The San Diego International Comic Convention is about to return live and in the COVID- soaked flesh for the first time in two years. The convention has been deemed “The CON” by those who know it well, like Andrew. Admiral Andrew has attended The Con ever since the 80’s when Star Trek the Next Generation was actually still on the air. On STTNGeez!, Episode 2.6: “The Schizoid Man,” Andrew and Dave talk about The Con, and Dave (that’s me), well, I go on one of my charming rants about some of the darker corners of the worlds largest comic convention.
Here’s what we said back in the show, and if you like it, feel free to enjoy the full episode!
Andrew: Let’s talk about Ira Graves a little bit.
Dave: Please. Please!
A: He’s played by M. Morgan Shepard. I was trying to explain the Doctor Who connection. That his son is Mark Shepard. And, in Season Six of the reboot, of new Who : Eleventh Doctor, episodes “Impossible Astronaut” and “Day of the Moon”. Morgan Shepard played the same character as Mark Shepard, only, he plays an older version from the future . . . And I’ve met Mark Shepard, I met Mark Shepard at Comic Con. He was a nice guy, he was a little grouchy.
D: Yeah.
A: I think he was just tired. And my friends and I saw him and we were like “Hey, it’s Mark Shepard! (Going nuts for Mark Shepard sound comes from Andrew’s mouth — really, you’ve got to listen). So we said, take a picture with us Mr. Shepard. And he’s like “Oh for god’s sake. You people sicken me, but I’ll take a picture with you if you give money to this charity”. “Promise me you’ll do that.” And then I’m like “Dude. Dude. Totally!” And then he took the picture… And I did, I actually did give the money to charity — I know most people are thinking I said screw it.
D: Yeah, that would have been a lot funnier.
A: Yeah that’s what I did in the story but in real life I actually went — and he was at the booth at the time so he saw me…
D: Okay.
A: And he looked at me but he didn’t acknowledge that I was following through.
D: Andrew is a huge Comic Con goer, okay.
A: Yes I am.
D: And every once in awhile I make it down there.
A: Yes you do.
D: And for various reasons I can’t always get there. Many of those reasons are that I can’t get a goddamn ticket from the stupid comic convention.
A: Laughs
D: For as much as I like to go. But, I gotta tell you something, being somebody who goes to these Cons and seeing these guys get pissed off about stuff like that — it just rubs me the wrong way. At Comic Con you are jammed in there with all these people right? Thousands of people. The bathrooms are overflowing with urine and feces. And then these guys…
A: (Andrew Laughs his ass off).
D: These guys can use those bathrooms, they don’t have to. There are special bathrooms for them. They get to sit in special places. And then people, all day long, come up to them and tell them “Oh I loved you in Doctor Who” and “You’re so wonderful,” and then they have the audacity to complain about…
A: He did not complain.
D: Listen, in your mind you can go through the people, because I know you don’t wan to call them out on our silly little show, just in case we can ever get some guests.
A: Well, we’re never going to get Edward James Olmos. I pee-ed next to him.
D: That’s the one I was going to not mention. But he was grumpy, and it’s like, come on guys.
A: He was grumpy, yes.
D: It’s like COME ON, if you’re going to be grumpy like that…. and I get it, If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t want some goober coming up to you and make you shake their sweaty hand and make you have to talk about some show that isn’t your favorite thing that you were on. Then, don’t go to the CON in the first place. Just stay home.
A: I don’t want to say anything bad about Mark Sheppard, I think he’s wonderful.
D: He is a good actor.
A: And he did stop and take the picture with me.
D: I’m making a bigger point about these people at the Con. We’ve been standing on the floor when Tom Cruise is being ushered through and nobody’s allowed to look at him. Don’t touch him, don’t look!
D: You know what, one of my favorite Comic Con experiences was walking by a table and so close you could touch them, and the whole cast of Next Gen was sitting there, except for Patrick Stewart. They were all right there, and happy. They were saying “We love the fans and we’re going to sit here”. And, even if they were pretending, that’s what you do — you’re an actor, act like you like people.
