‘Star Trek’ Center Stage; Nichelle Nichols Remembered

Full disclosure: Two months later I am still going through withdrawal from Comic Con New York, so when the opportunity arose to go to Wintercon I was off to Resorts World Casino NYC for the festivities on Saturday, December 2. Comparably, Wintercon is a mini two day Comic Con, of sorts, complete with the usual array of comic book and superhero enthusiasts who gather for the panels, the celebrities, artist alley, the merchandise, and a chance to dress in their favorite costumes.

Sometimes less is more, and the immediate advantage of a smaller gathering like Wintercon is fewer people. Translation: It is easier to walk around and the panels are more intimate.

Mirroring Comic Con, where my classic TV antenna rose upon seeing BernNadette Stanis and Ralph Carter from the Norman Lear sitcom Good Times, I was pleasantly surprised to meet Deborah Tranelli, who played Phyllis Wapner, Bobby Ewing’s (Patrick Duffy) trusted assistant on the classic serialized drama Dallas.

“I was so fortunate,” said Deborah Tranelli, who in addition to her 10-season recurring role on Dallas appeared in episodes of Hart to Hart, Three’s Company and Law & Order, among other series, throughout the course of her career. “I had a guest role on Hart to Hart shortly after arriving to Los Angeles and the next thing I knew I was on Dallas.”

“I have nothing but wonderful memories of Dallas; Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Ken Kercheval, Barbara Bel Geddes, Howard Keel, Donna Reed and so many others,” remembered Tranelli. “I was in awe of these people. I think one of my favorite scenes was when I told Larry Hagman as J.R. that ‘hell would freeze over’ before I would work for him.”

Also on the celebrity roster at Wintercon were Celia Rose Gooding (Star Trek: Strange New World); Rockne S. Obannon (Farscape); Spencer McCoy (Doctor Who); Michael McManus (Poltergeist); Spencer Walker (Guardians From the Galaxy); Eva Habermann and Xenia Seeberg (Lexx); Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit); Femi Taylor (Star Wars Episode IV: Return of the Jedi); and from Galaxy Quest, Missi Pyle, Daryl Mitchell, Patrick Breen and Jed Rees.

If there was one overall theme of note at Wintercon it was clearly the legendary Star Trek.

“Star Trek is an intergalactically beloved franchise and I have a chance to learn and grow in a space that is so protected,” said Celia Rose Gooding at a panel, who plays the role of Nyota Uhura in the Paramount+ original reboot Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. “The only reason I get to do what I do is because of the fans.”

Nichelle Nichols, of course, originated the role of Uhara in the original series plus the first six Star Trek feature films and is credited with opening the doors to other actresses of color on television.

“I had decided to leave Star Trek after the first season to pursue other opportunities,” Nichelle Nichols told me in an interview honoring the sci-fi series at the 50 year landmark in 2016. “Then, at an event, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in attendance and came over to speak to me. He told me what the show meant to him personally and asked me to stay on Star Trek, stressing the value of a woman of color playing a character with dignity and knowledge.”

Nichols reconsidered her decision to leave Star Trek, paving the way for other women of color, including Diahann Carroll in the sitcom Julia, to portray intelligent and professional characters.

Since no Wintercon event is complete without an array of vendors, one individual I was happy to reconnect with after meeting at Comic Con is Paul Thayer, who created the must read comic book series Project Naosis in 2020.

“Project Naosis is a sci-fi superhero adventure,” noted Paul Thayer. “In 2090, a villain named Crimson Payne eliminates all the heroes in existence and the government unites under one nation to create the super enhanced unit Project Naosis to stop this rising rebellion. We have six issues for Project Naosis, and another three being made right now – episode four and two first issues focusing on separate characters – that will be out in first quarter 2024.”

Then, of course, is the memorabilia. Here are Jennifer Maier and Maria Beccari, who featured a collection of handmade mugs and pictures, among other items, for sale.

As always, the first day at Wintercon ended with the annual costume contest.

Until the next Con-themed event…