Eye Crave Network took in this long running Toronto SF Con that took place from July 16-18. Previously known as Toronto Trek, the convention was renamed to Polaris in 2007. This was done to recognize that the convention had branched out from its original Star Trek roots in 1986 when the Con first started. Over time it has become a convention that celebrates all genres of science fiction and fantasy including television, movies, books, art, and other related hobbies.
Polaris is strictly a Not-For-Profit event and is entirely a volunteer run event. It is also the largest annual community-run science fiction and fantasy event in Canada.
I was able to attend Polaris on the Friday and Saturday and attend a couple of panels, including two great ones on Lost.
Saturday was Media Day and I spent the bulk of the day in the media room interviewing:
Take your eyes off the Stone Angels from Doctor Who at your own peril!
1. Alaina Huffman: Lt. Tamara Johnson – StarGate Universe
2. Craig Miller: Writer/Producer of SF feature – Resistance
3. Kai Owen: Rhys Williams – TorchWood
4. Ethan Phillips: Neelix – Star TrekVoyager
5. Robert J Sawyer: Flash Forward
6. Mark Sheppard: BattleStar Galatica, Leverage, Warehouse 13, Chuck & more
7. Nikki Stafford: Writer: Finding Lost, Bite Me: The Unofficial Guide to Buffy The Vampire Slayer & more
It was a great experience. All the interviewees were gracious, charming, energetic, and accommodating beyond expectations. The media room was very intimate because this is a smaller con. The setting made the whole process feel more like a group getting together for a coffee break. Sharp contrast to the press room scrums you see at the larger conventions.
Special thanks to Polaris Con Media Relations Department: Kristopher Webb and Kate Halloran for all their help in setting things up for Eye Crave Net and fielding my requests.
Each interview was recorded and because they were so entertaining they will be posted for your enjoyment. There is a good mix of discussion about movies, TV shows, actors, directors, fandom, the special appeal of genre material, and the unique relationship that exists fans and genre material. A new interview will be put each day along with a brief biography of each interviewee.
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First interview to go up is Mark Sheppard. If you watch TV, you have seen this gentleman. His unofficial title would be the Guest Star King. Mark has been on BattleStar Galactica, Chuck, SuperNatural, WareHouse13, Firefly, and Jake 2.0 to name just a few. Mark is very genial and, as I discovered during the interview, a fully carded nerd. He walked into the interview with an iPad tucked under his arm. We all knew we were in for a good time when the interview started before the formal start up was yet to be done.
You will quickly see how informal it was and how much fun we had listening to Mark. Enjoy the interview.
interviews/polaris-24/marksheppard.mp3
