Captain Kirk To Appear At This Weekend's 'Shore Leave' Sci-Fi Convention
HUNT VALLEY, Md. (WJZ) -- It's a big weekend in Baltimore for Trekkies and science fiction fans. The 35th annual Shore Leave sci-fi convention sets up shop with authors, workshops and some famous actors.
Ron Matz reports one special guest, who's now 82, will "beam up" to the Hunt Valley Inn.
Forever known as Captain Kirk, William Shatner will be here in person Saturday, appearing at Shore Leave--the popular sci-fi convention in Hunt Valley.
"A lot of us who put on the convention grew up with the original Star Trek. That's how this whole thing started. So Mr. Shatner is really an icon in media science fiction," said Inge Heyer, co-chair of Shore Leave 35.
"I think the first sci-fi thing I did was 'Deep Star Six.' It was a movie in the early 80s," said actor Greg Evigan. "I personally got into sci-fi from Star Trek and Lost in Space, all those old shows. The original Star Trek got me hooked."
You know Evigan from "B.J. and the Bear" and "My Two Dads," but he also starred with Shatner in "TekWar."
"I auditioned for Shatner for 'TekWar.' We did it and it went great. In the room he said, 'You're perfect, you got it.' We did four two-hour movies and 18 shows," Evigan said.
Martyn Griffiths is here with a purpose.
"The fans are actually what make a lot of science-fiction feasible. They keep buying the books and keep seeing the movies," said Griffiths, , who's from Coventry, England. "If it wasn't for the fan base, a lot of things wouldn't exist in science fiction."
Shore Leave is much more than just Star Trek. There are performances, workshops and a chance to meet some famous science fiction writers.
"The special thing about this convention is that it's run by the fans and for the fans. Entire families are involved," said Heyer.
"In addition to the actors, we have over 40 science fiction writers attending the convention. Some are here for the first time, some have been coming for decades. There are panel discussions and writing workshops," he continued.
There are books, puzzles, pins and more. Like Greg Evigan, it's about living long and prospering.
"It's a great chance to get around and talk with people. They're really great fans. Loyal fans for life. It's good to talk to them," he said.
Shore Leave 35 continues at the Hunt Valley Inn through Sunday. For ticket information, click here.
