Glorious geekfests: Dreaming of Dragon Con

You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the comic genius that is a storm trooper shaking his shiny white groove thing and thrusting a blaster rifle in time to throbbing techno beats amidst the flash of strobe lights at a sci-fi con dance.

That scene still stands as one of my favorite memories of Dragon Con, billed as “the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US.” Which is to say, if you’ve ever gotten into deep philosophical discussions about Battlestar Galactica, Middle Earth, graphic novels or vampire lore, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy at Dragon Con.

This year’s four-day event over Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta (Sept. 4-7) should be especially exciting for some (OK, I’m talking about me, even though I can’t go) because it will feature Patrick Stewart, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Now that’s what I call an out-of-this-world lineup!

Of course, that trio comprises just a teeny, tiny fraction of the hundreds of guests on tap. If you attend, you can expect to join a (sometimes elaborately costumed) throng of 30,000 fans wandering around the host hotels (and along Peachtree Street). There will be a parade, costume contest, autograph sessions, merchandise dealers, films, music, and more panels than you can shake a lightsaber at.

One of the toughest bits about the con is deciding what to do. You can browse the guest list here and check the site Wednesday (Aug. 26) for a schedule. Here are some suggestions for those overwhelmed by the vast number of choices:

-Dance your way to a world record with Michael Jackson’s Thriller: Con organizers want a massive turnout of fans willing to learn the steps and take part in one huge zombie dance party. You can learn your moves in advance or in sessions at the con.

-Battlestar Galactica guests: I’m still loving and missing BSG (despite an ending I found somewhat disappointing). Several stars will be at the con, including Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Alessandro Juliani (Felix Gaeta) and Kandyse McClure ("Dee" Dualla).

-Author Charlaine Harris: Harris penned the Sookie Stackhouse books on which the HBO series True Blood is based. Should be interesting to hear her take on the hit show.

-The Whedon Universe Track: Joss Whedon fans will want to check this out. Events focus mostly on Buffy and Angel, but hopefully something Dollhouse related will make its way onto the schedule.

-TrekTrak: I’ve been a Star Trek fan since when we were still called Trekkies. Here’s the guest list thus far. Highlights include Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Kate Mulgrew, to list just a few.

-BritTrack: Fans of Dr. Who, Red Dwarf, Torchwood and more will enjoy this. Some of the guests are Terry Gilliam, Gareth David Lloyd and Eric Roberts.

-Comics and Pop Artist Alley: This is the place for comics fans to congregate. To name a few guests, you can spot Christopher Golden, Scott Allie and Doug Wagner.

-A sampling of other guests: Scott Adsit of 30 Rock (and the Adult Swim show Moral Orel) and Malcolm McDowell of Heroes (and A Clockwork Orange and countless other things).

-Drum circles: Last but not least, one of my favorite events is the freestyle, fan-lead drum circles that take place Friday through Sunday nights. I’ve seen them both indoors and out by the pool, and anyone can watch or join in. There’s belly dancing, drumming, even bagpipes (flutes, violins and probably even spoons are welcome, too). This is a must-see event that really makes you feel a part of the con. Below's a clip from last year I found on YouTube.

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Ad makes me want to "spruce up [my] Aphrodite"

A British ad urging women to "mow the law" (think *very* personal grooming put to an upbeat song and dance) is supposedly causing a stir in the States. I'm not sure if it's the super-tame U.S. version that's causing a stir, or if the peppy and much more pointed UK version got an airing that was too hot for American screens. I live in the UK and never saw either ad before they caught the attention of The Daily Beast.

The UK ad sure is effective; it not only made me laugh, it also made me want to do a little trimming with a Quattro razor, even though I've got plenty of disposables in ladylike pink already. Unfortunately I don't have the skill to do any heart-shaped "topiary" like the lass in the ad.

Here's the tepid U.S. version. Check out the infinitely more fun (and more naughty) UK version below:

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Simpsons take a licking from USPS

How much do I love the new Simpsons stamps? So much that I'm actually thinking about getting a stamp-collecting book for the first time since I was 10.

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Pride and Prejudice gets zombie treatment

I'm not big on zombie flicks (much to my husband's dismay), but I might have to check out the upcoming film that merges Zombies with Pride and Prejudice. Natalie Portman is set to star, so this sounds like a major-budget film. The classic opening line of P&P will now go like this (according to an article in the Times):

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

And the storyline will remain largely true to the original tale -- with a few little twists:

While much of the original novel remains — perhaps about 85% — Grahame-Smith, who has written five previous books, including How to Survive a Horror Movie, has taken liberties. The Bennet family still has five marriageable daughters, but we know we are in a terribly different, though somehow disconcertingly familiar, world when we learn that in the zombie-infested England of those times: “The business of Mr Bennet’s life was to keep his daughters alive. The business of Mrs Bennet’s was to get them married.” All five Bennet girls have been taken to Shaolin, in China, by their father to be trained in the deadly arts of zombie-killing by the Chinese master Liu.

Urm, on closer inspection of the article, there is set to be some gross stuff in the film, and I REALLY hate gross stuff. Might give this a pass after all, but for those who can stomach it, it may be the most unique re visioning of Jane Austen yet.

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The Next Gen does Family Guy

The Family Guy is doing an episode featuring the principle cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Based on the clip, it looks like the crew had no problem poking fun at themselves. And can I just say that young or old, live action or cartoon, Patrick Stewart can beam me up anytime. Go on, make it so, Picard.

Daydreams aside, the episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox. Get Wired for more info.

Check it out:

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A forgotten hero of The Great Escape

Sixty-five years ago as of last night, Allied POWS at Stalag Luft III began their escape attempt (it was March 24, 1944). Out of the 76 men who escaped the German camp, only three made it to freedom; 50 of them were executed.

The escape was immortalized in the film "The Great Escape." U.S. Army Col. Jerry Sage is the war hero on whom Steve McQueen's character was based, though regretfully you never seem to hear much about him. Sage worked for 15 months on a three-tunnel escape plan while in the POW camp, which he told of in his book "Sage." The movie "The Great Escape" was based on the book of the same title by Paul Brickhill, but Sage's exploits are credited with helping form the movie's plot (though his own book wasn't printed until well after the movie was made).

According to his 1993 obituary in Variety, Sage:

"...earned the nickname 'Cooler King' because he was placed in solitary confinement 15 times in the Nazi camp.

In the movie, McQueen whiled away time in solitary with a baseball glove and ball.

After numerous breakout attempts, Sage, who worked for the U.S. Office of Strategic Service, made his final escape across Poland after being a POW for more than three years."

According to IMDB:

"Steve McQueen's character Hilts was based on amalgamation of several characters, including Major Dave Jones, a flight commander during Doolittle's Raid who made it to Europe and was shot down and captured and Colonel Jerry Sage, who was an OSS agent in the North African desert when he was captured. Col. Sage was able to don a flight jacket and pass as a flier otherwise he would have been executed as a spy. Another inspiration was probably Sqn Ldr Eric Foster who escaped no less than seven times from German prisoner-of-war camps."

There's not a lot out there about Col. Sage. I remember him coming to speak at a history class when I was in junior high in the '80s; he talked about how he could kill a man in two seconds with his bare hands. Even though he was well into his 60s at the time, I firmly believed him and didn't doubt he could still do it if need be.

Sage struck me as a tough old bird who gave a hell of a lot in service of the United States. He was a member of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in World War II, a predecessor of the CIA. Perhaps he kept such a low profile due to the nature of his work. He also seems to have led an incredibly interesting life. I wish there was more out there about him (heck, I wish at least that his book were still in print! You can find some used copies on Amazon and at Abebooks.).

Do you have more info or stories about Jerry Sage? Leave a comment and share the love!

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