SLCC15 - The Triumphant Return of Marina Sirtis

Marina Sirtis, best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and its movie spin-offs, made her triumphant return to Salt Lake Comic Con, Sept. 24-26, 2015.

As a two-time Salt Lake Comic Con guest, Sirtis has quickly become a fan favorite in Utah - and she loves the Beehive State right back.

"The people in Utah are really nice," she said in an interview for SotT: Underground. "Now, that could be because they're Mormons. ... Mormons are really nice people."

She jokingly asked, "[Mormonism is] the only difference between this state and every other state, right?"

But it's not just the Utah culture that Sirtis enjoys; she also has an incredible appreciation for the the way the convention is run. Her enthusiasm for the event was instrumental in helping Salt Lake Comic Con co-founders Dan Farr and Brandenburg recruit Marvel super-celebrities Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell for September's event.

Referring to Farr and Brandenburg, Sirtis said, "Every box that we want ticked as a guest at their convention, they tick ... each box and more. They treat us so well here. They spoil us, they respect us, they get it, you know? They realize that it’s a symbiotic relationship – that they need us as much as we need them. So, they just get it, and so it’s always wonderful to come back here."

The Utah Symphony also took advantage of Sirtis' short stay in Salt Lake, utilizing her as a narrator for their "Sci-Fi Spectacular!" concerts on Sept. 25-26. The experience would be a unique one for Sirtis.

"I haven’t done anything quite like this before," she said. "I did a long-form poem called ‘Enoch Arden’ with a pianist, but I’ve never done anything with a full symphony orchestra before."

Sirtis went on to explain, "What we’re doing at … Abravanel Hall is, virtually, every sci-fi theme you’ve ever heard, but done by a full orchestra."

There was one part of her upcoming opportunity that Sirtis was particularly excited for: "I think I’m going to be the first woman who ever says, ‘Space: the final frontier.'"

That phrase, of course, is the iconic line uttered most famously by "Star Trek" captains Kirk and Piccard.

Sirtis appeared as Counselor Troi in 176 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and all four of the series' companion films. She also made appearances in episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Star Trek: Enterprise." Most recently, she has provided the voice of the on-ship computer for the online series "Star Trek Continues."

Of her experience as part of one of science fiction's most popular franchises, Sirtis said,"We had no idea that we would affect people’s lives the way we have. We were just a bunch of actors that got this great job. And I think, actually, had we known at the time, it would not have been a good thing. I think it’s better that we didn’t know that we were impacting people the way we were. To hear it now, it just makes us really proud. I mean, we hear so much, 'This was family time for us… My parents have since passed, but whenever I hear the theme song, it brings back fond memories.' We meet people from the Forces who’ve had umpteen surgeries after coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan, saying 'Watching your show is what got me through and kept me going…' So, as a lowly actress, I never imagined in my wildest dreams I would be involved in something that would change people’s lives."

FanX 15 - Jim Cummings: The Voices of a Generation

Since the mid-1980s, Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2015 guest Jim Cummings has been the voice of a generation, providing some of the most iconic voices in all of animation. His vocal presence was practically unavoidable in throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, lending the sound behind classic cartoon characters like Disney’s infamous Pete, the Tazmanian Devil of Looney Tunes fame, the Rescue Rangers’ Monterrey Jack, TaleSpin villain Don Karnage and a slew of deep-voiced announcers and narrators. He also provided voices for major characters in animated series like “Bonkers,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “CatDog,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Tick,” “Earthworm Jim,” “Timon & Pumbaa,” “House of Mouse” and, literally, hundreds more. But of his 438 credited roles on IMDb, Cummings is best known for his legendary portrayal of Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger, too).

When asked whether creating and performing so many different voices was difficult, Cummings told Salt Lake Comic Con, “Well, we are schizophrenic and, uh… we are, too, so we don’t mind it at all. We have a good time with it and the voices in my head are all nodding up and down. They’re all smiling,” he said with a laugh. “So, I think it’s good. I think the answer is – what is it like? – pretty darn good.”

Cummings began developing his skill at a very young age. “I’ve been terminally annoying since the age of four, so I’m really getting good at this,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that I just fell into and people started laughing, and I figure, ‘Well, that’s better than having them beat the heck out of me…’ So I just stuck with it.”

If his experience with live-action performance is any indication, Cummings will be sticking to doing voice work for the foreseeable future. He recalled one of his first impressions of Hollywood: hanging out with Bob Hoskins and Robert Zemeckis on the set of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, for which he helped develop several of the Weasels, originally, and later ended up as the voice for “Bullet #2.” During this experience, he realized that the live-action work seemed to be a lot of “Hurry up” and “Wait…”, noticing that actors would often sit in their trailers for three hours before heading to the set to recite four lines.

He specifically remembered rehearsing one exhausting scene on the set at Griffith Park in Los Angeles until 4:00 in the morning – and then, to his disappointment, the entire scene was cut from the film! At that point, chuckling, Cummings thought, “Hand me the microphone, please. I don’t have to be in my trailer; my trailer is everywhere!”

Cummings landed the role that, arguably, has defined his career in the late-‘80s when ABC and Disney sought out to find the next voice of Winnie the Pooh. He described that life-changing experience:

“At the time, it was 1987 and there hadn’t been any ‘Winnie the Pooh’ since the early ‘60s. But the original two or three that they made that were really great and everybody loved them – they won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short, I guess – [but then] they went away for like 25 years. So, at that point, Winnie the Pooh wasn’t as prevalent, if you will. But then ABC and Disney got together and started casting for it and Sterling Holloway (God rest his soul – he’s no longer with us), well, he had retired; he was very old – close to 90, I believe – so he wasn’t coming back to drive all the way up to Hollywood to do that (or Burbank). So they cast out a net and they caught me and I’m so proud and happy and the rest is sort of history.

“At that time, Paul Winchell was still doing Tigger (and, you know… rest in peace, as well) and he had been going back and forth… He was quite something; he was an inventor, an innovator, he came up with the prototype for the artificial heart, you know, and Tigger. Of course, it’s a logical career progression. He was doing research and going back and forth, so I was Tigger half the time and then, bless his heart, he had a terrible stroke […] and he just couldn’t do it anymore, so they said, ‘All right, you’re Tigger, too.’ So I got Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, too.”

Cummings and the voices in his head were an enormous hit at FanX ’15, as he and fellow voice actors Jess Harnell and Rob Paulsen rose to superstar status in Salt Lake City. Their first combined panel, a Harry Potter script reading, was filled to capacity and prompted Salt Lake Comic Con co-founder Dan Farr to book an encore performance in the South Ballroom on Saturday. The ballroom was packed as Harnell, Paulsen and Cummings read lines from The Sorcerer’s Stone in the voices of their most beloved characters, including a show-stopping portrayal of the evil Lord Voldemort, done in the voice of the innoncent, hunny-loving Winnie the Pooh.

Cummings said that he enjoyed his time in Utah. “It’s been fantastic,” he said. “I love the hotel, love the staff, love the Con. Everybody putting it on is great and I say, ‘Full speed ahead!’” Then he closed his remarks in the style of the world’s most famous crime-fighting mallard: “If Darkwing Duck were here, he would say, ‘I am the terror that flaps in the night – and it’s good to get out and flap in the day every now and then, so I’d just say, ‘Keep flappin’!... for justice, of course.’ But… let’s get dangerous!”

Salt Lake Comic Con: One-on-One with Valerie Perez

Back at Salt Lake Comic Con in September 2014, I had the opportunity to spend some time getting to know actress, producer, model and self-proclaimed “day brightener” Valerie Perez. Without having any prior familiarity with her career, she graciously allowed me to interrogate her with my journalistic curiosity. Her outgoing personality, friendly disposition and upbeat sense of optimism quickly made her one of my favorite guests at the convention.

“I do a fair amount of conventions every year,” Perez told me. But, despite her recurring appearances at comic cons and pop culture events across the United States, this was her first time coming to Utah. After working with show producer Dan Farr on several occasions, Salt Lake finally snagged her for the show in Fall 2014. By all indications, she seemed to be enjoying her stay. “Everyone’s been so nice!” she said through her practically permanent smile.

Perez is best known for her roles as a butt-kicker in several hit web series. With roles ranging from serious to satirical, Perez has appeared in web videos including “Universal Dead,” “Superhero Speed Dating” and Nerdist.com’s “Justice League” videos, and she starred in Atlantis Studios’ live-action comicbook series, “The Adventures of Paula Peril.”

Becoming an actress was something that Perez said wasn’t easy. “I wanted to do other things, because you’ve all heard about how terrible it is to get into acting,” she said. “You have to be pretty masochistic to want to take all that rejection. But then I realized [that] I really like flexing those muscles of communicating with people.

“I grew up kind of a lonely kid,” she continued. “So … feeling that great feeling of being heard and sending the idea to somebody – filling up the space, if you will – feels really great. And, as someone who’s always lived in their head, I really appreciate that because, you know, I’m a computer geek. I really like the interaction and collaboration and creativity, so… It’s kind of like going to the gym, working those muscles. I’m working my communication muscles and they feel good.”

That hard work is paying off for Perez, whose work was nominated for multiple Geekie Awards in 2013.

In retrospect, Perez said that early exposure to comicbooks helped inspire her career as a model and cosplayer. “Wonder Woman is the reason why I picked up my first comicbook,” she said. “I saw that reboot with George Perez – a beautiful montage cover. He drew her just like my mom, and there was my name – Perez. I thought this book was made just for me and it became my manifesto. That first issue, I re-read it every year from the time I was eight until I was 18. She just blew my mind. … [There was] this great sense of purpose I really identified with.”

Now, Perez has earned the opportunity to don the iconic red and blue Wonder Woman costume for herself in web videos for the popular geek culture website Nerdist.com. “I always was a fan of Wonder Woman,” she said. “To be able to bring it to the next generation, to help highlight what she is, it’s a great honor.”

Along with her classic Wonder Woman costume, Perez also debuted a new, Marvel Comics-themed costume for the Salt Lake convention: Gamora, of “Guardians of the Galaxy” fame. Perez said she had a friend help her apply green body paint with meticulous detail in the early hours of the morning so she could be ready for the event. “I love the colors, I love the textures and I love being here with my Baby Groot,” she said, showing off a miniature, potted version of the lovable wooden superhero that anyone familiar with this summer’s blockbuster would appreciate.

In closing, Perez offered words of encouragement to aspiring cosplayers and convention-goers. “To those who are interested in cosplaying, feel free to try to celebrate your favorite mythos and to celebrate your favorite characters that you don’t think get enough love. It’s a lot of fun.”

For more information about the Wonderfully talented Valerie Perez, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Salt Lake Comic Con: Two questions with Grant Imahara

Grant Imahara is best known for his work as a member of the Mythbusters Build Team, which spanned from 2005-2014, but also has an impressive career in many other aspects of entertainment.

As a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in electrical engineering, Imahara has been able to put his skills and vast knowledge to good use on television, big screen and beyond.

When he came to Salt Lake Comic Con 2014 in September, needless to say, Imahara was a pretty busy guy – so busy, in fact, that he only had time for me to ask him two questions. Of course, I had to start off by asking him about his experience on Mythbusters.

“Oh, you know, people ask me if it’s the best job in the world and it certainly is,” Imahara said. “It’s the kind of thing where they pay you to build dangerous robots, crash cars, blow things up – all while teaching science – so it’s a fantastic job.”

When asked what advice he would give to the young demographic of his fan base, with their budding interests in science, technology and electronics, Imahara responded, “The best possible thing to do is, if you’re curious about something, just dive right in. … These days, there are so many resources available. You can go online and look at videos on YouTube on how to build robots, or, if you’re interested in electronics, you can find out about circuits, you can buy kits… Just dive right in.”

Now that Imahara’s time on Mythbusters has come to an end, he makes occasional appearances on other web and TV series, and can most prominently be found portraying Lt. Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek Continues.

Danny Glover talks acting, 'Angels in the Outfield' at Salt Lake Comic Con 2014

When I tell people that I work for Salt Lake Comic Con, they generally have two responses: either "Really?" or "What's that?" How anyone at this point - especially those who live in Utah - can say that they have never heard of Salt Lake Comic Con is beyond me, but that's beside the point. While I was working during Salt Lake Comic Con 2014 in September, I had a few opportunities to mingle with the famous folks and do some interviews. Some of the interviews I got to do were pretty short. I mean, I guess the celebrities are kind of busy, you know, signing autographs and meeting thousands of their fans and stuff like that, so I'll let it slide. But, with that being said, some of these interviews are fairly concise and don't really provide enough content for me to write an article out of them. Therefore, I think I'll just post some of them here in the Underground for you lovely people to read.

One of the guests that came to the convention that I really wanted to meet was Danny Glover. He is probably most well-known for his "Lethal Weapon" movies, but I've never seen those, so that wasn't a big draw for me. But, as a child growing up in the '90s, one role that I absolutely remember Mr. Glover from was his performance as George Knox, the grumpy manager for the California Angels in Disney's "Angels in the Outfield." ("GO BACK TO CINCINNATI!") One of my goals for Comic Con was to talk to him about the movie and, perhaps, get him to sign a baseball for me. Here's the interview:

So… I actually wrote your bio that we put on our website and so I learned a lot about your career. You’ve done a lot of stage acting... Is that right?

“Yeah. … Well, I mean, it was great training for me, you know? It was a great place to start because it provides the foundation. You learn to use your body, voice... So the voice becomes an instrument, you know? And then you engage with an audience, so it’s not like you’re engaged with this one-dimensional thing, like in television – you’re engaged with an audience. I think … it was essential for my growth. … It gives you an immediate gratification, that night. So, you’ve got these 400 times that you do a performance, and each time you’re getting an immediate gratification.”

Can you tell me about “Angels in the Outfield”? That was one of my favorite movies, growing up, so I was wondering the kind of experience you had with that.

“Well, you know, it’s one of those kinds of movies – it’s a classic movie – I mean, it had been done before, but it was really… I mean, it was one of those movies that I’m surprised … what kind of legs it has, you know? And I must have seen it… When I was in the store – in the grocery store – just a few weeks after it was released, a little boy was staring at me – he may have been five, six years old – he just kept staring at me, and then I turned around – I was in the grocery department, in the fresh vegetable department – and then he looked at me and he walked away and he whispered to his mom, ‘Mom, Mom, there’s the coach.’ … That boy’s in college, finished with college now, you know? So it’s all good.”

While I was right there, I figured I'd get his autograph.

One final thing that would … make my dreams come true [would be] if you could sign my baseball. Can you do that?

“Ok. All right.”

...and then he did. My happiness defied description.

Lastly, I leave you with one of the best scenes from "Angels in the Outfield":