SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 230 - We Interview Dawn Cowing, Founder and Director of the Shatterdome Con

SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 230  - We Interview Dawn Cowing, Founder and Director of the Shatterdome Con

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Tonight’s Diners: Scott, Miles, and M

 

The SciFi Diner Podcast A 2012 Parsec Finalist

The Shatterdome Con A fan run media event celebrating all things Pacific Rim, Pop-Culture, SciFi, Fantasy, Film, and so much more! With a convention aiming to bring you an overload of high quality, specifically tailored goodness you can bet that Shatterdome Con put itself in the fans' seat when seeking out these special guests. Shatterdome Con is excited to offer some of the best in the industry from Actors, Film Makers, Effects Artists, Authors, Screenwriters, Comic Artists, Designers, Costumers, Innovators and so much more... There's a reason Shatterdome Con's tagline asks: Can you handle the neural load? Come join in the guest talks and panels, Q&A Sessions, Special Presentations, Workshops, Autographs, Photo Sessions, and meet your favorite guests. FEATURED GUESTS ROBERT MAILLET - ACTOR / PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER PACIFIC RIM, SHERLOCK HOLMES, 300, THE STRAIN, PERCY JACKSON, WWE Standing at an immortal size of 6'-10" tall, ROBERT MAILLET, is a French Canadian from Eastern Canada, who pursued his dream to become a Professional Wrestler in the W.W.E. from 1997-1999. He first brought the confidence and poise learned in the ring to the big screens with his performance as the terrifying Uber Immortal in Zack Snyder's 300. He has also appeared as the ominous and powerful Dredger in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes and the unstoppable Minotaur in Tarsem Singh's Immortals. Some of Robert's recent accomplishments include: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, as the Russian Jaeger Pilot Aleksis Kaidanovsky in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim, the upcoming Brick Mansions and The Strain on FX. Shatterdome Con is honored and thrilled to have a member of Chero-Alpha with us represented! Dlya vashego zdorov'ya! HEATHER DOERKSEN - ACTRESS PACIFIC RIM, SMALLVILLE Heather Doerksen (the O is silent). Standing at almost 5'10", this Canadian-born actress is hard to miss. Heading into college, her goal was to study Biological Science because it would be "a practical and reliable career choice", but it took one influential acting class to convince her to switch her major. She graduated with her BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Heather landed her first screen roles on 'Smallville' and 'The L Word' in 2005. Since then, she has continued to shine in feature films and TV series. TIM RUSS - ACTOR / DIRECTOR / ARTIST STAR TREK VOYAGER, STAR TREK GENERATIONS, iCARLY, SAMANTHA WHO? TIM RUSS has been working as both an actor and musician for the past twenty-five years. His talents encompass a wide spectrum of the performing arts including composing, musical performances, writing, producing, directing, and voice-over. His acting credits include; “LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD,” “THE HIGHWAYMAN,” “THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR,” “STAR TREK-VOYAGER,” “SAMANTHA WHO,” and "iCARLY." Having worked with Crescendo Records, Tim has released several CD’s which are all available on iTunes and www.cdbabay.com As a producer Tim headed up a number of projects including the feature film, “EAST OF HOPE STREET” and an award winning children’s book/audio CD entitled, “BUGSTERS,” published by Wood’s N’ Water Press. Mr. Russ has also entered the TV/Film directing arena with credits including, “STAR TREK: VOYAGER,” the feature films, “STAR TREK: OF GODS AND MEN,” “NIGHT AT THE SILENT MOVIE THEATER” and "STAR TREK: RENEGADES." Tim recently completed a season doing the voice of “Solomon” in Cartoon Network’s, “SYMBIOTIC TITANS,” as well as several Video Games, and 6 audio books. JOHN MORTON - ACTOR STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK John is best known as Dak, Luke Skywalker's back-seater in the Battle of Hoth, The Empire Strikes Back. He also appeared in the film substituting for Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett on Bespin when Boba utters his famous line to Darth Vader, "He's no good to me dead." Currently, he is a regular contributor to the Official Star Wars Blog."Beyond the Galaxy", fans know John from roles in epic films like A Bridge Too Far, Superman II and Flash Gordon and in the BBC television series Oppenheimer. A veteran performer, he appeared on London’s West End stage and New York’s Off-Off Broadway as an actor and musician. When not acting, singing or playing guitar, he was a lighting and sound technician affiliated with London’s White Light Electrics working on such classic productions as The Rocky Horror Show, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Nicholas Nickleby and thought-provoking plays by celebrated playwright David Hare. A published author, John’s Backstory In Blue: Ellington At Newport ’56 is a behind-the-scenes look at a legendary moment in American cultural history when a performance of the great Duke Ellington Orchestra almost caused a riot at the third Newport Jazz Festival. John’s plays have been produced in New York and Washington, notably his award-winning Hubris. In addition to signing and sitting on panel discussions at Shatterdome, he will be supporting the 501st who will be fundraising for the Travis Manion Foundation. The Foundation assists veterans and the families of fallen heroes by serving community and country and by fostering strength of mind and body to create a generation of future leaders. . DANIEL LOGAN - ACTOR STAR WARS - ATTACK OF THE CLONES Daniel Logan, born in New Zealand, started acting when he was 10 years old. He got his break when Auckland children's rugby teams were being scouted to find a boy for a TV commercial. After auditioning with hundreds of other young rugby players, Daniel got the part, his first acting role, playing a little boy who gets knocked into the mud by Auckland rugby star Michael Jones. He was noticed by other casting agents and that break led to more commercials and TV appearances, including a recurring role in episodes of the New Zealand medical series "Shortland Street" and a guest appearance in international hit "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Daniel also starred in the short film, "Falling Sparrows" and provided the lead & supporting voices in 2 animated series' "Tamota" and "Takapu." He also had a part in "The Legend of Johnny Lingo." At the top of this young actors growing resume sits "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," with the coveted role of Boba Fett. Playing Boba Fett required more then a love of action, it also required patience. Daniel recalls being next to blue and green screen back drops through seemingly endless special effects takes. At one point, a series of 82 different shots of Daniel were done for a special effects sequence of clones that would only last a few seconds on-screen. He knows all the work was worth it, and is very proud and honored to be a part of the Star Wars legacy. ATTENDING PROFESSIONALS ALBIN JOHNSON - FOUNDER OF THE 501st - Vader's Fist In 1997 Albin Johnson was coping with the loss of a leg from a car accident when he heard the news that the Star Wars trilogy was set to be re-released worldwide. Finding inspiration in the movies they loved since childhood, he and a friend set out to acquire the armor of their favorite character in the films, the Imperial Stormtrooper, just in time to appear at the movie premieres. Public response was so strong that Albin launched a website showcasing his armor and before long Stormtroopers from around the world started calling. The sight of so many dedicated troopers prompted him to recall his father’s tales of WWII and the camaraderie he shared with his fellow pilots. So Albin created a fictional Imperial unit named the 501st service to Darth Vader himself, and re-launched the website as a gallery for displaying pictures of his fellow costumers in the role of heroic soldiers. Over night the 501st, which Albin nick-named “Vader’s Fist”, became a Star Wars sensation among fans and in thirteen years grew to over 5,000 members in 43 countries. Today the 501st recognized part of the Star Wars universe. The Legion works closely with Lucasfilm and its partners on projects large and small. The Legion’s local units, called Garrisons, volunteer in their communities and engage regularly in charity work. In 2007 George Lucas invited 200 of the 501st Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade. Today the group continues to spread the magic of Star Wars at product releases, conventions, children’s hospitals, and charity events. Albin has also started a version of the 501st Galactic Academy. The Academy website showcases pictures of young fans who want to get in on the fun. And in 2006, following the death of his daughter Katie from brain cancer, Albin’s family was honored by another Star Wars club, the R2 Builders, when they answered Katie’s wish to have a pink version of R2-D2 named after her. R2-KT was born, and soon after she was inducted as an actual character in the Star Wars universe when she appeared in the series Clone Wars. Today “KT” travels the country appearing at events, raising awareness of pediatric illnesses, and spreading joy to Star Wars fans everywhere. To learn more, be sure to visit the 501st Legion website at www.501st.com The Galactic Academy at www.galactic-academy.com, and R2-KT’s website at www.r2kt.com. CHERALYN LAMBETH - FAN GONE PRO: DESIGNER / COSTUMER / PUPPETEER / AWESOME! Likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Shortly after graduation, Cheralyn relocated to New York to study at The Juilliard School and earned her first 15 minutes of fame performing Off-Broadway with John Leguizamo in Mambo Mouth. She then moved to Minneapolis to create Muppet costumes for Sesame Street Live (as well as a large purple bunny for the film The Net) and returned to New York a year later to work with Jim Henson Productions on the TV series Dinosaurs! and the film The Muppet Christmas Carol. After her time at Henson, Cheralyn worked with Paramount Production Services, creating costumes and props for Paramount properties such as the Star Trek Earth Tour, Titanic: The Movie on Tour, and Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. Some of her other credits include work (both behind and in front of the camera) on The Patriot, The New World, Evan Almighty, Leatherheads, and Blood Done Sign my Name, as well as costuming work on the National Park Service film "Manassas: End of Innocence" directed by Star Wars sound specialist Ben Burtt. She was also a principal character in the History Channel docudrama Isaac's Storm, which premiered in the fall of 2004 and can still occasionally be seen on THC. Her most recent work includes costuming work on a photo shoot for the film The Hunger Games, and on the Showtime television series “Homeland.” On the fan side of things, Cheralyn is proud to be an active and long-time member of the Fighting 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. She also serves as the voice of the Federation starship Montana in the acclaimed Star Trek fan audio series Star Trek: The Continuing Mission, and can be seen as the Romulan Commander in Starship Farragut’s episode The Price of Anything. Most recently Cheralyn has been expanding her interest in paranormal research, combining that with her theatrical background to produce her first book, Haunted Theaters of the Carolinas, with Schiffer Publishing. She is currently working on Ghosts of Greater Charlotte (NC) as well as completing a book on puppetry, The Well Dressed Puppet, scheduled for release by FocalPress.com in October 2014. Follow Cher on Twitter at @CherLambeth, or through her website at cheralynlambethmedia.webs.com