If the San Diego Comic-Con is a little too distant or a little too crazy for you, there's another option on the East Coast for those who want to see the latest goings-on in pop culture. The second annual New York Comic-Con (NYCC) is taking place in two weeks, February 23-25, at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, and the literary and merchandising sides of Star Trek will be well represented.

One event specifically devoted to Trek will be a panel of Pocket Books editors and authors who will present the Star Trek publishing program for the year ahead, and share their thoughts on the future of the line. This will take place Friday night (Feb. 23) at 8:00 p.m. Participants will include Pocket Books editors Margaret Clark, Marco Palmieri and Ed Schlesinger, along with authors Keith R.A. DeCandido ("Articles of the Federation," etc.), David Mack ("ST:DS9 Warpath," etc.), and Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore ("Vanguard: Summon the Thunder," etc.).

Other Trek authors scheduled to appear over the weekend at NYCC include Peter David ("Missing in Action: Star Trek New Frontier," etc.); Greg Cox ("To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh," etc.); Aaron Rosenberg ("SCE: Collective Hindsight," etc.); and Joshua Ortega (contributor to "Star Trek: The Manga," etc.)

In the Exhibitors room, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles will introduce its new Geordi La Forge "Star Trek Nemesis" action figure in an edition limited to exactly 1701 pieces (related story). Pocket Books will also have a booth, along with various other licensees, merchandisers and distributors. Who knows what rare stuff you might find!

For complete information about NYCC — which will be headlined by Wes Craven, Stephen King and Stan Lee — visit www.nycomiccon.com.

Masterson's "Robotech" on DVD

Chase Masterson ("Leeta") is the female lead voice in "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles," an anime film which has been playing in select theaters across the country over the last month and is now on DVD. "Shadow Chronicles" is a continuation of the "Robotech" animated TV series and movies of the 1980s. Masterson plays "J.A.N.I.C.E." ("Junctioned Artificial Neuro-Integrated Cybernetic Entity"), an android created from both alien and human technology, in a tale about a decades-long war between Earth and an enigmatic race known as the Invid, which began after the human race reached the stars through the miracle of "Robotechnology." Mark Hamill is the male lead. The DVD is now available at Amazon and includes a "making of" documentary and other special features.

"Shadow Chronicles" won the Best Animated Sci-Fi Feature Award at the 2006 International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival in Phoenix last October. The New York Comic-Con will hold a special session devoted to "Robotech," though neither Masterson nor Hamill are currently scheduled to attend.

However, Masterson will be at WonderCon in San Francisco on Sunday, March 4, at 12:30 p.m. in Room 220 to plug her movie-in-progress, "Yesterday Was a Lie." Masterson will be joined by her co-star Kipleigh Brown ("Jane Taylor" in "The Forgotten"), and other cast members including Peter Mayhew ("Chewbacca" from some other movie franchise) and writer/director James Kerwin. WonderCon runs March 2-4; for more information, visit www.comic-con.org and click on "WonderCon 2007."

Abrams Keynote Speaker at San Jose Film Festival

J.J. Abrams, producer and maybe director of "Star Trek XI," will be the keynote speaker at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif., running Feb. 28 - March 11. Abrams will appear on Friday, March 2, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, to discuss the topic "Revolutionizing Content for Audiences." The moderated conversation between a festival officer and Abrams "will explore his abilities to dynamically impact a worldwide audience through different filmed mediums as well as his diverse and original creativity."

General admission for the entire day of forums at the festival (separate from the film screenings) is $15. Visit Cinequest.org for information (look up "Program Guide" / "Special Events").

Did You See the Trek Reference in Heroes?

We thought there might be some line of dialog like, "Dad, did you know you look just like Captain Sulu?" But we figured there would be some homage to Star Trek in last Monday's episode of NBC's Heroes guest-starring George Takei as the father of one of the principal characters. Takei impressed us all with his performance as the imperious, angry corporate tycoon — the polar opposite of his own jovial personality — speaking to his son, Hiro Nakamura, fluently in Japanese (not George's first language), but we also got a little easter egg from the show: The New York license plate on Takei's car read "NCC-1701" (see photo in left column).

If you missed the episode — "Distractions" — on TV, you can still catch it online at www.nbc.com/Heroes. You can also download it to your iPod from this iTunes Store link for $1.99. (Takei also appeared briefly at the end of the previous episode, "The Fix.") And stay tuned ... press reports have indicated that Takei will be back in Heroes.

Did You Hear Ricardo Montalban During the Super Bowl?

Last year it was Leonard Nimoy hawking Aleve, this year it's Ricardo Montalban getting a paycheck from Taco Bell. During the Super Bowl the commercials are almost as eventful as the game itself, and among the high-priced ads debuting last Sunday was a 30-second spot featuring our beloved "Khan." Two lions are watching a group of campers eating Taco Bell, and they're loving the smell of the Steak-Grilled Taquitos and start repeating the words "carne asada." "Yeah, it's fun to say — car-r-r-ne asada," says one lion rolling his R's, but the other doesn't get it. "No no, sexy, like Ricardo Montalban," says the first. "Carrrne asa— Ricardo Montalban?" says the second. Then Montalban himself provides the voice-over for the video showing the Steak-Grilled Taquito, placing special emphasis on the rolling-R pronunciation of "carne asada." Inspired by Montalban's voice, the second lion tries again, but the first points out he still hasn't got it.

If you haven't seen the spot, visit this CBS Sportsline.com link, click on "3rd Quarter" and find "Taco Bell" with a thumbnail of the two lions.

Did You See the "Star Trek II" Parody in Family Guy?

Speaking of Ricar-r-r-do Montalban, a week ago Sunday there was a hilarious send-up of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy. After Brian accidentally sells Stewie's teddy bear Rupert during a yard sale, Stewie worries he might be dead and remarks, "I don't think I can handle a funeral." Then a scene plays out where Rupert gets a Spock-style funeral aboard the Enterprise. Stewie, in Admiral Kirk's uniform, eulogizes, "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most..." (lip quivers) "...human." We see animated versions of Kirstie Alley, Nichelle Nichols and other crew members while Rupert is conveyed toward the torpedo chute as Brian plays "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes. Then we cut to the outside of the Enterprise ejecting the teddy bear toward the Genesis Planet to an orchestral crescendo.

You can find the one-minute scene posted at this YouTube.com link, with a couple of comparison videos listed under Related videos.

That episode, "Road to Rupert," also featured Connor Trinneer in its voice cast, in a role that seems an appropriate turning of the tables. If you'll recall, MacFarlane's first cameo in Star Trek: Enterprise was in "The Forgotten," where he played an Engineer who gets his head chewed off by a stressed Trip Tucker. In "Rupert," Trinneer plays an ordinary guy who gets lucky with Sharon Stone, then gets his head chewed off ... this time, literally. See it at this YouTube link (warning: it's graphic!).

New Project for Siddig, New Arrival for McDowell

Photography is scheduled to start today on "Doomsday" with Alexander Siddig in the cast. "Doomsday" is a futuristic action thriller starring Bob Hoskins and Rhona Mitra, taking place 30 years in the future, about attempts to contain and cure a deadly plague which threatens to wipe out humanity. Filming will take place in South Africa and the U.K.

And it looks like Sid has a new cousin. According to a notice in Variety, Siddig's uncle Malcolm McDowell ("Dr. Soran" in "Star Trek Generations") — who already has two grown children — became a father for a third time. His wife Kelley had a baby boy on December 23, and they named him Finnian Anderson McDowell. Congratulations, Malcolm!

Winter Producing Next C.S. Lewis Adaptation

Ralph Winter, post-production supervisor of "Star Trek II" and producer on the four subsequent movies, and also producer of the "X-Men" movies starring Patrick Stewart, is now producing a big-screen adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel "The Screwtape Letters." The project will be similar to the last C.S. Lewis adaptation, "The Chronicles of Narnia," in that it embodies Christian themes. First published in 1942, "The Screwtape Letters" takes the form of a series of missives from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his wannabe diabolical nephew, Wormwood. As a mentor, Screwtape advises his protégé on the finer points of undermining faith and promoting sin. His instructions are interspersed with observations on human nature and Christian doctrine. The film will be primarily live-action. Ralph Winter Productions and their producing partners are aiming for a 2008 release.

Page 2:
Interviews with Nimoy, Shatner
Premiere Dates Set for Donnellys (UPDATE), Winner, Raines
Theatre News: Abraham, Murphy, Vereen
New Shows: Dekker, Janssen, Alley, Smith, Collins