Stargate Comes To Houston’s SpaceCity Con

When they say everything’s big in Texas, they weren’t kidding!

Running in Houston from this Friday through Sunday, August 2 to 4, the upcoming SpaceCity Convention will offer a slew of guests and activities for science fiction fans with a large contingent of Stargate‘s beloved actors in attendance, including:

• Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey)
• Alexis Cruz (Skaara)
• John de Lancie (Col. Frank Simmons)
• Torri Higginson (Elizabeth Weir)
• Jewel Staite (Jennifer Keller)
• Marshall Teague (Col. Frank Cromwell)

Additional guests will include several Star Trek fan-favorites including Tim Russ (“Tuvok” from Star Trek: Voyager), J.G. Hertzler (“Martok” from Deep Space Nine), Denise Crosby (“Lt. Tasha Yar” from The Next Generation), and many more!

We’ll will be on-site for the convention, and you can join GateWorld podcast co-host Diana Botsford for a variety of special, GateWorld-hosted events throughout the weekend.  Participants will also have multiple chances to win a GateWorld t-shirt throughout the weekend.

Events include (all times listed are CST):

Friday, August 2 – 1:00 to 2:30 pm
OPEN LINE GATEWORLD PODCAST:  Space & Beyond — Where’d Television’s Space Exploration Go?
For the past fifty years we’ve been thrilled by Star Trek, stepped through the Stargate to countless worlds in as many galaxies, and had our sense of wonder taken to new limits with Battlestar Galactica.  But now … !  For the first time in decades, science fiction television is purely Earthbound — whether it’s in the guise of an Earth altered by Defiance, a secret operation inside Warehouse 13, or time travel to modern day Vancouver.  SpaceCity Con attendees (with a special call-out to the GateWorld community) are cordially invited to join in on the discussion.  The recorded open debate will be available on this site (and on iTunes) shortly after the convention wraps.

Friday, August 2 – 7:00 to 8:30 pm
JOURNEY TO ANTARCTICA THROUGH THE STARGATE
Antarctica: The original home of the Lost City (Atlantis), the Ancient weapons chair, and the second Stargate.  The frozen “bottom of the world” holds a special place in Stargate’s expansive mythology.  In “The Drift,” Botsford’s latest SG-1 novel, the future of the Ancient outpost, the Stargate Program, and Earth itself are thrown into jeopardy when a natural disaster hits Antarctica.  Botsford visited the frozen south in preparation for “The Drift,” and in this panel she will share photos and videos from her search for the Ancient outpost as well as selected readings.

Saturday,  August 3 – 5:00 to 7:00 pm
STARGATE: ACROSS THE STARS
WITH:  Robert Picardo, Alexis Cruz, John de Lancie, Torri Higginson, Jewel Staite, Marshall Teague
From conception to finale, these Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis actors created some of the most memorable characters in science fiction television history.   Join GateWorld in this special two-hour panel as we visit with these fan-favorite actors,  discuss their contributions to the Stargate franchise, and find out more about what lies ahead in their stellar pursuits.

Sunday, August 4 – 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
INTERVIEW with JOHN DE LANCIE: TRICKSTERS, SHADOWS & SHAPESHIFTERS
There’s good guys and villains … and then there’s the characters who you’re never quite sure who’s side they’re on.  Enter John de Lancie, whose career spans not one but two much-loved science fiction franchises:  Star Trek (as the omnipotent yet mischievous Q) and Stargate (as the duplicitous Colonel Frank Simmons).  This one-hour, in-depth interview explores the unique brand of drama and humor that de Lancie brought to these complex characters — their chameleon-like agendas sending many a commanding officer’s head spinning and delighted audiences across the globe.

For tickets and more details on the event, head over to the SpaceCity Con Web site. We’ll see you in Houston!