Comicpalooza delivers super sci-fi fun with ‘Aliens’ cast and others

It’s been 30 years since the science fiction blockbuster movie “Aliens” came out and Sigourney Weaver doesn’t look like she’s aged a day.
As for the rest of the cast … well, gosh, how about that Sigourney Weaver!

The cast of the iconic film reunited last weekend at Houston’s Comicpalooza, delivering laughter and cheers from the same ensemble that made us scream and cry at one of the most frighteningly suspenseful movies ever made. Present on stage together (and individually at their autograph booths) were Daniel Kash (Pvt. Spunkmeyer), Cynthia Scott (Cpl. Dietrich), Ricco Ross (Pvt. Frost), Mark Rolston (Pvt. Drake), Jenette Goldstein (Pvt. Vasquez), Carrie Henn (Newt), William Hope (Lt. Gorman), Michael Biehn (Cpl. Hicks), Paul Reiser (Burke), Bill Paxton (Pvt. Hudson) and Weaver (Lt. Ellen Ripley). The only major cast member not there was Lance Henriksen (Bishop).
With their time abbreviated due to a late start, several of the stars recounted their experience auditioning for the movie. Several of them nearly turned it down for other roles and most said they were unfamiliar with new guy directing the movie – James Cameron. Most of the cast members recalled reading lines for the part of Vasquez and Hudson. That led Paxton (who played Hudson) to quip that Weaver read for the part of Hudson.
Weaver not only headlined the movie but its predecessor, “Alien,” along with the sequels “Alien 3” and “Alien: Resurrection.”
It was an incredible experience seeing this much Hollywood talent together at one time. Yet they only made up a fraction of the celebrity guests, artists, authors and other entertainers who helped pack out the George R. Brown Convention Center over the weekend.

Among the numerous celebrities appearing at Comicpalooza were “Star Wars” veterans Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and David Prowse (Darth Vader), “Star Trek” actors Walter Koenig (Chekov) and Robert Duncan McNeill (Voyager’s Tom Paris), “The Incredible Hulk” himself Lou Ferrigno, “Rocky” star Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), celebutant Tara Reid and the lovely Kate Beckinsale (Evelyn from “Pearl Harbor”).
In one of the classiest acts I’ve ever seen, Comicpalooza made a late addition to the guest list by bringing in Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller from “Sons of Anarchy”) who had just headlined two weeks earlier in Houston at Space City Comic Con. To understand the significance of this, you first need to understand a little history.
The Greater Houston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (which has half ownership of Comicpalooza) sued Space City Comic Con (SCCC) to get it to stop using the Space City moniker (owned by the bureau). A federal judge refused to stop the show from going on but the lawsuit continues.

In the meantime, Hunnam (who rarely appears on conventions) was to join the entire Sons of Anarchy cast at SCCC. Hunnam did appear but several of his castmates held out due to a contract conflict. That led to anarchy at SCCC as outraged fans nearly rioted after spending hundreds of dollars for autographs and photos they never received.
Not only did Hunnam return to Houston, he agreed to give free autographs to those holding Sons of Anarchy VIP tickets from SCCC, he also cancelled his scheduled panel discussion so he could spend more time doing autographs and photos. Wolf Studios honored unredeemed VIP photo op vouchers from SCCC and Comicpalooza gave free three-day passes to those jilted SCCC VIP ticket holders.
Kudos go not only to Hunnam for his selfless act but also to Comicpalooza founder John Simons who went way out of his way to make good on a bad situation that he had nothing to do with.
Now if I can bend John’s ear for a minute and drop a suggestion for next year – it’s the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars.” A cast reunion would be a major coup for any comic con, especially Comicpalooza.

Finding the courage to be a good father

The other day I watched the movie “Courageous” again.
It’s a Christian film about a group of cops and a construction worker who struggle with various aspects of fatherhood. It had been years since I last watched it and I was riveted though as if I was watching a major Hollywood blockbuster for the first time. I kept asking myself why I don’t watch it more often.
Then it hit me.
The movie is very convicting. It challenges men to be the fathers God meant them to be. It clearly moves you out of your comfort zone. It zings you for every minute spent in overtime at the office, watching TV, browsing the Internet or any other activity that you do that comes at the expense of time spent with your children and your spouse.
Guilty!
A short time after I became a father in the 1990s, I discovered Promise Keepers and became thoroughly immersed in the message and the ministry. I was determined and committed to being the best husband and father I could possibly be. I had my family actively engaged at church and in the Boy Scouts.
Then came the dark times. Between 2002 and 2004 I became distracted and overcommitted. I was a newspaper reporter, a Cubmaster and co-founder of a Cub Scout Pack, I started my own promotional products company, I started the Lone Ranger Fan Club and published a quarterly newsletter and I was active with the men’s ministry at church. That wasn’t the half of it. I discovered this amazing thing called the World Wide Web. It consumed what was left of me.
It wasn’t long before everything unraveled. The business failed and I struggled mightily at my newspaper job. I became obsessed with the fan club because it felt like the only success I was having. Between the fan club and the Internet I began to neglect and tune out things in my life. I slid into a very deep depression. I became that guy who came home, parked in front of the computer and let the rest of the world go about its merry way.
It wasn’t long before I was there physically but completely disconnected mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For years I went through the motions of living, but not really living. I blamed the depression and the mental fog that still plagues me today. My weight shot up to 260 pounds. I was always tired – way too tired to do anything with my kids.
A terrible thing happened while I wasn’t looking. My kids grew up. My two oldest no longer live at home. One of my four is drifting aimlessly and struggling in school. I’ve been able to stay reasonably engaged with one of my children, but even then not to the degree I would like.
The one who has really suffered through all of this is my wife. She has become the de facto leader of the home and the glue holding the family together. She does all of this while working full time and going to grad school. She is a strong and beautiful woman and I’m fortunate to have her.
Coming out of depression is a slow and painful process. I feel like a lab rat for antidepressant drug makers. Years of lethargy make any physical activity painful. I have lost some of the weight but still have a long way to go. Each day is filled with hope and a promise to myself to do better. There are good days, bad days and average days – the worst of all.
Days come and days go and kids get older and more independent. They become less interested in their parents. The more they explore and learn about themselves and the world around them the smaller your window of influence becomes. My window hasn’t shut yet but a lot of opportunity has been wasted.
We recently lost our Internet service at home for a couple of weeks. An amazing thing happened. Suddenly we had time to interact with each other. It was awkward at times but it was good. Really good. Chores got done and we did things together. I had a long overdue talk with my drifting son. I think we turned a page on this chapter of life. It’s that Internet outage that led me to dig into the DVD collection one night and rediscover “Courageous.”
Here we are with Father’s Day coming up and I find myself on a mission of rediscovery. I’m fervently trying to rediscover my role as a husband and father. I’m rediscovering the passion and drive I felt during my Promise Keepers days. I’m planning to renew the covenant vows I made back then to my family. I am driven to make the most of what little time I have left with my children and to be engaged in their lives. More importantly, I am going to reshape myself into the man Sandy married and lost. I will reclaim my position as the servant leader of my home.
For the last 15 years this column has been called Faith, Family & Fun. I’m not going to change the name but I am going back to my roots of writing more about faith and family. That’s not to say I won’t be ignoring the fun. This weekend is Comicpalooza, which always lends itself to a lot of fun things to write about.
In the meantime, however, I will muster the courage to beat down the demons that have trampled me for the last dozen or so years and rise up to be worthy of the name Daddy.

If you live in a swamp you have to expect to get wet

So, this is what life is like in a swamp.
At the time of this writing a good-sized chunk of Fort Bend County is under water and has been for most of a week. I hear people referring to this flood as “unprecedented” or a “500-year flood.”
The flooding in the area from the swollen Brazos River may be unprecedented in some ways, but I suspect this is not the most the mighty river has spilled over its banks. It’s just the most since records were first kept, which is a relatively short time compared to the many centuries the river has been flowing across the land we now call Texas.
People seem to forget that this whole region is a swamp that humans have drained, diverted, levied and dammed to make habitable. The problem is, Mother Nature won’t be constrained that way. The Brazos has changed course many times and it is usually events like this that force her to reroute her way to the sea.
When you consider all that man has done to reshape the surface and compound that with the 12 or so feet of subsidence this area has suffered with water being pumped out of the aquifers, it’s no wonder that we’ve had major flooding the last couple of years. The excess water simply has no place to go.
The reality is that the water is here and with it are the complications we must deal with. All of us have been inconvenienced by road closures and many people have damage to homes, business and vehicles. As we move into recovery mode, there are a lot of things we need to look out for, both man made and natural.
First of all, the area is ripe for fraud. Every disaster is always plagued by fraudulent repair companies. Before you sign anything or shell out some cash, do your homework on the company you plan to hire. Are they local? Are they bonded and well established here? What does the Better Business Bureau say about them?
We must also be on the lookout for flooded cars being sold by unscrupulous dealers. There will be an abundance of them hitting the market soon. Again, do your homework before buying an auto.
Another thing to consider is the impact of the floods on animals both wild and domestic. A lot of pets and livestock have been displaced. If you’re missing a pet, check local animal shelters. If you’re able, consider fostering some pets as most shelters are usually overrun in the spring and the flood is just compounding the problem. Local shelters need help – lots of it!
Be aware of displaced wildlife. We have all seen pictures of deer seeking dry ground. Keep in mind that most everything else in nature is doing the same thing. That means everything from insects to squirrels, coyotes, snakes and alligators will be showing up in places you don’t normally see them. Don’t harass or kill them. Avoid them as much as possible and notify authorities if necessary.
Keep in mind that fire ants will be on the move, bees will be swarming and the mosquito population will be exploding with all the standing water around here. Be prepared for that and protect yourself and your family. This will be a problem for a long while.
It’s going to take a long time for the river to go down and for the area to drain and dry out. Recovery won’t happen overnight. Be patient and persistent. We are all in this together and we will need to help one another to get through it.
As much as possible, use local services and shop locally as you clean up, rebuild property and replace lost and damaged items. There will be huge economic impact on the area with lost productivity and sales. The more we can help our neighbors and ourselves, the better off all of us will be. The more money you send out of the area, the more jobs and prosperity you send with it.
Another important thing to do is be friendly, considerate and helpful, especially on the roads. Road construction has already caused a great deal of road congestion. That has been made more difficult with road closures due to flooding. It is inevitable that some of the flooded roads will be damaged, requiring more repair and more congestion.
Please try to remember that we are all in this together. All of us become impatient and get rushed. We need to relax and cooperate so everyone can get where they’re going. That’s the kind of courtesy people should be exhibiting anyway. All too often on Hwy. 59 you see people using the HOV lane as a passing lane or they cut over and use the on-ramp lanes to pass other cars. Frequently I’ve seen motorcyclists shoot up between lanes of cars.
Take a chill pill, people. Trust me, your hurry is no greater than anyone else’s hurry. We’re all running later than we like but we will all get there unless you do something stupid and cause an accident. And just because you’re moving slow (or not at all) in traffic, it does not give you permission to be on your cell phone. Please realize that by using it when you’re behind the wheel that you have become part of the problem, not the solution.
OK, I have digressed. I’ll get off my soapbox and get back to the topic at hand. The point I’ve been trying to make is that the flood affects all of us in some way and it’s up to all of us to work together to recover from it. The next few weeks and months are going to be long and messy, so let’s all do our part and help out one another.
Maybe if we all learn to work together and get along it won’t get so nasty this fall when the politicians start slinging their mud all over the place and dividing the country with their politics. Nah, who am I kidding? Some things are just too much to hope for. But that’s life in a swamp, even a political one.

It’s time for some pomp and circumstance and Elvis

It’s graduation season; a time of pomp and circumstance.
For years I just took the term “pomp and circumstance” for granted. I never asked what it meant. I just assumed it to be a highfalutin to-do such as a graduation or the name of that annoying tune that gets played over and over like a stuck record.
It turns out that both are right. “Pomp and Circumstance” is the name of that music played so exasperatingly at graduations. It also means “splendid celebration with ceremony and fuss” according to Dictionary.com.
Anyone who has ever spent even five minutes at a graduation can certainly understand the ceremony part of it. If you have ever prepared for a graduation or prepared someone for graduation, you understand what the fuss is all about.
Let’s take this a step further, shall we? I looked up the word “pomp” to get a better feel for its meaning. The dictionary says it is a noun that means “stately or splendid display; splendor; magnificence.” It also means “ostentatious or vain display, especially of dignity or importance.” Both would seem to apply at most graduations I’ve been to.
Looking even deeper, its Greek and Latin roots mean procession or “to send.” It also had meaning as “worldly display” and “vain show.” It is also a root for the word pompous, which means “ostentatiously dignified or self-important.” We also get pompadour, which I’m pretty sure has something to do with Elvis and thus fits appropriately with all of the aforementioned definitions.
Following my twisted logic, I think we can safely say that “pomp” means “Elvis has left the building.”
The word “circumstance” is a little more complex (or in modern vernacular “it’s complicated”). Dictionary.com gives several definitions for “circumstance” but for the most part it means “situation” or “existing conditions.” Another meaning is “a person’s surrounding or environment.”
So, we must reach the conclusion that “pomp and circumstance” means “Conditions were such that Elvis left the building.” (I’ll leave it to your imagination as to why Elvis had to leave.)
In many ways, that is similar to what high school and college graduates are experiencing. Conditions are such (meaning they have met all the requirements) that they must leave the building (school). The educational institution wraps this departure in great fanfare with a lot of dignity, splendor and music that gets stuck in your head for hours or even days. (Just be thankful it isn’t traditionally played on bagpipes!)
In all seriousness now, I do want to give the Class of 2016 this brief bit of advice. Always do the three L’s: Learning, living and loving. Learning is for a lifetime. Living is to express your life and passions with gusto. Loving is the selfless act of giving of yourself to others. If you can do that, you will go very far in life.

Comic Con season is here

Last weekend was the Space City Comic Con at NRG Center. Comic cons generally stand for the three C’s: Comics, celebrities and costumes.

C1: As it says in the name, cons are about comic books. Modern comic cons are a merger of traditional comic book conventions – where the focus was on the art, artists and writers and science fiction conventions that primarily started out as expressions of fandom for “Star Trek” and later “Star Wars” and other science fiction and fantasy films and television shows.
The San Diego Comic Con is the granddaddy of them all and has grown into a cultural event rivaling the Oscars or the Super Bowl. Houston got onto the comic con map a few years ago with Comicpalooza and more recently with Space City Comic Con. Comicpalooza has traditionally been held Memorial Day weekend at the George R. Brown Convention Center. This year it is June 17-19 and Space City Comic Con filled the Memorial Day weekend void.
Both of these conventions have comics at their root. Comics are also at the root of a lot of the pop culture celebrated at the conventions, including movies, anime, gaming and costuming. The big attraction, however, are the celebrities. Without comics we don’t have a lot of the movies and TV shows that are so popular today.
C2: Conventions are where fans can meet celebrities and pay through the nose for autographs and photo ops. Big names come to town to hobnob with the commoners. Last weekend brought the likes of William Shatner, Brent Spiner, Ron Perlman and the cast of Sons of Anarchy. Later this month, Comicpalooza will reunite the cast of “Aliens” including Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn and Paul Reiser. Darth Vader actor David Prowse will be there along with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), the young voice actresses from “Frozen”, and actors Tara Reid, Bill Paxton and Lou Ferrigno, to name just a few. Let’s face it, you can’t go to Hollywood and expect to see this many famous movie stars in one place. That doesn’t include the comic book artists and writers and the numerous book authors who attend these things.
C3: Costuming can be every bit as entertaining at comic cons as meeting celebrities. You get a wide variety of costumers – or cosplayers as they are often called – from people wearing cheesy Halloween costumes to some very elaborate and creative getups. There are even professional cosplayers who make the convention rounds, sometimes as invited celebrity guests. Their costumes are amazing and they love posing for photos with fans (some times for a small fee; usually to benefit a charity). It’s this group of super fans who lead to the unspoken but very visible fourth C – cleavage. I’ll let you figure that one out yourself.
Although I’ve mentioned quite a bit here, this is the proverbial tip of the iceberg of the whole Comic Con experience. If you’ve never been to one, Comicpalooza is a great place to start. There are smaller ones throughout the year across the region but Comicpalooza is one of the biggest and best in Texas.