members of the cast: Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Aaravos, Claudia, and Soren. Click on the image to expand it, and you can see the flavors attributed to each cast member. Tasty custom-made chocolates. Amazing, isn’t it?
The backs of each piece are labeled!
And edible!
From Top of the World Passion Unites, a genuine Kingdom of Katolis cap! Impress your fellow Xadians!
The most valuable keepsake of the swag is this colorful card extolling the cracked mirror motif of Season Four: “Mystery of Aaravos.” Why so special? Because there’s a handwritten personal message from the show’s creators, Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond. It’s like getting a letter from Walt Disney or the Fleischer Bros. when their studios were gearing up. If you check out The Dragon Prince on Netflix, you can see the emphasis on quality, both visual and storytelling. This is just the beginning for Wonderstorm.
Thanks, Aaron and Justin, for these gifts, and for the gift of your show.
The Ballad of Paladin
There’s a tradition in pop culture in which the hero is a wealthy man who dons a secret identity–that of a crusader of vigilante justice, taking on villains that attack helpless civilians.
These secret superheroes include The Scarlet Pumpernickel, Zorro, The Green Hornet, Batman, Iron Man. The type also applies to Paladin, an Old West soldier-of-fortune as adept with classical literature, fencing and philosophy as he is with his custom-made six-shooter and derringer pistol. Richard Boone played the character in Have Gun, Will Travel, a CBS TV series that lasted six seasons, from 1957 to 1963. Among the show’s writers: Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek.
Paladin’s theme was played during the show’s end credits, composed by a fellow appropriately named Johnny Western. Have a listen:
Lyrics:
“Have Gun Will Travel” reads the card of a man.
A knight without armor in a savage land.
His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind.
A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin.
Paladin, Paladin
Where do you roam?
Paladin, Paladin,
Far, far from home.
He travels on to wherever he must.
A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust.
There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin.
Of the man with the gun, of the man called Paladin.
Paladin, Paladin
Where do you roam?
Paladin, Paladin,
Far, far from home.
Far from home,
Far from home.
More facts about the show can be found on this video:
The character’s origin was explored in the first episode of the sixth season, colorized in this video:
https://youtu.be/HFETd83TnBM
