It’s the end of 2013, which means Gallifrey 2014 is right around the corner, and we have lots of programming updates and so forth to get to today, not the least of which is our first batch of panels for our Discussion Panel track, which can be found at the end of this update (along with a deadline for those of you who would like to participate as panelists on these discussions… more on that later.) Let’s get started…
NEW GUESTS
We’ve been hard at work focusing on local talent to add to our mix of guest speakers for Gallifrey 2014 and are thrilled to welcome a number of new and returning confirmations. Mark Sheppard, best known to Doctor Who audiences as Canton Everett Delaware III and also from his many science fiction TV appearances including Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, Warehouse 13 and Supernatural, will be with us for a third visit. Chase Masterson also returns to our convention for a third time, fresh on the heels of the release of her new audio series from Big Finish, Vienna, a spinoff from her appearances in the Doctor Who audio line; best known from her many appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chase is a legend in the SF/F community. Writer/producer Jane Espenson, one of the busiest people we know, will return as well, her internet series Husbands hugely popular while she has become well known throughout Hollywood for her work on many genre series including Once Upon a Time, Game of Thrones, Caprica, Warehouse 13 and Dollhouse; her partner on Husbands, Brad Bell, will also be making a return visit. And popular fantasy novelist Barbara Hambly once again joins us at Gallifrey 2014; recently she’s been hard at work on the Benjamin January Mysteries novel series, and of course is well known for her fantasy and science fiction novels as well as her Star Trek and Star Wars tie-in novels.
We are also delighted to welcome more guests from the local science fiction and fantasy television and comics genres, each of whom will be joining us for discussion panels about SF TV & film and, of course, Doctor Who, including writing partners Ben Raab (writer on The Phantom, New Mutants, Green Lantern and X-Men/Alpha Flight, plus writer on Warehouse 13) and Deric Hughes (writer and co-producer on Warehouse 13), Jose Molina (co-executive producer on Sleepy Hollow, The Vampire Diaries, Grimm, Terra Nova, Haven, Castle, Without a Trace), Jordan Rosenberg (writer on Fallen Skies, Alphas, Medium, The Middleman), Sarah Watson (writer/producer on Parenthood, The Unusuals, The Midddleman), Christine Boylan (writer/producer on Once Upon a Time, Castle, Leverage), Gillian Horvath (writer/creative consultant on Highlander, Painkiller Jane, MythQuest), David Wise (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Speed Racer, Star Trek: The Animated Series), Jesse Alexander (co-executive producer of Heroes, Alias, Lost and recently executive producer of Hannibal) and Sean Crouch (writer and producer of Numb3rs, former script coordinator for Veronica Mars).
Also joining us for panel discussions are Kevin Grazier (science advisor on Defiance, Falling Skies, Gravity); and from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Trina Ray, Kim Steadman, Bridget Landry, Sarah Milkovich and Scott Edgington, who will be hosting our science program panels including looks at Curiosity, Cassini and various Mars missions. Rounding out our invited guest panels will be comics writer & producer Paul Salamoff (Logan’s Run: Last Day), Debbie Viguie (New York Times bestselling novelist including the Wicked series with Nancy Holder), and Scott Viguie (Doctor Geek’s Laboratory of Applied Geekdom). And this isn’t it, more guests will be announced soon, too!
Incidentally, we must regrettably announce that two of our guests cannot make it in 2014: Kate O’Mara and Carole Ann Ford have had to withdraw. We hope to see them in future.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
We want to remind everyone that there are two important deadlines coming up very soon. January 10 is the close of T-shirt pre-orders on the website; after that, we will have the normal limited supply of shirts available for purchase on site (this year, in the dealers room). Also, January 15 is the deadline for all pre-convention registration transfers to be registered via the website. Once that closes, we will take care of transfers on site at the convention, but the current registration holder must be present in order to do so (i.e. for families or groups of friends changing one registration to another). Thanks for your attention.
ART SHOW SOLD OUT
Only weeks after putting up the prospectus for interested parties for displaying this year, we can announce that the Gallifrey 2014 Art Show has completely sold out. We thank everyone for their interest in displaying and hope to have a stellar Art Show this coming February!
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The Gallifrey 2014 Preliminary Schedule is now online; click the image at right to view it. This is our basic working framework of the daytime calendar and evening events for the convention. A more detailed schedule of events will be available sometime in mid-January.
Speaking of which… we have a few updates regarding some of our Evening Programming events. On Saturday night, we have a brand new band, the Temporal Riffs, taking the place of The Well-Tempered Schism (many of whose members will not be able to be with us); they will be performing on our stage immediately after the Masquerade with Doctor Who and genre-based themes and popular favorites. Also, The Idiot’s Lantern – a second year of our Doctor Who cosplayer cast drama – will take place on Friday evening in the Meridian Ballroom (off the main hotel lobby floor) but The Shakespeare Code, previously announced as an evening event, will actually take place during the day on Sunday (tentatively). We will have many other announcements about our evening plans in the weeks to come…
EXHIBITOR TABLES
We have a very limited supply this year of fan tables (exhibitor tables), due to increased foot traffic in our hallways – so if you still have not yet spoken to us directly about reserving your table, now is the time to do so. Everyone operating an exhibitor table must have a paid registration to the convention.
PROGRAM BOOK ADVERTISING RATES
We are now taking reservations for ads in our 2014 program book. We do full-page-only adverts in our book (which will reach at least 3500 people), black and white, with a full image size of 5″ wide by 8″ high; the cost is $120 for the full page advertisement (we don’t do half size ads). Reservations for advertisements must be received no later than January 16, 2013; contact us via the email page on our website to let us know you would like to take an ad.
CHARITY AUCTION DONATIONS
We are looking for donations for our charity auction, which will take place at the convention Sunday afternoon at 12:00pm. Upon arrival, please drop off any materials you would like to donate to the Convention Office. We are looking for donations of science fiction, fantasy, comics, horror or genre related material, most especially Doctor Who and its spinoffs. Anything that has a tangential relationship to the SF/fantasy/horror genre which is in at least very good condition such as autographed photos, commemorative items, one-time prints, illustrations, etc. are also welcome. If you find it to be a valuable collectible, chances are good that others will, too. Just be sure: this is not a disposal service for items you wish to throw away! As previously announced, this year’s charity is a personal one, for the Aimee Hoff Memorial Scholarship Fund at Newbury Park High School (see our Charity Auction page). We would appreciate your donations at the convention.
A CLARIFICATION ON VOLUNTEERS
We are receiving a higher than expected number of emails from people volunteering to help the convention (some already ticketed, many who aren’t). Please note that as of 2014, we have done away with our volunteers program, and will be staffing the convention throughout the Friday-Sunday weekend in-house only. However, if you would like to help out, we’d ask that you join us on Thursday beginning around noon as we start assembling our stage; there will be plenty to do, and we could use the help. Note that anyone assisting must have a Gallifrey One membership already; we are not providing complementary admission or reduced admission to anyone who assists at this time.
DISCUSSION PANELS: BLOCK ONE
Finally, today we are releasing the first block of discussion panels for Gallifrey 2014. This group of panels includes most of our Doctor Who discussion topics this year as well as a large portion of our cosplay program; we still have some panels coming a bit down the road, including panels we are staffing by invitation only, but right now this is where we are. If you are interested in participating in one or more of these panels as a panelist (not as a spectator; everyone is welcome to sit in on the panels – panelists are the actual speakers/moderators of the discussion), please contact us via the website contact form, and include your name, the panel(s) you are interested in (please limit yourself to no more than three) and your qualifications for being on said panel(s).
Please note: emails that do not follow these directions, including “put me on any panel you’d like” emails, will be discarded. Replies will not be forthcoming until our deadline for panelists, which is a very short window: January 10, 2014, so get moving!
Too Much of a Good Thing? Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary has brought about a cavalcade of official — and unofficial — tie-in merchandise, from books to collectibles, memorabilia and more. But has it gone too far? Or are we still craving more, more, more? We’ll look at the best (and worst) of the Doctor Who collectibles of every persuasion.
Philip Morris and the Case of the Missing Episodes: As we celebrate the return of The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, our panel will take a look into the world of missing Doctor Who episodes and serials, discuss the journey toward recovery, and look at what the future might bring.
The Days of Whine and Roses: Reexamining the Early Years: Everyone who is a fan of classic Doctor Who has an opinion about the early years… but many of us have found ourselves reexamining those opinions in light of the most recent episode discoveries, especially about The Enemy of the World. Our panel will look back at the Hartnell & Troughton eras with a critical eye, discussing the best and worst of the black & white years.
At The Eleventh Hour: Matt Smith’s voyage in the TARDIS is done, and it’s certainly been a ride. We will look back objectively at the Matt Smith era of Doctor Who, discussing his portrayal of the Doctor, his companions and adversaries, and the writing and production under the auspices of Steven Moffat.
Journey to the Centre of the Fandom: Doctor Who fans expect a lot, but quite often tend to go overboard in their expectations. Our panel will examine the so-called ‘entitlement’ issue from fandom, expectations of how Doctor Who should be written — for the general public, for the kids, or for its more hardcore consumers — and how best to balance this going forward.
Scientists & Sprained Ankles: The Women of 60′s & 70s Doctor Who: In a post-feminist era, we often look back on the early days of Doctor Who with rose-colored glasses, but its portrayal of women was not always what we would like it to have been. We will take a look back at the portrayal of women in the early years of the show, and how it set the tone for years to come.
Tricks of the Light: Just how *did* they do that in an era of styrofoam rocks and rubber masks? While it was never at the cutting edge, classic Doctor Who did manage some very inventive effects. We’ll discuss the best and brightest of the visual effects, costume design, prosthetics and makeup associated with the original 26-year run.
Twenty Five Glorious Years: As we hit our silver anniversary year, some of the people behind the scenes at Gallifrey One get together to reminisce about the long road and tell tales of the many adventures we’ve had over the years with our guests and attendees. From police raids to Persian weddings, cabarets to cicadas, and much more, we celebrate 25 years of (what we think is) a very good thing.
Colour Separation Overlay: Has Doctor Who truly hit its stride of late with its representations of diversity and color on screen, or has it always been that way? Why did it take 45 years to find its first companions of color, and why might depictions of color been more prominent or more nuanced in other eras? And did it ever represent racist overtones? Our panel will take a look at what the series has done right – or wrong – over the years.
The Keyboard Is Mightier… “Too broad and too deep for the small screen” was the tagline for Doctor Who in print at one point, but some might argue that’s been simplified over the years. What is Doctor Who doing right or wrong in the world of publishing? What are some examples of the best of Doctor Who fiction… and where could it vastly improve? We’ll take a critical look at Doctor Who in print.
He’s My Doctor: Admit it, we all have a favorite amongst the eleven incarnations of the Doctor whose journeys we’ve witnessed over the years (and that’s just from the TV series). Our panelists will discuss and defend their own favorites, and give the audience its own time for input… after all, they’re all iconic in their own ways!
The Non-Violent Solution: We live in a world of violent video games, slasher movies and car chases on television… and yet, somehow, Doctor Who endures. He’s never cruel or cowardly, and he never raises a weapon to solve a problem. What is the appeal of a character who lives boldly and espouses virtue above all things?
Cosplay Launchpad: There are so many wonderful costumes out there… but where does a beginner stick their toe in the water? From fancy dress to world-class masquerade competition, our panelists will show you the best ways to get into the world of cosplay as a newcomer, give you some pointers on construction and design, and even share some secrets about getting into your first masquerade.
Geronimo! Let’s face it… getting someone started in Doctor Who these days is probably a daunting task. We’re not just talking about 26 years of the classic show, but now there’s nearly ten years of new mythology, too. What’s the best way to hook new viewers, keep them, and then helping them get involved into the fandom of this vast universe?
Crafting Who Goes Fourth: From scarves to TARDIS knitwear, illustration to cartoons and much more; Doctor Who fans are a crafty bunch, and we’ll once again get together to discuss all the latest raves in Doctor Who crafting.
Sex and the Single Time Lord: Though it wasn’t about the Doctor when he wrote it, Douglas Adams may have put it best. ”What is he, man or mouse? Is he interested in nothing more than tea and the wider issues of life? Has he no spirit? Has he no passion? Does he not, to put it in a nutshell, f—?” A late-night discussion topic about how the Doctor gets on without copping off.
Geeks Wearing Clothes: The Art Of New Who Cosplay: Cosplay in the Doctor Who universe isn’t just about outlandish outfits and cosmic ensembles. This panel will assist new cosplayers in finding/buying/constructing the off-the-rack styles seen in the new series… more focused on, say, finding the best Donna Noble items than sewing a Victorian Clara outfit.
How It’s Made: Doctor Who Costume Edition: Our experienced costumers discuss all of their secrets on how they create these amazing pieces of wardrobe, from both aesthetic and technical standpoints. If you’ve ever wanted to get behind the scenes, here’s your chance.
Dulcet Tones of Doctor Who: From eerie Delia Derbyshire electronic music to those bizarre middle-years orchestral pieces and Murray Gold’s soul-pumping themes, there are fifty years of Doctor Who music but still some incredibly iconic themes that we all remember. Our panel of music experts will select some of the best music scores, cues and themes and discuss how they’ve affected perception of the program.
What’s The Big Deal with Screen Accuracy? Why is it the credo of the cosplayer to get things absolutely right, instead of just a close approximation? Why are costumers so obsessed with the proper materials? We will get to the bottom of why it’s important for recreation to be as exact as possible, and how best to hide it when it’s not altogether possible.
The British Are Coming! It’s not an invasion if you’re open to it, and American audiences have been open to it for decades… British culture, that is. From popular music to film and television (including a certain Time Lord), we’ll have a chat about some of the most important and memorable parts of our culture that are exclusively from the eastern side of the pond.
How To Build Your Own TARDIS: Admit it, you’ve always wanted to do this, and now you can… our panel of technical wizards will get together to discuss their secrets on building a better TARDIS.
The Iconic Time Lord: Why are the costumes on Doctor Who so memorable? Why do we continue to see floppy hats and long multicolored scarves at conventions, even the ones that don’t focus on our show? We’ll discuss the iconic fashion of the Doctor and his companions and why their costumes have endured the test of time.