Loscon explores sci-fi, ‘Star Trek’ and more

By Commodore Dave Mason

LOS ANGELES — Dennis Cherry put his blood, sweat and tears literally into Loscon when he and Kristine Cherry oversaw the convention’s annual blood drive.

Dennis wanted one more pint of blood, so during the drive’s final minutes, he donated his own.

Dennis and Kristine have led the blood drive for a long time, and Dennis creates fish balloons with expressive eyes for the event. You could see Dennis’ fish in the blood drive room and the halls at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, where Loscon took place on Thanksgiving weekend.

In addition to the blood drive, Loscon featured everyone from author Brandi June on a “Wicked For Good” movie panel to “Star Trek” illustrator Rick Sternbach on a “Star Trek: Past, Present and Future” panel.

Sternbach talked about working on shows such as “The Next Generation” and “Voyager,” in which he designed the Intrepid-class USS Voyager.”

“Voyager was my baby,” Sternbach told me when I asked him questions as the panel moderator. This was the second “Star Trek” panel I moderated during the weekend. The other one was during the Region 4 summit portion of Loscon.

The panel also included a member of the committee that organized the first major “Star Trek” convention in the 1970s in New York City, and she described how the number of fans grew into the thousands.

The three of us discussed “Star Trek” shows ranging from the original series to “Strange New Worlds” and beyond.

In addition to that panel, I sat as the only non-NASA employee or non-NASA retiree on a NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory panel. I talked about reporting for a Center Square story (www.centersquare.com) on a practice for the Artemis II splashdown at Navy Base San Diego. I reserved my other moments at the microphone for asking questions of the experts to my left and right. They told me that NASA’s budget was at risk of being cut to the point that the Voyager I and II unmanned probes, which have gone farther into space than other objects built by humans, could be shut off. If that happens, they can never be reactivated, the engineers told me.

I was also on a time travel panel, which included discussions about “Doctor Who.”

Another USS Angeles member participating in panels was Gene Turnbow of the Krypton Media Group. Gene and his wife, longtime USS Angeles member Susan Fox, have been involved for a long time with Loscon. I ran into Susan at a table, where she was selling admissions for next year’s Loscon and told me some great news. 

Next year’s headliners will include Bill Wolkoff, who co-wrote the popular “Subspace Rhapsody” musical episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” So — literally — stay tuned! You can learn more at loscon.org. And for more photos from Loscon, see the March edition of Angels Flight, the USS Angeles newsletter, which will go to members soon. To become a member, click on “Join us.”

Dennis Cherry of the USS Angeles stands in the room where he and Kristine Cherry oversaw the annual blood drive at Loscon. (Photos by Dave Mason / USS Angeles / Angels Flight)

Kris Cherry of the USS Angeles holds pairs of Pac-Man socks as she sits at a table in the Loscon room where she and Dennis Cherry oversaw the annual blood drive. The socks were “thank you” gifts to blood donors from the Red Cross. More photos from Loscon will appear in the March edition of Angels Flight, the newsletter that is going out soon to USS Angeles members.