From September 2 – 4, Vulcans, Klingons, Borg, and a bunch of tribbles invaded New York City at the Star Trek: Mission New York convention. This was the first time ReedPop has held a Star Trek convention, and they selected a large stage to kick things off. In case you missed it, we were there and caught all the action.
Cosplayers Rule
Many convention-goers wore uniforms from The Original Series or Next Generation. We also spotted uniform jumpsuits from Enterprise and a few people wearing uniforms or jackets from the Kelvin timeline. A lot of people cosplayed as Seven of Nine, and we even saw cosplayers as that rascal Harcourt Fenton Mudd and Abraham Lincoln.
Alien and Android Cosplayers Rule Even More
As might be expected, there were a lot of Vulcans at the convention. We saw Trill spots on some faces, including an adorable toddler. Andorians and Klingons were well represented – apparently, a bat’leth helps when hailing a cab! We saw a Ferengi with a gorgeous coat as well as a pair of cosplayers outfitted as people from Cheron, the planet where some people are black on one side and white on the other, and others have the colors reversed. On day two, we spotted a fantastic cosplay of Alice 27, an Android from the “I, Mudd” TOS episode.
Do You Like to Mashup?
It was great seeing how inventive and creative some people’s costumes were, and there were a few really interesting cosplay mashups. One cosplayer made a political point wearing a blond wig and carrying a sign saying, “Make the Federation great again.” Two others cosplayed as Khan’ye West – a mashup of Khan Noonien Singh and Kanye West – and Kim Cardassian.
Big Booths and a Variety of Vendors
There were big booths from games including Star Trek Online and Star Trek: Timelines. The Smithsonian was there, showing a new film about Star Trek. Other vendors sold patches, posters, uniforms, jewelry, clothing patterns, t-shirts, mugs, keychains – you name it!
At the Simplicity booth, vendors talked about using the patterns to create costumes. Cosplayers were also happy sharing some of their costume secrets. The NASA booth gave demonstrations, and the personnel was more than happy to discuss the search for Earth-like exoplanets and their plans for Mars and other Solar System explorations.
The Celebrities Were a Lot of Fun
Lines were generally short for autographs and photo ops, particularly by the end of day one. You could actually have a short conversation with a celebrity! There were plenty of celebrities at the convention, with actors from most of the series’ available for photos and autographs.
The Panels Were Great
The Enterprise panel was particularly amusing. Actors John Billingsley, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, and Connor Trinneer have all known each other for over 15 years and clearly enjoy each other’s company. A panel on feminism in Star Trek with Marina Sirtis, Nana Visitor, and Terry Farrell was equally entertaining and informative.
Panelists from the company that made the Star Trek Online game shared information on how they put their games together.
Writers were given their due, and they talked about tie-in works and the upcoming Leonard Nimoy biography. Eaglemoss held a great panel about their upcoming ship designs. There was a panel on what aliens are probably going to be like and a wonderful panel on literature in Star Trek, including nods to Shakespeare in the original Klingon.
Walter Koenig and the Postmaster General officially introduced the new Star Trek stamps to commemorate 50 years of the show. A NASA panel talked about what Star Trek means to so many astronauts, and where they are going next. It was fascinating hearing about how NASA wants to conquer Mars and what they need to do to get there. It is going to happen soon.
Overall, everyone was eager to learn, and to teach.
Bridge Command Was Amazing
If you are looking for an immersive interactive experience, the new Star Trek: Bridge Command virtual reality game will blow you away. Most importantly, success in a mission is dependent on everyone. The game requires four players, but they don’t need to be on the same continent, and a few of them can even be virtual. Star Trek’s messages of inclusion and teamwork are well represented in-game.
The Best Part of Any Convention is Making Friends
At the end of the day, Trekkies simply enjoy being around each other. The convention felt safe and respectful of everyone. People posed for photographs gladly. Reunions happened constantly. For fans the world over, the Mission: New York Star Trek Convention brought out the best in the franchise and its diverse fandom.